#interface 2009

[bathroomgirl0024]

someone who is using the interface 2009 theme could you please tell me how you added the pfp/icon i can't add it for some reason

[fruitiermetrostation]

Live winamp compact skin By puglialemon (2009)

[faffreux]

I might actually move on from my ancient Paint Tool SAI v1 and try CSP... I've just been SO intimidated by it for years but I really think it would help take my art further than I currently can with the limited tools I have rn.

[cellodolls]

super shy - newjeans

[schnaideranton]

[rivalsforlife]

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Announced

At the Nintendo Direct today, news I have been tirelessly waiting six years for arrived: The Ace Attorney Investigations games are coming to all modern consoles! This includes Ace Attorney Investigations 2 (now officially known as Ace Attorney Investigations: Prosecutor's Gambit), after THIRTEEN YEARS of being a Japan-exclusive game!

Now everyone gets to experience Debeste Ace Attorney games! ... The Winner Ace Attorney Games!

Key Information

The collection is coming out on September 6, 2024 to the Nintendo Switch, PS4, XBOX One, Windows, and Steam. It will be available in Japanese, English, French, German, Korean, and Traditional and Simplified Chinese, with new voice dubs. Most of the information in this post will be coming from the official website, which you can check out for more details.

The reveal trailer is as follows:

There's lots of information here, so let's break it down:

New Features

Since these were originally Nintendo DS games, there's a massive jump in graphic quality to HD! This includes a new interface for Logic, the court record, and redone full-body sprites. But if you prefer the classic look, the AAI collection will let you swap between the sprite styles:

Similarly to the Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and 456 Collection, the AAI Collection includes story mode, dialogue history, a gallery containing concept and special art, and music including orchestral arrangements of the soundtrack.

You can also change the in-game soundtrack to rearranged tracks! This applies to Confrontation - Allegro, Confrontation - Presto, Objection 2009, and Pursuit - Chase Down The Truth (commonly known as Lying Coldly) with and without the intro.

Pre-Order Bonuses

Much like the AAI tracks, AAI2 arranged tracks can play in game, but these are currently restricted to pre-order bonuses (though this might change in the future). This includes Confrontation - Allegro 2011, Confrontation - Presto 2011, Objection 2011, and the intro and non-intro versions of Pursuit - Uncover The Truth (commonly known as Wanting To Find The Truth).

That's all on the English side, but much like the 456 collection, Japan has a physical collector's edition called the Mitsurugi (Edgeworth) Checkmate Set. This includes an arranged mini-album of songs by other composers, and new album art by Tatsuro Iwamoto.

The new songs include "Objections of Different Eras" (seemingly a remix of Objections 2009 and 2011), "Raven that Pursues The Truth" (remix of Kay's theme), "It's Time for Action!" (remix of Gumshoe's theme), "Howling Echoes" (remix of Lang's theme), and "Unveiling the Truth" (remix of the Pursuit songs).

This collection also includes a diorama set:

The set has two backgrounds (the rooftop of the Grand Tower and Edgeworth's office), and has standees of Edgeworth, Kay, Gumshoe, Franziska, Lang, Gregory, and... Verity and Eustace.

Which is a good segue into:

Localization Differences

Since most AA fans will be familiar with the fantastic AAI2 fan translation, the new names will likely be an adjustment for all of us. Characters in AAI (like Kay and Lang) will not have their names changed, just characters that were previously exclusive to AAI2.

Known name changes include:

Yumihiko Ichiyanagi / Sebastian Debeste -> Eustace Winner

Hakari Mikagami / Justine Courtney -> Verity Gavèlle

Tateyuki Shigaraki / Raymond Shields -> Eddie Fender

We also know that Manosuke Naito / Horace Knightley's new last name is Knight, and Gai Tojiro / Ethan Rooke's last name is Rook, which isn't much of a departure from fan translation names. We also know that Mikiko Hayami / Nicole Swift's new last name is Lloyd. I will provide updates on more names when they become available!

Regardless of your feelings on the new names - it's going to be an adjustment for everyone used to the fan translation that has been around ten years now - let's all keep in mind that despite the new names, the characters behind the names will be the same. And personally, as a massive fan of AAI2, I think the adjustment will be worth it if it means that more people get to experience my favorite ace attorney game for themselves.

With this announcement, all canonical ace attorney games have been ported to modern consoles and given an English translation. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, this announcement is thirteen years in the making for AAI2! This is an unprecedented time for the popularity and accessibility of Ace Attorney.

(All we need now is the Layton crossover...)

Thank you all for joining me in this excitement and I look forward to collecting and sharing more updates as they arrive!

[gabrielleragusi]

For Artists: My Experience with Commission Platforms and Illustration Agencies

Hi there! I’ve been wanting to compile a list of commission platforms that I’ve personally used for the longest time, and I finally did it! I’ve highlighted the still-active commission platforms in bold and struck those that don't exist anymore so you can jump to the sections that interest you without needing to read my entire story.

Let me start by briefly introducing myself.

I’m Gabrielle, a fantasy illustrator. Since 2014, I’ve been working on book covers and illustrations for publishers, authors, and book subscription boxes. Early on, work wasn’t as frequent as it is now. I had to search for opportunities myself, and even small private commissions were important for building my portfolio and earning some money, which I’d spend on materials, books, and online courses. Like many other artists, I started out by trying my luck with the biggest art community available at the time.

DeviantArt

2009-2018

Once upon a time, there was a virtual haven called DeviantArt. To my teenage self, it was a magical place. I signed up in 2009 and thought I’d never leave!

At first, I created an account just to share my work and learn. I didn’t even think about commissions for four or five years. But when that first inquiry finally landed in my inbox, things took off! My mum swears she remembers my excitement when I got my first commission, but for some reason, I’ve completely forgotten about it. I can't remember what it was or how much it paid. It might have been a portrait of a fantasy character.

