#it is still technically customizing merch

[rgbstatic]

it’s not the customizing merch thing i have planned <- that will also be a nightmare bc i have to line it and do zippers and i don’t have a sewing machine, hand stitching baby

i’ll dm u photos on discord

i am hand making clothing based on ghostbur 😭 it is 4 30 am

WHY R WE ALL AWAKE RN there’s something in the air

[maraschinotopped]

um. kibry ↑

[natasha-in-space]

Engagement rings headcanons

Was scrolling through the engagement rings with my friendo the other day, and they dared me to choose individual rings for everyone in mm, so here's the result of that silly dare. I know we technically already know about this from the 'mysterious confesson' merch we got, but this was still a very fun exercise to do. These are just my headcanons, and were made solely for fun, don't take my thoughts on this too seriously! :D

Yoosung

Would go with something classy and romantic, probably a bit of vintage, too. He wants your engagement ring to reflect his love for you, which may lead him to become antsy and indecisive when picking one. He doesn't want it to be too expensive, or too cheap. It has to be just right. Poor guy even sketches out a clumsy 'prototype' he shows to the employees, as it's hard to relay his vision across with just words. In the end, he ends up either getting either a classic diamond ring with an infinity band (he thinks it's sweet to include a small detail of your appreciation to each other lasting forever, however cheesy that may sound) or something a bit more vintage and intricate in style. I don't think he would have any preferences concerning the color of metal, so he might go with a mix of white and yellow metal.

Zen

Would definitely go over the top - the man's a true romantic, you can't tell me he hasn't dreamed of his wedding at least a couple of times! He appreciates everything you've done for him, and he wants this ring to show it. He wants this ring to be everything you've ever dreamed of and so much more. Might struggle with high expectations he sets up for himself, which results in him just stressing himself out instead of enjoying the process like he's supposed to. You might have to have a talk with him about that. As for the ring itself, I think he'll go with something pink and soft in color! There's just something that's is so sweet and light whenever he looks at rose gold engagement rings, it makes him instantly think about you. That's when he knows it's the one. After all, pink is the color of romance!

Jaehee

Would get something custom-made, but still pretty traditional. She wants something that would catch your attention, but won't be an inconvenience to wear. She wouldn't stress out too much, and you two would probably agree on a design together, instead of her surprising you with something. You are her partner, and she wants your rings to reflect that. A delicate and easy design is her go-to. But, if you want something eye-catching, that's okay too, as long as it's not a bother to wear. I think she would go with platinum options when it comes to color. It's simple but very pretty to look at. Kind of like you :) She would also like to add custom engravings to your rings. Something to look at and smile as she twirls the ring around her finger. Either a cheesy coordinated phrase (probably out of your favorite musical that you two always quote to each other), or a date of your cafe's opening, as it's the start of her new life that she has managed to achieve thanks to your support.

Jumin

Would get something fancy, but not over the top. He desires fir your ring to not be too simple, as you are worth more than that. Still, he focuses more on the spiritual meaning of the ring rather than its cost. Money's not an issue to him either way, and he knows that you don't care about how expensive this ring will be. Regardless, he wants only the best for you, as you rightfully deserve. Jumin would go for traditional classic designs, as he finds them the most flattering to look at. Might also like boho-styled engagement rings. When it comes to the process of picking one, he won't overthink it too much. He wants the ring to be perfect, no doubt, but he's pretty cool-headed with his search. Might ask Elizabeth to pick out the best design if he's conflicted. With her intricate collection of collars, he knows she has a good sense of elegance. Would probably go for yellow gold variety when it comes to color, as it's the most classy one in his eyes.

Saeyoung

Would go with something simplistic but unique. I am like 70% sure he would create your engagement rings and wedding bands by hand. It just sounds like something Saeyoung would do. Poor guy would probably be the most stressed of all the others. He wants it to be perfect so badly, but he's also indecisive as hell. See, he's mostly non-traditional when it comes to his tastes, but he also really likes the classic styles of rings, not to mention that the idea of a classic traditional wedding makes him feel all emotional on the inside. This issue would probably persist throughout your entire wedding planning, and not just the creation of your engagement rings: he just can't decide which side to take for the life of him. In the end, he'll probably find the middle ground thanks to your help and encouragement. He's gonna let out the biggest sigh of relief once those rings are finally done. And probably cry right after, as he has never thought he would hold anything as precious as an engagement ring meant for his soulmate in his own hands. Would go with white gold for color.

Jihyun

Would go for something custom-made and simple, but still a bit unique in its presentation. I don't think he has much preference when it comes to style, so he's fine with anything you pick. He doesn't want it to be too ostentatious or expensive, however. He strikes me as someone who prefers more modest designs, even if he'd like to sprinkle some custom design choices. It'll depend on your relationship with him, and what makes it unique for you. He wants your rings to reflect that, more than anything else. He wouldn't be anxious while working on the design itself, occasionally asking for your input, as he wants these rings to be the representation of your shared love, not just his own. He might go a bit overboard and come up with a borderline silly-looking design initially, so it'd be best for you to keep him from getting too creative. Can't fault the man for getting carried away. He would probably go for yellow metal, as it reminds him of the sun.

GE Saeran

Would go for something simple, romantic, and vintage-styled. Saeran doesn't know much about the intricacies that go into picking out an engagement ring, so I can imagine he'd get pretty overwhelmed the first time he tries to research the topic on his own. You'll probably end up picking it out together, patiently discussing important details between yourselves. He knows he doesn't want it to be too fancy or eye-catching, and he knows he wants the ring to remind him of your smile whenever he looks at it. His criteria is pretty easy but sweet nonetheless. It's less about the details and more about his inner feelings. He would probably go for a floral-themed ring if he comes across one that catches his eye, but it's not definitive. He would also go for a colored gemstone, mostly because he likes it better that way. He loves the color pink, as it reminds him of the feeling your gentle love, so he will have a preference for rose gold rings, not doubt.

SE Saeran

Would go for something both unique but elegant. Now, Saeran is definitely not picky when it comes to engagement rings. He kind of feels out of his depth here. Still, it is very important to ask for his input and offer for him to pick out some options he likes, even just on a whim. You two will take your time during this process, as there is no need to rush, and he will get overwhelmed from time to time. It's best to take it one small step at a time, not rushing into anything too quickly. He needs to be reminded that he has nothing to worry about, as all that truly matters is your bond with one another. Saeyoung will probably be the one to make your engagement rings for you, as well as your wedding bands. Partially to not stress Saeran too much with all the shopping, as jewelry stores tend to be too bright for the eyes. It'll be a pretty unique and somewhat edgy design but with a touch of soft colors in the mix. Kind of like him. 

