#dynamo deadlock i have feelings for you

[pybun]

"In a storm of boundless spirits...he's first on the scene"

[hastings727]

Deadlock and the Multiverse of Mechanics

"Hey, do you want to try Deadlock? Check your email, I just sent you an invite."

That was about two weeks ago, and those first few games felt quite stereotypical to the MOBA genre: Overwhelming.

Big map! Lots of stuff on screen! A variety of characters!

And so I picked a random character (Dynamo) and sat in a bot game with my friend and messed around. Those first two games felt both fast and extremely slow at the same time. They probably ended in 20 minutes or less, but I spent most of my time just observing stuff.

"Oh, there's little alleyways that you can't see into, built into the lanes." "Oh, you can shoot the souls that come out of enemies and they give you more money." "Oh you can deny enemies their souls if you shoot them first." "There's a shop to buy items? And underground areas with a "secret shop"? Teleporters? Jungle creeps?!" "YOU CAN AIR DASH IN THIS GAME?!"

Revelations fell one after the other, and I was suitably impressed. And then I didn't play it for 3 days. There was nothing wrong with the game of course, but you have to let things marinate sometimes. A mistake I often see from players in competitive games is the inability to take a break. I often take breaks from pvp games. It lets you breathe.

And so I sat down again after 3 days of marination, and went to their training mode. And when I say this feels like the multiverse of mechanics, I mean it: Deadlock is an amalgamation of mechanics that stem from Dota2, Team Fortress 2, League of Legends, and Gunz the Duel.

And I was severely lacking in two areas: The aiming, and the movement. When you first play Deadlock, it feels clunky. Every character has bars of stamina, and you use them to double jump, dash, ground dash. But what really opened my third eye was looking at the reticle during a dash: It glowed blue. Oho. That means something. And so I start messing around and lo and behold: You can spend more stamina to combine movement mechanics. You can dash and jump, you can dash, jump, and air dash. You can dash and slide. Oh boy, we are COOKING now.

This game, for being an invite only alpha test, feels incredibly crispy. The map invites you to mess around with its movement, because unlike league or dota there is verticality. I can climb buildings, I can dive down and attack enemies. There are two (technically 3) characters that can temporarily fly. Every revelation of this game's mechanics told me where Valve had gotten their ideas. And best of all, I could see in my teammates and opponents where their expertise in the game came from. Good aim, positioning and movement? Probably Overwatch, or Apex. Smart laning and roaming, knowing when to leave lane to buy items? Yeah, you probably play dota or league. If you've played ANY popular pvp game within the last 10 years, you'll find a home in Deadlock.

What I find the most pleasing about Deadlock however, is their insistence on a specific aesthetic: Neo-noir. This game sits squarely in the 1920s/30s americana, with hints of sci fi and supernatural throughout its characters. Tall buildings with ads adorning the sides. But yet one of the characters (Vindicta) is basically a witch with a sniper rifle. The architecture screams dark art deco, but yet 2 (possibly three?) of the characters are clearly robots. Where league and dota tend towards both high and low fantasy, with shakes of steampunky tech throughout, for Valve to choose dark deco neo noir feels like such a beautiful risk.

[deepsixsquid]

With the Final Fest, a battle between the forces of Chaos and Order, on the horizon, two squids, Nocchan (Right), and Doppel (Left), prepare for a confrontation to settle things... Or, so they think...

*The sun sets on Moray Towers. Nocchan, having finished her solo training for the day, lays back to watch the helicopters fly by with her Inkbrush at her side. However, as she slowly drifts off for a nap, she senses a presence nearby that quickly catches her attention*

*Doppel, a squid who came to be after a fateful incident involving a powerful identity crisis, the charged energy of a booyah bomb, and Nocchan’s, at the time, distorted mind. The two have clashed once before in the past, when Doppel’s desperate search for answers, to questions that surround her very existence. lead to an all-out fight between the two that practically destroyed a section of Wahoo World in the middle of the night. Although the battle ended in a stalemate, Nocchan’s words “You make a good *other*” have stuck with her since then.*

*The skull-faced squid takes a deep breath as thoughts of their last encounter float through her mind.* “Ya know, I probably don’t have to say this but, I know you’re there. C’mon, no sense in hidin’ Don’t worry though, I’m not really in the mood to fight right now.”

