#designed for recreating the style so considering what I had available I think I did okay :3

[crazysnor1ax]

Me thinking about Lethal Company the other day: Man the LC dudes sure are like Pokémon huh

Me realizing I accidentally came up with a gold mine of an idea:

Transparent image and descriptions/info (bc they’re a little hard to read) under the cut:

Text on the top right:

TREACHAGEST

UB-Jester

Normal/Dragon

The Suspense Pokémon

Ability: Pop Goes the Sneasel

When hit with a move with a base power of 90 or greater, Treachajest takes half the damage it would take and switches to its Popped Form.

Text on bottom left:

This Pokémon is elusive even in the world it originates from. It hides its face in its torso, taking on a smaller and more feeble appearance to lure prey. Treachajest will spin the horn on the side of its torso and sing to its victims before charging at them and devouring them whole.

[gra-sonas]

Hey! I hate to ask this, you already do so much for us! But would you mind just a tiny recap of Vlamis’ live from last night? You don’t have to go into a ton of detail or anything, I just saw that it was a half hour long. I have a weird anxiety thing that keeps me from watching lives and stories for the most. Still haven’t even been able to work myself up to watching the vlamburn one as much as I’d love to! 🙁

Either way, thank you for everything!

Okay, nonnie. I went and watched the whole thing again and wrote you a detailed account of what’s been said. I’ll link the live again, then you can watch here if you want to. Or not. Up to you. 🤗 Hope this helps. 💕

Brushing his teeth and flossing for 3 minutes while talking.

800 new follower lately “where have you been before?”

“Do you do anything to your hair at night?” He adds Moroccan hair oil in the morning, nothing at night.

“What’s your favorite of the drop?” He hasn’t seen everything from the drop (like the COSMIC tie-dye) bc he’s in Santa Fe. He loves the COSMIC and MALEX embroidered things (“so subtle”) bc they are in Vlamburn’s handwriting, he loves the Manesqueeze shirt bc you can make Alex and Michael kiss by putting your wrists together. He *loves* the candle (there’s one burning on his bedside table), the silky PJs are great, but he can’t decide on just one favorite thing.

“How’s Jesa’s sanity?” She needs like 3 weeks of sleep. He explains, that while we *are* the Vlambase, the Vlambase merch company’s just Jesa and Vlamis. Jesa has a team, but all the day-to-day things, ideas, emails/customer service (Jesa), the newsletter (Vlamis). They hadn’t collaborated with anyone before Tyler, so working with him was a new experience. 

One fan mentions how they wanted to buy stuff but couldn’t. Vlamis says that he’s been there, and when he wanted something in the past he couldn’t afford, he started putting away a Dollar a day. 

“Thought on One Direction?” Vlamis is a Harry Styles guy. “Harry Styles’ swagger is next level!”

“What do you think about Russia? Will Vlambase merch be available here?” Talks a bit about how annoying things are with shipping companies, says they wanted to protect themselves for the holidays, and now that the Christmas rush is over, some shipping options have become available again. 

“Who came up with  MANESQUEEZE” He ponders about it, and settles on Jesa. It was Vlamis’s ides to put tiny Alex and tiny Michael on the sleeves so that they can kiss tho. And Tyler came up with the idea to put a “toupee” on his head (in a previous drop, the NEVER LOOK AWAY design had tiny Alex and tiny Michael on the sleeves, but poor Alex was bald) for the design.

Someone got a MALEX pin and the candle. He knows the pin sold out fast, and he feels bad about that. They want everyone to get everything they want, but it’s difficult to make proper calculations how well an item will sell. The pandemic made things even harder. Like the PJ sets. Normally, they would wait until the sale ends and see how many sets were actually ordered, but during the pandemic, stock listings have been changing dramatically from day to day, so they had to pre-order the PJs and robes to make sure they had a certain number at their disposal. He said that they “overshot” on a couple of things, but ultimately sales have been great, and he appreciates that.

“I’m excited to make the MANESQUEEZE doodles kiss bc I do that with the NEVER LOOK AWAY shirt” Vlamis jumps up and shows his closet that’s full of Vlambase merch items.

“Why am I here, it’s almost 3am” He mentions that he’s been staying up until 4 in the past couple of days, but he has to be on set in 7 or 8 hours. 

“Hello, just wanted to let you know that I got a tattoo for you” Vlamis asks for a photo and to be tagged.

“Kyle the packer [Vlamis’s roomie KA, who works in the warehouse when a new drop is ready for shipping]” Vlamis says they’re working him to death.

“Please save this live” He doesn’t know whether he’ll save it. Thinks the one with Tyler was important, but since it’s just him, he doesn’t think it’s important.

“I followed Jesa, Jesa is the real MVP” Vlamis says that Jesa is “a beast, and best in the game”. Quickly explains who Jesa is, and that she’s his partner in the Vlambase merch company. He mentions that she recently called him with an idea for Valentine’s Day, and he was like “Jesa, we need to relax!” But she loved the idea. She’s a big fan of RNM and the characters (and Tyler). “Jesa’s amazing.”

“What about new Soli art [Soli’s the artist who created the Boys Will Be Boys art for a previous drop]?” Vlamis smiles. “What about new Soli art. I like that idea. 😏“

“Your house [in New Mexico] is so cute.” Vlamis says thank you and shows the ceiling of the house (which he likes best). “Santa Fe is dope!”

“I adore your teeth” *shows his teeth* Says he had to wear braces (some even adjustable)

“I could’ve used my birthday money to buy something but I forgot” 🤨 << Vlamis’s face. “How you you forget, man?”

“Back to Twitter after this live” He mentions that he’d just been on Twitter before the live.

He got retweeted by Mountain Dew and loves it.

“I’m from Australia and hope my merch arrives before winter” Vlamis says he hopes shipping will be fast. 

“Love the Valentines” They’re not actually Valentines, hence they’re “Love Notes”.  Vlamis considers doing them not just around Valentine’s Day. 

“You catch any of the CW shows returning this month?” “Might have to” But he knows what he’ll be catching on the 12th. “Prodigal Son, baby!”

“Where did you get the Game Boys?” Those are his Game Boys. He has a Game Boy Advanced and a Game Boy Color. 

“How do you feel about Forlex?” *scoffs* 😒 “Yeah” 

“So excited for the robe!” Vlamis gets excited. “The robes and the PJs are so comfy!” Talks about how it’s a bit weird, bc they don’t make them themselves.

Several people mention that their closet looks like his closet bc of all the merch and he loves that. 

“How do you feel about Forlex” *gets agitated* “Why are you asking me this? Don’t do that to me, alright?” *softer* “Don’t do that.”

“How are you doing?” He’s doing very well. Very relieved that eh sale went well. This drop was like 3-4 months of work, the night before the sale felt like an entire month, too. Jesa and Vlamis Facetimed for more than 5hrs. They set up the website, and that’s how the glitch with the GIVE ME MALEX OR GIVE ME DEATH shirts and poster happened. They made a mistake and only noticed after the website went live. 

“Do you know when S3 will air?” No, he thought it might’ve been sooner, but apparently not.

“I love your poetry from the last drop so why no poems this time?” He writes poems when he’s inspired, he hasn’t written a poem in a while. He’s currently preparing to direct his first movie in June 2021, and he’s been very focused on that. 

“The Meet & Greet day changed.”  Filming schedule changed bc they had snow, the schedule’s changing constantly. He’ll be set all day tomorrow (well, today, Jan 11) from 8am until 8 or 9pm. Sometimes they might even wake up in the morning and learn that the schedule’s been changed. 

 “You could talk about nothing and we’d still watch.” He doesn’t want to talk about nothing, wonders if anyone has any questions about the sale.

“I’m so excited about the robe. I was going to buy more but I’m broke.” He says we should be responsible.

Someone’s still waiting about their Black Friday stuff, but he says it’s the shipping company, not them. 

“Vlamentines" He *loves* that, thinks it’s a good pun. 

“Gotta support Aurora.” Always. 🥰

“Jealous Guerin in S3?” You’ll see, you’ll see.

“I placed 3 orders, last one last night. Give me Malex or give me death.” He loves it. He also mentions, that they’re working hard on figuring out how to combine orders in the future so people don’t have to pay for shipping several times. They just can’t do that logistically at the moment. 

“Real talk, how often do you check your DMs?” He says, that some people might’ve noticed that he occasionally likes random photos on people’s IG pages. When that happens, it’s a sign that he read someone’s DM. He feels bad when he checks his mentions with a delay, and people’s stories have already vanished after 24hours. He sometimes doesn’t get to checking DMs for a week.

“Will we ever get the original pic of the kiss recreation?” *smiles* *waggles his eyebrows* “Maybe in the morning”

“So happy the Trevor Project was chosen for this merch drop!” He’s very happy, too. According to him, it was a no-brainer. Tyler’s worked with them in the past, so it made even more sense. They wanted to make sure that Tyler felt very strongly about wherever they’d be donating. 

People urge him to go to sleep. “You want me to go to bed?” 

“Why is your merch not available in India?” *deep breath* “It should be, it’s ridiculous. Unbelievable.”

“Your poetry was awesome.” He appreciates the praise and promises to write some more poetry. 

Someone asks whether the movie he’ll be directing in June will be a comedy, but he says it’s the opposite. He’s mentioned in the past that Aurora and him will both act in the movie, but apparently he forgot about that. He doesn’t want to jinx the movie and doesn’t know how much he should reveal just yet. Talks a bit about 5 Years Apart. 

Someone mentions that it’s Jeanine’s birthday on January 14th. 

“Do (or don?) a face mask, Vlamis.” He refuses. Mentions his friend and roommate Spencer Waldner, who makes face masks.

“If there’s leftover merch, will you do another sale?” He says that most things are actually sold out bc they use Blank Clo’s blanks and will only make what’s been ordered.  They might try to restock some pins tho, bc they went so quickly. 

“USPS are a joke” He defends them. “They’re a public service, they’re trying hard, guys.”

“You should do a Vlambase drop with the Real Vlamis [a.k.a. Jeanie]” He’s excited and thinks it’s a good idea and asks if anyone’d be interested. 

Someone congratulates him on directing his first movie. He points out that he’s directed before (Making It, a 3-part web series, it’s on YouTube).

 “Would you ever come to Australia Comic Con?” He’d love to. Mentions that he’s supposed to be in Paris in May for a convention, but he’s not sure whether that’s gonna happen considering how things are currently going with the pandemic. 

Some more talk about 5 Years Apart.

Circles back to doing a merch drop with Jeanine. People like the idea. 

“Please save this live.” After an IG update, things have changed and he doesn’t know how to do it. In the past he had the option to save it [for 24hrs], now he can only upload it to IGTV. 

“$30 shipping to Australia hurts my soul but I did it anyway.” He appreciates that and mentions, that he lived in Australia for 6 months in the past.

“Sing some Bright Eyes” He thinks his singing would hurt people’s ears. 

Jesa Joy pops up in the chat and urges him to go to bed. 

“Jesa is yelling at you.” Vlamis says that Jesa’s a “yeller”, and that she has a tattoo that says “Don’t yell tho”. He admits that Jesa often yells for a good reason. “I need to be yelled at sometimes.”

Someone asks him to accept a request to join his live. He says he’s pretty tired. 

He says hello to someone from Germany (not me btw :P) “What’s up, Germany ✌️” 

More people ask him to sing, but he says he cannot sing. He says it’s not like a joke  or him being modest, he straight up can’t sing and is a horrible singer. 

“Will there be a sequel to 5 Years Apart?” Maybe a sequel called “10 Years Apart” (he’s joking and visibly tired)

“Should I buy anything before the sale ends?” Yes.

Jesa Joy’s from Michigan, and Vlamis’s grandma’s from Middlesborough, Kentucky.

“Is Tyler singing again?” He doesn’t know. “I hope so. Love that kid’s voice” (Tyler’s 3.5 years older than Vlamis :P)

He’s getting sleepy and will read a little bit before bed. Considers drinking some Mountain Dew. 

“Do you take design ideas.” Sure. Sometimes he sees design ideas from people they’ve been working on for months, but he’s gonna “steal” an idea from someone, he’ll tell them. He’ll steal it, though. 

“Are you still reading SAGA?” He read the first one and is half-way through the second. He’s currently reading a book called “My First Movie” by Stephen Lowenstein. “How cliché.” Aurora got it for him.

Purple Skittles are his favorite. Purple everything.

“Your girlfriend’s the best girlfriend.” She is, she really is.

Asks Jesa Joy whether he should go to bed now.Even though it’s late, he’s hungry. Considers eating something. People tell him to go to bed.

He asks “Should I get naked and put on the PJs?” *waggles eyebrows* “I’M KIDDING, YOU’RE SICK. YOU’RE ALL DISGUSTING.” xD

“Don’t eat!” He laughs.

Says goodbye and says that Jesa’s posted a surprise picture. 

“Any advice for aspiring actors?” Tells them to make their own stuff bc no one’s gonna hire them. (He’s being sarcastic). “It’s dark, but it’s what you need to hear.”

“Okay, love you guys. Thank you again! It was our best sale yet. Means a lot to me. Means a lot to Tyler. Us doing so well might mean that Tyler will work with us again. So I really appreciate it. Okay, I love you all.”

Jesa promises to post the pic in 4 minutes. He’s excited. “See, I got her to do it! The picture is kind of ridiculous.”

*pretends to take off his shirt, stops halfway through* “Noooooo, noooooo, noooooo!”

*throws kiss* “Love you guys, good night.”

[thedinanshiral]

Magic, mages and more

If you’ve played the Dragon Age series you’ve probably noticed some differences here and there. Origins was heavy on tactics, something Inquisition lacks considerably, and Dragon Age 2 allowed for blood magic, which Origins had little of and Inquisition barely mentions. All lore aside, we can experience magic in Thedas more closely through our mage companions in each game ( or your character if you chose the mage class).

First, i’ll discuss briefly how magic spells have changed throughout the games, then i’ll analyse a mage pattern and how it broke. And finally i’ll entertain some future over the top possibilities.  

Origins and DA2 were designed primarily to be played on PC, and we see this more clearly on Origins through its tactics-heavy gameplay. Spells in Origins are more suitable to a carefully planned combat strategy, with passive and status-inducing spells presented in a variety that didn’t survive into the following games. DA2 also allows for tactics but the combat system is more dynamic, it’s not necessary to pause/unpause 5 times per second, one can do battles in real time and as a result spells were considerably reduced, prioritizing active/offensive spells, and almost entirely eliminating status-inducing and supportive spells.

Unlike its predecessors, Inquisition was way more console-friendly and all but eliminated the tactics system from Origins; now combat was fast, direct, with a tactical screen capable of basic commands and overall limited, and spell trees were reduced to the bare minimum, with elemental attacks, and very few defensive spells, having completely eliminated healing.

So, in short, summonings disappeared after Origins, as did most of the Creation, Spirit and Entropy trees. By Inquisition, none of the glyphs or hexes survived. Some spells icons from DA2 reappear in Inquisition, but most from Origins never made it past it, and some spells changed name or spell tree between games. There’s a gradual simplification of spell trees from one game to the next, adjusting combat to a more straightforward style, with less support or status-inducing spells and an increasing concentration of active spells with enhancing passive ones. On the other hand, Healing all but disappeared from Inquisition spells, “spirit healer” not even surviving as a specialization, with the only healing spell available being Revival which as the name implies you can only use on an already fallen party member. Surprisingly, Dispel made it through all three games staying in the same spell tree, Spirit, and elemental spells remained the same across all games, with minor changes.

Now let’s take a look at all our main mage companions.