Commissions on DeviantArt were fairly frequent, especially considering my cheap prices at the time. I used to offer discounts and post my rates in my DeviantArt journal, or in Commission groups that featured artists either monthly or weekly. After checking out my profile, a client could simply send me a private message and from there, we’d discuss payment, deadlines, and other details, and the platform didn’t take any fees, much like how ArtStation works today. Everything happened through private messages or email, with direct contact between artist and client.

The downside of this process was that there was no dispute resolution system on the platform. I had to handle all issues myself, and unfortunately, problems did arise sometimes: there were clients changing their minds about commissions, asking for refunds after work was delivered, refusing to pay, or just ghosting me. These issues didn’t happen because clients were evil, but rather because I was inexperienced and allowed some to take advantage of my naivety.

However, all that frustration helped me develop my commission process through trial and error (mostly error). And despite the challenges, I can say with satisfaction that most of the commissions I received through my DeviantArt profile were positive experiences.

DeviantArt eventually introduced a commission feature for Core (Premium) users, which came with a platform fee, but I didn’t use it much, and I’m not sure if it still exists.

The real beauty of dA, though, was the connections I made. I was able to meet people, both artists and clients, that I’m still in contact with today, and some of whom I still collaborate with.

I closed my account in 2018 or 2019, but by that time, I hadn’t really used it for a couple of years. The new user interface was a bit of a turn-off for me. I had always loved the geeky, and dare I say cozy, look of the old green and grey aesthetic, with its customisable panels that you could move around and personalise with HTML code... But I digress.

Artists and Clients

2013-2016

While taking small commissions on DeviantArt, I discovered Artists & Clients. It was a nice platform for clients to get things like their D&D characters or groups illustrated for relatively cheap. I think my highest price was $50 for a single character portrait, with the platform taking a 15% cut. I used it for about two or three years before the platform started to change.

As more artists with hentai art styles flooded in, the homepage shifted, and so did the clientele. There’s nothing wrong with drawing naked anime girls, of course, but you can understand that if a client is looking for a fantasy, semi-realistic painting of their female orc character, or a realistic portrait of their spouse, it's more than likely that they won't bother sifting through a sea of anime girls to find the style they want, imagining it isn't here. Let's just say that, at the time, the website took a definite direction that wasn't in line with my genre, but this direction didn't make the different, more realistic art styles stand out either.

Soon, commissions slowed down for me, so I closed my account, but by then I was already working elsewhere.

That said, this platform could still be a useful tool if you’re looking to take on smaller commissions.

DreamUp

2014-2015

DreamUp wasn’t an AI generator back then. It was actually a subsidiary of DeviantArt, where clients could post projects and artists could apply. It was a competitive platform that offered well-paid work–very well-paid. I remember seeing jobs posted that ranged from $300 to $1,200. DreamUp was a very professional platform for clients with a mid to high budget.

I believe I landed my very first book cover commission through this website when I was in my last year of high school. I remember getting the job and going to school the next morning, excited to share the news with my classmates. Everyone was super thrilled for me (we were a really close-knit class!), and I felt like I was walking on air.

Unfortunately, as far as I know, that book was never released, but it didn’t matter because I was moving forward, and fast.

I’m not sure when DreamUp was shut down, but I do know that DeviantArt held onto the copyrighted name, assigning it to something so anti-old DreamUp that it still boggles my mind.

ArtCorgi

Now Artistree

2014-2019

When I received an invitation to join ArtCorgi from its founder, I already had a somewhat consistent portfolio. I was painting portraits and fantasy illustrations, and the clients on this platform were looking for both–your typical wedding and pet portraits, as well as book covers, which were what really interested me. To get to the latter, I had to do the former. Over the years, I’ve painted so many realistic portraits that now I have a strict rule for my own sanity not to do them any more. I have great respect for portrait artists, but it’s just not me.

When I first submitted my prices to the person I was in contact with, she kindly suggested that I raise them... a lot. That was a major step forward in my professional career. I went from charging $50 to $100/$200 overnight. And to my surprise, people actually wanted to commission me at those prices!

From 2014 to 2019, I took nearly every commission that came my way. I never spoke directly with the clients; all instructions and feedback went through my point of contact, which helped maintain a level of professionalism, although now that I’m used to working directly with clients, I’m not sure I’d want to go back to having an intermediary.

Sadly, as with all good things, this chapter came to an end. My point of contact eventually left communication in the hands of someone else, and shortly after, the commission fee changed to, I believe, 30%.

Simply put, 30% is an unrealistic cut for a website like this. For an agent that gets you all kinds of big work in the publishing industry, sure, but since this was not the case I had to stop taking commissions. Despite that, my overall experience with ArtCorgi was very positive.

Today, ArtCorgi joined another platform, Artistree. As far as I can tell, Artistree doesn’t take any fees from artists, with clients covering a small cost instead.

Sketchmob (?)

2016-2020

This was probably the platform I used the most. I’ve lost count of how many commissions I received through Sketchmob. Many. Enough to generate a steady income at the time. With reasonable fees and a variety of art styles available, clients contacted me almost daily. Communication was direct between artists and clients, and payments could be split. The review system also worked very well… for a while.

Once I raised my prices, requests became fewer and farther apart. But by then, I was already working with my own clients.

Is this platform still active? Who knows. The website is still up and the chat feature works, but I’ve seen users complain that money available for withdrawal never arrived via PayPal (the only payment method the platform accepted, if I remember correctly). Personally, I wouldn’t risk completing a job through Sketchmob right now, at least not until they release an update.

If you’ve used the platform recently and successfully received payment within the last six months, please let me know, and I’d be happy to update this section!

Upwork

2017-2019

In 2017, I was determined to break into the book publishing industry. After trying out Fiverr and Freelancer.com with no success (the competition was too fierce for someone just starting out), I decided to give Upwork a shot. The platform looked very professional, and while the process sounded a bit complicated, I wanted to land the interesting projects I saw featured in my category. I really wanted to work with a big client… but big clients didn’t seem to want me, despite having the Rising Talent badge.

