#i need to get here on my pc playthrough...

[senseandaccountability]

“It takes the wrong sort to put the world right.”

A huge problem for me with the tone of the narrative is that outside a very carefully curated playthrough experience with preconceived ideas of and love for Solas, Veilguard is probably the least compassionate game I’ve played in forever, while spouting out lines about how everyone can find a new path in life because our nature isn’t written in stone, our fates are our own, as well as plenty of HR department lines about working together as a team.

“It takes the wrong sort to put the world right.” The game says that, but it definitely doesn’t mean it. At least I don’t feel it. You are so very rarely challenged in your idea of who this wrong sort is and what they could bring to the table. Davrin speaks of the Wardens recruiting at the Gallows but you meet only adorable, righteous and charming ones. The Crows aren’t the wrong sort anymore, they’re just adorably Antivan upper class. And so on and so forth. Rook certainly isn’t the wrong sort either, they’re mentally around 19 years old and stumbling their way through the world like some romance novel protag. In one of the most thematically shallow plots, Rook gets thrown into a prison of regret fit to hold a god but unlike Solas, Rook doesn’t do regrets or guilt because Rook isn’t that complex. Rook hasn’t been allowed to feel any guilt for three acts, just how are they meant to be stuck in a regret prison?  

Compare with Origins where you yourself could be just that wrong sort that would put the world right. ALL of my Origins PCs would get stuck in Solas’s prison due to the weight of their own fuckups. If not during the game events where you could make shitty moves en masse, then because of their origin stories. Brosca and Tabris would get out of there through sheer fury alone - fuck you, I am a wreck because YOU MADE ME ONE, WORLD OF THEDAS - but the nobles would stew. Amell would loop in some guilt trip regarding blood magic and Jowan and whatnot.

Compare with Origins where Loghain is a piece of shit for most of the narrative. He actively wants to kill you and your Order, it’s nothing personal (okay, a little personal) but he just needs you gone. If you want to, you can hack and slash your way through some release there and just have him executed. BUT the game also challenges you on that idea. It presents a very pragmatic alternative that comes with a very plausible downside (you lose Alistair). It presents not excuses but explanations - do with them what you will. Loghain has people in his corner through the entire trilogy, arguing his case. Cauthrien FALLS TO HER KNEES before you, pleading to spare his life. Threnn in DAI will stan him for the rest of her life. Anora tells you stories about the man behind the name.  And Arl Eamon’s world view and idea of Loghain is shown to be more than a little self-serving when faced with the politics of the Landsmeet. Things around Loghain blur. In the Ostagar DLC they allow things to blur even further when Loghain’s pragmatism is countered by Wynne’s player character-moralism (ie “someone died, it’s always wrong if someone died even if that death prevented 9000000 deaths you KILLED someone!!!!!111”). Origins tells me - or hints at - why Loghain became the wrong sort, shows me ways in which he is also the right sort and leaves me wondering about him. Because the game is gritty and dark and weird but also yes, compassionate. If you execute him, Anora will mourn him because she loves him regardless. If you have him join the Wardens she will sit with him while he recovers because he is undeniably an asshole but he’s also her father who braided her hair and showed her the world. A good narrative never, ever forgets that.  Veilguard feels so different here, maybe it's just me. I'm pretty sure I'm almost done being salty now, I just... feel a lot about narratives.

[robo-dino-puppy]

hfw: burning shores

[maxwellatoms]

What kind of video games do you like to play Mr. Atoms?

So many! Assuming there's time. These days there's generally not, so I've been bingeing Vampire Survivors in half-hour doses.

Above is a gif from Noita, my top game of the pandemic. It's an old-school "Metroidvania", but every pixel is simulated and you're a witch who can manipulate her spells (and thereby the world) in a seemingly infinite number of ways. Here, I've built magical "buzzsaws" around myself, which blinded me to the shadow amoeba. In Noita, almost every death is due to hubris, and I think I love that pendulum swing. If you're lucky and skilled, you can become a walking whirlwind of destruction, but you're always your own worst enemy. Bonus: You can turn your vomit into rats.

I'm currently on a break in the midst of my Baldur's Gate 3 run, with a party consisting of my BG2 character's daughter, Karlatch, Lazelle, and Shadowheart. Ladies' Night!

I'm also playing a bit of Shadows of Doubt. I'm not sure it'll hold up long-term, but it's got a lot of potential.

I don't really limit myself by genre or platform, but I'd say that I primarily play indie PC games. The games in my Steam library that I keep going back to again and again?

Cities: Skylines: A chill City Building Simulator. Lots of fun mods.

Darkest Dungeon: This thing is a classic strategy game IMO.

Death Road to Canada: A light, fast Project Zomboid. Dogs with guns!

Dwarf Fortress: For me, it's the ultimate fantasy sim. I love it so much. Looking forward to Adventure Mode finally appearing on Steam.

Project Zomboid: The ultimate lonely 2D zombie apocalypse survival game. Or non-survival game, I suppose.

Total War: Warhammer: For when I'm in a strategy-y mood. Like a lot of people, I'm a bit soured on the modern DLC scene, so I'm still waiting on #3 even though I'm a Chaos stan.

Not on Steam? I do play some Star Citizen from time to time. I backed it a decade ago. I used to joke that it was the game I was going to retire into, but more and more that's looking less and less like a joke. Still, it's made some good progress in the last couple of years and I'm hopeful that repair and engineering turn out to be fun.

The game I'm looking forward to most would be the next Elder Scrolls. I know it's still a ways off. Ever since my Nereverine landed in Morrowind with the intention of becoming a just and righteous cleric and instead found herself an unwitting villain and colonizer, I fell in love with the Elder Scrolls and it's deep, gray lore. It is (for me) a great way to really get into a character's head. Roleplaying... go figure.

Since Morrowind (and a backtrack into Daggerfall), I only allow myself one canon playthrough. My rule is to "let it ride", so that aside from death, if I screw up or if something unexpected happens I don't save-scum. All of my characters are related, either by quest or bloodline. I already know that my next character will be Aventus Aretino (the kid you catch summoning the Dark Brotherhood). My Skyrim character (above) had adopted him and then left him in the hands of a vampire, so I should be covered even if there's a big time jump. Now I just have to wait six more years for the game. And then maybe two for mods. God I'm so old.

