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legendaryvermin · 10 months ago

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So my home ttrpg group is between longform games right now, and I have been planning to bring a bunch of games to them this weekend as options for what we might play next. However, I have been trying to figure out how to talk about the games in a way that doesn't rely as much on me explaining the vibes to them.

I know that people have a bunch of qualitative categories for how they explain games, but I find the idea of saying things like Dark Fantasy OSR, or Lesbian Goofball PBTA less helpful when talking about how games actually play, especially when two games in the same category are like, wildly different in the way they use their frameworks.

So I invented a 6 axis, 1 to 5 star rating scale for TTRPGs that you are free to borrow when talking to groups, or whatever.

TTRPG 5 Star Rating Matrix

Width

What is the scope of this game? Is it narrowly about one thing or does it encompass many types of play? (Credit to friend of the blog @ostermad-blog for this one, they came up with it from my draft)

Weight

How much cognitive load does the player need to bear? Do rules often need to be referenced verbatim? Can those rules fit on a handout?

Wargame

Is the player expected to apply tactical acumen? Is movement tracked tightly or loosely? Does a bad build punish a player?

Writers Room

How much are players expected to make narrative choices and drive the story without the rules scaffolding them? Does this game fall apart without excellent improvisational storytellers?

(Prep)Work

Does this game require a lot of pre-planning by the facilitator? Are there intricate systems to attend to outside of table play? Can I put in the same amount of time as other players and still have everyone leave happy?

Whimsy

Expected tone of the game. Does this game have difficult thematic elements baked in? Is the core subject or role in the game high or low risk?

Here are some games I know well and how I calibrated them:

I have breakdowns of what each star rating means below the cut if you're curious. Happy Gaming!

Width

⭐ - As written, the game has basically one mode of play, or one thematic core that it meditates on. May have phases, but textural difference is minimal.

⭐⭐ - As written, there are at least two modes of play, but the scope of that play is highly thematically focused or highly dependent on using the game’s own lore. Might have only one kind of character (e.g. Mech Pilot) that it supports. Has limited tools outside of the primary mode of play.

⭐⭐⭐ - Has a variety of modes of play, but may be rigid in their execution. Might encompass multiple kinds of characters (e.g. Doctor, Lawyer, fighter) or character options. The narratives that this game tells within its setting are narrowed, a three word description tells you what kind of stories it can tell with consistency.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Loose framework, but with some kind of thematic grounding. Describing the framework in 3 words doesn’t tell you the kind of stories that the game tells (e.g. Dark Fantasy, Star Wars Romp).

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- As written, this game is designed in such a way that it doesn’t put specific limits on what sorts of stories that it is meant to tell. It might ask players to define abilities or stats for themselves. The Facilitator is going to pitch a thematic grounding on top of the rules set.

One Star Examples: For the Queen, Dialect, Honey Heist Five Star Examples: Fate Core, Savage Worlds, GURPS

Weight

⭐ - It is reasonable for a player to be able to recite the rules from memory. The game may be prompt based, or driven by a flow of rules that are read aloud as played.

⭐⭐ - Players can hold most of the most important information about the game in their heads, with a page or less of rules reference needed to play smoothly. This reference could all fit neatly on the character sheet if one is present.

⭐⭐⭐ - Everything a player needs to know about the game is visible on less than 3 sheets of reference. Players are more or less expected to know exactly how their own abilities work in precise detail, and are unlikely to make a mistake in executing them.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Players make extensive use of multiple reference sheets to keep rules moving smoothly. No external tools are needed, but players memorizing the details of all of their abilities is taxing.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- Players and facilitators will prefer to make extensive use of external tools or reference to keep play moving smoothly. Expecting a player to have the exact details of their abilities memorized is not reasonable.

One Star Examples: For the Queen, Stewpot, Mobile Frame Zero: Firebrands Five Star Examples: Dungeons and Dragons 3-5e, Lancer, Edge of the Empire

Wargame

⭐ - As written, this game does not treat combat as mechanically different from any other aspect of play, or does not include narrative violence at all.

⭐⭐ - While players may engage in combat, it is minimally different from regular play. There may be tools or abilities for players to use to conduct a fight, but the texture of those fights is thematic, not mechanical. Narrative and consequence drive the action, not hit points.

⭐⭐⭐ - As written, combat has its own set of rules. This game may have some elements of buildcrafting, but either it is difficult to build something that doesn’t work, or the player may meaningfully invest in other modes of play and still find a commensurate level of satisfaction. If combat occurs, spacing is kept in mind, but is tracked in relative terms (range bands) or highly simplified (zone based combat).

⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This game has buildcrafting that is somewhat mandatory if players wish to survive a fight, but there is still a meaningful choice in choosing a non-combat role. It may use a grid or a spacing system to help players visualize the combat. Fights are driven by mechanics, not by narrative.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- To enjoy this game, players must spend time buildcrafting. If a player’s build is suboptimal, there may be significant parts of the intended experience that will either feel tedious, or that the player will not have meaningful access to. This game is played on a grid.

One Star Examples: Wanderhome, Dialect, Belonging Outside Belonging Five Star Examples: Lancer, Dungeons and Dragons 3-5e, Valor

Writers Room

⭐ - Players in this game are not expected to provide much in the way of narrative substance. Story is something that is driven by external input or tools, and players are there to imagine and react. The player need not separate the self from the character they play in any meaningful way.

⭐⭐ - The mechanics of this game drive most of the narrative, or else the narrative is set for the players by an external source or player. Players are encouraged to play optimally rather than dramatically, but do have room for expressing the identity of their character within the game’s mechanical frameworks.

⭐⭐⭐ - While the game does provide strong scaffolding to tell a story, the players present are expected to drive the story within those frameworks. The game’s systems create and resolve conflict on their own, but works best when the players are willing to choose the dramatically interesting option even if it mechanically non-optimal.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ - The game provides some mechanical tools that create and resolve drama, but there is a significant expectation that the players are buying into and driving the game’s thematic concepts. Players are the ones deciding what the scenes should be and when to end them, but mechanics still help determine outcomes.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- The players are expected to drive the narrative at all times. Tools for deciding what scenes to do and when to end them are limited, optional, or vague. There is no meaningful scaffolding that creates conflict or resolution, it is incumbent on those present to manifest those things.

One Star Examples: Alice is Missing, Ribbon Drive, For the Queen Five Star Examples: Wanderhome, Systemless RP

(Prep)Work

⭐ - Facilitators are not expected to do work outside the time at the table. All rules can be read while the game is played. No memorization is needed.

⭐⭐ - This game expects the facilitator to have read the rules in advance, but the rules are so few that they can be run from a single reference sheet. At times, the facilitator must think about and potentially advance and adjust the narrative of the game behind the scenes. Prep is qualitative; answering questions about where the narrative is going to go, who will be there etc. The game can be run smoothly predominantly as improv.

⭐⭐⭐ - This game expects the facilitator to not only know the rules, but to imagine scenarios where the group must play. However, the scope of the scenario design is limited and qualitative. It takes a bit of pondering and perhaps a sketch and a few words of notes. Alternatively, the facilitator must design simple foes or track a simple background system. The work is trivial, and can be done with a bit of time before session.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ - The facilitator of this game is expected to have run systems between games, or created usable maps or scenarios. Generally, games at this level have some reduced wargaming component. The facilitator might need to engage in enemy design, but the work is limited or imminently reusable. The work is non-trivial, and failing to do it will somewhat impact the quality of play.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- The facilitator of this game puts in significant time between sessions engaging in game design activities. They are expected to plan narratives, write NPCs, draw maps, run significant background systems, and design enemies and combat encounters. The work is significant outside of play, and failing to do it beforehand will result in a worse table experience.