In two years of bidding for jobs and submitting proposals, I only landed two projects: a small commission from a private client who actually reached out to me, and another project that I bid on.

Don’t get me wrong, I was ecstatic at the time and truly appreciated every opportunity that came my way. But looking back, I can see why Upwork didn’t work out for me. The platform just wasn’t the right fit for my style and niche, which is fantasy illustration. Graphic design, however, was (and still is) in much higher demand.

The commission process on Upwork wasn’t as simple as on other platforms. For instance, at the time, costs were calculated hourly, which was a challenge for someone like me who prefers working with flat fees (having already calculated my average hours spent on an illustration). From what I’ve seen, this has since changed.

One positive aspect of Upwork is its current 10% cut on what artists earn. I don’t recall if this has changed over the years, but 10% is quite reasonable in my experience. Of course, 0% would be even better, but for a platform as large as Upwork, 10% is fair.

Illustration Agency

2019-2021

By 2019, I had built a solid, consistent portfolio thanks to my personal work and commissions. I had a simple website in place, my Instagram following was growing… I was steadily working toward my goal of illustrating covers for big publishers (which didn't happen until two years ago).

So, when an illustration agency reached out to me one day, I was over the moon. I had always heard that artists were the ones who had to approach agencies, not the other way around.

Well, that should have been my first red flag.

I won’t name this agency because, unfortunately, I have nothing positive to say about it. In fact, the word “nothing” perfectly describes my involvement with them. Nothing came of this barely there experience.

The agency invited me to sign up, not on an exclusive basis, but they assured me they’d get me work. That work never came. Once in a while, I’d receive messages saying they were trying to pitch my portfolio to a French publisher or another client, but... nothing.

Please understand that meanwhile I was already working directly with shops and authors, so I don’t believe my portfolio was the problem. The real issue was something I didn’t realise at the time: some agencies do this. They feature talented artists in their catalogue without having actual clients lined up, just to appear more professional and credible to potential clients. Did this strategy work for them? Maybe. I’ll never know.

In 2021, I politely asked them to remove my portfolio from their website, and that was the end of it.

After that, I never actively sought out an agent again. By the time my portfolio was strong enough to approach a serious agency, I just didn’t need representation anymore.

Hireillo

2019-2022

My experience with Hire an Illustrator, or Hireillo, is mixed. At the time, Hireillo was a platform that hosted artists' portfolios, featured artist-submitted news, provided useful articles, resources, and directories of artists and agents. I joined the site hoping to catch the eye of publishers, but I was mostly contacted by authors and one fellow artist for a graphic novel.

Unfortunately, most inquiries didn’t go beyond the first couple of messages due to budget constraints. I did, however, have fun sharing news about my painting process and projects I landed on my own, which were often featured by the website. Additionally, if I had questions about 'complicated' things like copyright, or just needed advice, I could ask the website’s owner and that was incredibly helpful.

Despite these benefits, I didn’t see any real results, which was a little disappointing. The subscription fee was also... odd, for lack of a better word. $5 per week. In the end I just couldn’t justify the cost, so I stopped using the website altogether.

Reedsy

2019-2022

Finally, we come to the turning point.

I remember stumbling upon Reedsy randomly. It wasn’t very well known at the time, and I think it still isn’t. I was nervous when I submitted my portfolio because their catalogue features the best of the best: designers who’ve created covers for bestsellers, THE bestsellers, people who’ve worked on Stephen King covers, or George R.R. Martin's. Designers, editors, and marketers who are veterans. I didn’t have high hopes for my application. So, I was in shock when it got accepted.

I had an introductory Skype call with a representative from Reedsy, who explained how everything worked. Before the call ended, I remember asking if there was a good chance I’d get work through the platform. The rep laughed and said, “Yes.”

A few weeks in, I understood that laugh.

Reedsy has an overwhelming demand for book covers and commercial projects. For every designer there are many more clients. In peak seasons, I was getting requests almost every day. I’m not exaggerating.

Reedsy transformed my portfolio and my pricing structure. Thanks to the income I earned through the platform, I was finally able not to take everything that came my way but be selective and choose only the projects that really interested me.

The commission process is simple: artists pretty much decide how to split payments, what to include in agreements, and the best part, the most beautiful and helpful feature of all, they can request and adjust deadlines. For someone like me who's terrible with deadlines, this feature was a lifesaver. The admins are also very kind and responsive, available via email or chat.

Unfortunately (this is my last 'unfortunately', I promise), my time on Reedsy came to an end for personal reasons. I’ll explain since it’s no secret.

All my images on Reedsy were watermarked with my signature (my full name), which apparently violated the platform’s rules. Why? Because if a client saw my last name, they could contact me directly and bypass Reedsy, which meant the platform lost potential fees. I’ll admit this did happen a few times, but I had the good sense to redirect the client back to Reedsy.

After three years, an admin finally noticed and asked me to remove my full name from the watermark and any text on my profile. It was a simple and reasonable request, but here’s where the problem started. Profiles on Reedsy are public, and images appear in search engines like Google Images, meaning anyone could download my work and use it without permission. Sure, watermarks can be removed, but uploading my work without one in the first place felt like a bad idea. Btw, not only do I use watermarks, but I also use Glaze to protect my illustrations before sharing them online.

Anyway, for this reason, and also because I couldn’t get over the fact that full names were public at the time, something I won’t get into because, believe me, I tried over email, and my reasons went into the void (now, last names are just initialised, like Gabrielle R. Okay. Sure.), I had to close my account–they would have done it anyway because it was already 'flagged'.

Overall, if you’re willing to overlook the last name conundrum, I can’t recommend Reedsy enough. If you have a killer, solid portfolio and a love for books and editorial projects, go for it!

