#no seriously why is this game's multiplayer so hard

[deckof-dragons]

Youtube just recommended that Dota 2, AFK in the Base song and ooh, it brings me back. Both because I haven't heard it in ages but also because it reminds me of my Dota 2 days. Which has me thinking about getting back into Dota 2 again.

I think about it every so often. It's a good game and I had a lot of fun with it. ... I also had a lot of not fun with it too though for various reasons, mostly the people. In large part because of them in order to get a good game, one would have to play several not great to full on bad games. Each one lasting an hour or more (which includes the queue time and hero pick phase but still a long time). And if I went back now, I'd have to relearn a lot of stuff because it's probably changed quite a bit. While relearning stuff people would be extra toxic to me because that's how team games are (being nice is apparently very hard). So it's probably not worth it to go back but ugh... I do think about it sometimes and miss the good parts of the game. :(

[minus-plus-zer0]

The Bakusquad Gaming Group - Ch. 1 - Introduction

| Masterlist | The Bakusquad Gaming Group Masterlist | | Next | ♡ Genre: Fluff, little crack ♡ Pairing: Gamer!Bakugou x Gamer!Reader ♡ Tags: Crossover (MHA x multiple franchises), gaming AU, Quirkless AU, aged up ♡ Summary: You're a pink and girly Let's Player who recently rose to fame. Eventually, your brand grows enough to attract the attention of the (in)famous Bakusquad. Their leader, Bakugou Katsuki, has especially taken a liking to you. This story follows your daily lives together as part of the Bakusquad.

You made waves in the gaming community as an up and coming Let's Player. Your pink and cutesy aesthetic could only be matched by the cozy games you played, with the occasional Dark Souls and DOOM Eternal mixed in.

Your following grew over time but you needed to network to continue your brand growth. Although your channel currently rode high on your DOOM Eternal Let's Plays, you noticed that a popular gaming group called the "Bakusquad" made themselves known by playing Animal Crossing, and you wanted in.

You actually recognized their leader, Bakugou Katsuki (aka his username "Dynamight"), as somebody who attended your old university. But you two never interacted and you never saw him in-person. He wasn't the type of guy who would collaborate with anyone, and even his own group had a hard time getting a hold of him. This could be his and your chance to break further into the multiplayer scene.

But how would you contact him? Emailing him felt too formal for a guy who regularly shirked formalities, and he blocked whoever slid into his DM's, plus he wasn't exactly friendly in-person on the off-chance you ever got to see him face-to-face.

But after watching some of his videos, you knew the best way to get his attention was through force.

You publicly challenged him on social media to a 1v1 fight in an old fighting game that you secretly knew the ins and outs of. You purposefully chose this one since it didn't look like anything you, a girly gamer, would be interested in. You tagged him and then you called upon your followers to get his attention, but it didn't take long before he was sliding into your DMs, mad as all hell.

"What the fuck was that?" was his first text. "You seriously challenging me?"

You didn't reply. You just screenshotted his DM, posted it onto social media, and tagged him again.

Your only words in your post were, "I'm dead serious. <3"

"Oh it is on." That was Bakugou's last DM to you.

Even though it wasn't his idea, Bakugou personally led the organization of the event from here on out. He shot you multiple curt texts of the time of the event, the rules, and instructions on the technical aspects of getting you both into an online call. He even gave you his phone number so that you could communicate faster. Now that caught you off-guard.

While you rested in the privacy of your own bedroom, you dialed his number. You felt the intense urge to tease him for even giving you his contact info. Before he could get a word in, you were already on his ass.

"Do you give everybody your phone number?" you asked.

"Huh? What, hell no! This is an important event as part of both our channels so I had to--"

"You sound so much stuffier in real life, oh my gosh."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING FLUFFY?"

"...I said stuffy, Bakugou."

"WHATEVER OKAY! That's not the freaking point! I just wanted to make sure your online connection was good enough for this old as fuck game. Why did you pick this shit anyways?!"

You could just imagine him in his house, getting all angry over a phone call. You found it highly amusing, mainly because you knew it wasn't that serious.