One Star Examples: For the Queen, Alley-Oop, Lasers and Feelings Five Star Examples: Lancer, D&D 3-5e, Stars Without Number, Edge of the Empire

Whimsy

⭐ - This game’s thematic core is considered dark, taboo, or difficult, and separating the game’s mechanical features from this subject matter is next to impossible. Games with horror elements almost certainly fit within this category. These games encourage extensive pre-play safety talks.

⭐⭐ - This game is designed to look at dark subject matter, but doesn’t expect the player to spend all of their time there. Players explore difficult topics, but may get to choose what topics to explore, or when to explore them. Games with political messaging/commentary tend to fit this category. These games encourage pre-play safety talks.

⭐⭐⭐ - This game may have dark aesthetics, but doesn’t enforce them mechanically. Alternatively, there are mechanics that address difficult topics in broad strokes, but players are given leeway in the rules with how any difficult topics are approached. These games may encourage safety talks.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This game may have the option to explore dark topics, but none of the mechanics are tied to such topics. This game may have violence in its aesthetics, but players may choose to adjust the aesthetics at the table to suit their comfort. These games tend not to talk about safety in their text.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- This game is designed to focus on thematic material that is considered to be relatively safe. The game is unlikely to tread into violence or trauma without effort.

One Star Examples: Trophy Dark, Dungeon Bitches, Vampire the Masquerade Five Star Examples: Honey Heist, Princess World, Beach Episode

The system here isn't about what's good or bad, to be clear. I think there are good and bad games at every level of these categories, but when I think about what my game group is good at and comfy with, I don't think we go in for things at like the 5 end of the Writers Room scale. It's too much work, and most of them aren't pro improvisers.

Similarly, if we play another game that is a 4 or 5 on the PrepWork category, I don't have time to run it these days. So this helps me make practical choices about our next game.

#ttrpg #indie ttrpg #game design #dnd #ttrpgs #ttrpg design #d&d #lancer rpg #steal this #safety tools #five star ttrpg matrix

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galesbabygirl · 3 months ago

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crave

☾ spencer reid & reader ☽

⟡ 1000 words

you're new to the ʙᴀᴜ and spencer reid sees evidence of your recent self-harm.

⟡ tags: spencer reid's past, implied/referenced self-harm, drug addiction, hurt/comfort, angst, criminal minds season 4, panic attacks

⟡ read on ao3 ⟡

⟡ gifs by @reidgif ⟡

You slam the door shut behind you in a panic. Your breathing is heavy, your heart beating rapidly in your chest. You were so careless. You can’t believe it. Spencer saw.

You sink down against the wall, crumbling to the floor where you sit with your knees buried up close to your chest. Pull it together. You’re at work. You’ve only been here long enough to play a couple of games of chess with Spencer over tea (you always lose, but you don’t mind); you certainly haven’t had the chance to get to know each other on any meaningful level. You can’t believe you let it slip. You’re a grown woman, for god’s sake. Shouldn’t you have figured out a better coping mechanism by now? Now you’re going to be the one getting profiled. Maybe, though, you deserve it – to be called out for the mess that you are and fired from your job in the BAU. You’re still in your probationary period. They can fire you for any reason. Surely he’ll tell the unit chief. Hotch is no-nonsense. You’re out.

You try to steady your breathing, but you can’t – it comes out shaky, rapid, uneven. You’re hyperventilating.

You hear the knob turn, the door crack open, footsteps walking gently as the door shuts behind them. You don’t dare look up. Not that it would make much of a difference – you didn’t turn on the lights when you entered.

“You’re having a panic attack.” Spencer’s voice rings clear above the sound of your shaky breaths. He says it not in his usual matter-of-fact tone, but with concern. You hear him step in front of you, where he crouches down with one knee on the floor. He takes your trembling hands in his. “Look at me.”

You can’t decide if his direction will help or make things worse, but you obey nonetheless, your eyes opening up to meet his. “I – can’t breathe,” you choke out.

“Yes you can. Breathe with me. Like this.” He inhales deeply, his shoulders rising exaggeratedly as his lungs fill with air. You do as he does, breathing in through your nostrils as deeply as you can. He exhales slowly, pushing the air out through pursed lips. You follow. He doesn’t seem bothered by how clammy your hands must feel in his. You and Spencer stay there as you relearn how to breathe. In a few minutes you feel okay again. Okay enough, at least, given the circumstances.

“It’s my fault,” he says as he lets go of your hands, adjusting to sit cross-legged in front of you.

“What?” How could it be his fault? You were stupid. He just happened to be the one who saw what you failed to conceal.

“I shouldn’t have… You thought you were alone, I-”

“We’re at work, Reid,” you say. “You’re supposed to be here. You’re supposed to communicate with the rest of us.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“I get them too,” he says after a short pause. “Sometimes.”

“Oh.” Hm.

“We’re not actually sure why they happen. Some studies suggest that dysfunction in the amygdala is what causes the sudden rush of epinephrine – adrenaline – to send us into a state of fight or flight despite being safe. Other studies show evidence that they’re caused by neurotransmitters malfunctioning in the central nervous system. They usually first occur during puberty or early adulthood. I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

“That was very informative, actually.”

Spencer chuckles softly in that way he always does when he’s being told he’s smart in an otherwise uncomfortable situation. An oddly common occurrence, but that’s the type of conversation you witness when you have a genius do the talking at crime scenes. He quirks his lips to the side, glancing down to where your sleeves cover your arms. “Sorry.” There he goes, apologizing again.

You nibble at the skin around your fingers, a nervous habit that Spencer has clearly picked up on.

“Animals in captivity have been known to engage in self-injurious behaviour.” So he’s ripping off the bandage. “It’s believed that, when not subjected to the stressors of life in the wild, they maladapt in this way as a self-soothing mechanism. In humans it’s most common in those with mental health conditions such as depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. It’s also common as a result of complex trauma, especially during the pubescent neurodevelopmental stage.”

“Reid…”

“Self harm behaviours can actually become addictive, due to their short-term benefits; beta endorphins are released into the brain, similar to the use of,” he clears his throat, “opioids.”

“Really?” Opioids? Is that why, for all this time, even when it lies dormant for years, that urge always makes its way to the surface? It’s like a drug?

Spencer clears his throat for a second time. “Yep. Mmhm.” His voice cracks slightly. “What I’m saying, I guess, is… I get it.”

“What do you mean?” Of course he gets it, intellectually. He could understand anything if you wrote it down and let him commit it to memory. You’ve seen his eidetic memory put to use. But there’s something about his inflection. He gets it.

“Reid, do you–”

“A couple years ago… Before we met, there was this unsub. He… Well, he drugged me.”

“What?”

“It’s a long story.” It must be. “I was given Dilaudid. Against my will, but by the time I got out I… I needed it.”

“Reid…”

“It was really bad there for a while. Really bad. But I got clean.”

“That must have been hard.”

He bites his lip. “It was.”

You soak in his confession for a moment, sitting in silence together on the floor. If someone like Spencer Reid, the genius himself, can be a victim to such a thing… Maybe you’re not such a mess after all.

“I stopped,” you say. “For years. I think being here, the cases, it might be bringing me back somewhere I haven’t been in a long time.”

“Will you talk to me next time? Instead?”

“I will if you will.”

“Deal.”

#spencer reid fanfiction #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #one shot #my fics #crave #reid

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obstinaterixatrix · 3 months ago

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Suggestion for something actionable US citizens can do (posted 3/11/2025):

U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin is encouraging all U.S. citizens to join him this week in filing formal demands for access to their personal data obtained by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has issued an injunction commanding DOGE to comply with citizen requests under the Freedom of Information Act. This law encompasses the Federal Privacy Act of 1974, which entitles any citizen to access personal information held in any U.S. government records system. Please find a fillable Privacy Act request form HERE.

