#idk all the options feel too complex !!!!!

[moldy-flowers]

The interesting experience of being pro Sasuke, anti konoha, pro tobirama, anti Naruto ending, pro Sasusaku, anti Itachi, pro Sakura, anti SasuNaru, pro Tobirama×Izuna, anti Madara, pro karin, anti Orochimaru, pro Uchiha and anti Hashirama. And also as much as I hate the guy danzo was kind of hot when he was younger...

[utaicon]

I want to allow requests for 3dmv gifsets but idk how to without making it super convoluted...

[justanotherescapism]

Hello idk if you would be able to write a nsfw and sfw alphabet for Wolverine ( also if you see that a letter can stand for something else feel free to change it!!! Your headcanons for that men man have me in love with your work) love ya

Wolverine/Logan SFW Alphabet

A/N: hope you enjoy! <3

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Logan isn’t one for huge displays of affection but rather chooses to show his affection more subtly. A hand on your knee or an arm round your waist. He’d always listen to what you have to say whether it’s something complex or just about your day. Just spending time with your is how he shows his love.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

After you saved him from Sabre, he’d feel like he owes you and would accompany on missions. He’d be very protective, and it wouldn’t go unnoticed but the rest of the team. You’d end up being with him a lot and hanging out, sharing drinks and talking till late in the morning.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Logan tells you he doesn’t like to cuddle but really he enjoys feeling you in his arms. Every night he’d open his arms for you to snuggle up to his chest. He’d pretend to hate it but he’d always have a smile on his face.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

When you’re with Wolverine, settling down isn’t really an option, he’s always on missions and likewise so are you. However, you find your own domestic bliss at the mansion. Teaching the kids and supervising them is it’s own job, but you’d also find time to just relax.

Logan would not be good at cooking or cleaning but he’d make an effort for you. Would it take 5 hours and several packs of pasta to make spaghetti? Yes, but you’d appreciate it all the same.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Simple and blunt. He’d sit you down and end it quickly. Honestly, it wouldn’t be comforting but cold.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He’d want to commit, fully but so scared and worried about your future, he’d suppress any feelings. What if he lost his memory again? What if you died on a mission? He’d be too scared to commit but eventually would admit everything to you. After some reassurance (a lot) he’d feel better about it but takes some time to come round to actually proposing.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

When Wolverine wants to be rough, he is. But, most of the time he’s gentle and calm. He’s not so good with emotional stuff but he’d tried his best. When your sad, he’d hold you and stroke your hair, when you’re angry he’d listen to you.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Logan is not a big hugger, he’d only hug you when he’s scared he had lost you or in moments where he can’t convey his emotions with his words. He’d wrap his arms around your waist and pull you in close, burying his head in your neck.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It takes time, but he’d do a lot to show his love like holding you a tiny bit closer when he’s scared or remembering your anniversary with your favourite flowers.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Very, especially around his fellow x-men. He also makes a show of kissing and holding you. Cyclops looks at you slightly differently than usual? Logan will pull you into a rough kiss. My god, you want to say you hate it but really you find it kind of endearing, however, sometimes it is a little too much. You'd try to communicate this to him, but he just pretends he doesn't know what you mean. If you're a little toxic, you might flirt with another member of the team, when Logan gets jealous, you'll give him a knowing look. He'll finally accept that he is maybe a little too jealous.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Mostly rough, the type of kiss that makes your head spin. He'd pull you in by the waist, gripping onto your clothes. If you're alone, he'd push you up against a wall, either lifting you up or holding you in place. However, on occasion, he'll give you the most gentle and loving kisses, conveying what he can't in words. These are the types of kisses that you feel in your chest. His hands would caress your cheek and all the world would disappear.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Logan is not exactly the greatest with kids, but he tries. He swears to much, drinks too much and quite frankly is a bit too grumpy for their antics. However, when he is in the proximity of children - which at the mansion happens often - he's often quite caring towards them, even if he won't admit this. When a kid has a nightmare, he's the first one to respond. He'd say how annoying it is, but when that little hand holds his he'd have a little smile on his face.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

You trying to get up, and him pulling you down, back into his chest. He'd love to snuggle up and keep warm for as long as possible. He's sleepy and soft, really the only time he's relaxed.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Logan often has nightmares and disturbed sleep, so often you are woken up by him shouting or shooting out of bed. You'd calm him but sometimes it would take a while. However, once he's calm, he'd collapse into your lap, you stroking his hair, as he recovers.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Logan is essentially a blank slate, all that he knows you have both lived through so he is very much an open book in that respect. However, when it comes to emotions and his opinions, it takes a while for him to open up. He always jokes around deep topics, but eventually he'd give you real answers and not dance around the question. It would take a while for him to trust you, but when he does he spills everything to you.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

When it comes to you he's soft, and would have a lot of patience. However, no one else has this luxury, and with them, he's quick to anger. His temper is short, and anything can set him off, the other x-men often rely on you to help calm him down. Other times, he'll come to you and start ranting and raving about the situation.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Logan remembers everything, every fine detail. Having lost a lot of his memories, he savours every moment in his mind. But he rarely shows this, simply choosing to pretend he forgot. Most of the time this is to hear you tell him again but also because he is worried you might thinks he's too soft or weird for remembering where you bought a specific blue jumper from 3 years ago.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

The moment he asked you a date. You both flirted for months on end, the other x-men hated it, telling you both to get a room, but you were worried he'd never make the first move. When he finally took the hint and was going to ask you, he stood outside your door for 10 minutes trying to think of what to say. Just when he was about to knock, you opened the door, you were dressed up nice. He asked where you were going, and you said a date. He asked with who, and you simply grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the mansion.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Logan protective? There is no one more protective. He is always on the look out for danger, even when there is nothing to be worried about. He likes to know where you are and safe, not in a controlling way but to know you're safe, he doesn't care where you are necessarily.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Harder than most would expect. He always remembers anniversaries and birthdays with flowers and a cute date. Everyday tasks are a bit more strenuous, he doesn't always understand what he is supposed to do. That isn't for lack of trying though, but sometimes you'd have to give him pointers, like the dishes or taking out a load of laundry. But there would be no complaints from him.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Sometimes his protectiveness and jealously can get extreme, especially in times of stress. If there is some villain running around, he'd barely let you go outside for fear of you getting hurt. You'd constantly remind him that you are capable of taking care of yourself but he wouldn't hear it. He can get stubborn to the point that you want to rip your hair out.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Not very. He doesn't age like a normal man so he doesn't have to worry about his physical appearance.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Yes, when he is away from you, he is more grumpy and colder than usual. He would be snarky, stubborn and evasive, sometimes to the point of risking a mission.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He would always buy you flowers for any occasion or just randomly, and you'd dry press them so you can keep them forever. But it's gotten to the point where you have too many. So he'd buy you a chest-like box, that's ornate and detailed. Inside you keep all of the flowers, and other sentimental things from your relationship.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Logan doesn't like baby talk or being childish in that way. It's one of his few turn offs, at the end of the day, he is decades older than he looks so it would just give him the ick.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Bad, he'd constantly wake up due to night terrors, often waking you alongside him. It would take time to calm him down, but eventually he'd be able to go to sleep.

