#its kind of awesome to see how much better ive gotten at character design since then

[precambrianhottopic]

been thinking about my thrae 1.0 characters meeting their 2.0 counterparts... heres littleheart and lucy (who is old enough to be her mother) being cute and silly :3

[liquidstar]

you are like. the ultimate guy maker. you have so many distinct OCs. also imn kind of obsessed with how you draw eyes specifically

WAAA OMG I JUST SAW THIS BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH 🥺 THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY TO HEAR... BC I LOVE MAKING OCS SO MUCH AND I TRY REALLLLYYY HARD TO MAKE THEM ALL DISTINCT W A BIG CAST SO. IT MEANS A LOT TO HEAR THAT IM DOING A DECENT JOB AT IT 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

AND ALSO THANK YOU ABT THE EYES. faces and facial features are something i do my best to make distinct and avoid same face syndrome.. there are aspects of it i still struggle with but i think ive gotten better! i think its mainly that my style is pretty simple so it can be hard to make certain things different without seeming out of place, but i try different stuff.... most recently w the eyes (eyelids specifically) i got a lot of help and input from my awesome good friend on different things to do to depict different shapes and types of eyelids which, which was honestly such a nice thing to do (and the friend in question will probably see this so hiiii <3)

but i also like to have fun with the eyeball lol. like drawing cool+weird shapes inside of the iris and stuff. and using two totally different colors for the iris and the "light reflection" inside it is really fun to me. i think it makes the character seem different... since i have a lot of little guys so i do my best to make them each stand out even if theyre just background characters. figuring out how to design all of them is FUN its just really cool to me and i like it a lot. and i think it helps me improve the more i do it too!

i simply think ocs are a lot of fun for a lot of different reasons, and i know i can get SOOO rambly abt stuff like this so ill stop myself here BUT before that i wanna say thank you again <3 stuff like this really motivates me to keep going with them! bc it means so much that there are ppl out there who notice them and care 🥹 thanks you <3

[dokidokikusoge]

TOp TeN GaMes of 2017 The Official Only List Forever I Can’t Believe I GOt Teleported To Another World As A PIece of ChiCken MEat

Hi.

It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it? Well it’s that time of the year again, which means I get to write out a list of ten video games that I thought were awesome in the year 2017. Despite being busy translating and editing video game text for work, I somehow found time to finish approximately 30x more games this year. In the name of research. Or something.

Boy oh boy has there been a whole lot of good games. Everything from massive AAA titles to tiny little indie darlings. Free experiments and expensive 150 hour adventures across time and space.

This is not an objective list, but it is 100% the absolute truth and all other lists are full of shit. Fuck those lists. Fuck my list. FUCK THE POPO.

Let’s rock.

For what it’s worth, there are a TON of other games I adored this year that didn’t end up making the list. Titles I’m still playing like Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey, or Fire Emblem Echoes (amazing localization). Just because they’re not on this list doesn’t mean they aren’t every bit as fun. This was a packed year.

10. Xenoblade Chronicles 2

I’m cheating.

I have not beaten Xenoblade Chronicles 2 yet. I’m 85 hours in and on chapter 7, but I have not beaten the game. I desperately wanted to include it on this list, and quite frankly, would have put it much closer to the bottom. It’s just that good. However, I figured it’d be unfair to do so considering I haven’t even come close to seeing the end credits.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is the best big budget PS2/Dreamcast JRPG that never saw the light of day until now.

That’s about the best compliment I can afford it.

9. Gravity Rush 2

So the original Gravity Rush was one of my favorite games the year it first released for the Vita. Despite the load times and some of the muddy visuals, I found Kat’s bizarre tale of gravity bending madness to be equal parts charming and dark. Coupled with the legendary Kohei Tanaka’s score, I couldn’t help but be dazzled by her ability to travel through the air like a rocket. I spent years waiting for a sequel that would wrap up her story. I’m glad I got one.

It has its issues (the quest design and some of the pacing), but Gravity Rush 2 is still mostly everything I wanted from the end of Kat’s story. Beautiful world design crossed with fun traversal, an amazing soundtrack, and a whimsical little cast of characters means that even almost a full year removed from its release, I still think back fondly on the game. 