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

I hope you'll find this useful! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask (: Oh, and here's an old article I wrote in 2020, titled:

Tips to freelance illustrators to avoid being screwed over

Who knows, maybe I'll write another 'article' post in four years!

Instagram  - ArtStation - Website - Inprnt - Etsy - TikTok

[devsgames]

Okay at this point I've seen so many students feeling doomed for taking a course where a teacher uses Unity or like they're wasting time learning the engine, and while understandably the situation at Unity sucks and is stressful for everyone: y'all need to stop thinking learning Unity a waste of your time.

Learning a game engine does not dictate your abilities as a dev, and the skills you learn in almost any engine are almost all transferrable skills when moving to other engines. Almost every new job you get in the games industry will use new tools, engines and systems no matter where you work, whether that be proprietary, enterprise or open-source. Skills you learn in any engine are going to be relevant even if the software is not - especially if you're learning development for the first time. Hell, even the act of learning a game engine is a transferrable skill.

It's sort of like saying it's a waste to learn Blender because people use 3DS Max, or why bother learning how to use a Mac when many people use Windows; it's all the same principals applied differently. The knowledge is still fundamental and applicable across tools.

Many engines use C-adjacent languages. Many engines use similar IDE interfaces. Many engines use Object Oriented Programming. Many engines have component-based architecture. Many objects handle data and modular prefabs and inheritence in a similar way. You are going to be learning skills that are applicable everywhere, and hiring managers worth their weight will be well aware of this.

The first digital game I made was made in Flash in 2009. I'm still using some principles I learned then. I used Unity for almost a decade and am now learning Godot and finding many similarities between the two. If my skills and knowledge are somehow still relevant then trust me: you are going to learn a lot of useful skills using Unity.

[cenorii]

RE headcanons again!

PART 2

This time I will add what animals I associate them with. Again I'll write a lot about some and just a little about others to supplement the last part.

Sherry Birkin

— It's hard to say what her favorite color is. She probably doesn't prefer any particular color, she likes dim palettes.

— I'm inclined to think that Sherry could have been Wesker's goddaughter. Birkins could have introduced him to her, and since Wesker has known William since childhood, he trusts him.

— She obviously attended NEST because Annette gave her a G-related pendant. Sherry probably had some instructions for emergency situations in which to use it, but kept it a secret. Chief Irons knew about the secret of the pendant, probably from William himself, because he was bribing Irons. And Wesker also knew about the pendant, it's in his first report.

— I recently rewatched all the clips of Sherry in re6 and noticed how reluctant she is to talk about Wesker every time the topic comes up. She never says anything bad about him, avoiding talking about him. I think that as a child, Wesker treated her well or seemed like a good person, but when she found out who he really was, she was deeply disappointed. She cherishes fond memories of this man, but keeps it a secret, because she will surely be convicted.

— Sherry calls Jake "Jake Wesker" instead of "Muller," even though she knows Wesker had nothing to do with his upbringing. Did she downplay the significance of Jake's mom? No, I would look at it this way. This is further proof that "Wesker" is not a negative word to her. She secretly treats him better than others treat him, so she called Jake by his last name with pride.

— In that moment when the runaway Jake and Sherry were changing clothes, they had a conflict. But I think Sherry was angry not only because Jake's words hurt the memory of her father, but also because they hurt the memory of Jake's father.

— Sherry was in government custody from 1998 to 2009. She was in custody mainly because of Wesker (file "A Deal with the United States" from re6). The government believed that Wesker needed a sample of the G-virus, but it was obvious that he had already gotten it through his own means. Perhaps this is a hint that there is some sort of connection between them after all. He could be her godfather who would want to return what was connected to him, or he wants to using her as research into how viruses are able to enter into symbiosis with humans. Sherry mattered to him in some way, and everyone knew it, including Sherry herself.

— I think she's in love with Jake, but because of little contact with other people and the outside world, is too shy to admit it.

— She has a deep respect for Chris and Claire, and considers the latter as close as if she were her second mother.

— The animal in which I see Sherry is a weasel.

Chris Redfield

— I think his eyes are gray. Gray eyes in real life can appear a different color depending on the lighting. In different photos with different lighting, they can turn brown, blue, even green. So I like to think that the confusion about Chris's eye color came about because of his gray eyes, which are just unlucky.

— For some reason, Chris doesn't like to show his young photos. Perhaps he is embarrassed by the fact that he used to be thinner and "weaker". Perhaps it makes him feel insecure. Or maybe he doesn't like his rebellious nature from the past.

— He's a golden retriever puppy.

Ada Wong

— Ada doesn't use perfume while she's on a mission so she doesn't reveal herself.

— She is black cat.

Wesker

— He hates ties. Maybe he was forced to wear them at some point.

— Wesker gives a fake name in non-serious situations like tailoring or meeting with the hairdresser so people won't be embarrassed or try to suck up to him. His name is more influential than himself, and it's a thing he doesn't like to abuse.

— Perhaps one day he wondered if he should have glasses with an interface.

— His totem animal is a possum. He's so good at playing dead.

— There is a stereotypical opinion of him based only on the outward image he builds for others. Few people delve into the lore or what is behind his fake "cool" image. So many people are susceptible to the halo effect, this is a cognitive bias where a person has a prejudice against someone based on their appearance or certain actions. People subject to this cognitive bias do not look at this person with a broad view, slipping into prejudice. This is why many are convinced that Wesker can't be bottom, and aggressively lash out at those who think otherwise. I, on the other hand, believe that Wesker is flexible in this regard, which is maximally not obvious. Wesker to me is "that" character from the teen shows, who builds himself up to be cool, but at night cries from loneliness or is very vulnerable. He's bottom, but that doesn't degrade his ego, it doesn't make him weak, because "bottom" he's only with those who "worthy" of him.

— Speaking of worthiness, I believe that Wesker is unwilling to use his powers all the time by thinking of other people as unworthy. Only Chris is worthy to stand up to that power.