[mars-and-the-theoi]

Low energy Devotional Acts for when you don’t have a lot of energy (or time, or money, etc.)

💀Thanatos💀

- listen to a devotional playlist for Him

- listens to ‘dark ambient’ soundscapes

- learn about butterflies

- if able, visit a cemetery

- learn about the work that death doulas, hospice workers, funeral directors, morticians, cemetery caretakers, and grief counselors do

- if able tend to the grave of a loved one (tidy it up, bring new flowers/decorations, etc.)

- talk to deceased loved ones (doesn’t have to be anything fancy- I talk to my dead dog all the time I say good morning to him and when we leave I tell him we’ll be back etc. whatever you wanna tell them you tell them!)

- learn the stages of grief and how complex grief is

- if interested and able (I know this can be touchy) learn about the process of dying and what happens to the body after death

- learn about what you can have done to your body after death- there’s lots of interesting options out there! Burial at sea is still very much a thing that can be done, I didn’t know that until I got curious and looked this stuff up!

- if able and willing talk to your loved ones about what your wishes are for when you die- what do you want to happen to your body, what do you want your funeral to be like, etc. (I include this because I used to work in assisted living and nothing is worse than your family just not knowing what your wishes are for when you die, I’ve heard too many horror stories)

- learn about death magic and spirit work

- learn about the Victorian era spirituality craze (like the uptick in things like seances and all that, it’s all very interesting)

- learn about the many ways to communicate with the dead

- destigmatize death- death has become a very hush-hush subject which doesn’t really do us any favors in my opinion so don’t be afraid to talk about it, talk about your wishes, etc.

- learn about funerary practices throughout history and around the world

- learn about the meaning of death throughout history and around the world

- listen to songs about death

- read poems, books, plays about death- there’s a lot of them and they’re quite interesting

- watch movies/shows about death (my personal favorite is the seventh seal)

- if able and willing reflect on your own thoughts and feelings on death (can be death in general, about your own mortality, etc.)

- look up cemetery symbols and symbolism! And whenever able do a cemetery scavenger hunt

- wear black

- learn about how to help someone who is grieving

- listen to goth music

- be kind to spirits

- learn about haunted locations

- read ghost stories (idk if this counts but my personal favorite is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow)

💤Hypnos💤

- listen to a devotional playlist for Him

- listen to calming soundscapes

- learn about symbolism in dreams

- learn about the stages of sleep

- if able establish and practice good sleep hygiene

- learn about good sleep hygiene

- if unable (or you have a hard time sleeping) look up calming and quiet activities you can do instead

- listen to calming music

- if able make your bedroom into a cozy safe space

- learn about herbs and plants with calming and/or sleep inducing properties

- if able donate some bedding you don’t use anymore (even animal shelters will take some! Bedding is always in high demand in all sorts of places so if you’re needing to unload some this is the chance to do it!)

- learn about our sleep cycles and the circadian rhythm

- if you have young family members (kids, little siblings) tuck them in and/or read them a bedtime story

- if able slow down and rest

[batboyblog]

2016 is often considered the point when leftism managed to get itself into the mainstream and became more popular, but I honestly can't help but wonder, given the sheer descent into conspiracy theory and selfish cruelty of the current state, whether in hindsight it was actually leftism's step into decline.

I've been thinking about this a lot, sadly I'm getting the start of a Migraine, so the edges of my thoughts are all fuzzy so idk if I'll be able to do what I think justice, but lets try.

The human mind doesn't really like complexity, it'd a pattern recognition machine built to find food and stuff that thinks you're food in the African brush. So we like to find patterns and lump stuff together, its hardwired in.

so "Leftism" I do understand what you mean, but I think it covers a really wide area.

and I think in politics we like to assign ideological and policy logic to things to political movements, it has to be about a coherent and rational ideology and world view we think. But... I think, often times it's emotional as much as anything. Did people vote for JFK or Reagan so much for policy as they, personally in their person, seemed to be the antidote to what was wrong in the moment? JFK seemed young and energetic when compared to an elderly and ill President Eisenhower, Reagan had the claiming aging leading man energy to make everyone feel like it'd be okay, a movie cowboy to lead us against bad guys we didn't understand while nice guy Jimmy Carter seemed stuck.

So back to 2016, I think there was so real ideology to start. The Left of the Democratic Party felt empowered after 2006, the left of the party had been against the Iraq War from the jump and that turned into the organizing issue that pushed Republicans out of power in 2006. A San Fran liberal, founding member of the House Progressive Cause was the first woman Speaker (and in favor of gay marriage too). In 2008 the Left of the party for largely emotional reasons sided with Obama over Clinton, even though they largely overlapped on policy and where there were (minor) differences she was to his left.

so riding high from two back to back wins, having gotten a lot of progressives elected to the House and Senate (like Bernie Sanders) progressive Dems were pretty let down by the real results, the ACA got bogged down and their dearest wish list item, the public option, which Pelosi fought for so hard, failed to make it into the final bill, and then 2010, a blood bath. And understandably there's been some frustration with Obama for not living up to the hype and also failing to really focus on state level races, Democrats got tarred hard

BUT! there's also an emotional side, Occupy Wall Street. I remember at the time being interested in it, I was young and more radical, but soon I got really frustrated because they had no demands, I watched every night MSNBC which was very sympathetic, but no one could articulate what it is they wanted, past a vague idea of "punish" the guilty.

I think there's a lot of restless frustration, some of it grounded and based in reality some of it not, in this country and its only grown over time as well as a contempt for and a break down of any kind of respect for experts and norms any anything established.

SO! I think that emotion latched onto Bernie and the left of the Democratic Party. As someone who worked that election I can tell you, at first knocking doors in New Hampshire, I got the taste of the very start of the campaign. And people would say "oh I'm voting for Bernie now, but I'll vote for Hillary in the general" but soon it went from friendly, from "we're pushing her to the left" to something bitter and angry. I had Bernie supporters tell me 1990s Fox News conspiracy theories around the Clintons, I had a Bernie supporter (in the general election) follow two college girl volunteers for blocks back to our office to SCREAM at us all.

Bernie won the New Hampshire Primary pretty commandingly that year, and partly because he had a strong volunteer network. But in the general despite many efforts we could barely get any of his regular volunteers to come work with us against Trump. I remember one lady who showed up just once and looked RIP SHIT! to be there, I think she said that all the positive stuff we said about Clinton, at a canvass launch for Clinton, made her "sick" and "don't expect me to say anything nice about her!" and she was one of only a tiny number of Bernie people who showed up in the general so she was better than some.

