#i have a script that gives me a loot chest every time i complete an advancement

[astyrra]

hey how come when you make minecraft give you every advancement it does it one at a time

[giftofwonder]

Cirque de Yuuie - MHA Various x f!Reader

A/N: Hey guys! So this is going to be a multi-part series of one shots. Each part will be a different character. There might be smut, we’ll see what happens. This is the introduction to the plot and characters. Some characters might have multiple parts as well. Let me know if you want anyone specific and also if you’d like to be added to their tag list! Also, let me know what you think! Feedback is always appreciated.

Intro

Your eyes cracked open, taking in the deep midnight hues that were cast over your room. Pale moonlight bathed everything in a faint glow.

You shifted, rolling to look at the clock on your bedside table. You groaned, pushing yourself up to sit on the edge of your bed and turned toward your open window. You could hear the boisterous chatter from the streets below. A cool breeze swept in and danced along your heated skin, and you welcomed it with closed eyes and a soft sigh.

Each night you found yourself waking up restless and antsy, unsettled. You’d sit in the confines of your room, and then dress and make your way to the tavern across the road. Tonight was no different.

Your tired limbs trudged across the cobblestone, pushing through drunken bodies that reeked of liquor and sweat.

You grunted as you pushed open the heavy oak door, finding it just as congested as outside. Bodies littered the room heavily, the music and laughter so loud it left your ears ringing. You weaved through the empty spaces and took a seat on a stool by the bar.

“The usual?” You heard a voice called out.

You glanced up, locking eyes with the bar tender as you gave a faint smile and nod.

A glass was slid in your direction a few seconds later, and you wondered if he’d already had it ready for you. You figured that must be the case, it was routine at this point.

“No luck sleeping again, huh?” He said, leaning across the counter as you nursed your drink.

“Afraid not, seems like this is becoming my normal.” You gave a dry laugh, trying to offer up something lighthearted.

“Seems like it. Something troubling you?” His head cocked to the side.

“Just the usual, nothing too bad.” You said, shifting your glass around in your hand.

“Come on now, you waltz in here every night and drink, people with problems that aren’t too bad don’t find themselves perched on one of my stools this often.” He whispered, his gaze intense as he inched across the counter toward you. His hushed voice was lost in the roars of the crowd around you, but you could hear him clear as day.

He wasn’t wrong. You had to give him that. The cluster of people surrounding you dispersed as groups made their way to exit back to the street.

Mummers still resounded around the room, but in the now much quieter atmosphere, you felt yourself relaxing. You leaned forward, propping your elbows against the chipped counter and braced your cheek in your palm.

“I just feel...I don’t know...an overwhelming amount of disinterest in my life. I wake up, I work hard and long days, I come home, eat and bathe and sleep. It’s a never-ending cycle that I’m doomed to repeat each and every day. It all just feels so lackluster.” You said, your voice soft as your eyes gazed at nothing.

“Well, that is quite the conundrum. Might I ask, why don’t you just do something else?” He quipped back with a grin.

“If only it were that easy.” You sighed, eyes slowly drifting back to him.

“Isn’t it, though?” He asked, a mischievous gleam in his eye.

“Is it?” You asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

“Hear me out, I’m no stranger to a hard days work by any means, but I like what I do.” He shrugged.

“Making drinks?” You pressed.

“No, I watch people. Get to know them, help them sometimes. You work in a pub and you meet a lot of people, hear a lot of stories. People get a bit of alcohol in them and suddenly their lips become uncontrollably loose.” He chuckled.

“So you’re nosy, then?” You spat back, a smile turning the corners of your lips.

“I prefer curious, it sounds much more pleasant.” He offered.

He turned and grabbed an envelope from behind him and slid it across the counter to you. It was unmarked, other than the intricate wax seal holding it closed.

“What’s this?” You asked, taking it and inspecting the “CdY” ingrained in the seal.

“A chance to escape.” He shrugged, and then leaned back abruptly, hands grasping glassware and a towel to polish the crystals surface.

“What do I owe you?” You asked, standing and grabbing your coin purse.

“Nothing. This ones on me.” He waved his hand.

“Well, thank you. I appreciate it. By the way, what is your name?” You asked, tucking the envelope into your pocket.

“Shinso, now get out of here and go off to do whatever it is you do when you stumble out of here each night.” He called, waving his rag at you. You smiled at the mirth lighting his eyes, offering a wave as you turned and made your exit.

______________________________________

You plopped onto your small wicker chair, it’s grooves lining up with your back perfectly, molded to your body after the countless hours you had spent hunched over in this seat.

Calloused fingertips reached to caress a fine silk that you’d never be able to afford. You pulled it to you, laying it across the table ahead and dug the patterns for a dress from the chest beside you at your feet.

You were a seamstress, and a fairly popular one. Women and men from both high and low society sought you out to tailor and craft their garments.

You had stitched an amazing collection of clothing, from simple gowns to the most intricate of pieces. Your customers had often boasted about your work, that you were able to create anything.

Until recently, you had been doing fairly well for yourself. You had purchased a home of your own, a massive feat for an unwed woman, especially one in her early twenties.

In the last six months, that had changed though. There had been civil unrest, looting and fighting at the capital. The local government had pushed back, increasing taxes heavily. With that blow came another, a new tailoring business on the other side of town. It offered cheap labor, using children from the orphanage as virtually free hands. The turn around was quick, much faster than the length of time it took you to produce a garment. But the quality was terrible. They used cheap labor and cheaper materials.

The first time you had seen their work, you had laughed till tears brimmed your eyes. However, the quick production and cheap cost had ended up hitting you hard. While the wealthy had no issue having you fashion something for them, most everyone else had flocked to them. It wasn’t terribly hard to do a simple stitch. To take in a gown or a suit. Suddenly, you found yourself praying for work as the jobs got fewer and fewer.

Meanwhile the heightened taxes left your coin purse extremely light. You hadn’t struggled like this in a very long time.

You finished the silken garment, folding it delicately over your arm as you took it over to the rack to hang.

Once hung, you patted off your apron and felt the crinkling of the forgotten envelope tucked in your pocket. You pulled it out, fingers dipping into the paper to tear it open. The red of the invitation was so bright, a high quality velvet lined in gold trim. You then wondered the status of your friendly barkeep, but chalked it up to his large amount of connections. Surely, a drunken man could be persuaded into giving an invitation in exchange for a free round.

Your eyes scanned along the paper, reading the fancy script that outlined the details of the event. You scoffed as you made your way back to your chair, shaking your head as the invitation was tossed onto your table.

A few moments passed before you picked it back up and read over the card again.

______________________________________

Your heels clicked against the pavement as you approached the large gate before you. You were in a state of awe at the lights and music making the night feel alive.

You stopped at the ticket booth, met with a disgruntled employee who looked half asleep. His thick yellow quilt was pulled taunt around his body and his hollow eyes stared at you with something akin to annoyance.

“Welcome to “Cirque de Yuuie”, admission is ¥220.” His bored voice stated monotonously.

“Oh...I actually have an invitation.” You said, giving a weak smile.

He held your gaze for a moment before he quirked a brow, his eyes scanning over you before he gave a sigh and a shrug.

“Alright, give it here.” He held out his pale hand, and you gently placed the invite in his palm.

He quickly pressed a stamp to your hand and shooed you away, so you turned and entered in through the gate.

