#if that is what environmental storytelling is

[letters-to-rosie]

okay time to collect some thoughts

spoilers for season 2

as soon as they said there were other regions going to be explored, I knew Noxus was going to be the big thing, and that the battle between the cities and the class conflict angles of the story were going to be set aside. if you know me, you know I would hate this, but because I anticipated it, it wasn't too bad. I had already killed the version of the show I wanted in my head and was ready to take things as they came. and it wasn't all bad. Ambessa makes for a great villain, and all the twists and turns with her and Mel were pretty enjoyable

that being said, the second season in general did away with most of the things I liked about the first: subtlety, nuance, environmental storytelling (and all that sweet sweet class conflict)---I mean the cities just faded into the background as we watched everything play out. even a lot of the great character work we got in the first season was just left as it was. most the characters didn't really get to move much from where they were in the first season. even the ones I enjoyed (like Ambessa) were essentially the same as they were before. there were a lot of things that were cool. a lot of things that were interesting. most of them don't work when put together

Jayce? liked him this season, actually. had fun when he was suffering lol and fighting Viktor. Jayce disappearing out of the blue when the basement of the hexgates wasn't set up at all? boooooo

Jinx? gets to realize she isn't just a jinx. gets to help people. is this realized in a satisfying way? nope. we get one scene of people touching her and then Isha dies and she's back where she was at the start of the season, almost. plus her relationship with Sevika just drops off, and I was having fun with that

Cait? love her evil era. I also like that the plot didn't let her entirely off the hook. love less how she engaged in fucking chemical warfare like what even and that was never addressed

Ekko? has my whole heart. did before, but whatever. saved everyone's asses by being the best boy. love how he's motivated by helping the people who need him. love MUCH less that we never get to see him doing that work. like what did he think of Jinx becoming inspiring to people? how would that combine with his experience in the alternate timeline?

I could go on. I might be better prepared to deal with this than some because I didn't think it would be good in the first place lol I had like no hope. it was such a grand show in the first place and they made it so much grander. there's a lot to like, but the first season REALLY carries it. it feels like two separate shows. I don't begrudge anyone really liking the second season, but I will maintain that the fanbase deserved (and still deserves) better

[or-dhuilleag]

TRB chapter 20 you will always be famous, but I fear that the flashiness of ramp bmw the goddamn moon would i lie to you ten inches of it all* overshadows something that I cannot stop feeling 10,000 feelings about for some reason, which is: the grass growing through the parking lot at Monmouth.

I don't recall other instances of the asphalt lot being described as being overgrown elsewhere (would love other references if I'm missing them). Adam, whose hair looks like the ends of dried-up grass, who is dirt-colored, who is already and is about to be tied to the earth in more ways than one, seems to be the only one to notice it. In ch 20, the overgrown lot functions more as background than environmental storytelling, perhaps at most drawing an unspoken parallel between Ronan and Gansey's casual disregard for the assets at their command, with the textual aside that despite his expensive toys, Ronan prefers playing outside with sticks?

And then in the next chap, MS soooo nonchalantly sneaks in there Blue's observation that Adam!!!! smells like!!! mown grass!!!! he mowed it!!! Adam, who is barely making it through his umpteen commitments on, I assume, dry peanut butter toast, who recently got his ass beat (the bruise was older), without a word, took the time, initiative, and energy to mow his friend's parking lot. with what mower. mother I love him. what a way to show that he is invested in Monmouth, even as he refuses RCG3's invitation to move in. on his own terms or not at all!!!

no one else, such as the owner and primary user of the parking lot in question, ever comments on this. which to me (as a Certified Gansey Hater ™️, sorry Gansey girlies) speaks to Gansey's myopic paranoia that he's ~losing them~, when he never even notices things like Adam going out of his way to silently perform an act of service, an act of attention, care and fixing, with the resources available to him. unspoken acts of devotion?? in my homoerotic tension?? it's more likely than you think!!

*not to mention the Adam spotting the Ronan/not Ronan at the grocery store anecdote! This Chapter Has Everything. it also mentions that the boy at the checkout couldn't have been Ronan because two years earlier Ronan would have been too young for a driver's license, thus substantiating my January 2023 remarks about drivers license timeline. good evening and thank you very much for your time.