I remember the only Bernie Volunteer we got to become a regular. He'd knocked doors for months in New Hampshire for Bernie, organized his own phone bank into Nevada for their primary, drove down to South Carolina and spent the week before their primary knocking. Clearly a true believer, and when he decided to volunteer with us they kicked him out of the Facebook group he started and stopped speaking to him. I'll always remember what he said, that around the Bernie office they used to say that "a Trump voter was just a Bernie voter who hasn't been educated yet"

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, there were real motivations of the progressives and the left of the party, real policy based frustrations, particularly around how health care worked out, and I think Bernie Sanders himself was running because of that and to express that. But it tapped into something else, something not really political and much more emotional, rage and bitterness and a need to punish, the same energizes Trump taps into. It made a permission to be nasty to people you don't like, particularly women, I won't repeat the things people said on the phones, horrible.

now in 2024, almost 10 years later, there's a lot more depression mixed in, Trump talks about America as a 3rd world country all the time, there's just a vibe of having given up, hopelessness. There's a genocide and everything is horrible and hopeless and give up and die.

I don't believe in giving up, I don't believe in bitterness, I'm not a sunny person in real life, but I believe the point of politics, the politics I'm a part of, is lifting people up. It might be corny and uncool, but I believe in America, not that we're prefect, no, we're not, but together we've done great things, we fought a world war and went to the moon, and we can do great things together still always if we believe in each other, build each other up, stop being so afraid and weak and sad. I want to be beat fascism again, I want to go to the moon again, I want to beat climate change, and finally finally make the promise that all men are created equal REAL, and I don't believe in hiding behind walls, and crying that we can't do it any more, fuck that shit.

[pixelglam]

hey amelie! i just wanted to ask, how long did it take for you to learn how to build? did you watch youtube tutorials or anything like that? idk, i’ve always wanted to build a house for my own sims but it’s so hard for me to like what i’ve made. did you feel this way too? do you have any tips? sorry i’m such a yapper 😭 have a great day! <3

Hello! Watching simmers like bojanasims, lilsimsie and simlicy on youtube helped me a lot especially when I started building lots myself about one and a half years ago! I listed a few tips for you below!

I also received a similar message from another anon so I'll be answering both here. 🤍

'hiii i recently discovered your yt channel and i love your builds. how did you improve your building skills and how do you make your builds so realistic? 🩵'

Study Real Architecture: Look at real-life houses, apartments, and buildings to understand architectural styles, layouts, and details. This can give you inspiration and ideas for your own builds. My favorites are pinterest and real estate/architect websites.

Plan Your Build: Before starting, come up with a plan and layout for the build. Decide on the overall style (modern, traditional, etc.), number of rooms, color scheme and any special features you want to include.

Get Acquainted with The Basics: Understand the basic tools and controls in Build Mode. Practice using the wall tool, room tool, roof and terrain tools to create a solid foundation for all your builds. There are a lot of really informative tutorials on youtube! (important for beginners)

Pay Attention to Scale and Proportions: Ensure that rooms, windows, doors, and furniture are proportionate to each other. This helps in creating a realistic and cohesive look.

Use Realistic Colors and Textures: Choose colors and textures that are realistic and complement each other well. Consider the overall color scheme of the house and how different materials blend together.

Add Detailing: Pay attention to small details like trim around windows and doors, roof overhangs, and landscaping. These details can make a big difference in the overall appearance of your build.

Experiment with Roofing and Terrain: Roofs and landscaping can significantly impact the realism of your build. Experiment with different roof shapes, angles, and materials. Use terrain tools to create realistic slopes and landscaping features.

Furnish Thoughtfully: When furnishing your builds, think about how real people would use the space. Arrange furniture in a way that makes sense functionally and aesthetically.

Utilize Custom Content (CC): Explore custom content to expand your options for building, furniture and decorative items. This can often help to create a more realistic look as well.

Seek Feedback and Learn from Others: Share your builds in sims discord groups or on Simblr to ask for feedback and look for inspiration. Look at tutorials and speed builds by other players/creators to learn new techniques and tricks. (please don't copy or steal other people's builds to post online though)

Practice Regularly: Like any skill, building in The Sims 4 improves with practice. Experiment with different styles and challenge yourself with more complex builds over time.

Have Fun and Be Creative: Building in The Sims 4 is a creative outlet, so enjoy the process and don't be afraid to try new things in your designs.

[hankiki]

Some personal thoughts about ch 98~ 3

Headcanon here, but I also thought, that in his room when he lost his mind, it looked like several chains of sickles were also shooting out of the ground at once. Idk if that makes sense, but maybe because he can manipulate matter, he's also able to turn his environment into a weapon.

I think that's marble, that he's digging into.🫠

This manic, hysterical laughter (Possibly also a kind of defense mechanism) filled with madness. How he's losing his mind more and more and at the same time these bitter tears full of sorrow and pain, because the whole thing is just too hard to bear. When I saw this for the first time 2 weeks ago, I was so shocked and full of pain, but I also thought, that it somehow fits with his unstable nature to deal with the situation like that. Too many emotions colliding at once and perhaps he probably couldn't deal with it any other way. It's all just too much.

It's kind of fascinating to see how accurate Loki seems to be. I mean him lying on the floor and was frantically tearing apart everything in his room and only didn't cut up one thing.. his self-created Brunhilde.

Also how, from one second to the next, he suddenly seems to be completely calm again and continues to lie on the floor, breathing in and out, to calm himself down and then..

this.

With this coldness and emptiness in his eyes, but at the same time with so much more madness than before. As if he were now capable of doing anything, no matter what the consequences are.. At first I thought it was directed by Brunhilde what he says here, but now I'm not sure anymore. I could also imagine that he meant Simo or even Siegfried with that.

Brunhilde being here all alone and asking Loki for forgiveness could show that she feels guilty, but like I said~ who knows, maybe there might be more to it than that.

I mean, that Simo is possibly the only Human who can take on Loki.. speaks for Simo as well, but at the same time, it also shows that Loki should never be underestimated.

~

I still think it could be 50/50, but even though I really hate to say it.. Loki has more and bigger death flags now. Just considering his emotional state, which is even more unstable than before. I would definitely like him to go through some kind of 'healing' during his round. For example by being able to move on from the whole thing with Brunhilde, but we're talking about Loki, who feels so extreme, intense and is filled with so much madness and the whole thing is just so complex that I can't imagine that happening.. I always imagined that he might come to the realization, that perhaps nothing will ever change for him and that he won't be able to bear it anymore.. so that he might sacrifice himself for Brunhilde in the end or something like that (in my opinion, he's so much more than "just" that, but how things have turned out now.. but Loki is also such an unpredictable personality where you just never know what will happen next.) although of course, I hope that this option doesn't happen. Despite everything, I never want to give up hope that he will still be important to the plot beyond this, but we can only see that through the development of his round/backstory.