See you around, Kat. Thanks for all the fish.

8. Resident Evil 7

It’s so good to have you back, babe. I missed the shit out of you.

I used to be one of the biggest Resident Evil fans this side of the east coast. I’ll never forget Christmas Day many years ago, when I opened up two boxes to find a Playstation console and a copy of Resident Evil 2 (and no memory card WHOOPS). But since then, things have taken a turn for the worse. I enjoyed Resident Evil 5 for what it was, but it was starting to feel like something else entirely.

And then Resident Evil 6 happened, and I couldn’t get more than a few hours in before getting angry. 

Yet somehow Capcom managed to win me back. Somehow Resident Evil 7 reminded me of what I used to love about the series. It certainly didn’t hurt that I played the entire thing in VR and loved every second of it.

Bring on RE8.

7. The Evil Within 2

And the award for most improved sequel goes to... The Evil Within 2. A wonderful surprise and return to form for producer Shinji Mikami and his team. If you like good survival horror, this will be your jam. Fixes every single issue with the original game, at least in my opinion.

Bethesda dropped the ball on marketing this game, but don’t let that stop you from experiencing one helluva time.

6. New DanganRonpa V3

The less said about this one the better. Try to go in blank if you can.

Some people aren’t fond of the direction this one takes. I don’t think it could have gone any other way. The perfect way to end this franchise, should this truly be the end.

5. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III

But Elliot, how is this game not higher on your list!?

The answer is actually simple. I’ve stopped really approaching each entry of the series as independent games. They’re just chapters in one larger saga. No single game is my favorite. The series as a whole is my favorite.

Cold Steel III cut me deep. The game takes the format of the original CS, improves on it, and then shakes things up to the point where you’re not even sure where you’re standing anymore. I can’t count how many times I screamed at fellow series fans, shook by what had just taken place. This series continues to blow my mind time and time again, and the wait for Cold Steel IV couldn’t possibly feel any longer than it does right now.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

I don’t like 3D Zelda games. Let’s just get that out there. I never liked Ocarina of Time. I never liked Majora’s Mask. I enjoyed Wind Waker the most out of the bunch (but still nowhere close to my love for the 2D games). I hated Twilight Princess and I had zero interest in Skyward Sword and its motion controls. 

I also don’t like open world games very much.

A 3D open world Zelda game? Well now you’re talking my language...?

Any other year and this would have been an easy number one. Too bad that 2017 is packed with killers.

I can’t wait to go back and play the DLC.

3. PUBG

Man, what a surprise. I haven’t been THIS into a realistic multiplayer shooter since my days of playing Call of Duty 4 endlessly during its beta test on the 360. 

To be honest, I’m not even sure if it’s the game I’m in love with so much as it’s the moments with friends I’ve gotten to experience within the game. I only ever play in team matches, but every single round is like some dumb action movie starring me and my pals, and even when things go poorly, they typically go poorly in the stupidest way humanly possible. I’ve played so many hours of PUBG that I’m scared to check the exact number.

I want to play this game with every single one of my friends. It’s that kind of experience.

2. Dragon Quest XI

I think the funniest thing about Dragon Quest XI’s place on this list is that in any other year, this shouldn’t have been close. That just goes to show you how absurd 2017 has been for video games.

The less said about the journey of DQXI the better. All I’ll say is that it is simultaneously the perfect jumping point for franchise newcomers while also being the most beautiful, glorious love letter to those who have been there since the beginning. This is quite possibly one of my favorite games of all time, and if you manage to make it to the true end without being at least a little bit moved, you might not have a soul.

You might be an android or something.

Wait a sec.

1. NieR: Automata

Was there ever any questioning this? What else is there to write about this game that people much smarter than me haven’t already? It’s oppressive, it’s suffocating, it’s joyous, it’s hopeful, it’s hopeless, it’s crushing, it’s tear-inducing, it’s a breath of air after emerging from deep within the water. NieR: Automata is a very special game, made by an extremely talented group of men and women who should have been recognized for their talents a long, long time ago.