______________________________________

You had wandered around the grounds for a while, but saw no familiar faces. It was odd, not even children were present. The cost had been rather high to enter, perhaps it was an adults only event.

After you had completed your lap, you were not too far from the entrance to the large tent in the center of the area. Red and white fabrics were draped beautifully, tied off with an intricately woven gold banding.

As you went to step forward, a large wooden pole cut in front of you, you gasped, your head shooting up to find a cheerful looking clown above.

“Whoops! S’cues me miss! Almost stepped on ya there!” He laughed, his painted lips opening to reveal his bright smile.

“Oh, no I’m sorry! I was enthralled by everything and wasn’t paying attention.” You waved him off.

“Ah don’t worry about it, it’s a beautiful night, and the tent looks great! I’ve been distracted by it myself! The names Mirio, by the way.”

“Y/N, it’s nice to meet you.”

He nodded and stepped to make his way off back into the crowd.

“HEY WAIT!” You heard a loud voice call out, and not a moment later, two more clowns turned the corner. One with green hair raced along side a blonde with large sunglasses and a lightening-shaped black streak in his hair. They were tailed by a very awkward and scared looking mime who ran behind them silently looking like he was going to be sick.

“Come on, Amajiki! Hurry up!” The blonde clown yelled behind him, causing the mime to flinch and pick up the pace. You laughed at their antics, they were definitely a good source of entertainment.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THIS IS YOUR ANNOUNCER: PRESENT MIC, PLEASE GATHER TO THE MAIN TENT AS THE FESTIVITIES ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN.....YEAAAHHH!!!!” A loud voice blared through the speakers overhead.

You pushed through the gathering crowd, entering through the fabric doorway. The ceilings were vaulted, and you were amazed by how large it seemed inside.

Chatter broke out amongst those around you as you passed a sign that read “Yuuie’s Spectacular Freak Show!”

You followed the corridor, peering in the labeled rooms as you passed by.

“Strongest Men Alive! All Might and Red Riot!” Inside the room were two muscular men. The blonde man was tall, looming over the crowd as he smiled and flex. The redhead was laying on a bed of nails, and a crazed looking woman with pink hair walked across him while he looked on unfazed.

“One Body- Two Men! Twice!” A man sat, arguing with himself, the crowd would call out questions and he’d answer two opposing ways, often breaking out into an argument. The crowd giggled and taunted as he yelled seemingly to himself.

“The Vampire: Toga!” Your stomach twisted as you watch the girl give a cat-like grin and chug a vial of blood. Shackles held her to her spot but she called out to the audience, telling them to come closer and let her have a drink.

“Invisible Girl: Toru!” You blinked at the empty room, rolling your eyes as you pushed past to the next stall.

“Frog Woman: Tsuyu!” A girl in a green dress crouched in a pool, her long tongue falling from her mouth as her large hand gave a wave. You couldn’t help but notice her webbed fingers and the faint croaks.

“Worlds Largest Woman: Mt Lady!” An insanely large woman sat on her knees, smiling and chatting with the audience. She was beautiful, but had to be at least 9’ tall.

“World’s Largest Man: Fatgum!” A very large man sat in the center of the room smiling and waving as he let children drift into his stall and eat from the various sweets lining the table beside him. Though the adults around you spoke insults quietly, you couldn’t help but think the man looked very kind. You smiled softly at the sight of a child hugging him in thanks before returning to their mothers side.

“Bird-Man: Hawks!” A young man laughed loudly, his beautiful red wings flapping as he gave a slight show to those who watched. Many looked on in awe and wonder, and women swooned at his charm. His feathers seemed to almost sparkle and while you noticed something mischievous in his gaze, you were mesmerized nonetheless.

“Dabi the Dragon and the Indestructible Bakugou!” This room was larger, and smoke poured out. You were curious about this one, as there was no crowd gathered out front. You only saw one person, a rather attractive but angry looking man, growling as he noticed you. He rolled his eyes as he lit off explosives in his hands.

Your hands shot up to cover your eyes, before peering out to see the man looked fine, bored even.

“That was amazing!” You exclaimed.

“Course it was!” He sneered.

Suddenly, the curtain behind him rustled and another man emerged from the darkness. He was shirtless, his body scared in burns that wrapped around his torso, arms and face. His black hair spiked wildly, just like the blonde beside him. He smirked at you, sauntering toward you before lifting your chin with his index finger.

“Want me to put on a show for you, doll face?” He whispered. You nodded mutely, feeling much like the mime you had saw earlier that night. He chucked and stepped back. His hand grasped a bottle and he turned his back toward you, taking a large swig from the drink.

He abruptly turned back, and blue flames shot from his mouth and filled the room. You could immediately feel the immense heat and no longer wondered how his scars came to be.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his arm, giving a small cough before grinning at you.

“Well, what’d ya think, princess?”

“It was amazing! Does it hurt?” You asked.

“Hmm? Nah, not really. Just burns a little.” He snickered at his joke while Bakugou rolled his eyes in the background.

“I also do a bit of sword swallowing.” He added, stepping in close to you.

“Oh, yeah? That’s a neat talent to have.” You spat back awkwardly.

“I could teach you, after the show that is. I’ve got a good one for you to practice on.” His deep voice said in a hushed tone, hot breath hitting you as his hand gripped the crotch of his pants.

You stumbled back quickly, mumbling about needing to find a seat, and then ran off to the main room of the tent.

Your heart was pounding as you took an empty seat in the front row that had your invitation number on it.

The lights around you dimmed and the seats behind began filling quickly. People chatted amongst themselves until the music changed and the curtains at the far side of the tent were drawn.

A pale looking man with light blue hair and red eyes slowly walked out, taking center stage.

“Welcome. I’m so glad all of you came to join us for the show.” His hoarse voice spoke out loudly. His eyes dragged along the audience, taking in those around him.

“My name is Shigaraki and I’ll be your host tonight. You’ll see things that you never imagined, acts of wonder put on display before you. Prepare to be in awe and amazed.” He cheered, giving and eerie grin.

______________________________________

Halfway through the show, they called for an intermission. The lights brightened as people stood and flocked outside to grab drinks and food.

You stayed put, reflecting on the show so far. There had been an amazing act with tightrope walking, acrobats and aerial silks. They had been called “Children of the Sky” by those sat around you. Aoyama, Mina, Uraraka and Nejire were their names.

Then there had been the father and son act of fire performance. Enji and Shouto Todoroki. They danced with fire and spun batons and hoops that were blazing. Their act would have been more enjoyable if the father had been quiet, but instead every few moments he’d call out to his son correcting his posture and moves. Mid performance, Dabi had joined them on stage. His blue flames shining brightly in contrast. He had quickly noticed you and his eyes lit up as your stomach filled with dread.

He marched over, pulling you from your seat as gasps and whispers of his damaged skin rang through the crowd. He didn’t seem to notice. Or didn’t care. He had spun you around, dancing as his azure fire lit his arms. You were worried you’d be burned, but the fire never touched your skin. He brushed his arms with his hands, extinguishing the flame, as the music had haunted. You watched the smoke rise from his skin as you frowned, but he simply took your hand and pressed a chaste kiss to the back of it before walking away.

You heard a voice rasp out “fucking show off” before seeing the angry blonde, Bakugou, take off after him.