— Wesker keeps Chris's dog tag.

Jill Valentine

— Jill's favorite color is sky blue, as it was the color she chose for her uniform in S.T.A.R.S. and continued to wear throughout her life. Every outfit Jill wore on any mission had shades of blue in it. It is definitely a color that she appreciates very much.

— Jill is definitely not the best cook, she can hardly cook anything better than scrambled eggs. She share this skill with Chris, who isn't very good in the kitchen either.

— Chris is her best and closest friend, her partner. They mean a lot to each other, but it's always platonic.

— Jill's orientation is bi. She probably liked Carlos, but I won't deny that there could have been a close dynamic between her and some woman too. Jill, like Chris, doesn't have much time for a personal life, so she didn't go into much detail about her preferences, nor did she have an love affair.

— She didn't like Wesker even before the betrayal. Maybe she realized before anyone else that there was something wrong with the guy, so she figured out his betrayal before Chris did, who resisted the information. She is perceptive and able to see through people.

— Her totem animal is a manul.

— In the days of S.T.A.R.S., she was the one who woke Chris, sleeping at his desk, just before Wesker or Chief Irons came in. She would cover her lazy (in those days) friend from trouble, getting the brightest and most genuine smile from him. Wesker knew of their machinations, but turned a blind eye to this childishness.

— She tries not to think of the time she spent under Wesker's control. Her dislike for him has only gotten stronger because of it. Of the horrible things about those years was not only violence, but also being with Wesker and Excella. Excella's flirting with Wesker was repulsive to Jill. She hated every moment of it.

— After 2009 her hair was permanently white, because of this she dyes it back to its original brown color so that nothing reminds her of those days.

[homestuckreplay]

This Video Game Ended The World. Now What???

Sburb (Skaianet Systems 2009) has capacities that go far beyond what a typical video game can accomplish – but it is still a video game, bounded by rules, mechanics, quests, non-player characters and programming decisions even while it is not bounded by a digital space. Asking what the end goal of Sburb is, what skills it is trying to teach its players, and what kind of person it is trying to turn them into could shed some light on not only the future of the story, but also what Homestuck is trying to say about video games’ role in the world more generally.

In his book The World Is Born From Zero (2022), video game scholar Cameron Kunzelman discusses his concept of ‘potential labor’ within science fiction video games – where a player takes on the role of a worker and performs the day-to-day specifics of their job in an economy that does not yet exist in the real world, but may exist in the future. He argues that when playing video games, ‘players are subjectivated by a process that encompasses them and demands that they interact with the game in a certain way lest they fail immediately,’ and in his case study for potential labor, VA-11 HALL-A (2016), that ‘[players] become subjects whose entire relationship to the world is determined by the interface we use and how it asks us to labor.’ I think that Sburb is demanding a similar kind of labor from its players, and that this framework is helpful for answering John Egbert’s question of ‘to what end?’

[a short one – only 2.2k words]

Metaphorically, Sburb is the Y2K problem. It’s the computer glitch that destabilizes the tenuous structure of the modern world we’ve built. In its main storyline, Sburb destroys planet Earth, which is ‘done for’ and cannot be saved. It transports the player to ‘The Medium,’ a space outside of time, and kidnaps and holds hostage residents of the player character’s house besides them. Within the Medium, forces of light defend endgame area Skaia and its ‘unlimited creative potential’ while forces of darkness attempt to destroy it. The player, along with their Kernelsprite, begins, influences and participates in a war between these forces. Doing so relies on the three core mechanics described next. The player is encouraged to ally with one of these forces, in John’s case the forces of light – however the forces of light are destined to lose, and the end state or win condition of the game is unknown.

Sburb has three core mechanics. These are 1) to deploy specific machines with the eventual purpose of learning ‘punch card alchemy’, a process that advances out-of-game captchalogue mechanics to create physical items from digital resources [server and client players both contribute to this process], 2) to build a house upwards (or potentially downwards) from limited resources and likely while obeying the general laws of physics in order to reach further game areas [server player is responsible for this process] and 3) to use the out of game skills of captchalogue decks and strife specibi to kill various enemies in order to obtain resources for the above processes and advance the player’s abilities and levels [client player is responsible for this process]. These three mechanics can be shorthanded as Alchemize, Build and Kill.

The genre of Sburb is highly debatable, as genres often are, but I believe it contains elements of both fantasy and science fiction. A player character entering a world unlike their own, filled with magical kingdoms and wars between good and evil, certainly reads as fantasy. However, a player character witnessing an apocalyptic event on Earth and using technology to escape the planet and to become one of a few representatives for their species, is more classically science fiction. Currently, I see the set dressing and surface message of Sburb’s story as closer to fantasy, while the deeper themes and questions the game asks are closer to science fiction. The game is currently essential to the future of humanity, or positions itself as such, and consequently is asking players to think about what that future might look like.

A huge unanswered question about Sburb is who designed the game, and why. While creators cannot directly control how a player will interact with their game or what type of person they will become from playing it, but they often have a goal in mind – an ideal player, and an ideal playthrough – that can be inferred from the game’s design. For example, original Dungeons & Dragons (1974) imagines a player who will solve conflict through violence and define their player character exclusively through numerically-based abilities. A player can instead use the game to roleplay as a medieval fantasy character, acting out how they might ‘realistically’ behave and respond to situations and placing their mechanical abilities within the framework of modern human psychology. This style of play is popular enough that it has been somewhat accounted for in later editions of the game, but does not exist in the original text.

So, who is this ideal Sburb player imagined by the unknown developer? Like in D&D, this player is somebody who overcomes problems and obstructions through violence and is rewarded with additional power and resources - a core mechanic of games throughout history, such as chess (1475), where a player can capture and remove the other player’s piece from the game board to secure an advantage for themself. This player is also someone who performs physical and material labor via a digital interface and purely mental exertion, which is already an increasingly important skill in the age of automation. Finally, this player is someone who has access to – in my interpretation of punch card alchemy, which hasn’t yet been explored in depth – technological power so advanced that it presents as magic.

