#game set analysis

[bluespring864]

Why tennis is such a mess sometimes. Some thoughts in light of the PTPA lawsuits.

These last days, with the news that the Professional Tennis Players Association is suing the governing bodies of tennis, I've seen all the takes from "why can't we just have a proper union" and "the PTPA has some good points but they're pushing their own agenda" to severe mistrust of the PTPA leading to straight up defending tennis governing bodies for all the things people on tumblr usually -rightfully! - give them shit for.

Most of us here are tennis fans just trying to have a good time, so if you've never really thought about the governing structures of tennis, that's very understandable in my book. I have, too often, because I see parallels with things I am familiar with in my own life. So I thought I'd share a few thoughts that might help understand the situation of professional tennis players and the structures that surround them better.

The first thing to be very aware of is that these players are self-employed and work in what's most often called an 'independent profession' and/or a 'liberal profession'. What that means is that a) they are their own boss, often at a very young age, cover all their expenses themselves, manage their finances, accept responsibility for mistakes, and employ their teams and can hire and fire them at will and b) their profession is not regulated, which means that (in theory) any old idiot can become a professional tennis player, you don't need a degree or an apprenticeship or anything else to call yourself a professional tennis player.

Now if you are self-employed, you are encouraged (and depending on the legal system of the country you are registered in) to a certain extent obliged to find your own clients - and i mean clients in the plural here, because if you only work for one client, you might be guilty of what's called "bogus self employment", i.e. you are behaving like an employee and thus should be employed by your client, who then e.g. needs to pay social benefits (insurance, pensions etc.) on your behalf.

Already you can see that this is different for tennis players. There are several organisations a tennis player works for, so to speak, - the Slams, the Tours (ATP and WTA), the ITF - but they aren't competing with each other or contracting you for the same thing. Rather, they have the market divided amongst themselves and each have their own "product" (Slams, tour level tournaments, Davis Cup events...). The only organisation that comes to mind that is to a certain extent competing with them (but also not really) is UTS which calls itself "the world's newest tennis league." Tennis players can't really pick and choose and e.g. only play Slams or only play on the Tour, which is due to the ranking system which these organisations share. To a certain extent the governing bodies seem to notice (or maybe have been pressured into noticing) that this is a problematic situation, what with e.g. the WTA recently announcing paid maternity leave for their players. (Important to note here is that while this situation is certainly problematic, for various reasons I personally think it wouldn't necessarily be desirable to have tennis structured more like a free market, but that is a discussion for another post.)

Now, a second thing which is different in tennis than in most independent professions is the way the players' interests are represented. Before the PTPA, there was no independent association that spoke for some or all of the players, which is highly unusual considering professional tennis has been around for over half a century at this point. The liberal professions I am familiar with all got organised very early on in their existence to form at least one, usually several, professional associations where membership is not mandatory (because, as stated above, this is not a regulated profession, unlike e.g. lawyers or architects who have to become members of a Bar Association or a Chamber) and which does lobbying on behalf of the profession and defends the members' interests and the interests of the profession at large.

Now there's a lot of things you can and should criticise about the PTPA, but you should also keep in mind that it was literally founded less than five years ago, and now is acting in an environment where tennis governing bodies were used to being able to do what they wanted without proper players' representation and are therefore by default hostile to many things the PTPA has to say (This is a silly metaphor, but imagine you have always been allowed to decorate a place yourself, because you own it. Now, however, all the people who actually live in this space suddenly say things like: 'The colour of the wall is hurting my eyes' and 'No, you have to get rid of this chair because it's uncomfortable' etc. etc. This is more or less what's happening to these organisations at the moment.) And if you're wondering how hostile and afraid of this development the governing bodies are: the ATP removes eligibility for pension benefits and player council participation for players who are members of the PTPA or support the PTPA. Which is a quite scandalous and probably illegal thing to do, in my opinion. That part at least should be an easy lawsuit to win.

Hm, what about these players' councils then, you may ask? Well, yes, these exist, and the players elect their representatives. But the fact that the ATP one is called "Players' Advisory Council" already tells you a lot about how much actual influence they have over where the sport is going. The players are consulted, nothing more.

