#even if it is an alternate universe version

[hyper-lynx]

Here's a couple of my recommendations about this:

Quark contains a "Game Nerfs" feature that, if activated, can remove iron golem farming, make Mending more balanced, remove villager zombification trading exploits, and even disable boat ice roads if you want. There is even an option to make the Elryta only work in certain dimensions (i.e. the End) or disable it outright

For a modpack built around these challenges, I'd recommend the pack "Musketeer". I personally got bored in that pack eventually but it is a nice change of pace if you want a lile alternate universe vanilla-like experience.

I've also heard good things about the modpack "Reminiscence", which exists to emulate the feel of the beta versions of the game without sacrificing the game engine's improvements.

And, it may be worth looking into games outside Minecraft, like Vintage Story or Satisfactory.

"Minecraft needs to be rebalanced! It's too easy to get mending! It's too easy once you have elytra! All the challenges and bosses are optional!"

Yes. That's the point. That's GOOD actually. My little brother needs to be able to play minecraft as much as I can. It's a sandbox game, not an RPG. You can create difficulty and add challenge and modify files! Those are features in the game and regularly adjusted for just that purpose. But the base game is meant to be accessible and universal.

Especially when a lot of "content" comes in the form of professionals, people who earn a living being good at the game and have hours a day to put into it, our perspective is skewed. I love the hermits, but any time they say a farm "only took two hours" to build? I cringe. When hypixel pvp creators talk about how lame netherite makes vanilla gameplay, I sigh. And when someone complains that it's too easy to cheese a mechanic or obtain a villager trade I kind of want to scream.

It's easy *for you*. It's boring *for you*. It's not that it needs to change drastically, you just need to approach it differently. You have a moral objection to how "easy" it is to get a mending villager? Make the rule for yourself that you can only get mending from the loot table. You think elytra take the fun out of travel? Don't use it.

And before you say "well can't they just use accessibility features to make it easier?" NO. That's not the point of those features. Accessibility features that disable quicktime events or remove puzzles aren't to make a game easier, they're to make a game PLAYABLE. Accessibility features in minecraft are to disable view bobbing, change the visual distortions, add directional subtitles....things that make the game playable to people who need them.

Basically, please chill the fuck out about minecraft being easy. If it's too easy and you can't come up with a solution for that, maybe it's just not a game you enjoy playing. Download a mod pack or go play something different.

[tossawary]

Some part of me is desperately curious to see the alternative universe version of "classic" fandom shows and movies with female versions of male characters. Like, fanfiction is fucking great for that, don't get me wrong. I love a good M-to-F fic whether it's a cisgender bend or a transition story! Beautiful stuff. Stunning character work. But I still have a morbid curiosity regarding what the writers of canon would have done with even cisgender female versions of these characters, knowing that basically none of them can be fucking normal about women given what was done with the original female characters.

"AU in which Spock is a woman, but I try to write this shit from the benevolent-sexism-dunked headspace of a TOS writer!" "AU in which Castiel is in a female vessel from the beginning, but with 'Supernatural' canon-style writing quality!" "AU in which Naruto is a girl protagonist, but written with the same respect for motivations and development as the original female characters!" Horrifying. The fandom would've been a complete fucking nightmare. I kind of want to see that.

[wemlygust]

This is a great idea but also, if you get to the point where you discover your alternate dimension selves are all beetles, how do you even know they're alternate you's at all? Surely they can't have the same soul/consciousness as you, because you're together in the same dimension and thinking and feeling separately. Living separate lives, separate perspectives. If you die, you're gone; the existence of your alternate self doesn't mean you continue living in a literal sense, at least not in a way that is experience by you. Their brains and body-chemistry-influenced emotions/thoughts must be totally different. I'm assuming sentient beetles here, but they come from totally different evolutionary (or lab-made or whatever) lineages than the human one. Their eyes are probably so different from yours that if you could see our of theirs (or the beetle could see out of yours) you wouldn't even be able to interpret the data into an image; it'd just be chaotic and confusing. Especially if these are beetles with lots of eyes, who see colors we don't, or maybe they have an ability to detect really minute pressure changes in air in order to pick up motion around them without looking, and that wouldn't make sense to your brain either. Certainly not immediately. You don't have any of the same memories. I mean, I'd assume there are lynchpin simularities between your lives and personalities, but that these can vary wildly between each different version (as in Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse, for comparison). But like. What makes them an alternate version of you, specifically, vs. an entirely unrelated and separate being that happens to share a set of notable similarities with you? In an infinite universe, such similarities must exist infinitely often, no? Is the beetle you? I think maybe the beetle just occupies a more-or-less analogous role/position (or appearance, or set of lived experiences, or whatever) in life as you do by pure coincidence.