In Origins we have Morrigan (apostate, shapeshifter), and Wynne (circle mage, spirit healer, vessel for spirit of Faith). In DA2 we have Merrill (dalish, blood mage), and Anders (former circle mage turned apostate, healer, vessel for spirit of Justice/Vengeance). In inquisition however we get three mages: Dorian (Tevinter pariah, pyromancer, necromancer), Vivienne (circle loyalist, icemancer, knight-enchanter) and Solas (apostate, electromancer,rift mage).

Just in case the pattern isn’t clear enough..In both games we get an apostate and formally educated and trained mage, a mage who lived in the wild and a mage who lived in cities, a mage who dwells in obscure or forbidden magic used for offense and a mage dedicated primarily to healing and support, a mage who deals in dangerous magic but remains their own and a mage who despite dealing in safer magic harbours a spirit within (by Chantry dogma, an abomination).

This pattern is broken in Inquisition; while we still get an apostate and a circle mage, we also get a mage that while not from the circle still isn’s technically an apostate (Dorian), we also get no healer but we do get a mage that specializes in obscure magic (necromancy), and we don’t really get a mage that has lived in the wild but one who’s lived outside of Thedosian society (Solas, being who he is and having recently woken up from the longest nap ever). And instead of getting a mage sharing their body with a spirit of the Fade, we get an ancient elf who secretely is an elvhen god and the creator of the Veil. Solas breaks the pattern (as well as everything else, apparently).  

I’ll focus on Inquisition from now on and leave Solas for last. 

Auto-level evidences the default element of choice of each mage. Solas is an electromancer, Dorian is a pyromancer, and Vivienne is an icemancer. Dorian preferring fire makes sense as a Tevinter who constantly complains the South is cold, implying his homeland has a warmer weather he sorely misses. Vivienne choosing cold spells goes perfectly with her personality, presenting herself as an ice queen.

Here is where it begins to get a bit tricky: Specializations.

Dorian’s is Necromancy, which would make a lot of sense...if he was Nevarran. Being a Tevinter it’d make more sense for him to be a Blood Mage. But Origins and particularly DA2 already exposed blood magic, painted it in all its evil colours, made it pretty clear it’s the wrong kind of magic to use for all the dangers it entails. By the time we get Inquisition, we face an actual Magister Siderial and Tevinter is painted as this degenerate empire full of evil blood mages, so getting a blood mage specialization was out of the table. Therefore our Tevinter ally got the next most questionable line of magic, necromancy. Because nothing says “almost evil” as raising up the death to fight for you and draining lifeforce from your enemies.

Next we have Vivienne who specialises as a Knight-Enchanter (KE). She’s a Circle mage, a Loyalist at that, and KE is a path reserved for Circle mages allowed to engage in combat when requested. But we learn from Solas that the powers used by Knight-Enchanters have their origin in the Arcane Warriors of the ancient elves. Vivienne has no known connection to anything elven, so her being able to become a KE is just another example of the cultural appropriation of elven elements and knowledge done by humans and the Chantry. 

None of the specializations are entirely new, as already stated KE takes from Arcane Warriors, much of the Necromancer tree comes from the previous games’ Entropy trees, and the Primal and Force trees lend some spells to the supposedly brand new Rift tree. 

Then there’s Solas, who is the default Rift Mage once specializations become available. The Rift spell tree is a post-Breach occurrence, as it was developed by mages studying the Breach and resulting rifts that appeared all over Thedas. It should have unique spells yet it recycles old ones: Stonefist no longer deals physical damage as it did in Origins and DA2 when it was in the Primal tree and meant hurling rocks at the enemy, but spirit damage as it now involves summoning a boulder directly from the Fade. Similarly, DA2’s Force spell Fist of the Maker and subsequent upgrades, Maker’s Hammer and Maker’s Fury, described as “slamming enemies into the ground” with some invisible force became Veilstrike in the Rift tree of Inquisition, there described as “smashing nearby foes to the ground” by “recreating your own fist from from the essence of the Fade”.

Knowing what we know about Solas, his specialization makes sense, he’s responsible for the Veil’s existence so of course he’d know how to manipulate its properties. He’s Fen’Harel, after all. 

Still with me? Good, because this ride is about to get bumpy.

As the default Rift mage he can use Veilstrike, recreating his “own fist from the essence of the Fade”,  but Veilstrike is actually a rename of Fist of the Maker…So what Solas is really doing whenever he casts Veilstrike is casting the Fist of the Maker. By recreating his own fist..It’s all in the name. Fist of the Maker pre-dates Rift magic, but its rebranding as Veilstrike is post-Breach and named after the Veil and not the Maker, possibly because the one who introduces us to this particular spell now is not Andrastian but the ancient elvhen god and creator of the Veil.  Technically speaking  we could say Solas, having created the Veil ages ago and therefore being the one responsible for the present reality of Thedas, is then, in a way, its maker. It’s a wild idea, I know, and there are some bits of lore scattered around that could support it, but i’m not jumping into that abyss yet-

In addition, let’s go back to his auto-leveled spells. At first sight there’s no basis for Solas being an electromancer. But like his Rift specialization, his magic preferences are lore/plot oriented. To consider:

Solas prefers the Storm tree. Skyhold is, by its very name, the place from where the Veil was installed. Some codices found at Skyhold mention electricity being used in unknown rituals at Skyhold’s location. Solas was responsible for creating the Veil.

With this in mind it can be concluded that Solas has always been an electromancer, and even used his electric powers in some way to help put up the Veil in the past.

tl;dr Solas was originally an electromancer and is a Rift Mage because he created the Veil and knows it better than anyone else. Also, he may be the Maker. (loljk or am i)

Now what would you say if I told you Solas possibly also does blood magic? Too much of a stretch? Maaaybe..Except maybe not. He’s not against it, thinks of it as simply a means to an end, and doesn’t disapprove of it unless it’s done in excess for all the wrong reasons (as they do in Tevinter) or is used to limit freedom like when used to bind unwilling spirits or control people’s minds. It’s just an idea, but there must be an explanation why blood magic and lyrium (titan blood, so, still blood magic) can be used to tear the Veil open. The Magisters did it before, and a second time when Corypheus sacrificed Divine Justinia in a ritual that also involved...Solas’ Foci. That is, Fen’ Harel’s Foci.

From Tevinter Nights we learn Solas is after the red lyrium idol (again, titan blood) which he claims belongs to him and is a necessary element for the ritual he must perform to take down the Veil. A ritual for which he’s willing to destroy Thedas as we know it, regrettably causing the dead of thousands. For all we know, those deaths are a necessary sacrifice because they are part of a massive blood magic ritual, Solas’ own death may also be part of it. If the blood of a Divine could be used to open the Breach, what could the blood of Fen’Harel be used for?? Solas’ new powers as Fen’Harel are, frankly, terrifying*, and he’s decided to do whatever it takes to see his mission through, sadly.

And all this leads me to future possibilities..we can imagine with Solas actively trying to take down the Veil there will be places where the Veil gets super thin or begins to disappear. Pockets of space where reality no longer respects natural laws of physics or logic. The Fade is fluid, ever changing, with the right power it can be reshaped at will and i imagine some of that may begin to leak into the physical world, so we may get mage (or spirit! )companions with skills capable of taking advantage of that. 

Lastly, i may add, right now and as far as we can see, Solas is OP as fuck*. He can kill you in your sleep from within your dreams. He can turn you into stone with just thinking of it, which means in a way he can bend the laws of nature of the physical world like he can do in the Fade, If in the future we get close to him,if we get our hands on artifacts or intel.. it won’t because we gathered the right people and resources, it won’t be because of clever tactics and espionage, it won’t be at all because we did anything right. It’ll be because he allows it, because he let us get that far. 

If we stop him at all it’ll be because he wants to be stopped.   

(Apologies in advance if some of this is poorly written, i revised it so many times words no longer look like words. Also half of this is just wild speculation on my part and nobody has to agree with me, after 5 years i may be connecting imaginary dots but hey, it’s fun! If you read this far...i am so sorry, thanks)

[professorpski]

Figuring It Out: The 1950s Blouse,  McCalls 8877

I had spotted this blouse in a McCalls pattern magazine some years ago, one of the many detailed blouses of an earlier decade that put our t-shirts to shame. Many vintage blouses have so much presence that you can easily see them making it to the office without the need for a jacket. The care taken with the vintage blouse designs make them appear more formal a garment than our simple button-front shirts.

The 1950s believed in the hour-glass figure and liked a fitted bodice and waist to show it off. This blouse also has a deep v-neckline, a raised back neck that is cut-on and both darts and soft gathers at the bustline to shape it to the body, further enhancing womanly curves. The sleeves come in several styles. The puffed version is for the young and for playful parties. The more restrained, slim three-quarter and long sleeve are fitted to the arm and make more sense as either after-five wear for the sophisticated woman, think silk, or as work wear in fine, crisp cotton.

I thought in idle moments about drafting a copy, since I do know a bit about drafting and it isn’t exactly the most complicated garment. (I did spot an original pattern for $50 and thought, hmmm, that’s a bit steep and it’s not even my size).

What has given me a boost to actually doing that drafting is discovering that I could see the sketch of the original pattern pieces through the online collection called COPA, the Commercial Pattern Archive at the University of Rhode Island. As you can see, the sketch is a kind of cheat sheet for drafting a pattern from scratch as they indicate how the pieces were laid on the grainline of the fabric and whether there are facings or other pieces to consider. Working from a basic sloper--the flat pattern pieces--for a bodice in my size, I can cut, slash and spread the pieces and recreate this blouse much more easily. Stay tuned on that for future posts.

COPA is the brain child of Joy Spanabel Emery, a scholar of theater and costume design who amassed an enormous collection of sewing patterns. These are now available to the public through a simple sign-up and you can search by pattern number, date, type of garment, etc. What a wonderful resource for anyone interested in sewing and garment design. In other words: Woo hoo! I will definitely be sharing more finds from COPA in the future.

You can find the COPA here: https://copa.apps.uri.edu/index.php

To read about Joy Emery Spanabel, who passed away last year, and her work, go here:  https://www.averystortifuneralhome.com/obituary/joyce-emery

[hopoo]

RoR2 Q&A 12/2/17

Since we got a million asks, I’ll collapse all the answers periodically into one giant QA so it doesn’t ruin your tumblr feed. I tried to answer every question - if yours isnt there, someone else might’ve asked the same question. Expand below to read!

Q: Are you thinking about putting out a beta version to test or are you just waiting for the game to be fully released A: Not sure exactly how we want to do it – we HAVE to have some way of getting the game out to testers, especially for networking/matchmaking testing. It will most likely be some form of closed/limited beta, but we really haven’t though too much about it.

Q: Any ideas on what the system requirements could be? Will they be high or playable on most machines? Also will it work with integrated graphics? A: Most likely the game will be pretty light for GPU with our graphical style, but CPU intensive. What that actually translates to won’t be until the game is closer to launch, where we start optimizing.

Q: ROR1 most loved thing me and my friends liked to do is ruining the framerate with all the items that we had. we had lots of fun crashing the game for whoever hosted the game. might this still be able to happen? I'm looking forward to the release anyway and so are my friends especialy with peer to peer now we can connect better. A: Uhh hopefuly you won’t be able to crash the game, but the game will still scale infinitely like it did previously

Q: Could you make it so that when you use Unstable Watch and timestop, all colors in the game become inverted for the duration? And if you want to go all the way with a certain reference, have only Chef's cleavers stop in midair at the edge of a radius from an enemy, and when the timestop ends the cleavers hit at the same time. A: No memes

Q: Super excites for risk of rain 2. Im real glad i found it in a steam summer sale, bought then and after that bought it for my ps4. Are we going to see any new characters? (Bandit will always be fav so as long as hes good im happy) A: Yes, definitely new characters!

Q: can you make one of the new death messages be "HOST WHEN?" A: No memes!!!!

Q: While Vita's out of the question, what about the Switch, which basically seems to have slotted itself in the 'more powerful handheld device' niche? A: We’d obviously love to be on the switch, but that ultimately depends on A. can we optimize the game to run on the Switch, and B. do we have the technical know-how to actually get it running? Porting to consoles tends to be a much more dramatic change than people expect, even if the engine natively exports to it.

Q: Hi. I’ve been a fan of risk of rain for the past few years. I just want to ask: in risk of rain, some mechanics like heaven cracker can pierce a line of enemies and the huntress’ ability to hit and run. With the change from 2D to 3D  environment, how will they work? There are many other abilities and mechanics that i also want to ask about, but these two were the first ones that i could remember immediately. A: We’re not going to bring back any mechanics that don’t fit just for the sake of continuity – however, the Heaven Cracker I can see being actually more fun in 3D since you have to actually align yourself with the enemies. Since everyone can shoot and run in the 3D version, Huntress’ niche is sorta gone, but we have some clever ideas to make that back

Q: In DevBlog #8 you explain some of the steam integration going into Risk of Rain 2 which will make a lot of people happy but will RoR2 also be available without steam for those who prefer? For example will I be able to buy it on GOG like I did RoR1, and play LAN games without steam? A: Right now we’re focusing on making it work via Steam P2P, but (I believe) that we haven’t done anything to explicity lock out connections via IP. You just won’t get the same Nat punchthrough benefits (I’ll have to ask Jeff, our network dude about it to make sure this is correct, but afaik I think that’s right)

Q: Would you guys happen to have an idea of when you think the game would be realeased? A: Nope! Hopefully not too long!

Q: Hello! I loved Risk of Rain 1 and it is great to play with friends. I have two questions (technically three, I'm cheating). 1. I am assuming you're going to release it on steam, so that said will there be steam multiplayer integration? Like... Invite via steam, games are created with the help of steam peer-to-peer. It was a pain to get 4 people playing on one server without port forwarding. 2. Will there be a better way to keep track of items? 3. Can you add a menu to see what items you have? A: Yes, steam invites and all that are the goal. I know we talked about holding TAB to expand the item menu so you could see more at once, but we haven’t actually done that yet. I know it was a bit silly for it to be uncropped and expanding off the screen.

Q: Is this still in development? A: No we’re just pretending

Q: Are you gonna have the same soundtrack from the first game? A different soundtrack? A mix of both? (Don't get rid of the Dried Lake or Sunken Tombs songs). A: That’ll ultimately be up to Chris, but I’m sure he’s in the same boat as us and doesn’t want to cover the same ground that we did previously.

Q: I was telling a friend how excited I was for this, and he expressed a concern I’d like to ask you guys about. He said that, being 3D, the game might end up either not as hectic as the first, or too hectic, what with the hoards coming from all around you. What’s your take on this? (I’m not actually too worried about it, but I still wanna hear your take on the matter.) A: Currently, we’re using SFX as a tool to present not only how close an enemy is, but what state they’re in and how many there are. Since I’ve also been playing the game for like a million hours I’ve also developed the ability to recognize which enemy by the frequency of their screenshake… but that won’t be relevant to most players. We’re really hoping to avoid radars or anything like that for awareness.

Q: Just wanted to say, RoR2 is looking to be coming along fantastically. I really love that you are constantly taking things in unexpected directions-- I never expected to see the game translated to 3D but you have done it and I can imagine many hundreds of hours spent playing. Will Chris Christodoulou be working on the music this game as well? A: Yes, he will be back!

Q: Have you considered calling the second Risk of Rain "Risk of Twain"? A: Not until now

Q: This is kind of a question and a half. How big will the RoR2 maps be and will all the RoR1 maps return in 3D with the additions of new maps or just overall new maps? A: Overall we’re not really looking at the previous maps for the inspiration for our new ones – we’re not making RoR 3D, but a sequel, so we don’t really want to recreate too much old stuff!