*Doppel adjusts her headphones before making her, slightly nervous, approach. Resting her Dynamo roller in her lap, she takes a seat next to her counterpart. A few moments of tense silence fills the air before Nocchan speaks up* “Somethin’s on your mind.... can’t exactly say what but, I can feel it. You alright, there?” “I...I was just thinking...It’s almost time, right? For the next one, the LAST one...and I just can’t shake this feeling that something’s going to... Something MIGHT happen. To you, to me, to...all of us, when it’s all over. And...I.. I don’t know, it’s weird.” *After a sigh, Nocchan can’t help but chuckle* “Heh, maybe. With the way things are goin’ you think this might be the end of the world, or somethin’! Chaos? Order? Man, who woulda guessed it? After all the silly little things we fought for? THIS is how it all goes down! The big finish! Not too sure who’s pickin’ these things but, I’m really feelin’ this one!” *Doppel looks towards the setting sun, choosing her words carefully* “About that... I know this is probably a dumb question but...You’re going for Chaos, right?” *Nocchan lowers her skull bandana to reveal a smug grin* “I know I don’t need to say it but, uuuuuuuuuuuuh, yeah. It was an easy choice~!” *Doppel lovers her headphones, letting them rest around her neck* “Heh, thought so.... But, I gotta ask, why? After everything you’ve been through...wouldn’t you be tired of all that? The things you’ve seen, the things you’ve DONE would probably drive most people crazy. I mean, even THINKING about those things would probably give anyone chills!” *Nocchan proudly rises to her feet, facing the sunset, with her arms folded* “Well, you’d know better than anyone around here, I’m like like ‘most people’ Hell, I don’t think there’s anyone in Inkopolis who comes close to me~! And I could never get tired of it~! Everything I’ve been through, heh, it only made me stronger! I’m still here, still kickin’, nothin’ can take me down!” *With a deep sigh, Doppel picks herself up* “I guess...that’s true. But, there’s something that’s kinda getting to me. All the Chaos you’ve been through...I can see it, sometimes. I can FEEL it. There were those moments where...even you would have to admit that you were-” “Hold it right there... Okay, so maybe there were one or two times where I MIGHT have been a little over my head. BUT, I still won, didn’t I? Still here, ain’t I? ...I’ve got nothing to be afraid of!” “But, think about it, think about those times. One wrong move...and that could’ve been it for you. Sure, you won but...those were REALLY close calls. You can’t push your luck like that... Not forever” *Nocchan’s bravado visibly fades, and her voice takes on a more serious tone* “...Soon, I won’t need luck. Maybe, just maybe, I never did. I overcame everything in my way with my own power, my own skills. Luck? Pft, I don’t need it.” “Are you crazy? I-I don’t even know where to begin! Th-the things you’ve seen, the people you fought!? Some of those things were too much...even for you! Remember the statue? NILS?” *Doppel clenches her fists, grits her teeth, and braces herself* “...Remember Riza?” *Nocchan’s eyes widen at the mere mention of that name. Riza, aka Agent 3, was someone Nocchan looked up to as one of the strongest in the world. Riza would ultimately become Nocchan’s greatest rival after being the first person the skull faced fighter ever lost too in a brutal one-on-one fight. After dismissing her, Nocchan vowed to become someone Riza couldn’t ignore, a mission she took very seriously. After training for years, Nocchan caught wind of, and chased, Riza through the shady underground, through a series of deadly chambers and obstacles, which lead to their last encounter, atop the NILS statue that was about to wipe out the entire planet. There, after a climactic battle, Nocchan unleashed the strongest splashdown she could muster, a move that she called “Apocalypse Splash” that pushed her body far beyond its limits, obliterating the weapon, and almost destroying herself, in the process.