Now I have lots thoughts about the PTPA lawsuits and all the topics that are discussed there but I still haven't had time to read them in detail. If anyone is interested, that will become a topic for another post. For now, I hope this post was at least a bit helpful if you've been asking yourself 'What the hell is going on here.'

To recap: Tennis resembles a liberal profession but has far more rigid structures and less market competition than you would usually expect in such a profession. Tennis players are independent workers and thus should organise to defend their own interests, which has not been the case until very recently.

[chronurgy]

Gortash designs and builds mechanisms so I imagine he has to be able to sketch fairly decently in order to sketch his projects and designs. And I'm imagining a pile of charcoal sketches of Durge, done over their entire acquaintance, starting out with sketches of them in battle and then slowly becoming more detailed and intimate and as they do, the titles changing from things like "The Bhaalspawn" and "Bhaal's Chosen at Their Bloody Work" to "The Chosen in Contemplation" and finally just Durge's name

[firstkil]

haymitch having to address 4 different deaths for each district on his victory tour. can anybody hear me. haymitch likely having to play the narrative that the deaths of his family were mysterious unsolved murders and to even make it so, partake in the humiliation ritual of public funerals held within the capitol. haymitch having to keep distance from the other victors because he really is a killer and cannot face it. 47 faces and 47 graves dug all because of him. is this thing on. haymitch being forced to mentor tributes he likely knew as classmates or school peers for the first few years of his victory. can you hear me do you understand !!!! haymitch having his games pulled from every possible outlet and blacklisted because of the shocking nature and traitorous way of his win. haymitch likely facing so much scorn amidst all the grief just for surviving. just for making it back home.

[instantpansies]

life is hard for us oz fans who are only meh about wicked. have half a meme.

[citrusai]

i don't wanna knock on bioware's crew or w/e but damn maybe you guys shouldn't have fired half your fucking production team and left the game partially unfinished just to beat an arbitrary deadline thinking you can compete with larian cause you got mad fans were showering bg3 with love. but whateveerrrrr

[sherwood-scribblings]

HUNGER GAMES (SUNRISE ON THE REAPING) THEORIES: the "sunrise" over the reaping is maysilee

I have been going so absolutely bats off the wall ever since the SOTR announcement that I spent a whole day formulating my theories into in-depth essays and backing them up with canon... here ya go.

So, after some analysis of everything we know about the saga, chapter 14 of Catching Fire, and how Collins writes so far...

I present my theory on the new hunger games book: that the "sunrise" over the reaping is symbolic of Maysilee Donner, the former owner of the mockingjay pin.

I think Maysilee is going to be a symbol of the goodness, kindness, light, etc, of humanity, in the face of the reaping, in the face of violence and war. Aka the theme of the entire series. Aka a symbol of defiance just like Lucy Gray and her kindness. I mean, losing all his metaphorical light is what causes Haymitch to become a drunk... And likely to become so protective over Katniss and Peeta.

I also think the cover is going to have a mockingjay and a sunrise. Cause, Suzanne Collins is VERY intentional about her titles. The themes she uses. The imagery. The covers. It's all part of the story.

HOW COLLINS HAS USED THEME BEFORE

TBOSAS was called "songbird and snakes" which was symbolic of the nature of good vs. evil.

There's essays everywhere about how the songbird represents good (in Lucy Gray) and how the snake represents evil (in Coriolanus Snow), how they are symbolically shown to have both natures by using both snakes and songbirds as weapons, but one nature ultimately prevails. TBOSAS is about the struggle between humanity's two natures, and how we can ultimately prevail in one or the other. The crest of the mockingjay and the snake, is symbolic of said theme. 

Songbirds represent everything Lucy Gray is—free, wild, untamed, kind, colorful, a singer, a performer, honest and moral and true and good.

Snakes represent everything Coriolanus Snow is—deceptive, cunning, ruthless, adaptable, charming, determined to survive, everything sly and wicked and game playing.

And yet, they are shown to have the inverse as well. Lucy Gray is also cunning, and deceptive, and determined to survive. Coryo is also caring (about certain people), honest (he's bad at lying, and in THG he agrees to never lie to Katniss), and enjoys the idea of freedom.

They wield both natures and this struggle is portrayed throughout the story. Hence: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Hence: a snake and a bird on the cover.