Rika

Is the type to go over the top but, in reality, she would like something classic and simple. When she's in a good place both physically and mentally, she's very doting, and she's also a hopeless romantic. I'd say she's almost on par with Zen when it comes to her romantic fantasies, which is why she loves his musicals as much as she does. It can be a good thing, but it also makes her prone to perfectionism. She will pick out a very fancy ring that she thinks is good enough for someone as wonderful as you, but... she feels dissatisfied with the result, and that makes her anxious. Rika is a people pleaser, so she tends to make choices with someone else in mind, rather than trusting her own heart. You guys will have to talk about it. It's hard to understand what you like when you've lived your whole life masking as someone you're not. In the end, I think she would go for something simple and elegant, probably also combine the colors she associates with your love. Keep her in check, though, as we all know Rika's design skills are out of this world. 

Vanderwood

Weirdly enough? Despite their seemingly simplistic nature, I think they would go for something very unique and even a little odd-looking. Vanderwood is a pretty laid-back person, but all these casual vibes go out the window once it comes down to design. They are very picky with anything that they own in their closet, and engagement rings are on another level completely. They wear leopard print for a reason! I think they would end up getting something custom-made, as it's the easiest way not to stress out over the perfect design. They are not so much nervous as they are choosy. Still, they do have a major soft spot for you, so it's up to you to stir them in the right direction. They would like you to be very involved in the process of deciding on a perfect engagement ring. The end result will still be weird, though. But, the amount of weirdness will depend solely on you. Whether to embrace the weirdness, or to add just a touch of it - it is your choice to make.

[goldenpinof]

curious about your perspective – what do you think is the primary reason for the current comeback, and for the large scale of it (daily videos, new heavily marketed merch, etc)? are they trying to make up some monetary loss? is it true revitalized passion? the influence of the new management? lead-up to a major project/announcement? i'm guessing there's an element of at least the first three, but interested in your opinion as a noted non-cynical cynic (compliment btw)

under the cut because that's a lot. and it's not even all of my thoughts, unfortunately.

no one is gonna read it. but if you are, i'm sorry in advance.

ahaha. about merch. did you notice how they just continue to promote the calendar and the catboy sweater even though the initial release and promo had a deadline aka till December 1st? this is a fishy marketing right there. and i would love to know: why they did what they did (i'd assume they printed more calendars than people ordered by Dec 1st, but that's not our problem as customers. we shouldn't have been put into a framework in the 1st place if there was a chance for this shit to go south. this theory goes against the "pre-order" with a start of shipping in 2-3 weeks); why their managers allowed it (from a legal perspective); and why dnp didn't say anything. anyways.

i do think that Dan is trying to compensate for wad losses. and i know that he was "joking" about not making money or making negative money on tour. but i saw ticket sales a day before each show (only public information, not the inside official data from venues), it's still on my blog. and the sales didn't look good. so, how much of it was a joke? and compensating by making content that we and they enjoy isn't a bad thing, btw! i also think that he feels guilty for leaving us and the dnp brand behind for so long without actually giving us anything in return. thus so many comments on this 5-year hiatus and potential future ones. blame youtube originals, i know. not really his fault, but his choice of (the lack of) communication is his fault. and again, i always come back to wad. something fucking clicked in his head when he saw not as many people as he hoped for (or expected), how dedicated were some of those who still supported him during wad, and also he realised that without stronger managers he was not gonna make it solo. and he dragged Phil along because they do everything together and only then it works the best, and also dnpg's return in full force needed new energy for the amount of sponsorships they decided to do (i think, it's mainly Phil's pushing, because he is pro-sponsorships, they just need to be more careful with it on dnpg because Dan (hopefully) has principles when it comes to this. which is amazing. you go, girl!)

i'm very suspicious of dnp's new management right now. so idk. i think, again, most of it comes from Phil, because Phil thrives on their gaming channel, and that's basically the only easy way to survive on youtube and make money right now (for him). i'm glad dnp separated dnpg from their solo careers at least on the management and content levels. it gives Phil the room to use dnpg as a brand to pitch and fund his ideas/projects if it's ever needed. and now, after we survived the hiatus, they can pause dnpg for a couple of months to focus on their solo projects without losing the majority of the audience because technically we would know the reason and also we grew a thicker skin.

i do think that Dan is using dnpg to later help himself with a stand-up special or tour or some sort of series (danisnotokay). i also think he will use it to promote wad dvd (which is good. i will be disappointed if he doesn't use dnpg. like, bitch, why are we even here then? those who went through wad with him, i mean). i wonder if Inter Talent (i'm separating their name intentionally at his point because they piss me off) was smart enough to announce Dan and Phil's signings 2 weeks after UTA announced Dan to just make us pay attention to Dan's solo career again. as a hint of something coming our way. you know what i mean? i wonder if it was intentional. like UTA made a huge announcement, Dan retweeted it and posted it on instagram stories. it was a big deal. meanwhile, dnpg began thriving again and our eyes were on Dan anyway, so of course we noticed that solo career was on the maps again. Inter Talent was basically silent as another representative of Dan (and Phil), despite having them on the website for at least a month. and now 2 weeks after UTA's announcement (which was on November 22, 2023) Inter Talent was like, "hello? do you remember we signed Dan? and also Phil, and their joint channel?" Dan said wad dvd is almost cooked. wouldn't it be genius to stir our interest up step by step? (a part of me still thinks that Inter Talent's social media managers are just slow as fuck though. also they don't even care to check facts about their clients. UTA didn't fuck the announcement up like that, btw. and i doubt Inter Talent realises how nosy dnp's audience is, and that we are very likely gonna notice and spread even this stupid announcement. maybe they are dumb and it's me who is a fucking genius planning steps to present wad dvd to the masses, ugh. when will Dan pay me, like for real.)

i'm surprised you don't think it's heavily connected to new projects. i would bet my kidney it does. Dan will fuck off the moment he needs to focus on danisnotokay or someone offers to sponsor another tour (which, please, someone do. i need to see him for professional reasons). the question is, fuck off for how long and if it's gonna be communicated thoroughly or not. i'm not saying he will leave for 6 months without giving us something in return to balance things out. no, no, no. i don't think he would dare. but 3-4 weeks, maybe 2 months? sure.