Now you sat, watching a small man with balls on his head. He wore a jesters outfit and juggled before those left seated in the crowd. Slowly he made his way to you.

“Hey, how do you know Dabi?” He asked bluntly, wonder in his eyes.

“Oh, I don’t. Not really. I saw him in the freak show. That’s all.” You said, uncomfortable with the small mans leering.

“You actually watched him?” He asked dumbfounded. “No wonder he’s all over you.”

“What do you mean?” You asked perplexed.

“Uh hello, he’s gross looking. Definitely not as attractive as someone like me.” He beamed at you. You stayed quiet, unsure of how to respond and afraid to break the poor guys dilution.

“Hey I also do puppet stuff, you wanna see?” He asked, tone chipper.

“Oh, no that’s okay-“

“Okay cool, watch this!” He cut you off, pulling a small puppet from his suit. He dropped it and it limply hit the ground, the string much too long for him. The puppet dragged around weirdly as the jester spoke in a high pitch, giving the wooden body a voice.

You blinked, watching the train wreck as the doll slid through the dirt, getting jerked around by the man before you. He picked up the puppet and threw it at you, it landing in your lap. Then he pulled the string and yanked it back to the ground. You abruptly stood and walked away, hearing him call after you, but you only quickened your pace.

Once outside in the fresh air, a loud bellowing laugh burst from your lips. That was the weirdest thing you’ve ever had to deal with and you had been holding in laughing in the strange boys face.

“Seems like you’re enjoying the show.” A voice cut in.

Your head quickly spun, meeting the red eyes of the ring leader.

“Yeah! It’s nice, you guys are doing an amazing job!” You scratched your neck, feeling the hairs on your arms standing at the sudden tension as the mans smile fell.

“You weren’t invited here.” He stated.

“I...well I was given an invitation.” You replied.

“It wasn’t yours though. It wasn’t meant for you.” He said, eyes blank as his head cocked to the side.

“No, it wasn’t. I don’t know who it belonged to. A bartender gave it to me.” You explained.

“Hmm, is that so? Well, do enjoy the show then. But do me a favor, sit in a different seat when you go back in.” He sneered, and then he was gone as quickly as he had appeared.

You headed back inside, choosing a different seat in the front row that had been unclaimed earlier.

The music roared again as the clowns, Midoriya, Kaminari and Mirio, put on a show. Kaminari was being shocked while Midoriya rode around on a unicycle. Mirio stayed on his stilts and walked around the stage dancing and doing tricks. The trio was truly fun to watch, and then the mime, Amajiki, was shoved forward. A spotlight hit him as he stood frozen in fear.

“Come on buddy, you can do it!” Mirio whispered loudly in support.

Amajiki took in a big breath and lifted his arms, hands shaking as he formed an invisible wall in front of himself when a box hit him in the head and a drunken man “booed”. Amajiki immediately rushed to the shadows, pressing his face into the wall of the tent as an air of dread surrounded him.

“Uhhh...look over here!” Midoriya yelled out, pulling the attention of the crowd as he gave a large shock to Kaminari. Kaminari then “beeped” and “booped” and drooled as he wobbled around. The audience cheered and laughed.

Finally it was time for the final act of the night, the mysterious and powerful Mr. Compress.

A spotlight roamed the stage, and in a cloud of smoke he appeared. He wore a mask, top hat and yellow overcoat. His cane tapped against the floor with each step he took.

“Tonight, I will make you question everything you know about the world. Everything you believe to be real!” He called, and the crowd went wild, hooting and hollering.

He started with a few jokes, one about how he wasn’t the type to pull a rabbit from his hat, but then his hat shifted and he took it off. He pulled out the first rabbit, and then another, and then two more. You laughed at his seeming confusion. Finally, he plopped his hat back on his head and called out Bakugou to the stage. Bakugou marched to him, stomping his feet and crossing his arms as he came to a stop beside the magician.

Mr. Compress draped a large piece of fabric over the man, and then quickly pulled the cloth back to reveal a confused looking Shouto.

“I was just over there.” Shouto said, pointing to the other side of the tent.

“Yes! And now you’re over here!” Compress smiled, giving a grand wave of his arm.

“Aren’t I the one doing the magic then?” Shouto said blandly while Compress laughed.

“Alright then, do another trick for us.” Mr. Compress said, his tone amused. Shouto stood there silently, expression blank.

“I’m-“

“YOUR FIRE! USE YOUR FIRE SHOUTO!” His father yelled from off stage. Shouto glanced behind him, annoyance radiating from him.

“No. Nevermind. Just put me back where i was.” He said to Compress. Not a second later, the cloth was thrown over him and pulled off to reveal what looked like 100 butterflies.

The crowed oohed and awed in response, and you felt your eyes widen in amazement as well. It was so quick, you were trying to understand the trick, but could hardly wrap your head around it. This guy was good.

He went through a few more tricks, each a little better than the last. Finally he called for a volunteer from the audience.

Many hands shot into the air, while yours meekly raised. You weren’t one who gravitated to the spotlight, in fact, you had no desire to go onto the stage and have everyone’s eyes on you. But, you had promised yourself you’d let go for tonight and do as the bartender recommended. Escape.

Perhaps he could sense your distress, or maybe it was just because you were the closest to him, but he slowly walked toward you and extended his hand.

“If you wouldn’t mind, I’d love it if you could assist me madam.”

You smiled, cursing inwardly at yourself, as you took his hand and let him pull you to your feet and lead you to the stage.

Red Riot ran over holding a heavy wooden chair, one you might find used as a throne.

Compress lifted the bottom of his mask and pressed a kiss to the back of your hand, much like Dabi did, before directing you to take a seat. You did as you were asked, feeling the heat of the light on you, thankful that it’s blinding light prevented you from being able to see the crowd.

Mr. Compress started his speech about defying nature, and the use of powerful magic.

“Do not look away for a second, it is imperative you see your reality bent before you. With the help of my beautiful assistant, I will show you that the limitations we set for ourselves are often just an illusion. Anything you can think of is possible!”

He turned toward you, pulling the yellow coat from his body and leaving himself in his black vest and pants, the orange shirt beneath now visible. He pushed up his sleeves and held his hands outstretched toward you. You felt the chair jerk and sucked in a breath. It lurched again, and soon you were floating above the ground. You kicked your feet and smiled, trying your hardest not to shift in the chair.

Then the lights flickered, and a spotlight fell from the ceiling, crashing into the empty seat that had been assigned to your invitation.

In the moment of chaos, the chair dropped harshly, cracking against the ground as the impact tossed you to the side. You grunted, the wind knocked from your lungs and your eyes unfocused after smacking your head in the fall.

Screams were heard as the crowd panicked and scattered, the roars of animals following after them.

A harsh tug lifted you back onto your feet, and in the darkness you could see nothing, but allowed the person to drag you from the tent as your head spun.

Your mind was trying to process as you were pulled into a trailer, and as your body met the cot inside, you fell unconscious.

[quixol]

9/2/2019 - 5/25/2020: QuixolMC Changelog #28

My, my, it’s been ages since our last changelog. Where has the time gone?

Truth is, this post should have been uploaded a looooooooooooong time ago. Sadly, many of the staff of Quixol have been on an extended hiatus- leaving us with nobody left to type up these changelog posts for us, let alone work on new things... Read more on this here.