"It's a childhood favorite of mine," you pouted, crossing your legs on the bed. "It's very near and dear to my heart. You don't like it?"

He sighed. "If you're so fucking dead set on it, then I'm not exactly gonna back down now, am I? I just wanted to make sure this all works perfectly."

"It'll be fiiiiine, Bakugou." You hugged a video game plushie from your bed real tight. "Gee, I didn't realize you cared so much."

"It's my job! Of course I give a shit. I'll make sure this event doesn't flop 'cause of this damn fossil of a game."

"It's not gonna flop!"

Then day of the event came soon, and both of your fanbases were pretty hyped. The game itself wasn't the only interesting part. No, people were more interested in your clashing personalities.

Since you arrived on the gaming scene, people had jokingly made edits comparing your content to what "Dynamight" had to offer. Your brands were like night and day in difference. They knew from your first post tagging Bakugou that your ensuing interactions were going to be... intriguing, to say the least.

The stream started, with two of the Bakusquad members Kaminari Denki (aka "Chargebolt") and Jirou Kyoka (aka "Earphone Jack") helping with the technical side of things, as well as moderation of your chats. Kaminari oversaw Bakugou's chat, while Jirou oversaw yours. Needless to say, this caused numerous arguments between Bakugou and Kaminari. At least you and Jirou got along well enough despite your difference in aesthetics and Jirou's frustrations with the technical issues.

The first match would be starting soon. For the first three rounds, your arena would be a barren field with a galaxy backdrop. Bakugou specifically chose the plainest arena to best show off your skills and nothing else. You and Bakugou were on an online call together, streamed live to both of your audiences.

"You fucking ready for this, princess?" he asked.

"Only if you're ready for me, prince."

You saw Bakugou smirk wider at your comment through his rarely used onscreen camera. It made you feel in some way you couldn't describe.

Your character was a real firecracker on the field, despite their delicate and sweet-looking appearance. You caught Bakugou's fire-based barbarian character off-guard several times, punishing him every time he thought he could attack you recklessly.

Bakugou let out a stream of expletives, with many new swear words being created on the spot. He caught you laughing and he said, "Don't laugh at me, dammit! I'm not fucking done!"

He attacked viciously but he also learned not to throw his character around willy-nilly. Still, he wasn't a match for you and he couldn't get enough hits in before you threw him off the stage entirely. He tried to leap back up to grab the stage's ledge, but you spiked him straight down. His character died from falling offscreen.

Both your fanbases were going nuts at Bakugou's amateur playstyle. This was the first time he'd been taken off-guard in a fighting game. And it was worse knowing that you were beating him down like a professional MMA fighter beats down a sickly old grandpa on his deathbed. Bakugou was beyond livid, but instead of his earlier rampant boisterous rage, he was now silent and focused and seething.

"Somebody's a little pissed," you crooned into your microphone, your hands gripping your controller as you awaited his character to respawn. "Oh come on, Bakugou, it's not that serious..."

"You won't be saying that when I beat you," he said.

The second round was much worse for you. Bakugou grew much more defensive, and your offensive game was not nearly good enough to avoid retaliatory punishment from his character. You kicked him, he countered you and punched back, sending you flying off the stage to the point where you couldn't leap high enough to reach the arena. Your character fell to their death, somewhere into the beautiful galaxy backdrop.

Bakugou shot a stupidly handsome self-satisfied grin at his camera, and you knew for a fact that it was meant for you.

You sent him a well-trained, super sweet pageant smile that told him, "You are so fucking dead I swear to fucking god once I am done here your character will regret the day he was ever fucking born." Hopefully he got the message.

This was your last round of your first match, and there was no chance in hell you were going to throw the fight away that easily. You glanced at Bakugou's screen to gauge his reaction but he was glancing away from his game, and you wondered if he was looking at you.

The final round started and your characters traded blows like old archnemeses. Your character dashed quick as lightning, but you couldn't get any clean hits on Bakugou's character at all. Bakugou's character hit way, way harder and you struggled to remain on stage every time he sent you flying.