is it true revitalized passion? well. *nervous laughter* i'm gonna defend Phil like i'm a phillie, even tho i'm not. he wanted it just as much as we did. so i believe it's a true revitalized passion at least on his part. i hope he fights for it if it's necessary, i hope he asks us for help if needed. i hope he threatens Dan with an actual divorce and forever home if needed. like, bitch, if there's a chance to keep dnpg alive without Dan actually losing his will to live, we should use that chance. Dan's stubbornness and delulus are not the reason to kill the most fun and profitable thing they ever created aka dnp brand. let it exist, even if alongside solo projects, even if it's 2-3 videos a month. damn, even 1 video (i don't mean during pauses made specifically for the peaks of solo projects). i do think Dan enjoys the attention, money, and possibilities their returned audience can give him. he also enjoys working with Phil. he certainly does not enjoy promoting their videos. and he is lucky he has Phil for that. is it a true passion for the gaming channel and joint branding solemnly? i genuinely don't think so. now, this dnp brand puts Dan into a framework, unfortunately. and i understand his desire to grow as a "strong independent Dan", and i wish him the best. i will root for him no matter how much of a floppy-ding-dong it can potentially be. i want him to fulfill his dreams and have a team that will fight for his interests. and i hope to god, UTA and Inter Talent are the ones. don't fucking tempt me with your unprofessionalism. but do i think Dan's head and heart belong to dnpg or dnp brand? no. i'm happy that he is at least trying. a part of me doesn't even care about the reason. i'm curious, but in hindsight, it wouldn't matter or change anything.

other thoughts, because apparently i decided to vomit on a keyboard tonight:

i'm glad dnp took back a bit of control over the editing on dnpg. i hope they will try to edit more themselves when gamingmas is over. or they will teach their editors better. because man, we need to slow down with these cuts.

i do think that dnp brand will expand, and dnpg and merch aren't the only things we should expect. (twitch, podcast or liveshows, onlyfans or its equivalent, vlogging series not limited by ditl, and other things that i forgot). reaction videos are already a thing and it's very funny because it's what youtube wants, so Dan must feel amazing right now falling for it :)) it's good thought because it's fun and torture for all parties involved.

i think by these reaction videos they are trying to rewrite their internet history a little bit for those who are new. it's not gonna work with us but at least dnp can control the narrative in new people's heads (i wonder for how long though).

with new people, the phandom will become more generic and dnp will love that. it can actually help Dan with new projects i think. Phil as well, but we don't know shit about it right now.

i wonder if Dan returns to working with charities.

if they involve more phannies, not only artists, it's gonna be interesting.

in case i'm wrong, don't step on my neck, i don't know anything for a fact. half of it is alleged, the other half is wishful thinking <3

[bishopony]

while we're on the subject of collections, here's all of mine! featuring ponies, the last unicorn, pokemon, and etc

these are my G4s and G3 favorites, all this stuff is crammed onto my one desk so it's not the most ideal for now lol. There are many more brushables but they just don't fit

right above those is my etc tier, mostly dragons and a couple Scar related things, adventure time, and LPS (more pending once I can find the rest)

the top tier featuring all my godzillas minus the 3 foot long giant one! in front with the chicken feather is 2014 goji, in the back with pinkie pie is 2019. you can also see Deet from dark crystal: age of resistance (highly recommend, it's on netflix but only has one season since it got cancelled in true netflix fashion), as well as my buddies Amelia and Rom from bloodborne, and the pyramid is a beetle my grandfather encased in resin back in the 80s for unknown reasons. on the wall to the left is a newspaper clipping of an ad for godzilla vs mothra from the 50s!

more ponies incoming, these are all my G1s, my changeling collection (still growing, I want an entire swarm), my mostly finished customs, and my Tabitha St. Germain corner to the right with Minty and Ditzy! In the back is the D&D/mlp collab figures. The sign on the wall I found at a thrift store and it says "horses gather here" lol

my last unicorn collection! this is the collection I'm most proud of, the displayed one to the right is a first edition I snagged for $70. The only editions I have left to collect are the super expensive deluxe/limited version (which just got harder thanks to Suntup releasing three VERY expensive special editions this year), but some of you will remember I did get super lucky earlier this year and unknowingly got a limited print, signed edition of the lost version for $3! so altogether I think the collection is worth around $1300

my pin collection! <3 some are in a display box and some are on my go bag so this isn't everything. the keychains are from my personal shop, a couple con badges I got in a merch trade (which I'm always open for if anyone's interested! I trade merch or art).

last one for now, this is the first page of my card collection! I'm not gonna show images of them all but these are the cool guys, I got these guys in a full 1996(? whenever the first printing was) japanese display box back when I was 15 for about $25, so that was quite the massive steal. These are technically leftovers, I've got all 3 starter evos and mewtwo in acrylic cases to display, and these guys are all double sleeved haha. I've got a lot of MTG cards as well but they're all in deck being used (if anyone else is into magic the gathering, do talk with me about it, I freaking love magic hahaha)

[hogwartslegacypics]

The Mystery of Ominis Gaunt’s Wand

I was going to make a post analyzing his wand just like I did for Sebastian, but I’m having difficulties because I have no idea which wand is actually his.

The 1st wand it could be is the black one. When you Google search “Ominis Gaunt wand” a black one will show up. It’s so accepted as fact that there are even independent sellers selling the wand and advertising it as Ominis’s wand. But I don’t know if it is because it’s also Rookwood’s wand, which is very strange because no other wand in the game is assigned to two different people (there are some similar ones, but the developers at least changed the colors), and after multiple playthroughs I’ve never seen Ominis with this wand even once. Rookwood however is seen with this wand in cutscenes. Is this wand Rookwood’s alone and somehow has been attributed to Ominis as well?

I’ve followed Ominis around and tried a few quests he’s in to see if he’d get this wand out but he never did. He only carries a dark brown wand around. There’s also only one single cutscene in the entire game (unless I’m missing something) where Ominis has a wand out, and it’s not the black one. It’s not even the dark brown wand he carries around. It’s a light brown one. He does seem to be holding this wand in merch, but Sebastian doesn’t even have his right wand in his merch so I don’t know how much stake we should be putting into it. I feel like the merch might be early renders (like they use for pictures of them in game), and maybe this was gonna be his wand but they changed it to Rookwood’s because they didn’t want to make a new one for him and realized Ominis isn’t even in any cutscenes with his wand (besides that one in Potions class we barely see it in). I have no idea, just speculating.