* “I am not scared of her. You should know that. I’m stronger than her, and I have PROVED that. Why would I have to be afraid, huh? If she wants a rematch, I’ll be happy to take her on! And if anyone else wants a piece of me, they’re welcome to try too.” *With closed eyes, Doppel turns her head* “But, you almost.... you almost lost too much just to prove that though. You can’t... You can’t do that again. You can’t put yourself on the line just to prove your own strength. What would happen if you mess up? What if... what if you find something that you can’t handle on your own? You fight for Chaos but, what if, one day, Chaos throws you against something that’s too strong for you?” *Nocchan picks up her inkbrush, grips it tightly, and rests it on her shoulder* “Then I’ll fight it. That’s how I got this far, right? I’ve fought everything so far, why stop now? I can handle it, and I WILL handle it. I haven’t slowed down yet, and I don’t plan on it now.” *A small tear forms in Doppel’s eye as she reaches for her Dynamo roller* “I... I can’t let you do that. I WON’T let you do that. If talking sense into won’t work then... Then I’ll have to-” *Nocchan lifts her skull bandana over her face and points her inkbrush at Doppel* “Fight me? Again? Fine...But you better give it everything you’ve got” *Doppel adjusts her headphones back on top of her head. Tears beginning to run down her face, as energy gathers in her right hand, forming a booyah bomb* “One day, you’ll go too far. Either you realize this... or I’ll stop you, one way or another. Besides...I still have questions for you” *Nocchan’s right arm starts to glow, slowly building energy for a charged splashdown* “I’m not one for Orders...” *Once again, silence fills the air, only to be broken by the sound of the two fighters rushing towards each other. Each ready to strike the other down in one move. In a moment of hesitation, they both stop in front of each other, Doppel’s bomb and Nocchan’s fist, two devastating attacks mere inches from their target’s hearts. In an instant, both combatants let their energies fade, only to begin swinging their weapons at each other.* *In a flurry of vicious attacks, Nocchan and Doppel’s duel takes them all over Moray Towers, each looking to get the upper hand and deal a decisive blow. In the midst of it all, their battle has left trails of ink and destruction that go in all directions, signs of clashing swings, remnants of detonated splat bombs and trashed sprinklers, all leading to the center of Moray Towers, where the two stand in a very heated deadlock, now underneath a bright full moon* *Despite how much time has passed, neither Nocchan, nor Doppel, show signs of fatigue. only rising aggression and determination. With their weapons locked, Doppel makes one more attempt to appeal to Nocchan’s sanity* “There has to be some part of you that knows...that you can’t go on like this! There has to be! Just listen to me!” *However, her pleas only strengthen Nocchan’s resolve as she starts to push Doppel and her Dynamo back by one step* “I promised myself that I wouldn’t quit, no matter what! And NOTHING is going to make me go back on that! You hear me?!* *Seeing no other option, a spark ignites in Doppel’s eyes, a pale purple aura envelopes her body and her weapon, giving her the strength to push Nocchan back a few steps* “If you won’t listen to reason, then-” *A turquoise energy, akin to lighting, begins to arc around Nocchan’s body, causing her to glow* “I’ll do what I have to-” *Both step back from each other, charging their respective specials in an instant, and dash towards one another, looking to end this battle, here and now. The resulting clash of energies, a tremendous, and violent, explosion, is enough to knock out power for a few city blocks for a few minutes. In the darkness. Nocchan and Doppel struggle to their feet, both needing to lean on their weapons to remain upright. The surrounding lights flicker back to life and shine down upon them as they use what little energy they have to walk past each other and quietly declare...* “We’ll finish this...at the Final Fest...”