With the long hiatus behind us, there’s still some loose ends from our update to minecraft 1.14.4 that need tying up... such as releasing this post so you all know everything that was actually changed. Yeah, it’s pretty bad that we let it simmer for that long, but hopefully you’ve all gotten the hang of things without it.

With this changelog, we’d like to issue a special reminder that every “change” listed here is not necessarily something that happened recently- they can often be weeks, if not months old. After categorizing the changes into some main groups, we order them by chronological order, and provide a date as well so you can be sure of when a change was made. Hopefully this helps you get an idea of what you’ve missed, or if a certain “change” you just now noticed has actually been around for a while.

It should also be mentioned that the vast majority of the changes in this changelog are things that were changed in the huge 1.14.4 update we did.

For example, we released the sprawling new Chroma Park, our new party + games area. We also added some new datapacks, as well as updated our existing ones- you can check out all of the up-to-date info on the custom crafting recipes as well as the mob loot tables here and here.

There are numerous other changes and additions, but that’s what the rest of this post is for! Take a look below if you’d like to know more about all of the changes that have taken place in the past ~8 months (ouch).

-----

Key:

+ Feature added - Feature removed % Feature changed/bug fix ^ Feature updated (usually plugin updates) # Comment (for… comments.)

Notable changes from 9/2/2019 - 5/25/2020:

- Gameplay -

+ [10/01/19] Added new LWC protection flags: HopperIn and HopperOut. Accessible via  /lwc flag + [11/12/19] Updated server to Minecraft 1.14.4 % [11/12/19] The spawn limits for “ambient” mobs was reduced from 15 -> 8 # This setting only affects the mob cap of bats % [11/12/19] Shulker boxes dropped on the ground now despawn after 30 minutes instead of the 5 minutes used by all other items # This is to hopefully avoid issues where players break their shulker box and leave it behind without realizing until it despawns + [11/13/19] Factions will now prevent players from interacting with some new 1.14 blocks (barrels, lecterns, blast furnaces, smokers, grindstone, campfires, berry bushes, new potted flowers) on faction land if they are not a part of the faction + [11/13/19] The following blocks can now be locked with lwc: barrel, blast furnace, smoker, lectern. Barrels are locked when placing them by default, similar to chests + [11/13/19] Players can now use the /rtp or /wild command from anywhere they wish in the world. It costs 1000 shells to use and has a cooldown of 24 hours # New players may still use the random teleport button at the spawn’s info center for free % [11/13/19] Changes to Miner job # % Fixed nether bricks mining not giving payment % [11/13/19] Additions/Changes to Builder job # + All new stair types (stone, granite, polished granite, diorite, polished diorite, andesite, polished andesite, smooth sandstone, smooth red sandstone, smooth quartz, mossy cobblestone, mossy stone brick, red nether brick, end stone brick): inc/exp: 1.5 # + All new slab types (stone, granite, polished granite, diorite, polished diorite, andesite, polished andesite, cut sandstone, cut red sandstone, smooth sandstone, smooth red sandstone, smooth quartz, mossy cobblestone, mossy stone brick, end stone brick, red nether brick): inc: 0.8, exp: 1.2 # + All new wall types (stone brick, mossy stone brick, granite, diorite, andesite, sandstone, red sandstone, brick, nether brick, red nether brick, end stone brick, prismarine): inc/exp: 1.5 # % Fixed nether bricks not giving payment # + Barrel: inc: 1.5, exp: 1.0 # + Bell: inc/exp: 1.5 # + Lantern: inc/exp: 0.8 # - Removed payment for redstone lamp % [11/13/19] Additions to Engineer job # + Redstone lamp: inc: 1.0, exp: 2.0 % [11/13/19] Additions/Changes to Farmer job # % Payment for taming ocelot changed to payment for taming Cat # + Breed Cat: inc: 4, exp: 5 # + Break Bamboo: inc/exp: 0.2 # + Place Bamboo: inc/exp: 1.0 # + Collect Berries: inc/exp: 0.5 # + Collect bonemeal from composter: inc/exp: 1.5 % [11/13/19] Additions/Changes to Hunter job # % Payment for taming ocelot changed to payment for taming Cat # - Evoker: inc: 30 -> 25, exp: 50 -> 35 # + Pillager: inc/exp: 15 # + Ravager: inc: 30, exp: 40 % [11/13/19] Additions to Crafter job # + All new stair types (See previous list): inc: 2.5, exp: 3.0 # [11/13/19] Changes to Enchanter job(?) potentially. # All the config options for specific enchantments were removed... idk what this means in practice. Maybe you get paid a flat rate based on material enchanted? + [11/13/19] Silence Mobs 1.0.0 (Datapack) # Available for all players to take advantage of. Simply name a mob "silence me" (with a nametag) to make it completely silent! # Credit: https://vanillatweaks.net/picker/datapacks/ ^ [11/13/19] QuixolMC Datapack -> 1.1 # + Added crafting recipes for all coral blocks. Crafted using 2x2 of coral plants or coral fans. Recipe unlocked when holding coral/coral fans. # + Added universal dyeing crafting recipes! You can re-dye most dyeable blocks/items in the game now. # + Also added un-dyeing certain blocks/items- namely glass, glass panes, and terracotta. Simply use the dyed block/item + an ice block to remove the dye. # # All universal dyeing recipes unlocked when holding either the item in question or a dye. # + Added new crafting recipe for black dye. Can now be crafted from 3 charcoal + 1 flint. Unlocked when picking up charcoal # + Added new crafting recipe for un-crafting quartz blocks back into quartz items. Unlocked when picking up quartz block # - Removed crafting recipe for totem of undying. Reasoning: item is much more readily available now due to the introduction of village raids # + Added a new advancement for picking up a spawner. I don't remember making this? # Credit for coral block crafting & universal dyeing: https://vanillatweaks.net/picker/datapacks/ ^ [11/13/19] Mob Heads Datapack -> 1.2 # % Structure of loot table files changed. The "minecraft" namespaced loot tables now make direct calls to "vanilla" namespaced loot tables with the vanilla loot tables inside. # - All "mini" and "head" text removed from item names. The name of the item is now simply the name of the mob, and other identifying text if it is a head of a mob variant. # % Updated skin of Salmon head # + New mob head: Cat. Has 11 variants. 14% head drop, +2% per looting lvl # + Cave Spider: 0.001% -> 0.002% base head drop # - Evoker: 100% -> 14% base head drop, 0% -> 2% per looting lvl # + New mob head: Fox. 1.8% head drop, +0.4% per looting lvl # - Husk: 3% -> 1.25% base head drop, 1% -> 0.25% per looting lvl # - Illusioner: 100% -> 14% base head drop, 0% -> 2% per looting lvl # + Iron Golem: 2% -> 5.5%, 1% -> 1.5% per looting lvl # + New mob head: Panda. 1.8% base head drop, +0.4% per looting lvl # - Phantom: 10% -> 5% base head drop # + New mob head: Pillager. 3.5% base head drop, +0.5% per looting lvl # + Rabbit: 3% -> 5% per looting lvl # + New mob head: Ravager. 14% base head drop, +2% per looting lvl # + Slime: 0.05% -> 0.5% base head drop # - Stray: 5% -> 4% base head drop, 5% -> 2% per looting lvl # + New mob head: Trader Llama. Has 4 variants. 29% base head drop, +7% per looting lvl # - Vex: 10% -> 2% base head drop # + Villager: 0.5% -> 100% base head drop. Now has 15 variants. # - Vindicator: 20% -> 5.5% base head drop, 5% -> 1.5% per looting lvl # + New mob head: Wandering Trader. 100% base head drop # + Witch: +0.1% -> +0.5% per looting lvl # % Zombie Villager: 4% -> 9% base head drop. Now has 15 variants instead of previous 6. # Credit for original datapack (w/ some modifications by Vivian): https://vanillatweaks.net/picker/datapacks/ + [11/13/19] Re-added sitting in "chairs". Right click on stair blocks w/ a sign on it to sit. - [11/13/19] Removed ability to /lay. Sadly it was broken in 1.14.4 :( + [11/14/19] Added /playersearch command, a replacement for the /dox and /ddox commands. Can be used by scout players and up % [11/14/19] Namehistory script now handles "legacy players" (players returning after major updates) with more grace and consistency + [11/14/19] Rewrote /aliases command; it is now /alias <user|nick>, and allows you to look up either past usernames or past nicknames of a player % [11/14/19] /playersearch will now run /alias user as well as /alias nick ^ [11/14/19] QuantumChat 1.0.0 introduced! # "QuantumChat" is a full re-code of the original qChat script. It took months of work to get it to where it is now! "qchat" is no more, QuantumChat is the new face of Quixol's chat plugin! # The re-code mainly focused on improving performance, cleaning up code, and many QoL improvements. # There were plans to add many more new features with this release, but sadly we simply ran out of time. These new features will have to come later. # Read more about the changes in “Technical / Bug fixes” section ^ [11/15/19] Updated mcMMO to version 2.1.107 # This is a rehauled version of mcMMO, revived from the ashes by its original author! The plugin now has a lot of polish, some new abilities, and plenty of bug fixes. % [11/15/19] mcMMO: Fixed bug of mobs' names appearing as hearts in death messages + [11/15/19] mcMMO messages now make use of hover text frequently- try hovering over the messages in chat! % [11/15/19] Many skills' abilities now unlock after a few levels instead of immediately at level 0 now. # Many, many more changes took place in this version... too many to list! % [11/15/19] mcMMO: Rebalanced mcmmo experience for some skills: # Alchemy: # + Stage 3 potion: 120 -> 180 xp # - Stage 4 potion: 450 -> 400 xp # + Stage 5 potion: 0 -> 60 xp # # Fishing: # - Cod: 800 -> 200 xp # + Tropical Fish: -> 800 -> 10000 xp # + Pufferfish: 800 -> 2400 xp # # Woodcutting: # + Mushroom stems: 80 xp # # Herbalism: # + Berries: 300 xp # + Seagrass: 10 xp # + Kelp: 3 xp # + Coral: literally too many to include in this: https://elixi.re/i/vel9mz5i.png # + Beetroot: 50 xp # - Grass: 10 -> 8 xp # - Tall Grass: 50 -> 30 xp # + Bamboo: 10 xp # + Cornflower: 150 xp # + Lily of the Valley: 150 xp # + Wither rose: 150 xp # # Mining: # + Coral blocks: https://elixi.re/i/gbz8p2c5.png # + Magma block: 30 xp # + Emerald ore: 1000 -> 2400 xp # - End bricks: 200 -> 50 xp # - Endstone: 150 -> 100 xp # - Packed ice: 50 -> 30 xp # + Blue ice: 30 xp # + Quartz ore: 100 -> 150 xp # + Misc new stuff: https://elixi.re/i/2xio0wo9.png # # Taming: # + Llama: 1200 xp # + Parrot: 1100 xp # + Cat: 500 xp # + Fox: 1000 xp # + Panda: 1000 xp # # Combat exp multipliers: # - Enderman: 1 -> 0.5 # + Ender dragon: 0 -> 1.0 # + Wither: 0 -> 1.0 # + Witch: 0 -> 0.1 # - Guardian: 3 -> 1.0 # + Mooshroom: 1 -> 1.2 # + Drowned: 1 # + Dolphin: 1.3 # + Phantom: 4 # + Cat: 1 # + Fox: 1 # + Panda: 1 # + Pillager: 2 # + Ravager: 4 # + Trader llama: 1 # + Wandering trader: 1 % [11/15/19] mcMMO: Changes to ability unlock tiers. # There are too many changes to summarize. # Some of this was modified by us; others is defaults of mcmmo. we tried to keep our old behavior wherever possible, but... % [11/15/19] mcMMO: Even more changes to abilities. # Once again, it's too difficult to summarize them all here. % [11/15/19] Rebalanced Alchemy Potion Unlock Tiers # Potion of Slow Falling: Tier 2 -> 1 # Potion of Haste: Tier 2 -> 3 # Potion of Dullness: Tier 2 -> 3 # Potion of Absorption: Tier 3 -> 4 # Potion of Health Boost: Tier 4 -> 8 # Potion of Hunger: Tier 4 -> 5 # Potion of Saturation: Tier 6 -> 5 # Potion of Blindness: Tier 5 -> 6% Change to Alchemy Ingredients # Potion of Haste: Carrot -> Clock + [11/15/19] QuixolMC Public Beta 1.14.4: Released! % [11/15/19] Updated randomtp sign at the spawn to give any player a one-time use free /rtp command. For new players % [11/21/19] mcMMO: Enabled Diminished Returns again % [11/21/19] mcMMO: Nerfed combat xp from endermen further. 0.5 -> 0.25 % [11/21/19] mcMMO: ability ready message should appear in chat again + [1/30/20] mcMMO: You can now crack Infested Stone Bricks with Block Cracker % [1/30/20] mcMMO: Block Cracker will now correctly crack stone_bricks during Berserk again + [1/30/20] mcMMO: Activating Berserk on a soft block (glass, snow, dirts) will break that material right away instead of only breaking subsequent blocks hit by the player + [1/30/20] mcMMO: Berserk will now break glass and glass pane blocks + [1/30/20] mcMMO: Hitting glass with berserk readied will activate it + [1/30/20] mcMMO: Added Lily_Of_The_Valley to the Bonus Drops list % [1/30/20] mcMMO: Archery's Skill Shot bonus damage is now multiplicative instead of additive (nerfing early game skill shot ranks) % [1/30/20] mcMMO: Sweet Berry Bush's default Herbalism XP is now 50 instead of 300 % [1/30/20] mcMMO: Big changes to fishing loot: # % Finding loot now gives more or less xp, dependent on the rarity of the item fished (prev. always gave 200 xp) # # % Rarities of certain items were changed: # % Lapis Lazuli: common -> uncommon # % Iron Ingot: uncommon -> rare # % Gold Ingot: uncommon -> rare # % Amount of items received changed for a few loot items: # - Diamonds: 5 -> 3 # - Lapis Lazuli: 20 -> 8 # - Iron Ingot: 5 -> 4 # - Gold Ingot: 5 -> 4 # # % Certain items were removed from loot table: # - All hoes (wooden, stone, golden, iron, diamond) # - Blaze rod # - Ghast tear # # % Many new items added to possible loot: # + Stick (2), common # + Tripwire hook, common # + Bowl, common # + Lily pad, common # + Leather, common # + Rotten flesh, common # + String, common # + Bone, common # + Water bottle, common # + Ink sac (8), uncommon # + Nautilus shell, uncommon # + Book, uncommon # + Fishing rod, uncommon # + Name tag, rare # + Wet sponge (8), epic # + Heart of the sea, legendary # # % Certain enchantments can now be obtained on items from fishing loot: # + Curse of Vanishing # + Curse of Binding # + Luck of the Sea # + Lure # + Mending # # - Removed infinity from possible fishing loot enchantments # This is because possibility to fish up mending + infinity bow % [1/30/20] mcMMO: Small tweaks to loot from "shake" ability as well