Citizens need only fill out the form and mail it in to DOGE. This newly recognized federal agency, which has been systematically accessing government computer data systems, now has an obligation to respond to specific information demands from any of the 340 million U.S. citizens who exercise their legal right to defend their privacy and establish the security of their private information.

Reasons to do this: 1) it’ll flood DOGE with busywork; 2) if DOGE doesn’t do this busywork, that’s grounds for getting sued.

More information:

Jamie explains: “Elon Musk should have been more careful in what he wished for. DOGE has recently dodged lawsuits about its seizure of citizens’ personal data by telling courts that it is a legitimate government agency entitled to extract this information. What Elon Musk apparently did not realize is that this statement triggers DOGE’s obligation to comply with citizen demands to see and—if need be—correct their personal information under the Privacy Act. It also allows every citizen to find out what other agencies or outside parties have been given access to their information.”

The Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552a(d)(1), gives each citizen the right to demand access to their personal records held by any government agency’s records system. This includes their Social Security and Medicare benefit entitlements, college student loans and grants, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history. The Privacy Act gives every citizen also the right to demand corrections of any inaccurate information that DOGE has put on file, and to find out which other agencies or outside third parties this information has been shared with.

The Privacy Act also prohibits agencies generally from cross-referencing any personal information with records describing how an individual exercises their First Amendment rights to free speech, association, protest, press, and exercise of religion.

“Millions of Americans can’t wait to see what DOGE has suddenly been doing with all of our data,” says Jamie. “I also can’t wait to see what the courts will do if DOGE refuses to comply with the District Court’s injunction. Maybe Elon Musk will have to redirect his computer hacker army to start answering millions of information demands from U.S. citizens whose nation this is.”

“It’s a double-edged sword, pretending that you’re the government,” Jamie observed. “In a democracy, as opposed to a dictatorship, assuming the powers of government carries real burdens and obligations for our officials as well as all the benefits and riches the billionaires routinely seek out. ”

#usa #politics

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imitationgame77 · 4 months ago

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Is ART editing Murderbot's diary (a bit?)

As I was out, listening to Systems Collapse (again), the following section hit me quite hard:

Not all Pre–Corporation Rim sites are alien-contaminated, obviously. A lot of them became long-term occupation sites, the nucleus of what are now independent polities or Corporation Rim– owned planets (page 57, paragraph 6, Introduction to the History of Human Expansion, Volume I, eds. Bartheme, de la Vega, Shanmugam, et al, Cloud Sun Harbor University Press).

(System Collapse, Chapter Four)

When I listened to it for the first time, it jarred a bit, but I was so keen to find out what happens next, I ignored that. For subsequent reads, I had known it's there, so I have ignored that again. And again.

But today. I thought it was quite weird. As Murderbot's internal log style. It redacts sections like documents, so it's not so strange that it is like a written document from time to time. But having the citation in a personal log looks odd.

I mean, it doesn't look like citation for academic writing (higher education). Still, it had never cited something like that before. I considered the possible explanations:

While doing the documentary at the end of the book, it learned about referencing and wanted to try that in its own log, so went back and added it

ART had been going on about the importance of backing any claim with information from a reliable source, so wanted to show it could do that

ART now has full access to Murderbot's logs, and sneaked that in

I think 1 is the most likely scenario. Murderbot likes learning things if it's done spontaneously. It often tries new words, using ART like its personal dictionary.

I also think 2 is not impossible either. But only if ART could convince it without upsetting it (Leave my diary alone, ART! It's not a fucking academic article! And it's PERSONAL!)

But I think 3 would be quite funny. ART might have slipped that in, waiting to see how long it takes before Murderbot notices the edit!

It would be also very funny, if that were the case, if the audio book narrator suddenly inserts that part with ART's voice.

#the murderbot diaries #murderbot diaries #tmbd #murderbot #asshole research transport #perihelion #system collapse

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conangray-hp-fest · 21 days ago

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Sign Ups are officially OPEN!

Sign ups for the Conan Gray Harry Potter Fest 2025 are open now through May 30th! Click here to sign up! All info is below the cut!

Official Fest Rules:

Sign-up deadline is May 30th.

At the time of sign-up, you must declare if you are writing a fic, creating an art piece, or both. You may change your mind later, if you want. You can do so by contacting a mod through the discord server help ticket system.

At the time of sign-up, you must pick one Conan song to be your inspiration for your work by declaring it in your sign-up form. The song does not have to be quoted or referenced in your work, it can just be an influence somehow. More than one person can use the same song.

All works must have at least one Harry Potter character included, to fit the theme. Ships are not required- you can do a platonic fic, a fic about family members, whatever you'd like!

If you are writing a fic, it must have a minimum of 1k words. If it is a multi-chaptered work, at least the first chapter must be finished by the due date.

If you are 18+, you are more than welcome to write/draw NSFW/dead dove content. However, please take the time to tag your work appropriately, so we can protect everyone viewing the work. Please do not use "Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings."

Works must be posted by August 8th to the Fest collection. This will give mods time to review the works before we do reveals. We will post more detailed directions about how to do this in the ⁠posting information channel in the discord server.

You are more than welcome to do more than one work! If you already know you want to, please complete a sign-up form for each work you'd like to do. If you decide to do so after the cutoff, please open a help ticket and the mods will adjust our information accordingly.

This is NOT an anonymous fest. You may talk about your ideas freely if you so choose!

You must be 14 by the end of sign-ups to participate in this fest.

ABSOLUTELY NO AI should be used in this fest!

Please contact the mods through this tumblr page or on the discord server with any questions or concerns!

***The mods of this fest do not condone or agree with the disgusting and transphobic views of J.K.Rowling. Bigotry or hate speech will not be tolerated on this page, or from anyone participating in this fest.

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or-what-you-will · 2 days ago

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What is a "daroga"?

In the late 19th century, Persian orthography was not yet standardized, and there was no standard romanization from the Persian alphabet to languages that use roman characters like French or English. When Leroux wrote Phantom, he would have had to make up his own romanization of the word داروغه based on the sounds in the word or use one from an existing dictionary.

This means that when you google the term “daroga” today, it’s often difficult to find more information about it, and often what does come up is about India or Mongolia. The word did come from Mongolian, but it was also very much used in the Persian empire. Today, there are different ways of spelling the word that better reflect the pronunciation in Persian. On top of this, romanizations often differ depending on which language you are using the word in, as different languages pronounce vowels differently.

An example from a Persian-French dictionary from the late 1800s romanizing and translating “daroga” into French. In English, the romanizations “darugha” and “darougheh” are a bit more common today when referencing "daroga" in the context of Persia or Iran. These romanizations help keep the vowel sound for و as “oo” rather than “oh” which is closer to its proper pronunciation.

IPA: [d̪ɒːɾuːˈɣe]

They functioned as more than just the chief of police. Depending on the city and time period, their roles varied. They were in charge of managing the bazaar (central market), catching thieves and punishing them, making sure that the vendors didn’t sell illegal goods, in some cases also levying taxes, and serving as a sort of mayoral figure. They also managed guards who would keep watch over palaces and the bazaar at night.

By the time the Qajar era came around (1789-1925), the role of “daroga” was greatly diminished. They had reputations for being corrupt and collecting money for their own benefits, and a lot of their duties were distributed among other officials. At the end of the 19th century, they were pretty much obsolete, as the shah sought to modernize, and eventually created a more westernized police force to replace the old system.