You had to admit, you were impressed. He was literally beating you at your own game. Still, you had dealt enough damage to his character little-by-little that you could tell he was getting nervous.

His barbarian character punched yours so hard he sent you flying, again. You were floating back towards the stage while he awaited you at the ledge.

"Almost fucking done here," he said, his voice almost a growl.

"You gotta tone down that ego of yours," you said, with a smile.

His character swiped at yours but you countered hard, your pink magic shooting him right backwards. Then, your character grabbed him, threw him over the ledge, and kicked him straight into the offscreen abyss.

You shrieked and cheered, bursting into a little happy dance. The chat was going wild seeing Dynamight perform poorly in a fighting game, for the first time. You looked at Bakugou's screen and he wasn't even mad. His back was slumped against his chair and his hand stroked his face, obscuring his true expression. But he was staring at your character's victory animation onscreen very seriously, like he couldn't believe it.

"Holy crap!" Kaminari's voice chimed into the call. "What a match! That's a great way to introduce yourself to someone! I can't believe you two have never collaborated before, we really gotta do this again sometimes because I have never, and I mean never, seen somebody kick Bakugou's ass like that."

"Shut it, Dunce Face."

"Aw come on! The night's still young! How about we play a few more rounds?"

Your eyes flickered to Bakugou's screen, then to your camera. "One more round, Bakugou?"

Bakugou exhaled through his nose. Then, he addressed his camera, his face morphing into a deadly smirk.

"This stream isn't ending until I beat you."

The stream didn't end for hours.

Bakugou had basically challenged you on your home turf, which was the biggest mistake of his life. You won most of the matches, and although Bakugou did win some, he could only go home happy if he won all of them. And as an unofficial referee, Kaminari would only consider it Bakugou's win if Bakugou won at least a majority of the matches, but Bakugou couldn't manage that either.

You had so much fun that night. You not only fought Bakugou but you also occasionally let Jirou and Kaminari get in on the matches. Other Bakusquad members also poked their head into the streams and joined in at certain points. Even though you had never met these people before, it felt like you were already fast friends.

You already felt incredibly comfortable around Bakugou, maybe even more so than the others. Once the stream ended, the rest of the Bakusquad congratulated you on the good stream but said their quick goodbyes as it was getting late. However, Bakugou stayed up and switched you two to a facetime video call through your computers.

Your heart raced upon seeing him but your face didn't give away any fear. This was very sudden, but you didn't mind witnessing what Bakugou was like in private. A strange feeling bubbled up within you. Meanwhile, Bakugou slumped back in his chair, his head propped up by one fist as he took your appearance in.

"So?" you said, looking playful and coy. "Guess it's not that bad of a game after all. Your viewers were higher with me around."

"Don't get cocky," he said. "Yours were higher than I've ever seen on your channel too."

"My channel?" You spun lightly left and right on your gaming chair. "I didn't realize you were a fan."

Bakugou lips turned up somewhat. "It's obvious that I'd fucking watch your videos before I collaborated with you. Duh. But... I've actually been watching your shit for a while now."

You knew that anybody who gamed with you would likely watch your content, so this wasn't surprising. But for some reason, hearing Bakugou say it put you on the spot, unlike how you indifferent you felt with past gaming partners. Bakugou could've watched any of your videos, even the cringy anime dating sims you played two weeks ago. At least you never played anything inappropriate on your channel...

"So you are a fan," you said, cheekily.

"So fucking what." He looked so irritated by your comment, but you only found his pissy face to be cute. "Yes, I'm a fucking fan. I've been a fan since you fucking started. Happy?"

"Wait, really?" You stopped spinning in your gaming chair. He looked like he regretted saying those words. "Oh my gosh, I would've never guessed if you hadn't told me! Do you put on my videos just to hear my voice? Do you buy all my merch? Do you want some of my gamer girl bath water--"

"Will you stop that?!" His face was a furious shade of red. You wanted to screenshot it so bad but he'd catch you red-handed. "I just said I'm a fucking fan, I didn't say I was delusional."

"You didn't need to," you said with a smile. You pointed at his face on the screen. "It's written all over."