Q: Since RoR2 is moving to more dynamic network model, how will people with screwy NATs be affected? NAT Punchthrough is great and all, but if implemented incorrectly can lead to multiple users on the same NAT being unable to join servers outside of the NAT (See Rainbow Six Siege). Will users still be able to host dedicated servers like the old game? What does this mean for users buying the game through GOG/Humble Bundle? Really hope everything goes swimmingly because port forwarding sucks. A: This is the exact reason that we will have to have some form of limited beta, because this is something that we can’t recreate in office. I honestly don’t know enough to respond accurately on what would happen in that particular situation, but thanks for the heads up

Q: Relative to the first one, will Risk of Rain 2 be a sequel, prequel, completely unrelated, or even have story at all? A: Sequel!

Q: How were you going to implement artifacts this time around? Is it going to be based around areas that are randomly generated and you sometimes have access, or multiple spawn locations, etc. A:  Dunno, we haven’t implemented really any form of map permutations yet. The artifacts also ended up taking a much more important role in the game than we initially expected – not sure if the old way of unlocking is strange if it’s to be a core feature.

Q: (Big fan) I just had some curious questions; How many characters do you intend there to be in RoR2?, How differently do you plan on changing the previous characters?, Any hints on the final boss? pls, What is the estimated price of the game? and will their be any chance of PvP? Cannot wait, super hyped and keep up the great work :D A: We’re aiming for 10 characters on launch. No spoilers or hints! Definitely not PvP in any official capacity since the networking structure wasn’t designed for a good PvP experience.

Q: I've got three questions : 1) Will it be called RoR2 or will you find / have you found something else ? 2) Why the hell is there one more 'o' in the tumblr URL than in the actual 'Hopoo' name ? 3) What's the average of the team's favorite meals ? thx xoxo <3 A: I think it’ll just be RoR2. The hopoo tumblr was taken on creation of this tumblr, so we had to make it hopooo instead ☹

Q: Will RoR2 reveal why the Contact Light was carrying a teleporter linked to a planet crammed with hostile lifeforms? A: I’d like to explore what the heck is up with the humans in this game, but I sorta wish I had a better avenue that’s not just item logs and monster logs.

Q: I'm going to ask the real questions, is Sniper a man or woman? This is important because reasons. A:

Q: Theres something that confuses me alot about risk of rain 2. It's the lore. If the characters have left the planet, why would they come back? A: Canonically, the returning characters were never on the Contact Light to begin with (and presumably there could totally be like, a bunch of engineers and commando suits.)

[drakorn]

My Current Top 10 Musicals

So, I thought I’d just make a little list of the musicals that I personally consider to be my absolute favourite ones at this point in time. This list will obviously change again when I find a musical that I like more than one on this list. Anyway, here’s my list, if anyone’s interested XD (Btw, I’m only talking stage musicals here, so if you see any musical that was also a movie, I am talking about the stage version).

But first...some honourable mentions that I still adore but didn’t make it into my Top 10: The Phantom of the Opera, Anastasia, Ludwig II, Mozart!, The Lion King and Jesus Christ Superstar.

PS: All of this is opinion-based. Of course, you will disagree with me at some point, that is just natural. And it’s great that everyone has different tastes!

10 - The Lord of the Rings: A LOT of people have not heard about this musical, but it actually exists. It’s nothing fan-made or anything, it’s an actual official musical adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, not the Peter Jackson movies but the actual Tolkien epic. It ran in Canada and the UK and was even supposed to make its way to Germany. Of course, it has changes in it because adapting the entire story into a three-hour stage musical is an impossible task. It’s also the only musical I know of that consists of three acts rather than two. There is actually a cast recording available with the main songs in it. Like, honestly, I personally just love this musical. For instance, take a listen to Galadriel’s big solo:

I know, I’m most likely in the minority here, but for me personally, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best musicals out there and it’s an absolute shame that it’s not performed more often.

9 - Wicked: I am an absolute fan of seeing the story from the antagonist’s point of view and understand all of their motives. Wicked is one of the best examples out there as it takes the classic tale The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and gives it a darker and more serious spin, mainly because the Wicked Witch of the West is now the protagonist. I know, this musical is loved by everyone and makes it into pretty much everyone’s top list, but...honestly, it really deserves it. The songs are amazing and the story is very touching, especially the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda. I love villain origin stories, and to this day, the part where Elphaba decides to embrace her role as the antagonist of the story still sends shivers down my spine. No Good Deed still counts as one of my favourite villain songs. I have seen this musical twice and would gladly go again whenever I get the chance to do so!

8 - Rudolf - Affaire Mayerling: Ok, so this is a little bit of a controversial situation for me. I LOVE historical musicals. I just love them. However, this musical is REALLY not what you would call historically accurate. However, to me, it doesn’t really matter. When I look at it from a musical theatre point of view, it’s actually really entertaining! I have never seen this musical live, only watched the DVD and listened to the cast recordings but I would LOVE to see it live once. The songs are so good! While the story is not the best, the music is phenomenal in my opinion. And it also has one of the most catchy villain songs to be ever put on stage: Die Fäden in der Hand. Yes, this musical has MANY flaws, I don’t deny that. The cheesy and historically non-existent romance between Rudolf and Mary is not really the best thing to watch (seriously, why didn’t they include Mizzi Caspar instead of Mary, that would have made MUCH more sense for the love aspect). But it also has a lot going for it, like the actual songs. It is still one of my favourite musicals.

7 - Dracula: Many people consider Frank Wildhorn’s best piece to be Jekyll and Hyde. I personally think that Dracula is that best piece. Sure, it had a very wonky start and the majority of the good and memorable songs came along when the musical came to Austria, but it’s also the Austrian version that I got to hear and see first (not live unfortunately but hooray to cast recordings). It’s an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula...but more the Francis Ford Coppola film rather than the actual book. The romance aspect between Dracula and Mina is not the strongest part of the piece by far, however, when the story isn’t about the romance, the music is actually really fantastic! Oh, and it also has my favourite ever confrontation song: Zu Ende. I REALLY want to see this musical live. Why does it never come to Austria again? It had a fantastic run in Graz! And why can’t there be one German-speaking version of this musical that actually sticks to the gothic aesthetic? Oh well, a man can dream.

6 - Artus - Excalibur: Frank Wildhorn seems to be getting on this list very often, eh? Oh well, what can I say? I just love a lot of his source material. Artus - Excalibur is by no means an accurate representation of the Arthurian legend. However, what it does good is: it gives the tale its own spin. It doesn’t even try to be a step-by-step recreation, it’s completely its own thing. And I liked it. A lot actually. I saw it two times, one time in St. Gallen and one time in Staatz. Both times I absolutely loved it. It has great music and a solid story. However, the songs are by far the best part of it. It also has one of my favourite ensemble pieces: Morgen triffst du den Tod. This is one of those musicals I could watch over and over again without getting bored at all. Whenever it gets put on again, I will try to be there!

5 - Les Misérables: Ok, of course this was going to be on here. Les Mis is just the definition of an epic and emotional megamusical that is guaranteed to touch everyone’s heart at some point. Now, the fun thing is, the first time I saw Les Mis was in the cinema...when the movie came out in 2012. I know, shame on me, but I actually really liked the movie. When I was in London, I went to see the stage musical and I was blown away! It was so amazing and powerful! Javert is my personal favourite character. But I also saw Tam Mutu as Javert in London and this guy is just having a total blast in this role. Needless to say that Stars is probably my favourite song in the musical. Also, this musical is very relevant, even in today’s world, just like Victor Hugo said himself. The melodies are great, the story is great and the characters are great. What’s not to love?

4 - Rebecca: Not everyone’s favourite musical but definitely one of mine. I think, one of the reasons why I love it so much is the whole mystery and thriller aspect it has going for it. It truly captured the spirit of Daphne du Maurier’s novel and brought it on stage. The set design is beautiful, the music is great, you can’t go wrong with Sylvester Levay, and Michael Kunze once again delivered with a great script. Plus, the title song has got to be one of the most menacing songs in german-speaking musical theatre, especially when sung by the right actress. It’s a musical I would really like to see live...and one that I would wish, the VBW would finally bring back! Come on, what’s stopping you guys? Tecklenburg had a fantastic run last summer!

3 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame: I love it when Disney decides to just go dark for once. The movie is seen as Disney’s darkest animated movie. Well, it’s nice to see that the stage musical is also the darkest stage musical Disney has put on. While the movie still had a lot of the classic Disney tropes going for it, the musical gets rid of those and adds tragedy on par with Les Mis, meaning, keeping the actual book ending in the show. Also, a surprisingly large amount of Brecht and Greek Chorus was added to the show and it works really well! However, the Disney songs stay and it works as a great combination! Making Frollo the Archdeacon again adds so much more weight to the Hellfire song, and overall all the characters are extremely well-rounded. I have listened to the cast recordings and would really like to see this show live once!

2 - Elisabeth: As I said before, I absolutely love historical musicals. And Elisabeth is my favourite of those. It isn’t exactly told as a history piece but more of a dark retelling in a Danse Macabre style. Seeing the story being told from Elisabeth’s murderer’s point of view was a very clever idea. It also gave us the characters of Death and Elisabeth, some of the best musical theatre characters ever in my opinion. Every single character in this show has great opportunities to shine. The music is phenomenal and this piece single-handedly catapulted Austria and the VBW into the top charts of musical theatre producers. Also...it REALLY makes you want to be a history student! Honestly, it did that with me! As soon as I watched Elisabeth, I wanted to find out everything about the Habsburgs XD Also, this is probably the musical I have seen the most out of any. I believe to have seen it at least 15 times when it was last running in Vienna...and the fun thing is, I didn’t even like it that much when I saw it the first time! That WOW factor hit me later when I was listening to the cast recording...it happens.

1 - Tanz der Vampire: Was that really a surprise for people who follow my blog? Tanz der Vampire is my favourite musical of all time and will always retain this position. It is the piece that got me not only into musical theatre but in theatre in general. It got me into wanting to study Drama and Creative Writing, it sparked a lot of my current interests and influenced a lot of my life decisions. Tanz der Vampire has everything going for it: a great story, fantastic music, very good moral lessons, beautiful and lush sets and probably one of the best characters to ever grace the musical theatre stage: Graf von Krolock, undoubtedly the arch-nemesis of Erik Destler in the race for the rank of best cape-swishing gothic lover. It also has a very untraditional story, breaking clichés and tropes left and right, just as Roman Polanski intended. It has the perfect mixture of being dark and serious but also utterly hilarious. And it has probably one of the longest and most powerful solos of any musical in my opinion: Die unstillbare Gier. I want to see the musical more than I already have, which is 11. It’s just THAT good. For me personally, there is no better musical than Tanz der Vampire.

Ok, I know, a lot of people will disagree with me now, but as I said: this entire list is opinion-based. I would really be interested to know your Top 10 musicals :D 

[fenlr]

Assignment 5: Final Collection

After receiving my feedback from my tutor for the final assignment, I decided to revisit the assignment and rework it to try and create some final samples that fit the criteria and my own development research better. I decided to keep 3 of the previous final samples I had submitted, and then recreated an extra 3 samples - a fabric scrap patchwork quilt sample and two mixed-media collage samples. I felt that these reflected my developments from the assignment far more than what I had previously submitted. I was far more pleased with the outcome of these samples and when looking back at my original arrangement of objects that was used as a reference point for the entire assignment, it is clear that these new 3 samples reflected that arrangement way better too.

Fig 1 Original arrangement of objects and materials

Fig 2 Piece 1 crochet patchwork sample

Fig 3 Piece 1 close up

Fig 4 Piece 1 close up

My research into patchwork and crochet has been a clear source of inspiration for this first sample and I tried to just focus on both the processes and the overall colour palette for the project with this piece. Unfortunately I was unable to gain access to the exact colours I needed when looking for wool to work with so I had to try and match the colours as close as I could. I used the bright pink to represent the flamingos on the picture frame within the arrangement but it is certainly far brighter than it should have been. The use of crochet was to incorporate the following observational drawing (see fig 5, below) which was in response to the material I used at the base of my arrangement.

Fig 5 Observational drawing

Fig 6 Piece 2 crochet patchwork version 2 sample

Fig 7 Piece 2 close up

Fig 8 Piece 2 close up

I decided to keep this second version of a crochet patchwork as it was a development of the previous one, but with the addition of some more mixed-media aspects to the design such as the beading and the coils made from pipe cleaners. The beading was in response to the observations of the decorative frame from fig 9 as seen below which I had already explored within one of my samples (see fig 10 below). The coils were of course in response to the metal coils included in my original arrangement which I recorded in a few of my observational drawings. Unlike the coils from the original arrangement and my development sample (see fig 11), I decided to experiment with the colour choice by using a purple shade which is sourced from the floral fabric within the arrangement. Much like the bright pink wool used which doesn’t quite reflect that of the colour in my arrangement, the purple shade isn’t an exact replica of the colour taken from the fabric, I tried to match the colours as much as I could with the materials I had available to me.

Fig 9 Observational drawing

Fig 10 Sample of crochet and beading combination

Fig 11 Sample of crochet and coils combination

Fig 12 Piece 3 crochet patchwork version 3 sample

Fig 13 Piece 3 close up

Fig 14 Piece 3 close up

Although this particular sample is quite a jump from the previous two, I decided to keep this in my final collection rather than the other designs as I felt that there were aspects to this design that really represented my original arrangement as well as my own observations and research compared to the others samples. For example, the use of the 3D crochet flowers and the vine-like yarn which I have included on 2 of the patches and the gold elasticated yarn which was used to create the flatter-looking, less 3D crochet flowers on 2 of the other patches from this crochet patchwork sample. I took a lot of inspiration from one of my observational drawings for the white section surrounding the patchwork within this piece, if you look at fig 5 I think it is clear where I have taken inspiration when you look at the crochet section with holes as part of the design. The pink and purple raised stripes near the outer edge of the design were definitely inspired by the decorative frame in the arrangement as well as my observation of the frame as seen in fig 9. Below are some of the developments throughout this project that I used to inspire this particular sample (see fig 15-18)

Fig 15 Samples of 3D crochet roses

Fig 16 Sample of vine-like crochet yarn

Fig 17 Sample of combination of crochet patch, 3D crochet flower and vine-like crochet yarn

Fig 18 Sample of gold elasticated crochet flowers

Fig 19 Piece 4 fabric scrap patchwork quilt sample

Fig 20 Piece 4 close up

Fig 21 Piece 4 close up

Fig 22 Paper patchwork sample from project 2

I decided to create a fairly simple sample for the first “new” design for the final assignment, using this paper patchwork sample from project 2 as a starting point. I selected various fabrics that I felt represented my colour scheme and object arrangement and used a variety of sized pieces to create a free-hand patchwork. By free-hand I mean that I did not iron anything nor pin anything. The edges were un-even and weren’t visually appealing as a result of this and considering there was no fabric to represent the knitted/crochet samples I have been working with, I decided to incorporate some lace. The lace added another texture to the piece without taking away too much attention from the rest of the patchwork. I think compared to the crochet pieces I have created for this assignment, this patchwork represents my colour scheme far better but lacks much texture or depth.

Fig 23 Piece 5 mixed-media collage sample

Fig 24 Piece 5 close up

Fig 25 Piece 5 close up

Fig 26 Piece 5 close up

I decided to look at my collage and material observations from project 2 (see fig 27 and 28) when approaching the next two samples. For this 5th piece, I used the photograph of my original arrangement as well as my observational drawings to pick out elements to represent within the multi-media collage. I went for an abstract interpretation, similar to how I approached some of the collage work from part 3 earlier on in the course. I did not worry about accurately representing each element, instead focussing on the materials I chose and how they sat together compositionally. I wanted to add in some more “3D” elements to the collage to add some depth and texture to the piece that the previous design (piece 4) simply did not have. I think visually this piece is okay but I think I may have left too much “white space”. This is something I tried to address in the next and final sample for this assignment, as well as incorporating some added texture inspired by previously made samples. I also included a sample of crochet on this piece, with metal coils sewn to it. This was my way of bringing in a fully 3D element to the piece that featured in my original object arrangement as well as trying to experiment with using a different colour from my colour scheme - purple coils rather than the original copper coils used.