Suzanne Collins is also no stranger to complimentary characters.

Lucy Gray and Snow are inverses of each other, both similar and wildly different. They work well... Until the difference in their nature tears them apart. 

She makes use of complimentary characters to emphasize theme throughout her books, constantly. We see with Katniss and Peeta, how Katniss is war-torn, distrusting, afraid, how easily she could become like Snow, how her motivations for security could become corrupted into a ruthlessness to survive just like Snow was driven by his fear. She is difficult, jaded, and tormented, but underneath that she does have a heart of gold and wants goodness to prevail.

Peeta is her dandelion in the spring, her hope, representative of the goodness left in humanity, he seems soft but he is a lot stronger than his peers would think or give him credit for. She clings to him because in a world of darkness he serves as light, as a reminder that not everyone is selfish, that kindness and morality do exist even if she's inclined to think people just are out for themselves.

He is full of light and her darkness falls for that because she needs light and goodness to heal, to believe, to fight for.

He is her compliment, where she is afraid, a survivor and a fighter, and sometimes rude or selfish seeming, and struggles to show her emotions and how much she cares, more like Haymitch—

Peeta is kind, brave, soft, and charming, has a way with people's hearts, and yet also strong in his own ways and in his morals, determined not to let the capitol force him to lose his humanity. 

This nature of humanity, of goodness, of light, is reflected in other characters.

Prim is that role to Katniss as well. She is a soft girl, innocent, sensitive, tender hearted, kind, a healer, which is part of why Katniss loves her so much.

Prim is a reminder of humanity, which Katniss needs, and it's why Katniss chooses Peeta over Gale. Prim is also contrasted against Katniss. Rue likewise, is similar, she's a symbol of hope and kindness set against Katniss.

We see this utilization of complimentary characters all over— Haymitch and Effie, one being a crude yet intelligent and snarky arrogant tormented and drunken victor from District 12, the other being a prim and proper rich Capitol girl, airheaded, brainwashed, sheltered, yet endearing and caring all the same. They're polar opposites, but they work so well together, both as teammates and as friends. There's a reason the fandom ships them and sees them as the beer uncle and wine aunt of THG, as parental roles to Katniss and Peeta.

Suzanne Collins knows what she's doing. She knows how to write characters that compliment or parallel each other and how to weaponize symbolism and imagery for a powerful theme. (Katniss and Peeta, Lucy Gray and Snow, Haymitch and Effie, Katniss and Prim, Prim and Rue, Katniss and Snow, Rue and the mockingjay, Snow and Coin)

HOW THIS APPLIES TO SUNRISE ON THE REAPING

If she describes young Haymitch as arrogant, snarky, nonchalant, dangerous, smart, capable, etc... Maysilee is likely gonna be his compliment: kind, moral, gentle, soft, willing to call his more selfish means out.

She's the one who saves him and had the idea for the alliance. She's the one who split because she didn't want it to come down to killing each other.

I am convinced the reason Haymitch sets up Peeta and Katniss to work together as teammates from district 12, is because he did that with Maysilee.

He's doing what him and Maysilee failed to do. They agreed to break off the alliance, and look what happened. She died. Why do you think he's so insistent on Katniss and Peeta working together? That Peeta is keeping her alive, that she doesn't deserve him, that she should be more grateful?

Because he sees Maysilee in Peeta, and himself in Katniss. Haysilee (regardless of if they're a ship or platonic) is a gender reversed parallel to Everlark. Perhaps he's harder on Katniss because he sees himself in her, and kinder to Peeta because he sees Maysilee in him. For all we know, Haysilee could have even incited their own rebellion that the capitol snuffed out (suzanne said the main theme of SOTR was essentially propaganda and lies, covering up the truth for the masses).

MAYSILEE IS SOFT LIKE MADGE & PRIM

Further on why I think Maysilee will be a soft sunshine girl—because her niece, MADGE, is exactly that. Golden haired, kind, softened. Selfless. Everything the capitol tries to destroy. Everything the capitol sees as rebellion.

Madge likely got her soft nature from her mom or her aunt (Maysilee), who are twins. They also all have sunshine golden hair.

It's essentially implied Madge is like her aunt.