The second wand it could be is the light brown one I just mentioned that we see him holding in the cutscene. I think this one is the most likely it due to the fact it’s the only time we see him holding a wand in a cutscene. None of the characters carry their actual wands around the castle (I like to call it in “NPC mode”), they carry default wands. Same thing for combat. Characters only have their customized wands during cutscenes, so wouldn’t this one technically be his? Strangely enough though, Ominis does have his own “NPC mode” wand, whereas the other NPCs all have one of two (a black one or a light brown one). I’m guessing this is because Ominis’ walking animation is unique to his NPC. So when they were designing his animations they gave him a different NPC wand, like that specific wand is coded specifically for his “NPC mode” animations.

The third wand it could be is the one I mentioned in the previous paragraph, his “NPC mode” one. I don’t think this is the case though since, even though it’s only used once, he does have a wand assigned to him for cutscenes. If he didn’t have his wand out for any cutscenes though, then he’d be like the other NPCs who either don’t get their wand out in cutscenes or who aren’t in cutscenes at all, because he wouldn’t have an actual personal wand assigned to him, only the default “NPC mode” wand. But anyways even if this was the case, his “NPC mode” wand is still unique to him.

In conclusion, this is a clusterfuck. Ominis has multiple wands? Which wand do I analyze? I know the black one is most popularly accepted as his, but can someone tell me how I can get him to hold it in game? Why is that one so broadly considered his wand if he never even holds it? Am I missing something? Y’all please help me out lmfao

I guess I’ll just base my post off of how I interpret his character in regard to wand information, and not based on the actual wand itself since I don’t know which one to use.

[blackshadow2084]

Tumblr fam, I have news!!!!!!

Today marks the date I have my first any pp related merch!!!!!!( okay it’s technically not merch I got this custom made from a small insta store but still I just wanna be happier)

I got a phone charm and a photo card keychain of - oh wait imma let y’all guess (I know it’s too easy coz he is all I post)

So I have baby ginochan photo card keychain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And very sadly, in the delivery process one of the beads on the phonecharm broke 😭😭😭😭😭

Kinda sad about it but my happiness of having my first ginochan merch is much more yall so I am fine!! 🫶🫶✨✨✨

[kafus]

Ohoho its kinda strange but what is your favourite thing in your room?? Idk why but I always ask this question to people lol

no this question is awesome but i’m INCREDIBLY torn between a few different things so i’m gonna share like 3 things 😭 for the purpose of making this interesting i will not include plushies since i have a lot of those in here and that’s too easy of an answer

first off is this kaf/u keychain - technically it’s attached to my purse (my purse is also kaf themed btw lol) but i don’t leave my house that often and it’s usually in my room so i think it counts. it was a birthday present from someone extremely important to me - he made the art for it and had it custom printed and cut and everything! the kafu is specifically drawn to look like how i draw her (you can tell by the robot hands) and overall i am just extremely sentimental about this gift, it’s one of my favorite things i’ve ever received from anyone ever and has more meaning behind it than appears on the surface

following on the gift trend, my sibling got me this custom figurine YEARS ago - it’s handmade and it’s of an old pokesona of mine back when i was a more active pokemon furry. i don’t even use this guy as a sona anymore but it’s from my sibling and it was so thoughtful and it’s honestly just such a cool piece of art, like the style is super cool and it’s obviously unique to one of my characters and i just think that’s awesome

and lastly, right now it’s Still sitting in the envelope to keep it safe because i Still haven’t gotten a frame for it, but i have kaf’s signature in sharpie on this letter here - back when she graduated high school there was a whole virtual concert and celebration and you could pay a little extra on merch to get this signed by kaf (it’s a letter talking about graduating and thanking her fans and whatnot) and i just feel incredibly blessed to have been there for that and own this, i’m very sentimental about kaf in 2022

[danjaley]

Get to Know Me - Sims Style

Thanks for the tag @nocturnalazure

Tagging whoever would like to do this - I'm just home from work on a Sunday, so only light tasks for my brain please.

What’s your favorite Sims death?

I've never been the type who enjoyed killing off their Sims, so I haven't been very interested in the various death-types. Years ago I've seen someone reply to this question "the mummy curse, because of the darkening vision effect and the sandy death-animation and ghost". This inspired a generation of my gameplay legacy, but I manipulated it so the Sim turned into a mummy instead of dying.

Alpha CC or MaxisMatch?

Maxis match, especially for clothing. I like the clear silhouettes of MaxisMatch clothing and I think they work best with most animations.

Do you cheat your sims weight?

In gameplay I prefer to achieve weight-changes the natural way. In storytelling of course I make the characters the way I need them.

Do you move objects?

In storytelling always, in gameplay sometimes to decorate.

Favorite Mod?

The technically obvious answer is NRaas because the game is literally unplayble without them. I love how many gameplay mods are being released these days.

First Expansion/Game Pack/Stuff Pack?

For every Sims game I was a bit late to the party and waited until it came with a pets expansion. This and Seasons. The world is not complete without animals and seasons.

Do you pronounce live mode like aLIVE or LIVing?

As @nocturnalazure said, I understand it as "we're live now". It's called "Live-Modus" in German and in a German word that's the only way "live" is pronounced.

Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made?

I still think the cast of Of Chevalry are the best Sims I've ever made. I don't see characters' faces very clearly in my head, but these really turned out the way I hazily imagined them.

Have you made a simself?

It's my icon.

Which is your favorite EA hair color?

Is this a question for the Sims 2 or 4 players?

Favorite EA hair?

I like the braided updo from the basegame. I use a lot of EA hair actually, especially for male Sims.

Favorite life stage?

Depends. For babies, toddlers, and to some extend children, I wish there were more content and gameplay in the actual game. On the other hand, this makes it fun to make mods for them. Teens and elders I wish were more different from adults, and I wish the developers had gone the extra step and made all clothing available teen-to-elder, like in Sims 4. In my stories I try to show my characters' development in whatever age they currently are.

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay?

I'm not a very good builder. My best own buildings are square and simple.

Are you a CC creator?

I dare say.

Do you have any Simblr friends or a Sim Squad?

I feel really old when I think of all my mutuals who are no longer active. Around 2015 there were so many historical and storytelling Sims 3 simmers! Sometimes I think of their stories and how they might have continued...

Do you have any sims merch?

Until last year there was a cardboard plumbob hanging next to our family-computer. But we finally realized every family member has their own computer now, so we removed that office corner.

Do you have a YouTube for sims?

I do, but it only has a handful of three-second screen-captures from my game. At one point tumblr's video upload didn't work, so I linked them from youtube.

How has your “Sims style” changed throughout your years of playing?