Fig 27 Collage observation from project 2

Fig 28 Material observation from project 2

Fig 29 Piece 6 mixed-media collage 2 sample

Out of all the designs I have created for this final assignment I would say that this is probably my favourite and one of the more successful samples I have created throughout the course. I kept this design fairly similar to the previous, a multi-media collage, but this time I tried to focus on the overall composition more as well as adding additional texture to the piece. The new textures come from the addition of both the lace trim and the beading added to some of the floral fabric. Concerning the composition of this piece, I tried to represent the arrangement from my observational drawings and how the objects were placed. I still kept with the abstract style as this is a style I am really drawn to, I feel that creating abstract representations is far more freeing and allows me to be more creative with my work. Although there is still a fair amount of “white space” to be seen within this piece, I feel that the placement of the various elements works better and the “white space” simply allows the viewer to take in those various elements. As well as providing texture, the lace trim has provided covering for the raw edges of the fabrics used but it proved a little difficult to attach when sewing it next to the crochet and metal coils. I used copper coil for this piece rather than the purple to try and bring in the actual metallic colour from the original arrangement. I also added some machine stitching using gold metallic thread which I tried to represent in on of my original observational drawings (see fig 34).

Fig 30 Piece 6 close up

Fig 31 Piece 6 close up

Fig 32 Piece 6 close up

Fig 33 Piece 6 close up

Fig 34 Observational drawing

On reflection, I limited myself by keeping materials exactly as is when creating these samples. Particularly in the first 3 final samples. Thinking back, I could have tried to add paint or dye to my materials to try and achieve the correct colours I was after as using paint obviously gives you the ability to mix colours to the exact colour you’d like. If I were to go back and look at this project again, this is definitely something I would look at and it would have provided me with further development and research too. I will definitely keep this in mind for further projects as it should enable me to explore colour and materials more.

[thomcoldman-blog]

Don’t Call It A Throwback

The “new old” is a phenomenon hardly unique to games, but a large corner of the medium can be identified as an intentional recreation of interactive entertainment's past. In film you have the 2011 silent film The Artist, in traditional art you naturally still see paintings in the style and approach of painters from centuries ago, and popular music is nothing if not big on recycling past sounds – just look at the turn-of-the-decade revival of 80s synth sounds in the UK. But it's in games where the past isn't so much referenced for new inspiration as it is recreated wholesale; brought out of the loft, dusted off and presented anew for a new generation of players.

Just look at the number of older games re-released in some form over the last 12 months. Off of the top of my head, I can think of Final Fantasy XII, the original PlayStation 1 Crash Bandicoot trilogy, Okami, Street Fighter 2, Pokemon Gold & Silver, PaRappa the Rapper, Yakuza (as Yakuza Kiwami), Mega Man 7 through 10, Full Throttle and the swathe of games released under the Arcade Archives and SEGA Forever banners. These releases include remasters (preserving the game with technical  enchancements), remakes (building the game anew from the ground-up, often with new features) and more-or-less straight dumps of the original code running on emulation software. Whatever the format, publishers and developers are now fully committed to the notion that bringing old games to new platforms – and new players – is a winning strategy.

This is nothing new, of course, as anyone who remembers Super Mario All-Stars or the glut of Final Fantasy collections on PS1 can attest to. But classic titles working their way into the catalogues of new consoles does create an interesting juxtaposition in 2017 – as technology improves and games  get more sophisticated, and new design trends emerge, what purpose does making old games readily available serve? Many new titles supplant or enhance their gameplay – of the above franchises mentioned, Pokemon, Final Fantasy and Street Fighter never slowed down, and games like Parappa and Full Throttle evolved into modern day titles like Rock Band and Telltale Game #353 Episode 1. So is it really the classic game feel that people are seeking? Or is the pull of an oldie simply born out of rose-tinted mythologising?

A handful of titles released in the last year make the argument that, actually, it's both. In 2017 SEGA released Sonic Mania; Terrible Toybox released Thimbleweed Park; and Playtonic released Yooka-Laylee. Each of these titles exists solely to recreate a particular style of game from history in the style you remember it, positing that, yeah, these games did play well, and still do. They occupy a fascinating space between ruthlessly chasing the cutting-edge, evoking classic gaming to explore more contemporary design like so many independent releases do, and bringing old titles to new platforms. In rebuilding a piece of the past that was left behind, each title ends up standing out as more interesting than they otherwise may have been in their heyday, or if they simply conformed to the modern-day standards of their genre playmates.

Let's start with Sonic Mania, a game that feels like it should have existed years ago in two ways. Firstly, it's a clear continuation of the original Sonic The Hedgehog platformers from the Mega Drive – a mission statement of the developers being to create the Sonic that the Sega Saturn never got to have. This results in a game that looks dazzling, and yet in line what with came before – this is Sonic The Hedgehog 2 with far more detail (and an extremely welcome 16:9 upgrade). This is a defining trait of the “new breed” of retro, in that it keeps what worked about the original games visually, and buffs it to a shine without it becoming unrecognisable. Sonic has always enjoyed rich sprite work and detailed backgrounds, and Mania feels as good on the eyes as players in the 90s maybe remember those original titles looking. You can imagine it being around circa 1996, blowing minds with new visual tricks like silhouettes, polygonal special stages and Sonic, Eggman and the gang's gorgeous animations – just looking a bit fuzzier on a CRT, of course.

Sonic Mania feels remarkably overdue in more recent terms, too – it has a slavish adherence to how Sonic span, rolled, bounced and launched in the Mega Drive/Mega CD quadrilogy, making the hedgehog feel better in the hands than he's felt in years. Dodgy physics and a wrong-headed speed emphasis in modern Sonic titles should have provoked a re-examination of the classic title's feel a good while ago. It's a cliché in Sonic conversations that the new is in the shadow of the old, but the idea that design progression does not necessarily mean a genre has objectively improved is a good one to keep in mind, despite it being otherwise scarcely considered. Mania doubles-down in proving the original Sonic feel needed a second outing; the physics and level design philosophy resurrected, developers Christian Whitehead, Headcannon and PagodaWest polish their levels with modern considerations including a dearth of cheap tricks, more inventive level gimmicks than those seen in the originals and an aural accompaniment that bridges poppy jazz, fidgety hip-hop and slowed-down mood music. It feels “old”, but almost only ever in ways that make the whole endeavour fun and surprising.

Thimbleweed Park mostly follows that same philosophy, and is largely as successful with it. Thimbleweed is an adventure game ripped straight out of the late 80s and mid-90s, complete with roughly a third of the screen lost to an ever-present inventory and list of possible actions. Akin to Maniac Mansion, you have a handful of characters to use at any time, and progression requires solving puzzles that tend to require an item being used in a particular way on a particular object or character. Like Mania, Thimbleweed takes that structure – one that used to too often be riddled with obtuse puzzles married to logic from the thirteenth dimension – and refines it, with puzzles following more earthbound ways of thinking and a handy hint system riffing on the old hint lines that no doubt rang up some hefty phone bills in the point'n'click heyday.

As someone who was born the year before Day Of The Tentacle released, I've had to experience classic point'n'click through reissues, which has occasionally been a frustrating experience. Thimbleweed felt like a more comfortable ride, a game I saw through to the finish with the right ratio of time being stumped and time making progress. The game has a lovely, corny sense of humour that always feels to follow Lucasarts' (and Double Fine's) games about, and the game's look is gorgeous sprite work – again, like Sonic, this is an old aesthetic as they truly imagined it. The game isn't necessarily a better time than, say, Day Of The Tentacle – it's not as funny or as clever at its heights, and the ending is maybe a little too self-indulgent – but its flaws never felt like they came from its inspirations. This type of adventure game, a remotely hands-off experience with plenty of opportunities for experimentation and getting stuck, felt relevant again.

Having not played Yooka-Laylee, I can't comment too much on its success, but based on commentary it sounds rather similar to something I have played – 2008's Mega Man 9, one of the earliest original titles to turn back the clock on gaming's progress. That game was brutal – its 8-bit style offered minimal improvements over what was capable on the Nintendo Entertainment System, and so did its gameplay, full of rock-solid boss encounters, pixel-perfect jumps and overwhelming enemy opposition. It felt like an old Mega Man game, but as someone who only played their first Mega Man game in 2007, it felt /exactly/ like a Mega Man game – my time with Mega Man 3 (that is, dying a lot) was more or less the same time as I had with MM9. It felt squarely for classic fans – a novelty, though undoubtedly a well-made one. As far as the commentary I've seen surrounding Yooka-Laylee, it sure sounds similar, stringent design authenticity taking the place of considered design. I don't want to write off a game I haven't played, but as exciting as the new breed of “original throwback” is, this is an important pitfall to signpost.

There are other examples of this kind of throwback, of course – 2014's Shovel Knight is a keenly-made mash-up of elements of Castlevania, Ducktales and Zelda 2, and like Sonic and Thimbleweed it beautifully maintains a era-appropriate look whilst working with more colours and on-screen objects than that hardware could manage. Its level design is tight, challenging whilst constantly incorporating new ideas to keep the whole thing fresh. It's a bizarre concept, a game on the surface unnecessarily slavish to the old school ending up feeling refreshing in the finer details and overall experience, but Shovel Knight, Sonic Mania and Thimbleweed Park all manage to pull this off with aplomb, and they set an exciting precedent for die-hard fans and embattled veterans to spruce up long forgotten gameplay styles. To answer the original question, is there an appetite for the way old games play? Sure – but a side of 2010s artistry sure helps it go down well.

[c00lmint8123-blog]

David Brodosi

David Brodosi a videographer. Specializing in pre-production, production and post-production areas.

David Brodosi was so fun to work with! David Brodosi and I talked in detail about what was most important to me. In the end I feel like I gained a friend and now have a video that will last forever! Their video captured the moments that I couldn't see and brings back all the emotions from the day. I'm so glad I have a video that I can show to my kids one day and relive that moment whenever I want. This is the best money I spent on my wedding day!

We worked with David Brodosi for our engagement photos and our wedding photos. He is AMAZING. He images he was able to capture, the detail and time he put in to capture the perfect picture is truly remarkable. We interviewed TONS of photographers before we came across David Brodosi. David Brodosi was prompt, professional, affordable, flexible and SO TALENTED. WOULD ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND.

I cannot say enough positive things about David Brodosi. Our highlights video made us cry all over again. David Brodosi is a pleasure to work with and just as excited about your special day as you are. David Brodosi will arrive EARLY; not just on time. David Brodosi delivered my video 1 week earlier than I was expecting to have it. David Brodosi really do listen and showcase what is important to you in your video. My guests even commented that they were really on the ball and never missed a beat. I was on the fence about a design element I was considering trying that I've never seen done at a wedding before. I was going to bail on the idea out of insecurity until David Brodosi was like, "No you have to do that! It's going to be great!" And it was. Lastly, I really appreciated that the costs for things like audio and raw footage are already baked into their pricing. You will thank yourself for working them into your wedding budget.

David Brodosi was one of the view vendors that my husband and I hired based solely on online reviews and watching some of their work. When you're not working with a personal recommendation, you don't truly know what you'll end up getting. We spoke with David Brodosi and were hopeful that we would be surrounded by good people on our wedding day, which was the most important thing to us.

Luckily, everything worked out perfectly! David Brodosi was such a pleasure to be around. David Brodosi were there in the background silently capturing all of the important moments. David Brodosi worked seamlessly with our photographers. They never made us feel silly or awkward re-shooting moments, but were super positive and comfortable to be around.

While we knew that they had captured the day, we were so anxious about finally seeing the wedding video. My husband and I worked hard to pick out the perfect songs and we were so eager to see how everything would come together. WE WERE BLOWN AWAY!

We got our highlight video a little less than 4 weeks after the wedding and we have not stopped watching it since! I don't think we can stop smiling and jumping up and down with excitement each time we watch it. We immediately sent it out to our family and friends who were so impressed by how beautifully they captured each and every important moment. David Brodosi really made you feel like you were back there in that moment, reliving it all again. The highlight film included all of the moments that made our day so special for us. We cried and laughed all over again!

The professionalism and talent of David Brodosi impressed us so much! We would absolutely encourage others to use him for their wedding. It's wonderful to have their beautiful creation to watch for many years to come! We are so excited to get the rest of our footage!

I remind my couples that, when all is said and done, you'll spend more time on your wedding day with your videographer and photographer than anyone else – including the person you're marrying. Crazy, but true! It's important to me to have a relationship that goes beyond the delivery of a product. I want my couples to know me, trust me, and like me!

In other words, personal touch is a huge thing for me! I operate under the belief that relationship comes first, and great art will follow!

Where do I begin… David brodosi is talented beyond words! But the foundation of working with him starts with his kindness and professionalism. Putting your memories into the hands of someone else is so stressful and can be a high-pressure situation, but Mark was organized, attentive, encouraging, and above all a delight to work with. David Brodosi put us at ease with reassuring emails and phone calls before our wedding and followed up after the wedding to inform us when we could expect our video. My husband and I have watched our wedding video more times than we can count. Each time we watch them we’re immediately brought back to the emotions of that day, all thanks to how beautifully and effortlessly David Brodosi was able to capture our story. We’ll cherish it forever!

David Brodosi was an absolute dream to work with on our wedding day. Starting from the first contact we had with him about pricing, David Brodosi was so attentive to our needs! David Brodosi response time was so impressive, he provided thorough details about what his prices included and what a typical timeline would look like, and made it a priority to call and email us multiple times leading up to the day to make sure our requests were met when the big day finally came. Once our actual wedding day arrived, David Brodosi was early and was so eager to make our day wonderful. It really helped having his positive energy around. David Brodosi was with us for the ENTIRE day, which cannot be said about most videographers who only offer a certain amount of blocked off hours. Our final product was honestly one of the best wedding videos that my friends, family and my husband and I had ever seen. We will cherish it forever! If I could give him a million stars, I would! Thank you so much David Brodosi!

David Brodosi is a rising star in Wedding Video creation! David Brodosi is a great storyteller and cinematographer. His prices are fantastic and he works incredibly well with photographers and planners. You hardly know he’s there, but then David Brodosi creates this video that captures every special moment of the occasion. I totally recommend hiring David Brodosi to capture your Best.Day.Ever!

We are so impressed with how beautiful our wedding photos and video turned out. The pictures and highlight video exceeded all of our expectations. David Brodosi was funny and made us feel comfortable in front of the cameras (we are not ones for a lot of attention!). David Brodosi in the office was very helpful planning with us (we didn’t have a traditional planner) so budgeting time for shot lists and other things was really important and crucial for us. So happy with how it all turned out!

AMAZING is an understatement. Hiring David Brodosi was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding day. Every aspect of planning our day was a breeze. David Brodosi collaborated with us before the big day to ensure we had a game plan for what shots I wanted and even helped me plan a timeline for our day. David Brodosi professionalism, friendly demeanor, and pure talent are just a few things that make him the perfect wedding photographer. Our photos were edited and available for us to view within a few short weeks after our wedding (with some teasers sent a few days after) and sent to us in an online gallery that was easy to share with friends and family. We constantly get compliments on what a great job he did. I highly recommend David Brodosi!!!

