#but yeah i eas thinking about all the variety of my s/is

[purpldawne]

self inserts are great. some people have one they use for every media and i love seeing this one specific little guy people choose to represent themselves go on fun adventures and make friends with their favorite characters and fall in love with others. some people have a different insert for every media they ship from or even for every ship they have and that's??? honestly really impressive and cool how so many different things can represent a single person. sometimes they're fantastical and magical and sometimes they're just A Guy™ in Situations™ even if it doesn't really "fit" the media they're an insert for. and some of these designs?? SNAPPED my spine stole my bones yall are so talented

[executables-sims]

Get to know you: Sims Style

Thank you so much for the tag, @goatskickin! :D I am ill rn, so please excuse the rambling. x) Long post ahead!

What’s your favorite Sims death? Maybe fright? I've only ever had it happen once via ghost, the anim is pretty funny. :)

Alpha CC or Maxis Match? My Simblr probably says otherwise, but I don’t have a preference! I’ve had nearly every possible CC style under the sun throughout my years of playing, and I constantly think about reviving my 'semi-realism' folder (living vicariously through you, other simmers!). I didn't play with CC until early 2006 though, so MM is a little bit more nostalgic. :)

Do you cheat your sims weight? Hell no! I'm still in awe of Nysha's townie body diversity mod finally letting townies be fat. :D I wish the game had a better way of managing bodyshapes so I could add more variety that way.

Do you move objects? Of course!

Favorite Mod? Of all time? Impossible! My continued interest in gameplay is always because of new mods. :)

I did gain a new outlook thanks to a mod recently, though! My wild romance sim Blaze Biermann ended up 'mood swinging' to fortune before he went to uni, and instead of reverting, it got stuck.

He had a few flings still (pleasure secondary), but after he returned home and met his daughter (for the first time since her birth), he started cringing whenever I directed him to romance his dates. It felt like he had grown as a person, and I loved it!

TL;DR: Randomly change your sims' original aspiration/s to give them interesting character arcs! First Expansion/Game Pack/Stuff Pack? I mean, not my decision, but our first TS1 EP was Hot Date. I'm pretty sure I got TS2 EPs/SPs in order of release (miss those days of unwrapping a new one every birthday/christmas!).

Do you pronounce live mode like aLIVE or LIVing? We're LIVE, baby! 🎥

Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? I don't usually get very attached to my first-generation sims, but maybe Evonne Milos, from the gameplay/story hood I accidentally destroyed in four days? Never actually played her, but I had a lot of ideas for a corrupt 'sexpot' politician. x)

Have you made a simself? Lots! 99% of the fun I had playing TS2 as a kid was me and my best friend making ourselves and our respective crushes of the week, and we'd always live in one of those Veronaville lots that was two houses connected by a balcony. I can't even tell you the amount of times she got me pregnant against my wishes whilst I went to the bathroom, lmao.

Which is your favorite EA hair color? For colour consistency, probably brown? But there are a lot of brunettes in Brunwick (must be the name!), so I enjoy the recessives popping up in gameplay. :)

Favorite EA hair? Does an EA download count? Jeanette is lovely.

Favorite life stage? Ohhh dude, that's so difficult to answer. They all bring different challenges and dynamics to the household! I feel like I've started to appreciate the child lifestage more since Brunwick has grown large enough to have multiple friendship groups. It's fun watching them goof around with each other and be actual kids, instead of sitting indoors skilling. I really need to build a park! :)

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay?

Are you a CC creator? Yes, I really love how this game has led me to so many creative hobbies! Would like to tackle BHAVs one day. :)

Do you have any Simblr friends or a Sim Squad? Yeah! I consider us all friends over our shared enjoyment of the game really, but as a chronic lurker I'm not the best at cultivating connections. x) Does anyone wanna make a secret club? xD

Do you have any sims merch? No, but I do have a bunch of rad sims memories. 👉😎👉

Do you have a YouTube for sims? Nope, but I watched plenty of sim music videos back in the day! Found a lot of songs that way. :) Some formative memories here: One / Two

How has your “Sims style” changed throughout your years of playing? I sadly don't have screenshots of my oldest saves thanks to a combo of no external HD and no screenshot program, but here's one example:

But gameplay-wise, a lot! My early years were probably based around creating stories more than actively playing, but when I did I would just emulate perfect families, attempt legacies, and restart BG hoods over and over. x)

Now I'm all about wants-based gameplay; witnessing and interpreting a story, as opposed to creating one from scratch. But I will add drama if I find my interest waning! x)

Who’s your favorite CC creator? Again, super-duper impossible to answer because everyone's CC makes the game fun, but my most recent CC shopping spree was Honeywell and HugeLunatic! :) 🛒

How long have you had Simblr? Technically 2011, officially 2013, but if we're being pedantic, I finally made a dedicated Simblr (this) in 2016. x)

How do you edit your pictures? These days, just sharpen and shrink! CC previews aren't too complicated either- a blurred out screenshot for the BG and a shadow.

What expansion/gamepack is your favorite? Ooh… maybe Nightlife, by a smidgen? I feel like it gave us a lot of new features and items, and the subhood was nice (as a non-builder at the time!).

Tagging: @daman19942 @aondaneedles @eulaliasims @profesionalpartyguest @tvickiesims @and everyone else, I love reading these! :D

[repentantsky]

5 People Who Should Not Be in The Gaming industry

Our choice of entertainment, when we choose video games has nearly endless potential, with works that are inspiring from varying genre’s, to varying resources, and many people who work on these games are as inspiring as they are instrumental to the industry’s continued growth and success, these 5 people, here are none of these things, and are nothing short of a detriment to it. Whether it’s because they broke the law, multiple times, clearly don’t care about the people who work under them, or are simply unable to tell their fans the truth, here are 5 people, who simply should not be here. Be warned, I may trigger you one way or the other depending on where you stand, and I’m not sorry about it if you want to defend these losers. Oh and, one final note, my lists aren’t usually ranked by how important an entry is, or in this case, how messed up they are, but rather by how much I want to talk about them, so do keep that in mind. 

5. David Cage. 

David might be the least unworthy person on this list, depending on how you look at it, (I think he’s one of the worst people here, but you do you) but he’s also possibly the biggest A-hole. Running the company Quantic Dream, most regarded for their game Detroit: Become Human, the company, Cage, and another key member have been under investigation for years, for mistreating their employees, and violating contracts. Most famously with Elliot Page, back before when he was known as Ellen Page, as the game Beyond: Two Souls, did have a fully nude model that for a time could be hacked to be visible in the game, which was a violation of the contract Elliot had signed at that time. Other accusations include, bullying, anti-woman rights shown in the work place, and harassment of employees, namely of the female variety. This isn’t mere speculation either, as Quantic Dream did a few years back, lose a case against a former employee in court, and if one thing most people have learned about abuse or mistreatment of others these days, is that if there’s one case, there’s probably more. While things have been quiet on this front in light of COVID-19, the investigation, is still on-going. 

4. Randy Pitchford. 

The laundry list of offenses this man has committed should have seen him end up in jail, but money talks, and he settled his crimes out of court. What crimes did he commit you ask? Let me see if I can remember everything. He, supposedly had child pornography on a flash drive, for which he was acquitted, with that never being shown in a way that can be confirmed or denied, he refused to work with Troy Baker on Borderlands 3 who played Rhys in Tales from the Borderlands, because Troy has joined the closest thing to a union within voice acting, which meant Pitchford would have had to follow certain guidelines, that he wasn’t willing to, he stole 12 million dollars meant to be bonuses for employees of Take Two after completing Borderlands 2, and the opening funds for Borderlands 3, which he seemingly used to pay off his court case, he assaulted Claptrap’s original VA when they were still working together, and refused to bring him back in Borderlands 3 because he wouldn’t do the voice for free after leaving like he had before, he refused to pay a musician for work done on Duke Nukem Forever, and while not nearly as heinous as the rest of these, refuses to acknowledge that any criticism against Alien: Colonel Marines is legitimate. So yeah, complete A-whole. Kind of makes you wonder how people like this stay in the industry, instead of in jail where they belong.

3. Todd Howard.

Todd Howard, is to put it lightly, a habitual liar, and often tries to play up his good guy persona while lying through his teeth. Fallout 76 is a key example of how he can lie, as just about everything he said about the game when it was announced, was untrue, though he’s used to that as he also lied about Skyrim, Fallout 4, Elder Scrolls Blades, Elder Scrolls online, seemingly favoring single player games while 76 was still not known to the public, the list goes on. Todd Howard, for as bad as his voice is for it, is basically the hype man for everything major Bethesda does, and usually seems to be in charge for finding a fall guy when his lies don’t come to fruition. It’s not really shocking per-say that he lies, but man, it would be nice if he could just tell the truth, if anyone could believe anything he says. Never, have I heard so many untrue things said about a game from one man, and yet, you literally have to question everything that comes out of his mouth, and assume all of it is overplayed nonsense, because Bethesda seemingly pays him to try and make us believe that he can say anything of factual value. But alas, he can’t, he even lied about the paid mods controversies Bethesda tried to pull, both times they did it, and nothing came of it. Someone who cannot seem to tell the truth, should not be in this industry.   

2.  Marcin Iwinski. 

This may not be a name instantly recognizable to many, but Marcin is co-founder of CD Projekt Red, and is it’s most prolific liar. Unlike other CEO’s who have people below them spread lies so fans go after them instead of the guy at the top, Marcin has been Cyberpunk 2077′s voice in a manner of speaking, as he was the one told all of us the lies surrounding the game. He tells people what to say about the game, so he’s responsible for the lies made to retailers, fans, and of course Sony and Microsoft, and he even tried to get ahead of a piece written by Jason Schreier, with a non-apology that was actually more damage control for the horrible release of Cyberpunk 2077. While he’s by no means the only person who has committed these sorts of acts in this industry, his recent example of what a CEO will do to save face for his company, regardless of much BS there is within, makes him a prime target for fans to show those who run massive game companies, that lying to people for years, be it about how a game is running, or how it’s being made, shout out to all those people he said weren’t crunching, and then trying to downplay it when we found out, is not okay. Letting people like that go, only incites more to do the same. 

1. Andrew Wilson. 

Yet another name you might not know off the top of your head, Andrew Wilson is the CEO of EA, a company that is so corrupt under his watch, that they tried to break Belgium gambling laws because they just...thought they were above it? I don’t know the whole story there, but I do know that EA, under his run as CEO, clearly thinks it can do anything it wants, and feels like they can lie about whatever they choose, regardless of how poorly it reflects on the industry, or how it hurts smaller developers just trying to turn their passion into a career. Killing off beloved studios like Visceral games, Black Box Studios, Origin, and Playfish to name just a few, EA has become the killer of studios, and every time Andrew Wilson’s face is on screen, smart people began to worry. Mr. Surprise Mechanics himself may not have committed any crimes that we know of (aside from again, breaking Belgium law because he thought he could get away with it), nor has he lied his way to success in the public, but killing off studios loved by all in order to force everyone under his employ to mainly focus on games as a service, a move that is more harmful than good in the industry, is cause enough for him to be forced out. 

And that’s my list, what did you think? It’s not often someone actually calls people out in this industry, and I honestly think more people need to do it so there’s some of that. Let me know if you can think of anyone else who deserves being a swift kick out the door, reblog this if it interested you, and feel free to leave a note. 

[if-the-crown-fits-translate-it]

Discord pt 50

[Date: 25/02, 6.59 PM - 25/02, 07.51 PM GMT]

[‘Puppet’ from the Ib OST is playing in the VC.]

fetch: “:)”

Prince: “Oh! Crown said this was a good song! He says it reminds him of being a kid again! Don't you guys think so?

:)”

fetch: “YOU RE R I GHT PR INCE ! TH IS JS A VE R Y G OOD S ONG .” [You’re right Prince! This is a very good song.]

Prince: “I like it! It makes me feel all happy inside :)”

fetch: “TH OUG H ITS A L ITT LE F AST ER TH AN WH AT I U SUALL Y L IS TE N TO . N IG HT COR E HA AHA AHA .” [Though it’s a little faster than what I usually listen to. Nightcore haahaaha.]