Much time has passed since Drakengard, that bizarre and kind of terrible but fascinating PS2 game, first hit shelves and got dumped on. But now, finally, Yoko Taro and his close collaborators are finally getting the chance to step out into the light.

Thanks, 2017.

[thebestintoronto]

How to Spend Two Perfect Days in Toronto, Ontario

Toronto is among my top 5 favored cities worldwide. Yeah, seriously-- I enjoy Toronto! I have checked out Toronto two times, and also on both trips I just spent about two days in the city. 2 days is enough to fall for this Canadian city!

Toronto is not always a breathtaking city in the sense of conventional metropolitan elegance neither is it a city made for visitor attractions. What truly attracts attention about Toronto is that it is a city that has a solid local color as well as an apparent heart-- two top qualities that would certainly endear me to any type of city!

There are a few reasons I enjoy Toronto a lot are:

Variety: I enjoy that you can walk the city as well as see a lot of different types of individuals, restaurants, and also cultures all existing together. Toronto is well known for this variety and it really feels very concrete when you are traveling there.

Thriving Small Business: You can walk along one street, like Queen Road for example, as well as see shop after store after store, all seemingly doing quite well. There is such an imaginative and also unique array of organisations, as well as I like that there is a minimal company visibility in heart of Toronto.

Delicious Food: No surprise as to why I love this, however Toronto has a remarkable cooking scene. Although they aren't Michelin approved, they should be! There are absolutely some James Beard as well as Michelin quality places in the city, as well as fantastic food vehicles and also hole in the wall areas.

After raving concerning Toronto upon my return from my 2nd visit to Canada's largest city, I really felt influenced to create a 2 day overview to exploring all the best that Toronto has to supply. I hope this influences other folks to see Toronto and also spen 2 ideal days discover this incredible city.

Early Morning: St Lawrence Market & Distillery Area

Begin your first day in Toronto with some fantastic food choices in a historic building at St Lawrence Market. A perfect location to choose a small group of individuals with different tastes, this 208 years of age market attributes over 100 different neighborhood food, drink, and also handicraft manufacturers. Lots of them use samples and you can buy baked goods and also snacks to sustain your stroll! Please note that the market is closed on Mondays.

From the marketplace, walk through Parliament Square Park until you hit your following stop-- the Distillery Area. This tiny neighborhood southeast of downtown Toronto is likewise a historical area of the city with roots going back to 1832 when the Gooderham and Worts Distillery was founded right here. At the time, it was just one of the biggest distilleries on the planet, and also spanned throughout the 13 acre location. Today, you can still see the heritage buildings from the Victorian period with contemporary companies as well as restaurants constructed inside the brick city.

In the Distillery Area, you can easily spend a few hrs consuming as well as discovering! A few spots that I recommend looking into inside the area are Deciem, an irregular beauty firm that is all about self-love, City of Angels, an adorable bohemian design females's clothes and also boutique, and also Biltmore, a spacious vintage as well as brand-new furnishings shop with one-of-a-kind products to find.

Afternoon: Walk the Areas

For me, this is the most effective part of Toronto is all the neighborhoods. Like Chicago, it is a city of communities and the "downtown" location is clean and sterile compared to the vibrancy of the individual areas. Maybe I connect with this a lot since it resembles Chicago. The downtown is meh, while the areas really reveal the lifeline of the city.

Over the 5 days that I have spent in Toronto, I invested a bulk of those simply straying around in the neighborhoods of this city. I would generally have a few locations in mind, like a store or restaurant that I wanted to check out, which would lead my general direction but I left myself lots of time to find things along the way.

Use comfy shoes since you'll be doing a great deal of strolling on this part of your 2 days in Toronto. There are a number of awesome roads to enjoy that period numerous neighborhoods, yet I could suggest beginning with King Road West, Queen Street West, Dundas Street West or College Road West. All of these streets provide a flourishing neighborhood boutique and restaurant scenes with stops every few store fronts to explore! If you're trying to find more details recommendations, I did an entire different blog post regarding purchasing in Toronto!