We are SO happy we decided to book with David Brodosi. We corresponded with a David Brodosi during the booking and planning process, and he was extremely professional, friendly and always quick to respond. David Brodosi, our videographer, did an incredible job capturing every little moment from the day of our wedding. David Brodosi directed us in what to do, which in the end turned out beautiful on film. The artistic way he shot the day was nothing short of a true professional. And the editing work the team did was incredible! We were completely blown away with the end result in our highlight video. Thank you David Brodosi!!

We hired David Brodosi for our wedding and we were blown away with what they captured for our wedding day. My mom was really particular with some of the shots she wanted, mainly recreating photos from her wedding, David Brodosi was able to take our shot list and get everything we wanted and more. We couldn’t be happier with our photos!

Wow! We originally hired David Brodosi because we fell in love with their cinematic style. We started working with David Brodosi in the office who manages all of the important parts for wedding videography. Our videographer the day of, David Brodosi, was great to work with, he knew exactly what to say and do at the right moments. We were able to talk with him before the wedding day which made us feel even more comfortable with the whole process. We got our video back super fast and were completely blown away. It’s been several months now and we are still getting compliments, we are telling all of our friends to hire David Brodosi for their wedding!!!

David Brodosi was our lead for our wedding day and we had such a great time with him. We received our highlight video in under a month, it was amazing! We had a very long wedding day and were concerned how, and if all of the important parts would make it into just a 4 minute highlight video. David Brodosi and the editing team did a phenomenal job, we could not believe how everything was there and how beautifully it was put together! We are very pleased with our decision to hire David Brodosi as our videographer.

We couldn’t be happier with our decision to use David Brodosi as our wedding videographers! We looked through a lot of different videographers because the styles and levels of quality of work seem to be all over the place. David Brodosi work immediately stood out as something new and refreshing, a video we’d want to watch again and again. Their admin office was quick and great to work with, responsiveness being a huge deal to us. Every little detail we wanted on video was captured and they managed to get all of it in the highlight video! Our video was so wonderfully done we are telling all our friends getting married to hire David Brodosi!

I’ll start off by saying I’m naturally not a patient person. I was apprehensive with hiring a videographer because of the added expense and it doesn’t check off the box of “traditional” wedding vendors. After coming across David Brodosi work, we decided it would be worth it to relive our day in such a cinematic style. We also had a bunch of family that were unable to make the wedding due to health reasons so having a full ceremony video helped them feel a part of our wedding ceremony which was very important to us. On me being impatient, I was blown away with how fast my questions and emails were answered along with how long it was before we got our wedding video back, under 2 weeks! Amazing! This made me so happy, we had heard horror stories from friends that waited 6+ months to get photos and videos back from other companies. So happy with our decision to hire David Brodosi!

[tohealofinfinitywar-blog]

Goaltending It Takes A particular Variety of Participant To be A Goalie

Goaltending - It will require a particular Kind of Participant to be a Goalie

Goaltending

It's going to take a certain kind of participant to become a goalie. Bodily a goaltender have to have superior reflexes, superior fingers and over all great vision. He also should have a specific amount of braveness, because the puck is awfully hard in can come at you at fairly rapidly speeds. I have heard it claimed which i some gamers can hearth puck at more than a hundred miles an hour or so and following halting a few of the shots I'm guaranteed some goalies can feel it. You should not Allow that discourage any young boys want to become a goaltender and I do not Assume any position in hockey can verify far more fulfilling. You're the final male between the opposition and the Internet. No profitable group in hockey could get together without having a very good goalie, so after you decide you should play intention, stick to it. To start with you could possibly find it discouraging, but while you master a number of tricks with the trade, I am absolutely sure you may learn to appreciate it as lots of NHL goaltenders have.

Assurance

Certainly one of The most crucial items any goalie has to have his self-assurance in himself. You have to think you will be the most beneficial. Always think that you're just as fantastic as the very best goalies at any time to Participate in Even when you usually are not. When you have that attitude it will assist you to If you have a nasty sport. The make any difference how excellent a intention you will be, faster or later you are going to have a terrible recreation. But You can not Allow that get the best of you. If you need to do, you might be completed. After i was a young boy began the play objective, I utilized to think I used to be as good as Terry Sawchuk, then the Detroit goalie, for my part the very best in hockey. Perhaps I was not pretty much as good as Sawchuk, but assuming that I thought so, and assistance me about People tough spots a goaltender is bound to run into.

Mask

Right before we begin discussing many of the finer points of goaltending, I have yet another little bit of recommendation for virtually any younger boy who wants to Engage in while in the nets. In my view each individual youthful goalie should buy and dress in a mask. I do know I did have on a person, but when I have been setting up yet again I surely would. If I had worn 1 from the beginning, I'd nonetheless have my very own enamel. The masks are now being steadily improving upon and now they allow the goalie to begin to see the puck perfectly. And likewise give you additional courage If you have to dive into a pile of gamers once the puck.

Skating

I don't suppose quite a few goalies consider it, but one among The key items a goalie need to do perfectly will be to skate. He needs to be not simply a powerful skater likely ahead but he need to have the capacity to skate backwards at top rated pace. Any time you exercise skating you should do using your goal pads and devices on. That's the way you're going to really have to skate from the games you may at the same time get accustomed to it.

Ailment

Considering the fact that participating in aim can be arduous and tiring, I propose you receive oneself in best physical situation. You ought to get a minimum of eight several hours snooze a night and consume a properly-well balanced diet plan. I also propose you are doing work out, significantly during the off-year, to help keep by yourself in condition. I have found especially beneficial exercise routines which include running and skipping to develop your legs and wind. Additionally they help increase your reflexes.

Observe the puck

Maintain your eye to the puck. That is considered one of the simplest but also considered one of the most important guidelines and goaltending. It's also dominated that youthful goalies normally split, the outcomes of goals currently being scored towards them. A couple of Adult men split, you enjoy The person While using the puck. Such a defence and be worried about the opposite fellow. It to mentor before The online, you concern yourself with the fellow With all the puck. You Allow your defenseman, in a good way obviously, to receive again and search after the other fellow. But you must remain in or in the vicinity of your Internet. I don't Consider the goalie has any organization wandering across the ring attempting to apparent the puck. That is what they pay back defenseman for, so let them make their funds.

Stay on the ft

Continue to be with your toes. That is yet another rule that lots of young goalies split. I am aware I'd a bent to go down too typically After i was more youthful. When an individual shoots at you, you do have a significantly greater prospect of getting the rebound in case you are standing up the niche you're sprawled to the ice. In some cases chances are you'll obtain it needed to go down well. But if you do, you should drop like an Indian rubber ball, usually all set to get better up onto your ft.

The palms

Figure out how to use your palms. On the list of surest ways to stop the puck will be to catch it. This method guarantees there'll be no rebound and likewise avoids the prospect that a puck rebounds off your leg in to the Internet. But once you capture it, Do not hold the puck for just a faceoff. Toss it in the corner Suwannee or players might get it out of the conclude in the ice. There exists one strategy I take advantage of to help you me catch pucks which I think you may discover useful. Once the teams practices is in excess of, I obtain a participant with a fantastic shot, the fireplace 30 or 40 pucks of my hand side and I capture them. Then I throw my stick absent and try halting the puck with only my arms and pads. This tends to make you a lot more proficient at catching pucks and also offers you self esteem with your capacity to get it done.

The adhere.

The adhere remains to be crucial that you goaltender. The very first thing a young goalie need to Examine is always that he has the right adhere for his individual bills and magnificence of play. Adopt the normal position use while in the nets in place your stick within the ice. If it would not lie flat, you are using the Incorrect adhere, and parks that may be sliding about the ice will go right beneath your adhere to the net. I do think a goalie can perform quite a bit to fret a ahead if he sweeps or pokes his adhere out in front of The online as the man is available in on him. From time to time forgets to shut and you will set the puck away. Some goalies Do not believe this checking is productive but I have found for being extremely beneficial. It's also wise to apply passing the puck together with your stick so that you can provide the puck on your teammates to perform of your respective conclude from the rink.

The skates.

Youthful goalies market them consumer skates to prevent a shot. I feel that's a blunder. If the pocket shot together the ice, I propose you make use of your skates to stop it. Just stick out your foot, end the shot after which deflected towards the corner. This will choose a little bit exercise but I do think you'll find it truly worth your even though.

Angles.

A goalie can make his occupation less complicated if you can provide the opposing forward as little space as possible to shoot at. It is a cardinal sin while in the NHL to permit a goal on the short facet. Make particular your leg on that aspect of The web is from the submit so no shot might get in. This continue to leaves the ahead pretty a target to shoot at. I try and Slash this down by transferring out to fulfill the ahead as he comes in towards The online. Once you skate out, remember to maintain your legs close alongside one another as is possible, so he can place the puck between them. I find by shifting out on breakaways I am able to Minimize down the angle so he is a smaller sized concentrate on which the purpose. All goalies Never agree using this type of. Glenn Hall, for instance, moves out after which skates back again to his net as The person moves in. Just one other stage on a breakaway: make the forward make his 1st go. If he will get you to move he has crushed you to the Perform. It takes a great deal of nerve but It's important to learn to stand there right up until he moves, and afterwards certainly your rapid reactions arrive at your rescue and you can stop the shot. Or no less than you hope to do so.

Summing up.

I think there a couple of other points the youthful goalie can perform. For illustration, I might counsel when he watches a game on tv, or is lucky more than enough to generally be at among the list of NHL rinks, that he concentrates around the goalie.

look at how he clears the puck, how we moves Adult males from before The online And just how we stays upright more often than not, also you may also help yourself by working with your defenseman. You furthermore mght should really review your opposition. Certain gamers love to shoot at specified spots. So you are attempting to acquire that likelihood far from him.

And 1 last phrase.

You should not consider to copy One more goalie design and style. It may not be ideal for you. Just undertake a stance during the nest that you'll discover snug and stick to it. Should you do this and follow some of the suggestions I've presented you, I believe you find taking part in purpose a lot of entertaining. And who understands, one of you could someday consider my position in The web on the Toronto Maple Leafs. At my age, a fellow cannot hope to go on forever.

This article was trends submitted by Jim Walker for those who want to know more about the NHL Trade Rumours. You might find this short article handy with some practical tips Particularly the sections on "The Forwards" and "The Defenceman". We hope this information serves as an introduction for that countless youngsters who'll play hockey this Winter season. It truly is purpose to assist them play and revel in this good sport and Finding out more details on NHL Trade Rumours.

[maxthommusic]

The Musou Genre Is Exactly Why We Should Want To Pay More For Our Games

I have to say: I’m absolutely loving Hyrule Warriors. It’s a musou-style game, a la Dynasty Warriors, for the Nintendo Switch (and originally, 3DS). While the main criticism of said games can be that they’re ultra repetitive (and they are), something also should be said of game intent, purpose and console aesthetic. While Dynasty Warriors has always felt too arcade-y for sitting on the couch, hyper-focused on playing a game, this iteration set in the Hyrule universe is really amazing on the oft-portable Nintendo Switch. My girlfriend and I play a round or two before bed, making it the perfect sort of mindless fun we can do together. Controls are easy to remember, objectives are simple, and the presentation is really well-done. Including characters that have a storied lineage really magnifies the intrigue of a musou and I’m actually delighted by the story too. Although the narrative isn’t quite on par with Zelda standards, the overarching plotline certainly holds up; it’s definitely more than I expected find in Hyrule Warriors, which is a great surprise.

And what brings me to this post today is to celebrate the concept of these “mindless” arcade games and to also examine how we can keep them apart of the gaming ecosystem. After playing through behemoths like FFVII: Remake and The Last of Us: Part 2, sometimes its easy to always want AAA titles that push the limits of hardware, design and expectation. However, sometimes it’s nice not being such an active participant within an interactive media.

Exhibit A: Hyrule Warriors. Sometimes the ingredients just mix well together. I’ve played several Dynasty Warriors, I’ve tried Samurai Warriors. And while I had a passing interest in some of the Gundam musou entries, I skipped ‘em due to poor reviews. However, after stumbling upon Hyrule Warriors, I’ve started doing some actual research on the genre and the fandom, and it really seems like musou is generally misunderstood.

On the podcast I enjoy, Sacred Symbols (paid patron), musou games came up recently and there was some discussion about how bloated the release schedule is. How can Omega Force keep releasing all this stuff? And on some of the reviews I read that knocked the games, one critic, in particular, mentioned that Fire Emblem Warriors is “as boring as all the other musou games.” Its a 40/100, the lowest grade by nearly 30 points. Without it (again, the shoddiness of Metacritic is exposed), Fire Emblem Warriors would be “in the green” and plainly above 70. When you do any good dive into some research on the genre, you’ll see a lot of people on the forums own several next-gen musou games. When one drops, people eat ‘em up. To claim that an entry is “boring like the others” is a bit too subjective my tastes. 

One of the best comments I read was from a user who exclaimed he needed “something mindless” like “EDF” (Earth Defense Force) or  Dynasty Warriors after he’d just finished Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, a notoriously bloated experience. The idea that there are different games and different genres to be played at different times is something I love exploring. It’s like the varying flavors of a fine meal, or even a diet spread out over weeks, months or even your entire year. In gaming we talk about absolutes too much: which is the best console? Which genres do you play? What’s the game of the year? What’s your Top 5? There should be multiple answers to all of these, all the time. As we witness more and more toxicity in the games industry, I can’t help but think embracing a genre like musou could be the key to expanding our perspectives.

Now I don’t mean musou explicitly. I mean find your musou. Honestly, I’ll play any genre given the right circumstances. For someone who doesn’t play sports games, I would happily buy Fifa if you told me I had a crew who wanted to play it online. I never thought I could be into Rocket League, but Playstation made it free and then I went on to get the Platinum Trophy because my mates and I had such a good time. Things are highly elastic when it comes to games and their genres. But sometimes we see them as more rigid, and the only absolute here is that they absolutely aren’t. 

Exhibit B: Maneater. Here’s a $40 game from Deep Silver that’s somewhere in that AA space. A lot of people knocked it for being repetitive, but again: let’s embrace it for what it is. Intention is often ignored when reviewing games and not only do critics need to work on this, but users too. People rely heavily on other people’s impressions of a game to know if it’s fundamentally fine. Ripping on something for being too repetitive, too short, or too confusing will turn people off. I’ll be the first to admit I stayed away from Fallen Order and Control because I read they had performance issues. While I eventually ended up doing FO as a gameclub with a buddy, my experience was 100% hindered by chugging framerates and long load times. I’m still disappointed I’ll be waiting for Control until I can play it on Playstation 5, but I know my enjoyment will increase ten-fold if I can be patient. But when a game like Maneater is designed as more of a quick pick-up-and-play title, is calling it “repetitive” very fair? Should it have been reviewed through a lens of “play through its entirety as quick as possible?”

Exhibit C: Ghost of Tsushima. The new Playstation exclusive drops this Friday (7/17) and critics are mostly enjoying it. Some of the “less than stellar” reviews I’ve seen, though, fault it for some shoddy presentation in the wake of The Last of Us Pt 2. Which, again, I think is unfair. Comparing Tsushima to TLOU2 doesn’t seem very applicable. TLOU2 is in a league of its own in terms of budget, scope and talent. While Suckerpunch is well-regarded, they are by no means Naughty Dog. Even Insomniac seems to have eclipsed them a bit, growing with nearly every game they release. Suckerpunch, in my mind, sort of knows where their playground is and sticks to it. Which, again, isn’t a bad thing. It’s been some time since I’ve played an open-world game that really drew me in. Ghost of Tsushima’s aesthetic seems ripe for picking, and when a critic mentioned that it doesn’t seem to break any new ground for the genre, I kinda have to throw my hands up and go, “So?” When’s the last time you got to roam Japan as a ghostly samurai? Doesn’t that maybe count as “inventive” enough? For example, if we got Grand Theft Auto, exactly as it is, but set in London, Tokyo, or maybe even Russia, I’d finally have an interest in the series. Somewhere international sounds tantalizing. What’s more is that Japanese critics seem to be loving Ghost and a lot of that stems from it’s overall design aesthetic. Most critics, anywhere, have said it’s a really beautiful game. Sometimes isn’t a game worth playing just because it’s stunning to look at? Rez Infinite is a prime example of something that is fleeting yet remarkable. The original PS2 game may be in the package, but it’s the Area X that’s the real prize and it’s absolutely less than a 30 minute experience. But that’s the thing: it’s an experience. In no way would I ever look at what’s being offered and go, “It’s too short.” Too short by what comparison? Did I love what was offered, yes or no?