[the-northern-continent]

Now we know what would have happened in Kirkwall if everyone involved was pounding coffee instead of wine.

(periodic reminder to check around the back of the Arishok’s throne in DA2. No one goes there because it seems kind of rude, but it’s one of my favorite subtle bits of environmental storytelling)

[sm-baby]

CRYING

OKAY I FINALLY GET TO RESPOND TO THIS HEHEHEH

THE FIRST ONE IS SO CUTE THE WAY THE WATER FLOODS IN SO SMOOTHLY AND THE CHARACTERS ARE FITTING CARNI GANGLE IS SO LOLA OH MY GOD

Also hehe,,, ablee,, my guy,, abee thats my UAGHSHWW YOU DREW MY LITTLE MANN ❤️❤️COBBIEEE

The way she plays with the bells is somehow so satisfying even if it is just two frames 😭 SHES SO CUTE HOW DID YOU MAKE HER SO CUTE OH MY GODD 🥺 the way you do her expressions are so satisfying theyre so perfectly expressive and just communicates EXACTLY her personality and feelings

Also the ribbons oh my god 😭 so many to keep track off! This must have been a pain to storyboard!

The second one is also so comical but i LOVE the way you make Kinger look so high and mighty WOAHH its so fitting to the sound too CAINE BEING A LITTLE DORK I LOVE IT

Jax is going through it 😔 YEAHHH BAHA CAINE AND POMNI WAITING FOR HIM TO LEAVE I IMAGINE THATS WHAT THE LEVEL IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE TBH THATS SO FITTING I LOVE IT

I FINALLY GET TO SEE THE JILLZ ONE IVE BEEN HAVING IT AS MY PFP FOR THE LONGEST TIME MY LITTLE CUTIEEE AUGHH how did you have the strength to COLOR THAT SECTIONNN 😭😭 MY LITTLE CUTIE i need to make another frame a pfp hehe SHES SO CUTE AND THIS IS SO IN CHARACTER HOW ARE YOU SO IN CHARACTER WITH ALL OF THESE

I know this section isn't for me BUT THE FREAKSHOW ONE ALSO MAKES ME SO HAPPY LMAOOO I LOVE GANGLE AND AINGLE THIS IS SO THEM

" go on kyle ask him for your little brother back" NOOO THIS FITS SO WELL BAHAHA THIS ENTIRE SECTION IS SO GOOD the way bubble pops and reappears in Pomni's hat is the CUTEST THING EVERRR AND ZOOBLE LEAVING IS GEN SO FUNNY

GETTEM CAINNE GET EM when Caine started cursing and we see the other's expressions pomni's scrunched up face AND ZOOBLE'S LITTLE SURPISED PIKACHU FACE WAS SO FUCKING FUNNY BAHAHA

AAAHHH THE FUCKING ONE WHERE DHJAKFOWOD ABLE'S IN THE CUBE AND THE LAST ONE AS WELL I ADORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL STORYTELLING THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I IMAGINE ZOOBLE'S ROOM TO LOOK LIKE AND YOU DJWKOROW GAVE IT SUCH CLEARANCE AND FLAIR I LOVE THIS SO MUCH IT GIVES ME SUCH INSPIRATION TO THINK OF HOW ZOOBLE'S LEVEL WORKS

GIGGLES the little shakes Caine does when he screams ' JUMPPP" gets to me hehe my humor is broken

ABLE'S JUST CHILLING BAHA HES COMFORTABLE THERE YEA THIS IS PRETTY ACCURATE

Overall... In conclusion.. oh my god this is all so crazy cobbie... The pacing, your use of keyframing, THE WAY THIS ALL CLEANLY LINED AND SHADED TOO?? THE PACING DRIVES ME INSANEEE IN SUCH A GOOD WAY! NO WONDER THIS TOOK YOU SO SO LONGG COBBIEEE THIS WAS SUCH AN AMAZING GIFT I LOVE AND ADORE THIS SOOO MUCHHH!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOUUU FOR MAKING THISSS i love your work and I SWEAR TO GODDD YOURE GOOD TO GO SO FAR!!

Mwah mwah!! LOVE THIS!!