You can find more information in the following places:

Fiveable - a short list of basic facts

Encyclopaedia Iranica - in depth exploration of the organization of Persian cities throughout history (this site is a high quality resource for finding information on the history of Persia in English)

Sheriff`s position in Qajar era (1796-1896) - academic article discussing the role of the "daroga" in the Qajar era specifically (article in Persian only)

#phantom of the opera #the phantom of the opera #gaston leroux #the persian #daroga #persian history #translation #romanization #language history #persian #farsi

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a-very-tired-jew · 10 months ago

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Columbia University's Joint Anti-Israel Groups Go Mask Off

Hey, remember how Columbia University had students in encampments protesting for months? Remember how their SJP, BDS movement, and associated groups endorsed terrorism, violence, and "resistance by any means"?

I remember. Well their joint SJP and BDS group called CU Apartheid Divest just posted something to their Instagram that shows it has never been about Palestine or Palestinians.

Fig. 1. CU Apartheid Divest group, made of SJP, BDS, and other groups openly admits that they are anti-Western Civilization

Read that again.

"We are Westerners fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization."

That's a wild statement to make.

So what are they posting about suddenly that has them revealing their intent for their actions since October?

Bangladesh.

The CU Activists are attempting to liken October 7th attack by Hamas with the Bangladesh student protests. Bangladesh had a quota based employment system that students were protesting, the government responded violently, and everything escalated from there due to years of government corruption, violence, and economic turmoil. This was a protest turned revolution within a country by its own people. This was not a government run by a recognized terrorist group attacking another country, killing civilians, and taking them hostage.

However, the differences and reasons between Hamas's actions and the actions of the students in Bangladesh do not matter to the anti-Zionist Activist.

We've seen this repeatedly from these activists that they will try to liken their movement and/or attach it to other conflicts around the world. Many of these conflicts differ greatly from the Israel/Hamas war as they are internal issues with internal actors being involved.

Bangladesh is students protesting against their government.

Sudan is going through a civil war between various factions.

The Congo has been experiencing decades long violence as various militias fight each other for control.

Yet I've see anti-Israel protestors tag their posts with Free Bangladesh, Free Congo, Free Sudan even though these conflicts differ in origin and parties involved.

If you continue through the IG post you'll see very little information as to the cause of the protest/revolution in Bangladesh and continued attempts to coopt the actions for their movement.

Fig. 2. CU Apartheid Divest group tries to liken its student movements to the student protests in Bangladesh and calls to escalate.

I can't help but think that the CU student activists yearn to be oppressed in a way that would allow them to respond like revolutions and protests around the world. The way they speak and write exudes a yearning for violence. In Fig. 2. they detail the actions taken by students against an authoritarian government that has actively shot and killed protestors. Whereas here in the USA the students were forcibly removed from campuses, experienced some police violence, were arrested, and then released. No curfews with a shoot on sight policy were imposed here in the USA in response to college campus protests.

Fig. 3. CU Apartheid Divest classifies this as an Intifada and likens it to Hamas's attack.

Notice in Fig. 3. that they're trying to call the actions in Bangladesh an Intifada. Not an intifada, but an Intifada which is a proper noun with its own connotation. I know I may be a stickler here, but if I see that word capitalized then I know it's referencing the First and Second Intifadas, and I know that these student groups have been calling for a Third one under the guise of "Global Intifada". They also say that Westerners need to escalate and are "obligated" to do so.

Fig. 4. CU Apartheid Divest uses tankie terminology, refers to Bangladeshis as martyrs, and calls this part of the Global Intifada.

The terminology in Fig. 4. also shows how much the Free Palestine student movement in the USA is not actually about Palestine, Palestinians, or any other movement it tries to attach itself to. These are tankies as indicated by the use of "comrades" and they are wholly opposed to Western Civilization. They genuinely state that their movement should violently escalate here in the USA and that they should be prepared for "sacrifices". This language when coupled with the use of Intifada is alarming as it appears that these student activists are preparing to follow in the footsteps of the Second Intifada, or at the very least calling for others to do so.

These students, whom call themselves the Militants of Hind's Hall (seen in the IG post, but not pictured here), are coopting, or attempting to coopt, movements and conflicts from around the world for their own ideals. As these are students in the USA who are arguably experiencing the least amount of oppression when compared to these other conflicts, and are actively attending Ivy League or R1 universities, it can only be assumed that they're yearning to live out their Glorious Revolution fantasy.

I am under no illusion that I understand their reasoning. Are things perfect here in the USA? Of course not, but when compared to the countries that these student protestors are attaching themselves to, we are leaps and bounds better. And if you disagree, then I have to ask, when was the last time we had a curfew with a shoot on sight policy?

Anyone attempting to call this movement and group "peaceful" is naive. They've been telling you for months that they're not peaceful, that their goals are not peaceful, and that the only peace they want is after they commit violence.

The IG link for reference

#jumblr #antisemitism #leftist antisemitism #columbia sjp #Columbia BDS #Columbia Apartheid Divest #Columbia student protests #i/p #long post

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dunmeshistash · 1 year ago

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Hello!

I'm Cyan (or anything you wanna call me) this blog started as just a stash for Dungeon Meshi extras and worldbuilding details but expanded as people asked questions and I did my best to answer! Hope you find it as useful as I do. I try my best to categorize my posts so they're easy to find but sometimes I forget.

If you'd like to share something you compiled yourself feel free to send it to me and I'll reblog it! You can also send a submission if you'd prefer. The main goal is to share Dungeon Meshi information :3

Consider checking the FAQ before sending an ask!

Spoilers are tagged as "Dungeon Meshi Spoilers"

Please support the author by purchasing the manga if available in your region.

TERFs and other bigots aren't welcome

Icon and Banner

Ryoko Kui's Blog

Tag list under the cut

Types of post

For referencing - Canon things and other information you might want to go back to.

Compilation - Posts where I compile lots of canon art/sketches about a specific subject.

Dunmeshi thoughts - My own non canon thoughts. I also use the tag speculation when relevant

Dunmeshi complaint - Tag for more negative subjects/discourse in case you wanna block that. I usually go back and delete the ones that don't seem productive

Asks - Since I post quite a lot of asks I decided to divide them into some tags so they're easier to filter: Lore ask | Character ask | Meta ask | About Cyan

Parties

Kabru's Party: Kabru of Utaya, Diamond of Sadena, Mickbell Tomas, Kuro, Rinsha Fana, Holm Kranom

Tansu's Party: Tansu Floke, Yarn Floke, Kiki Floke, Kaka Floke, Namari of Kahka Brud

Shuro's Party: Shuro (Toshiro Nakamoto), Hien, Benichidori, Maizuro, Inutade

Canaries: Mithrun, Pattadol, Lycion, Fleki, Otta, Cithis

Races:

Tallman

Dwarf

Elf

Gnome

Half-Foot

Ogre

Demi humans

Orc

Kobold

Sources (<- check this if you're confused where the extras come from):

Adventurers Bible

Daydream Hour

Monster Tidbits

Bluray

Resources:

Oc reference

Art reference

Cosplay reference

Other tags:

Worldbuilding

Maps

Magic System

Post Canon (Extras about the story after the story)

Clothing (Details about character's clothes and in world fashion)

Dunmeshi Extra (extra comics that aren't in the main story)

Rooms

Modern Clothing

Dunmeshi anime vs manga (comparisons or panels missing from the anime)

Monsters:

Red Dragon

Chimera Falin

Mermaid

Fairies

I'll be updating as I add posts/figure out how to tag stuff

About me: Cyan - Adult - She/He - Brazilian

#Pinned post #For referencing

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vynxwave · 3 months ago

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EarthSpark Starscream & the Tunnels

An aspect that I feel has gone largely unrecognized despite its importance and relevance to S2 is Starscream beginning his plan with the tunnels in S1E21 “What Dwells Within”, so I figured I’d make a post dedicated to it!