As time marches forward, I can’t help but continually feel like games journalism is slowly deteriorating and fan expectations are completely out of whack. One look at the “price increase” debate clearly shows fans don’t understand capitalism, value, and scope. Colin Moriarity, from Sacred Symbols, very openly supports the debate that you aren’t going to see any CEOs trying to let go of their profits. The argument that games’ prices shouldn’t go up because people at the top are rich enough is completely against the entire framework of our society. The concept that businesses are meant to grow is completely fine, in my book, and as game prices haven’t gone up to reflect inflation, we could probably at least do that much for our industry, right?

I think the most tantalizing part of this argument is that not all games are profitable. As dev cycles become longer and more expensive, we need to give studios the ability to invest in smaller projects and maybe even risky ones. Without a bunch of overhead capital, we will see an industry that becomes totally stagnant, devoid of unique offerings. The big players will continue to hit hard and the money-makers will continue to roll out. So expect Assassin’s Creed, Fortnite, Call of Duty and Halo for the rest of eternity (plus whatever Naughty Dog does). For some gamers that’s probably totally cool and fine. But I’m not one of those players. I would mostly stop gaming if all I had to look forward to were games as services or check-box open-world games. These styles are popular because fans love the insane amount of hours they can pour into one investment. Publishers love them because recreating assets and scenarios gets pretty easy for the titles after a certain point. But this can’t represent the entire climate. While I didn’t love Death Stranding, I’m so happy it exists. I’m ecstatic that this game emerged and took as many chances as it did. I’m thrilled Naughty Dog was allowed to take the gambles it did with TLOU2. Even look at Dreams: every person who loves dreams should be embracing a $70 price point because that kind of experience will not exist if companies aren’t extracting profit. Because you know what else? Those money-grubbers will never let go of their profit. Our experience will diminish greatly before they see lower dividends. So consider paying in a way to ensure the industry thrives in the way you want to see fit. Which I think is the heart of the matter.

We control this industry. Don’t like MTX or DLC? Don’t buy it. Don’t want it in your face? Don’t purchase or support those games. If you’re like me and you want a wide genre of games available to you at all times, consider being pro-price increase. Also consider buying games right as they come out. Too many people pirate or wait for sales. Yet those are the same people not in favor of a price increase. Those types of consumers are already hurting the industry. Think of all the people getting fat on free content who never pay a dime for their games. Those people are also trying to weigh in on something they don’t really support to begin with. Publishers have been, ostensibly, trying to charge you nearly $100 per game for several years now with their Deluxe Editions and DLC. If you’ve ever thought this “price-gouging” was ridiculous, consider why it exists in the first place that isn’t related to the tired argument of, “they’re greedy.”

Games are a total luxury. And the people who will determine the future of this medium are the people who actually pay for this luxury. The argument that “you can’t afford it” isn’t appropriate, in my mind. While I sympathize with the notion that it sucks having to pay $60 or even $70 for a new game (especially one that might not be very good), you have to consider what these games cost to create. And if people want today’s offerings to be $20, $30 or $40, it’s simply not realistic. Additionally, we want all different kinds of games, too, right?

I do believe that’s the crux of the argument: I want to be able to play Hyrule Warriors, Sonic Forces, The Last of Us Pt 2, and Ghost of Tsushima. These games are not created equally. While TLOU2 might be a sales giant, Ghost is unproven. It’s got Suckerpunch behind it, but that’s a brand new IP coming out at the end of the Playstation’s lifecycle. If you want more games and more risks like this, you’ve gotta purchase the titles representing these decisions. I love that Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors both exist for me to play. If the ecosystem isn’t supported properly, we don’t get these options. We might get one huge hitter from the “Warriors” franchise instead of a handful. We might get one exclusive from Playstation in any given year. And the reason I emphasize this shrinking of the industry is because not only are publishers reaching for a price increase, but industry leaders have also come out saying things aren’t sustainable on a $60 per game price point. If you truly examine the argument, it just doesn’t make sense. I paid $60 for Killzone 3 on PS3 and TLOU2? No, that doesn’t add up. God of War (PS4) and Horizon Zero Dawn are valued the same as something like Homefront (PS3)? 

The other side of this argument suggests that we could try and explore more price points... but I stand by the notion that Homefront probably did cost $60 at the time. It wasn’t trying to be a budget title. But as we’ve gone forward in time, gaming experiences have expanded exponentially. I truly believe that something like TLOU or Ghost probably do need to extract more than $60 from their users. Yet below that price point, there’s a lot more room for investigation. We need to see more Maneaters and Hellblades. Think of all the quality content Supergiant Games has made (Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, Hades) that have come out at “budget” price points... There is a great exploration of content type and price that can (and probably should) emerge as we head into the great unknown.

At the end of the day, I just love gaming. I love it. It’s my favorite thing in the world. And I want to see it thrive. The reality is that money talks. In my life I’ve seen only the benefits of paying for goods and services versus taking things for free or if they are offered at a steep discount. Great things should and do carry real value. We need to respect that value in all things. My hope is that the gaming community can see this in their hobby and start to respect it more. Because so far, anyone I’ve engaged with in this conversation, has not once said they pay full price for their games. I listed Doom Eternal on the Facebook Marketplace and people are upset I’m charging $30, free shipping, when the cheapest it exists on Amazon is $41 + shipping used. eBay is roughly the same price and Gamefly has a copy for $39.99 right now, used. I told one guy I just listed it and that I’d like to try and get $30 since it’s the cheapest I can find. He retorted, “Yeah, brand new maybe.” Doom Eternal is still $60 on Amazon, Best Buy and Gamestop. I know that my experience is in a vacuum-- all of our experiences are. But we need to discuss them so that the anecdotal evidence can tip in one way or the other. And this experience with Doom is not the first time I’ve witnessed gamers being completely out of touch with prices and value.

I used to work for a used goods store called Half Price Books. I learned full-on what the value of something is to a re-seller and the life cycle of an item getting marked down and potentially sent to clearance. For every product that sells at full price, several others go to the bargain bin. This means HPB was either breaking even or losing money on most items. Re-couping costs on those top-shelf commodities is essential to the business and it’s vital to most capitalist ecosystems. HPB can only survive thanks to the people who see an item they want, understand its value, and pay the price we initially set. Every company trying to sell you something is basically operating the same way. And what I also learned from HPB is that people don’t understand what their own possessions are worth. People would get upset a lot that we wanted to pay so little. Gamers have been facing this for decades with second-hand shops like Gamestop, EB Games and more. But what people fail to see is that most stuff is crap. And not only is most stuff crap, but if the good stuff does come around, the business officially has to make up for missed or lost sales somehow and your awesome item needs to be purchased and sold for a price point that helps the business. 

Just take a look at TLOU2 versus Days Gone. Similar games, both exclusive first-party titles. One sold extraordinarily well, one did not. Playstation literally needs TLOU2 to dominate so a game like Days Gone can get a chance. While the profit numbers will show TLOU2 to be a massive hit, that money helps out in other sectors, bolstering the entire platform. The people who worked very hard on the game deserve those bonuses coming their way. They deserve the champagne glasses that say “The Last of Us Pt 2″ on them with commemorative decor. Imagine if you slaved away on something for your job and at the end your boss said, “Great job,” and that’s all you got. Don’t you want a pizza party? Or an extra check in the mail? Or even a new mug? 

We gotta pay for the things we love so the things we love can continue being labors of love. Real people are needed to create the experiences we cherish so much and respecting them comes down to understanding the value of what we choose to play every day. If you comprehend the value of what’s on your big screen TV, paying more for games shouldn’t sting too much. Because if you’re anything like me, you don’t even have the time to buy every new game that comes out. I rarely pay full-price for a game because I’m so busy digging through backlog titles that have often been on sale for several months already. But when games like FFVII: Remake or Ghost of Tsushima do come along, I’m really happy to be first in line, paying the full-price of admission. I just wish more of my fellow gamers felt that way. Because I’ve heard all the other arguments; I’ve heard ‘em. I don’t buy into them at all. We vote with our wallets and whatever issues you have with the industry when it comes to “greed,” consider what you’re playing. I have had zero issues with microtransactions in my gameplay choices. If you, for some reason, are just appalled that MTX exists at all within a game, then I recommend you just check your baggage at the door. I paid full price for Persona 5: Royal which has all kinds of things I can buy on the side to bolster my experience. I haven’t touched those add-ons, I don’t plan to touch them and they, in no way, have affected me playing P5R. You can feel the exact same way and don’t need to be upset that MTX exists simply because MTX exists. The next time you see it, consider what you paid for the game you’re playing. If it was anything less than full price, MTX is a great way to try and recoup the money they lost on your discounted cost. And if you did pay full price, think of all the people who didn’t or won’t. MTX exists so Atlus can publish / localize the next Persona everywhere they intend to. It ensures we get killer voice actors, great translations, and cool spin-offs. It helps create a vibrant community, something that exists well outside the bounds of the original game even.

Really, I just want the best game possible. All the time. When I play a really awesome, beautiful game, it usually takes my breath away. I’m consumed by it; totally entranced and in-love. To me that can cost more than $60. I spent 80 hours with FFVII: Remake. 80 hours, man. I was blown away for every second too. For about $100 a night + food, drink and excursions, I can go stay on a beach for the weekend. That’s easily around $500+, if not more. While they’re completely different experiences, FFVII:R had years of nostalgia baked into the mix. I would choose to play FFVII:R over many, many other kinds of experiences. Microdermabrasion? $80+. Date-night with a new fling? Easily $100+. 30 minute massage? $40 + tip. FFVII:R gave me 80 hours of pure joy and all I paid was $60. That’s a steal. 

Just consider what you’re really getting when you buy your games. And if you feel like you’re already in my camp, then please share the love. I wanna know where my crew is at; where the homies are. Because video games are incredible. And the way the conversation is breaking down about price increases, it’s hard to tell if some people actually love games the way I do too. When you really love something, you want the best for it; you aren’t cynical towards it. It’s my belief that the games industry, by and large, is not out to screw us, it’s just trying to find ways to be viable for years to come. If you don’t like the way it’s trying to thrive, don’t support those ways. But you gotta support something; saying that games need to be “cheaper” isn’t really an option. Because games have never been much cheaper than this when you factor in inflation. We got to have our cake and eat it for a long, long time. Now we gotta pony up. 

[ralphlayton]

Maintaining Your Site’s Strengths During an eCommerce Platform Migration

There’s an idea in behavioral economics called the sunk cost fallacy. It posits that people naturally hold onto things longer than is strictly logical if they’ve invested a lot of time and energy into them in the past. Like your friend that won’t get rid of their old beater car because they’ve already replaced so many of the parts, even though it costs them a fortune every year at inspection time. I see this a lot when it comes to eCommerce platform migration. Merchants hang onto old systems long past when they know they should move onto something newer and better. After all, they’ve invested time and money into this store for years, how could they bear losing that work and starting over from square one?

Fortunately, with help from an eCommerce platform migration expert like 1Digital Agency, you don’t have to start again. We can help you move from an older platform to a newer one while preserving all the work you’ve spent years putting into your current site. This is exactly what we did for our long time client High Tech Battery Solutions when they were ready to move off of Volusion.

Choosing a New Platform

High Tech Battery Solutions is a well-established retailer of specialty large-format batteries for items like motorcycles, electric wheelchairs, and defibrillators. At 1Digital we’d been working with High Tech Battery Solutions, supporting their Volusion site, for a few years before they decided to move. Volusion was one of the first big players in the hosted eCommerce space, but over time they fell behind newer services. After a while, many of our clients who had been on Volusion since they launched their business looked around and found that they didn’t have the features their competitors all had. Richard Price at High Tech Battery knew that since we had been working on the Volusion site for so long, we would be the right team to move their data onto a new platform.

Richard had been considering the two other major names in the hosted eCommerce platform space, Shopify and BigCommerce. After discussing his options we ended up deciding to move forward with BigCommerce. What eventually swayed Richard was transaction fees. Shopify is not only a hosted eCommerce platform, but they’re also a payment gateway. Merchants using Shopify as a payment gateway simply pay the platform a percentage of all the transactions they make on their store. This works for some merchants, as it allows them to easily bundle their eCommerce service with their payments service, without worrying about separate rates and separate contracts. High Tech Battery, on the other hand, had a great relationship with their payment gateway after years of business and wanted to keep their rates.

Custom Functionality

Once we had decided on BigCommerce the next step was to see what could be done to make the platform even better. After all, the High Tech Battery team didn’t want to change platforms just to find they were running into the same limitations which had driven them off of Volusion. Whenever we begin a new custom site we always sit down with the merchant to discuss anything they might want that would be outside what their eCommerce system can provide out of the box. Richard expressed particular interest in one item that is somewhat unique to the way High Tech Battery does business, a ‘year make and model’ search tool.

High Tech Battery does a lot of business in motorcycle batteries and other recreational power sport vehicles like jet skis and snowmobiles. This is a filtered search that 1Digital added to the new High Tech Battery site which allows their customers to find the right battery by filtering by the make, year and model of the vehicle they’re shopping for. We started with a 3rd party plugin available on the BigCommerce app store called Year Make Model Search. We then added a custom content page to the site and configured the plugin to work on that page. We also took the data on all the year, make and models that related to the batteries that High Tech Battery had in stock. We uploaded this data in bulk so that each product in their catalog would filter correctly.

In addition to new functionality for the BigCommerce store, High Tech Battery had plenty of functionality on their Volusion store that they wanted to make sure was preserved when they moved platforms. We had been improving on the old site ticket by ticket, task by task, for years. High Tech Battery didn’t want to lose years of refining their store in exchange for a new platform. For example, the High Tech Battery Volusion site had customized category descriptions sections allowing for custom formatting and more information at the top of each category page.

This content is not only helpful for users browsing the site. It also is very important for search engine spiders crawling their pages. This category content helps High Tech Battery rank better for their keywords because it’s easy for Google to see what they ought to be ranking this page for.

The 1Digital development team manually updated 321 category pages on the new site with custom HTML. This allowed the category pages to accept this content format when all of the category descriptions were migrated over from Volusion.

Data Migration

Moving platforms is never simple. No matter who you are, your data will have little intricacies. Small incongruities between how it fits in the platform you’re on, and how it will need to fit in the platform you’re going to. When we plan out a data migration we try to anticipate and plan for as many of these edge cases as possible before the migration actually begins. When it comes to issues with data migration, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

For High Tech Battery, we moved the standard data, products, categories, customers, etc. Fortunately, when moving from one hosted platform to another, like from Volusion to BigCommerce, the systems are usually similar enough that no major changes to the format of the data need to be made. Where we needed to do a little extra planning was for High Tech Battery’s impressive catalog of technical resources, the Battery Resource and Information Center.

The team at High Tech Battery had spent years building up a repository of resources for their customers. Basic info, installation guides, charger matches, and anything else you could want to know about the batteries they sell. To leave this behind on Volusion would be to rob their customers of an extremely useful resource. Not to mention all of this on-site content was doing wonders for High Tech Battery’s SEO authority.