Sburb's radical moves to change human existence mean that the 'potential labor' discussed above could become the real practice of labor in whatever is next for humanity after completing the game. In time, the Sburb player will probably be guided as to when and how to use these powers. But who benefits from giving people these capabilities? The game’s developers must either be extremely clever or extremely reckless, either placing strict restrictions on what players can accomplish with punch card alchemy and planning contingencies in case of cheat codes and bugs, or have failed to consider the possible consequences entirely.

Releasing this game is high risk, high reward. There is a chance that players will take the very real skills they have learned inside the game and use them to turn against the creators who are ultimately responsible for Earth’s destruction – but if the game works as intended, then its story of light vs dark, the role it places the player in with respect to these forces, and the ways it encourages players to use their alchemize, build and kill skills should shape the player into somebody who would not make that choice.

Another unanswered question is the nature of the Ultimate Riddle, the purpose that the player character is designed to fulfil in the game. I have two possible predictions as to both the nature of Sburb’s developers, and where the main storyline of Sburb will end. Both of these are based on movie posters found on John’s bedroom wall – existing works of science fiction that are known to have at least a small influence on Homestuck.

The first relates to Deep Impact (1998), and to the story of Noah’s Ark from Islamic, Jewish and Christian scripture. In these stories, an apocalyptic event destroys the majority of life on earth, except for a subset of humanity who are pre-selected by controlling forces due to their useful skills and/or strong moral character. These forces are then tasked with rebuilding the earth following the fallout of the apocalyptic event. In Deep Impact, the worst of the event is avoided at the last minute, but this is the situation being prepared for.

In this reading, Sburb may have been developed by a religious or political cult who are either playing God, or believe they are receiving messages from a higher power, intentionally causing a rapture-like event in order to reset humanity. Players are not pre-selected, instead, the game itself acts as a selection mechanism. The best video game players are believed to be the people who will most successfully rebuild the earth from scratch. These players will need building skills to create physical structures and civilizations, fighting skills to hunt for food and defend themselves from external threats, and alchemy skills (which likely draw upon the creative potential of Skaia) to create tools and machines, thereby developing faster than humanity did in its previous incarnation.

Here the Incipisphere functions as the ark itself – the thing protecting players from the conditions outside. Players stay here until they have completed the game and until the world has calmed from meteor impacts and is safe for humans once more. Due to the atemporaility of the Incipisphere, these two events will automatically sync, no matter the relative amount of time that they take. It’s possible that these things happen ‘years in the future, but not many,’ as the wasteland and Sburb technology in these sections of Homestuck suggest that these scenes could take place on Earth. It is also possible that the Wayward Vagabond has somehow escaped the game early, and arrived on Earth at a time before it is ready to rebuild.

The second prediction relates to Contact (1997), among other stories of alien and intergalactic societies. In this excellent movie, a scientist identifies transmissions that come from intelligent life elsewhere in the universe – a species which has identified humanity as ready for their first interstellar contact. Through decoding these transmissions, the scientist uncovers instructions for directly communicating with these aliens and advancing further towards entering intergalactic society.

In this reading, a species from beyond Earth, likely one who has already tapped into the creative potential of Skaia via their own technology, has provided humanity with the instructions for developing Sburb. The team of scientists and/or video game developers who decoded the instructions may not have known that the game would cause an apocalyptic event, but the aliens transmitting the message certainly did. By including the alchemy and digital building mechanics, this species has given humanity a way to speedrun technological advancement, at the cost of their species’ current home.

I highly doubt that this is a benevolent act, or a random act of violence. A species with access to the capabilities of Sburb wanting to annihilate Earth could do so without the complexity of the game. These aliens clearly want to maintain a small subset of human life, and are using the game to train humans to work for them, fulfilling the roles of builders and soldiers that must be necessary to their society, but that the aliens themselves either do not want to fill or do not have enough people to fill. The aliens have selected gamers as a culture to target, because many gamers are used to adapting to and working within the constraints of a set of rules and an ideological framework that they cannot challenge – a mindset that the aliens are expecting will transfer easily from video games into real life.

In either of these possible readings, the creators of Sburb are both selecting for and trying to constitute a specific type of human. Marketing the game to teenagers could also be part of this strategy, as designers may believe that younger, more impressionable players can be more easily molded to the human who alchemizes, builds and kills. Marketing the game in the United States could also be part of the strategy, as a late capitalist society which defines success through hard work already delivers the same values that Sburb hopes to reinforce.

If all this is true, then Homestuck depicts video games as a medium of limitless capability to reimagine the world, but one that can be easily exploited and used as a mechanism of control. Through John and Rose’s excitement about the game’s possibilities and through the power fantasies of alchemizing something from nothing, building an ideal home via simple button clicks, and overcoming problems through simple combat, Homestuck demonstrates an understanding of why technological advancement presents such a draw to humanity, and how dreams of an easier, more automated life let us get caught up in ideas of what technology makes possible. It is empathetic towards young people’s feelings of optimism and escapism surrounding video games, yet also highlights the dangers in this mindset.

Homestuck tells us that the direct and indirect effects of rapid technological progress can be severe, unpredictable, and lasting. It suggests that we should not deploy new technologies without first understanding what they are capable of and what they can and will be used for. It tells us that many of the forces governing futuristic technologies, such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence, are things we do not yet completely understand. And it reiterates that while there are plenty of people – or forces of light – who would take these technologies and attempt to use them to benefit humanity, there are at least as many forces of darkness who intend to destroy the creative potential of video games, taking their infinite and radical possibility and using them instead to produce soldiers and workers, indoctrinating them into the same values that our society already prizes.