Just a bunch of sketches. I had a large audio list and initially there were more scenes, but I got stuck on it for too long and got lazy.

@sm-baby

@hootbon

@tadc-harlequin-au

[galadrieljones]

I have finally finished all companion quest lines and I think after I clear the rest of the blight from the Crossroads, because it just feels like a moral imperative, then I am going to bite the bullet and trigger the endgame sequence for Veilguard. I think that will start tonight.

I'm scared 🙃

You know I really do like this game, but my one actual complaint is that it feels completely unregulated, pacing-wise. Inquisition was way less fun to play, but it was much better at this, just in terms of telling us what level we should be on to progress the main story. That helped me understand how much I should be grinding and focusing on companions and side quests. In Veilguard, I didn't realize the companion quests were so rich and multi-faceted and I put them off for such a long time. I have felt like a mad woman the past three nights, running all over Thedas helping my friends resolve their problems, all the while wondering when the hell I would get to see Solas again? I haven't seen Solas in so long, it's like a major dry spell and I'm sad lol 😭 Also because I wrapped up my romance so early, I've been missing that, too. Other than off hand banter here and there, and Emmrich occasionally calling Rook "darling" when they're in battle, I feel like they haven't had a conversation in weeks lol

There are good games that do this well, like Skyrim was totally unregulated and had like zero consideration for pacing, but the open world format, which was engineered for discovery and environmental storytelling, had this unique quality of being so distracting, I found I was never getting ahead of myself. I could craft the story however I wanted, as I went. Veilguard doesn't quite have this. I imagine a second playthrough will be better, but it's a good way to cause players who are new to BioWare to accidentally miss a TON of content, I feel, if they're racing through the main quests and neglecting everything else.

Anyway! It's fine lol. I just needed to vent on that, like the game is fun

[brontidepng]

"and email me three times a day!"

[kooldewd123]

clipping this specific question from the scott cawthon interview because wow does this explain a lot about security breach

[word-salad-wasteland]

Yeah, from what I recall it was mostly workers who were in favor of the aid and help by the machinery until the point at which they all started getting fired or laid off in pursuit of profit.

Workers then began sabotaging machines, which in turn got the government to see the labor unions (in many cases in Fallout lore this happens) as basically commies so the national guard was deployed to quash the miners protesting the fact that they were being ousted from the only income source in the area with their skillset.

It definitely comes across a little poorly since its all audio logs, terminal entries, notes, and environmental storytelling; in one of the (imo) least easy parts of the game to follow the narrative thread throughout.

fallout 76 brings up the concept of automation -> labor strikes -> automated strikebreakers

thats almost something

[plaguedocboi]

Does anyone else remember this animated short film (like really short, max like 10 minutes) that came out a few years ago that was about frogs but it wasn’t really about frogs? Like it focused on these frogs (and other animals) that had taken over this big opulent mansion that had been left to the elements and it was just about them living their lives but there were environmental clues that something bad had happened to the people that lived there, like there were broken windows and the house was in disarray, but that was very much just a slightly unsettling backdrop to a cute video about animated frogs. Until the very last scene when a dead body floats to the surface of the pool and you piece together what the story was really about (I think it was implied some wealthy drug lord was murdered in a shootout but it’s been years so idk). I don’t remember what the story was called and I have no idea how to even begin searching for such a weird fucking video. But I think about it from time to time and wonder if it was real or if I just dreamed it.

[a2zillustration]

Lenore's story made me big sad :')

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[[ All Croissant Adventures (chronological, desktop) ]]

[[ All Croissant Adventures (app) ]]

[so-i-did-this-thing]

One of my cosplay traits - which extends to home decor - is to insert little details for whom I am the primary (if not only) audience, but nonetheless (I hope) inject a sense of authenticity into my projects, if not necessarily that of screen-accuracy.

And that is why an envelope of genuine business receipts from the 1940s recently arrived (Crow was very perplexed by the customs declaration), just so I could stuff one or two (which you can barely see in the back) into Siegfried's accounting system. 😅

Please take a look at the ones I did not use, some stellar ephemera here:

[tabithatwo]

do you think shauna learned that cells turn over completely in seven years thing in high school biology and latched onto it and had an existential crisis meltdown of nuclear proportions when it was coming up on seven years since she’d consumed jackie because none of the cells in her body were born out of the energy she got from jackie’s flesh anymore?