I'll also be going over how Terratronus was subtly alluded to/referenced in S1E24 "The Last Hope" as well as expanded upon and called back to in S2, along with any other relevant callbacks.

At the beginning of S1E21 "What Dwells Within" Starscream has assumed leadership of the Decepticons here (as based on his and Swindle's dialogue, and Starscream specifically having been the one to blast them an exit into this route) and it's revealed that he had devised a plan for their escape from GHOST's detention center (we saw him first scheming in S1E08 "Decoy"). This jailbreak is only the first part of his plan.

When flying with Nova Storm and Skywarp into the tunnels, Starscream tells them:

“These tunnels are ancient, predating GHOST and this whole pathetic town.”

Starscream should not know this about the tunnels because he's been imprisoned for who knows how long and information about the tunnels is not freely accessible or widely known (see: Croft mention later in this post). But he does know this about the tunnels, because he has intentionally and purposefully sought out this information about the tunnels.

He's sharing this information because he's briefing his Seekers in relation to what he has planned — because the tunnels are an integral part of his plan (as we'd later see come to fruition in S2).

If the Seekers were using these tunnels as an escape route, he would have no reason to even have or share such information about them; the Witwicky Ranger Station exit route that Swindle used prior in S1E18 "Disarmed" is not their destination.

Nova Storm rushes ahead and flies deeper into the tunnels after Starscream's briefing. She transforms to stop where the tunnels split into opposite directions, as her map shows here:

The tunnel to the left is visible, and it's a dead end:

Which leaves only the tunnel to the right — the cave system entrance!:

The Seekers ending up here by the cave entrance was not incidental: they were deliberately heading to the cave system entrance in accordance with Starscream's planning.

Nova Storm had blasted ahead and visibly passed another branch of the tunnel without pause because this was her destination; Skywarp chided her for using sonic booms because a cave-in right at the cave entrance would be an inconvenience to Starscream's plan.

At GHOST HQ when Megatron starts to make a plan involving a retrieval team going into the tunnels, Croft cuts him off to tell him it'd be pointless because the Seekers went into an "unmapped cave system", and that they should use their energon scanners for when they resurface.

Croft disregards Megatron's urgency and forbids them from going down into the tunnels with a grave tone: "No one is to go down into the tunnels. Do you understand me?" (which is accompanied by the ominous GHOST leitmotif), alluding that she knows more than she's letting on — in fact, she is intentionally keeping them in the dark.

Back with the group in the cave tunnels, the shot framing and SFX calls attention to the map of the cave system that Starscream has here (he's also positioned in front, leading the group) because it directly contradicts Croft's claim of the cave system being "unmapped". This map is even labelled! (This disproof adds to Croft's/GHOST's shadiness as built up throughout S1.)

(Relevant to Croft having information kept secret that's of interest to Starscream, Starscream would later want specific information he knows Croft has on her hard drive in S2E03 "Control Alt Delete")

One thing I'm curious about is Starscream deliberately turning right instead of continuing straight when the Dweller begins chasing the group — he had his eyes on the map recently, so was he intending to head for the map room right then and there? (Could it have been that he hoped the others would keep the Dweller busy, allowing himself to find the exit and escape?)

It's interesting that Starscream identifies the map room as a "central hub" and not just a map room (Nightshade identifies it as "some sort of map room") — it suggests Starscream has some recognition of what this cave is.

I want to make an important note that the Maltos/Terrans, including Hashtag, are never aware of Starscream's planning here. What Hashtag challenges here is his selfishness and his belligerent authority (as portrayed throughout this episode to this point) — and we'd see this actually impact his leadership style from here until S2E09 "Witwicky" (he goes from trying to physically assert his authority over others to instead explaining the importance/relevance of what he's asking of his followers). His desire for power and glory (see: S1E16 "Warzone" where he [be]holds the AllSpark as if it were a personal victory/trophy, as opposed to Shockwave's more collective Decepticon victory goal) was never challenged here.

When Hashtag prompts Starscream to convince the Seekers to help stop the Dweller, he tells them: "The boy is right. If that thing gets out, no Cybertronian will be safe, including us."

The way he words this excludes the Maltos and all non-Cybertronians of Witwicky: instead of mirroring the Maltos' concern about Witwicky as a whole, he narrows the concern to "Cybertronians" and themselves to appeal specifically to Skywarp and Nova Storm (who've actively endangered humans before) (later in S2E01 "Aftermath" Skywarp would express explicit disdain for non-Cybertronians, corroborating this; though paired with her and Nova Storm's blatant disregard for human, Autobot, and Terran safety as shown in S1, including in this episode, this isn't surprising xD).

This (or rather, this and other moments) shows that Starscream is actually quite capable at knowing his audience and understanding how to appeal to them, which is useful in S2 when he's able to rally the Decepticons behind him by promising to make them a new home, following their imprisonment by Autobots and GHOST.

(Starscream's "Take care of yourself" at the end of S1E21 "What Dwells Within" is genuine, and his later shift on the word emphasized would be deliberate and intentional — but not actually reflective of his meaning in S1E21 "What Dwells Within". An in-depth analysis of Starscream in S2/S3 will be a different post than this one.)

In S1E24 "The Last Hope" when the Decepticons are freed they fall under Starscream's command. Starscream properly taking leadership of the Decepticons was a long time coming: S1E01 "Secret Legacy" established the Decepticons as being aimless, divided, disorganized, and leaderless (as portrayed all throughout the season too), so pairing this with S1E08 "Decoy" revealing that Starscream was imprisoned and scheming (who had the allegiance of Soundwave) set Starscream up for becoming the Decepticon leader following their liberation from GHOST.

Starscream's ability to appeal to the Decepticons can also be inferred to be true of in S1E26 "The Last Hope" where he's able to convince the Decepticons to help defeat Mandroid's forces (Sharkticons and mind-controlled Autobots) when the Maltos and Bumblebee were unable to convince them to do so (because their reasoning didn't appeal to the Decepticons' interests).

I'd doubt Starscream would appeal to the Decepticons the same way the Maltos and Bumblebee tried to — what he appealed to them with would be conjecture, but I'd guess something like being able to fight Autobots (who relentlessly hunted and imprisoned them, aiding GHOST) without consequence if Starscream's awareness of the mind-controlled Megatron and his and the Decepticons' enthusiasm joining the fight is any indication; and obviously allowing Mandroid wipe out all Cybertronian life would be quite a hindrance to Starscream's plan seen in S2.

Notably, Starscream describes the Decepticons joining the fight as "return[ing] the favor" for freeing the Decepticons from GHOST, rather than any mention of saving Earth or Cybertronians, which suggests a transactional perspective (which wouldn't be the first or last time the Decepticons appear to have this [e.g. Tarantulas asking "What do you want in return?" in response to Nightshade's gift and the Decepticons following whoever promises them something they want (Skywarp & Nova Storm working under Mandroid for his protection against GHOST, S2 Decepticons for Starscream's promised New Cybertron, and S3 Decepticons for a return to Cybertron]).

Related Set Ups & Callbacks

In S2E01 "Aftermath" Starscream shares his plan with Breakdown and alludes to Terratronus:

"Beneath Witwicky lies a tremendous weapon. The Autobots don't even know about it yet. [...]"

Which actually calls back to what Mandroid said in S1E24 "The Last Hope" at GHOST's spacebridge, revealing that he was alluding to Terratronus (which served to subtly set her up):

"[...] you have no idea the power that's been lying beneath your base all these years"

"Showing you the weapon it's perched upon."

In S2E09 "Witwicky" Starscream stands with the Witwicky Tower (which was GHOST's Spacebridge) in frame which calls back to Mandroid alluding to Terratronus lying specifically beneath GHOST's spacebridge.