"WHAT?!"

You burst into laughter. He could only stare dumbfounded at his monitor. He grumbled about how you were oh so impossible to deal with, but that didn't wipe the smile off your face.

"Really though, I'm glad..." you said, as your giggles faded away. "I'm always grateful for my fans, Bakubestie."

"Oh you've got nicknames for me now?"

"You're the one that called me 'princess'."

"You don't need to comment on everything I do, alright?" His face was burning brighter again. "Enough about me and all my supposed funny flaws you wanna point out. I wanna talk about you. You a fan of me or what?"

He tried to look cool while saying that. But by the way he leaned on his desk, closer to your screen, you could tell he was really interested in your answer. You backed away from your desk a bit, because his close presence embarrassed you.

"Of course I'm a fan," you said. "Who wouldn't be a fan of 'Dynamight'?"

His face cracked a handsome and cocky grin. "'Course you are." His voice possibly lowered an octave when saying that. "Since you're such a big fan of me, and I'm such a big fan of you, how about we partner up more often?"

He looked confident, but you could see his heart beating fast through his tight shirt.

That made you more confident in turn.

"Yes please, Dynamight."

[gear-project]

Annon-Guy: Feel free to disagree with me, but I feel StrIVe isn't exactly fair to single player content and I need to rant here

The CURSED Difficulty Scale system in Arcade Mode along with purposely unfair cheating bosses. I can respect you liking it, but I don't like forced difficulties in fighting games.

Limited World Dollars in Single Player. Beat arcade mode once with Sol: rewarded. Beat Arcade twice with Sol: NOTHING. Chump change for each win in Survival Mode.

Gallery unlocks stuck to a random number generator (Fishing) alongside unless Avatar junk instead of making them seperate items like with the funitrual and Digital Figure Content.

Really now... it feels like Team Red doesn't care much about Single Player Content and wants to FORCE them to play Online to make World Dollars or to have fun, which is not good in my opinion. I get this is meant to be played with friends and for a time, I did enjoy online, but only because I wasn't eating dirt EVERY single time, getting punched into the corner with no breathing room until I got to the guys who love to make me eat dirt. Granted, when I do play online once in a blue moon, I don't always run into them, but it's not pleasant, especially when they guage my skills in the first round before turning me into pulp in the next round.

I'm not a casual player, but I'm no professional player either. While BBTAG lacked single player content, it says something when I had MORE enjoyment with it than StrIVe! At least Team Blue doesn't force people to play online to do stuff.

I still like StrIVe though, but it's sad when I consider Xrd SIGN the best between it, Revelator/Rev 2 and StrIVe.

I'm still looking forward to see if anything good comes from StrIVe, but I feel it's a giant slap to the Single Player crowd.

"YARE YARE DAZE..." as Sol tends to say.

I get what you're saying, but I think it's necessary to address your complaints to ARC System Works directly. You aren't the only one who feels that way.

They tend to focus on Online Gameplay for this game compared to solo play, so of course a lot of ideas were neglected.

As for the difficulty of bosses... they anticipated that casual players won't make perfect runs of Arcade Mode, which is why the "bosses" of the game are usually fought with an Ally to assist you in combat (though the reality is, obtaining those routes isn't optimal). Even in Guilty Gear Isuka, you had to have a second player to assist you as a teammate to play higher difficulties.

I'm a long-time gaming veteran, so most of my expectations are born from harsh experiences against one-sided battles against nearly unbeatable foes... so I totally get that it's hard to face these kinds of bosses the first time you experience a fighting game... in fact it's a heavy contrast to the idea of learning fighting games for the first time!

I first seriously cut my teeth on Guilty Gear XX's Mission Mode, and that was a dive in to some TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE, difficulty... but it also laid the foundation for learning how to play better on my own terms in terms of skill.

I'm not saying everyone will learn the game that way, but it couldn't hurt to do so. Establishing a solid foundation through learning how to play and upping your game is part of the experience, but it's not something you can learn in a day... it takes time, dedication, and patience. Sometimes you really do need to play Mission Mode for a while to comprehend the basics... even just spending hours upon hours in training mode is part of the deal too!