I need to spend more time with Dave the Diver.

Anything current I'm missing out on?

[yet-another-haven-of-dollya]

Please, how do I make money fast in dol?? I've always played with cheats on cuz I'm a pussy. I've gotten better from my past no cheats on playthroughs, but still, I still would like to know from the pro, my favorite dol account. Please, tell us your ways🛐

Huh... And here I thought money is the last thing you need to worry about when you've been playing long enough on one save. Alright, I doubt anything I'm gonna say is new, but since you asked so nicely, I'll go into details with my 4 PCs and highlight their most rewarded methods.

In general, early game is always tricky since your stats are low. High Math grade and higher certain stats make things easier.

1. Lya

- She used to be a massage staff at the Spa. High enough beauty (4/6 if I remember right) or hand skill is required to work there, and high dance skill make it fairly safe. Higher promiscuity and skuldugery open chances for lewder things and more money.

- Antique hunting. At the lake. High swimming skill recommended. And down the sewer too. I only intended to grind her skuldugery, but then she started to get attached to Winter so she go hunt antique for him ever since. Then the old church yard too. Still the Ivory necklace is a no.

- Dancing jobs. Charlie's Danube street job and at the brothel. Not the strip club but the brothel. Higher skuldugery can only be grinded while encountering so yeah, she work at the brothel for a pretty long time and install the vending machine there too.

- Be a model at Niki's studio.

- Working at Sirris' adult toy shop and selling flowers at the market sometime.

- Alex farm. Invested in the Farm, make things automatic and safe, then brought things to the Harvest street for sale. It's pretty okay and leisurely too.

- The doting Hawk spouse. Yes. Sometimes she goes to the tower to relax, getting away from the dirty town. When you're with the Hawk you just have to sleep, bath, sing all day, maybe walk around the moor a bit, be pretty and wait for the goodest bord to bring things back to you and sell them to Landry later.

2. Lyah

- Being Avery escort. Yeah help very much in the early game. He still keep her company sometime now.

- Steal things from people. He make the most out of his Devil tf to get into encounter, steal, then tell people to stop. Work like a champ. His skuldugery went up fastest out of all 4 PCs.

- Bartender at Strip Club. He works there for fun and to look out for Darryl, but sometimes encounter happen. So it still counts. Vending machine still installed at the Brothel.

- Chef. The ultimate way to make money. Even without Cow tf he still make a LOT out of it, being devoid of purity and lactating mean he has lots of bodily fluids to spare. Just a few hours of "work" and remember to save some for his wife, and the money is insane.

3. Kariya

- Doing odd jobs in the street. Usually to get into encounters.

- Working at the Agency.

- Seducing someone randomly at the Pub, the Farm, at nights,... You name it.

- Get up early and pick the locks of every house or building before they open for the day.

- Playing cards with Wren. Every-single-day. They often just continue untill the lewd part happen. That's their fav part anw. And running around butt-naked with Wren too.

- Dancing and Private shows at the Brothel. Mostly for fun but their money primarily comes from these activities. Briar's most fav worker for sure.

4. "Nyan"

- Working at the Dog Pound and Sam's Cafe (waiter only)

- Doing odd jobs in the street for Housekeeping skill, sometime pick locks and steal from Danube street.

- Temple monthly allowance. Even at max Grace it's not much, but still better than nothing.

- Charlie's dancing job. Charlie offered the safe job, but Nyan often asked for the more dangerous one. Jordan asked him to investigate anyway.

- Antique hunting in the lake, etc... Nyan is still in the build, so he mostly stick with his older siblings safer choices.

Okay, there, I think that's basically things I can recall for now. Also since all my PCs are Robin protectors, they mainly stick to safer paths and don't go away from the Orphanage for too long unless they can't help it. So huge chance there are many more ways to make bigger bucks that I'm not aware of yet. Still, hope this helps!

[chrysanthemumgames]

Related to the ask about being able to ask Demeter to apologize to Hades (or the Underworld group in general, really).

I didn't think of that before, as I don't know if my Dionysus would actually be the kind of person to outright ask Demeter to do so (though maybe he would, sometimes he gets very defensive about some stuff despite his usual meekness), but I sort of don't know if he'd allow Demeter to visit more if she doesn't apologize?

What I mean is that, for the specific upcoming-likely-visit he let his father decide cause his relationship with Demeter is too strained atm. But his general view on this is "we need time apart, and then I'll think on it, and maybe we'll have a relationship someday again". So basically, not barring it out but still very on the fence. But yeah, obviously the situation with his father is pretty exceptional, and he wouldn't just try to keep Demeter away in this context - he's too selfless for that. Now what I'm getting to is that atm, he still really doesn't want to interact much with his mother, and in a way, I always imagined it as Demeter having to do the right move now, to show my Dionysus that she can ACTUALLY change. And I always linked that change to her starting to accept he likes the people in the Underworld and starting to see them as actually worthy of respect. And while in order to maybe appreciate them she would need to get to know them, apologizing for such a thing is basic decency and standard respect after what she did, not necessarily linked to appreciating or even properly knowing them, at least at first.

So what I mean here is that I never imagined asking her to apologize because I see it as something she should do on her own if she wants a chance at a relationship with her son later on (all from the perspective of my specific playthrough, of course).

And, the actual question is - do you think there are any chances she'd do so by herself? Or at the very least prompt the MC to tell her what should she do to try and make up for stuff (cause if asked specifically, then my MC could indeed tell her to apologize). And I mean, during the visit that will occur next, or like, by writing to Hades afterwards or something, that works too. I'm asking mostly because in that ask you said when she'll visit this time, the situation will be too tense and basically you implied asking her to apologize could come only at a later visit (unless I misunderstood). But a later visit won't necessarily happen in my case if she doesn't apologize before, is what I mean. Unless she does something else that would truly warrant my Dionysus to be okay with her coming back so soon of course.

I'm fine with it either way, by the way! I'm not writing this to complain about the possible inability to ask her to apologize or anything! I'm genuinely wondering about future possibilities and the paths that may exist, if you have any base ideas already.