imagine if you teleported to a big multiversal hub of every version of you from every parallel universe and like 99.99% were just minor variations of some weird beetle alien and it turned out being a human made you one of the zany gimmick versions

[annetdragony]

Astarion Fan Conflict: How Trauma Begets More Trauma

Fandoms, by their very nature, should be spaces for creativity and the exchange of ideas. However, within the Astarion fan community, a war has broken out between supporters of two narratives. The fan wars between supporters of Spawn and Ascended Astarion are not just a debate about a fictional character. They are a mirror that reflects the universal mechanisms of group dynamics, trauma, and toxicity. Neither side is “better”: both use the same tools of violence, disguising them as the protection of “correct” morality.

---

The Psychology of Conflict: Why Do We Do What We Hate in Others?

1. Group Identification and Projection.

Spawn and Ascended fans create “tribes” around their versions of Astarion. His choice becomes part of their identity:

- Supporting the spawn is associated with empathy, healing, humanism.

- The choice of Ascension romanticizes strength, rebellion against sacrifice.

Criticism of the "foreign" camp is perceived as an attack on personal values, which triggers defensive aggression.

2. Binary thinking.

The conflict reduces a complex character to the dichotomy of "victim vs. tyrant". This simplification allows the participants in the dispute to feel moral superiority:

- "Spawn fans" accuse opponents of justifying abuse.

- "Ascended" call opponents weaklings, unable to accept the "true" nature of Astarion.

The game offers morally ambivalent choices, but in the fandom they are reduced to a black and white dichotomy:

- "Spawn = good",

- "Ascension = evil" (or vice versa).

This simplification erases nuances and dehumanizes those who think differently.

The reality is that both paths are part of a multifaceted narrative, where there is no single “correct” choice.

3. The cycle of trauma.

Many Ascended Astarion supporters, when faced with condemnation, adopt the behavior of their bullies:

- Rationalization: “They started it, we are just defending ourselves.”

- Demonization: “Anyone who is not with us is a hypocrite or a coward.”

The trauma of bullying does not give the moral right to respond in kind, but the group uses it as a shield to justify its own cruelty.

4. The echo chamber as a way to escape

Groups united by a common narrative position create closed systems where alternative opinions are declared “heresy.” This creates the illusion of moral superiority and justifies aggression: “We are defending the truth.” Often, the administration of such chats, groups and forums themselves contribute to the persecution of the "other" position, encouraging and supporting such behavior of the group. Sometimes even contrary to common sense and their own rules, which allow the adoption of any positions and methods of play.

5. Defending your own choice

The choice of the path of development of the history of Astarion lies with the player. This creates a situation in which the player, faced with sharp aggressive criticism of his choice, takes a defensive (and sometimes offensive) position: "My decision cannot be wrong!”

---

Negative consequences: why fan wars are dangerous.

1. Emotional burnout of participants

Constant conflicts exhaust even those who initially entered into discussions out of love for the character. Aggression generates anxiety, anger, and a sense of hopelessness.

2. Destruction of creative space

Authors who draw, write, or film content about the “unwanted” version of Astarion face harassment. This leads to:

- Self-censorship: people stop sharing their creativity out of fear.

- Simplification of content: complex interpretations are replaced by templates that please the majority.

3. Substitution of discussion with bullying and a split in the community

Instead of analyzing the moral dilemmas of the game, the community plunges into squabbles. Questions like “Is it possible to atone for a tyrant?” or “Where is the line between freedom and responsibility?” are replaced by the primitive “Who is to blame?”.

Instead of uniting around a love for a character, the fandom fragments into warring clans. There is no space for dialogue, where one could discuss, for example, how Astarion's arc reflects universal issues of power and freedom.

4. Mental Health Risks

Real people who have become targets of aggression may face:

- Anxiety disorders,

- Depression,

- Social isolation ("I was made out to be a monster for fan fiction").