I've been looking forward to this round for so long now. I mean, after over 6 years of Loki being in the series, his round is finally happening! Still so surreal.. but on the other hand, I'm really scared of it, considering how things are for Loki now. It's definitely going to be a masterful, brilliant, fantastic, crazy, insane round~ that has the potential to possibly reach the length of round 4 or even longer, in my opinion.

~

Sorry, if there are any grammatical errors or everything seems a bit chaotic. Thanks for reading!

Panel source

End~

[botherkupo]

It’s fascinating to me that ppl think Aang wasn’t “running away” in natla

He leaves the temple to take a break, but we have no idea how far he would have gone or when he’d planned to come back if the storm had not hit. Either way, he left because the thought of being the avatar - and being separated from Gyatso — was too overwhelming (running away, however temporarily, from his duty)

He doesn’t learn waterbending because Gyatso was the only one who’d ever taught him and he’s not ready to let someone else do it. This is running away

He begs Kuruk to control him in the avatar state so he doesn’t have to figure things out on his own. Idk how ppl can’t grasp this is running away

On the flip-side Aang choosing to surrender to the ocean spirit and become “rage” is neither a pointless thing nor does it remove his agency. It’s different from what he does when he begs Kuruk to take control or allows Kyoshi control.

Aang chooses to become one with the Ocean Spirit because he feels he has failed too many times and there is no place for him in this world. He chooses this option because he knows he can’t control the avatar state, because he’s not the Avatar ppl wanted. He chooses it because he believes that even if he can’t save a world that deems him unnecessary, he can at least save the NWT and stop the fleet

The fact that Aang truly becomes lost to the Ocean Spirit in natla, instead of just getting help from the spirit, makes this choice even more poignant. The fact that Katara helps him return to himself (as well as Yue’s sacrifice) is also incredibly important

Aang was ready to give up everything because he believed he had nothing else to offer the people of this war-torn world. And it was the ppl - especially Katara, who truly believed in him and what he can do— who saves him

I’ve seen ppl complain about natla so much and accuse it of poor writing, no nuance, no complexity blah blah. But the fact so many ppl seem to miss the subtleties of the characters’ arcs in the show suggests to me you did actually need it spelled out

Like I do not think the show is perfect or the writing as tight as it could be. I feel that certain arcs needed to be explored more to execute them better. But I’m sick to death of seeing post after post acting like natla is all “no growth and everything handed to the characters” when original cartoon literally has Aang beat Ozai with a deus ex machina lion turtle and a conveniently placed rock

[omegastation]

Once saw someone describe ME as copaganda and honestly... I feel like that's a 100% accurate statement. It honestly dampens my enjoyment of the saga. Genie is out of the bottle, as they say.

Open contempt for civilian agencies, check. Repeated instances where they present fascism as a Good Thing Actually, check. Cops and military almost unilaterally depicted as correct and just, check. Ones like Harkun are treated as merely bad apples and hand-waved away whereas any and all politicians are treated as incompetent at best or outright corrupt/malevolent at worst. Not to mention the whole thing with Khalisah al-Jilani.

Idk. It all just feels so dim-witted and mean-spirited.

There are a lot of good things that make me love it with all my heart, and things that are not so good. I try to do my best to acknowledge the bad stuff and remain critical. So yeah, I do agree that some elements of the trilogy should be analyzed closely because it's kinda fucked-up.

Genie is out of the bottle, I find that the expression explains a lot. Because Mass Effect is a product of its time and place, and /insert the speech from LOTR/ the world has changed. I don't mean to say that it was never this bad, because I think it was, but we now are getting images, videos and live updates all the time showing us exactly how bad it is. We see so much suffering and injustice. And it's us "outside". Some are inside, and they're the ones showing us how bad it is. So... It's harder to see specific themes, stories and characters that are unchallenged. It's harder to see injustice being portrayed, even if the content doesn't always condone it.

I also think we are more critical in general. We are, unfortunately, used to specific issues so it's easier to recognize when they appear in fiction. I can really see that in the way people talk about specific characters. People idolize less, and I honestly think that's an improvement, because idolatry, at least how I see it, is not about seeing characters or stories as they are, but putting them on a pedestal. Characters are complex and flawed, and that's what makes them interesting. Real growth happens when characters change and adapt and rethink their position. Sometimes it means they have to look inside themselves and see the ugliness, and that means we get to see the ugly too. Not only that, but we can also contemplate what is ugly inside us, and see what we can do to change and grow. But not so long ago, before my hiatus, it was really hard to step away from "this character is a god" or "this character is flawless and if you don't see it you're not a fan" and "no no i can't see this issue at all, doesn't exist, lalalala" talk. Now it's harder for people not to see the issue. But the issue was always there.

You talked about Khalisah. I saw a meme on FB recently that says that if we can't hit someone like Khalisah in the new Mass Effect, we shouldn't bother playing it, which to me is 1. disturbing, 2. missing the fact that wars need journalists and reporters, even someone like Khalisah who is not always playing fair. I don't understand the option to hit her. I've ranted about it enough here. If you don't hit her, you get to encourage her and reassure her. It's obvious she's falling apart and she needs to be reassured. One of my favorite quotes in the game is what Shepard tells her: "Keep asking the hard questions." That's what is needed in a time of war. And sure, this one beautiful interaction and line won't take away the fact that some choices can feel mean-spirited but to me, it means it's not black & white. I see the ugliness, I do, but I also see the beauty.

IDK where I'm going with this. I guess that Mass Effect was never flawless and unproblematic, and in a way, I think it's a good thing that issues are seen and we can have a critical look at the worst parts of the trilogy.

But what is very specific to you, anon, is what you can tolerate, appreciate or enjoy. Some parts of the trilogy make me sad and or angry but it doesn't stop me from really enjoying the whole. If you find that you don't get to enjoy it anymore, because too many elements make it difficult to appreciate and it's now a real dislike, don't forget that you can step away. I'm not telling you that you have to do it. You can do what you want, but don't forget that you don't have to force yourself to love something. It's okay to move away from things because you now find them disappointing.

[queen-schadenfreude]

now that I've finished datv.. i have some first pass thoughts

spolers below

first of all why is this game trying so hard to rehabilitate in-universe controversial aspects? I mean like. Slavery in Tevinter. It's swept under the rug with a few lukewarm platitudes and codices about how it's being addressed off-screen. Previous games have established how horrific it is, but the tevinter we see in veilguard doesn't reflect that at all. it feels dismissive of a lot of major setting and character development. Same with the antivan crows! they were described as a brutal, cruel organization but now they're the underdog protectors? Sure, there was family drama and a few mentions of how cut-throat things HAD been before, but we don't get to *see* any of that. illario was weak as an example of this bc he was the only thing to be shown as bad. There's no tangible impact.

it seems like a feeble attempt to make sure the players understand that the writers do not condone the unsavory aspects of the setting and characters, while making everything a Teachable Moment. honestly half of the game felt like a psa on extremely basic ethics, like surface-level shit children already know.

on top of that, idk why the game is trying so hard to therapize the player via companions' emotional journeys. The extremely basic and direct "your feelings matter and it's okay to feel your feelings! " scenarios were so repetitive and cringe. Sesame street level bullshit. am i crazy for expecting a more mature and nuanced approach to emotional struggle??? I swear previous games were better at this

also fuck all of southern thedas, it's cooked. hope yall didn't care!