There's still a bit of fuzziness in this where I'm not sure exactly what scenes are going to come up when. There will be at least one more chance for Demeter to show up in the Underworld regardless of whether PC approves (because it will be a rather urgent situation for another person). I'm not going to spoil things too much, but I don't think people who are sort of quietly not okay with her will have no chance to reestablish connection, but in general the more specific the PC's requirements, the less likely they are to be met (because of course I can't write all those potential courses of action for her, etc, etc.)

So I guess my answer basically boils down to "wait and see, because I don't have the minutiae planned to that extent just yet." :)

[mxzenpai]

Idia Shroud x Reader

His and Theirs

Idia knows that Ramshackle doesn’t have the ability for you to have a computer…you wouldn’t mind the set up being in his room…right?

————————————————————————

Idia bites his lip as he stares at the set up in front of him. Did he choose the wrong color for the theme? He could have sworn this was your favorite aesthetic when it comes to this sort of thing. Then again, he really only had how you decorate in your co-ops to go off of. Maybe the games didn’t have the aesthetics you actually like? He looks around his room, seeing the mess that was all over the place shoved into a corner to make room for your desk.

Would you even like this? I mean, you like to play with him, but you never expressed wanting a computer. Hades it feels like he built his stats wrong and he’s about to get one-shot by the final boss. Idia’s hair flicks as he continues to stare at the set up. No no, that monitor needs to be a little higher. He moves to adjust the swing arm of the right monitor to raise it a bit more. Once done he looks at the other two monitors. Three monitors is enough for you right? You don’t need a lot since you aren’t going to be programing or anything… maybe he should have gotten another? Or he can quickly set up a hologram to go abo-

“You’re doing it again.” Idia whirls around to spot Ortho place the cat paw pillow Idia got you onto the chair of your set up. “I’m sure they’ll love it, they love anything you do.” Ortho smiles up at Idia.

“This is like- final boss territory Ortho, I gotta make sure everything is right. It’s like doing a blind playthrough without looking at a strategy guide!” Ortho giggles at Idia’s ramble before quickly leaving the room. Idia turns back to the set up. Should he have gotten some figures? You don’t know a lot of shows though…No! This was dumb! He’s just going to get rid of all of it and you’ll never know!

“Oh wow that’s so cool!” Idia lets out a screech as he whips around to see you standing there. A surprise encounter and he has NOTHING to help him with this! Idia silently watches as you look at the set up, eyes widening upon looking at the rig inside the case. “If this is the here equivalent to the RTX 3090 color me impressed.” Idia pauses.

“You…know computers?” You turn, nodding to Idia enthusiastically.

“Yeah! I played games all the time back in my world, even built my own rig. Things are different here though so I haven’t tried it. Not like I had the money to anyways, but still. Who’s this for? Ortho?” He watches as you take a look at the pc through the glass again before shifting his eyes away.

“For you.” You’re quick to turn, eyes widening in delight.

“For me? Oh hell yeah!” You turn on the pc in quick succession before turning on the monitor. You turn back to Idia. “You gonna sit?” Idia blinks, hair burning a tad brighter before he goes to grab his chair. You roll your eyes, yanking him down into your chair before plopping yourself onto his lap. Idia’s hair turns a bright pink.

“I- wha- but I don’t- you- chair- two of-“ You cover his mouth with your hand.

“Shhhhhhhh…I have a new toy and I must play with it. As the builder of said toy you must watch…aka help me with this part in this game that I’m stuck on.” Idia wraps his arms around your waist, resting his chin on your shoulder.

“Which game?” Idia watches as you change the wallpaper to one of your favorite characters.

“The one that you let me make a save file for a few days ago. I’m gonna have to use your account to finish the game, might start a new save on my account after I finish though.” Idia nods, his hair going back to blue except for the tips.

You give Idia a kiss on the cheek and his hair lights up again. “Nah but seriously, I appreciate the gesture. I was really missing being able to sit at a pc and play games. Playing with you using your handhelds is fine and all, but I miss the keyboard.” Idia tightens his hold around your waste.

“Almost thought I got the wrong items for the fight.” You let out a laugh.

“Oh come on, you and I both know I’m not a boss. I’m the love interest.” You give a wink before turning back to the pc to boot up the game.

Yeah…you are the love interest, and Idia wouldn’t have it any other way.

[magdolslut]

Evil, But Lame

(Why I dislike Leighton more than Bailey or Whitney)

DOL Character Analysis/Comparison (sort of)

Disclaimer:

This post contains Degrees of Lewdity (DOL) content and spoilers, as such sexual themes and violence. No minors allowed.

Please don't take the listed explanations below as 'excuses' for criminal behaviour. I am not defending or condoning the actions done by these fictional characters.

Also, the sprites are just the result of me fucking around Character Viewer + bad edits.

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Everything and everybody sucks in DOLville (or my other favourite nickname - Rapechestershire), but in my books, Leighton deserves a special mention. 

This dastardly disgusting failure of an educator cultivated within me a personal vendetta and now I always make it a point to antagonise them and make them the butt-monkey in all my playthroughs. The reasons are as follows:

They love to power-trip and lord it over students and teachers alike.

Their demeanour is so slimy. Compared to two other ‘villains’, he’s all gross but no substance (at this rate, their personality can be used as mediocre lube). 

Bailey (the main villain) is impassive and mostly fearless, and Whitney (the school bully) is sometimes so over-the-top that it comes across as theatrical (which makes sense - they’re putting on a show for their gang and the nearby audience) that I don’t take them seriously (most of the time).

I currently have minimal info on Leighton’s backstory, but I have yet to see a ‘sympathetic’ reason for their actions and behaviour.

Leighton's victim count is high and he has been blackmailing/molesting students for decades, and it’s not a stretch to say that he’s probably a big reason why so many adults (Spoiler: D) in town are also traumatized or fucked up.

He revels in the current power structure and town dynamics, while Bailey (implicitly) and Whitney (explicitly) acknowledges how fucked up everything is.