Prince: “It is a little fast, but it's very nice :D”

Prince: “It makes me kinda sleepy :) How about you, fetch? :)”

fetch: “I GU ESS A L I TT LE HA HAA . B UT I GOT PL ENTY OF SL EE P LAS T N IGH T!” [I guess a little hahaa. But I got plenty of sleep last night!]

IM SO ENE ER GIZED AND R E ADY FO R THE D A Y” [I’m so energized and ready for the day]

donti: “Isn’t too much sleep a little bad for someone?”

Prince: “I don't think so :) It's nice to sleep. You don't have to think about all the things that might be stressing you out :)”

fetch: “I AG REE PR INC E . SL EE P IS NNI CE B UT D OGS CA NT S LE EP ALL D A Y ! THAT S A CAT TH ING TO DO L OL” [I agree, Prince. Sleep is nice but dogs can’t sleep all day! That’s a cat thing to do lol]

[‘No One in Sight’ from the Ib OST starts playing on loop]

fetch: “N OT AS G OOD AS THE LA ST ONE B UT S TILL A BOP” [Not as good as the last one but still a bop]

Prince: “Oh! This one is nice, too! Relaxing, like you’re outside listening to the breeze~”

Prince: “I can put on the other one again! :D”

[fetch: “ HM . TH ANF YOU PR INCE BU T I LIKE VA RIE TY SOM E TIME S :)” [Hm. Thank you, Prince, but I like variety sometimes]]

Prince: “Oh, ok :)”

fetch: “IM H APP Y TO SEE C R OWN ANS W E RIN G T H IN GS! YO U M UST BE H APPY T O O” [I’m happy to see Crown answering things! You must be happy too]

[donti: How had your day been so far Prince, while you’re here? This music really gets me in a convering mood.]

Prince: “It's been great! everything is fine :)“

fetch: “TH AT S GOO D :D” [That’s good :D]

[donti: Thats nice to know! How’s everyone in the court doing?”]

Prince: “Everyone is doing well :D i miss Knight, though... He hasn't been around in a while.”

fetch: “AW SADGE D: I H OPE Y OU F IND Y OUR KN IG HT BUD D Y SOON !” [Aw Sadge D: I hope you find your Knight buddy soon!]

[donti: Oh no! did something happen? Do you know where he is?

Prince: “No... He just... Went away one day... Crown said he'll find him for us and bring him home again, though, so it's ok! :)“

fetch: “AW HA HA HA H OW N ICE OF. H IM :) :) :)” [Aw hahaha how nice of. him]

[‘BGM008′ from the Ib OST starts playing]

[Povas: “Where did you last see knight?”]

Prince: “Um...Here, I think :)”

fetch: “O H G OOD SON G [Oh good song]

TH IS MAK ES THE FUN NY PIA NO T INK Y NOIS E” [This makes the funny piano tinky noise]

Prince: “I like the tinky noise too! :D”

Povas: “Why is it giving me a sense of dread?”

fetch: “I DK WHA T YOU M EAN BY D R EAD :/ ? IT S OUND S F INE TO M E !” [Idk what you mean by dread :/? It sounds fine to me!]

Prince: “Yeah! I think it's lovely! :)”

Povas: “It might just be me”

fetch: “PR OBAB LY Y OU LOL :D” [Probably you lol :D]

[donti: “Hm, change of music aside, whatcha been up to?”]

Prince: “Not much has been happening :) I just like to listen to music here. You can't be sad if there's nothing to make you upset, you know? :)”

[fetch [responding to donti]: “WH O ME ? OR PR INC E ?” [Who, me? Or Prince?]

donti: “Either or! I care about both of you :D”

fetch: “OH IM D OI NG GR E AT :D APP A RE NT LY M I SS E D D INN E R LA S T N IGHT SO M ONA (G OOD GO OD F RIEND MO NA) L EFT OUT A BR EA KF AS T FOR M E TO M UN CH WHI LE SHE WE NT TO W O RK” [Oh I’m doing great :D Apparently missed dinner last night so Mona (good good friend Mona) left out a breakfast for me to munch while she went to work]

[fetch: “HAV E BEEN VE RY TH IRST Y SO D RINK ING W AT ER” [Have been very thirsty so drinking water]]

Prince: “That's good! Drink plenty of water and eat plenty of food and get plenty of sleep! Crown would want you at your best :D”

fetch: “Y E AH :) TO AST WITH RO SE PET AL J AM M M  AND GO OD C E R EAL” [Yeah :) toast with rose petal jammm and good cereal]

[‘The Little Doll's Dream’ from the Ib OST starts playing]

fetch: “OO OO O GUITAR R R [ooooo guitarrr]

I LI KE GU IT AR” [I like guitar]

[donti: Prince, you have a very wide range of music in here! Where did you find so many songs?”]

Prince: “Oh, i just like to listen to a lot of things! These songs are from a game called Ib! You should play it :)“

[fetch: “IT I S A VER Y F UN G AME ! GARRY IS MY F AVOR I TE CH AR ACTER” [It is a very fun game! Garry is my favorite character]]

Prince: “Garry is my favorite, too! he's so nice! :D”

Bea (she/her): “I've heard of that game before. What's it about?”

[fetch: “A G IRL GO ES TO AN A RT ME USE UM AND THE N SHI T GE TS F UCKED LOL PAI NTINS COM E TO L IFE N S H JT” [A girl goes to an art museum and then shit gets fucked lol]]

Prince: “I guess... But i'd describe it a little differently...”

[”Inquiry” from the Ib OST starts playing]

fetch: “I M EAN AIN T THAT WH AT HAP PENS LOL” [I mean ain’t that what happens lol]

Prince: “A girl named Ib goes to an art exhibit and ends up in finding herself inside a painting! She meets a nice man named Garry and they have to make their way out together! There's lots of different endings and lots of puzzles! :)”

fetch: “MY DE S C RI PT ION W AS BE T TER LOL” [My description was better lol]

donti: “Oh! So its not a horror game?”

Prince: “It can be a little scary sometimes, but it's not terrible :)”

fetch: “ANYW AY NIC E B OPS IM GONNA GO EA T THE R ES T OF THE ROSE PETAL JAM :) Y UM BY E G UYS DONT FOR GET TO AS K CR OW N TH IN GS” [Anyway nice bops I’m gonna go eat the rest of the Rose Petal Jam :) Yum bye guys don’t forget to ask Crown things]

[donti: Alright! What other games do you play?]

Prince: “Lots of games! I like Skyrim, Overwatch, Undertale and Minecraft the most, though! :D”

[donti: “thats awesome! I like Minecraft too! I also play Pokemon and some rhythm games :D”]

Prince: “Ooh, what's your favorite Pokemon? i like Mimikyu and Ditto the most! :)”

donti: “Gengar and Joltik! the Mareep line is also pretty cool!”

Prince: “Oh, I have to get going! Crown's asking to see me :)

Bye bye! :D”

[karanan]

Gonna ramble a bit about Mass Effect

I started playing Mass Effect Andromeda out of boredom while sick last week (I’m better now, if occasionally still coughing up leftover throat sludge), I bought it on a sale when it was a couple of months old back in 2017 but never played it. I remember starting it up and getting so mad at the terrible character creator I kind of shut it off and forgot it existed. I remember there was a lot of controversy around the game when it came out, and after the absolute shitshow that was ME3′s ending and all that jazz, I didn’t have a lot of faith in the series at the time. So it faded into obscurity until now. I still had it installed so I thought why not. I know they’ve made some critical patches by now but I have to say, I don’t get the hate at all. Given the response, I was expecting a mess. Judging by the product, there for sure was some fuckery going down during development (some bits are so janky haha but far from unplayable) to whatever degree. But I’m personally super much enjoying the game, I’ve been playing obsessively every day, and when I’m not playing, I’m thinking about it. I’ve been a fan of ME for over 10 years now (wow it’s truly been some time) and I love being back in the universe. I’m forever a huge slut for sci-fi, and there’s a special spot in my heart for “hard” sci-fi, or stuff that’s based on our real world. Now, I adored Commander Shepard in the original trilogy, I’ve always played femshep, which was really important to me as a 17-year-old-and-beyond because there had never really been any badass space hero women in the media I consumed before then. Nor had I played anything even remotely in the genre. I saw her as a role model, to be honest. So for Andromeda, I decided to go with the male Ryder twin. For variety. Also probably something something coming out as trans since my teens. Anyway, I loathe the character creator so despite every fibre of my being yelling out, I went with the default Scott Ryder. Because he’s honestly cute as hell and I can’t fight intergalactic crime if I ain’t virtually cute. I’m kind of obsessed he’s so adorable! And it’s nice as a contrast to Shepard’s hardass marine ways (even tho I love her and always made her a bleeding heart paragon), he’s a giant fucking nerd, pure of heart and dumb of ass. I love the theme of exploration and the pursuit of knowledge, loving and respecting existence in all its forms... just going to bonkers dangerous places for the pure discovery of it. Also the family story gets to me, ngl. Cliché as it is I also have a sibling I would murder for and... strained relationships with my parents so I guess I’m biased. But it gets to me.

But yeah, the way you get to interact with people and the galaxy at large as Ryder really clicks with me, I like most of the dialogue choices. And of course a giant plus that I get to be openly and ragingly space bisexual (though of course I curse bioware for having some companions be straight, come it’s 2800-whatever I thought we’d be over that by then). Options as always are limited but I’ll take what I can get. The friendships are really wholesome too. I haven’t beat the game yet, and aside from side-romancing Reyes, I haven’t decided if I should let Scott have a proper love interest yet. It might be too late though, I think I’m nearing endgame. But regardless, the combat and gameplay in general is tons of fun to me, I like biotically parkouring around on strange planets, and some of the fights are challenging enough to keep me on my toes. The difficult choices sure punch me in the face sometimes, much to my delight and discomfort (as it should be). And boy true to series formula is there tons and tons of lore and fluff text to pore over!

Anyway I just wanted to yell about it because I’m having a lot of fun with it, feel really inspired. Also Mass Effect is actually the real reason I made a tumblr blog, many moons ago so it’s fun to come full circle in a sense. I doubt I’ll stay obsessed long after finishing the game since the lukewarm response probably means no sequels or anything :(  It’s sad when you can tell people on the dev team put a lot of love and heart into it but were obviously shot in the ass by EA the whole way thru. But I’ll enjoy it for what it is while I’m at it!

[dalathin]

// Dragon Age Questions

Tagged by: @kaaras-adaar   Tagging: @worthyfate @kinlochfled @dirthahavcn @polyphoniie @ardaaman and anyone else who would like to!

01) Favourite game of the series?  Oof starting out with a hard question. Uhhh... I will go with Inquisition if only because out of all my canon main characters Séaghdha has really become the most important to me as far as emotional attachment goes.

02) How did you discover Dragon Age?  I am a long-time fan (?) of Bioware games and have been playing them since the beginning of time. I’ve literally played every Bioware game that exists, or at least this holds true for the time being (I am unsure if I will buy Anthem). My loyalty to the brand is not as strong as it used to be after they were bought by EA, and especially after David Gaider left the company. But yes. It actually started back with Baldur’s Gate II in 2000, which is not a Bioware game, but a game David did writing on and is still one of my favorite RPGs of all time. I followed him to Bioware and was determined to play anything he worked on. Hence, Dragon age.

03) How many times you’ve played the games?  I’ve genuinely lost count but I’ve memorized all three games, so... A lot lol

04) Favourite race to play as?  ELVES. But this isn’t necessarily a DA thing, it’s just a me thing because I am 100000% elf trash.

05) Favorited class?  Rogues, believe it or not. Mages are my second favorite, but yeah I prefer me my sneaky-sneaks.

06) Do you play through the games differently or do you make the same decisions each time?  Depends on what character I’m playing. If I’m replaying one my canon characters, then yes, I stick with their choices. But occasionally I’d replay as some random character specifically to fuck around.

07) Go-to adventuring group?  I always take my character’s love interest because I’m a weenie. But for DA:O: Zevran, Alistair, Leliana. For DAII: Fenris, Bethany/Anders (depends on the act), Aveline. For DA:I: Dorian, Solas, Bull. Needless to say, I died a lot playing Séaghdha because I’m dumb and stubborn and had a mostly mage party most of the time.