Night: Food Adventures

Toronto is a city with a severe cravings. The food scene right here is prospering as well as if they were Michelin approved, I guarantee there would be several Michelin star eateries. The diversity of food alternatives here is astonishing as well as I pinned far more dining establishments on my customized Google Map than I might ever before have gotten to in 48 hours in Toronto.

Despite which sort of food you remain in the mood for, Toronto has it. Because there are many areas to discover, I advise "bourdaining" which is my term for trying one dish at a great deal different places in honor of Anthony Bourdain's style of eating. By doing this, you can attempt a couple of restaurants around the city without filling up too much. Toronto is a large city, yet I located that it isn't huge on appointments. There are locations that take reservations in advance, yet I discovered most of the time I simply walked in as well as place my name on a list. As such, it is probably clever to eat in a smaller sized group of 4 or much less individuals.

Early Morning: Graffiti Street and also Downtown

Never ever one to refuse a great road art scene, I would advise beginning your 2nd day in Toronto discovering the famed Graffiti Street in the facility of the city. Specifically as it appears, this alley that runs behind Queen Street West has lots of graffiti and also road art. It uses a vivid explosion of creative thinking from neighborhood and global road musicians. It changes every few months, so what you see on one browse through might be completely various the following time!

From graffiti alley, you can continue walking eastern to midtown Toronto. If you get parched on the stroll, stop in at Dineen Coffee Co or get hold of a bite to eat at the historical Queen Mother Cafe. In main Toronto, you can locate the 'grammable Toronto sign, municipal government, Cloud Gardens, and also Yonge-Dundas Square. If you have any hockey fans in your traveling group, the Hockey Hall of Fame is likewise located in midtown Toronto.

Mid-day: Kensington Market

Simply north of Chinatown in main Toronto is Kensington Market. This walkable bohemian community feels like a hipster territory in Toronto that attracts young artists and travelers to its indie stores, classic boutiques, and arts areas. Similar to the Distillery Area, this historical little location has gorgeous (and vibrant!) Victorian houses that make it a fantastic area to invest a couple of hours simply straying around.

My preferred part of this neighborhood was all the vintage shops! Cinderella Vintage, Nerve My Love and also SubRosa were all terrific places to dig for old treasures. There are plenty of other amazing shops to explore in this field as well, like Cocktail Shop where you can discover all kind of awesome glass wares, devices and also books for your next at-home cocktail party!

There are GREAT DEALS OF food stalls, international dining establishments and coffee shops to drop in as you walk. There are additionally some great eating places and wine bars if you're really feeling elegant! A couple of places of note are Blackbird Bakeshop wherefore might be Toronto's ideal bread, Otto's Doner for 'grammable German street food, Wanda's Castle in the air for a wonderful or tasty bite of pie and Grey Gardens for a stylish glass of white wine.

Evening: Sundown Sights & Mixed Drink Adventures

Prior to leaving Kensington Market, grab some products to make yourself a little sundown picnic. As a waterfront city, Toronto has some gorgeous sky line viewing places and no time is better to appreciate Toronto's cityscape than sunset. For the very best views of the sky line, head to either Trillium Park or Jennifer Kateryna Koval's'kyj Park on the east or west sides of the city. Or if you're more of a rooftop individual, have a look at the elegant Roof Bar at the Broadview Resort, SOCO's Roof or the trendy Ritz Bar for incredible skyline views with delicious alcoholic drinks.

After the sunlight decreases, it is time to delight in another incredible part of Toronto's cooking scene-- alcoholic drinks! Like many various other cities around North America, Toronto is experiencing a resurgence of regional distillers and mixologists collaborating to revitalize the art of cocktail production. Civil Liberties, a bespoke cocktail bar is a great location to start. The bartenders will ask you concerning your alcohol choices as well as taste profile, and after that make a customized drink to suit your taste!

The relaxing and vivid Rhum Edge is an additional excellent spot, where you can try slushies or icy exotic drinks. For something a little unique, head to the Lockhart, a Harry Potter themed bar that is cranking out some seriously excellent cocktails all influenced by characters or events from the books.