Also, here’s a comparison (again, I only included Bailey and Whitney as these are the two ‘antagonistic’ characters I have the most interactions with):

Vs. Bailey

Bailey’s motivation is primarily money. They will blackmail you (among other things) for profit, whereas Leighton will blackmail you to satisfy his lust and ego.

I can respect Bailey's character (not his actions 😭) -  they’re callous and ruthless, but they’re also strong and reliable. Personality-wise, I like that they’re impassive, calculating, and dangerous, fitting for the overarching villain. Bailey generally won’t regard you lustfully, unless you go out of the way to do so (cough Troublemaker cough). While steep, their payments do have a cap. Also, I personally believe they dislike orphans who play it safe to gain money because they themselves got their hands really dirty to make money (like the PC, potentially).

Defeating Bailey is also incredibly difficult...because they're impossibly fit and tenacious.

Leighton is petty (they will retaliate if you blackmail him), weak-willed, complacent, (his computer is easier to break into and he easily gets distracted by his own lust), and a serial molester (with a high victim count and long track record - it’s not a stretch to say that he’s probably a big reason why so many adults in town are also fucked up).

Defeating Leighton is way easier and he’ll throw a lame insult at you afterwards.

In terms of administration, I dare say Bailey’s better at running the Orphanage than Leighton running the School.

Spoiler: IIRC, Bailey was also an Orphan, he made the Orphanage better since the last caretaker, and he also has debt. I believe the money they collect from the orphans goes into that debt.

Vs. Whitney:

There’s little revealed about Whitney’s actual motivations but their demanding and bullying behaviour is most likely because of their personal circumstances, the need to gain status, and maintain the approval of their gang. In the most sympathetic light, they’re a neglected teenager who thinks being bigger and badder is the best way to protect themselves in a shitty town. Private moments (esp as an LI and w/o his gang’s influence) show they can be rather responsible and capable of showing concern for the PC.

By contrast, Leighton is an adult authority figure who perpetuates systematic abuse and currently shows no sign of remorse as this helps to keep themselves in power. With their backstory unrevealed, they’re just a pervert who likes preying on the young and vulnerable. They either view you as “Oh, you’re still here?” or “I’m gonna have my fun with youuu”🤮

As shown in some Whitney scenes, Leighton still has some sort of control over Whitney (they give Whitney lighter punishments in exchange for keeping other students in control, and even Whitney won’t refuse a summon from the Headteacher) and most likely has the means to harshly punish Whitney if they’re not useful to them anymore.

You can make Whitney pay for their crimes or retaliate against them, but Leighton, as a major figure in town, can easily get off scot-free (in most cases).

While Whitney will pimp you out (which I hate, they're my primary LI ffs, I really hope this improves in future updates), you can escape some encounters (if you have high Athletics or they have Low Dom) and he mostly does so for the money (they even split the profit with you in one encounter lol). Leighton will force you to have noncon sex (with other students or a freaking dog) as a punishment.

Tbh, both are bad: Whitney can also force you into noncon but they can be fought off easily and they often do so in the spur-of-the moment if you defy them (please don't interpret this as excusing this unhinged behaviour), but Leighton plans their attack, coerces multiple students, and records it for blackmail, which I think is more damaging to multiple parties and harder to navigate (game-wise).

Honestly, Whitney, if left unchecked and goes the criminal route, can probably end up similarly like Leighton (abusing power), but I imagine they’d be more dangerous and calculating as an adult (more similar to Bailey, but cockier).

And if you guys are interested, here’s what I’ve done as revenge so far 😈:

Overpowered him (as a Tiny MC) during his spanking detentions with an audience

Humiliated him and made them cum (Feat: Leighton’s Nightmare)

Eloped with someone else during the aftermath of their card game victory 

Pegged them and took their butt v-card (in their own words: “Yes! Make me your strap-on bitch!”)

In progress: Sending him to the Pillory during the Police Infiltration quest

In conclusion: Leighton is a slime ball, currently has no sympathetic reasons for their behaviour, and is an old pervert with an ego. I also like picking on them but I have to say, my initial vehemence for them has now softened into petty annoyance (possibly even grudgingly fond).

If you read up to here, bless you. Gotta go make cream buns now.

~ Magda's Maker

[sovonight]

hey! been an enjoyer of your art for a while now (been offline Tumblr for a sec) and noticed you do BG art!

I low-key wanna get into BG but I don't know where to start or even what to expect. Do you have any tips for anyone wanting to get into the og BG games? (I don't wanna play BG3 rn I wanna start with the OG games)

sure! i wrote up a quick rundown here of the series + dlc + the enhanced editions. as for tips:

play the tutorial! don't skip this, bg's gameplay is not as self-explanatory as it is for modern games. xan also shows up here to teach you how to cast spells, so it's just nice to bother him

play on pc, not on an app (if for whatever reason you were considering the app version). not only is it really annoying playing on the app with a touchscreen, but you can't install any significant mods either, and it's a pain to even access the files in the first place

holding tab highlights all the interactable objects on the screen, like loot on the ground & chests you can open. there's also a magnifying glass button that does the same thing (in the ee version only, i believe)

in the main gameplay screen, hovering over icons brings up a quick tooltip that tells you what the icon is, but for full info on item/spell descriptions you'll have to click into the character's inventory/spellbook/etc and right click on them there

i regularly look things up on the wiki, because one of the things you'll probably be wondering once you enter combat is "how do i get rid of this negative status effect?!" status effects show up as tiny icons on the character portraits, and you'll have to click into the character page to see the actual name of the status effect, at which point you can drop it into the wiki search bar and find out how to get rid of it

another reason to keep the wiki open is to find out your enemies' weaknesses, so that when your companions are like "my weapon/spell has no effect!" you can change tactics

keep an eye on the log (that text box at the bottom of the screen)! i know, it fills up with a lot of information during combat, but you should keep an eye on how much damage you're doing, especially if you find out you're doing no damage at all

i regularly play with a walkthrough (bg1, bg1, bg2) because i hate backtracking and never want to miss a thing (you don't have to use the walkthroughs i linked, they're just what i have on hand). they are filled with spoilers, so i'd recommend trying your first playthrough without a walkthrough, but if you get stuck they're helpful for telling you what you need to do to get back on track with the main quest. bg doesn't have quest markers or individual quest trackers or anything, just one journal that every single quest update gets piled into (wow, just like real life!) so it's definitely possible to lose track of where you are if you're too deep in side quests or if you stop playing for a week

[dreamingofthewild]

hi! did you see the post i wrote mine in response to? i didn't want to comment on it because i don't want to invalidate anyone's interpretation. i do feel that gale and astarion are extremely similar (having done both romances this was so evident to me and my multiplayer group that we were like wow) and even for similar reasons because they both want to be safe & power = safety to them imo

See, I think they are plot foils. Astarion is also a plot foil for Wyll as Gale and Wyll share many similarities, but I will not detail that here.