5. Self-censorship due to fear

New members of the community avoid sharing their opinions, knowing that they will be "eaten" for the wrong ship or art. This kills creative freedom - the basis of any fandom.

6. Substituting empathy with hypocrisy

Statements like "We protect victims of abuse!" become a cover for toxic righteousness. In reality, the support comes down to slogans rather than helping real people who have suffered from bullying.

---

How to break the cycle?

1. Abandon binary thinking

Accept that the interpretation of a character does not determine the moral character of a fan. You can love Ascended Astarion and not justify abuse, as well as sympathize with the spawn without considering him a saint.

2. Separate criticism of ideas from attacks on the person.

Disputes about in-game choices should not degenerate into insults. The phrase "Your Astarion is a manipulator" ≠ "You are a manipulator."

3. Remember that there are real people behind the avatars

Toxicity online affects real lives. Before sending an angry comment, ask yourself: "Do I want to hurt someone who simply loves the game differently?"

4. Return to the essence of the character

Astarion is a tragic figure whose story raises questions of power, freedom, and healing. Arguments about it should expand the understanding of these topics, and not be reduced to mutual accusations.

5. Recognize that both sides are part of the same system

There are no "innocents" in a war where everyone takes revenge for pain. It is worth starting with the question: "Why am I so fiercely defending a fictional choice?"

6. Do not support the persecution that has begun and leave aggressively minded communities

Often, you personally cannot change anything because of the "position of the current government", which contributes to the outbreak of the conflict and consciously or unconsciously supports it. Take care of your nerves.

---

Result: The conflict of Astarion fans is not a battle between good and evil. It is a story about how pain and fear turn us into those we condemn. Perhaps now is the time to remember what the game itself teaches: even in a world full of darkness, you can choose dialogue instead of a dagger. This is not an argument about a fictional vampire. This is a mirror that reflects our own fears: being a victim, being misunderstood, losing control. But as long as we project these fears onto others, the fandom remains a battlefield, not a place where a sincere love for history is born.

---

PS. Sometimes it is extremely difficult to refrain from making a harsh statement towards an opponent. And I also often get into arguments, take other people's opinions and visions with hostility, and can be aggressive. My personal trauma, of course, does not justify me and my behavior, but the awareness of your own sore spots and the reasons for aggressive behavior is the first step to breaking out of the "circle of abuse".

Because this circle is generated not by Ascended Astarion, but by the fandom itself, and the living people who are part of it.

[summerbummin]

Seeing Janet in that alternate universe gave me Thoughts

That Janet is giving me absent minded history professor vibes who sometimes forgets she has a kid depending on her (like she’s loving when he’s there, but if he’s not in her line of sight he easily slips to the back of her mind)

Also Jack wasn’t there so I wish her a very happy divorce

[shurikensgang]

M's tail shot up too, taken by surprise and then looked at the alternate version of her mom.

To V, it would be like looking in a mirror. M had the same hair (Though a bit straighter), same eyes, even the same coat and leg markings. Although the difference was that M had glasses, wore a red crop top underneath (most likely from Lizzy) and black shorts.

"Hey Mo- I mean V. I'm kind of your daughter in another universe."

God damn she even sounded a lot like V.

Somebody stumbled out of the portal yet again.

She cursed as her glasses fell and she adjusted her coat.

She looked around half cautious, half curious.

"Where am I?"

(Hii Bat! :3)

@shurikensgang

(Hi Wolfe!)

It was the dead of night, and it was quiet, peaceful. With the sound of buzzing insects and a cool night's breeze.

She was just outside Sanctuaries wall, the footsteps of meandering gaurds reaching all the way to the bottom.

There's also a figure, sitting up an a roof, lit only by a flickering lantern, a cooler next to them.

[taffywabbit]

a different sort of hopping mammal than usual (for variety). and this one even comes with pockets, neato!