Part of the reason Team Red is so focused on Multiplayer right now has to do with their origins as producers of Arcade Games... making console features isn't something they are necessarily adapted to doing.

But, that doesn't mean they're entirely inflexible, since they've come up with good ideas in the past.

I think it boils down to addressing the issues as a community and making sure they hear our opinions firmly.

This is no longer just Ishiwatari we're talking about, this is a fresh generation of game developers who are cutting their teeth on something new.

Even if you yourself can't think of a way to talk to them about these issues... there are several of us in the community that ARE ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES TO THEM DIRECTLY... so you aren't alone. I want you to remember that in earnest.

[lurkerwithcomputer]

It's WIP Wednesday

The bitter, antiseptic hospital stink is much less unpleasant when masked by Shiragin's scent, sitting right next to her. Saiko sips soda from the giant sippy-cup Maman brought her. The way Mucchan thought to bring everyone else's handheld too warms her. Saiko inhales the scents of her squad, and the cold, dull knot her recent close call left in her chest loosens.

Saiko leans back into the pillows, puts her feet up on the bed tray, and starts up a game – multiplayer, of course. She knows that this position, in this kind of hospital gown, gives a bit of a show, but they've seen her in just an oversize tshirt before.

Shiragin stares, Uribo glares as usual, and Mucchan goggles, looking something other than anxious for once. Maman's look of mortified confusion pulls a giggle and a grin out of her.

"Are you seriously playing videogames with your toes?" says Shiragin, sounding kind of impressed, "every time I learn more about you, you get weirder," he adds, but there's no bite to it.

"I'm weird and you like it," she teases back.

"Guilty as charged," Shirazu says.

That gets a laugh out of everyone, even permanently-grumpy Uribo snorts. Maman taps his foot to the game's music and watches over Mucchan's shoulder. Saiko's not sure how much time has passed, but it's several days and nights of Undeath Harvest later, and Maman stands up.

"Excuse me, I need to go write up the paperwork for this," Maman looks around at the squad, a strangely uncomfortable look on his face, "don't cause too much trouble!"

This gets another round of laughs out of everyone, except Uribo. Maman waves as he steps out of Saiko's hospital room. Saiko looks back to her game – and mashes buttons to avoid the carnivorous vines bursting out of the ground. Their conversation turns into occasional videogame chatter.

"C'mere everyone, there's a rare material over here!"

"No, Urie, your left!" says Shiragin.

"Eep! a little help here?" Mucchan interrupts.

Uribo's character hacks and slashes through a thicket of wild tomatoes that open into toothy, four-part mouths. Mucchan huffs out a relieved sigh. Shiragin's character vaults a tombstone to reach the glowing pineapples growing from a pile of skulls.

Mucchan keeps looking over at her whenever there's a lull in the action, and the conversation takes another turn.

"Um, not to be rude, but..." Mucchan starts, "how did you learn to do that?"

"Play with my toes? Broke my arm a few years ago," Saiko replies over a commiserating "ouch" from Shiragin, "kept doing it so I can play and snack at the same time," she adds.

Uribo groans, and Saiko feels a grin tug at her cheeks.

"Who's up for another round of this?" Saiko asks.

"...Why not." mutters Uribo.

"I'm staying as long as possible," says Shiragin.

Another round, more chatter. More spreading warmth from her chest outwards. A squirm and a clench from her regrowing arms. Footsteps and a stranger's scent, from out in the hall. A nurse steps into the room, a no-nonsense look on her face.

"Visiting hours are over," the nurse says, "but I just know one of you will refuse to leave. Pick who gets the visitor's chair."

There's an unspoken agreement in the air. Mucchan and Uribo quit the game in a hurry, pocketing handhelds as they stand up.

"Bye, guys. Thanks for the games, and hanging out here," Saiko says.

"Get better quickly," says Uribo, and she knows he means it, because there's no bitter muttering under his breath afterward.

"Um, I hope your arms regrow soon," says Mucchan, as awkward as ever, "bye!" he waves as he leaves.