They represent bad vs. good, light vs. dark. They are opposing forces that highlight each others traits.

Here are some ways they have similar themes with opposing ways of going about it.

On a similar note, Astarion tries to gain the PC's support through manipulation and Gale through helpfulness.

Dependency: Astarion needs the player's character for protection. Gale relies on the player character to help manage the orb. They both rely on the character's support and choices. Which is why you can convince Gale to stay with you in an evil playthrough, and the only way Astarion will leave is if you're antagonistic towards him. The other characters don't rely on the PC as much.

Pursuit of Power: Both are drawn to power but for different reasons. Gale seeks power for knowledge and autonomy, while Astarion seeks it for freedom from his past and for control. Unlike Shadowheart and Lae'zel, who want to become chosen, Astarion and Gale aim to surpass their respective abusers.

Redemption Arcs: Their stories both involve redemption but from different angles. Gale seeks self-forgiveness and understanding his worth, while Astarion’s redemption, in a good playthrough, is about finding humanity and empathy after a life of manipulation and survival. Gale doesn't need to be redeemed. He just thinks he does. Where Astarion needs to be redeemed but thinks he can't.

Worldview and Personal Growth: Both need significant shifts in their worldviews. Astarion needs to learn empathy and trust, while Gale needs to understand his value beyond his powers and reassess his relationship with Mystra. Both don't think they're worth anything other than what their abusers made them to be. Gale with his magic and Astarion with his looks.

Charisma: Both are charismatic but in different ways. Astarion uses seduction and cunning, while Gale uses intellect and persuasion. Astarion's flirtations are inauthentic, while Gale’s charm is genuine.

They are opposites because Gale is good but has the potential to be corrupted by his own insecurities if you don’t convince him that he is enough. Where Astarion is a bad person who has the potential to become better if you can convince him that the world is not a bad place and he is worthy of being saved. Both need to be challenged and know that they can change.

Self-Identity: Both struggle with self-identity and have moments of deep self-reflection and doubt. Gale struggles with his sense of failure and worthiness in Mystra's eyes. Astarion struggles with his autonomy and whether he can be more than a tool used by others.

The thing is, it's not the Gale x Astarion shippers who are villianising Gale and turning him into a power-hungry karsus Jr. Toxic Bloodweave exists, but it's only a small portion of the ship. Most fics deal with Gale just wanting love, acceptance, recognition, and approval. Astarion wants the same things but doesn't feel worthy of having them until Cazador has been defeated. Once in love, they are both fiercely loyal.

They balance each other out. And when we say they're similar, we're not saying Gale is inherently evil or Astarion is always good. We're saying that they both need saving from themselves because they are both more than what their abusers made them to be. Both their stories are more fulfilling and sweeter in their romance route.

I managed to get Astarion’s good ending while not romancing him and having only 52 approval points with him. Wyll and Karlach were proud of him. Wyll seemed to like Astarion. I'm Act 3 in my playthrough, and I doubt Wyll the monster hunter would be proud of Astarion the monster if he thought Astarion was evil even in a non-ascended playthrough I'm adding this because some people don't see that Astarion has a redemption ending. I don't think Wyll, Gale, or Karlach (but especially Wyll) would associate himself with Astarion if Astarion was fully evil even in a spawn ending.

[prosperity-station]

Chapter Two Is Here!!

Well at long last here we are…

Chapter two is here!

There is a new link as I had to delete the old DashingDon file - https://dashingdon.com/play/shpooky/prosperity-station/mygame/

Chapter two is a 117K words update bringing the WIP up to 164K words in total with an average of 29K words per playthrough! 

I have no excuse as to why this took me so long. My life has been hectic the last year and I’ve been left with little time or motivation to write. But like I said, I’m not giving up on this project!

Chapter three is in progress slowly. I’m not going to give an estimate date as that went so well last time but hopefully it shouldn’t take a year this time! Hopefully…

The main reason the update has taken so long is I’ve gotten a new job a little further out from my home and the commute takes up many hours of my day, so on work days I have little to no time to write and on days off, I’m simply recovering and have no motivation to write. I am planning to move closer to work by the end of the year and get myself a proper writing set-up, so hopefully, come the new year, I should have a lot more time on my hands to focus on writing!

With this new chapter there’s a few extra things I’m looking for from tester aside from the usual spelling mistakes and such. While writing, I lost track of how many character ‘relationship points’ I was rewarding the reader. So as such, I’m not sure if I’ve set the boundaries for certain relationship checks too high or too low. (For explain, please let me know if you’ve been horrible to someone like Silas but he inexplicable is nice to you and the same goes for other characters). I am going to rework how I’ve given out the points eventually, but for the time being, feedback on that would be super helpful! As an added bonus, if you could attach a screenshot of your stats page once you reach the end of chapter two, that would be amazing!

Other then that, continuity is going to be a big thing I’ll need feedback on. It’s been over a year since I really touched chapter one, so I might have found myself repeating bits the PC or other characters already know. So if you find anything that feels odd continuity wise, please let me know!

Other then that, just general feedback will be great! I’m sure spelling mistakes and grammatical errors will have slipped through plenty of times. Also just let me know what you like! What works and what doesn’t!

Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy chapter two! I will be posting updates about chapter three as progress is made.

Once again, the new link - https://dashingdon.com/play/shpooky/prosperity-station/mygame/

[hpowellsmith]

How do you feel when romanceable NPCs get together with each other? I'd love to hear what you do and don't like about it!