It changed a lot. I always played a historic game, but I was much more eclecticist in the beginning. Of course also new cc came out, and I started using lighting mods and later poses. And I switched from gameplay to storytelling.

What’s your origin id?

danjaley

Who’s your favorite CC creator?

There are many, but the first Sims creator and blogger I discovered was @aroundthesims . Sandy inspired me to start my own Simblr, and what would I do without her custom content?

How long have you had simblr?

Nine years this March.

How do you edit your pictures?

In Photoshop CS2. It used to be Elements but that is no longer working.

What expansion/ gamepack is your favorite?

See above.

[cloudmancy]

I’ve honestly been thinking about how to reconcile actually seeing problems with CR content policy and all that stuff with those people being close friends and collaborators with people from D20.

( Especially that I do consider myself the CR fan, I like watch the streams which feels a bit hypocrytical but I giess I could have worse hyperfixations lol; to clarify I am also a D20 fan and been before even I have started watching CR)

Obviously I am of the opinion that glamourizing and putting creators and artists of any content we like is dangerous (and seeing them as our allies or friends in some capacity) - and we as fans don’t really know those people and shouldn’t base our moral judgement as ours.

But like I still wonder, how do people like Brennan think of CR and their policy, especially considering Brennan frequently praised Matt not just as a creator but as a person

I am curious on your thoughts, not trying to start any discourse here, just thinking

great questions! I want to start off by saying that I really don't care to speculate what brennan's opinion on the policies are: firstly because I don't parasocialize people like that, and secondly because he would not be in charge of any content policies for dimension 20 even if he felt some sort of way about it. I think if you want to reconcile liking CR while having issues its content policy, we need to look at what the issues are first.

as much as I've dunked on CR's content policy, it is nothing unusual for shows to want to protect their own IP. the terms of copyright in there are pretty standard for any form of media (even if I think it's pretty ironic that critical role is itself derivative of another franchise). the only reason dimension 20 doesn't have anything similar is because they're not at the point where it's profitable for people to sell knockoff merch or make knockoff mobile games using their characters yet. I think you need to prepare yourself for dimension 20 eventually reaching that level of success too.

dimension 20 from the start has and always WILL market itself much more as a product than critical role. it explicitly is one of the few things that kept dropout going through the bankruptcy of collegehumor as a parent company, it treats its audience like paying customers and respects audience feedback accordingly, and that's fine! I like that about it! it means that we get sensitivity consultants and production value, because we are customers paying for a product and there are now standards on how that product is delivered.

so yes, I do think dimension 20 will, at some point, implement their own content policy. they already have copyright over their works and properties, even if it's not stated anywhere on site. I have asked about the validity of fanworks before, and gotten this as a response:

For copyright protection reasons we are obligated to protect our IP in instances where we see it being monetized / exploited (the legal meaning) by non-official sources, and sanctioning monetized fanworks in an official sense could create a situation where our copyright becomes compromised on a legal level (without that sanctioning being a long legalese-ful document filled with caveats).

so we're at the same place that critical role fans were five years ago - it's not technically sanctioned, but dimension 20 has been turning a blind eye and even supporting some of the charity endeavours that involve the use of their IP. what remains to be seen is what happens when D20 eventually does put a content policy of their own in place, and which types of fan content will be restricted.

my issue with critical role's content policy is and always will be how they choose to reinforce it, and the way CR itself still markets itself as a small game between friends and refuses to acknowledge how corporate it has become. they may not be explicitly allowed in their policy, but imo they should only come into play when there's actual scammers using copyrighted logos or copyrighted images to sell products.

a content policy for CR was inevitable. there will be one in the future for dimension 20 too. but there is no reason that CR should have been striking down charity projects and fanzine productions, from members of their own community and official artists no less. I can only hope dimension 20 will not go down the same route in the future.

[askpinkietai]

Hey, peeps! You might've noticed it was my birthday a couple days ago! Today is when we actually went out to celebrate that. One reason for which is that my sister, who lives out of state, was also vacationing with her family at this time. She and they are staying at the new Cartoon Network Hotel, and since Cartoon Network and its programming are something near and dear to my heart (much like my sister), I decided to document a few bits of it that I could~

Now, if you've seen the Defunctland episode on the Nick Hotel, this is pretty similar to that in concept. (And if you haven't seen it, it's worth a watch!) Though technically this one is in reverse: It was a freestanding motel and building that got refurbished to add the Cartoon Network branding, while the Nick Hotel eventually un-branded and de-furbished down into a generic hotel. Still, kind of a ful place to stay! Here's the front entrance, with a cool Finn and Jake sculpture outside, along with the iconic CN logo~

Here's a couple of freebie items they had available. The main motel rooms are a separate building, with the exception of the main luxury suites, which are upstairs in the main building. Even with just a cartoony layout rather than an actual map, this is roughly how the main building was laid out. I also picked up that business card because Finn was on it~

Big lobby with blocky furniture, including that exact couch with the one stripey seat. To the left is the elevator that goes up to the second level, which has a big video display that shows various characters getting on and off the elevator. Past that is a We Bare Bears themed cafe, while all the way to the back (not depicted) is a larger cafeteria. On the right there's the store, which has some merch available (but not much). The Toon Room is basically a wide hallway with big artwork of various shows, and to the back right is a small Ben 10 themed arcade with some basic games and claw machines.

Places like this, though, it's all about the theming!

Outside the cafe, there's some framed art pieces from various shows. Naturally, I had to take a couple pics of those~

Here's the cafe's signage, as well as a couple of the retro-style games they had in here instead of the more modern ones they had in the Ben 10 area. I have a friend who'd really appreciate these, so I had to get a pic. On the left is Frogger, then a Pac-Man thing, and lastly a Scooby-Doo pinball table. You can also see some of the wall art that appears throughout the building.

There's the store. (There were some customers inside, so I didn't get any interior shots.) Mostly it's a lot of shirts and hats with various character logos (none in my size, either), some water bottles, magnets, and other stuff with the Cartoon Network Hotel logo, some plushies (mostly picked clean by the time I got there), and a smattering of Funko Pops. It was a little disappointing. They don't even have any DVDs or books from their various franchises for sale, which I think is a huge missed opportunity.

I also got a shot of one of the walls in the Toon Room, which I think is where the meet-and-greets happen as well. Since this was about the only Gumball thing I saw, I had to give it the respect it was due.