Anyway.

ive only played through Neve's romance and i chose her bc she talks and acts like an adult and not a flustered teenager like harding, or a quirky mpdg like bellara. I liked it, it was fine. no strong feelings about it tho.

I didnt consider Taash as a romance option bc they act like a petulant child most of the time and that's just not fun for me.. and I don't love that Taash seems more like a prop for Gender Ideology 101 rather than being a fully complex character who is working through a gender identity crisis. I am not trans and cannot fully speak to this but as someone who knows more than the absolute basics of gender ideology, their story felt patronizing.

the boys are... fine, I guess. I wrecked treviso so I think i got locked out of some Lucanis stuff but his possession just isn't as compelling as previous characters who have been possessed. Davrin is fine, inoffensive. Emmerich is funny I do like him, Manfred is delightful.

I played as an elf bc I hoped it'd be extra relevant to the story, what with the Big Bad(s) being evanuris. it didn't matter at all. the crossroads doesn't even look different for an elf character like it did in Trespasser.

I expected everything to drive torward making Solas out to being a Good Guy Actually, and it kind of did. but super aggravating for have phantom varric to say that after being actually murdered by him like damn!! you are just gonna let that guy walk all over you bc yall were friends for a short while a decade ago. Where was that sympathy for Anders??

varric being a figment of rook's imagination the whole time was a fun reveal, tho.

siiigghhh. but listen. there were things I liked about the game, too. the gameplay is fun. the environments are GORGEOUS. the characters look good, i think the art style is fine actually. the character creator is great (except those qunari fiveheads RIP)

a lot of the banter and jokes did genuinely make me laugh, and i did like exploring maps and interacting with the new companions generally.

I havent given a lot of thought to it but I think a lot of the plot-related issues i have could've been solved by just setting the game like, 100 years in the future. All of the questionable and unsavory aspects of the cultures the game tries SO hard to diminish and write off would've had time to be organically rectified in-universe. I guess.

well. whatever.

[six-swords]

ok first of all i need to commend your commitment to the inhuman biology, especially when it comes to Steb. i feel like people usually go all out when making monster dicks, so reading about a ribbed, egg producing vagina really scratched an strange itch for me. i didn't know i needed to read about someone eating caviar out of a pussy 10/10

the main thing me and my friend talked about was why Steb would have such a large spawn. with regular fish, the need for a large clutch is, in part, to make up for potential predators coming in and eating the babies. Steb and others of his race are humanoids, they don't have to worry about hunters targeting their kids for food, so why does Steb still produce so many eggs? We agreed on the idea that the chances of even one of the eggs getting fertilized is very low, so they likely evolved to produce a large spawn to increase the amount that make it out. idk if you chose a 6 month cycle because of something from actual fish, but i imagine the cycle is that long because it takes that long for the body to reset and then go through the process of making that many eggs. (side note, how late do the eggs start producing in Steb's cycle? Would it be more similar to the luteal phase, ovulatory phase, or a secret third option? Does birth control exist in the Arcane universe? IM GETTING OFF TRACK)

the other thing we discussed was why Steb's eggs were so small. now, we imagined that the eggs were around the size of orbeez, but please let me know if there was something in the actual fic about the size that we missed. what we were wondering was how is the embryo able to reach the size of an average humanoid baby? On one hand, there is the possibility that any fertilized egg could be placed back through whatever Steb's equivalent of a cervix would so that it could develop more like a typical mammals (in this scenario, i suppose the ejection of eggs would be done in order to appraise which ones look most likely to develop). On the other hand, perhaps fishfolk eggs are raised in shallow pools of water, not unlike my understanding of how Zora work in Legend of Zelda. i would imagine with the second option that the embryo either receives nutrients by absorbing them through the water (thus creating a need for the parent to refresh the water while the baby grows) OR the infant hatches when it is super small and spends the first few months in the pool receiving food orally. in the latter choice, the baby might go through a cycle similar to that of a tadpole, starting off very fish like and slowly growing it's more human traits later on.

with how complex this fictional birthing mechanic is, i don't think it'd be very possible for Scar to actually fertilize one of Steb's eggs. maybe there's a fantasy fertility clinic that could take one of Steb's eggs and Scar's sperm to somehow reverse engineer a baby for the two of them? there are a lot of different races in Arcane, so i wouldn't be TOO surprised if some endocrinologist figured it out in all those years.

sorry this is so long. i hope this doesnt sound too insane to you, haha. we really enjoyed your fics!

I love the caviar references /genuine because it's all I could think about when I was writing the first installment of the series LOL. I'm happy that you enjoyed the freaky fish genitalia because yeah, I definitely have been seeing the posts about people wanting more monster pussies to match the monster cock energy, and I wanted to deliver haha. Plus, I just thought it'd be kind of boring if he had a regular vulva, so I wanted it to be externally and internally interesting hence the anal fins and the internal ribbing, etc., so thank you for commenting on it!

more under the cut, lol

And omg, yeah, I had the same thought process about the amount of eggs he produces being really random. I was thinking it was a vestigial trait. I based his reproductive cycle off fish with internal fertilization, so technically, if he was with someone of his own species, they would fertilize the eggs while they're still inside him, and then he'd expel the fertilized eggs. I imagine the chance of fertilization would be higher with internal versus external fertilization, but maybe not? I also didn't make it super clear it's always internal fertilization when he is having reproductively viable sex, so your explanation tracks logically with external fertilization, or maybe even with internal fertilization if his species just has really low rates of fertilization. Anything is possible! Either way, I love hearing the theories.

The six month cycle was not at all from real fish, haha, but yes, the length was to allow his body to reset and also, more frequent spawns felt like they'd be too inconvenient. I'm not too sure at which stage the eggs start producing, but his body starts producing them a couple hours to a day before he needs to expel them, so the window for potential fertilization is oddly short. It's probably an unrealistic timeline. I just didn't want him to have to walk around bloated for days or weeks. Maybe since he has six months to recuperate, the fast egg production reads as a little more feasible :thinking_emoji:

You're spot on with the egg size! I didn't even consider implanting the fertilized eggs back into the womb. That's a really cool concept. It's definitely interesting to consider which mammalian characteristics Steb's species has if any. I've been writing him as warm-blooded, so that's one thing. But to get back to the eggs, while I was writing, I was envisioning something like your second idea where the fertilized eggs are ideally placed in a special pool, tub, or pond. The embryos develop inside the eggs for a bit before they hatch into fish-like infants, and just like you said, they begin to develop humanoid characteristics later on in their maturing process. I imagine they'd look like regular fish for a year or more. If there's already in-universe lore about this and I'm super wrong, lol oops.