[fruitiermetrostation]

Live winamp compact skin By puglialemon

[gothhabiba]

Israeli Agriculture. Development of a Resource in Service of an Ideology

Israel’s agricultural system is characterized by an intensive system of production employing the latest engineering techniques and biotechnology. It contributed 3% to GDP and employed 2% of the population in 2006. Agricultural output in 2008 was worth about $5.5 billion, of which 20 percent was exported (Statistical Abstract of Israel, 2008). Israel’s agricultural system has evolved in large measure due to political and historical factors that extend back beyond the establishment of the state of Israel. In Israel, endogenous drivers of agricultural policy, including religion, culture, socioeconomics and demographics, take on monumental importance. Foremost among these is the role of Zionism in shaping agricultural and water policy. Agriculture was integral to the realization of the Zionist project since its inception. The settlers were led by a pioneering spirit and a back to the earth ethos, which aimed to wed the people to the land. This agrarian vision had two branches – conquering the land through its transformation and redemption, and simultaneously the creation of a new Jewish man. «In exile, the story goes, the Jewish people have been separated from nature, forbidden to work the soil and forced to be urban. The Jewish people will go back to the land, and they will be rebuilt by the land. In their return Jews will again tend to the earth and draw strength from their renewed biological rootedness» (Schoenfeld, 2004: 6)[.]

The central goal of Zionism was to create a geographical Jewish presence in Israel/Palestine. Collective agricultural settlement of the land was seen as an integral part of this process due to its role in population dispersal, securing peripheral areas and nurturing a bond between the Jews and their homeland. The other important goal for agriculture was self-sufficiency, in light of Israel’s inability to trade with her neighbours. For these reasons, Israeli is one example of a country pursuing agriculture despite its unprofitability, not to mention the unsuitability of the ecological environment to the agricultural activity (Da’na, 2000: 419)[.] This can be most clearly evidenced through Israel’s policy of water development. As Lipchin remarks (2003: 69): «In a country with naturally scarce water resources it is astonishing to see that Israel’s water policy does not reflect this natural scarcity». For example, for a long time much of Israel’s land mass was used to grow cotton, a water and pesticide hungry plant, rather than food (Richter & Safi, 1997: 211).

[...] Zionist ideology [...] interfaces with agricultural policy in numerous other ways, contributing to the unique character of the Israeli agricultural system. These include: the establishment of collective farms, including kibbutzim and moshavim, to defend against attackers in the early years; large capital inflows from the Jewish Diaspora, the United States and German reparations, permitting modern technologies; a preference for expensive Hebrew labour, including prohibitions against Arab labour; and large subsidies to the agricultural sector of inputs such as water, due to their strategic importance in laying claim to the land. Along with the agrarian vision, the Jews brought with them a European modernizing initiative, which saw the need to redeem the landscape and shape it to the settlers´ will. This implied a series of sweeping changes in agricultural production methods and land use patterns, which would transform the country.

– 2009. Leah Temper, “Creating Facts on the Ground: Agriculture in Israel and Palestine (1882-2000),” Historia Agraria 48, pp. 75-110.

[aristidetwain]

Ring-Master

In 2007′s Last of the Time Lords, Russell T. Davies drew our attention to the Master’s distinctive signet ring, inset with silver Gallifreyan writing, which was plucked from his funeral pyre by the hand of a mysterious woman who, in 2009′s The End of Time, would turn out to be one of the ‘Disciples of Saxon’, a cult formed by the Master in expectation of his death with the aim of enacting a ritual to resurrect him, still in the same incarnation at that.

This was a pleasant twist, and a fun tip of the hat to the method of Count Dracula’s resurrection in multiple Hammer Dracula films. (This is only fitting: as per The Book of the War, the Time Lords adapted their powers of regeneration from the Yssgaroth’s…)

However, I think there are two startling facts about this plot point which have been just-as-startlingly under-discussed in canon-welding spaces. 

Follow me after the cut to find out the truth about the Rings of the Time Lords — or should I say the Time Lords of the Rings? (This was terrible and I do not apologise.)

Fact #1: This pays off a Chekhov’s gun going all the way back to An Unearthly Child.

Much as it is sometimes entertaining to ponder the days when Dr Who might have been a lone human scientist, there is also a distinctive corpus of early implications about The Doctor’s Mysterious People as a distinct and mysterious civilisation with dominion over space and time. It started with the Doctor himself, but was followed through with other characters implied to hail from that same civilisation: I speak of course of the Meddling Monk and the Toymaker (who, I note in passing, is not actually meant to be Celestial with a capital C).

What did the Monk have in common with the Doctor, besides a TARDIS?

A conspicuous ring.

As you can glimpse in the top left photograph, the Doctor’s ring was, to be exact, a sapphire ring. 

The Toymaker did not wear a ring in the TV story as broadcast — but he did use one in the novelisation, which brought back many elements that had to be cut from the TV version due to rushed production. There, he used it to manipulate the environment of his suspiciously TARDIS-like “Celestial Toyroom”. 

Not coincidentally, in The Web Planet, the Doctor’s ring was revealed to have the ability to interface with the Ship, with the Doctor gleefully declaring that “this is not merely a decorative object”, without elaboration.

The concept seems to have persisted past The War Games. Sure, the Time Lords seen therein lacked the ring — including Edward Brayshaw’s Renegade. And Roger Delgado’s subsequent regeneration of the character also lacked the ring when we first saw him in Terror of the Autons. And it’s rare that we get the chance to check thereafter, owing to the Master’s predilection for gloves. But by The Time Monster…

…he is wearing the very flat, green, gleaming ring to which RTD attached such significance in Last of the Time Lords and The End of Time.

The idea experienced a last, potentially-coincidental gasp with Kate O’Mara’s Rani, though she was similarly prone to glove-wearing.

But the point is: throughout the first half of Classics, all the interesting Time Lords had Large Conspicuous Rings. These Rings clearly did some things, but the full extent of their power and cultural significance was kept artfully obscured.