08) Which of your characters did you put the most thought into?  At this point, Séaghdha is probably the most fleshed out. Méabh, my canon Hawke, and Misae, my canon warden (who is on @exnobis for the record) are both pretty extensively developed in my own personal opinion, as I have a habit of just... getting probably too invested in my characters lol. But Séaghdha gets the most attention, without a doubt.

09) Favourite romance?  Okay so this is tough because Dorian as a character means a lot to me, he is my son and I adore him. But as much as I love him as a character, his romance was not my favorite. Sorry, son. Favorite romance is a really tough choice between Fenris and Zevran, but I think ultimately Fenris is the one who wins out. Both of their romances hit a lot of personal notes for me, but Fenris’ in particular uh... Well I cry every time, let me put it that way lmao

10) Have you read any of the comics/books?  All of the books and most of the comics.

11) If you read them, which was your favourite book?  Ehh... I honestly don’t really have one? I enjoyed them for sure, but my motivation was for the lore and less recreational lol.

12) Favourite DLCs?  For its drama, Trespasser. Overall, Mark of the Assassin. I may not like Felicia Day (sue me) but oh my god that DLC is fucking gold.

13) Things that annoy you.  So many things. But the biggest is probably the inconsistencies and ret-conning of lore and storyline. Whatever happened to the quality Bioware writing I fell in love with... where did it go....

14) Orlais or Ferelden?  Ferelden.

15) Templars or mages?  This isn’t a fair question imo. They both suffer needlessly. 

16) If you have multiple characters, are they in different/parallel universes or in the same one?  Typically I default to all my canons being in the same verse. Makes my timeline consistent and easier. However my characters are all obviously adaptable so as to fit with my RP partners and a variety of different plots.

17) What did you name your pets? (mabari, summoned animals, mounts, etc)  Misae’s mabari was named Finn and Méabh’s was named Cahir. Séaghdha has named his hart Leanathe, elvhen for splendor, glory. 

18) Have you installed any mods?  lmao my games are nothing but mods at this point

19) Did your Warden want to become a Grey Warden?  Not even remotely. He’s still bitter about it, quite frankly, despite taking quite well to a leadership role and life as a Bard. He’s all about finding that cure though, let me tell ya. 

20) Hawke’s personality?  Blue with a hint of purple when it wasn’t completely inappropriate. Basically, Méabh had a good sense of humor but was ultimately a very compassionate person.

21) Did you make matching armour for your companions in Inquisition?  No but that’s a hilarious idea now that you mention it.

22) If your character(s) could go back in time to change one thing, what would they change?  Misae would have tried to do more to save Tamlen, Méabh would have tried to do more to save her family, and Séaghdha would have tried to do more to save... well, everyone. Thanks Solas.

23) Do you have any headcanons about your character(s) that go against canon?  I have some headcanons that alter canon a little bit (like in my personal canon Méabh gets pregnant between acts, etc), but off the top of my head that only really big thing is that Séaghdha doesn’t lose his arm. I mean it gets mutilated and he loses a lot of use/mobility, but he doesn’t actually lose the arm.

24) Who did you leave in the Fade?  Séaghdha leaves Stroud and, believe me, he’s not happy about it.

25) Favourite mount? Easily the Red Hart.

[beethoventhemovie]

LIVEBLOG EXCERPT + VIDEO OF ME READING THIS

AUGUST 1, 2013

6:52AM: TRANSCRIPTION OF VIDEO UPDATE:

this is my third try at doing this 'cause i keep on...ending up rambling. today's august first, i said i'd--i would update the liveblog today, i don't feel like writing, it's six fifty-two a.m. i got...uh, i'm in...new york. i was in...my...in maryland, at my mom's. for some days. um. um. tonight--really briefly, what i've been doing--um. my friend jordan is visiting either tonight or the next...day...and he's allergic to cats, so most of tonight since i've gotten home i've been cleaning the apartment. um. i've be--i've been--(points to bottle) this isn't really coconut water. it's just water. (picks up windex). i've been using this to kill--i left a lemon on my windowsill, a-nd...it was full of fruit flies when i got back. so, um. i don't recommend this way...of killing...bugs? because i think...this is...poison? um, because it kills them. but i-it, it is good, you demobilize them. um...and i think eventually like, even if you don't...smash them after you de-mobilize, they like. slowly kinda lose their...faculties, or something. they go on their own. i've been getting a lot tonight, i probably killed like twenty...or something, tonight. i can't believe there's so many, i feel like they're breeding. um. but i--where? where? where are they breeding? um. i'm pretty good at getting them with my hands.

i went...to maryland...'cause the guy i was seeing, who--i don't (nose laugh)--the ���omitted’ person? um, that ended. i don't wanna get in...to...it, 'cause. i don't. wanna. give him the. satisfaction (laugh) of getting talked about, anymore, by me. it ended pretty bad. um. and. so i was hanging out with mom--i didn't do any of the things, in maryland, that i said i was gonna do, um. which were to, like. something with my phone. um. and print out, uh. applications for schools. (exhale).

so cleaning the apartment: that's what i've been doing...uh. (pause). last night. (pause). you can't tell how clean it is, 'cause i tried to show in anoth--that's the laundry, that i have there. right now it's a temporary...comforter, temporary, uh--my old one--'cause...the cats...peed...while i was gone....so i u-uh, a lot--i shampooed--i was shampooing and blow-drying the...mattress, a lot. all the cat pee's out. i just don't wanna. um. i just wanna sleep with a mattress pad on it tonight. no sheets. um.

so i guess i'll show you--four minutes, is that kinda long?--(pause). show you some stuff that's different.

(picks up picture) um, th-this? th-this. this? um. i...this is called 'fucked tuna.' there it--there he is. there's the other ones. i commissioned tao to make that, um. 'cause he made a similar one. for someone, and i thought. he gave it to me like really cheap. i really like the colors of it. and. um. just like, i like (close-up of picture) that, the...what's going on, with that (laughs). um. it was really nice. of him. to do that, cheap.

um. bathroom...? is anything different in the bathroom? dyed my hair? in here? a couple weeks ago? i got a zit, it's like...the last...kinda...days...of my perio--i really, i--i just--you can't tell i-i, i just--i cleaned it. the apartment. i cleaned it really hard, tonight. um. did i say why? i forget if i said why. doesn't matter.

um. what else. let's get a variety of (nose laugh) shots. um, tha--i don't know, it's--it just looks really...clean to me. like, the surfaces. and then there's not much crap around anywhere.

um. oh--uh. (pause). here (opens freezer): i was disappointed to only find spinach, when i got home? 'cause i thought i had bananas, and i could make a green smoothie thing, tomorrow? guess i can't. (opens refrigerator). here's the refrigerator situation, um. on the top shelf i have kimchi, raw, and red cabbage, raw. cat food, as usual. got some garlic. some hot sauce. um, i still have this chia mixture thing. i'm kind of afraid. to see what happens with that, and. under there--you can't tell, but i threw away the milk--i had milk--and uh, a bud clamato? thing? um...that...i got both of those with uh, whatev—‘omitted,’ or whatever (nose laugh). it doesn't matter. um.

um, so i'm gonna show you this other stuff, now? really quick, about my mo--my mom and i talked a lot. i had a really good time. with mom. and i had a good talk with dad, today, too. (exhale). mom gave me a lot of jewelry. for kind of a sad reason. kinda, uh. she thinks they're probably...she wants...me and my sister to have...some of her, stuff. before. she (whisper) dies, or something. um. so. she's into...um--i'll get into that in a second. she gave me, earrings, th-thes--she has a lot of nice jewelry. it's like, 'nice.' these are like emeralds, or something? and then, she let me pick out rings--i used to wear rings a lot. um. and, these i've always had, and i've felt a little weird about...wearing them just plain, um--this one's my grandma's engagement ring. and then, this one's my mom's...something...special. um, but i-i, i feel wei--like. a little like. it's not my 'married' finger, but it looks like i'm--i don't know. i don't know. i feel weird about wearing them. but i really like them. but i feel like it looks less weird. 'cause (laugh) i have...other rings, now. um, this one? it's a stone called like peridot, and. it's on mars, my mom said. they found it on mars. and then this one--this, is special, to me, because my mom watches the jewelry channel, a lot, it's--and, um. um. knoxville tennessee or something--it's not home shopping network but it's like that, and. um. she ordered this. she orde--sh-she, she just bu--she likes the people on it, and. s-she has, all these like plates with like rocks and crystals and stuff on them, she. used to be into crystals, a littl--when i was little. 'cause she's like, 'they're--you should have them. they hold you onto the ground' or something and, other reasons, she has this whole thing about crystals. which i think is really cute. and she. so she gave me--she gave me this, which is like an old butter dish, they used to put butter in this. and these are all from the jewelry channel. they're all pretty...pretty! sparkly! just nice, you know--nice little...jewels--and she's like, just--just look at them sometimes. and think about how. pretty, they are. and, um. and feel nice. so i'm gonna do that. it's funny to be talking about stuff like this like, 'oooh oooh, rocks! and stuff,' but. um. (pause) and like, stuff! like stuff, that she was like, 'you can't. give. anyone. any blowjobs, if you wear this,' (laugh) um, or, 'you can't have butt-sex,' (laugh) and...'you should start taking care of yourself' or, something, and. um. i-i, i don't--but i...like? doing those...things? some peop--i don't know, she was ver--uh, i. i don't--i don't know. um.

so anyway it's weird 'cause...it feels kinda cool, kinda different, to have those things. um.

i think that's about it. for what's happened tonight.

i ea--i ate, i have oxycodone, and i have xanax--i ate two milligrams of xanax, earlier, and...fifteen total oxycodone tonight, since (pause) around probably like, eight p.m. and i still. i'm having a hard time sleeping, a lot. (exhale) and...um. overall feeling...um. i was feeling pretty good, i was feeling pretty good. then the thing with, um. the person. happened. then i felt pretty bad, i've been feeling pretty bad. uh, since tha--that happened friday. today's wednesday--or thursday, now, technically--jeez almost a week. um. so. i don't know...if i'm gonna wanna update...liveblog, right now. for the next few days. 'cause i wanna be hanging out with jordan and stuff. and not thinking. and not wanna type stuff.

before...um...i g--part of my thing, part of my plan, when i stopped...doing...the liveblog thing, i was like 'i'm gonna write, uh, i'm gonna start writing articles. for vice. again. and i'm gon-na...apply...to s--to colleges,' and i...i sent in my fafsa. forms. for, colleges. um. but i really haven't done much of anything yet. um, and i thought i would. those were kinda things i wanted to kinda straighten out, er. or like, i'm gonna do research studies...or something. um (pause). f-eeling in general...like i don't have anything...to say (laugh). to...or con-trib-ute, to stuff. that was another thing with the guy. 'omitted' guy. he kinda has his shit together and i kinda don't. it seemed to not bother him but maybe it did. um, i don--i don't, actually i don't think--i don't know what it was, um. he seems more...kinda obsessed, with like...sex, than me...um....i could take, or leave...sex (laugh). um, and he...did i say he cheated on me? i said it on twitter. he cheated on me. that's never happened to me in the, the um. (shows necklace) this is from coldwater cr-creek (laugh), um. never happened to me in the beginning, the beginni--like, the two months, 'beginning'--it's...happened at the end, when things are already bad, or i've agreed with the person, like, 'we're gonna see other people' and. and i-i, i'm pretty sure--uh, i don't know, i don't wanna get into...um...talkin'...shit—

days just keep going by, and then they turn into night, and then they turn into morning, and i'm up for all of it, and it sucks. um. and i'm...flaky...person (laugh) to hang out with, but then, so seems kind of, everyone, sorta...um, tolerated in this particular group of people that i like hanging out with sometimes? um. (pause). i'm probably the worst, 'cause i'm not even good at emails or stuff. or, uh. or being...consistent, with stuff...or...anything. so...

i guess that's about it, um. (pause). no matter what, it--it always feels a little better if the apartment's clean, if everything is really really super-clean, really--surfaces are all dusted and, um, laundry--it's just like...there's less cells, of. that person. here. uh (pause). or, yeah. there's just less of it. um. this is really long. thanks for listening if you want. it's--here, this--let this...tide you...ov--i (laugh)--uh. i'm not gonna update for a few days, so...um...stupid, stupid stupid stupid st--okay, um. the end thank you for listening goodbye.