I also agree that I don't think Steb and Scar are reproductively viable, and I like your idea about fantasy fertility clinics. I didn't see a lot of furry-like humanoids that look like a combination between multiple animals in the show, so I'd imagine if they do exist, it'd be inaccessible to the average person. And god, I hope birth control exists in their universe. But if it does, I once again think it's not readily available, or Steb would definitely be using it.

And trust, this is the perfect amount of insane! I wrote that unhinged fic, so I'm very honored to inspire other unhinged thoughts and conversations. Thank you so much for sharing your ideas and for reading the fic! <3

[sweatandwoe]

I (and I'm sure a lot of us) would go feral if you wrote original monster content. I'm talking climbing the walls, screeching, hissing, bite bite biting feral. I wanna smooch the cryptids. The gonsts. The lil funky guys in the gloom under the moon. Please. One day. I loaf you sweaty for that thot alone

🩷

why not, let's do a little test run

MDNI - Lich x GN!Reader. Reader getting overstimulated, Skull Fucking (not in it's original context), Necrophilia maybe? Idk he's a lich and consenting, Oral Reader receiving, Fingering Reader recieving, Boning (this is linked to the fingering). Dacryphilia mention at the end.

-

"You can do it, my dear. What's one more little death?"

One more might actually lead to your actual death. But your lover was always so very thorough in his work, and you were never one to complain about helping him research. Well, not usually.

But now there are tears in your eyes, and you're starting to ache. It was bordering on painful now. "I don't know if I can."

The man, if he could still be considered that, peers up at you. Eyes a cold flame, ice blue lights dancing in wide, black sockets. His head is solid bone, a skull staring up at you. Long fingers, notched and thin, pause inside of you.

"Oh?" The skull leans forward, jaw moving. The little muscle left along the bone helped to stretch it out and let a shadowy tendril slip out; the ghost of a tongue. It hovers there, curling and flicking like smoke though it was far weightier than that. You knew from experience, and you can hear a chuckle when your legs tremble. "Would you like to make good on that assessment?"

Fuck. The tendril moves up, flicking along your sex while his fingers continue moving, searching and pressing inside you. He's determined and you can only grasp one hand onto his shoulder, gripping his robe, while the other roams over chilled bone. His true name spills from your lips, forbidden and complex but your tears are starting to slide down, warm and fat along your cheeks.

He doesn't let up. The ghost of the tongue does not mean he can't speak, even if it's busy. The lich's eyes light up with each word and let each of the following sentences hang in the air before sinking into your skin. "Such a good assistant for me. Helping me explore all kinds of death. How many ways we can achieve this one, the little death before it breaks you?" There's a pause, before he crooks his fingers, pressing them against that one spot to make you keen out. He chuckles, warm and full of delight while his gaze rakes over your body. With a single movement, he's pressing forward his skull right against you, letting the cold bone hit your inner thighs. "I think after this one it will be five? Is that correct, dearest one?"

You're panting. Nails dig into bone while your teeth dig into your lower lip. "That's c-correct, Gar-"

"I think that will be enough for today then. Just one more, my dear." He doesn't wait. The tendril is no longer flicking against your sex, but rather engulfing it. Sucking and licking, it feels wet and warm, a wonderful contrast to the coldness of his natural form. His magic was always so warm.

Tears continue to leak, you're so tired, but you can give him one more. One more and you will be done. He will treat you so well if you give him one more. You force yourself to relax, to let his ministrations guide you through, but you're cumming with a sob and grind of your hips against his head.

He's nothing but praise, sliding his fingers out once your orgasm ends. "So wonderful to see. Such a good test subject." The tendrils from his mouth descend back in, but not before letting it roll over your thighs like a final caress or a soft kiss. He stays between your legs, gently rubbing over them with too-thin and rough fingers. Bones pet your flesh, and you don't mind it.

Finally, he lifts himself up, to stand and get you a glass of water that he had kept nearby. He dips the cup himself, and you know there is no option here but to drink. Heavy mouthfuls are quick to come as you realize your thirst. When he pulls away, turning to set it down, your fingers run along his robes. "Thank you."

The lich chuckles, thin arms wrapping around your body, until he can settle behind you. Having you lay over him, the robe helping to smooth out all the hard lines of his body. "I should be thanking you, my dear. I've learned so much." He shifts beneath you slightly. "Was it too much?"

You consider the fact that you just had the equivalent of a talking skeleton eat you out and finger you open until you wept. Surprisingly, no. "It wasn't that bad. Just got too..."

"Overstimulated?" You nod and he hums. "Perhaps next time, we can have some longer breaks in between. That may help with preventing some tears."

You gaze at him, meeting the blue flames of his eyes head-on. "But you like the tears."

His hand dips, feeling along your waist and then your stomach. He can't grin anymore, but you could sense it in the next few words. "Perhaps I should keep going then?" Boney fingers dip lower, following the line of your hip, hovering over your sex once again. "If you have no objections, of course, my dear."

You pause, thinking. "One minute break? And then you can get another one."

His teeth press on the crown of your head, the whisper of a kiss he couldn't give. "Of course, my dear."

You smile, pressing a kiss to the side of his jaw. "Thanks, Garbear."

Gary sighs, no air pressing through the slightly parted teeth. "You're going down to thirty seconds now, brat."

"You shouldn't have let a human pick your casual name."

"Twenty."

You had an odd feeling it would be a long, but enjoyable night.

-

Thank you to @golden-rats for the name of the Lich

[mtkay13]

So I made those as requested by abscess chemical on twitter and figured it may be fun to share them on tumblr as well. And you know what? Share a break down of my choices as well, because why not! I tried doing it seriously haha.

Zhou Zishu:

Intense - 6/10: He can be very intense, re the things or people he's invested in, but he also has a chill and detached quality to him, a way of being at peace with things that he won't blow things out of proportions.

Complex - 9/10: I think that he's a very nuanced, multi-faceted and deep character, but I guess I didn't go 10/10 just because there's also a very straightforward and easy to get part of him (esp. from WKX's perspective.

Fruity - 2/10: I think the guy's very gay but not the most bombastic about it LBR.

---

Angst-lord: although it's not as obvious in TYK, QY gives us some EXTREMELY tasty ZZS angst and a good look into how ZZS can process things through anxiety. It definitely got more lowkey post-QY canon, but...

Flavor container: IDK what that means really but I wanted to tick it

Soft and sweet: I actually didn't check it on the twitter version initially (but published an erratum). He is described as soft on the inside by too many people not to check it.

Braincell haver: self-explanatory, the guy's brilliant

Chew toy: literally!

----

Tragic backstory: if QY can count as a backstory, then everything that happened with Jiuxiao works.

Frequently violent: duh

Sidekick owner: WKX is ZZS's sidekick from everyone else's perspective (or vice-versa) and my opinion abt it won't change ever.