In S1E21 "What Dwells Within" when Starscream saw the Maltos he says: "Ah, so you're the Maltos / [...] they'll make perfect hostages", recognizing who they are and their value to the Autobots (and Megatron) and GHOST. And in S2E09 "Witwicky" he's able to do just that:

#earthspark #starscream #earthspark starscream #transformers earthspark #es starscream #tfe starscream #transformers #maccadam #earthspark season 1 #vynx.analysis

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bwat5-blog · 3 months ago

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*Spoilers For Arcane*

Good morning everyone. It is no secret I have been immensely critical of the views held by the good folks over at Arcane Critical. I have disparaged their views, and the ways in which they express them in equal measure. And it would be dishonest to pretend I've always done so with civility and respect.

One of my primary complaints and criticisms has been the lack of any detailed analysis on their part. I have not been able to find anything backed up with content, and good thought-out details supporting their stances.

To that end, something occurred to me this morning. I have seen the same video referenced and listed by many of them justifying their views, and have made no effort to watch it.

youtube

*This Video by youtuber Pugs4thugs*

A full two hour long video, repeatedly referenced by people I was accusing of never presenting anything of substance to back up their words. This seemed hypocritical. So this morning I made an effort to remedy that. I admittedly am quite disappointed by my findings, sad to say.

*I ONLY VIEWED THE FIRST 20 MINUTES*

Why am I putting that in giant bold red letters? Because I want to be very clear and honest here. The overall topic of this video is to do with the political ideology shown in Arcane itself. That was not my purpose.

My purpose, was to determine if this video contained what I have been searching for regarding someone actually backing up what they are saying, and referencing this video as evidence. I received all the information needed to make that determination with the first twenty minutes.

First, let me say a few things:

I know someone else on here watched this video with their own response and I believe Pugs4thugs responded. If you see this, feel free to respond if you wish to discuss.

Again, this is NOT about the political ideology side of this video. I am doing what I have tried to focus on doing since coming on here for the most part. Sticking to the content. As far as I am concerned it would be unfair to judge if the creator stuck the landing on their point politically, without a full watch and analysis. Therefore I will not be giving an opinion.

I watched only a small portion of this video. I don't know why the creator would. But if somehow they go on to elaborate on one of the things I mention past the point I watched in a way that makes my response unfair, I will happily admit as much.

I am NOT doing a whole long, in-depth response to each of these points. I have done so in various other posts. Just going to list some of the things I came across in the video with a quick thought each.

00:43- Discusses their own tweet in which they call Caitvi "copaganda".

No:

A relationship involving the cop character learning of the corruption in the system because of their journey with the other person.

Then having the relationship be sundered when both characters act as part of the system, with one leaning all the way into authority and power out of grief and rage.

Then having the relationship restored by the cop character giving up their anger and control, literally allowing for someone to be freed from imprisonment because they choose love for the other person over hate is not copaganda.

2:11- They lament "zero acountability for a character instituting Martial Law"

It is always possible they meant someone other than Caitlyn. I rather doubt it. Caitlyn didn't institute Martial Law. Ambessa tricked the elite of Piltover into doing that. I actually covered this recently with time stamps and all. I can paste here if needed.

13:03- While listing further evidence of Zaun's struggles lists no real medical care outside of Shimmer

I know this comes from that discussion Caitlyn had with Huck. That didn't go for the whole dang undercity. They were in the slums and in a particularly bad area of them at that. Have we forgotten that central street we see so many times just packed with businesses including the brothel? I'm not saying it is to the same degree as Piltover. But Singed invents Shimmer in the course of the story we see in the show. What have Zaunites been doing up til then? How are there any of them left?

15:28- While discussing Ekko also lists Sevika as someone "clearly interested in the wellbeing of Zaun"

One of them created a safe haven for addicts and victims of the drug the other one helped unleash on her own people. I don't think placing them on the same playing field is reasonable.

I've discussed Sevika's wrong doing a lot lately. I'm not trying to hammer the point, so I'll forgo the list this time. But I would say no matter her inner most intentions, her impact on Zaun is strictly negative until Season 2.

18:28- Discussing aftermath of Jinx's attack. Nothing is said of the death or destruction. Discusses "lots of prejudice towards Zaunites" including from Caitlyn, making a point to use a GIF of her clearly saying the word animals.

Now in fairness, given the trajectory of this video I am quite sure Caitlyn is going to come up plenty in the portion I didn't watch. But again, context helps here. I don't see a portion detailing the fact that Jinx killed Caitlyn's mother, 2 other councilors, maimed 2 more, blew up the council chamber, and that Caitlyn says that about the Zaunites who attacked a peaceful memorial in our future

19:00- Discussing martial law “Piltover goes under martial law to keep city safe which is a fancy way of saying “lets oppress Zaun harder”

Completely and totally disregarding any and all context relating to Ambessa and her plans.

20:42- On The Ending “Things between Piltover and Zaun are good enough for Zaun to… fight for Piltover, when Piltover has offered them nothing in return. I’m trying not to be snarky but I don’t see how I can’t be"

Conclusion:

As I have tried to make a point of saying repeatedly, I only viewed a very small portion of a much longer video. So if it turns out they go on to give full context and reasoning behind these points, I will admit my mistake gladly. But from this small sampling, I am sad to say it seems like another example of twisting the content to suit a preconceived stance. Rather than forming a stance from the content itself.

#Youtube #arcane #caitlyn kiramman #sevika arcane #shimmer arcane #ambessa medarda #vi arcane #caitvi #caitlyn arcane #piltovers finest

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writers-potion · 8 months ago

Note

this is a little hyper specific lmao but i was wondering if you have any advice on writing a pov character being mysterious? tyyy

Writing A Mysterious POV Character

Thanks for the question!

Here are some characteristics that I think makes a POV character "mysterious"

The reader is not meant to understand everything the POV character says, describes or alludes to.

The POV character actively holds off information from the readers either because (1) it's hard for them to talk about it or (2) they don't think it's important, somehow.

They reconstruct the narrative in the way they perceive it, not following the chronological order of events and often providing piecemeal information that only (if ever) comes together at the end.

The POV character simply has a wholly different perspective that a human reader will have difficulties understanding (i.e. story told from an animal or alien's POV)

I think the best way to portray this is to provide examples, which I think qualify as mysterious narrators. Note that not all mysterious narrators are unreliable narrators, although they could be. Here are the selected narrators and a few extracts for illustration purposes, divided by loosely defined subcategories (there can be overlaps!):

Incomprehensive Jargon & Allusions

Given that you can do this without boring or genuinely pissing off the reader, using lots of jargon, making allusions to things your target audience will probably not know to create atmosphere can be effective.

I recommend having a strong thematic core to justify all that jargon and reference, though.

Richard Papen from <The Secret History> by Donna Tartt

The characters talk and make references to Greek/the Classics. Arguably, it is not "incomprehensible", but the entire book is tirelessly full of them and unless you are a scholar in a related field, very unlikely to know all the Greek/ancient works being referenced all the time.

by M.L.Rio

Interesting style where the characters talk and even think in Shakespeare. They literally quote lines from Shakespeare to talk to each other. Not as difficult to follow as <The Secret History>, given that these are q famous plays (Hamlet, Macbeth, etc.) but it certainly adds well to the mystery at the heart of the book's plot.

---

Witholding Information

Have your narrator subtely refer to a large event in their past (a murder, a traumatic memory, etc) but never telling the reader upfront, making them only make implied guesses.

The only reservation I would have for this option is to not annoy the reader by letting them know the narrator has information, but is somehow not telling them. It would help to have a clear reason for them to not talk about it: e.g. they haven't accepted the past themselves, they're too scared to talk about it, etc.

by Eliza Clark

In here, the narrator has killed someone in the past - a fact that only becomes kind of clear at the end. Even then, the murder is never referenced because this narrator has some serious mental issues, but when you look back with this knowledge at the end of the book, her behavior starts making more sense.