Here’s the video I transcribed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_IyCWgR-Rw&index=31&list=PLsyt9f4wsCrZYQC6w_DbLdlJ18P2C_wJb&t=0s

Here’s a video of me reading this transcription: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDB2XP2um0M

I’ll be reading the entire text of LIVEBLOG 11/14/18-11/16/18, starting 8PM at Murmrr in Brooklyn, NY (second location TBA). Jordan Castro, Brad Phillips, and Cristine Brache will also be giving readings: https://www.murmrr.com/event/1783137-megan-boyle-brad-phillips-brooklyn/

[blessuswithblogs]

2018 Game of the Year Top Ten List I guess

2018 has been an interminable mire of exhausting miasma and quite frankly I feel like it has been longer than the entire stretch of 2010-2015 combined. I also didn't play many games released this year because, like last year, I'm still poor. I'll see what I can dig up.

10. Sunset Overdrive PC edition: It's a fun open world game by insomniac. The PC Port is actually balls but like. It's a good game with a unique emphasis on how you traverse the game world, where you can grind and bounce on just about anything and indeed to do so is the only way to not get totally chewed up by the hordes of mutants and scavengers and robots you have to fight. There's also some pretty fun and out there weapons to use, like a gun that shoots vinyl records or one that deploys little auto-turrets kept aloft with propellers or one that shoots out a bowling ball at terminal velocity. The base game didn't actually come out this year (I dont... think it did...?) but it was an XBone exclusive so I didn't play it then. It's got some weird problems with narrative tone and some kind of out of the blue racism but the M rated Nickolodeon toy commercial aesthetic is charming in a weird way. I guess.

9. The Forest: I think this got an official release this year? I don't know I can't fucking keep track. Speaking of a game with weird problems with racism, if you can look past the garbage "main quest" and really deeply uncomfortable racial politics where you murder and steal from cannibal mutants, The Forest is probably the best cool treefort building simulator I've ever played. This game has a love affair with lumber and I respect that. Shouldn't you be looking for Timmy, you ask me? Shouldn't you be shutting the fuck up before I put this airplane axe in your skullmeats? Gazebos are nice. I guess.

8. Spyro: reignited trilogy: haven't actually played this yet but let's be real the spyro games were fucking dope back in the day and giving them an HD coat of paint and packaging them all together is a real standup thing for insomniac to do in between slinging webs and making questionable pc ports. Also its like Dark Souls so it has to be good, right? Everything old is new again. I guess.

7. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: haven't played this one either but like. I know that I am a smash-enjoyer. I even liked Brawl. This is the biggest, smashiest one yet and it's also on the switch which means it could also be portable if I decided I never wanted to leave my bed again. I'm probably going to find some money to get it soon. Should be fun. I guess.

6. The Quiet Man: look no game that is THIS hysterical can be all bad alright? Didn't play it. Won't play it. It's awful. But it's so fucking funny like oh my god. Still better than Fallout 76. I guess.

5. Dark Souls Remastered: was this even a good remaster? I don't fucking know. It's Dark Souls. It's better than 90% of released games by default. I miss Solaire of Astora. I guess there's Shadows Die Twice to look forward to. I guess.

4. Subnautica: I wrote a lot about this actually. Subnautica is great. Just fantastic. A wonderful, visually stunning (mostly) (when it works) journey under an alien ocean to unravel an ancient mystery behind a deadly plague. Building seabases is so much fun (when it doesn't hard crash your computer) and the peaceful playstyle you adopt where you really only kill things for food until you can grow your own, much more efficient produce is a welcome change of pace from everything else. Leviathans are scary, especially now that your cyclops is mortal and not indestructible. This game actually Came Out this year so it deserves to be on the spot. I guess.

3. Dragon Ball Fighterz: Honestly I'm hell trash garbage at fighting games that aren't smash but this was a very well put together, visually impressive as all hell fast paced tag fighter where you can have 3 gokus on the same team fight 3 other gokus on the same team. Goku density alone makes this game worth recommending. The eSports scene that has popped up around it is fun too. I guess.

2. Dead Cells: Another game that gets to be on the list by virtue of it actually coming out this year. Wait, was this on last year's list? Let me check. Ok good it wasn't. Early access is a fucking trip. It's fun, stylish, challenging, has a great deal of variety in ways to play, might have erased my entire save because it became obsolete and I'm definitely not bitter, and it has that classic rogue-lite replay value to give you some bang for your buck. There was that one review plagiarism scandal. I guess.

1. Monster Hunter World: If you really want to know what I think of this game my previous piece on it is a good place to start. In addition to everything said there, MHW is just a fun game. The loop is satisfying and, later on, quite challenging. The combat system takes some genuine getting used to and some monsters like Nergigante actually literally cheat but for the most part the game's unique fighting style, spread across several unique weapon types, is rewarding to learn because it demands some effort be put into it and the dividends of fighting well are very cool, like just knocking a flying monster on its ass with a single mighty swing of the hammer. When a game is hard in any capacity games journalists get dollar signs in their eyes and start drooling uncontrollably because they can immediately declare that Farm Sim 2020 is the next Bloodborne because they somehow managed to roll their tractor into a ditch, but MHW is actually quite similar in style and execution to deliberate Souls combat, but the comparison is made in reverse. Dark Souls is quite similar to Monster Hunter, the first game of which was popular and a couple of years old before Demon's Souls was even a twinkle in Miyazaki's eye. There's a lot of parallels between fighting a big ol' rathalos in monhun and going for the toes against a dragon in Dark Souls, but I think MHW actually does that kind of fight better.  There are a lot of modern conveniences present in MHW that are a godsend to newer players, making the game pretty easy to get into if you're willing to try. It was my favorite game of the year that actually came out in 2018. I kind of wanted to put Warframe in this list but it's been out of early access for years now. I guess.

There were a lot of games this year that I wanted to play, but couldn't. I don't think 2018 was a weak year for video games. It wasn't as strong as 2017 but it had some hits, I just couldn't afford to play them all. Maybe next year I'll be able to give a better list. I think that the whole industry is in for some hard choices and major restructuring of how things get done and how they look at the end result. Stocks continue to trend downward - not just for Bethesda but for most mainstream, prominent AAA developers like EA and Take2. Given the well documented volatility of "The Shareholders", I imagine that they would be most displeased by downward trends even if they were still making a modest profit.

The situation has been likened to an economic bubble ripe for bursting. Games as a cultural institution have come a long way since the catastrophic days of Atari's warehouses of unsold copies of E.T., and I don't believe that we're in any danger of a complete collapse of the institution, but the fact absolutely remains That Something's Gotta Give. The increasingly predatory practices that game developers put in place as they pathologically attempt to Make Every Money Ever are intrinsically unsustainable. People are willing to forgive and overlook the now ubiquitous microtransaction if a game is good enough to overlook it, or if it's the game's only real way of actually making money. Warframe's microtransactions, for instance, are reasonably priced, platinum is often heavily discounted as a login bonus, and you can make large amounts of it without ever spending money thanks to the game's surprisingly robust trading economy. So. Yeah. They get a pass. Warframe is also good on its own merits, despite being free to play. They also listen to their community about pricing. Go check out Warframe. It's free. It's free!!! Warframe is my unofficial top spot.

Sorry I got a little bit distracted. So there's only really two instances where people will tolerate microtransactions and lootboxes in the contemporary sense: either a game is good enough and polished enough and the lootboxes are unobtrusive enough that you can just sort of shrug your shoulders and say "it sucks but what are you gonna do" or it genuinely relies on those microtransactions to support itself. When these tenets are violated, people WILL get mad. People raised absolute hell about Battlefront 2's scummy monetization schemes, enough to get EA to back off. Fallout 76 is getting lambasted in no small part due to its utterly overpriced "cosmetic" shop where you pay ten real dollars to get your power armor to look blue. You can buy fullfeatured, critically acclaimed games for half that price and you already dumped $60 on this lemon of a game. Destiny 2 got into hot water for being cagey about how its exp values were calculated and how the previously free and user-friendly shaders became one-time use items you could only get from rolling the dice. The public is getting positively irate about all of this nonsense, and if Fallout 76 (and evidently battlefield V?) is any indication, we are fast approaching a breaking point where shareholder demand for profit will outpace the consumer's ability to provide it and the developer's ability to skinner box it out of us.

Of course Nintendo continues to march on to the beat of its own drum seemingly unaffected by all of this garbage. Not out of any moral superiority, I imagine. More likely it's just a consequence of that company still being in the process of being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Maybe a few years down the line when everyboy else has abandoned microtransactions Nintendo will pick them up, put a cute Mario motif on it, and we'll be back to square one. Time will tell. We're in a volatile time for games and the timebomb keeps ticking. I just hope the explosion isn't too messy. I guess.

[girlsguidetopowertools]

sims/goals talk?

so, if you haven’t noticed, i’ve been really into the sims the last ~2 months. this isn’t really anything new; i played the shit out of the old games (college was not very productive thanks to sims 2), but kind of fell out during sims 3′s lifespan because it didn’t really work very well on my computer at the time (sims 3 was very resource intensive, and fairly buggy on macs, which is what i had). i picked up sims 4 when it came out, and even picked up expansion packs here and there, but didn’t really play it for the majority of the 4 years that it’s been out, ha.

except now. finally, two of my favorite expansion packs are out (cats & dogs and seasons), and i have interest in playing. if you haven’t noticed, ha. anyway, since sims 1, my favorite thing has always been building, i never played much actual *gameplay*, or at least not without the generous aid of cheats. *snicker* anyway, with the addition of these two packs (and the lack of new animal crossing), i’ve been getting back into it again, and it’s super fun! and i’m actually playing it legit for the first time in like, ever?

ANYWAY. all this to say... i have a goal with the sims. the sims/EA has a program called “game changers”, it’s basically like being partnered/sponsored in other games? basically, you create good, consistent content, you apply, and if you get accepted, you get a ton of perks... like all the packs for free, early access to the packs, and insider info before updates go live/announcements are made (plus, you know, recognition/shout-outs from staff on their twitters and stuff). (considering, to buy all the packs at full price, it would be almost $600 at this point for sims 4, it’s a good investment to work towards that for future packs/games!) so, i want to be a game changer. eventually. it’ll take work getting there. but i think it’s tangible!

they look for content creators in a variety of areas, depending on what they’re looking for at the moment. like right now, they’re looking for tumblr creators. my brand-new-with-three-followers simblr won’t do, but it’s something to think about for the future! but of course, i focus a lot on my stream in general, so if they open up applications for streamers, i’d like to have a strong showing for that. they just had applications for gallery content creators (the people who build amazing houses), so it’ll be a long while before that comes around again, but maybe eventually. and maybe i could do youtube videos of my builds? i don’t know. i’m thinking about things.

i’m not ready for any of these at the moment, but it’s something to work towards. but, yeah. goals are much more likely to be followed through if you put them out there in the world to hold yourself accountable, so that’s what i’m doing. i’d like to be a sims game changer!

[equinoxts2]

10 Questions Meme

I was tagged by @shannonsimsfan​ and @starrsim​ :)

Rules: Always post the rules, answer the questions given to you, then write 10 questions of your own, and tag some friends!

Because I was tagged twice and I tend to ramble on, here’s a cut.

Starr’s Questions:

1) How long have you’ve been playing the sims franchise? No idea... about 13 years? My first Sims game was Bustin’ Out for PS2, then my uncle gave me a copy of TS1 Complete Collection which was promptly installed on my late Mac, Terry. I started playing TS2 when OFB was the newest expansion. So yeah... more than half my life.