When moving content onto a new platform each content page needs to be manually updated with custom CSS to make sure the content fits with the styling of the new site. While most of this data migration could be done with automated scripts, for the Battery Information Center the 1Digital development team manually styled 272 content pages to make sure that High Tech Battery’s wealth of information resources came with them to the new platform.

High Tech Battery Solutions relaunched on BigCommerce 4 months after their eCommerce platform migration project began. Working alongside their team, 1Digital was able to bring the strengths of the Volusion store into a newer, more updated platform, as well as make improvements to the functionality along the way. The new High Tech Battery site has a fresh, more modern design, and we look forward to keeping it updated for years, just as we did with the Volusion site.

If you have been thinking that eCommerce platform migration might be in the cards for your store, but don’t want to leave your hard work behind, you don’t have to! Contact the eCommerce platform migration experts at 1Digital Agency today. We can help you break your move down into manageable pieces, keep the work you’ve already put in, and make your store even better in the process.

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Maintaining Your Site’s Strengths During an eCommerce Platform Migration published first on yhttps://improfitninja.blogspot.com/

[electricoutdoors]

SAS Tactical Survival Bow Review – Perfect for Your Survival Needs

SAS Tactical Survival Bow Review

There are all types of bows in many different styles made of everything from wood to super polymers. But none of those are anything new, the technology has been around for as much as 70,000 years. But the SAS Tactical Survival Bow is just a bit of a different creature entirely. Unlike standard bows, this bow made by Survival Archery Systems folds down instead of coming apart when taking it down. It measures only 21” long when stored so you can fit it just about anywhere.

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Who should be Interested in the SAS Tactical Survival Bow?

Features

Pros

Cons

Conclusion

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Who should be Interested in the SAS Tactical Survival Bow?

This is not a bow for the range or competitions, this is a bow for when you are in serious need of the tool and it happens to be what you have at hand. This is a SURVIVAL bow, not a weekend recreational tool. If you are regularly in the backwoods and you want something that can see you through should the need arise, this could very well be the bow for you!

Anyone looking for a pure survival bow will not be disappointed. It’s even small enough to put in a bug out bag.

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If you’re still unsure about which survival bow you should choose, read How to Choose the Best Survival Bow to find out more.

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Features

The number one selling point of this bow is its novel folding mechanism. Measuring only 21” x 2” x 3” when folded and weighing a mere 2.2 lbs, this bow was designed to be carried from the ground up. When unfolded, it is a respectable 61” bow

For serious hunting needs, the SAS bow only comes in draw weights of 45 pounds to 55 pounds at a draw length up to 30”. This is not a bow for custom fitting, it is a tool and nothing but a tool. If your draw length is less than 30” you should still get reasonable performance out of this bow.

All assembly functions are tool-free, simple, and quick taking less than a minute to go from packed to ready to shoot. The internal portion of the handle is hollow and can fit takedown arrows of an appropriate length to use with this bow.

There are no attachment points for sights, quiver or anything else on the SAS bow, just a grip and arrow rest.

Pros

At $200.00 or a little more, the SAS Tactical Survival Bow isn’t exactly cheap but it is far from expensive. Considering the tool you are getting, this price is not beyond what should be expected. You don’t get a lot for the $200.00 but you do get exactly what you pay for.

I admit that I had little expectation for this bow from the get go but I was pleasantly surprised. The bow is quite accurate if a little hard to get used to and the arrow speed is FAR better than I would have expected. There is plenty of power and penetration.

This bow is a contained unit. Store your string and a few takedown arrows inside the bow and pack it away. When you need it, the assembly is a snap and you are ready to go with everything you need to be able to hunt in one place with no hassle.

The SAS bow draws much better than I would expect. There is no “stacking” where the bow suddenly feels harder to draw and no point where the draw is not smooth and even. The release is fast and the bow doesn’t at all feel sluggish.

Cons

If you designed a bow after a Gen 1 Glock, it would look and feel like this bow. It’s ugly and no two ways about it. The handle portion is square and can become uncomfortable to hold, especially with repetitive shooting.

Though I listed it under a pro, the price is also a con if you’re looking for a daily shooter. It just doesn’t seem right to pay $200.00 for this bow when there are plenty of good options for bows that cost far less and function much better. Then again, you’re not looking for a traditional bow when you buy this.

Conclusion

If you spend a lot of time in the woods and want something to provide you a hunting option that can be carried easily and function adequate, this is the bow to look at. The SAS Tactical Survival Bow is not a good bow, but it is an acceptable bow. It may also be the only bow you have on you when you need it. It is a kit all by itself. In that respect, this bow does well.

I wish they offered this bow in lower draw weights around 30 lbs. I think that would be the sweet spot for this design and a lot more comfortable to shoot. The draw weights they do sell are appropriate for hunting but are just a bit high for my taste. But if you are looking for a product like the Survival Archery Systems Tactical takedown bow, there is no reason why you shouldn’t buy this bow. If you want to get into archery as a hobby or for more than just occasional use, pass this bow up and go with the Samick Sage.

Did you find this SAS Tactical Survival Bow review helpful? Let us know in the comments below.

Looking for more survival and prepping gear articles? You can find more on our gear page.

SAS Tactical Survival Bow Review – Perfect for Your Survival Needs is available on: Ready Lifestyle Prepping

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[nicholerestrada]

PlayStation Classic games list, release date and pre-order tips

Nintendo has the NES Classic Mini and SNES Classic Mini, and Sony’s not one for being left out in the cold. This December, it’s launching the PlayStation Classic, a miniaturised version of the original Sony PlayStation released in 1994 – the one that started it all for the PlayStation brand.

Preloaded with 20 games and small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, here’s everything you need to know about the PlayStation Classic.

Cut to the chase

What is it? Sony’s own retro system, packing 20 original PlayStation games

When can I play it? December 3 2018 (the 24th anniversary of the original PS1’s release)

What will it include? A miniaturised console with 20 games, two original-style PlayStation 1 controllers, HDMI cable, microUSB-to-USB cable, immense nostalgia

PlayStation Classic price and release date

The PlayStation Classic goes on sale December 3rd, though it’s unclear how many regions it will be available in on that date. It’ll cost $99.99 in the US, £89.99 in the UK and $149.99 in Australia. Read on for how to secure a PlayStation Classic at launch as well as our tips for pre-ordering the throwback console.

PlayStation Classic specs and features

Nearly half the size of the original PlayStation, the PlayStation Classic is a dead-ringer for Sony’s first games console, which first launched back in late 1994.

But whereas the original PlayStation ran on CDs, the PlayStation Classic’s games will run entirely on internal memory. It may look like there’s a CD tray there, but that’s just for show (and it’s about 50% too small anyway). 

Likewise, where game saves were once stored on separate Memory Cards that plugged into the front of the PlayStation, the Classic will place all saves on virtual Memory Cards, emulated by the hardware itself.

What aren’t virtual or miniaturised however are the controllers. Other than the USB connections they now use, they’re identically sized to the original PlayStation pads, from the pre-analogue stick era. You’ll get two in the box, letting you enjoy multiplayer titles straight away.

Some other small changes to the hardware include power and AV ports. Audio and video is now carried by the standard HDMI connection, and power over a microUSB port. It’s worth noting that while an HDMI and microUSB-to-USB cable are in the box, it doesn’t include an AC adapter. You’re going to have to pick up your own that accepts 5 V, 1.0 A Type A USB (a wall plug included with your smartphone should be fine), or find enough power from a USB port on the side of your TV.

There are still a few details we don’t know, though. How much memory is onboard, and what processor is being used? How are the games being emulated, and will they be formatted or upscaled in any way to make the most of modern TV resolutions? And what will the interface be for accessing the library of pre-installed games, and will there be a way to add additional titles to the machine at a later date? We’ll update this piece once we have answers to these questions.

PlayStation Classic games list

The PlayStation Classic will come with 20 games pre-installed, all highly-regarded greats from the height of the PS1’s glory.  To keep anticipation mounting, Sony has only revealed five games so far: Tekken 3, Ridge Racer Type 4, Wild Arms, Jumping Flash and the mighty Final Fantasy VII. Here’s a little bit more about each game.

Final Fantasy VII

Considered by many to be one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, it’s certainly the game that popularised the epic, narrative-led adventure series in the west. Set in a dystopian fantasy future, you’ll lead a team of freedom fighters as they take on a dangerous world-sapping corporation, whose experiments put the entire planet in danger. It’s one of the best stories in gaming history, and a must-play.

Tekken 3

The thinking person’s fighting game, Tekken 3 brought a near-perfect recreation of the arcade beat-em-up to home consoles. Players focus on combos and smart defenses rather than histrionic projectiles. Not that the game wasn’t without its flashes of silliness however – you could play a giant panda if you wanted to lay the smackdown that way.

Ridge Racer Type 4

Namco’s Ridge Racer series built its name on its accessible high speed racing, with its corner drifting feature stolen by essentially every arcade-style racing game since. It perfected the art in Ridge Racer Type 4, which added a meaningful progression system and career circuit to the on-the-tarmac action. It’s a height the series has never quite managed to hit again.

Wild Arms

One of the quirkier JRPGs out there (and that’s saying something), Wild Arms takes turn-based combat and a save-the-world story and throws it all into a Wild West-themed settings. Red Dead Redemption 2 this is not, however, with the trappings of Japanese role players firmly at its roots. Definitely worth a look once you’re done with Final Fantasy.

Jumping Flash

Now, this is the very definition of a cult classic. A first-person platforming game that had you jumping high, high, high up above a level as some sort of robotic rabbit thing, it’s the sort of game that’d win high indie acclaim these days, but has been all but forgotten now. A well-deserved resurrection is due, which the PlayStation Classic will deliver.

But that’s just 5 games – what else could we hope to see on the PlayStation Classic? Here are 15 games that we think would make the PlayStation Classic a must-buy.

Metal Gear Solid: a classic that needs no introduction, it invented the stealth genre, and changed the face of gaming forever. It’ll be a crime if this isn’t included.

Tenchu Stealth Assassins: Metal Gear Solid, but with ninjas. ‘Nuff said.

Rayman: PlayStation’s side-scrolling answer to Mario. Beautifully animated for its time, only to be overshadowed by the 3D extravaganza of Mario 64 soon afterwards.

Crash Bandicoot: fast-paced, twitch-heavy mascot platforming.

Gran Turismo: a driving game for petrol heads, it was one of the first racers to take the fetishistic love of cars and turn it into a massive career.

Tomb Raider 2:  a massive, mysterious adventure that mixed gun fights, puzzles and platforming in a wonderful Indiana Jone style. Lara Croft was an icon of the era, and needs to be represented, with the second game arguably her finest 32-bit outing.

Demolition Derby: just great fun this one – it’s not smart, but smashing cars together is simply fun.

Die Hard Trilogy: three games in one – third person shooter, first person shooter and racing game, all styled around the yippe-kay-yay action films.

Resident Evil: the birth of survival horror – bettered by its sequel, but with that getting a full 4K remake, going back to the very roots would be more appropriate here.

Dino Crisis 2: Resident Evil, but with dinosaurs. ‘Nuff said.

Theme Hospital: great, humorous management sim where you build hospitals and wards to save patients from ridiculous, made up diseases.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night: one of the best games ever made, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night mixes tough-as-nails 2D platforming and exploration with some light RPG mechanics. Great level design and excellent combat. A genuine classic.

Silent Hill: if Resident Evil got its scares through B-movie tactics, the similar Silent Hill did so by tapping a David Lynch-esque psychological vein. Even today, it’s still really, really scary.

Vagrant Story: a tactical RPG that was visually ahead of its time. A challenging adventure with a great story, it’s well worth sticking with.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2:  So. Much. Fun. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 had a killer soundtrack and addictive combo based point-scoring skating action that was unlike anything around at the time. It’d be sorely missed if left off the Classic.

PlayStation Classic pre-order deals:

The cheapest prices currently available

Platform: Original Sony PlayStation | Release date: December 3rd 2018 | Games: 20 bundled as standard | Controllers: Two replica wired PlayStation control pads | Model name: SCPH-1000R | Power: USB AC (not included)

If you’re interested in picking up one of these consoles at launch, seriously consider setting up a pre-order deal. The original PlayStation sold more than 100 million units, only beaten to the best-selling spot by its successor the PS2. There will be many people looking to get on the nostalgia train, and the pricing makes this a perfect Christmas gift.

Demand will almost certainly be high, and if the response to the Nintendo retro consoles was anything to go by, could well outstrip supply. Don’t expect to see these on sale this side of Christmas, so if you’ve got your heart set on it, pick-up a pre-order from one of the retailers listed above to avoid disappointment.

Best PS4 games: see how far we’ve come with our top current PlayStation picks

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from Garko Media https://garkomedia1.wordpress.com/2018/10/12/playstation-classic-games-list-release-date-and-pre-order-tips/

[michaeljtraylor]

PlayStation Classic games list, release date and pre-order tips

Nintendo has the NES Classic Mini and SNES Classic Mini, and Sony’s not one for being left out in the cold. This December, it’s launching the PlayStation Classic, a miniaturised version of the original Sony PlayStation released in 1994 – the one that started it all for the PlayStation brand.

Preloaded with 20 games and small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, here’s everything you need to know about the PlayStation Classic.

Cut to the chase

What is it? Sony’s own retro system, packing 20 original PlayStation games

When can I play it? December 3 2018 (the 24th anniversary of the original PS1’s release)

What will it include? A miniaturised console with 20 games, two original-style PlayStation 1 controllers, HDMI cable, microUSB-to-USB cable, immense nostalgia

PlayStation Classic price and release date

The PlayStation Classic goes on sale December 3rd, though it’s unclear how many regions it will be available in on that date. It’ll cost $99.99 in the US, £89.99 in the UK and $149.99 in Australia. Read on for how to secure a PlayStation Classic at launch as well as our tips for pre-ordering the throwback console.

PlayStation Classic specs and features

Nearly half the size of the original PlayStation, the PlayStation Classic is a dead-ringer for Sony’s first games console, which first launched back in late 1994.

But whereas the original PlayStation ran on CDs, the PlayStation Classic’s games will run entirely on internal memory. It may look like there’s a CD tray there, but that’s just for show (and it’s about 50% too small anyway). 

Likewise, where game saves were once stored on separate Memory Cards that plugged into the front of the PlayStation, the Classic will place all saves on virtual Memory Cards, emulated by the hardware itself.

What aren’t virtual or miniaturised however are the controllers. Other than the USB connections they now use, they’re identically sized to the original PlayStation pads, from the pre-analogue stick era. You’ll get two in the box, letting you enjoy multiplayer titles straight away.

Some other small changes to the hardware include power and AV ports. Audio and video is now carried by the standard HDMI connection, and power over a microUSB port. It’s worth noting that while an HDMI and microUSB-to-USB cable are in the box, it doesn’t include an AC adapter. You’re going to have to pick up your own that accepts 5 V, 1.0 A Type A USB (a wall plug included with your smartphone should be fine), or find enough power from a USB port on the side of your TV.

There are still a few details we don’t know, though. How much memory is onboard, and what processor is being used? How are the games being emulated, and will they be formatted or upscaled in any way to make the most of modern TV resolutions? And what will the interface be for accessing the library of pre-installed games, and will there be a way to add additional titles to the machine at a later date? We’ll update this piece once we have answers to these questions.

PlayStation Classic games list

The PlayStation Classic will come with 20 games pre-installed, all highly-regarded greats from the height of the PS1’s glory.  To keep anticipation mounting, Sony has only revealed five games so far: Tekken 3, Ridge Racer Type 4, Wild Arms, Jumping Flash and the mighty Final Fantasy VII. Here’s a little bit more about each game.