I have very strong feelings about this topic so I feel the need to voice my opinion. 😄 Personally, I hate ROs romancing each other, and here’s why. Romance in IF is the most important element for me and the deciding factor whether I even want to play a game or not. When I romance someone, I want it to feel special, like we are soulmates who were destined to be with each other, so seeing unromanced ROs being equally happy with someone else ruins this fantasy. I don’t really feel guilty for getting in the way of other romances like other people have said, more like I feel hurt that our romance isn’t that special after all. Also the fact that the other person my chosen RO can fall in love with is right there, be it the other RO or NPC, make it seems like my MC was just lucky to start their relationship first, and perhaps if the MC was just a bit more shy they could have missed their chance altogether. Of course, it won’t happen because of game mechanics, but realistically it could have happened in-universe.

Another thing is, I tend to replay games a few times to romance different ROs, so if I see that RO who I romanced in another playthrough is now happy with someone else, it makes me jealous and breaks my heart on behalf of my MC. It’s like they’re "cheating" on my MC in alternative universe, while my MCs don’t cheat because I make a brand new MC for each RO. Maybe this is all a bit silly and overly dramatic, but that’s how I feel. 😆

There’s also an issue of quality of romance, so to speak. I’m going to use good old Dragon Age as an example. Fenris and Isabela’s relationship doesn’t bother me that much because their relationship is basically friends with benefits, while their relationships with Hawke are much more romantic and full. It’s not a real competition because the quality of romance with each of them is better when they’re with Hawke. Dorian and Iron Bull’s relationship, on the other hand, is much more annoying, because their romance is presented as this perfect love that seems to overshadow their possible relationships with Inquisitor. I never bring them together in the same party if I romance someone else! 🤣 So yeah, if relationship between ROs has to happen, I prefer it to be at least easily preventable. By the way, I also love matchmaking non-romanceable NPCs like Aveline, so I'm all for it!

Now I wonder how much negative feelings the lack of romance between ROs causes in people who love it when ROs date other people. Is this as upsetting for them as the presence of such romances is upsetting for people like me? Or is it just a nice bonus if it’s there? 🤔

this is in response to the question:

How do you feel when romanceable NPCs get together with each other? I'd love to hear what you do and don't like about it!

Now I wonder how much negative feelings the lack of romance between ROs causes in people who love it when ROs date other people. Is this as upsetting for them as the presence of such romances is upsetting for people like me? Or is it just a nice bonus if it’s there? 🤔

This sort of thought - I may even have seen you mention it elsewhere back in the day! or it may have been from other people - was why I made the decisions that I did in Royal Affairs (where you can matchmake or discourage but it's in the player's hands) and Honor Bound (where the MC is the catalyst for polyamorous romance and the NPCs either don't consider it at all, or discard it quickly if that's not on the cards because of where they're at emotionally). Basically, I saw people expressing strongly negative responses about the romances occurring, but where positive responses happened it was less strong, and more "this is cool to encounter and I enjoy it". So with both games I figured that I'd focus on things where players felt more broadly positive (ie the PC-NPC romance).

I don't relate to the soulmate feeling exactly, but I totally understand wanting the PC-NPC romance to feel special and that the PC is a priority for the NPC, especially if it's a monogamous romance. On a personal level, I like the Fenris/Isabela interaction a ton, whereas I'm not into Garrus/Tali (it felt like a "pair up the spare characters" thing to me), and I have mixed feelings about Iron Bull/Dorian (I never finished either of their romances though, so can't say for sure how their romance compares to the Inquisitor ones).

I haven't decided whether NPC-NPC romance will happen in the new project, or how serious it'll be; at the moment I'm leaning towards no, or perhaps that it'll be more like a very casual Fenris/Isabela-style setup. A lot to think about!

[alicethepiper]

just thinking about a re5make

just the title. i'm on an re4r binge again (when am I not) and I'm just so excited to go back to Kijuju.

re4remake is easily my favorite game in the series and even as someone who has yet to finish the original, i still see and listen to the accounts of others who did - and their comparisons between the two mean a lot and have me excited for what's in store for re5. i think i'm so excited because unlike og re4, i have beaten re5 countless times and im just - ahhhhhhhh. so excited. (if i come across a sheva in og re4 mod watch me beat it immediately lol)

was watching a playthrough of re4make and person playing was complimenting it while also going through her favorites between og and remake. she was commenting on the krauser boss fight, and then the saddler one. and maybe it's literally just how goopy and gross saddler is (and that's what reminded me of excella), but i am so excited to see excella's boss fight. just, in that moment, i was like "oh shit. there is a chance that we're gonna get an updated re5 and we're gonna see botox buddy #2 in all her remake glory." and that's so fucking cool.

i have so many (constructive, i hope) criticisms of re5 - i played the xbox 360 version originally a year ago, and then this summer came back to it, saw re5 on sale, and caved. Since this summer i've only been playing the PC version - and i play it with a lot of mods.

my main complaint (and also source of excitement) is the absolutely disgusting horrible godforsaken green filter, or the idea of a *lack* of it. re4make is so fucking pretty. i am so excited to see that treatment given to other resi games. and i want more from the environment too. there's literally so much opportunityyyyyyy capcom pleaseeeee.

you change location so much in re5. in particular, im a huge fan of the marshlands and it's essentially the stone retrieval thingy in chapter 4(?) of re4make. just - imagine the marshlands with more color?? more foliage?? just, more?? agh. and there's the beautiful scene with the sun rising behind sheva as she and chris ride around on the boat? i need that whole section with the sun rising. do you know how pretty that would be? and then when you get all the slates and open the door, the sun can come up more and whatnot idc. just, let me ride the boat around the pretty marsh. let there be more animals just chilling about (not just the alligators/crocodiles/i can't tell the difference/i always forget/i'm sorry). let me kill enemies with a beautiful sunrise behind me pleaseeeee. i know resident evil is a "gross" series with lots of gunk and shit, but there are so many instances of the games being absolutely gorgeous. the train in re0? queen zenobia? the rcpd literally being built on top of an old museum? let re5 be pretty, capcom. pleaseeeeeee

i'm also just excited for the bossfights overall. everything in re5 is huge and in a potential re5make, there's such an opportunity to make it feel just MORE. irving? excella? jill's bossfight in general??????? literally there is so much potential here. i'm so excited for a jill fight. make the environment more. the voicelines when chris calls out for her. when you play as sheva and AI Chris will stand in front of Jill so you don't shoot her??? i could cry.