It is a luxury hotel, though, so there's a pool! There's two pools, in fact, an outdoor and an indoor one. Similar to the statuary out front, the kidie pool also has some cool sculptures of the Powerpuff Girls (in their 2016 reboot designs, but we'll forgive that). I couldn't not get a pic of them~

Lastly, this is an art piece inside my sister's actual room. Each room is themed for a different show, and naturally she went for an Adventure Time room. The rooms are pretty small, but each one has a twin bed for adults and a set of bunk beds for the kids. The bunk beds each even have their own TVs mounted at the ends, to facilitate more cartoon-watching. Pretty nice setup!

Now we're at the end! So here's the main complaint I have. Obviously, as someone who just turned 38, I may be out of the target demographic for this particular resort. But still! I think the hotel theming is great. Everything's in bold colours with a lot of character artwork. And naturally, they're going to want to promote their most popular franchises! Makes sense! The suites (both the luxury suites and the smaller ones) are all themed around either Adventure Time, Powerpuff GIrls 2016, Ben 10 (the reboot version), and Steven Universe. We Bare Bears also gets some rep here and there.

Like, this might shock you (and possibly relieve you), but there is scarcely anything related to Teen Titans Go (other than wall art, there was a single Robin plush left in the store). Craig of the Creek is basically represented just through that map I showed earlier. Summer Camp Island has a VR game. OK KO, Mao Mao, and Gumball basically just appear on the wall art. Gumball, Darwin, Jake, and Ben 10 are the only costumed walk-around characters I was able to confirm exist (they basically told my niece she probably wouldn't get to meet the Powerpuff Girls).

And that's about it! It's very specifically the most popular stuff from the last decade or so. Which, again, given the demographic, makes sense. I just think they coulda put in for the nostalgia crowd as well. At least, like, a big timeline showing some of the older stuff. Some art of Dexter's Lab or Johnny Bravo somewhere. The Toon Room also does screenings of cartoons and movie nights and stuff, and my sister reported they showed the 2002 Powerpuff Girls movie the previous night. So maybe there is some hope! I just didn't see anything. If they sold some DVDs of their shows or even, like, just a sticker pack of OK KO characters, I woulda been all over that~

[kohiandie]

Hiya! I’m not really sure where to look for this info (sources I’ve found conflict with each other), and I’ve bought keychains from your Etsy store before so you may know? Are artists allowed to sell fan merch on Etsy, or is that some kind of copyright issue? How are you doing it? I’m a beginner artist and I eventually want to open my own shop but I’m a bit intimidated lol

soooo, it's a bit of a loaded question, haha. we have a lot of experience with etsy, their copyright system, customer service, etc.

technically, etsy does not allow the sell of any kind of intellectual property that belongs to someone else. before, they used to mostly just ding on listings that had trademark names in the titles, but now, a lot of the copyright strikers are going through and looking at listing photos, at the actual content of what people are selling.

so -- it leaves a lot of artists kind of in a complicated spot.

when it comes to the copyright strikers, i can give you (some) good news from actually communicating with some of them, including 'remove your media', which was one of the biggest copyright strikers for anime merch in particular. (art & merch for books has been totally fine on our end!)

remove your media is no longer working on etsy to strike down most anime merch. that's franchises like berserk, nge, jojo, & more that are basically free to sell their merch now. that being said, we are aware they are still working with viz media -- they've striked down our one piece stuff, for example.

about a year ago, we had a huuuuge mishap with etsy shutting down our main shop. they gave us several copyright strikes and we actually went ahead and contacted the copyright striker (remove your media) to resolve it. the guy was actually super, super nice & said that because they're mostly targetting bootleg / dropshipping shops & because he really loved our cause (ie. the rescue), that he would let us continue to sell our work, even if it was technically copyrighted. companies like his own are basically hired by funimation, viz, crunchyroll, etc. to strike down copyrighted / trademarked material across the internet -- etsy, amazon, & more.

so, he contacted etsy directly and got all our strikes removed, got all our listings put back up. we gave him all our listing numbers and he whitelisted them with his company.

it was a super, super kind thing of him to do but! periodically, a strike would still happen, we would email him, he would get it put back up. even with this system in place, though, etsy went ahead and still shut down our shop. :- ) it was a whooooooooole horrible mess. most of our income at the time was coming from etsy because they have SUCH a good marketplace. one thing i will give etsy that is so integral to growth: they get your art & products out there.

unfortunately, that was as much as the copyright guy could do for us and we just basically kept fighting etsy for about a year, until they finally decided to give us our shop back because it was apparently shut down "accidentally".

this is the mess that is etsy:

i think i'll always recommend them for getting your name & art out there, but it's particularly hard for people making merch from existing franchises right now, so tread very carefully! if you get one strike, take down all your trademarked merch ASAP so you don't get multiple & don't get shut down on a whim by etsy.

etsy is mostly functioning on ai. they don't have many real people working behind their customer service or even the bots that shut down people's stores, so every day, tons of people get their stores shut down completely for no fault of their's, trademarked merch or not.

SO ESSENTIALLY: while etsy is a fantastic base for growth & actually making some income off your art, i absolutely recommend investing in other ways to make it as well. make your own shop front / website via squarespace or shopify or bigcartel to have on the side with all the same products. send business cards in all your packages with your socials & main site. DO NOT COUNT ON ETSY or RELY on them for your main source of income, because they are totally unstable and it could really bite you in the ass (like it did us) at some point.

i really hope that didn't make your thoughts worse LOL i know you mentioned being intimidated but alas, artists really do have it rough OTL we're all just out here trying to get our work seen.

ps. i have receipts & proof of communication but for the sake of not wanting to get anyone in trouble that wanted to do something nice for us, i'm not going to be naming anyone / posting them here!

[e1ectrostatic]

30 Day Fictionkind Challenge Day 20

Q: How do you express your fictotype? Clothes, merch, cosplay, maybe even name?

A: A few ways! I'm going for the completionist route. Mostly in name, but I express it through clothes (and... possibly merch?) too :]. I also express it in ways not listed in the question, including but not limited to art, music, and video games.

Name is... kinda obvious. My most preferred name is Luca, and that's the one I go by primarily, especially online. As far as I'm concerned, Luca Bal/sa is my full name. Feel free to treat it as such. I have other names and nicknames I go by both on and offline, but Luca is the one I'm happiest to be called. I'd prefer not to be called Prisoner, though. lmao

It's a bit more complicated with regards to my wardrobe. I use my clothes to express myself, and I'm me, so I guess by extension I'm technically expressing my kintype? I guess the thing is, I don't dress myself in this life like a 19th century nobleman. It's a great style, but I don't have the means or particularly strong urge to do so right now. And I guess this goes without saying but I don't dress myself in old timey prison garb either.