And guess what? Prim is a blond soft girl and it's implied she's like HER mom, who was close friends with Maysilee.

Katniss' mom was also a soft girl before the trauma shut her down. Clearly Prim gets her own sunshine healer nature from her mother, because Katniss is more is rugged and protective like her father. She fills in for protecting them when he dies, and even notes her mom is too soft and fragile to deal with certain hardships the way Katniss does.

If Katniss' mother is friends with Maysilee, not to mention their daughter and niece are both soft healer kind sunshine girls who seem to take after the rest of their family.... It's likely that Maysilee is like Prim and Madge. Birds of a feather flock together and all. Of course they would bond.

MAYSILEE IS A SYMBOL OF LIGHT

Here's more on why I think the sunrise is Maysilee. 

Madge gave the mockingjay pin to Katniss, from Maysilee. SHE WAS THE FORMER OWNER OF THE MOCKINGJAY PIN. THE WHOLE REASON THE REVOLUTION STARTED.

Maysilee is another form the mockingjay takes. Just like Lucy Gray, just like Rue—a symbol of hope and resistance. A tribute from District 12, so determined not to let the capitol change her true nature, to take her humanity and morals, that it lights the spark to create a fire.

Do you think Haymitch looks at Katniss, and sees Maysilee's pin? Do you think he sees the mockingjay prevail in the face of the reapings, and all he can see is her?

"Sunrise on the reaping" is a symbolic title. This is Suzanne Collins. This is how she writes. 

"A ballad of songbirds and snakes" summarizes the themes of that book, the nature of good vs evil. Lucy Gray is the songbird, Snow the snake.

"Sunrise on the reaping" translates to light, hope, new beginnings, in the middle of war and violence. 

Collins said this book was going to focus on propaganda, how the media LIES to people, puts them in the dark for easy submission, to not see the truth.

You know what you need to illuminate the darkness of a lie? To see anything at all, including the truth?

Light. You need the sun. A sunrise.

Real or not real? How do you see what's real if you don't have the light to see it by?

Sunrise ON the reaping. Not over. ON. 

A sunrise casts light ON the reaping. On the violence of the capitol.

Kindness and hope casts light on the bleak violence and darkness of the capitol. Our humanity is the one true form of resistance. It's the main theme of the series.

This book is going to be about casting light on lies and darkness. On the capitol. The book will be about light prevailing over darkness.

About kindness and hope being the truth that acts as defiance against violent propaganda. Against Snow's beliefs that "there is no hope for humanity, we are all dark and twisted."

This book will be the inverse of Snow and Gaul, of TBOSAS. If Ballad is about how humanity can fall into darkness and evil, Reaping is its compliment, it's about how humanity can be light and good.

All darkness -> light exists -> fire sparks

(Ballad)              (Reaping)        (Catching Fire)

(@ aurynauthor on Instagram summarized that for me<3)

Maysilee is the sun, the warmth to start a FIRE... Her niece gives Katniss, the girl on fire... Her mockingjay pin. 

Maysilee, perhaps, is the true mockingjay.

Katniss compares her death to Rue's, when she watches Haymitch's games. We thought Rue was the mockingjay, but... What if the mockingjay isn't just one person? What if the mockingjay is a symbol, something larger than life, something anyone with the kindness and heart and resistance to stand against evil can be? Like how Katniss and Peeta publicly honor and mourn their fallen tributes when they ought to be entertained alongside the capitol, who is aghast by such displays of emotion.

Maybe that light is some of what the capitol is covering up with propaganda in this book, but it escaped in the form of the pin and Haymitch's survival.

The mockingjay is everyone. Lucy Gray, Rue, Katniss... Maysilee.

Perhaps when Haymitch sees that pin on Katniss, he remembers. When the mockingjay becomes a symbol of resistance, when Maysilee's sunlight sparks the heat for a flame... Perhaps then Haymitch can understand why Maysilee saved him. Why he was the one to survive, and she was the martyr.

How her legacy and her pin lived on even after she faded from history, just like the mockingjay bird itself—small and insignificant, survived against all odds, becoming something stronger.