[uhohproblems]

white knight summer is IMMINENT

[riacte]

how it started:

one ren peeing twaddle conversation later:

[clonerightsagenda]

Had a dream in a post-apocalyptic setting where we were crossing a crumbling bridge over a dry river bed and I looked down to see a bleached cow skull in the rocks and (bone collector) went "Ooh, that's a good omen!"

[arx-aru]

War-Dead Catacombs

This is honestly an incredible dungeon, in terms of all the subtext.

For reference! It's the one hidden in the corner of Radahn's arena where spectral Cleanrot Knights make battle with equally bodiless Radahn soldiers--

There's a number of fascinating details in here:

Like all catacombs, the halls are littered with human remains. However, these are presumably older than those of the Battle of Aeonia (because the corpses in Radahn's arena, exposed to the elements (and his cannibalistic frenzy) still have tattered surcoats, waistcloths, et cetera. These bodies, however, are mere skeletons, bereft of any clothing). So far as I can find, there's not actually any of the Radahn and Malenian battle debris assets that litter Caelid inside here. Given how ubiquitous they are, this must have been intentional. None of the bodies entombed here belong to these soldiers.

Naturally, Radahn himself is simply too large to get inside, so this place isn't actually so much a tomb as the singular point of refuge in the Wailing Dunes.

So. They've lost their flesh by the time they entered, evidently--meaning their bodies are still outside, being gorged upon by Radahn.

These are spirits of, presumably, the same variety as the Headless Knights or Latenna; that is, they are the essence of their dying will--their continued animation(as opposed to the crestfallen one-sentence spirits elsewhere) is reflective of a degree of resolve and intention at their time of death.

The final moments of the Radahn and Malenian armies, then, was to make it to this location. There are no spirits roaming outside, after all. They tried to escape Radahn and preserve, if nothing else, their dignity in death... but failed, one and all. Tricky to outrun a man who would hold up the very stars, after all.

And, of course, this is one of the very few instances of AI factions actively fighting each other... and they were near-certainly concerned, primarily, with escaping Radahn when they died. Yet they fight on. So deep is the loathing between the Radahn and Malenian hosts that they'd forgive each-other not even in death, not even having their bodily dignity violated by both their lords. Whether this is borne of unshakeable faith or hatred is difficult to say, of course, but the item descriptions of their respective armor sets might shed light(the Cleanrot Knights knew full well what would happen to them but accepted it, whereas the Radahn knights struck their lord's crest from their hearts when everything fell apart, even though Radahn's frenzy wasn't necessarily his fault. Importantly, the reliability of lordsworn armor descriptions in general seems shaky at best, so I don't put huge coin to that exact conclusion).

The movesets all these guys use is, as far as I can tell, the same as their surviving counterparts. That is to say, the cited sources of their battle arts, skills, and abilities in item descriptions hold true to their spiritual essence. In other words: so intrinsic is the rot and disability to the Cleanrot Knights that they yet retain their limp, their wings, and the rotten acid they cough and heave upon their foes. So fundamental was the martial prowess of Radahn's men that they keep Artorias spinning and spamming combo attacks--they are not in the least phased by their own death. So unshakeable is the faith of Malenia's vassals in their two gods that they still cast Miquellan magics and proc the Malenian sword insignia effects.

They actually respawn, when they finally manage to "kill" one another. Indeed, none of these people were equipped to kill the bodiless. So they'll keep fighting, again and again and forevermore, until true death do them part--if ever, even, it finds its way to their forgotten Tartarus.

Basically! After the player finally defeats Radahn and offers a small measure of closure to the Shattering, they're allowed to see what war does to the everyman's very soul.

These gods were family, once.

These soldiers, beholden to the private affairs of strangers, were comrades. Many were probably friends.

It all begs the question--was Ranni's scheme to begin the Age of Stars worth it? Is the era she'll usher in, should she even succeed, of greater meaning than how the people of the Lands Between were molested, body and soul?

Well, maybe. It's hard to say. Impossible, really.

But we might imagine what the dead would answer, if they'd not been robbed their chance to speak.