One thing I think is funny though is that I do dress myself like how I'm commonly drawn by fanartists in modern AUs. My taste in fashion also often aligns with how I'm portrayed in official art that puts me in more modern clothes. I like to wear chokers, chains, straps, and stripes, which seems to be the common consensus of what I'd wear in modern times anyway. I don't go out of my way to dress like my fictotype or closet cosplay, though. I mostly just wear what I want because I think it's cool. I'd like to go steampunk someday, too 🫶.

On the topic of cosplay though, I don't do anything like that right now, but would like to. Perhaps someday I'll put together my own cosplay. I think that'd be nice.

Merch... I'm honestly not sure if this counts. The only merch I have for my source is a little Eli plush. I can't recall what our relationship was in my canon (if any), but I love the little thing so much and pretty much anything related to my source makes me feel at home, so I'll count it anyway. I'd like to get more merch sometime, especially if I ever see any fanmade stuff at cons.

Art is one of the most effective tools I have for expressing my fictotype. I already mentioned it in a previous question, but I'd like to elaborate here. My favorite way of expressing myself is through drawing or writing out my noemata. I consider it less of an "external" way to express myself and more internal or insular, especially if I decide not to share what I make.

Whether it's actual concrete memories I have, how I remember the people around me to have looked like, or just making something to express fictotype-related feelings, it always feels satisfying to get out of my head and on paper. I also often make art of my source unrelated to my noemata, but it feels nice anyway. Even if something I draw or write didn't actually happen in my canon, I still consider it self-expression because it feels like building my source from the ground up, in my vision.

Music is a very internal way for me to express my fictotype, but it's my favorite method (with art being a close second, of course). Like I said in my post about what shifts are like, music can be a very powerful callback to my canon. Sometimes it just feels nice to be in my head and express myself to myself rather than be concerned about what I'm showing to other people. If I feel inclined, music can inspire me to express myself outwardly (through making art or just talking about my thoughts), but oftentimes I just keep to myself and let my mind wander.

Video games are a very fun way to express my fictotype, particularly with games that have character customization and/or various playstyles. RPGs are my favorite for this. I love to recreate myself in the character customization to the best of my ability, and then go with a playstyle that would best suit me. Admittedly, it can be a hit or miss. Some games are right on the money while others...not so much. The latter still has its own silver lining, though — it's fun to improvise and work with what I have, plus oftentimes the results are funny as hell. I have amassed several clearance section Luca Bal/sa player characters over several games.

Those are all my methods of self expression that I can think of off the top of my head. As usual, if I think of anything else, I'll come back to the topic. Take care :]

[lilithpleasant]

some sims questions!!!!

tagged by @pooklet ty!!

What’s your favorite Sims death?

oh gosh, okay, tbh, in general idk if i have a favorite, i do like a classic death by old age just because it makes me feel accomplished, lol, but specifically i think it'd have to be the time forrest bonnet died of cardiac explosion the literal second i hit play once i finished building his house 😂

Alpha CC/Semi-realism or Maxis Match?

idk why but i am definitely more maxis match for ts4 and semi-realistic for ts2? it just feels RIGHT to me

Do you cheat your sims weight?

only for my story sims, in the spirit of keeping things semi-consistent between chapters, because i swear sim stede gains weight faster than any sim i've ever played, and sim ed often ends up TOO BUFF from all of his energized swimming 😂 other than that, i do not, i just let them do their own thing. i dont really use too many custom body shapes for ts2, but definitely coming back to it after playing with the diversity in ts4 has been a bit jarring, but also custom body shapes are a lot of work so. idk what the solution is!

Do you move objects?

is this a real question?

Favorite Mod?

HMMMMMMMMMM! i'd say ACR, the shiftable everything mod, and for ts4 of course ye olde wickedwhims 🤭

First Expansion/Game Pack/Stuff Pack?

idk whatever the first sims 1 ep was??? i think? my friend had it and we played it at her house in 4th grade (well, she played, i watched because she wouldnt let me actually play it, lol) and then my parents bought it for me that easter and ive been hooked ever since 😂

Do you pronounce live mode like aLIVE or LIVing?

living!!!!!!!!!! absolutely mindfuck to realize that some ppl DONT pronounce it that way 😂

Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made?

ed and stede in ts4, altho i didn't TECHNICALLY make their bases, but i have done sooooo much to them and i am so attached they are like my children

prob val in ts2, lol, i am big on fandom sims i guess!!!!

Have you made a simself?

yeah!!!!! in ts2 and 4!

Which is your favorite EA hair color?

uhhhhh, like, for ts4? probably a pink, ofc, lol. natural colors??? idk no preference!

Favorite EA hair?

this is so specific idk i mostly use custom hairs tbh

Favorite life stage?

young adult/adult in ts4 and adult in ts2 for sure

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay?

oh both! i love gameplay but i also have to have it very aesthetically pleasing, if it's not fun for me to look at im not interested

Are you a CC creator?

yeeeeeee @ailuromancys

Do you have any Simblr friends or a Sim Squad?

@angelapleasant @dirk-dreamer @simper-fi are all sim friends who i have formed lasting irl friendships with 🥰 altho i am soooo bad at keeping in touch with ppl anymore and i feel so bad abt that, they are still my favorites

@pooklet is top tier as well!!! 😊

@emperorofthedark i know it's been ages but you also!!!!!!!

Do you have any sims merch?

...no?

Do you have a YouTube for sims?

oh my god, no. the way i alternate between normal speed and triple speed should be outlawed, i cannot imagine it would be any fun to watch AT ALL

How has your “Sims style” changed throughout your years of playing?

i think mostly i've gotten better at taking and editing pics? gos was pretty much my introduction to sims cc (with the exception of some sailor moon skins/heads i had for ts1 that my dad had to help me install 😂) so that had a HUGE influence on my style that i never really strayed from. i think i toned it down a bit in ts4, but at my core, i am still very neon/grunge oriented

Who’s your favorite CC creator?

@pooklet @skulldilocks currantpotpie @angelapleasant @dirk-dreamer @leaf-storm @simmer-until-tender do you see a theme here?

How long have you had Simblr?

2010 i think! holy shit.

How do you edit your pictures?

for tumblr i crop them to 800x500, use the honeycomb psd (with a vibrance layer added) and then use pooklet's sharpening action

What expansion/gamepack is your favorite?

HMMMMMMM. this is a tough one. possibly seasons for ts2? ts4 i cannot even say, because there are so fucking many lmfao it's disgusting 😂

taggin whoever wants to do this!!!!