Pet stray animals: ZCL, for one, and for two we all know he pets cats and raccoons

Chronic insomniac: technically, in TYK, the nails do force the insomnia, but we know from QY that he had a lot of trouble sleeping at night.

Murderer: well

----

Just some guy 95%: clearly he's a natural-born NPC/side character

Too many thoughts 100%: he overthinks everything!!

Awful company 15%: I think that a goofy drunkard like him is fun but not the best company, especially when he goes all grumpy shifu/shixiong

Beloved by all 60%: most characters REALLY like him (and the others don't even know he exists) and often praise how sweet he is. Charming against his will and attempts at being invisible uwu

Trauma x1000 10%: again, I think that the Jiuxiao story left deep scars.

Helps others for fun 70%: pretty much the plot of TYK

Scary-smart 80%: I think he's really brilliant but then you have these moments where he's just clueless abt stupid stuff and clearly doesn't care/doesn't want to know or try so those 20% left are the deliberate goof I guess.

1000 weapons and tools 50/50: it's both!! every rock is both a tool and a weapon and he just keeps pulling random shit from his bosom--

At peace with life 48%: I think, for the most part, he is--at peace with both life and death, until he decides that keeping on living is just the best option in the end.

Break the rules 80%: I had no idea w this one but... in TYK he pretty much does whatever he wants, so---

Extra comments: The way the "evokes" ticks every boxes for me to various degrees of intensity... sigh It was difficult for the "want them to have" section since I think he has everything post-canon, but I tried seeing it from a mid!canon perspective.

----------------------------

Wen Kexing

Intense - 9/10: While WKX's feelings are generally cold, they seem equally intense to me, just like his eyes or his stare. He's intense about his love, about his revenge, about his plans.

Complex - 6/10: I've had interesting convos about how WKX is... nuanced, of course, but not as complex or deep as it may seem on the surface. That doesn't take anything from how interesting he is, but he is rather straightforward in what he is, ultimately.

Fruity - 8/10: I MEAN--

----

Enemy of the State: he's literally THE main Jianghu villain

Flavor Container: I still don't know what it means but it felt right once again

Braincell haver: the guy is EXTREMELY smart and outsmarted everyone in TYK so yeah

----

Tragic backstory: can hardly do worse than parents murdered in front of you, ate your dad to survive, took care of a child in the wildest, most dangerous part of jianghu, fought to reach the top while "serving" the previous master........ He scored it all!

Orphan: again, fully checks out

Frequently violent: yes

Has enemies: in SPADES

Sidekick owner: GX and ZZS are WKX's sidekicks 100%

Murderer: yes

----

The antagonist of life 70%: had to change from protag to antag because he IS the TYK antagonist (if TYK had been a traditional wuxia from ZCL's perspective...); of course it ends up being subverted but you know

Too many thoughts 75%: I think he's a big thinker as well

Awful company 85%: Let's be real guys

Hated by all 30%: I think he's too underestimated or not even really acknowledged enough to be hated, but I am pretty sure that more people dislike him than the opposite

Trauma x1000 60%: well.......... I think he has a bunch!

Sadistic for fun 15% : I doubt he's one to like helping and we know him to have those sadistic tendencies

Scary-smart 80%: same reasoning as for ZZS

1000 weapons or tools: mostly bare handed for everything save for the occasional whip or walnut shell but---

Enemy of god 35%: I have to be honest I don't really know what that means but I guess he's defied death a few times!!!

Break the rules 95%: WKX shits on the rules

----

Additional notes:

Mostly ticks everything in the "evokes" categories as well, but I unticked "symptoms of projection" because I don't feel like I project much of anything on WKX... maybe? (save for the ZZS lewding.. LOL) always hard to say, IG we always do a bit of that on every character, eh

and The Horny ofc because i'm kinda known for not really lewding my good WKX atp

I want a lot of things for him during canon, but again, all I can think of is how post-canon WKX really got it and then I gush and am simply happy for him.

That's it thank you for reading this mostly unnecessary breakdown!!!! Edit, following a comment asking for the sheet:

[commandershepardvasfuckit]

Idk if this is a popular opinion or not, but Larian adding the option to tell Halsin that what he went through while being held captive by the drow was traumatizing and he needs to think about it is both insulting and tactless.

He does speak about it all fairly light heartedly, and he literally tells you that it’s far in the past and indicates that clearly it’s something he’s thought about a lot and has comes to terms with.

It’s so wild that he tells you that he’s healed in his way on his terms, as a 350 year old man, and people are literally raging over what?

That he’s not a traumatized victim for you to fix? That everything about his character is about growth and change and he’s incorporated what was something horrible and traumatic into his life and is now at peace with it? That just like in nature, he’s gone through a cycle of renewal and he’s reached a level of healing few people will ever accomplish where he can even joke?

Like I’m not sorry, we’re probably looking at like 150 years of him meditating and working through this. Halsin, a guy with very high emotional intelligence and focus on healing the past before moving forward (his entire arch with the shadowcurse!) and people are going to infantilize him and tell him he doesn’t understand his own experiences?

No way

Halsin also makes sure to have people perceive him in a certain way. He’s brilliant and knows the power of being able keep up an appearance. Right after you first recruit him you can ask him a ton of questions and get a lot of info on him, except it’s all very surface level and very expected even if you knew nothing about his character. This is after he just talks about seeing you as strong and trusting you too, he’s keeping up the same “Halsin the archdruid” sort of one dimensional character. Everything he says is true, he does whittle and likes honey, but everything he tells you are very small pieces.

From talking to druids at the grove and seeing his research we know he’s an adept healer both magically and in practical medicine, and he’s brilliant with biology (academically incredibly gifted) and has a deep interest in them, likely fixating on both (especially as he tells you people call him obsessed when he gets into things). So why not bring up either?

Because the more he gets into his deeper interests the more questions people have. The more about himself he has to talk about and the harder his carefully constructed “wise old archdruid Halsin” appearance is to maintain.

He’s been archdruid for 100 years, a pretty small amount in an elven life. And at only 350 he’s still young to other elves, but a druid circle fleeing disaster doesn’t want their leader to be some young inexperienced guy. So what to do instead? Embrace that other races think 350 is old, lean into that false perception since it doesn’t hurt anyone and helps your circle feel safe. Maintain a laidback appearance that falls inline with what others expect on the surface and dabble in your interests on your own time (though never hiding your interests).

So yeah, I don’t think Halsin is some emotionally daft man who doesn’t understand trauma and needs the player to “save him” and make him heal.

He did that a long time ago on his own and chooses to make light of it because 1) he truly is past it, 2) it fits with everything else about him as his WHOLE CHARACTER is based around growing from experiences (death of his whole family, the shadowcurse, losing his archdruid and having to fill that role), 3) it lets him be in control of his own narrative.