also capcom make me like the mkono boss fight please. when i grab the flamethrower, make it do something :)

also, all of the ruins in the game just have so much promise. i haven't played tomb raider in a hot minute, but i remember that shit being fire. give it the tomb raider treatment or something idk.

another thing that i'm so so desperate for is dialogue. i NEED more conversation between Sheva and Chris. They're literally at the hip the entire game, so let them talk. I want to know more about Sheva. I want Chris to slowly open up about Jill, Raccoon City, and the Spencer Mansion. Let that man talk a bit about Wesker - Sheva is walking into hell with him, she deserves to know what's up. (and please bring karen dyer back pleaseeeeeee). from my understanding, sheva was really only supposed to be a liaison between the different BSAA locations. she's essentially there as a translator and guide for chris - yes, she can take care of herself and kick ass, but she wasn't supposed to have to. and then shit hit the fan. so let them talkkkkk about it. let her open up about her dead parents and shit. let chris open up about his dead parents. orphan bond and shit idk

i'm not sure how co-op is gonna work with potential re5 or re6 remakes, but I personally love being able to play with other people. either way, a girl can dream.

i'm sure there's more i could think of but this is what came up off the top of my head. i have no clue if we'll get an re5make (it seems like it would make sense that it comes next after 2,3, and 4 getting a remake). i'm not like keeping my hopes super high or anything but i do want my thoughts out into the universe because i think it would be cool to look back at what i was thinking before re5make was promised/not promised/delivered, etc.

[tonberrykins]

Hey, I get I've been raving about Astarion a lot but, like, are there ACTUALLY people out here who hate Gale and are calling him an incel? Is this a thing? Thank God I apparently curate well bc holy fucking shit I would be having heart palpitations DAILY out of SHEER ANGER.

So, like, we're always going to make fun of our faves and whatnot bc lbr "bro, you were banging Mystra and fucked up that bad?" THOUGH TO BE FAIR, if you're a wizard it isn't that hard to bang Mystra. It's kind of her thing. P sure her banging Elminster as many times as she has is the main reason he's still kicking and out being the Faerûnian Gandalf that he is in-game. Mystra's bodycount aside (especially since that has ZERO bearing on ANYTHING least of all her portfolio and purpose), like, Gale is a very intelligent man. He is also what we would consider as an objectively good person. Save the kids, help the tieflings, be kind and compassionate to those the average "good" aligned folks would consider "worthy" and yeah. He is literally the Alistair Theirin of BG3 if you Fusion Danced him together with Awakening Anders.

That being said, he is also very deeply flawed in that he KNOWS he is brilliant and in that brilliance, knowing his own talent, he thinks he knows better than even his own goddess BUT-! But, but, but, he is mortal, is young enough and in an age to not be able to wrack up the accomplishments of, say, Elminster whom he clearly knows on a fairly personal level so, like anyone who knows they are capable of doing great things, he feels INFERIOR bc he hasn't, in his mind, PROVEN that he is as great as he knows he is. And that's the hubris of mortality.

Objectively, LOGICALLY, he knows that he's more than proven himself capable. Mystra wouldn't have started a relationship with him otherwise, and she never asked him to prove himself. It was his own desperation to prove that he was worthy of her and thinking he knew EVERYTHING that lead to his terrible situation. Is he very clinical and logical about it? Yes. Is he squirrelly about it in the beginning? Very much, yes. Hell, I would be. No one wants to be friends with a literal ticking time bomb and the man is VERY lonely. Hell, that's the name of the game baybee! Baldur's Gate 3: These Bitches Need a Hug; YES EVEN LAE'ZEL, I WILL FIGHT Y'ALL!

Back to Gale, your friendship with him is something he very much treasures and when he starts all his finger wiggling and magic talk he's like any nerd sharing the thing he is most passionate about. He is also the first to admit he fucked up. HOWEVER, that does not (imo) warrant him needing to sacrifice himself all for Mystra's forgiveness, and even Elminster isn't on board with that. And, like, when he talks about Mystra it's never in an accusatory manner towards her. He clearly still loves her, likely always will, but that never negates his love for the PC who chooses to romance him. He is also very much prone to falling into the same pitfall of hubris that got him before and very clearly needs guidance that, yes, Mystra clearly did neglect in giving him. But he never outright blames her, at least he's not in my playthroughs thus far even after having spoken with her in the temple. He's just a sad, lonely nerd and that does not automatically make him an incel; y'all just don't know how to read, listen, or understand nuance. Apparently.

tl;dr

Gale deserves as much love as Astarion but bc he isn't evil "babygirl" material that's "fixable" he's just called an incel when he can be a very genuine friend, but what are those nowadays I guess?

[oathkeeper-of-tarth]

boom-squirrel replied:

Okay, I'm curious... if Teadpoled-Isobel-strikes-back™, who's the one in Last Light sustaining the shield??? oO Doppelganger?!

Hahah, well, that's obviously one of the moments when modded playthroughs like this one take a bunch of suspension of disbelief.

I call this one "The Duality of Isobel".

My justification and vague storyline idea for this HM run was that an abducted tadpoled Isobel from around the end of Act 2 ends up back on the nautiloid, via a timely divine intervention or some such brand of shenanigans (Selûne? maybe? or something altogether more sinister?). And now she is on a big mission to fix everything.

But honestly, if you could find an excuse for Jaheira and the Last Light bunch surviving without Isobel there to establish the haven so Act 2 can still work vaguely similarly, I think Isobel would be a really, really awesome origin with interesting ties into the narrative. Kicking off with her resurrection, running away from Ketheric, and ending up abducted and tadpoled on the nautiloid with the others instead of at the inn. Maybe some amnesia thrown in there to keep some of the mystique of Ketheric's storyline for the player and pacing out the reveals (a la Durge).

This is also a killer idea for some AU fanfic, I will note.