"See ya!" calls Shiragin, waving back.

The nurse fixes them with a look before stepping out.

That leaves the two of them, and a strange kind of tension in the air.

Tension, silence, stretching thin.

It's hard to decode the expression on Shiragin's face at first, but he's looking at her with wide, wet eyes - he's never looked more like he's about to cry. She hasn't seen a look like this on him since... Since the Auction. Since Shiragin, standing over a bikini-clad body, blood staining glossy, latex-y thigh-high boots.

Shiragin breaks the tension, a long moment snapping like a too-tight thread.

"What the fuck, that was wild. You lost your arms but still made that guy run away. Sassan feeding you his blood like some kind of vampire dad, shit, nearly gave me a heart attack," the words tumble out of him, "holy fuck, we're alive."

"Yeah, we're alive," she says, and she can't help it, she can feel her face pulling up in a smile, wide and wild.

The knot in her chest finally dissolves properly, tension deflating.

She breathes in deep, drinking in Shiragin's scent - the salty tang of sweat, the musky smell of leather jacket, the faintly fireworks-like smell that's just Shiragin. Where he smelled like fear before, sharp and nerve-wracking, now she can smell his relief - soft and dry and almost-sweet, like the scent of a well-loved manga.

It's comforting, and warm, and... hot? Why is it hot?

She looks him in the eye and crosses a leg over to pat the bed beside her with her foot.

"C'mere, Shiragin."

He climbs up on the bed, slowly at first, and then quickly, desperately. He lays down beside her, reaching out, wrapping his arms around her, hands leaving trails of warmth through her thin hospital gown. He tucks his head into the curve between her neck and shoulder and inhales.

Inhales like a man who'd been drowning. Inhales like breathing clean air outside a bar, after hours of cigarette smoke, aftershave and bad breath. Inhales like a fire starved of oxygen.

She leans into him and breathes in, too – this close, she can smell not only salty, tangy sweat, his motorbike jacket, the gunpowder-ish scent of Shiragin – but also the low, dry scent that clings to all of Shiragin's clothes, a hint of lime shampoo, and something heady and a bit musky... oh. Heat ripples through her body, outward from between her legs.

It's confirmed by what presses against her thigh, hot even through his pants.

"You too?" she asks, low and husky next to his ear.

A/N: Did Saiko add that comment about snacking and gaming at the same time just to get a reaction out of Urie? Yes, yes she did, and Urie knows it.

[nejishadow]

PART 4 of Kenji Tomochika and kenjikoto drabbles and things, because I Cannot Draw right now, so all I can do is think about them

As the other posts, you're free to be inspired or build on these ideas, for the ships and characters involved! Fanfic / fanart / whatever!! Just please show me or I'll be unfulfilled in this life

This post isn't as long as the others (though for scale a few of the others are miles long), but it's still put it under a read more for convenience ha

Bonus of a vague Mamoru Hayase / Makomoru and Ryoji mention lol

-------------------- General Headcanon and Drabble Things --------------------

I so naturally write it when talking to @shadowfreak98, that I overthought about Kenji shoulder bumping friends as a greeting. Casual, but not as casual as a fist bump or something. Shows he wants to be in your space / near you. Don't need to adjust much to do it. And it's just physical contact. He really needs more of it. His friends just accept it at this point, it's who he is.

Bonus addition of he does it so consistently that Makoto starts doing it in return without even thinking.

----------

Makoto: Tomochika…

Kenji: oh no, "Tomochika" in B-flat… you're disappointed

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Kenji, showing something with English on it to Makoto, "Hey, can you make out what this says?"

Makoto takes it… Seems to be really thinking about it. "… no idea." Puts it down.

"What? But you're the smartest guy I know!"

…

"Talk to more people, please." (Doesn't want the responsibility of being the Smart Guy)

----------

Headcanon of Kenji is really good at everything at the arcade. Was thinking of stuff you can do out on your own, and hey it's right there! Maybe not so much rhythm games or crane games, I can't see his hand eye coordination being amazing, but anyone will have a hard time beating him at anything multiplayer.