[violetvelourr]

Tough life of a Kakashi goodies collector under sanctions. Part 1

My sad (but I’m still hoping for a happy end) Kakashi goodies parcel story 🥲

You don’t need to bother reading it, I am writing more for my own memory, because even as I wrote this I realised that I got the beginning of the story wrong because I’d managed to forget some of the details (which I did remember after I laid everything down here).

So, some of you might be aware, I come from an evil country that Must Not Be Named is currently at odds with a large chunk of the world… I am not going to debate who is right and who is wrong, though I definitely don’t support the war and in a way I humbly accept the corresponding punishment, though it’s still a bit sad since I never personally held any hate for anyone: I’m just trying to live my simple life, enjoy this world, be a decent person and mind my own business... but we have what we have, I guess...  

So anyways, last year, at the end of February, when it all collapsed, I remember I just made my final purchase on eBay – the next day the bank cards were cut off from the rest of the world and eBay cut us off as well (“this item does not ship to your country”). And that final item was Ninja Storm Kakashi action figure, insanely expensive and insanely gorgeous and desired by me...

I nearly had a fit while reading the news updates. Not to mention the general devastation at the absurdity of the situation… it all seemed surreal… 

I was almost certain I would not be getting my parcel and would end up losing my money: payment systems shut (no way to refund), deliveries halted, eBay no longer available. 

But, to my surprise, the parcel did arrive (probably because the seller was in China). And that was basically the beginning and the end of my Kakashi collection back then. I held on long enough convincing myself that I did not care enough for Kakashi to buy merch (bought perhaps 3 small items or so and was totally content with that), but I gave up around January-February 2022, so it was supposed to be the start of my crazy ‘serious’ collector career, haha.

To be honest, I was even relieved when we were banned everywhere – if I still had the same level of access to international purchases, I think I would have gone broke pretty fast, because if I get into something... I become almost uncontrollable. And since I’d basically just got into collecting Kakashi items... So yeah, those sanctions and limitations came in handy, I admit.

I did order minor things from AliExpress, still works with us, but they either sell mostly counterfeit trash, or really overpriced original stuff – so it was nothing really serious (*she said glancing back at her Kakashi collection which is still 60% from AliExpress*).

Anyways, I was sitting happily with my hands tied, my money almost safe, but then I was stupid enough to finally accept a commission request from a foreign customer for the first time since the war began.

I need to mention that alongside with our bank cards being cut off from the rest of the world, our PayPal accounts were also suspended. Well, mine is technically still alive, but I’m pretty sure that I cannot link any new card to it, or, if I can (I have a Kazakhstani card now), the account will be suspended immediately, so I’m not even going to test that. 

Plus, I heard that it is also illegal in my country to have transactions via PayPal now (similar way as it is illegal to even mention Instagram...). 

So this made it a bit tricky accepting payments from foreign clients. And in the last year I had to refuse quite a number of times because of that, I got overwhelmed every time I thought of having to deal with it... I don’t do art for a living, so I didn’t really bother too much about that and considered my mental health more important (it’s a bit challenging constantly struggling because you are basically an outcast). 

But this time for some reason (perhaps I finally got over it – it has almost been a year) I didn’t refuse and decided to test a couple of options. First one was getting paid via a platform similar to Patreon which worked in my country. It did work, but the % the platform charged for the transaction was insane. 

And then I had the second option… A gift card on eBay. 

And this was where I made the mistake…

I was thinking that I had it all covered because I met a girl who was about to move back from the USA. I had selected 3 items on eBay that were so tiny that this girl had no problems at all bringing them back with her.

What I did not expect was that in order to use a USA gift card, I had to be localized in the USA. When I tried creating a US eBay account, I was instantly banned and after trying to object the decision I was specifically told that the decision was final and any attempts to create more accounts would result in them getting suspended as well. I tried checking out as a guest using VPN with a US IP, but eBay still figured it out somehow, and I was not allowed to finalize the payment and check out...

So yeah, I ended up having a $75 eBay gift card (and I still have it, haha) and a strong desire to get the items I laid my eyes upon. I was fixated on getting them... And actually as time went by (while I tried to find ways to hack the system), my appetite grew and soon what was initially 3 small items became 9 items.

And so, at that point I felt already too shy to ask my friend for help with buying them for me, because not only I needed her help with the purchase, but also she’d have to receive 9 parcels, unpack them, etc... and… uh... um... see how crazy I am with my Kakashi fever 🙈 Not to mention that she was moving back after 3 years abroad and probably every cm / gram mattered…

So I started looking into other delivery possibilities...

Part 2 is here…

[hornygamesonmain]

Quickie: A Love Hotel Story

It would be easy to take a look at Quickie: A Love Hotel Story and file it away as a pretty, sexy, hotel/dating sim that's just good for some anime-style smut, which, for the record, it definitely delivers. What I wasn't expecting was an emotionally engaging story with well developed characters and mature storytelling, all built around a surprisingly fun and easy strategy mini-game.

Steam Release: December 2021 Developer: Oppai Games Playable On: Steam, with an additional Patreon Release Rated: M 🌶🌶🌶 - explicit animated sex scenes, mature themes, etc. A management sim in the style of Fallout: Shelter, you build and expand your sex-hotel empire trying to get as many customers as possible through the door, all while making sure they have everything they need to fulfill their many and varied sexual whims. From there you take their money and funnel it into more sex hotels across Tokyo, buying gifts for your girlfriends, who you can then take to your new and expanded sex hotels. The cycle of capitalism continues!

When you're not learning everything there is to know about the hospitality industry, you're going to college (like, once or twice, technically), and hanging out with various friends, acquaintances, and inappropriate hook ups all around Tokyo, playing games and getting to know each one so that they'll have sex with and/or fall in love with you.

Quickie manages to include a variety of different stories to scratch a variety of different itches, each character having their own unique backgrounds and desires. If you're not into hot professor stories, great not a problem. If you're a fan of friends-to-lovers and want to stay in that lane, you've got a couple of options. And of course, there's plenty of smut, including a handful of non-cannon scenes available through the love hotel, just in case you weren't finding exactly what you were looking for.

The game is definitely still in Alpha, with a bunch of content still unfinished and the occasional weird bug, but overall I left super excited to check back in a year and see how much progress has been added.

Final Score: 15/10 Robot Vacuums

Bonus: Oppai Games has some super adorable merch? I'll be honest, I've never been more tempted to rock a sex-game studio's adorable pink hoodie. There's also a cute Satomi body pillow if you're into that, but I'm holding out for my girl Aria. <3