Halsin is a deep and complex character that prefers that characters in the game have a very specific perception of him unless you really get to know him.

Anyone thinking that man doesn’t know he’s gone through trauma and hasn’t healed is still stuck with an act 1, one dimensional version of him and didn’t take the time to connect the dots.

[compassionatereminders]

I feel for your struggle with addiction - I was an alcoholic for years and it took me so long to recognize it. I always thought I was too young and bc I was only a binge drinker then it wasn’t an issue. But I used it as a huge crutch emotionally and did stupid shit when I was drunk. I have many years of sobriety from alcohol now, but I just found out I’m autistic and I guess it’s quite common for autistic people to use drugs/alcohol to cope with overstimulation and other symptoms, which was a great comfort to me in some regards. Looking back a lot of my alcoholism was d/t meltdowns and shut downs. But the point of this rant is to tell u that you’re not alone and that even considering giving up drugs is so hard, esp if it’s been apart of your life for a short/long time. It took me a long time, but I found a provider who supported me using legal marijuana in small doses to deal with my overstimulation. It’s been a game changer; I just monitor it closely to make sure I don’t abuse it; but I do also recognize that even that isn’t an option for everyone. Idk why I’m rambling on haha forgive me but the point is I can relate. I mainly use 12 step programs now for help but I get you I have a lot of issues with AA so I do a lot of meditation mtgs instead where there’s more open minded people.

Yeah I have a long and complex but definitely deeply problematic history with stimulants and it's only this year I've acknowledged that it's actually a problem. And this is after MANY shitty incidents where I've hurt people with my drug use. I just really wanted it to be fine and under control, so I kept making up excuses about how I was in control of it and it was all just fine. But it's truly not

[angelicguy]

was talking about it the other day but its sad how we are never going to get really big budget games w/ funky artstyles again. like if you look at the majority of big budget releases lately, they are all kind of going for the same thing as far as actual modeling goes- hi fi, super detailed complex models that try to portray as much detail as possible. which is fine for certain games, but it makes me miss the big swings devs used to take.

take street fighter 4 for instance- despite being over 10 years old at this point, it still looks REALLY good. great art direction, has a weird painterly look so everything has a cool watercolor style to it, models are expressive, etc. and this was a BIG release, its not some indie game (where most big stylistic swings tend to be made nowadays).

compared to street fighter 6, which is going for photorealism (with strong choices made as far as animation and color goes) it looks dated in the context of graphics generally, but looks WAY better than its contemporaries from the same time period. my fear is that street fighter 6 wont look that great in 10 years time.

side note, its also why street fighter 5 was really only loved by hardcore fans. it does nothing particularly well! its a halfway point between realistic and artistic to the point where it feels like a side-grade rather than an improvement or even its own original idea!

whatever leaps were made in lighting and texture quality are essentially irrelevant here. fucking gross!

the thing is, i dont think this is a deliberate choice that devs are making right now. from what i can tell, recent rendering tech has made it way easier to achieve a handful of lately- hi fi LIGHTING, increased TEXTURE DETAIL and HI POLY COUNTS come to mind. these are cool, but if youre a dev who wants to make a triple A product, you kind of have to use whatever tech is on the table to make a product look cutting edge. none of those encourage taking wild stabs at cool art directions. devs used to use those cool art directions because it was the ONLY OPTION THEY HAD.

classic case being windwaker right. the gamecube was a huge graphical leap from the n64, where even getting a model to look like something was a challenge. compared to ocarina of time, windwaker looks absolutely fucking incredible. it got a lot of pushback at the time for being too kiddy, but really the strength of its style is a result of doing as much as they possibly could with the platform they were working on. no high poly counts, the shading tech was relatively simple, and the textures (while a huge improvement over the n64!) are still basic compared to what we have today. windwaker still looks impeccable to this day, and even the HD remaster they made which, ahaha, improved WHAT

LIGHTING and TEXTURE DETAIL. but without a real consideration for the original artstyle (or why it even existed... which was the gamecubes limitations) it just looks worse.

in response to this pushback (i think, idk i didnt work at nintendo at the time) they gave twilight princess a way more "realistic" look. but given the rendering restrictions of the time, it still has a fairly robust artstyle

proportions are more realistic obviously, but in order to achieve that realism without the kind of lighting tech we have now the "lighting" is BUILT Into the textures. look at links sword, how it kind of darkens near the hilt, or how the shadow on the keese's wings is just kind of painted in specific areas. i would argue that twilight princess looks a LOT like street fighter 4 in that area-

damn! they almost look like theyre from the same game! but twilight princess was celebrated for being "realistic" while sf4 was noted for having a funky watercolor style (thats built into the focus attacks even!). its so so smart, because the devs knew they couldnt go for photorealism (like so many games of the era tried at and completely failed at!) so they went for a mix of cool stylistic decisions that allowed a game to look GOOD in a subjective, artistic way.

Not that games don't try and apply artistic principles now, but its a lot less unique. look at mario odyssey

its just a beach. and it looks great, its well rendered, but its just a beach. colors are clearly intentional and very pretty, but it's nothin that special right now, probably will look even less special in 10 years even compared to levels in the same game.

what im curious about is when are we gonna get back to that kind of artstyle meets rendering tech! if ever! current tech makes it so devs are kind of forced to go down the same boring path. look at mortal kombat 1:

im sure there are some leaps in texture and lighting, but they keep taking shortcuts. all the faces are modeled after REAL peoples faces and they mocap for expressions/conversation, which gives a really boring look to it. the fact that mk11 and mk1 look so similar so many years apart (4 i guess isnt that much but there have been leaps!) is disappointing to me.

then you have tekken 8, which is like the best looking game ive ever seen. for a while i found it hard to put my finger on why, but my brother said something really smart i feel- they made all of these models by hand. theyre essentially digital statues. they didnt pull actual face models, they just worked on their features until it looked correct. on top of the lighting and texture work, it creates a look not unlike the renders tekken has been using for years. which is convenient for them, because they can finally match the kind of real-time fidelity they've been chasing for like 30 years

hell it looks BETTER than that. so what im trying to say is im hopeful that art direction will catch up with the kind of rendering tricks/strengths we have.

i think tekken 8 feels like how soul calibur 2 probably felt at launch. does a lot of the same things given the time period

i still think hi fi rendering doesnt make for a good looking game, but rather where the focus lies for the player. for tekken it makes sense that they would focus their horsepower on detailed models and stages- youre gonna be lookin at that forever. look at elden ring

texture wise, SUPER low res for 2022. maybe even 2020. but what they do with the horsepower is genius- they focus on scale to translate locations of objectives to a player while also reinforcing the feeling of adventure, on top of extremely strong choices in color and lighting. i hope, going forward, games focus on how they can use this kind of tech to reinforce a games "gameplay mission statement" while keeping strong artistic choices present rather than focusing on being able to wow someone with a couple of screenshots at the cost of BOTH of those things. im just ranting though french press got my ass