[cfcunofficialblog]

Chelsea 1 Man United 0 - Monday 13 March 2017 - FA Cup quarter final

A big, big game for us, on so many levels. A second return to the Bridge of Jose Mourinho, this time on the back of a few loaded comments, Jose being Jose, although the snipes aimed at Chelsea supporters was, to my mind, unnecessary given the unconditional support he has always enjoyed, and cultivated, from the vast majority of our support. But things, as well as Jose, move on, and here we are looking to book our place at Wembley for a crack at the FA Cup in the semi finals. But even before the arrival of Jose at United, games against them have always been something to look forward to.

There was a real buzz about the place, the whole of the south end of Stamford Bridge taken up by the red half of the local football supporting population, and a great atmosphere was in store. On that score, the evening didn't disappoint.

In the starting lineup were Courtois (wonder what Begovic thought of that?), with the usual back three of Azpilicueta, Luiz and Cahill. With Moses and Alonso in their familiar wide positions, Kante and Matic were holding the midfield. Up front were Willian and Hazard who were supporting Costa up top. On the bench were Begovic, JT, Zouma, Fabregas, Chalobah, Pedro and Batshuayi. 

Our visitors were fast out of the blocks but we were more than a match for their early eagerness, there was also an atmosphere to match, both sets of fans looking to raise our respective sides. But it was becoming pretty apparent that United’s aggressive tactics didn't just extend to their style of play, and the usual target, Eden Hazard, was feeling the weight of those red boots on the back of his legs more than anyone else.

And with quarter of an hour gone you could see why Hazard was getting all the unwelcome attention. With Cahill picking him out just inside the halfway line, he swivelled and totally mugged off Smalling as he ran round him leaving the United captain for dead. And it didn't end there, Hazard just kept on going, winding his way through their defence until his eventual shot was just wide. The resulting corner nearly found the back of the net too, as Cahill managed to get a foot on the end of a hard fought ball, his close range shot turned away by De Gea in goal.

We had the bit between our teeth, wave after wave of unrelenting pressure and shots on and off target, corners, the lot. Shame we didn't make more of that spell of pressure. Overall it was a pretty even game, but I felt that we had the better quality of chances so it was frustrating that we couldn't make it count.

The turning point and, arguably, the main talking point of the game came on 35 minutes when one of United’s many protagonists and their captain were spoken to by the ref Michael Oliver following yet another foul on one of our players, Hazard yet again. But like a rebellious child and within seconds of the warning Herrera stuck a leg out across Hazard and was immediately shown his second yellow. Scenes in front of the dugouts as the ref was surrounded by a sea of red as they were all feeling a bit hard done by. Pool old Mkhitaryan had to make way for the hair bear as our own erstwhile hirsute one took the free kick.

And it didn't end there; while play continued and Moses eventual shot sailed over the crossbar, Conte and Mourinho were exchanging a few well chosen words on the touch line as Oliver was called across to read them the riot act. Can't beat a bit of proper ‘passione’ on occasions like this! Half time 0-0.

Second half, no changes, as we kicked off against 10 red men. But as we often seem to do, we set off the second period on the front foot, looking to take the initiative. It took just 5 minutes to break the deadlock, Kante left in space just outside the box was all that was needed for him to plant a low shot into the corner of the goal, just out of reach of De Gea. If United thought our pocket dynamo posed no threat, with no need to close him down, then they had short memories. His only other goal this season came at the Bridge against the very same United in the league. Delirious scenes on and off the pitch, three sides of the ground celebrated the goal from our little genius. He’s here, he’s there.....

United’s backs were against the wall but they nearly got a quick one back when Rashford slipped past Luiz only for his shot to be brilliantly stopped by Courtois. The resulting corner handed us the perfect counter attacking opportunity as Kante streaked up the park. We didn't score, but our corner ball should have found the back of the net when Costa had a clear header on goal, only to see the ball fly into the Matthew Harding crowd. That chance really should have been buried!

Mourinho's big red bus was well and truly parked as we continued to try and break through, and around the sides. Wave after attacking wave, shot after shot, anyone with the ball at their feet and within range was having a go. All the travelling fans could do was sing to keep themselves entertained, fair play to them. It was all one way traffic, but the concern for me was that despite our superior possession, we weren't killing off the game, a single opportunity handed to United, a dodgy rebound off Fellaini's backside could see them back in the game. United were clearly frustrated, but all of their own making.

Into the last 10 minutes and Willian was replaced by Fabregas as we continued to try and put the game to bed. As the clock ticked by we seemed more content to accept and protect the one goal advantage. Zouma came on to replace the limping Moses as United had to throw caution to the wind to get back on terms before they ran out of time. But that just played into our counter attacking hands, De Gea having to save from Fabregas after we swiftly moved the ball from one end of the pitch to the other.

Our final change came in stoppage time as Costa pigeon stepped his way off the pitch to make way for Batshuayi. We did enough; the final whistle blew, safely sealing our place in the semi finals at Wembley, the draw bringing us a game against Spurs.

A dominant performance, in a game full of incident, but call me a conspiracy theorist but it looked to me as if Mourinho and his latest band of faithful disciples were intent on targeting Eden Hazard into submission. Was it personal? Thankfully it didn't work and United were ultimately punished with defeat.

Que Sera, Sera.....