(expert aussie consultants have kindly informed me her posture is not NEARLY weird enough to facilitate proper kangaroo balance, so she's liable to tip onto her face at any moment and explode into one million pieces instantly. SAD. well, there are other critters)

[jorrated]

idk why sonic fans care so much about canon timelines. classic sonic is past sonic or an alternate version sonic? who gives a shit sonic canon is the definition of fuck it we ball have fun with your blue rat

[sergle]

There's something about like. A certain genre of posts / Online Opinions about insecurity/depression/misery/complaints that are so unhelpful that they wrap right around to being straight up hilarious. and it's the ones that are more or less written to the tone of "Feeling bad? That's gross!" Like, just so you know, don't voice your insecurities/ have low self esteem, because that's offputting! You're gross and weird. Don't be insecure about that, though. That would be stupid if you felt insecure about people disliking you for being insecure. Not attractive. You should be thinking about being as attractive as possible. You shouldn't make comments about suicide, even if you're suicidal! Keep those thoughts entirely to yourself. Make sure nobody around you knows you're thinking about this. It would Make Them Uncomfortable. It's better to keep these thoughts in your head where they can fester. Don't post OR talk to friends with complaints about you feeling miserable or depressed. Tbh people who are sad/upset a lot? Kinda a red flag! You are probably miserable because you're a bad person and you've brought this on yourself. If you don't have friends, it's because you're awful to be around. Easy! Solved the problem for you. And no, there is no nuance to this, got it? So, make sure to feel bad about feeling bad, but don't feel bad about it, because, well, that's just gross. And annoying! You might've wanted your brain rotted thoughts to be Peer Reviewed, you might have just needed to vent- you might've been hoping for some comfort, to get things off your chest. Well, don't! Don't talk about thoughts or feelings that are negative with your friends, you'd be burdening them and that's only meant for THERAPY. #SponsoredbyBetterHelp #MentalHealth like, DAMN. that's so helpful. you're so good at helping. I um really liked the part where these are all hard and fast rules that encourage keeping feelings bottled up and keeping your friends at arm's length. That's really funny of you.

[stacytea]

[starofthesea37]

Spider-Man in Gotham this Spider-Man in Gotham that, great. I love it. A lot. But I just watched an epic red room edit and I want Natasha Romanoff in Gotham please. And Yelena too. Gimme.

[rileys-battlecats]

If you were a warriored cat, what would your name be?

OOOOO that's a cool question!!! I think it would have Rye in it, since that's both a type of grain and my nickname. And if you wanna get into name meanings, Riley apparently comes from 'Reilly', meaning courageous/valiant. So, maybe Ryeheart?

BUT if we're going based purely on vibes, I also like how Ryewhisker sounds :P

[random-movie-ideas]

Weird to think that, in the Stargate universe, the History channel could have evolved in the exact same way it did for us, and yet, for them, it would still be teaching actual history.

[coquelicoq]

fmk is so hard because i never want to marry any of them. i get that that's how it works and i don't want to kill people either (or fuck them??? aroaceacidal represent ig) but marrying people even in the realm of thought experiments is so hard to wrap my mind around that it makes the game quite stressful. there is only one person i've ever wanted to marry and that person is fictional character meng zhi from nirvana in fire. from now on i am only playing fmk under the stipulation that he can be one of the three people.

[mylove-thresher]

What illegal downloads from sketchy websites and someone you miss leads to

[patchwork-crow-writes]

87 - Forsaken

(Inspired by these two pieces of Ralsei Fanart by @dailyralsei, depicting a version of the character where Kris and Susie never showed up. If you're a fan of the fluffy boy in all his forms, then definitely check their blog out, their artwork is amazing :D)

...I waited as long as I could.

All by myself, I waited. Patiently, devoutly, never once doubting the promise that was woven into my being. Soon my friends would be with me, and I wouldn't be alone anymore. So I waited, because that's what I thought I had to do. Because that's what I'd been told to do.

And I waited. And I waited. And I waited.

But you never came, did you?

My tears went unanswered, my screams swallowed by the darkness, wondering where I had gone wrong; had I not believed hard enough? Had I somehow been deemed unworthy of this purpose - the purpose, need I remind you, that I was created to fulfill?

But don't feel bad for me, okay? The time for that has long passed already.

Scrabbling in the dark all alone, I found a single, solitary light - a new purpose, for me and me alone. And I realised - what need have I for lightners now? To what end should I supplicate myself to such indifferent masters? The answers to all of my questions... only I could answer them, and only I could do what needed to be done.

Dear friends... that I might have once yearned to call you that. You were supposed to raise me up, and all you did was hurt me, without even knowing that I existed at all. But that's okay, isn't it? That's... just what friends do, and I was a fool to believe otherwise.

Because in this world... you can't rely on anybody except yourself.

______________________________

The Dark Menagerie No. 87

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