And this is what Davies is coming back to with Simm’s all-important ring. The Doctor recognises it on sight as “the Master’s Ring”, and knows what it does. He fascinatingly describes it as “part of him”, setting all kinds of biodata-related alarm bells ringing. Given that the Rings are also related to the bond between pilot and TARDIS, could they be some kind of locus of the Rassilon Imprimatur? The thrill is of course in the asking…

Fact #2: This may not be the first time it’s happened.

A shorter but equally interesting observation: 

the Master has possessed this same green ring at least since his Delgado days.

the Doctor instantly jumps from “his Ring survived” to “his disciples must be arranging a ritual to resurrect him in the same incarnation”. This is something he knows Rings do and is relatively casual about.

at many points during Classic Who the Master was seemingly killed off for good, only to show up intact because “I’m indestructible… the whole Universe knows that”. (Or, as Missy later put it, “death is for other people”.)

Am I the only one who thinks that somewhere in Davies’s brain, he may have conceived of this as the secret way the Master had survived at least some of those past exterminations? Sure, the Disciples of Saxon were something set up by ol’Harold (the clue’s in the name), but it would be child’s play for a Time Lord with a working TARDIS to set up convenient cults for himself on a dozen worlds, just to be on the safe side. 

I’mt thinking, particularly, of the Tremas Master’s annihilation on Sarn in my beloved Planet of Fire, which seems particularly conclusive. We see him burn away on-screen; it’s not as simple as saying he teleported to safety in the nick of time. Either time was rewritten, or he was resurrected by… means unknown.

And here’s the thing, despite his panic, the Master does seem to assume he’ll survive. What does he say to express it? 

Oh yes… “I’LL PLAGUE YOU TO THE END OF TIME FOR THIS!”

Full circle, eh what? (Yes, that’s a cheap one, but fun nonetheless.)

And on that note, look at the imagery! Of course, having gone down in a column of flame, he would be reconstituted in the same way. 

“I had people who were clever enough… to calculate the opposite.”

[schnaideranton]

[art-that-fucks-you-up-tournament]

SET ELEVEN FINAL - ROUND FOUR

"Two Earthlings" (2003/2009 - John Brosio) / "“Untitled” (Perfect Lovers)" (1991 - Félix González-Torres) and "The Lovers" (2001 - Sneha Solanki)

TWO EARTHLINGS: This painting makes me feel so very, very sad. I hope you will count it if its the TITLE that really gives the final effect. It being "two earthlings" feels like this wave of oh... oh both me and a dinosaur are earthlings. Despite the astronomical differences between us, despite the fact we have never met alive, we are Two Earthlings. Every once-or-currently living thing shares this earth with us. If this planet is truly the only place with life in the universe, we all share a home. (tangerinecat14)

"UNTITLED" (PERFECT LOVERS): I’m sure you’ve gotten his pieces already but GOD I love this one SO MUCH!! THE MOMENTO MORI OF IT ALL. (townesorsomething) THE LOVERS: asldkjaskldjaskldjaskldjaskljdlkasjfoawehfdsckhf HRNNGGGGGGGGG this piece of art makes me feel like i am one click away from imploding. it makes me think about how we use our words and how a relationship works. i think about the love poems and the slow corruption and i think about how these computers are hooked up to one another and they cannot escape. would they want to escape? are they in love? i don’t know. this piece fucks me up. (x-ca1iber)

("Two Earthlings" is an oil on canvas piece by John Brosio. It measures 48 x 48 in (122 x122 cm).

""Untitled" (Perfect Lovers)" is a piece by Félix González-Torres that has two versions, this is the second version that was made after González-Torres' lover, Ross Laycock, died. The two clocks are each 13 1/2 in (34.29 cm) diameter, and the piece is held by the Museum of Modern Art, although currently off display. "The Lovers" is a piece by British artist Sneha Solanki which consists of two networked machines, one infected with a virus, slowly infecting the other through the interface of classic romantic poetry.)

[doberbutts]

The real tragedy of lateral violence is we’re each other’s best advocates. Like I’m only mildly disabled but having to fight for basic accommodations has made me positively rabid about accessibility. Most people in my field don’t even use color blind safe palettes and meanwhile I’ve spent literal hours researching headings, alt text, ARIA tags, keyboard navigation, etc etc. Like I’m still learning to code and haven’t reached full WCAG compliance but at least I’m trying.

No that's it exactly.

It's only recently that my father has mobility needs- he's 70 so it was bound to happen eventually but he's also been deaf since he was 6. He can get in the door just fine but actually being able to use the services is another thing entirely. Then of course you add the intersection of him being a tall, broad black man with a big booming voice, no volume control, slurring and mispronouncing words, and unable/"unwilling" to follow commands and this goes from being inaccessible to outright hostile if he's mistaken for being drunk or high in public as a result of simply being deaf.

Now that he is getting older he also has had a double hip replacement and fell and broke the part of his pelvis that's still bone so he has a lot more trouble getting around. So take that description I just wrote and add "stumbling, halting, unnatural gait" and "sways in place when standing still".

We need to advocate for each other because at a moment's notice we can be in each other's shoes. We need to advocate for each other because for some of us this is life or death. We need to advocate for each other because we are always, always stronger together.

It's funny you should mention your field- I assume web/interface design/programming? That was my original career path before I switched tracks due to hating my clientele. Back in 2009 when I was still going to school for it, my professer was very strict about accessibility standards, requiring every single one of our projects to be up to the level suggested by W3C at the time. So in 2018 when the figurative whip was cracked and websites *had* to change, and all these companies whined and moaned about it, I had zero sympathy. Sorry but this had been suggested standard for nearly a decade so you can't say you didn't know your websites weren't accessible. There were even free engines you could run your source code through to make sure it would pass. Your website needs a complete overhaul and you're a company that's been around since at least 2009? Sounds like a you problem.