Maybe, even after her death, even when he forgets the good she taught him and he gets drunk to block out the memories of what happened afterwards, when he has to train up a girl with a mouth of fire and a mockingjay pin, and a boy with a heart of gold and the wits to survive, District 12 tributes, teammates, children he sees someone else in...

Even after the truth of what really happened on the 50th Hunger Games is lost to history and propaganda. Even after all the death and violence.

After all the darkness, the lies Snow preaches, that humanity will always fall into selfishness and survival and cruelty, that nothing and no one can prevail or be different.

Maybe Maysilee and her kindness was the sunrise on his reaping.

[xxplastic-cubexx]

after finally playing scarlet witch long enough to get this icon ive decided that you really have to love wanda to get this icon

anyway Bonus cause Heh....... Fam.....

[bliss-in-the-void]

This is so meta but I can’t help but feel like the main story of Jujutsu Kaisen was Satoru, Suguru, and Shoko’s story. Think about the set-up.

You have Shoko, who has the most important cursed technique in the universe. She can bring people back from the brink of death. Her whole purpose is to heal and support other sorcerers.

You have the anomaly that is Suguru, a Curse Manipulator (one of the most powerful techniques to have) that comes from a non-sorcerer family. He was just born out of the blue with a special-grade technique?! That’s crazy.

And then you have Satoru, who was born with Limitless and the Six Eyes, a feat so rare that he shifted the entire balance of the universe.

I truly believe that they were supposed to complete that Star Plasma mission successfully—you’re telling me the Six Eyes and a Curse Manipulator wasn’t enough to protect the vessel? That’s crazy.

If you think about it, the person who shifted the balance wasn’t Satoru. It was Toji.

He couldn’t use Jujutsu and yet had a Heavenly Restriction so powerful that he was able to easily overpower the two strongest sorcerers of the modern era, resulting in literally every calamity that follows that event.

That whole thing just makes it feel like the events of JJK 0 and the main story following Yuuji are some sort of dark timeline in which the worst-case scenario plays out because of Toji successfully ruining the Star Plasma mission.

That’s why I’m afraid of the ending to this story. To me, it seems like Gege is telling the story of what happens when it all goes wrong.

[homocidalpotat]

Charged armour | Ember armour | Frost armour

I love this set!! It represents the three dragons Farosh, Dinraal and Naydra. It would be so cool if they added a Light armour and Demon armour for Zelda and Ganondorf's dragons too.

I find it so frustrating that you can only use them in their individual climates, but they don't do anything to protect you from those intense climates. If I was to wear the complete Frost armour in the snow I would quickly start to freeze. To improve them, I would give them minimal boosts for their climates so that they are easier to use without just being a better version of the Rito, Rubber and Gerudo/Goron armours.

[mdawgswizzleinthehizzle]

sometimes i wake up by the door…

that heart you caught must be waiting for you…

even now when we’re already over…

i can’t help myself from looking for you…

Set Fire to the Rain ~ Adele

[rambles-on-dragon-age]

Varric doesn't give you the nickname Rook, your whole faction calls you Rook. It makes no sense to give you a faction specific last name and then your faction doesn't even use it, but yeah.

Hi hi!

This will be a bit of a ramble, sorry.

Varric, as a character, gives nicknames to those he's around for any length of time. (Solas is Chuckles, Merrill is Daisy, Vivi is Iron Lady, etc. Very few people in close contact with him will escape earning a moniker. I can go on about how I think it's one of his ways of telling people he sees them, but I digress.) The player character has been traveling with him for a year/the better part of a year. Varric would have definitely given them a nickname in that time. (Honestly it shocks me Harding doesn't have one by now but maybe he tried and she shut that down like Aveline once did lol) When you're putting out your things in the Lighthouse one of them is his shaving mirror and you have a moment of reflection about what he said when he hands it to you. There's also the whole time where he's giving you advice and guides you (IYKYK) and it's clear he means a lot to a Rook and they're close.

That is to say, no matter what faction you were with, you left in disgrace. You broke some code the higher ups held dear, messed up well laid plan, ignored orders to save people, etc. You didn't "fit the bill" for your faction and were summarily "adopted" by Varric to help in his hunt for Solas. Those things that made you a bad fit for your original faction? Made you perfect for what he's doing. A good person that doesn't let the potential costs stop them; they see what needs to happen to help people and will run head first into it and manage to figure a way through the most fucked up situations possible.