2) Do you have a favorite sim? why? I love all my Sims! I’ll admit there are some I’d be more likely to reroll a death ROS for than others, but I’m not naming any names. If I do the others will get me. :P

3) What’s your favorite sims career? I don’t really use careers in my game, since Kulo Seeri isn’t the sort of hood that has them. My Sims do have professions and crafts, and I think the one I enjoy most out of them is the not-quite-school run by Otolo zan-Ave and Markal Go. I haven’t shown it on my blog yet, but basically the two elders summon the village kids to their lot with Simlogical’s meeting controller. They offer lessons on various subjects using Sophie-David’s opportunity objects (usually invisible) but for most of the time the kids just run wild together and make friends, enemies and occasionally childhood sweethearts.

4) What’s your CC weakness? Rugs, paintings, hair, etc? CC in general! My good old external hard drive Trixie contains *checks* 190 GB of hoarded stuff. Most of it I will probably never use, but it’s there in case I ever need any of it. This is a side effect of my hoarder nature and obsession with TS2 and I’m not ashamed of it in the slightest. Fun fact: That same hoarder-obsessive nature applies to dice. I have over 1000. Dicedicedicedice... yay :)

5) What aspect of the game have you not played with, or tried, yet? Businesses, vacation hoods, or university. I’ve been wanting to experiment with them for a while but they fit into Kulo Seeri like a foot into a glove. However, that doesn’t stop me occasionally trying to shoehorn bits in - an in-hood “university” might be a possibility for KS, maybe representing a craft apprenticeship. I will have to test that out.

6) When do you usually play? When I’m awake. No kidding - since I’m unable to work due to a combination of autism, depression, social anxiety, semi-regular bouts of ill health, several debilitating phobias and a distaste for the “cog in the machine” life, I am essentially a professional Simmer.

7) What’s your simming routin? (settle in with a drink and a few hours, keep the game open for days, etc) Play in bursts throughout the day, occasionally taking screen breaks to play board games or dice games or kick ideas around with my mum, or to snooze.

8) Do you talk sims with others outside the simming community? My mum and support workers, yes. My mum is probably the non-Simmer who knows most about the game - when she’s home, she’s my go-to person to bat around ideas for KS.

9) Besides tumblr, how else do you interact with the simming community? Through my story blog on Blogger, and also through Plumb Bob Keep and Garden of Shadows’ forums. I don’t know any other Simmers personally, only through the forums and blogs.

10) Why the sims vs other games? It’s pure escapism for me - it lets me immerse myself in another setting without being too focused on achieving certain objectives (the reason I could never get into computer RPGs and still haven’t completely warmed to TS4). I love being able to customise pretty much everything the game has to offer and create new worlds to explore through the eyes of my Sims.

Shannon’s Questions:

1) When you’re playing, do you have the game music on or off? Sometimes I listen to my own music while I’m building, and my Sims don’t really have stereos, so mostly off. I do have a few disguised/invisible stereos but I don’t use them much, and I have - thanks to a tutorial by @greatcheesecakepersona​ - added my Unofficial Kulo Seeri Playlist to the selection of loading tunes.

2) How long have you been playing your current hood? In one form or another, Kulo Seeri has been around for ten years. I started it in April 2007 as a third rate legacy, and it ended up taking me in all sorts of directions I never expected. It’s currently on Generation 7 and has a lot of in-game history, folklore and dreaming behind it. I love it to bits <3

3) Uh-oh! Your game just exploded: are you going to rebuild or start afresh? Rebuild, of course. I couldn’t imagine being without Kulo Seeri after all this time. Although I’ve rebuilt it what feels like a million times and hate setup and hoodlessness, I’m still too invested in it to let it go.

4) What is your favourite Sims version and why? Sims 2, of course! It’s pure sandbox fun, easy to customise and remove from the default modern setting, lends itself well to a huge variety of playstyles, and IMO it’s got more heart than 3 and 4 put together.

5) What’s an expansion you’d love to see that EA never did for any version of the game? I have to second Shannon’s idea of a prehistoric-style one. I’d also love to see more ways for younger Sims to act out that don’t require modern vehicles or technology.

6) Do you use cheats (apart from building cheats) when you play? Yes, not too often because I enjoy having a challenge, but I do use money cheats (KS doesn’t have money, so I always give them enough to move into their homes) and mood cheats (when I can’t stand to see a struggling family suffer any longer, or I need a Sim to stay awake for a photo opportunity).

7) Do you consider yourself primarily a player, builder or decorator? Or other? Player first, storyteller second, don’t touch Build Mode unless I have to. I’m not bad at building, landscaping or decorating... I just find it tedious and avoid it.

8) Do you play pre-mades, your own sims or a mix? Most of my Sims were born in Kulo Seeri, with a handful of premade Sims (mostly from TS3 hoods) who have moved there over the years. Some of my Sims originate from other players’ games, too.

9) What is your favourite kind of business to run? Or what kind would you like to run, if your game version allowed it? Hmm. Never really done much with businesses, but I’d like to have a small trading post of some sort in Kulo Seeri, once the population reaches the point where it splits into two villages. However, KS culture regards trade as the most unclean occupation, so I’m not sure who’d run it.

10) If you were a sim, what would be your aspiration and lifetime want? Feel free to translate that to your own game version - I only speak TS2! My aspiration is Pleasure/Knowledge, with the Pleasure bit being more “stay at home and play games all day” than “go out clubbing and dating”, and the Knowledge bit being limited to my major obsessions: Sims, dice, notebooks, vintage 90′s My Little Ponies, and Plants vs. Zombies. But my LTW would be "reach golden anniversary” - I am a hopeless romantic despite my asexuality, and I’m fed up of getting close to people (mostly support workers and therapists) and then never seeing them again. I want a long-term partnership like my parents have (over 30 years and counting!) with someone who isn’t a support worker or a therapist or other person who listens to my problems partly because it’s their job.

11)  What do you think Sims 5 will be like? *VT Cynic Powers Activate!* It will probably feel more mechanical and repetitive than TS4, and be more goal-orientated than sandbox play. It will probably also have more online features and in-game ads. The hoods or worlds or towns or whatever they’ll be calling them by then will be harder to customise, be designed for legacy style play with some form of annoying story progression, and feature several familiar TS2 premades warped beyond recognition. Modders will find that game behaviour will be much harder to alter, because EA will want to stop fans adding new features so they can release said features as overpriced add-on packs. It will run on patch levels which will force players to update every five minutes, then sneak little bits of the latest pack’s coding into games that don’t have it installed, so that everyone has to have ALL THE PACKS for it to work correctly. (This was one of my major gripes with TS3 patch levels - and then TS4 topped that by adding new functionality into the stuff packs.)

....rant over, time for bed. :)

As for writing questions and tagging other Simmers, that is one area where I fall down, so I’ll leave it there. But thanks again to Shannon & Starr for the tags!

[asklittlepip]

Jazz on a ship. 1980′s-style rock assaulting a mansion. Italian opera at a bank.

Headbanging in a nightmarish prison. Surveying the carnage of an earthquake.

Now consider that every song is dynamic in at least half-a-dozen ways, with some (like the Yacht one above) having even more parts that change as you play. PAYDAY 2′s soundtrack is so damn good, and I think it’ll go down in gaming history as one of the best ever, for the tremendous variety and almost universal high quality of every piece.

Oh yeah, and the Christmas songs! A great deal, and you get four copies so you can share with friends! Kkat and I had some good times listening to and talking about ‘em, particularly this one. ;)

I mean, yeah, there was that whole debacle with the paid safes bullshit last year, and I did quit playing and boycotted them the entire time; but I’m glad that they got their heads screwed on correctly as soon as they got the rights to the game back. It’s incredibly rare for not only a company to fuck up (but so much) and to win back support, but to apologize for it and make actual amends for their failures. The EAs and Ubisofts of the world would just be all like, “too bad, fuck you, pay me”. Or, you know, shut the servers down after only a year..

My original commentary for it thus still stands, albeit with a hiatus for the aforementioned stupid move on the part of the devs & publisher. S’good now, though, and a big event is coming soon, so I’m excited.

[eludiumofficial]

Rant #1: The brutal self-slaughter of my former favorite company and why I think comparing Electronic Arts to Bethesda Softworks is ignorant and irrational

Before I get started I’d like to make clear that my opinions presented here are subject to change, dependent on current events and my future beliefs. This post does in no way intend to manipulate the reader’s view on the situation or try and showcase my conviction as being the factual one regarding the topic, it only presents my personal reaction towards the statement featured in the title and should be treated as such.

I dislike rants. I dislike rambling in general, I find it to be a huge time-waster with little to no sense of rewarding. This is probably the first such post that I ever write, and I can’t say I’m quite pleased with my decision, but the subject at hand really provoked me. I feel that writing down my view on it, saving it someplace where I can see it later on in life (and remind myself of my past ways of thinking, as well as the reasoning behind them) is the best course of action. Regarding the second half of the title: I completely understand this is not a big deal, but making Electronic Arts look like the bad guy is something that I’ve seen mentioned for over a decade now in the gaming field, very few times being also backed up by solid arguments. I’m here to present it from my perspective.

Electronic Arts... a name as big in the industry as it is infamous. At least by common standards. Standards that (presumably) mostly come from reading the dumb, uninformed YouTube comment. Hell, I wouldn’t even be surprised if the vast majority of “experts” that comment defamatory remarks at EA's address have never touched any of the company's games. But how could they, right?! You need to pay, what, one hundred dollars for the Deluxe/Premium/Ultimate edition, which is in truth the actual content that assembles the main game... right?

Maybe.

This old company that the average customer loves to bash in ignorance is the same one who grants you complete access to full editions of over 75 of their titles, for €4 a month. It’s the same company who puts their game on sale for €10 one year after its release.. be lucky if you manage to score a €30 deal with other companies’ games in such a short time after launch (and in a sale). Not to mention, they actually have a working DRM *cough* Ubisoft *cough* and customer support.. *cough* Valve *cough*.

But enough about that. I'm not here to lick EA's boots, just pointing out how pathetic it looks to me when people keep complaining about this company 24/7 when there are much bigger culprits in the industry.

Culprits.. like Bethesda. Yeah. Something the old me would never believe he'd write. I wasn't just a fan of Bethesda Softworks. I loved Bethesda. I would read all the lore of their universes for hours on end, at school, at home, even before going to sleep. Hell, I didn't think The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim vanilla was a bad game at all to begin with, but when I discovered modding and found out that the Creation Kit, the godly tool that unlocked such a vast world (inside an already huge world), was brought to us by the developers, I went crazy for this team.

The introduction of paid mods.

Not only was it a global letdown when Valve + Bethesda announced paid mods on Steam back in 2015, it was unfortunately only the beginning of something much darker for BethSoft. Now, to be fair with you, I was willing to give them a second chance as customer after that absolute mess, more or less because I saw the partnership with Valve (a company that I stopped respecting since at least 4 years ago, for reasons that are now obvious worldwide) and I couldn't help but assume that they had the upper hand on here. It was downright difficult for a die-hard fan of Bethesda Studios to just drop all respect for them and accuse them at the fullest (or at least mostly) for the wrongdoing. Nonetheless they lost a big sense of meaning at that time, to me and many other fans as well.

When the "Special Edition" of Skyrim rolled out last fall I genuinely thought that was a bad joke. I went and read its system requirements, up to this day I cannot fathom how some improved shaders and lighting system along with some small improvements to textures require a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 as graphic processor. It's beyond insulting the way this company neglects any kind of optimization processes for their products.

One year later, here we are: Creation Club. What the actual hell, Bethesda? What the actual hell? Here’s the trailer, it should speak more than mere words can:

The best course of action here is to fight for what we stand for. Don't let Bethesda win this fight. They've lost it once already, but it seems they're coming back with a much, much greedier and more disgusting ploy.

Some more detailed information about this Creation Club mess, as I really do not have the mood to write more about it and ultimately ruin my state of mind:

Creation Club on Fallout Wikia

A very succinct description in video format, by Gopher:

It’sAGundam goes much less family-friendly into the topic, but his points are very valid:

An extremely flawed system explained by YongYea:

I don’t see how it could get worse than this... but I actually have a feeling it still will. At this point, Bethesda Softworks is not just an anti-consumer company, they're inarguably becoming a threat to the industry. They have the power to manipulate other companies' directions, they have the power to manipulate renowned modders into falling for their trap (as proved in the 2015 scandal). But I believe they don't have the power to treat us, customers, like some absolute fools, and to succeed in doing so. I believe we can take the fight to them. For a greedy company like this, where fan service means absolutely nothing today, money speak in totality. Bethesda does not deserve to be given further financial support. Not until they wake up and realize the damage they're creating.