Has high scores on a bunch of the machines, worked forever to get them

-------------------- Ship Stuff --------------------

Thinking about the Messiest Polycule (lighthearted) Kenji x Makoto x Mamoru

Aka Makoto and his two Completely Opposite Boyfriends Mamoru and Kenji both friendly, lighthearted, enjoy ramen and good food. But Kenji not sporty At All. Mamoru outpacing him at everything, but still trying to keep him involved. Mamoru got a good family. Kenji not a great one. Makoto a found family. They're a sitcom waiting to happen

Also very funny imaging him bringing them both to the dorm, nobody knows who the heck Mamoru is, besides probably Aki

"Whatcha got there?"

"A smoothie" (They all got one before coming back)

----------

If Makoto likes Kenji, could this then influence Ryoji's actions once he shows up? Ryoji just incessantly bugging Kenji more than anyone else, but Kenji just thinks the guy's super friendly. Ryoji, meanwhile, thinks the flirting is working so is constantly with him.

Yuki getting ready to leave class, and Ryoji's already in the room and has his arms around Kenji's shoulders, resting his chin on Kenji's head. Oh no... he seriously doesn't wanna deal with both of them at the same time. One's fine enough!

They end up going out to eat -- Makoto couldn't think of a good excuse to get out of it that wouldn't bum out Kenji -- and Ryoji takes the middle seat, all up in Kenji's space. Makoto annoyed, but doesn't say anything about it - not his place to say who Kenji can and can't have in his bubble. But why is Makoto here at all if Ryoji is the one keeping up all the conversation??

Generally, this idea is way more funny than serious, and it amuses me to think about.

----------

Makoto unable to sleep during the Kyoto trip. Sneaks out of his room, for space for air, just needs to be out of the room. And runs into Kenji. Same thing, Kenji just couldn't sleep, not used to so many people. What's Makoto doing out and about? Didn't take him for too much of a rule breaker And Makoto -- in a split second decision -- decides Kenji isn't a narc, they can keep an eye out for each other - so grabs his wrist and speed walks off. Kenji a bit confused, but, this most be important so he doesn't question it and keeps up, grabbing Makoto's wrist back so they don't get seperated

Insert them both sneaking out of the whole building, Makoto having to be the look-ahead and guiding Kenji over / through things. And, once they're fully out, Makoto runs down the road with him. No goal in mind, nowhere specific to end up at, Makoto just enjoying going, and Kenji getting excited over Makoto's mood, laughing as they just wander in each other's company, hands staying connected somehow through all of it.

Maybe they end up by the riverbank and can skip some stones before they finally decide they should get back, before someone too important notices they're gone and they have to deal with a fallout.

Aka Kenji never seems to do anything even slightly "wild / delinquent", Makoto definitely has if he's been tossed between homes like the movies say, so it's good for both of them. A bonding time not framed by food or convenient timing

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Thinking about Kenjikoto first properly holding hands Both these dorks have zero idea what they're doing. Kenji too focused on what do you do next, do you just. Stay like this?? It's nice but he doesn't wanna mess anything up! Makoto isn't doing anything, has nothing to go off of! Aah!

Makoto first focused on just the feeling of holding hands. Kenji's hands are really warm… oh, he's getting a bit fidgety and sweaty. Is he nervous? Makoto doesn't want to let go and make Kenji think it's his fault, or make Kenji think he's gross or anything

So they continue to be awkward and shifting their fingers until one finally breaks the awkward silence and they laugh, and properly interlace their fingers to try and get a bit more used to this

----------

Thinking about kenjikoto "official" first date, and Kenji just tries to do too much and it's a lil bit chaotic He's seen enough shows, read enough books and advice, it's gotta be a really fancy dinner. And you gotta dress nice, he's good at that ar least! And bring flowers, right? Does Makoto even like flowers, oh god, what if he's allergic, this could all go horribly wrong

Day of, Makoto is aware Kenji's a bit stressed, but just chalks it up to nerves and stays calm. This place is fancier than they usually eat, are you sure you can pay the whole bill? Yes, Kenji, I'm fine eating here, it's ok, and the flowers are very nice you didn't need to…