When you first meet Neve, you're introduced as Rook. "Like the chess piece?" Yes! One of the most powerful pieces on the board, "but tends to think in straight lines". Which becomes evident in all our shenanigans as Rook through the game. Rook's ability to claw their way through the worst situations and be flexible and creative means that Solas wouldn't be able to predict them or what they'll do. Which turns out to be right; he doesn't expect you to drop a statue on him in the middle of a massive ritual. Rook saw only "this ritual needs to stop NOW" and found a way, no matter the consequences.

I didn't hear that dialogue my first game, though, because I did my first run as a Shadow Dragon. Neve doesn't comment on the naming convention because instead Varric says you both do work with the Shadow Dragons and she just skims past the naming convention to say "Oh, what a coincidence." You are still introduced as Rook at first; it's not until later when you're in the Lighthouse where you can have the conversation that you've heard of each other even though you've never worked together.

Because even if I've worked in the group beside you under the same boss for 20 years, if you're introduced to me as "Rook" instead of "_____ Mercar" I'm not going to know who you are. It's not until later, probably while you're unconscious and she has a chance to speak to Harding, that she says she knows who you are. (Based on what Bellara says when you find her in the forest, you've been out cold for two or three days. Can you imagine what our detective figured out in two or three days?)

All that to say, if "Rook" was given to you by the Shadow Dragons, Neve would have said "Oh! I heard of a Rook." instead of just "Oh! What a coincidence we're both Shadow Dragons." She doesn't comment on who you are and what you've done until later when you have a chance to talk to her in the Lighthouse.

And throughout the game, you continue to be introduced as Rook. Even if you started as another faction, if you're written a letter about "Rook" and not your real name, why would anyone know who Rook is until they meet and go "Oh this lil shit right here. I know this asshole."

[arecaceae175]

LU Smiling Compilation: Wild

Total smile count: 84

Current position: Tied for 2nd of 8 (Twilight, Time and Wild, Wind, Warriors, Hyrule, Sky, Legend, Four)

Projected position (based on this poll): Tied for 4th

(Four, Hyrule, Legend, Sky, Time, Twilight, Warriors, Wild, Wind)

Image credits to @linkeduniverse!

[puhpandas]

the thing is that I literally love the idea of 3 star fam never wanting to go back to the pizzaplex and not feeling any sense of duty for what goes on there once they're free and just. only doing the mimic trapping and that's it and letting Cassies dad (if they even knew about him) do all the dirty work mimic duty of setting up mxes and they just finished it once he died but like. are they going to TREAT it like that.

would they treat it like 3 star being desperate to live normally and wanting nothing to get away from everything freddys but until they end things for good, as the only people left who can, and a reason that they HAVE to go back with cassie being manipulated by mimic, theyll never be truly free and they have to face their fears/abuser to achieve that, but their absence was purposeful this whole time because of them wanting nothing more than to be involved, or are they just not going to touch on it and their absence will feel random and meaningless and Cassies dad important for no reason without that 3 star characterization and itll be mid

[hanzajesthanza]

about to say fuck it and just let angouleme say whatever the hell comes to my mind and tongue.

"look what the cat dragged in" is a real saying, so why can't she say some other real sayings.

[triglycercule]

so like something something horror keeps on not eating as mtt are traveling around and then he ends up either taking a shit hit that incapacitates him for a bit or crashing out around food or becoming really lethargic or just in general passing the fuck out

neither dust nor killer mention it (because why should they its not their business) until it ends up getting them almost killed and now goddamn it horror your refusal to acknowledge your own issues and self hatred and guilt is making all of you now have to deal with it 😒😒😒😒 thanks a lot man,,,,,,

anyways something something horror actually has to start eating now or trying to get better because it would really be nice if they didn't have to keep on lugging him around like a suitcase because he's a glass cannon 🧡 mtt on their way to ignore each other's issues unless it inconveniences them

[prontaentrega]

something i really like about funger 1 is that the dungeon of fear and hunger is just there and people have to get in by themselves. in funger 2 the characters are unwillingly pulled into termina but in the first game they just chose to do that