If Bethesda really doesn't want to give up their unethical practices (and so far, it does indeed look like they're going to keep living in a dream), they have to be put down. The company that once held the crown for creating the best sandbox role-playing games, with unlimited modding possibilities, is now digging its own grave. But it won’t lay itself inside.

Nexus mods

Let's face it, Bethesda: you would never be where you are now — up there at the top, laughing in your customers' faces —  if it wasn't for your community. So many people still keep playing games that go as far back as The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, because of modding. As great as your games might initially be, in a vanilla state very few people would still play a 15 years old game on a regular basis. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is still up in the players' charts today thanks to the dedicated modders that spare hundreds of hours from their lives to expand the base game’s content. Not to mention the insane amount of bugs that every of your games has: you never fixed that, Bethesda. It was the community who did it for you. Free of charge.

I began this article by writing about Electronic Arts and never got around talking about its relevance to the topic. That’s simply because I wanted to make clear my thoughts about Bethesda Softworks first. You see, while searching up the community’s reaction to this whole scandal I couldn’t help but notice a couple dozen comments comparing the “new” Bethesda Studios to Electronic Arts. Mostly saying they've become just as bad.

I know, I know.. why do some meaningless comments matter to me? This post should be about Bethesda's fall from glory, not about this. And to be fair I did debate whether to write this in a separate post or not to write it at all. I understand it might not be a big deal, but it does really drive me nuts. I consider the society's uninformed opinions to be just as damaging as Bethesda's recent actions.

Because these uninformed opinions carry on. They influence people. They influence companies' rate of success. Paid mods were taken down in 2015, a few days after their launch, for the fact that the community made its voice heard. All the comments raging at Valve and Bethesda's poor attempt could be translated into a substantial financiar loss for the companies.

With the Electronic Arts case, things are slightly different: we aren't talking about a mass of hateful comments bashing at the team in just a few days' time, we are talking about the worldwide consensus that EA is a "bad" company. This consensus has been spread out in a wide variety of ways, mainly through chats, comments, forums talks etc. and in a very high amount of time (basically since at least ten years ago). It was initially based on the fact (among other things) that you often had to pay for the game's "Premium" edition in order to receive content that was classified by the standard gamer as mandatory for the base game. Later on the consensus was adopted by.. just about a lot of people on the Internet. And that's how it went viral, it basically became a "meme", so to say. Bad things happen in the gaming world, the community instantly associates it with EA. This is not only morally wrong, but it does affect the company as well, for reasons that should be obvious.

"So what? Let them suffer, it's not fair having to pay €100 for a game in order to get the full edition." While I agree that most of the DLCs for EA's games are somewhat mandatory (especially if you're planning to play online), one should not forget the points that I made in the initial paragraphs of this post. If money is indeed such a big issue, wait for a sale. Their games' prices drop by a lot even during the first year. At least you have the assurance of quality control. You pay for a game that... you know, actually works, it's not riddled with bugs.

"How does that still relate to Bethesda?" When people compare these two studios they do it just because they're trying to put Bethesda to shame, really. Most of the time they don't even think twice before hitting the "Send" button: "Just stick EA's name in the comment so everyone can understand I'm only trying to make Bethesda look bad. I might have actually never played an Electronic Arts game, I sure as hell have never read any documentation on them, but hey, they're a meme, everyone refers to them as the bad guy so it has to be true." Their comment/message might literally not try and say anything disparaging about EA, they probably just want to put the focus on Bethesda, but the fact that they're using the brand name as a means to make something else look bad is absolutely ignorant. You are comparing every single damaging event in the industry to one company's marketing unpopular opinion, how crazy is that?

Electronic Arts has made its fair share of mistakes in its time (I agree, buying smaller, good companies and later firing their staff is not cool at all; releasing a new edition of Most Wanted is still supposed to be a Most Wanted game, not a Burnout game), but comparing it to a company that tries and monetize a feature that has been globally free since 1980 (Castle Smurfenstein) is downright insulting. If according to the society EA  is “bad”, then Bethesda must be the devil itself. Unfortunately people will continue to bash at Electronic Arts without backing up any of the criticism with straight facts and/or proof.

The point of this section is not to make EA seem like the victim and Bethesda like the villain. It merely summarizes that if you’re trying to show your feeling of antipathy towards Bethesda Studios through a comparison with another company, then you should pick a suitable candidate. Don’t just rush at placing Electronic Arts' name in your post because you know that will draw attention and favoritism from fellow poor-informed members. It’s a shame that out of all the gaming companies out there, some with much higher rates of greediness, the community has crowned EA as the “greater evil”.

Times have changed, people. Maybe a few years ago the main problem in the gaming industry was indeed the high pricing and the necessity of purchasing a Premium pack in order to enjoy what the whole game has to offer, but if you think that’s still the main issue nowadays then I am afraid you are living in the past. Welcome to 2017, where we are greeted with microtransactions in singleplayer-exclusive titles, card games over card games with little to no difference between each other (except the company your money for in-game items will go to) and an actual increase in the game’s price during the sale, just so it can be “discounted” to very, very little below the normal price (yeah, I know that happened in 2015, but I trust you catch my drift as to what’s happening in the “new world”). While these things are happening and the industry is falling apart, people are still busy complaining about a company that gives you a full-fledged product for a higher sum of money than the “standard” one. And then offers it to you on sale during the next 12 months.

Bethesda has reached an all-time new low and no other company comes to mind that is as brain-dead, heartless and greedy as them, but if you really have to use a comparison to prove your point, for the love of God step up your game and stop mentioning Electronic Arts. There is Valve out there who keeps milking the same damn three games for years now instead of producing anything original, they have a barely functional DRM, their customer support is safe to be assumed AWOL at this point in time and now they’re releasing a card game to further milk money away from players. Take-Two Interactive literally tried to definitively shut down modding for Grand Theft Auto V. There you have Activision shooting themselves in the foot with the Call of Duty franchise, releasing pretty much the same game year after year, also charging the same amount of money for the Deluxe version as EA would for a game that is actually original.

But Electronic Arts is still “the worst company”. Ok.

To sum this up (because it’s getting late, I want a cup of hot chocolate and to play some good old Dragon Age):

Maybe EA is bad. Maybe it isn’t. But it’s certainly not the culprit of the industry anymore, considering all the petty/greedy attempts of other companies in recent years. To compare it to Bethesda, however, is a whole other story. It’s insulting. Bethesda Softworks is not just greedy, they have become a threat.

Bethesda Studios is the kind of wounded owner who kicks his own faithful dog with a club after it comes and licks its master’s wounds. That kick is painful and performed with a Creation Club.

I ran out of hot chocolate sachets.

[battleborntap]

We all have those games that we would love to see a sequel for. That game we grew up with as a child. That popular franchise that has been in retirement for the last decade. That cult classic you found while browsing the Steam Summer Sale that you beat and want more.

  In some cases, these games might not get made for various reasons. Sometimes the company who originally made it no longer has the rights to that game. Sometimes the development team doesn't want to ruin a franchise by simply making a new game for the sake of making a new game. Whatever the reason, we all have those games that we would love to see get a sequel...and I am no exception.

  Before we begin, I would like to clarify a few things. First off, this is not a list of the most popular games that I feel need a sequel. There are plenty of people doing just that on YouTube. This is a personal list of games that I have played that I would love to see continued. This list will also not include anything that, as far as I'm presently aware, already has a sequel in development. This is a list of games that I have not seen anything related to a sequel out there outside of rumors and wishlists, much like the Kingdom Hearts 3 wishlist I posted two weeks back. And finally, this list is in no way a definitive list. While I would probably want some of these games more than others, I would be happy to get any of these.

  So, without further delay, here's my Ten Games That Need a Sequel

#10. Battleborn (2016)

The one is a cautionary tale to people looking to release a game; make sure you see what else is coming out around the same time to determine if this might be a problem for your release. Battleborn seemed like a done deal; the Borderlands team making a Moba-Shooter Hybrid with a fun cast of characters and a unique setting. It had a weird learning curve, especially between the variety of playstyles in each of the characters, and if you're thinking this sounds familiar, it's because that basically the description of the game that released less than three weeks after Battleborn; a little known title called Overwatch.

  Thanks to Overwatch releasing three weeks after Battleborn's launch, much of the player base for the game dropped off within one month, presumably to play Overwatch, something that I myself am guilty of doing. It became so problematic for them, Battleborn as now basically become a Free-To-Play title. But where Overwatch falls short, Battleborn thrives.

Yeah, but Blizzard gave us a talking Gorilla...so...

Battleborn, among other things, offers a full single player campaign, the option to choose what play mode you want to play, and a story that can actually be seen in game rather than animations and comics online. It has the strong humor of the Borderlands team and a lot of possibilities for what can be done, and that's why I feel it needs a sequel.

  Given enough time and effort, Battleborn could be salvaged and turned into something worthwhile. More games modes, an expended roster and story, as well as a better launch window, and Battleborn could truly be a contender for Overwatch. Let's just hope they don't release it three weeks before Overwatch 2: Electric Boogaloo.

  #9. Jet Set Radio (2000)

Rollerblading is “cool.” Spray painting graffiti is “cool.” Combining the two is KEWL, and that's what Jet Set Radio provides. Released for the SEGA Final Nail In The Coffin (You may know it as the Dreamcast), Jet Set Radio sees the various gangs of Tokyo-To roaming the streets and spray painting everything while running from the cops. You play as a variety of characters in a new gang called the GGs, lead by Beat, compete against rival gangs for turf, and run from Captain Onishima, who has way more power than he should as he sends riot police, tanks and helicopters after you.

  It was the definition of the Counter Culture, going against the man and doing things that look cool. It had pretty fun gameplay, despite a variety of controls that can be complicated to get the hang of, and a unique art style that helped it stand out from other games by being one of the first games to feature cel-shaded graphics with exaggerated shapes, thin lines and flat bright colors. So in a way, Borderlands has this game to thank for it's art style.

Hmmm...you could do with some more blue...

The problem here is the current state of skating games in the industry. After the massive failure that was Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5, we haven't heard anything about a new game in that franchise, the Skate franchise, or anything new in the vain outside of indie games like side scrolling skateboarding game Olli-Olli. Now that doesn't mean we won't get anything like this; there have been rumors of a new Skate game from EA for a few years now, and people have been clambering for that for a while.

  Jet Set Radio is also owned by SEGA, and recently, they have mentioned they will be reviving a bunch of old franchises for re-release or reboots. While games like Road Rash and Crazy Taxi are more likely to get reboots, I would love to see Jet Set Radio come back. Who knows, maybe they could even pull a Tony Hawk and include “guest” characters, including Sonic the Hedgehog or Bayonetta. That would be fun.

  #8. Brutal Legend (2009)

Tim Schafer is one of the industries greatest comedians, having helped bring us such classics as The Secret of Monkey Island, Grim Fandango and Psychonauts. One of his other games, developed with his studio Double Fine Productions, was Brutal Legend, a metal heads fever dream mixed with a somewhat mediocre real-time strategy component. It featured heavy metal legends like Ozzy Osbourne, Lita Ford, Rod Halford and Lemmy Kilmister, and the world looked as if it were ripped straight from the album covers of some of the greatest cover art from the 80's.

  The story was pretty basic and the game completely changed genres half way through which threw some people off, but the aesthetic and world itself was a beauty that hasn't really been matched by other AA or AAA games. The humor is a bit more mature than some other games that showcase themselves as humor based, the references to the genre were wonderful, and the amount of love and attention this game holds is almost beyond comprehension.

It also made Jack Black's humor bearable for several hours!

Unlike many of the games on this list, this one might already be underway, though nothing official has been announced. During some in-development streams for Psychonauts 2, a game that I am highly anticipating more than almost anything shown at E3 2017, Tim Schafer has said that if there's enough interest and Psychonauts 2 does well, they might work on Brutal Legend 2. Jack Black has said that he would like to come back, and you know there's a large number of metal artists who would like to cameo in something so devoted to their genre.