- Server Builds / Locations -

- [10/01/19] Removed various buttons/signs from the grove, as the minigames there were broken anyway % [11/14/19] Reset most of the chunks in the end! The main end island and some of the surrounding islands were spared, as were a few player builds, but everything else has been reset # With this in mind, please be considerate of other players when exploring or building in the end. You should only need one elytra, and collecting multiple at a time is frowned upon unless you're specifically getting them for players you know who need one and don't have one yet # Also, remember that the materials inside of end cities are all craftable (including shulker shells from the shulkers thanks to our datapack), so you don't need to demolish end cities to get those items! - [11/14/19] Removed the following server warps: adventurehouse, bog, equinox, florida, ravine % [11/14/19] Renamed all warps leading to the world protos as "protos:<warpname>" to differentiate them from warps located in our primary world, ghalea + [11/15/19] Added new warp: /warp ChromaPark, our new party and games area! # Features five distinct zones with their own themes! + [11/15/19] Added updated warp: /warp Minigames, now leads to games lobby in Chroma Park + [11/15/19] Updated version of server minigame: Connect Four at Chroma Park (Sunset Lane) + [11/15/19] Updated version of server minigame: Squishu at Chroma Park (Sunset Lane) + [11/15/19] Updated version of server minigame: Spleef at Chroma Park (Wild West) + [11/15/19] New arena/warzone: Banker Brawls at Chroma Park (Wild West) + [11/15/19] Updated version of server minigame: Slappy Salmon at Chroma Park (Hydro Zone) + [11/15/19] Updated version of server minigame: Sheep Pit at Chroma Park (Verdant Vale) + [11/15/19] New server minigame: Chicken Roulette at Chroma Park (Verdant Vale) + [11/15/19] New server minigame: MushGolf at Chroma Park (Verdant Vale) + [11/15/19] New server minigame: Lava Fishing at Chroma Park (Synth Zone) % [11/15/19] Updated warp signs at Orsus to lead to Chroma Park + the new minigames lobby + [11/18/19] Set up droppers underneath Chroma Park dancefloor to dispense items automatically during parties

- Technical / Bug fixes -

% [10/01/19] Fixed bug where shulker bullets would explode instantly # [10/18/19] Server's hardware and location has changed. % [10/18/19] QuixolMC now runs on a very modern Ryzen CPU with a cpu benchmark score of 20,000+, as well as NVMe SSD storage. (This is a good thing) % [10/18/19] QuixolMC is now hosted in Utah, so players from Europe will have higher ping now. Players in Australia or elsewhere across the pacific may notice slightly improved ping. Players in the Americas may notice slight changes as well. - [10/18/19] Major loss of coreprotect data. All old coreprotect data is gone + [11/12/19] Enabled “per-player mob spawns” setting % [11/12/19] Reverted “count all mobs for spawning” setting to use vanilla behavior # "Per player mob spawns" means that the mob cap is no longer global; it is now per player. Or, at the very least, determined based on the amount of chunks loaded within your "region" of surrounding chunks (essentially all chunks that are connected together, so it could cover multiple players potentially). This requires more testing! # "All mobs count for mob spawning" means counting even mobs that are not considered "natural" (ie spawner mobs) to the mob cap. By changing to this we are effectively restoring vanilla behavior here. The old system caused some problems and wasn't really worth it in the end. % [11/12/19] Experience orbs now only merge up to a value of 1000 xp % [11/12/19] Chunks are scheduled to unload more frequently now - [11/13/19] Removed the annoying "registered furnace" / "registered brewing stand" messages caused by Jobs plugin % [11/14/19] You are now kicked from your faction after 1000 days of inactivity instead of 365. This is to basically "disable" the feature since it seems a bit buggy currently. % [11/14/19] Fixed bug which prevented players from viewing their own biography if they could not view other players' bios + [11/14/19] /bio age now accepts "minor", "underage", and "adult" in addition to integer arguments # Big list of QuantumChat 1.0.0 changes % [11/14/19] QuantumChat: Fixed issue where if you sent a message in a channel you had previously toggled, it did not use the channel prefix color when un-toggling % [11/14/19] QuantumChat: Improved link handler regex greatly; links in chat should be clickable 98% of the time now % [11/14/19] QuantumChat: Fixed QuantumChat not processing certain pronouns discord users had set % [11/14/19] QuantumChat: Doing "@all" will no longer notify everyone, only "@\everyone" and "@\here" work now % [11/14/19] QuantumChat: If a player who is muted sends a private message to someone, the receiver is now warned that the sender is muted & informed on how to ignore them % [11/14/19] QuantumChat: Fixed inconsistency with /msg formatting from the ordinary chat formatting  + [11/14/19] QuantumChat: You can now send sound notifs to someone by "@" mentioning them in a private message % [11/14/19] QuantumChat: quantumMessage() function will now remove any newline characters from incoming messages % [11/14/19] QuantumChat: quantumMessage() function now handles cases where a player attempts to chat in a channel they do not have permission to use % [11/14/19] QuantumChat: Fixed issue where a player's message in the discord channel may not get sent to orchid if the first result of quantumDeliver() is blocked % [11/14/19] QuantumChat: Using "&r" will now reset the color/formatting to the default color of the channel/source you are in instead of always "&f" % [11/14/19] QuantumChat: /qchat command changed to /qc. Still has /qchat as an alias though  - [11/14/19] QuantumChat: Removed the blacklist GUI. It was taking up space and basically unused % [11/14/19] QuantumChat: Fixed textual inconsistencies in /qc ignore  + [11/14/19] QuantumChat: /ch list was completely rewritten. It now displays whether or not a channel is toggled, as well as current chat channel  + [11/14/19] QuantumChat: /ch list will now display if the player currently has private messages toggled off  + [11/14/19] QuantumChat: /ch list now displays a message to factionless players informing them they need to be in a faction to use faction channels  - [11/14/19] QuantumChat: Removed /ch toggle list, as it is now replaced by /ch list % [11/14/19] QuantumChat: Fixed a mistake that allowed quick messages to be sent to the discord channel while orchid was disabled if someone used an alias for the channel (/ch d, etc.)  + [11/14/19] QuantumChat: The console can now send private messages to players through /msg . Just for fun :) % [11/14/19] Changed gamerule spectatorsGenerateChunks to true in all worlds # This is due to a 1.14.4 bug in which this gamerule causes chunks to not even load for spectator players, even if they're pre-existing chunks + [11/14/19] You can now make shops from barrels + [11/14/19] Interacting with shops now makes a sound - [11/15/19] Disabled Orchid (our Discord bot) for now due to being inoperational. # DiscordSRV (Quixibot) now handles minecraft to discord bridge % [12/25/19] Fixed bug where player can become stuck in sneaking mode when changing dimensions % [12/25/19] Fixed bug where block breaking animation did not show for other players % [1/22/20] Fixed a dupe glitch with tnt % [1/22/20] Fixed a dupe glitch with redstone dust % [1/22/20] Fix a client crash relating to invalid color nbt data (banners, sheep, etc) % [1/22/20] Fix bug where items get stuck in mid-air in certain circumstances (most noticeable w/ saplings, apples, sticks falling from decaying leaves) % [1/30/20] mcMMO: Improved behavior for mob health bars % [1/30/20] mcMMO: Mobs will now only reward Dodge XP a certain amount of times % [1/30/20] mcMMO: Fixed dupe bugs % [1/30/20] mcMMO: "tool ready" msg no longer sent to chat % [1/30/20] mcMMO: Superability interaction, ability off, & ability refreshed messages now sent to chat % [1/30/20] mcMMO: Fixed excavation loot unlock levels % [2/11/20] Fixed issue where muted players could not read or send /mail # Could be reverted if abused.