---

Reconstructing the Narrative

Don't go in chronological order. Use time skips, or invent a new system for the narrator to arrange their memories and thus, retell the story. This gives the narrator power over the narrative because they've seen the whole thing play out, but the readers are getting bits and pieces, trying to get the puzzle pieces to fall together.

Other options:

POV character has amnesia

POV character has dementia

Using narrative interruptions that are in a completely different style (can work for 3rd person, look at Olivie Blake's work referenced below)

Olivie Black's <Alone With You in the Ether>

Using screenplay-like interruptions to the narrative that limits the reader's access to the characters' minds. Also creates interesting tone.

Kim Youngha's <Diary of the Murderer>

[I don't have pictures for this because I only have the Korean version....but really worth mentioning]

Here, the narrator has dementia and cannot fully remember the murders he has committed in the past. He is also an unreliable narrator who can only remember things in bits and pieces - thus the typical chronological order is interrupted.

---

"Non-Human" Perspectives

Give yourself a narrator that is not human, or is "dehumanized" in some way (lack of emotion, inability to relate to others, etc.) to view the entire world from a perspective not often experienced by the average human.

Death as a narrator from <The Book Thief> by Marcus Zusak.

Zusak inserts these little "pronouncements" or "interruptions" to the narrative and the calm but transcending tone constantly raises questions.

---

Do note that the overall tone of the novel contributes significantly to how the narrator comes across to the readers. Many of the works above also deal with "reality vs. unreality" as a theme, which is augmented by the use of a mysterious narrator that prompts the reader to challenge

Hope this helps, Happy writing :)

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* . ───

💎If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! Also, join my Tumblr writing community for some more fun.

💎Before you ask, check out my masterpost part 1 and part 2

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ranchstoryblog · 4 months ago

Text

64 Dreams: A Look at Harvest Moon 64's Japanese Pre-Release Coverage

Fresh off the releases of the original Bokujou Monogatari in '96 and the GameBoy demake in '97, the series was starting to make a bit of a name for itself by 1998. The popularity of the GameBoy port in particular, partially credited by Yasuhiro Wada to the revived interest of the GameBoy as a platform thanks to Pokémon, led to some amount of anticipation for the follow-up.

At that time, a Japanese gaming magazine called The 64Dream, which was later renamed Nintendo Dream, was aimed exclusively at Nintendo 64 owners to give them the latest in information on upcoming and currently available games. Several issues over the course of a year would feature updates and information on Bokujou Monogatari 2. It would be a lot of work to translate everything, though we still might go over the really interesting bits some day, but, for now, we'll go over a brief summary of each issue's coverage up until release.

October, 1998

To start off the coverage of Bokumono 2, Yasuhiro Wada, Setsuko Miyakoshi, and Tomomi Yamatate are participating in a Q&A with the magazine's staff and introducing elements that are new from the SNES game like the camera, backpack, automatically leveling up tools, sheep, etc. Things to do during Winter are also referenced, like mining and the event to help out with Green Ranch, as well as it being a highly requested feature to continue playing after the ending. It also references the Goddess Fountain being the one from the previous game, which I hadn't really considered but if you think about the general layout of both maps it makes sense. The heart level system is also revealed to have a name the development staff used, the "Bakubaku system," which was implemented because sneaking a peek at their diaries wasn't the best thing to do. Since it's referencing a heartbeat, I guess if they localized that name it'd be something like "ba-dump system"?

There's a few tidbits that are completely different from the final game, like being able to carry bugs in your backpack, as well as an affection system for wild animals. Neither are in the release version, with wild animals being able to just be picked up freely without befriending them, and neither bugs or animals being willing to be stuffed into your bag. The calendar of festivals and other notable events is also a bit different, with no races or swimming events present at all, along with the Spirit Festival being on the 29th instead of the 27th.

There's also few interesting details among the artwork, like Harris being blonde and the baby's outfit being brown instead of blue. The artwork of the girls is also distinct here, with most of them not being featured in any other promotional material or guidebooks. Ran and Marie's artwork appeared in the 15th anniversary art book, but Karen, Popuri, and Elly were oddly absent. Rare stuff.

November, 1998

This month, the magazine's editors are getting to play for the first time. Most of the article is just them experiencing stuff that's new after the SNES game firsthand. Things like rotating the camera, having a bag, carrying multiple tools, tools leveling up with use, things like that. Oddly, Karen doesn't seem to appear in the demo, though the vineyard and other characters do. The article ends with some fan art of Karen and Pete at the vineyard. There's also some fan art of all the girls in the fan art section.

There isn't a lot here that's different from the final game this month, but there is a screenshot of the library with a completely different layout from the final game.

December, 1998

Wow, right off the bat there's lots of little art differences here. Mayor Thomas is blonde, Marie has blue hair like her grandma, and so does Kent! Though with that light of a shade, maybe Kent's is supposed to look shaved. The artwork for the town's map is also a little off, featuring a layout that's not present in the final game, and a few details that would go missing as well, like a tree outside the bakery. Of course, several new elements would be in the final game that are also missing from this artwork, like shop signs. I also appreciate all the little figures of characters wandering around the map.

The text doesn't look like anything new or distinct, but it does mention that there's now a racetrack. Horse races weren't mentioned at all in previous months, so maybe this was a late addition they finally felt safe confirming. It also mentions Duke being Jeff's uncle, which is something I tend to forget is mentioned in-game, as well as Doga's appearance being compared to Yoda, and... I can see it.

There's also a featured fan art this month at the end of the article featuring Ran and Pete sitting together. In the magazine's fan-art dedicated page, there's artwork of Popuri and Elly, too! Not to mention plenty of non-Bokumono fan art featuring characters from Wonder Project J2, Pokémon, and Ocarina of Time.

January, 1999

The article this month opens with lamenting that the game didn't release in December and will be delayed until February. Since we're pretty close to release now, it doesn't look like there's too many differences from the final game at this point. Of note, however, is that the animals all seem 500-1000 G cheaper. I guess they were still adjusting game balance. The crops listing doesn't include strawberries either, and a note that the seed prices might be different in the released game, but those are all correct.

The fan art this month is Pete with a bunch of farm animals, including a pig! I guess they'll have to wait until GBC3 and Magical Melody for that though. There's also a small figure on the left side, maybe holding a paintbrush? An artist's self-portrait, maybe?

February, 1999

Finally, it's release month! The game has been consistently voted one of the most anticipated titles by readers, and Yasuhiro Wada is here to answer their questions.

The first interesting question is about the Nintendo 64 Transfer Pak, which Wada says wasn't possible to implement transferring cows and such due to technical reasons and the N64 game's development coming later. However, if the game was popular enough to release a Bokujou Monogatari 3 on the N64, he'd like to implement GameBoy gimmicks. Next, he's asked about the baby, and mentions that it will have different reactions based on where you take it, and that it will gradually change with level of affection. When asked about improving crop varieties, Wada replies that it's a secret. Maybe referencing the unlocking of Strawberries after getting a greenhouse? The page ends with a variety of fan art.

On the next page, a fan asks if there are multiple endings. Wada responds that there's really only one, but there's a ranking system in place. He also mentions that you can transfer your save to a Controller Pak and take it to a friend's house and compare your rankings with them, which is something North American fans missed out on when the rankings page feature was removed, along with several other things. Next is a question about catching and keeping bugs, which contrary to the mention in the October '98 issue, he says that leaving them in nature is for the best. The last question on the page asks about the girls from the original game appearing, which Wada says a few do in some way, and you should try to find out. Also that the same Harvest Sprites return. There's also artwork of all the 64 girls in cute winter outfits!