  All in all, this one is just a wonderful experience from start to finish...if you can get past the sometime clunky real-time strategy portions of the game. We don't get many games that incorporate humor into their overall structure much outside of kids games and the LEGO games, so having one thhat's aimed more at adults would be fantastic. Plus, the soundtrack for this game alone is worth the price of admission. Just sayin'.

  #7. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003)

Star Wars has a massive expanded universe through books, TV shows, comics and games, the vast majority of which Disney would like you to ignore. Knights of the Old Republic and Knights of the Old Republics 2 are two of the better parts of that expanded universe, and is the only game on this list that actually does have a recent release, but not in the way that I would like.

  The Old Republic MMO, released by EA and BioWare, lets you explore through the world of Star Wars years before the events of the first few films. It plays like a combination of KOTOR, World of Warcraft, and Mass Effect (Fun Fact: Mass Effect happened because BioWare lost the rights to Star Wars when trying to make KOTOR 3). Playing as one of eight classes, only two of which really matter, you can play the first Star Wars MMO that actually had people excited since Star Wars Galaxies.

You said it random Star Wars Galaxies player.

No, what I want is not that game. While it has it's moments, the overall experience is more WoW than Star Wars, let alone KOTOR. No, what I'd like is KOTOR 3; a return to the massive experiences provided to us in the first two KOTOR games. The biggest hurdle now, of course, is that Disney owns Star Wars, and they are calling the shots. But here's the thing; EA has a contract with them to release Star Wars games!

  BioWare is owned by EA, and that means that if they wanted to, and Anthem wasn't taking up all their time, BioWare could easily bring us another entry in the franchise. They already have an offshoot studio working on the MMO, so why not give us another main series single player entry?

  #6. Undertale (2015)

Undertale is one of the few massive success stories from KickStarter, with an original asking price of $5000 but earning over $51,000 by the end of it's one month asking time. It was mostly made by Toby Fox, who wrote, programmed and wrote the score for, and has callbacks to Earthbound and Shin Megami Tensei as an NES era stylized game where you can befriend everyone or murder them brutally.

  You play as a young person who falls into a mountain into the world of monsters and interact with them by either helping them realize that violence isn't the only answer or by showing them just how wonderful it can be. The story is full of emotional points, and depending on how you play, you can have one of three major outcomes, commonly referred to the Pacifist, Genocide or Neutral routes. And that's pretty much all I'll say about the games story; while the game has been out for just under two years now, there is still a decent portion of people who have not experienced it, and this is very much a game to go in blind with regards to the story.

Trust me! Do I look like I'd lie?

The obviously problem with making a sequel is those last two facts: the desire to go in blind with regards to the story and the multiple ending types based on how you play. The first one makes it hard to do a sequel for the simple fact that you usually have to showcase some of the story in the trailer and promotional materials. This can be combated by the simple fact that while the trailer for the first game does show gameplay, there's very little context for what is shown and basically just shows us what I've mentioned here. The second issue is which ending do you go with? Well, why go with a sequel at all?

  The overall story of Undertale has some pretty good back story, including a war between humans and monsters which could be explored further. It might not give us the same emotional level as the first game, but exploring that part of the series might help better showcase the strife we see from the monsters in the game. If nothing else, this would give the people who play Genocide runs a reason to feel like a monster...if they didn't feel like that from the first game...

  #5. The Stanley Parable (2013)

Games have had narrators in them since the first time we heard a narrator in a video game. They are there to help deliver exposition, to guide the player, and tell us more about what we are seeing on screen. The Stanley Parable likes to take that notion and turn it on it's head. While the story of the game is silly, it can be completed in only a few minutes if you simply follow the directions of the narrator. Bu this game is best when you don't.

  One of the first major choices you are given in the games is a series of two open doors. The narrator, trying to guide you through a story, tells you to enter the door on the left. If you disobey, he then makes up an excuse and tries to get you back on track. Depending on how often you disobey, things can go from standard to surreal fast. From breaking the game down almost entirely to being forced to play a game where you try and prevent a baby from walking into fire for four hours to standing in a broom closet simply because you can, the game is a wonderful commentary on first person perspective games and narrative driven ones as well.

This game asks questions, like what if we made a game about a baby crawling towards fire?!

The things about making a sequel is that what more can be done? Sure, there can be more paths added, or a new narrative setting can be used, but making the overall premise of the game about a guy who listens or disobeys the narrator would simply be rehashing a concept from the first with a new coat of paint. Narrative games are unique in that you usually don't need to replay them unless you want to, but games like The Stanley Parable is unique in that you can replay it and not get the same result twice.

  The real challenge for making a sequel is not even making new narrative arcs for the player to take; the first game shows that just about anything can happen in a video game with little incentive or force. What the real challenge here is making a game that can commentate on other parts of first person narrative mechanics, or even other genres and mechanics, that the first game didn't touch on. It'll also help if they get Kevan Brighting to return as the Narrator...He was just a delight.

  #4. Bioshock (2007)

The Bioshock series are some of the most well-regarded in gaming, so long as you don't include the Bioshock 2. Between Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite, these games have ingrained themselves in the minds of gamers thanks to engaging gunplay, unique powers and settings, as well we smart story telling and situations. It's also a spiritual successor to System Shock, which makes it all the more better.

  The first game takes place in an Ayn Rand wet dream of an underwater utopia run by a man who constantly reminds you that “a man chooses, a slave obeys,” and is filled with magic fueled homicidal maniacs, giant mechanical living bathyspheres, and cute monster children you can either save from horror by “saving” them or sucking the ever loving life force out of them as they scream in pain and realize that hell is real when they are “harvested.”

You can Harvest them or force them to watch Cars 2...your choice, but either way, you're a monster.

Then in Bioshock Infinite, you play as a man who has a shady past, saving a Belle like character from a floating city, a giant mechanical bathysphere bird, and a racist man with the ideals and principles of a 1870's preacher. Using a spinning hook on your hand and more magical abilities that you drink like scotch, you help liberate this floating city by shooting every cop in sight and getting a very basic understanding of quantum mechanics, string theory and the many worlds interpretation along the way.

  A new game in the series would require a few things, chief among them Ken Levine, the man who helped give us this new classic. But to make it better, we'd need a newly enhanced system for combat, a wonderful new world to explore, and possibly a potentially racist author to pull from...let's try Harper Lee. Because who wouldn't want to shoot an allegory for racism and bigotry in the face while trying to champion the ideas of inclusion?!

  #3. Castle Crashers (2008)

Castle Crashers is one of the first majorly successful indie titles to appear on the Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360, and helped bring the studio The Behemoth to the forefront of the indie scene. With simple controls, four player same screen co-op, a variety of unlockable players, weapons and companions, and a sense of humor that just about anyone can enjoy, it's no wonder this game became a hit.

  You play as one of four knights (to start) trying to save four princesses from a variety of villains by doing things like running from a giant forest troll while riding woodland deer, interrupting a wedding for a lightsaber wielding knight and fighting a fire breathing dragon that has a side job as a sock puppet ventriloquist. Also, sandwiches can turn you giant; so remember kids, eat healthy, and you to can grow three times your size and punch your way out of any situation!

Don't run, Is just Ham!

Now, The Behemoth has launched two new games since this one has come out; Battleblock Theater, a side scrolling platformer where you survive a death trap for cats, and Pit People, a turn based strategy game about a world thrown into hell by a giant space bear crashing into it.. They also released Alien Hominid, a side scrolling shooter starring a sharp-toothed Pac-Man headed alien, which helps showcase that The Behemoth likes to change genres between releases. This doesn't mean we won't get a new Castle Crashers; it may just mean we won't get it from them, or in the same fashion as the first.

  A sequel wouldn't really have to change much, which makes this one even easier to conceive of. If anything, much like the Super Smash Bros series of games, you would only need to keep the core mechanics of the game while adding new content like players, levels, items and more. With the Behemoth's pedigree for making consistently fun games, I don't think it's impossible to see it coming, but at the same time, we'll unlikely see due to their desire to expand and change genres. Until then, let's all look forward to their fifth game about a sitcom family forced into a world full of strange llama creatures, all with an 80's rock music aesthetic and made to play as a dating simulator.

  #2. Sunset Overdrive (2014)

This is easily one of my favorite games from this generation, and a lot of the people I've talked with who have played with can agree that it's a fun, heavily stylized game. With the genius weapon design and humor from Insomniac Games, a punk rock setting in a post apocalyptic environment about an energy drink turning people into zombie monsters called OD'd. So, you know, a standard release video game.

  The unique thing about this game is that it was the first game in years to release exclusively on a non-PlayStation console, specifically the Xbox One. When you compare the overly colorful and humorous world of Sunset City to the environments you explore in other Xbox Exclusives, specifically Halo and Gears of War, it's a very different type of game. When some of the weapons launch Records, Exploding Teddy Bears and the severed heads of the zombie creatures, it certainly seems a bit more silly than Gears of War's chainsaw gun. The story is also equally silly, with you bringing together a few groups of stereotypes to help retake the city of a corporation that makes guns, drugs and energy drinks that turn you into zombie things. It also ended with a bit of a cliff hanger, leading to the possibility of a sequel in the future.

Let's just have some freaking fun!

Insomniac has said that they would love to make a sequel, and to that I say Insomniac...PLEASE CONTACT ME! I have many ideas for this game and am looking for a new job! But for everyone else, let's talk about what it could be. First and foremost, we'd probably go to a new city that the drink made into OD, as well as new weapons and enemies, groups to interact with, more varying quest types and even more humor based on popular culture and some current events.

  Honestly, I want this game much more than I would want Beyond Good and Evil 2, Star Wars Battlefront 2, and just about any other game that was showcased at E3 2017 that has a 2 in it's name! The games is just crazy fun, with Ratchet and Clank inspirations throughout, and just in general makes me happy to be a gamer. It's actually one of the only reasons I still own an Xbox One! Now THAT'S an achievement, if you ask me.

  Now, before we get on with the number one pick, here's a few honorable mentions:

  Super Meat Boy – A fun, challenging platformer with cute references to classic games and ever changing tasks to overcome. A sequel could make it harder and introduce new mechanics like a jetpack! Cause why not?!

  Fez – This is one that a lot of people want, but Phil Fish got mad at the internet as we probably won't ever see. That said, imagine going from four sides to sixteen, because, again, why not?!

  Grim Fandango – One of the last great adventure games from an era long since past, Grim Fandango is a silly concept to begin with; reapers in an office setting. Imagine what Tim Schafer and crew could do with that concept now!

  Spore – While it's not as well loved as The Sims and didn't deliver on all the promises is had, Spore was still a fun alien builder. Expand the gameplay beyond a few genres and give more freedom, and BOOM! There you go.

  The World Ends With You – A fun and unique Nintendo DS game from Square Enix. With the 3DS and Switch technology, the gameplay could be expanded and improved to tell a new story.

  And finally...Number One

  #1. ANYTHING THAT ENDS IN A 3 FROM VALVE!!!

Seriously, Valve, the Steam OS can wait a while while you make another game that will make you two billion dollars. With Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Portal 2 and Half-Life: Episode 2 all being the end of those franchises currently, gamers have been begging you for a new entry in just about every one of these series! So let's go down one by one and look at each of these, shall we?

  Half-Life 3could finish the story that the first two games started. Team Fortress 3 could introduce new characters to give hats to while letting players occasionally shoot one another or push a bomb down a track. Left 4 Dead 3 could give us more zombie mobs ripping at our throats and new special infected all trying to shut up one of the characters with a plethora of annoying lines. Portal 3 could see us dealing with a homicidal robot trying to kill us in a testing chamber, only to be revealed that it's been us the whole time! Half-Life 2: Episode 3 could be a prelude to that of Half-Life 3 because seriously, just give us Half-Life 3 already!

Please? I mean....just....just please?

Much like Kingdom Hearts 3, Half-Life 3 is one of those games that may never actually come out, but that won't stop people from wanting it even more, myself included. And by holding out for a good idea or the right technology or whatever, Valve is making the expectations of gamers rise practically by the day at this point. When Game Informer had their 200th issue, one of the eight variant covers included Gordon Freeman, leading players to think they were getting Half-Life 3. They were, of course, disappointed that all it was was a list of some of the greatest games ever, and Game Informer was flooded with disappointed emails telling them just that! Over a magazine cover!!!