- Plugin / Software Updates -

^ [10/01/19] Updated server .jar: Paper 1.13.2 b643 -> Paper 1.13.2 b648 ^ [10/01/19] LWCX -> 2.2.2-b92 ^ [10/18/19] Updated server .jar: Paper 1.13.2 b648 -> Paper 1.13.2 b651 ^ [11/12/19] Updated server .jar: Paper 1.13.2 b651 -> Paper 1.14.4 b226 - [11/13/19] Removed Bookshelves plugin ^ [11/13/19] PerWorldInventory -> 2.3.1 ^ [11/13/19] AreaShop -> 2.6.0-b299 ^ [11/13/19] CoreProtect -> 2.17.5 ^ [11/13/19] Mineable Spawners -> 2.0.8 + [11/13/19] WildernessTP 2.13 ^ [11/13/19] Jobs -> 4.14.3 ^ [11/13/19] Craftbook 3.10.1-b4538 ^ [11/14/19] DiscordSRV -> 1.18.1 - [11/14/19] Uninstalled RandomTeleport (replaced w/ wildernesstp) ^ [11/14/19] Namehistory -> 4.0.0 # Major rewrite of the codebase occurred in this version, focus on performance, code cleanliness, & utility for other scripts ^ [11/14/19] Biography -> 1.8.0 ^ [11/14/19] Easyalias -> 1.8.2 ^ [11/14/19] Faction Extras -> 1.0.4 ^ [11/14/19] Playtime -> 0.6.1 ^ [11/14/19] Pronouns -> 2.7.3 - [11/14/19] Uninstalled Orchid (for now) ^ [11/14/19] QuantumChat 1.0.0 introduced ^ [11/14/19] QuickShop -> 2.4.7 ^ [11/15/19] mcMMO -> 2.1.107 ^ [12/10/19] ViaVersion -> 2.2.0 + [12/10/19] QuixolMC now supports 1.15 clients! ^ [12/25/19] Paper 1.14.4 b226 -> Paper 1.14.4 b237 ^ [12/25/19] ViaVersion -> 2.2.2 + [12/25/19] QuixolMC now supports 1.15.1 clients! ^ [1/22/20] Paper 1.14.4 b237 -> Paper 1.14.4 b242 ^ [1/22/20] ViaVersion -> 2.2.3 + [1/22/20] QuixolMC now supports 1.15.2 clients! ^ [1/30/20] Paper 1.14.4 b242 -> Paper 1.14.4 b243 ^ [1/30/20] mcMMO -> 2.1.114

List of known bugs/issues:

! New players can sometimes get stuck in the beginning room of the tutorial ! The “mobs” section of the statistics counts how many times you’ve been killed by another player for some reason. It will not show how many times you have killed other players, however ! mcMMO: Sometimes, when you are killed by a mob you recently hurt, the death message just says you were killed by [a bunch of hearts]. (This is rarer since the update, but can still happen) ! mcMMO: You don’t get alchemy exp for making slow falling potions ! mcMMO: mcMMO’s messages, either party messages or about abilities, sometimes send at incorrect times, or even send to incorrect players ! Factions: Certain faction permissions are buggy or not intuitive ! PerWorldInventory: Player inventories saved in 1.11 - 1.12 (in the world Protos) may have shulker box data corrupted. undyed shulker boxes turn into purple shulker boxes, and any items inside shulker boxes may lose all of their NBT data. ! Quickshop: When making a quickshop into a double chest, then breaking it to make two single chests, it still thinks the shop is there, regardless of whether its told to be deleted with commands or manually broken in survival. ! Viaversion: 1.15.2 client may experience “ghost blocks” while mining very quickly, or, more frequently, after explosions occur. This is actually a vanilla bug, but it won’t occur if you’re on the server with a 1.14.4 client. ! Viaversion: Client may crash while typing book. Technically a vanilla bug, but exacerbated by viaversion. See here. ! Viaversion: 1.15.2 client will display all statistics in the “items” and “mobs” sections incorrectly/jumbled. It is an issue on the client-end, the server still tracks player statistics properly

Things to come:

• Update to 1.15.2 • New/updated Chroma Park games • Releasing more custom advancements • Fixing more bugs?

last changelog post (#27)

about changelogs

-----

That about wraps up this changelog- and what a lengthy log it was!

As stated before, most of the changes you saw in this post were a result of the ambitious 1.14.4 update we did in November last year. So, most of this stuff isn’t new by any measure- the most recent change on this list is already 3 months old.

Possibly the most ambitious, and most impressive, of these changes is Chroma Park. It took ~2 months of work from well over a dozen people to make the build you see today! It’s the designated “party area”, as well as home to several hand-crafted minigames that you can play for yourself at any time. Go check it out sometime! /warp ChromaPark

There were numerous other changes made, but one that might pique your interest is the large scale mcMMO update. Last year, mcMMO’s original developer returned from a long hiatus to overhaul the whole plugin- we tried to explain some of what’s changed, but honestly it’s a bit difficult to even summarize. You can take a look at some of the changes in mcMMO’s own “changelog” if you’re curious, however keep in mind that some of the information on this site is either outdated or does not apply to QuixolMC.

We apologize again for taking so long to publish this changelog... It really didn’t need to take as long as it did. But, better late than never, yeah? Hopefully the information is still useful to folks, even if it is “old news”.

We’d give an update on things on our end, but... I’m sure you’ve probably heard enough doom and gloom about hyperinfective viruses as it is. So, instead, we just want to wish you all good health. Things are scary out there, so make sure to stay inside- not just for your own health, but for everybody around you. Quixol will always be here for you!

See you again soon. 💙

[goliathbetagamer-blog]

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners Review

Imagine what would happen if you took a half-season of The Walking Dead TV show, mashed it together with a Deus Ex or System Shock style of exploration and decision-making, and then drizzled it with the best aspects of a modern VR game.

What you might end up with is a survival horror game that’s oppressively tense and brutal, but also tugs on you relentlessly to explore every corner of its post-apocalyptic world for hidden loot and nuggets of lore. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is exactly that, and it absolutely nails the mix, delivering it with a level of detail and a depth of interactivity that feels like a genuine step forward for virtual reality.

You play as the Tourist, a storied survivor and living urban legend who seems to be immune to the fictional virus that makes everybody else a little bitier in The Walking Dead universe. You’ve rolled into the sunken remains of New Orleans following a rumor about a buried hotbed of limitless supplies called the Reserve, and the rest is up to you. It’s a simple setup, but one that's perfect for the size and scope of Saints & Sinners because it doesn’t immediately saddle you with any presumptions about your character’s morality.