48 hours in Toronto is a terrific method to start discovering this city, however there are still a lot of neighborhoods I have not been to and so several restaurants I have not eaten at. With so much to supply and discover, I understand that I will be returning to Toronto again in the future.

The post “ How to Spend Two Perfect Days in Toronto, Ontario “ was appeared first on TRAVERSE by Megan Arz

Vitamin Therapy Toronto - The IV Lounge

[veervr-blog]

VeeR VR: Are VR Games Worth Buying Yet

If you were to ask a random person about Virtual Reality (VR), the first thought they’d have in mind is probably games. VR is particularly suited for gaming because of its power of immersion. In a way, no art can better utilize the potential of virtual reality than Gaming itself (yes, Gaming is an interactive art) – an experience that’s meant to be both immersive and interactive.

Looking at the greater picture, the whole VR gaming industry is, very much, at an early stage. We see loads of games on PSVR, OCULUS, and VIVE (hundreds, big or small). But as Ian Birnbaum from Motherboard put it over a year ago, “buying a new headset is a decision that should be justified by great content, which isn’t really here yet.” Frankly, most VR games are interesting developer experimentations… but errr (how do I put it elegantly)… disappointing consumer products. Sometimes, controls aren’t great, other times graphics are horrible, and worst case scenario, people just get bored from playing them after messing around for 20 minutes, thinking “well, that was enough of VR gaming.”

After investing hundreds of dollars on a VR headset, customers expect a completely new sort of experience made possible only by virtual reality. Plain and simple, but a hard measure to reach. It’s very promising, though – as of December 2017, we have many cases where the games have really stood out because of their VR capabilities.

Here, we break down (VR) games into six notable categories with selected examples. And I really mean to ask you guys this question –

Are VR headsets backed with enough interesting games to be worthy of purchase?

I think, from a pure game consumer point of view, these ‘categories’ are also important factors for game developers to consider in designing games. Often games combine elements from multiple categories. Since each factor brings a different experience to the table, what sort of mixed experience are you trying to create? and how should every detail (plot, character, visual, audio, control…) help to realize that?

I. High Sociability

If we assume VR gaming will become a common household activity, which likely will, games that are specifically targeted to fulfill a basic social need certainly has a market. Now, if you are thinking, “Oh! I’ve always liked getting on COD with my buddies,” then you are thinking wrong. There are games that are more fun to play with friends, like COD, but there are games considered fun only because it’s a social game (can you have fun playing King’s Cup, or Hide and Seek by yourself?… well if you still can, you should probably see a psychiatrist).

The main selling point of this kind of game, simply put, is to really just hang out with friends. The environment, character, and objective are there to support the “hanging out.”

Star Trek: Bridge Crew

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=romB8e5nMp8?start=82]

Apart from being a “Star Trek thing,” this game is all about sitting back with a circle of friends. You can follow the objective, sure, OR, why not just mess around and make each other laugh?

Werewolves Within

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxKy2lrGBBQ]

Werewolves Within is based on the old party game Mafia. Instead of meeting up physically, you can just “teleport” into a virtual world together and have a fun game night.

II. ‘Superhero’ Experience

By ‘superhero’ I really mean a badass main character in a reasonably engaging story. And in some cases, you are a known superhero, like the Batman. Superheroes sell as comic books, movies, TV series, and now, VR games. It not old because you can actually become a superhero in VR. It sounds like a simple concept but to make the experience realistic is a big challenge, especially with the locomotion options and control schemes currently available for VR.

Batman Arkham

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRfxn_WjDKE]

Batman Arkman has done a really good job in the details to bring the Batman experience to life – the visuals, sound effects, and just cool things you get to do as the man himself. Wait till you try it to make up your mind about this game because the trailer doesn’t quite deliver the awesomeness.

Another noteworthy game in this category is Arizona Sunshine, not exactly a “superhero,” but you do get to be a cowboy in a zombie apocalypse story.