  Look, we probably won't get any of these anytime soon, simply because Valve really doesn't need to. With all the money they make from games Like Team Fortress 2 and the taxes they collect through the Steam client itself, they could easily get out of game development al together and still make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, especially right now when the Steam Summer sale is going on, and while you might only pay $5 for that game you always wanted, you'll end up doing that eighty four times a day, which can add up to a lot of money!

  So, there you go. A list of games I want sequels for. I'll get back to analytical discussions next week, but I want to know if there's anything you'd like to hear me talk about! Please, leave a comment of send me a message and we'll see what happens! But either way, thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next week!

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[battleborntap]

First Person Shooters as a genre have been around since Doom was released in 1993, and ever since, it has been widely considered one of the most liked genres (at least by Americans). With a wide variety of games and an even wider variety to the genre itself, let's take a look at some of my personal favorites!

Please note, these games all take place in the first person perspective, and have one of their main mechanics involving firing a gun or weapon of some kind. Games like Mirror's Edge and The Stanley Parable are omitted on the grounds that they are more First Person Puzzle Solvers rather than shooters, despite having the ability to shoot in these games. Also, I will only be doing one game from any given franchise, simply because I could pack this list with four or five sequels easy with all the games I've played. And finally, I can't say this enough, this is all based on my personal favorites and opinions. If you don't agree, that's fine! We all have our favorites, but this is simply a way for me to talk about mine!

So, without further delay, here are my Top Ten Favorite First Person Shooter Games!

#10. CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS (2010)

Of course a Call of Duty game made it onto this list, and MAN what a game it is! Call of Duty: Black Ops released on Ps3 and Xbox 360 in 2010 to much fan praise, and is often considered one of the last good Call of Duty games. While I am quick to argue that point (Advanced Warfare brought a focus to story for the first time in years and Black Ops 2 had probably, in my opinion, the best multiplayer in recent history), The original Black Ops had all three main modes (Story, Multiplayer and Zombies) on point for the launch of the game.

While the Multiplayer may not have aged well for the game, the Story mode is simply wonderful, and unlike the rest of the Black Ops series, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING IN THE STORY! If you have to read a plot summary to fully understand what the hell happened in it, it's not a good story. As for Zombies, simply letting players become former presidents and fighting time traveling nazi zombies...what more do i need to say?

Overall, it's an impressive game by all accounts. It helped to prove that Treyarch had what it took to keep delivering on the CoD formula, and while it wasn't World at War 2 like me and several others had hoped for (Still hoping for it, personally), it was a great game to play all the same.

#9. DOOM (2016)

Doom is the grand daddy of all First Person Shooters, and the latest iteration into the franchise really does not disappoint. With brutal carnage kills, impressive graphics, and a return to what made the franchise fun in the first place, DOOM (2016) is easily one of the best games of that respective year.

The story is as basic as it comes; Hell has invaded Mars, and you were about to be sacrificed when s**t goes sideways. You escape, get a Master Chief Power Armor ripoff, and fight through rooms and hordes of Demons to try and prevent Hell from getting to Earth...You know, like the last three Dooms!

The combat in this is where it truly shines, giving you the ability to kill enemies when they are weakened with brutal finishing attacks. The weapons are all fantastic, and the enemies are tough, but manageable. The real problems are outside the story; Multiplayer seems tacked on and rushed, while SnapMap, the mode I was really excited for, is basically just Corridor maker, the more. Still, the story itself is fun as all hell...

#8. BIOSHOCK (2007)/ BIOSHOCK INFINITE (2013)

This one might seem like a bit of a cheat, but hear me out...I personally feel that these games are very much the same thanks to something called "Service to the Brand."

Let me ask you this. Why do people in Bioshock use plasmids? They are a part of a world where everything has gone to Hell, and now they need to do whatever they need to survive, including injecting themselves with chemicals to give them super powers! Now why do they do it in Bioshock Infinite use vigors, which are basically plasmids?...There's really no reason is there? The reason they use them is because the last two games released had Plasmids, and it wouldn't be the same game without them!

This is a common problem with sequels that differ from their original game, and honestly, the only reason I decided to lump them together is that, aside from story and some situations you encounter, they are basically the same game. Well crafted gun play with elemental magics, expertly written dialogue and story, and an all around impressive and fun universe to explore, these games fill me with a sense of wonder each time I play them. If I had to choose one, it would have to be Infinite, but it's by such a slim margin that I felt it best to lump them together. My list, my rules...

Also, We don't talk about Bioshock 2...just...no.

#7. STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT (2015, Fight Me)

I know the original Battlefront games are well regarded and adored. I know many of the people who played this felt betrayed and hurt by the micro transactions and lack of content. I know it just feels like Battlefield with a Star Wars skin...But you know what? I don't care!

Star Wars: Battlefront is the Star Wars game I wanted to play when I first put the original Battlefront into my PS2. Was I disappointed by the lack of content? Sure. Did it feel like a cash grab on EA's part because they has acquired the license? Of course, it's EA. But I still enjoy the hell out of it.

The game play is fun and engaging, as well as more balanced than some large scale shooters. The available content, while infuriating that it's behind paywalls and a slow progression system, are rewarding and fun. The Heroes are overpowered, but not too much. Overall, I feel the game is good for one simple fact; for the first time in years, I felt like I was in the boots of a Stormtrooper.

Also, you occasionally get a Wilhelm scream to occur when you kill someone...so there's that.

#6. LEFT 4 DEAD 2 (2009)

How do you make a sequel to a decently balanced multiplayer zombie shooter? Change only who you play as and what their main quest is, then add more! That's exactly what Valve did with Left 4 Dead 2, and it worked great.

Playing as four new survivors with fun personalities, the game introduced three new special infected to deal with on top of the five introduced in the last games, the addition of choosing melee weapons instead of pistols, and helped to balance old issues and new ones that made the game well rounded and just plain fun to play ,whether you were with friends or a few randoms online.

Then Valve went one step further; They added in new content through DLC, some of which included the original five levels from the first game, where you can play as the first four survivors in the first five campaigns from the original game, but with the new enemies, weapons and everything! In general, Left 4 Dead 2 is just a damn fantastic game is you AXE me! HAHA!!

            I'm sorry...

#5. HALO 3 (2007)

Bungie hit pay dirt with the Halo franchise, and the third installment in the game is where all that effort peaked. Great gun play, multiplayer modes, and engaging story line that (mostly) resolved the conflicts of the last two games and more, the game was damn impressive on Xbox 360 when it came out, leading to it becoming the fifth best selling game on the console!

This was one of the big games me and my friends played for days on end, sometimes literally. It's one of the first games to give me a true love for shotguns in first person shooters, and the rest of the games since haven't felt as impacting to me. They've been fun to play, but this was the last game that made me truly enjoy the franchise in a nostalgic sense.

Maybe I'm just getting old? Maybe...

#4. PORTAL 2 (2011)

Portal 2 is much like Left 4 Dead 2; change little to nothing about the game, but improve the writing, add more content, and fix some bugs from the previous game. Unlike Left 4 Dead, however, this game didn't have a multiplayer mode in the original, so this one added one!

While the first game was a series of puzzles linked loosely together by an uncaring, vindictive god/computer named GLaDOS yelling at you and calling you names, the second game is a series of puzzles linked loosely together by an uncaring, vindictive god/ computer named GLaDOS yelling at you and calling you fat before you overthrow her and put a mentally inept ball in her place who slowly begins destroying everything around you, shoves GLaDOS into a potato and sends you both into a 1950's version of the labs you were exploring to be yelled at by a 1950's style billionaire voiced by J.K. Simmons!

The puzzles introduce familiar and new concepts, keeping them fresh well into the game. The dialogue is on point through out, with minimal dialogue feeling out of place or forced. The humor is even better than the first, allowing for visual gags more than the first game did and a few running jokes to boot. Ultimately, an impressive sequel to an already impressive game.

Also, this game made me fear/ hate certain birds...just sayin'

#3. BORDERLANDS 2 (2012)

how do you top a game that had literally a bajillion guns, a rapid fire sense of humor AND a cell shaded art style set in a semi-unique world? MORE GUNS! MORE HUMOR! MORE CELLS SHADED! AND A VILLAIN!

Yeah...if you really think about it, the first game didn't really have a main villain. Sure you had some minor ones, like Baron Flynt and Mad Mel, but they were more like sub-bosses than anything. Borderlands 2 had plenty of sub-bosses, but also gave us MOTHERF**KIN' HANDSOME JACK, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE BEST VIDEO GAME VILLAIN OF ALL TIME EVER PERIOD! With an actual story to get through, a villain to thwart, tons of fun new characters and old returning ones, as well as giving personality to the playable characters and the first games characters who act as NPC's this time around, the game did everything it needed to and then some.

This game established Borderlands as a franchise that's here to stay, and with follow-ups including The Pre-Sequel (Not bad, but not great) and Tales from the Borderlands (Fantastic Story, weird execution thanks to it being a TellTale game), there's no doubt in my mind that Borderlands is here to stay...

Can't really say the same for Battleborn...which is sad cause I kind of liked that one...

#2. OVERWATCH (2016)

Honestly, how could this one NOT be on this list? What is easily one of the best new franchises in YEARS, Overwatch brought exactly what it needed, and we keep getting more! With new characters and game modes being added, as well as regular balancing updates and more, the game shows no sign of slowing down.

If I had one complaint, it's that the game doesn't have a story mode. That said, we get plenty of information about the world and its characters thanks to digital comics, animated shorts, in-game dialogue and costumes, and a few other means. The roster is rich with diversity and ranges from easy to play to hard to master, and overall just is a fun time for everyone.

Hell, hte game hasn't even been out for a year yet and already we have three new characters, a new map, a new game mode and additional features like being able to make your own game mode ADDED IN FREE OF CHARGE! That's doing it right!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The following five games are all fantastic in their own right, but didn't quite make my top ten. To save time, I'll only do a quick sentence or two for each, so please enjoy!

COUNTER-STRIKE: SOURCE - One of the first first-person shooters I played. Good combat and lots of customization both in game and in the variety of game modes.

GOLDENEYE 64 - A fun multiplayer title with an okay story mode. Best played with friends split screen...No Odd Job, please?

KILLZONE - I like to think of this as Sony's answer to Halo, but with space Nazi's instead of aliens. Regardless, it really made you feel like a soldier in an army instead of a lone wolf like most FPS games.

DESTINY -  Bungie's follow-up to Halo after leaving their flagship behind, the online, MMO hybrid was engaging, but didn't have much staying power if you didn't have a dedicated group to play with. With that and a lack of a real story, it felt like this was a half bake idea that will hopefully be more fleshed out in the sequel.

TITANFALL 2 - Improving on some of the pitfalls of the first game (Like console exclusivity), this is fun, fast paced, and in general a good game to play, especially if you have a friend or two in tow. Also, the story mode grabbed me with it's tutorial mode...so that says something.

Now, without delay, Here's Number 1!

#1. TEAM FORTRESS 2 (2007)

What started as a Quake mod eventually became the military themed hat simulator free-to-play sequel that Valve won't let you forget about. Tons of games release on Steam with some tie in to this, usually being a hat themed after whatever you're buying.

That said, once you get past the confusing as all hell economy the game has, there's a fun and engaging "Hero"-based shooter underneath. With nine classes to choose from, nearly limitless combinations for cosmetic customization and weapon loadouts. The story to the game is don similarly to that of Overwatch (Animations, comics, in game items, etc) but unlike Overwatch, many of the comics, animations and such contribute to the overall story of the game instead of just add little references to it.

The story itself is long, convoluted and silly, and perfect for the style of game it's trying to be. Overall, it's the game I've spent the most time in since I bought it back in 2007 (That's right, some of us PAID for this game), and it's easily my favorite First Person Shooter!

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! Wat are some of your favorite First person shooters? Let me know in the comments below, and until next time, I'm McNutty891! Have fun!

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