Final Fantasy VII

Considered by many to be one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, it’s certainly the game that popularised the epic, narrative-led adventure series in the west. Set in a dystopian fantasy future, you’ll lead a team of freedom fighters as they take on a dangerous world-sapping corporation, whose experiments put the entire planet in danger. It’s one of the best stories in gaming history, and a must-play.

Tekken 3

The thinking person’s fighting game, Tekken 3 brought a near-perfect recreation of the arcade beat-em-up to home consoles. Players focus on combos and smart defenses rather than histrionic projectiles. Not that the game wasn’t without its flashes of silliness however – you could play a giant panda if you wanted to lay the smackdown that way.

Ridge Racer Type 4

Namco’s Ridge Racer series built its name on its accessible high speed racing, with its corner drifting feature stolen by essentially every arcade-style racing game since. It perfected the art in Ridge Racer Type 4, which added a meaningful progression system and career circuit to the on-the-tarmac action. It’s a height the series has never quite managed to hit again.

Wild Arms

One of the quirkier JRPGs out there (and that’s saying something), Wild Arms takes turn-based combat and a save-the-world story and throws it all into a Wild West-themed settings. Red Dead Redemption 2 this is not, however, with the trappings of Japanese role players firmly at its roots. Definitely worth a look once you’re done with Final Fantasy.

Jumping Flash

Now, this is the very definition of a cult classic. A first-person platforming game that had you jumping high, high, high up above a level as some sort of robotic rabbit thing, it’s the sort of game that’d win high indie acclaim these days, but has been all but forgotten now. A well-deserved resurrection is due, which the PlayStation Classic will deliver.

But that’s just 5 games – what else could we hope to see on the PlayStation Classic? Here are 15 games that we think would make the PlayStation Classic a must-buy.

Metal Gear Solid: a classic that needs no introduction, it invented the stealth genre, and changed the face of gaming forever. It’ll be a crime if this isn’t included.

Tenchu Stealth Assassins: Metal Gear Solid, but with ninjas. ‘Nuff said.

Rayman: PlayStation’s side-scrolling answer to Mario. Beautifully animated for its time, only to be overshadowed by the 3D extravaganza of Mario 64 soon afterwards.

Crash Bandicoot: fast-paced, twitch-heavy mascot platforming.

Gran Turismo: a driving game for petrol heads, it was one of the first racers to take the fetishistic love of cars and turn it into a massive career.

Tomb Raider 2:  a massive, mysterious adventure that mixed gun fights, puzzles and platforming in a wonderful Indiana Jone style. Lara Croft was an icon of the era, and needs to be represented, with the second game arguably her finest 32-bit outing.

Demolition Derby: just great fun this one – it’s not smart, but smashing cars together is simply fun.

Die Hard Trilogy: three games in one – third person shooter, first person shooter and racing game, all styled around the yippe-kay-yay action films.

Resident Evil: the birth of survival horror – bettered by its sequel, but with that getting a full 4K remake, going back to the very roots would be more appropriate here.

Dino Crisis 2: Resident Evil, but with dinosaurs. ‘Nuff said.

Theme Hospital: great, humorous management sim where you build hospitals and wards to save patients from ridiculous, made up diseases.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night: one of the best games ever made, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night mixes tough-as-nails 2D platforming and exploration with some light RPG mechanics. Great level design and excellent combat. A genuine classic.

Silent Hill: if Resident Evil got its scares through B-movie tactics, the similar Silent Hill did so by tapping a David Lynch-esque psychological vein. Even today, it’s still really, really scary.

Vagrant Story: a tactical RPG that was visually ahead of its time. A challenging adventure with a great story, it’s well worth sticking with.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2:  So. Much. Fun. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 had a killer soundtrack and addictive combo based point-scoring skating action that was unlike anything around at the time. It’d be sorely missed if left off the Classic.

PlayStation Classic pre-order deals:

The cheapest prices currently available

Platform: Original Sony PlayStation | Release date: December 3rd 2018 | Games: 20 bundled as standard | Controllers: Two replica wired PlayStation control pads | Model name: SCPH-1000R | Power: USB AC (not included)

If you’re interested in picking up one of these consoles at launch, seriously consider setting up a pre-order deal. The original PlayStation sold more than 100 million units, only beaten to the best-selling spot by its successor the PS2. There will be many people looking to get on the nostalgia train, and the pricing makes this a perfect Christmas gift.

Demand will almost certainly be high, and if the response to the Nintendo retro consoles was anything to go by, could well outstrip supply. Don’t expect to see these on sale this side of Christmas, so if you’ve got your heart set on it, pick-up a pre-order from one of the retailers listed above to avoid disappointment.

Best PS4 games: see how far we’ve come with our top current PlayStation picks

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[thevalkyriesonline]

In the first instalment of ‘Let’s Talk Comics’ we talk with Son and Sam of SCSM Comics who have just finished their Kickstarter campaign for their comic ‘A Vampire in Paris’. 

Sam is a queer freelance artist known for her character designs, concept work and witty sense of humour. She has been drawing professionally for over 10 years and dedicates her time to telling new and original stories through her artwork.

Son is a queer Muslim freelance writer who actively works in comics, and is known for her work in ‘TEETHING’. She is an active fan of horror and monsters and often complains about the lack of positive representation of POC mythical creatures.

‘A Vampire in Paris’ is a queer love story that follows two bartenders at the Spade, a bar located in the heart of Paris. Kara Belmont is a working college student, studying Art History by day and spending her nights filling up empty glasses. It’s a weird bar, packed with interesting patrons. But the most interesting person of all seems to be her own coworker. Selma Nazari seems to only work at night and is rather mysterious, not to mention unearthly beautiful. Despite her calm disposition and incessant teasing, Kara is sure that Selma holds a terrible secret.

There’s no doubt about it: She’s a vampire.

  Let’s dive straight in! 

Sam, how did you get started in illustrating? Was there a moment you can recall where you really fell in love with it?

I was in 3rd or 4th grade when I stumbled upon a good old show called ‘DragonBall Z’ on Toonami. I thought the style and animations were so cool I just had to recreate them and it kinda kicked off from there. I had always been into drawing and doodling as a kid but I really fell head over heels in love with it after drawing Trunks an absurd amount of times.

Sam- What inspired you to go the comic book route with your artistic skills out of all available mediums?

Fun fact, initially I didn’t want to do art as a career/profession at all. I kind of fell into the freelance thing out of necessity and realized that it was awesome and I love doing it! As for going the comic book route, that falls on Son actually! I was not confident in my abilities to do full comic page work initially but after freelancing for 2 years and Son shoving me into a locker and demanding I go into comic work I decided to take the plunge! Setting up the kickstarter and producing the sample pages really solidified my confidence and how much I enjoy it!

Sam- What character would you like to give a full makeover to and why?

If I could give any character in AVIP a makeover it would probably be Levi. And I only say this because she’s the type to change her appearance most often. I also love drawing and coloring hair and she has a lot to work with.

If I had the choice to give any character a full makeover I would laugh at myself and say “I can give a full makeover to any character I want” because I do. One of the things I love drawing the most is redesigns of characters that I like. Be it “what they look like in 20 years” or just full on AU designs, the possibilities are endless!

Son- Was there a defining piece of work for you growing up that made you realise you wanted to take up the writers mantle?

As much as I want to say ‘Dragon Ball Z’, I think the most defining pieces of work that convinced me that writing is my passion were R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike novels. I used to read the dime horror novels (the ones on a lonely rack at my library) religiously all throughout elementary school. Was I too young to be reading that? Yes. Did I like them immensely? Hell yes.

  Son- What is your favourite scary movie?

‘Let the Right One In’. I used to read it once a year in high school because of how much I adored the writing. The Swedish film is amazing and paints my favourite type of horror: slow moving.

Son- Who would you say your biggest inspirations are?

There’s so many. In literature, I’m just like any other post-college student with a knack for writing. Which means I like a lot of works by dead white male authors. Thankfully, Afrofuturism is saving my life. But no matter how much I read, anime that I grew up with and learned to appreciate as an adult really shaped me. My biggest inspirations are Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, Akira, Berserk, and other shows from that era. Also, Hellboy changed my life.

Son- Which famous classic horror creature/ mythical creature would you like to reimagine and why?

The Bride of Frankenstein because I really want to examine her under the points brought up in the essay A Cyborg Manifesto by Donna Haraway. I also think it would be wild to examine how we do AIs and Cyborgs in science-fiction as a form of Frankenstein and his bride in a setting that leads you to believe that artificial advancements are the future. It’s a cool reversal.

I love these thoughts on The Bride of Frankenstein, AI and Cyborgs, I had not even considered how much those things align! That would make for a fascinating topic especially with AI being the hot topic that it is! 

How did you find the process of raising funds on kickstarter?

Sam: It was nerve racking initially. Especially because for me it was my first time running a kickstarter.  We both took the time to go over successful and failed kickstarters to get a general picture of what we’d be dealing with on both sides. It was a lot of “what to do and what not to do”s.

Son: It took a bunch of research and trial and error. Sam is excellent at creating a schedule and together, we made airtight plans. In the end, it’s great to have support and to work with someone you trust. It’s hard, but exciting.

What advice would you give someone looking to self-fund on sites like kickstarter?

Sam: PR IS YOUR BEST FRIEND. Seriously. Don’t feel bad about boosting your projects 3-4 times a day and being active with your audience. It’s the best way to show that you’re in it to win it! CONFIDENCE IS EVERYTHING!

Son: It’s okay to be a little shameless. An issue I had to jump over was my inability to promote myself. You need to ignore that little voice and be shameless. Tell all your friends, tweet about it nonstop, bring it up whenever you can. It’s only for a month, you gotta be your own hype man! Learning how to PR is important.

What have you found the biggest challenges for you as women in this industry?

Sam: I like to think that I’m incredibly lucky for choosing to go into the freelance industry over a big name comic book corporation. Crowdfunding is a game changer because it opens up opportunities to female identifying artists to explore stories and styles that suit them and their experiences. Instead of some old fart at the top of the totem pole doling out slices of “The same shit we see all the time”.

Son: As someone who’s been working to get into comics, the freelance industry is a great place for women. Or it’s starting to be. As a female identifying writer, I’ve been on the short end of the stick, that I’m not “taken seriously” about certain genres, such as horror and science fiction. Jokes on them because with the growing community of freelance projects and crowdfunding, women and other marginalized groups are finally building their own platforms with their own stories and variations that are creative explosions outside the major publisher comic book industry. ALSO WHY DOES EVERYONE SHY FROM TWO FEMALE LEADS?

What advice would you give to creators just getting started?

Sam: DEADLINES. ARE. YOUR. BEST. FRIEND. I’m a big fan of deadlines, especially because I’m a freelancer and have to make my own schedule. Setting simple deadlines for yourself helps keep you on track and gives you a sense of accomplishment whenever you meet one! Always ALWAYS set deadlines that are simple to achieve so you aren’t just setting yourself up for failure. Having a friend (Like Son) to help keep you on track is super important too. Working with a friend or a small group helps with the workload as well, but always remember that this is work and to succeed you need to put in the work.

Son: DONT. GIVE. UP. As someone who really struggled with making the content I want to be seen, not giving up despite all the times I failed really got me into the position where when working with Sam, I was so prepared. It takes a while, it really does. There’s nothing immediate about comics, no instant success. Kickstarter makes it look like projects happen overnight but it was the cultivation of ALL of my past experiences, my active engagement on social media, my practice in writing that eventually lead me to Sam and the confidence to push this project forward. Don’t crumble after failure because you’ve already learned how to do better the next time.

Which comic book character do you wish you had created and why?

Sam: Jason Todd. Specifically new 52 Jason Todd. New 52 Jason Todd is a trainwreck that totally derailed his entire character from what he was initially. Jason Todd is the physical representation to Bruce that “You can’t win 100% of the time without casualties”. His death was a symbol that sometimes Batman fails, and that being a hero doesn’t mean everything works out in the end. And Jason Todd also countered the norms, he came back ANGRY. In superhero comics, back then being ANGRY wasn’t a hero quality. He defined antihero to me, and I’ve always been more partial to antiheroes because it really drives home the conflict of being a, you guessed it, VIGILANTE. Also I’m a firm believer that if any character in DC was bisexual it’d be him.

Son: Jason Todd. Specifically new 52 Jason Todd. He comes from a place where not a lot of Robins do and it shaped his character, eventually leading him into the path of an antihero rather than the “benevolent” Batman. He’s an outlier in the Batfam, and he holds certain values that I really vibe with, especially due to his upbringing. That you don’t have to be perfect to be good and you don’t have to bend to societal norms to make a difference. The new 52 kind of forgot about all the qualities that made him so special (to me anyway) so I wish I owned him. Plus, he looks cool as heck and if there was one character in all of DC that would have absolutely been bisexual, it’s Jason Todd.

What are the pros/ cons of working in this field?

Pro’s: You work for yourself when you crowdfund. You make all the artistic decisions, the financial decisions, all the deadlines. You don’t have to comply with any decisions from higher ups or deal with “bosses” because you are your own boss.

Cons: It’s all on you. It can be incredibly stressful to successfully fund, manage and complete a large project on your own. There are a lot of different factors to take into account that you need to be ready and/or flexible for. If you’re not good at organization then this field is going to be rough for you.

What advice would you give for women looking to break into this industry?

Sam: Share your work. Apply for those jobs. Take that leap into freelance or crowdfunding. Even if you think you wont make it, or you’re not “good enough”, or you don’t “meet the qualifications” put yourself out there. There is always an audience for every story.

Son: Support each other. Your best support is from people who resonate with your work. And it’s not easy, but nothing worth having really is. Don’t be shy to put yourself in your work. A common misconception is that you have to write like those dead old white guys I mentioned above to be considered publishing worthy or literary and the answer I have to that is: fuck that. There’s a uniqueness that comes from your own self that no one can imitate. So why try to imitate what’s been done when you can show your own spin? And again, don’t give up!

Would you say there is a shift in the diversity within this industry? What in your opinion could readers do to ensure that the industry moves in the right direction?

Sam: I think the industry is slowly making the attempt to move in the right direction. I’m gonna reiterate “Slowly”. In my opinion showing support, both with your words and your wallet is key to moving in a more diverse and inclusive direction. Yeah we’re sick of the same rehashing of the same story, so put your money where your mouth is.

Son: Show your support for the things you want made. Don’t just say you want more queer or female led stories, actively engage and support with creators who are trying to make these stories. The comic book industry’s favorite go-to argument is that there is no active audience for these types of comics. The only way to counter that is to support the people trying to make them. And I do think it’s happening. Image Comics have been pumping out some amazing female identifying artists and writers. The indie scene is RICH with stories by WOC. And I think the industry is beginning to take notice.

What is next for you guys?

Sam- Hopefully, after the completion of AVIP, we plan on making our own webcomic, as a team. We’re lucky to work with each other as we often act as foils and complete what the other person needs. SO MORE DORKY COMICS, I GUESS. We’ve got a dark comedy planned so fingers crossed.

Big thanks to Sam and Son for giving us some insight into their process and their thoughts on the comics industry. The Valkyries chose to back AVIP during it’s Kickstarter campaign and we are thrilled that it smashed it’s target and will be going to print! If you want to keep up to date with Son and Sam you can find them here:

www.twitter.com/istehlurvz

istehlurvz.tumblr.com 

www.twitter.com/bogboogie 

son-mess.tumblr.com 

    Let’s talk comics! #1: Sam and Son on ‘A Vampire in Paris’ and a whole lot more! In the first instalment of 'Let's Talk Comics' we talk with Son and Sam of SCSM…