III. Skill-Based/Competitive Gaming

Some games are better in VR because of the immersion it brings, others are better because a regular PC or console setup cannot achieve or utilize certain skills. Competitive games usually have a rank/stats system installed to help players motivate themselves to get better. PC/console games can try to be as realistic as they can, but certain actions simply can’t be done on those – checking what’s going on to your left but point the gun at an enemy on the right, and peeking around the corner, for instance. These are either natural or calibrated human actions in competitive situations. Sports games, too, fall into this category. When crosshair and line of sight controls are separated (sight by head movement, crosshair with controller), players can multi-task like never before. I genuinely believe that VR will come to establish a competitive gaming culture in the near future, like how CS: GO and League of Legends are to the PC world.

Eve Valkyrie

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdp-KW83a78]

In this live stream recording, notice how the player can check a certain direction before making a commitment to move. This movement is very much natural and it makes a big difference in action-packed competitive gaming. It’s a true test of player’s skills.

IV. Appeal To Exploration

We have seen plenty of games alike – from the good old Minecraft to massive productions like No Man’s Sky. These games speak to the audience because players get to be excited about the exploration itself. It is not for everyone, I suppose, since these games provide no apparent objective to ‘win’. In the case of VR, players get to be completely immersed in a new world – think ‘Oasis’ from Ready Player One.

Elite Dangerous

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaE16Ldpel4]

This game has been around for a few years, and the VR version has seen a lot of improvements. Comparatively, Elite Dangerous has quite a steep learning curving, inasmuch it throws some people off at a first try if easily discouraged by the ‘complexity’ of it all. But if you like space explorations, this game will not disappoint you after just putting in a little more patience. The graphics and sound effects are simply astonishing. And you have got a whole Universe to explore. Additionally, if you do not mind paying a little extra, HOTAS controller is most definitely worth the investment – it’s a controller that mimics the in-game spaceship controls. See a HOTAS demo here.

V. Horror

There are things you wish to never experience in real life, but the idea of having a try, in VR especially, can be appealing.  Horror game has been more or less a genre of its own since the start: 1) they are usually built for a one time experience, not worrying about replayability. 2) like theater, each moment, scene needs to be well-choreographed. 3) almost exclusively single player. 4) a good horror game employs various psychological trickeries rather than excessively use jump scares. VR can only help to amplify that horrifying experience.

Paranormal Activity

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsna1ChGt0E] As a big fan of P.T.(Silent Hills Playable Teaser) myself, a highly acclaimed horror game that has been canceled, I see many resemblances to P.T. in Paranormal Activity. P.T. is just a brilliant game with hardly any jump scare. With masterful plays of visual and audio effects, it overwhelms players with fears they’ve created in their own head, but not so much to the point you’d want to just quit. In a way, paranormal Activity feels very much like a VR upgrade of P.T.

VI. Experimental

Let’s scratch everything, and create an experience that’s not-of-this-ordinary-world, original, interesting, never seen before, and totally unique. In VR, developers can focus on creating a world based on their own ‘laws of physics.’

Stifled

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6FlnZGWk3M?start=225]

Stifled is a voice-controlled horror game. As the player, you are stranded in a bizarre world where everything’s seen through voice and echo. The intricacy lies in finding a balance between staying hidden from the enemy while having no idea of what’s around you, and taking the risk of attracting unwanted attention to have a better sense of your surroundings.

Are you tempted to buy a headset? I guess it’s your own decision in the end. I will say, however, if you haven’t gotten one, now wouldn’t be a bad time to start looking. Many new games are in development for 2018 release. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im_l8fIvwb4]

Interested in Promoting Your VR Game?

Games or movies, a VR/360° trailer is a powerful way to engage your audience:

The Conjuring 2

This was made to promote the home-entertainment release of Conjuring 2.

VeeR is a free global VR community where many companies have used for marketing/promotion, including Warner Bros. Pictures, Associated Press, CCP Games, LinkedIn, EuroNews, RussiaToday, CNBC, PintaStudios and etc.

originally from VeeR VR Blog: Are VR Games Worth Buying Yet