Also part of my romance pick considerations, beyond, you know, just me wanting to play out one I haven't done yet (hence no Shadowheart, I'm aware she is the obvious choice here). NPC Isobel and Aylin will of course get their beautifully touching reunion and live as happily ever after as I can manage, Honour Mode permitting (knock on wood, so far it has been), but my PC Isobel will ultimately want and need to basically leave Faerûn. So I felt it would be fitting to have her go off dragon riding with Lae'zel and have various astral (mis)adventures. Visit the actual Tears of Selûne and all, it's super Meaningful. And having Lae'zel going from constantly ragging on Isobel for being weak and soft-hearted - with me pointedly picking every single Aggressively Compassionate Selûnite Cleric dialogue option in her presence, while also showing flashes of that Isobel-brand Steel that is very much there - to finally becoming open to the very idea of tenderness and being protected is a very nice arc, I think.

I have committed severe overthinking of everything mentioned above. Now, for the Aylin playthrough I have no explanation whatsoever beyond the lethal combination of "I felt like it" with "big lady pretty" and a truly unconquerable addiction to playing paladins.

[noisytenant]

talking about degrees of lewdity, so talking about (fictional) rape video game, and general explicit nsfw themes

(very hard to say I Played The Sex Video Game and not feel self-conscious but we're all adults here we're all chill. here)

anyways this isnt some grand analysis, i'm just shooting the shit rn, but DoL is like... hypnotically christian-brained about sex. simplistic but i think it holds.

which is part of the fetish, playing into those kind of toxic ideas about "purity" and "corruption". if you're carrying those feelings of shame already, then it can feel kind of fun to play it up! but it's so mechanically intrinsic that it's really dystopian. i dont really know anything of OP but it's interesting to wonder how they would describe their views on sex and how those might line up with or seem challenged by the underlying logics of the game.

i find it interesting how inescapable pain and shame are in most of the sexual encounters. finding pleasure in the experience is entirely at the hands of the player. there isn't really the hentai mind break out of "oh, your character actually really enjoys this". it's not really a rape fantasy game, it's just kind of a straightforward rape simulator. and truly everything wants to rape you in this game. Fuck that shredder machine big time

everything is about working. sexual autonomy is a skill you earn by grinding flirtations and encounters. you have no choice but to work (most fantasy-like part of this game is how easy it is to get a job!! cries!!). nothing is gained without great sacrifice

the mechanics and ideology are kind of harsh like sandpaper but admittedly there's something really gratifying about overcoming the challenges, unfolding the little secrets and pockets of joy and unlocking new opportunities (even if i wish they were there to begin with). thrilling that i can buy people drinks now. When will my character learn that it can jerk off its chest

My mod ideas:

Significantly more granular fetish/encounter control.

Orgasm is not an encounter-ender; Orgasm is not the goal of combat

Sex/combat overhaul really we need to start from the ground up. In fact let's put a handjob minigame in there where you use your mouse to (trails off).

Cheat GUI, or command line. The cheat menu is abysmal

More safehouse opportunities, even if they come at great cost (Let's All Live In The Forest Together)

more opportunities for PCs to lead sexual encounters and dominate named NPCs (idgaf about Whitney but the fact that u cant make them submissive to u is ridiculous)

Mod where you can pretend whatever you have with Avery is healthy. Please

Funny bonus from my playthrough: my character got sent to the human livestock farm. working day in and day out trying to escape while also fetishmaxxing. i wake up and it tells me my library book is overdue and i'm in trouble at school. Thank you I was really worried about that at this juncture

If you ever played it you shoudl tell me your mod ideas. Or just your impressions

[antiquatedplumbobs]

What are your must-have mods for historical gameplay?

Hi!

Happy to help try to list out what I use! Some of these are obviously historical, some just help me with my game! This might have gotten a little long, but I tried to include all the mods I feel like I need to happily play in a historic save file. I've included some overrides here as well.

MC Command Center by @deaderpoolmc

Allows for setting changes to support a more historic style of playthrough, and just so much more control over your game.

T.O.O.L. by @twistedmexi

Great for moving debug objects to cover obviously modern items outside the lot, and an absolute must have for posing.

UI Cheats by Weerbesu

Lets you cheat by simpling right clicking on the UI, great for custom historic careers, money management, really everything!

Better Exceptions by @twistedmexi

Helps you locate cc sims are wearing and just keeps an eye on your game heath.

Timeless by @pandorasimbox

Hides modern world objects from your save, amazing for making world appearance much more suitable for historical play.

No Autonomous Anything by @claudiasharon

Includes no autonomous phone, no autonomous pc use, no auto grabbing drinks or food, and no auto cleaning. You can choose which ones work for you best, I have everything but no auto cleaning.

Phone Call Overhaul by @lotharihoe

Reworks the call system, especially great that you can delay invitations, makes it feel more like letter exchanges.

Hat Control Slider by ICONIC

Allows you to adjust where eligible hats sit on the sims head, perfect for those big historic hairs and hats.

Remove Hats & More Indoors by @mizoreyukii

Works similarly to the Snowy Escape not allowing shoes indoor, sims will remove hats and gloves when they come indoors. Great for letting sims have historic outfits without looking silly indoors.

Broom Instead of Mop by @xbrilliantsims

Override for the in-game mop to the broom so your historical sims aren't mopping puddles with that yellow and plastic monstrosity.

Pregnancy Overhaul by @littlemssam

Allows your pregnant sims to do more while they're pregnant. Also offers some more realistic options for mortality.

No ZZZ and No Music Note by Krys29 (MTS)

Gets rid of the zzz's and music notes, makes my screenshots better.

Bust The Dust Overhaul by @lotharihoe

Gets rid of the dust bunnies and clean floor sparkles from the bust the dust kit.

Functional Broom by @mizoreyukii

Works like a vacuum for bust the dust, or available as a BG option to have your sims sweep up.

Neutral Knitting Override by @pandorasimbox

Overrides the bright knitted swatch while your sims are knitting for a more neutral color.

Dog Leash Override by @magnolianfarewell

Overrides the plastic retractable leash used for dogs on walks with a simple leather lead.

Gosh sorry if this got too long, but this is most of the mods I use or have used in the past. There's some really great ones out there! I hope this is helpful!!