The last page is just basic gameplay questions, like how much money you start with and how to sheer sheep, with Wada going on to mention that taking care of animals is important and that there's a funeral scene for them now. The page closes again with more fan art.

More interestingly, the little boxed area on pages 22 and 23 features "requests" and general comments from fans. For page 22, the first of which is for co-op, which Wada says was an idea he also had, but to please bear with it as it wasn't possible, and there is a lot of content for one player in the game. Next, he's asked for the animals to make noises and have footstep sounds, which he says they do make animal sounds (mooing, clucking, etc) now, but don't have footstep sounds. Then he's asked about implementing a motorcycle or truck! Wada emphatically responds that nature is best.

Page 23's requests start with being able to freely design the house, which Wada also wants to do, but there are at least more extensions this time. Next, a player wants the hot springs to return, which Wada says might appear in this game as the player progresses. Another player comments that they hate natural disasters like typhoons, but Wada says they will be returning in this game, albeit less frequently. Someone asks to be able to make cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, which Wada says sounds great. Someone asks about the Hoe transforming into a tractor after it reaches level 4, which Wada brushes off as "too much," someone asking to put an N64 in the house, which Wada says sounds nice, but there's too many things in there already, and lastly someone comparing Wada's appearance to Yabe-san from the comedy duo "Ninety-Nine," which Wada disagrees and laughs at.

And that's it! Shortly after this magazine hit shelves, the game would finally release. There were several months of coverage afterward, which we'll probably go over, but that'll be for another time. A big thank you to ozidual of Gaming Alexandria for allowing us to use their scans. You can check out their full magazine scans on Archive.org.

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rhobi · 1 year ago

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The Audi

Homeplanet: Aodilea (Frontier) Habitat: Temperate Coastal Lifespan: ??? Diet: Mesocarnivore (50-70% meat consumption)

Evolving from ancient oceanic odontocetes off the northwestern coastline of the Frontier supercontinent, the Audi are gentle giants and reknowned for their pride, curiosity, and hospitality. Audi have exceptional hearing and tactile awareness to offset their incredibly poor eyesight that gets worse the older (and larger) they get. They also sport a handsome melon to assist in their own form of echolocation, a frequency too low for the human ear to parse. Species with more delicate hearing have often complained of Audi cities being the one of the most audibly overstimulating experiences due to this rumble being incessantly present.

Audi lack any form of dymorphism, as every individual has the capabilities to become pregnant and induce pregnancy.

More about the Audi life cycle under the cut.

The Audi are (assumedly) the longest-living species of sentient lifeforms in the Laurelai Galaxy. It is difficult to pinpoint age in any Audi due to their complete lack of any calendar system; Audi view time as constantly moving forward instead of cyclically repeating, and age records were never anything of value.

Because of their lack of birth dates, Audi categorize their lives into phases. Their first official phase is childhood, with their lack of an 'infant' category caused by the species having two fetal incubation periods: the first organic and the second synthetic. Audi give birth incredibly prematurely due to their narrow pelvic gap, and, to prevent damage and even death to the parent, birth is induced within a two-to-three month time period. Full fetal growth is achieved at ten to eleven months, with the second incubation period done with the asisstance of advanced medical technology that simulates a natural womb. Due to this technology, Audi's infant mortality rate went from 80% down to 25% with three out of four Audi infants reaching childhood.

The second phase is adulthood. What criteria needs to be met for this phase is up to speculation, as Audi seem keen on keeping that information private. What can be assumed is that it's personal for every Audi, and every Audi reaches adulthood at different times. Height ranges anywhere from 6'8" (203cm) to 9'11" (302cm) on average, with older individuals being on the taller end due to Audi constantly (albeit slowly) growing their entire lives.

The final phase is She, a coveted example of Audi excellence and potential. Reaching the phase of She takes an impossible amount of time and physical growth. Every She, of which there are currently six, has a leadership role, ranging from cultural preservation and the arts to science and engineering, with each She taking a 'mastery' of one of these core values of Audi society. An interesting note is that every She is referred to as 'She', making it difficult for outsiders to deduce which of the six She is being referenced. She cap out the Audi height range at an even 10' (304cm), though why this is considered maximum height or how they suppress growth past this point is still being studied.

#art #speculative biology #laurelai audi #<-a tag to use for every species that exists in this galaxy i've made #they do have clothes of some sort this is just the barbie doll version #and every vague thing in this writing is on purpose i promise there's a reason for all of it

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yuurei20 · 3 months ago

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hello! currently I’m seeing a lot of people on twitter talking about Ace being 17 and some of the second years being 18, but I feel I remember people discussing a tweet from yana stating that the age in their bio is the age they turn “this year” in story? do you (or any of your followers!) have confirmation of this or any information that contradicts this? I’m wondering if the tweet nonexistent or being misconstrued

EDIT: New Information added below 👀👀👀👀👀

25/3/14 Edit: We have received confirmation from Yana that the characters age throughout the year, and the age listed in their profiles was how old they were when the prefect appeared in the world. More here!

Hello hello! Thank you for this question! ❤️ This is maybe coming from a recent reveal on JP!

No one says "Ace is 17 years old" (and the scene was uploaded to YouTube by a JP user with the thumbnail of "That's right, this guy is just a 16-year-old high school student...")--

--but Trey confirms that Riddle is only one month older than Ace 🌹

If we want to add the conditions of "someone must say on screen and in the main story that they are a certain age for it to be considered canon" then we have that too, with Vil saying that he, Rook and Idia are all 18, and Silver saying that he is 17.

But Vil introduces something of a paradox as he is kidnapped to STYX post-VDC, which is in February, and Lilia's farewell party is 6 months after the start of the school year, which we know is September, making it around March (all of which has been confirmed in the main story ↓)

But both Rook and Idia have December birthdays, so while Vil himself is still 18 in both these instances Rook and Idia should be 19...assuming that the characters are aging 🧐 More here:

As for the clarification of character bio ages via Yana-tweet, I have not been able to find one! :> I think the one and only time she has ever commented on character ages in the game was when she shared that Jamil is the oldest 2nd-year student, which makes sense, as he (like Ace) has a September birthday:

But maybe that is all? (unless someone else may happen to have additional information! :>)

While some people seem to have taken Trey's comment of "Riddle is one month older than Ace" to mean that the characters are aging in the main story, this is contradicted by Vil saying that Rook and Idia are still the same age as they were in September 🧐 Or maybe he does not know their birthdays and is just assuming they are still his age?

(Vil is the youngest 3rd-year student, and has never given Rook a birthday present ww)

And Silver is also a paradox: he says he will be "coming of age next year" in a scene that canonically 6 months after September, which means he will be turning 18 in two months. Or perhaps the age of majority in Twst is 19? 🧐 Curiouser and curiouser!

On the JP-server side I have found multiple people of the opinion that the characters enroll at age 15 and turn 16 during the year, not 16-to-17, as that is system for high school students in Japan (link 1) (link 2) (link 3). But the community seems split, with others referencing in-game comments from students like Deuce, Silver and Vil to argue that they enroll at 16 and turn 17.

One person comments, "It makes more sense to assume that the age is fixed for the current year within the game’s setting."

I am not sure Trey's comment of "Ace is only one month younger than Riddle" really counts as canon proof that the characters are aging in the main story, and the ages that have have been canonically confirmed have been those that match the character profiles!

But they have also always been spoken by characters who have yet to have had their birthdays 👀

Maybe another example of Twst being intentionally vague for players to decide as they will? ^^

EDIT: New Book 7 information below!!

We have an on-screen, Main Story-canon confirmation of characters aging: Malleus says that Silver turns 18 in Book 7! ^^

#twstask #twisted wonderland

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