You’re introduced to New Orleans by your old buddy Henri, but the moral choices you’ll make while navigating its several open-ended zones are yours alone. As an Obsidian fan, I was pleased to find that there were several major factions fighting for control of the Reserve, each with their own perspective on the bleak situation around you. One such moral choice involves a mission where a faction member will send you to rescue their brother in exchange for an important item, and it’s fantastic that you can then choose to upend the original mission and kill the brother, earning his captors as allies and instead taking the item by force – if that’s the path you prefer, of course. Saints & Sinners’ ending depends entirely on the decisions you make throughout the campaign too, few of which are decidedly ‘good’ or ‘evil’.

All that choice makes the Tourist primarily a shell for you to insert your own personality into, with decent voice acting that gives life to each dialogue option, much like Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect series. By comparison, Telltale’s The Walking Dead accomplished some truly great feats of cinematic storytelling and meaningful decision-making in its hostile and zombie-riddled world, but it never gave me free rein to do whatever I wanted. That’s something I had craved for years when I was a regular watcher of The Walking Dead TV series, and while Telltale’s take on The Walking Dead certainly made me care about Clementine, it never made me feel like I was in that world.

Saints & Sinners scratches the itch for a truly explorable Walking Dead world with the grace and confidence of a well-lubricated bowie knife

Saints & Sinners scratches that itch with the grace and confidence of a well-lubricated bowie knife. The portrayal of killing zombies – or walkers – has never been as satisfying as it is here, and the abject terror of an unexpected walker swarm has never been as palpable. Zombie guts and brains are rendered with great detail, but what really grounds you in this world is the fact that weapons have appropriate weight and heft. Heavy weapons like axes and rifles require you to grip them with both hands for stability, while small weapons like shivs are much lighter and easier to land precise blows with. It’s not as nuanced as a game like Boneworks; you can’t wield just any item as a weapon, but this combat system is far more tactile and exciting than if you were doing it remotely with a gamepad or a keyboard.

Diseased walkers explode and unleash poisonous gases that lower your health pool when killed up close, meanwhile helmeted walkers are far tougher to kill, requiring a complete decapitation or extremely precise blows to exposed parts of their heads. This increased challenge only adds to the intensity of fighting an entire pack of walkers at once, a common occurrence later on, as you need to quickly pick and choose which walkers need to be killed in which way and in which order to preserve the durability of your best weapons. Rapidly juggling my inventory in real-time to acclimate to each fight forced me to be smarter and, as a result, Saints & Sinners never fell into that Action-RPG trap of becoming repetitive. I spent a little over 18 hours in the campaign – the story itself is a few hours shorter than that, but it was just loads of fun to complete scavenging runs and hunt for secret recipes on my own.

The walkers and human NPCs themselves have their own agendas too, often interacting with one another in interesting and useful ways. While the AI isn’t always the most bright, causing enemies to sometimes get stuck in hilarious and vulnerable positions, an impressive amount of the unfurling drama that makes Saints & Sinners exciting is simulated in real-time rather than deliberately scripted. To my satisfaction, I found that many of the quests allowed me to choose my own path to a solution, and it was a delight to discover alternate routes and secrets, even if the map can feel a little nondescript or claustrophobic at times. Even when I was presented with straightforward options for moving through a group of wary human NPCs or solving a quest with diplomacy – or simply by attacking an NPC directly – I could just as easily avoid interacting with certain characters altogether, either by attracting a herd of walkers and sneaking past the ensuing carnage, or by climbing over the side of a wall or up the side of a house. That freedom to tackle a situation so many different ways is fantastic.

And though the bigger story about breaking into the Reserve can sometimes feel pretty thin between long periods of exploring, looting, killing, and crafting my way through the streets of New Orleans, it was refreshing for a VR game to let me define my character through my own decisions in a setting as meticulously detailed and open-ended as this. While Saints & Sinners isn’t exactly the first of its kind, this caliber of storytelling reaches a height that VR had otherwise yet to achieve.

Zombalaya

Central to the tension of Saints & Sinners is that you only get so much time each day to do things before the city’s bells are rung and the streets flood with ravenous corpses. Once you head back to safety you can go to sleep and skip to the next morning, but the number of undead you encounter the following day increases. This creates a compelling risk-reward choice between pushing your luck past dark or playing it safe at the cost of worse odds tomorrow, driving the tension of the entire game.

That dilemma would be perfectly manageable if not for the fact that you only have a limited amount of inventory space, pushing you to think more carefully about what you grab. You also have to continue crafting or finding new weapons as your old ones tend to fall apart at a distressingly high rate. That forces you to make each attack count, which is easier said than done since you actually have to swing and aim with your real-world appendages. With a ticking clock looming behind all that, Saints & Sinners quickly becomes the perfect storm for adrenaline junkies.

Luckily, the inventory management is intuitive and feels great. Picking up items and placing them into your backpack is as simple as throwing them over your shoulder, and to access them again you simply grab the pack off of your back and pull items out of their neatly arranged slots. Meanwhile, weapons can be holstered in convenient slots on your waist and back while your journal and flashlight fit snugly on your chest. This style of physical inventory management has existed in VR games like Rec Room and Township Tale for some time, and it’s far more interactive and interesting than simply tapping on a menu screen with your fingers or pointing at some text with a laser pointer.

This is the perfect formula for some of the most terrifying moments I’ve had in a VR headset

Limited stamina is also a worry. Running out of stamina makes you slow and unable to swing, aim, or run away, meaning it’s all the more critical to land each and every blow with finesse. Likewise, having a strong weapon or beefed up stamina pool makes you feel satisfyingly powerful, but never so much that you can let your guard down, keeping combat engaging even as you get stronger.

If you do die to the shambling hordes, you’re forced to respawn at the start of the map while the day’s clock is still ticking, and you only get one chance to reclaim your inventory before it’s gone forever. As time wears on, high-quality supplies and weapons can become so difficult to find that scrounging up a broken bottleneck or screwdriver in the nick of time is sometimes the difference between life and death. This, mixed with the fact that your health and stamina pools are temporarily decreased when you die, is a perfect formula for some of the most terrifying moments I’ve had in a VR headset – but that terror was met with an equal amount of satisfaction if I could make it back to my loot and come out alive after.

It is disappointing that character progression is fairly linear, with only a few tech trees to branch into – Gear, Guns, and Survival – and no mutual exclusivity between them. There’s nothing stopping you from unlocking every possible upgrade at the crafting stations in short order, just as long as you can find the right components from scrapping items you find in the world, similar to Fallout 4. It’s plenty of fun to use newfound upgrades like the Nail Bomb and the Grass Cutter, and there are some recipes that you first have to uncover the hidden nooks and crannies of New Orleans to find, but it’s too bad that there’s no real way to personalize your Tourist beyond the story choices you make.

Verdict

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is a noteworthy step forward for VR gaming, proving that a Deus Ex-like Action-RPG can feel right at home in a headset. Every one of its many interwoven systems clearly has a level of thought and care behind it, swirling survival horror and roleplaying staples together with nuance. Even though character customization can feel limited and the story is a bit short, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is a fantastic example of what VR can be.

Developer: Skydance Interactive

Publisher: Skydance Interactive

Release: DateJanuary 23, 2020

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4

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