After leaving the restaurant Makoto pulling Kenji a lil ways off, because Kenji is still really tense and that's not good. Kenji finally spills that he's so worried about everything going right, Makoto's helped so much he deserves it, maybe he'll realise he doesn't actually wanna be with a loser like him if this goes wrong

Makoto accidentally laughs a bit, turns it into a cough, Kenji still furrows his brow. If Makoto expected perfection for anything, he wouldn't have liked Kenji in the first place. It's his flaws and quirks that make him him. Makoto's got plenty, too, promise, Kenji has seen and will see them plenty. Leans in to kiss Kenji on the forehead, right where he's furrowing them. Now c'mon, let's go just have fun. No more trying to Win at Dates Kenji finally relaxing, a smile showing up. Yeah… he might've gone a bit overboard. Their first date should be special because it's theirs not some arbitrary junk. Thanks for helping realize that. Gets a bit brave and leans up just a bit to kiss the corner of Makoto's mouth

"A kiss on the first date, Tomochika. That's bold…"

"W-wha you kissed me first, it should be me saying that, shouldn't it? Don't say they're different, a kiss is a kiss!"

Makoto smirk. He was going to say that*

Then they can just wander the streets, try vendor foods, climb things they're not supposed to and keep flowers safe all along the way. Maybe end the day sitting on a building top they maybe shouldn't be on, but hey, the view of the sky couldn't be denied

Easy place here for someone to say "the moon is beautiful isn't it?" here

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

Tattoo Artist and Flower Shop AU

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

I thought too much about another staple ship AU Flower shop and Tattoo artist! Such a sucker for these because they're the rarer of the staples, and I like seeing people use flower language

I assume they're at least 20, maybe a bit older? Old enough to go to college for a bit, or be out on their own, figure out who they are. Exact age isn't too important, just old enough to be out of high school.

A few extra years also means there's an opportunity for characters like Maiko and Kenji's little sister to make an appearance, since they'd be in middle and high school (well Kenji's sister may have just graduated, these are starting ideas, not concrete lol) so they have reason to be on the island or wandering about ha.

The fun part is I can see either being either, but since Makoto is shown in canon to be more artsy, I think he gets to be the tattoo artist. Kenji feels a guy to think tattoos are pretty cool, since they're related to rebellion, yakuza, real tough guys. Stuff he isn't

I think it's funniest if they meet on a dare/bet. Kenji's coworkers or college buddies get him to agree to a tattoo, cause he never does anything wild or crazy, and Kenji's talked about how cool they are before

Makoto's shop is either closest or least intimidating, newest guy on the block.

Makoto can tell this guy is clearly nervous, no sign of past tattoos on him. Goes through the whole thing of how these are art and permanent, don't be doing it flippantly to complain to him later

Kenji refuses to back out, he fair and square ended up here, and his friends would give him so much flack if he did. Explains he knows, he just wants a small one. If he likes it, maybe he can get more, like what Makoto has? (What small talk do you have with a guy needling you thousands of times??) Makoto takes it as a compliment.

Still very nervous, he rambles a bit. Makoto just gets him to talk about anything and everything. Kenji works at a flower shop, one nearby. It's to help pay for school, it's actually fun! Sometimes his friends poke fun at him for it -- that's how he ended up here -- they all thought his life was too boring and he lost on a bet / took the dare. Wanted to prove he could be spontaneous… besides, tattoos are cool. Makoto's especially seem cool

Makoto responds when Kenji quiets and slows. Kenji has relaxed and wants to keep him that way. Flower shop huh? His sister is constantly saying his store is a bit boring and he looks too scary, maybe he'll need to come by

Kenji ends up being chill til they're done. Even sorta zoned out he was getting a tattoo. (I imagine if he got a lil one for a dare it's probably on his shoulder so he can hide it lol, maybe a bow and arrow + flowers for sagittarius?)

Makoto seals it nice, pats his other shoulder. "Didn't end up being too bad huh…? I don't always get people so well behaved, feel free to come back and let me add more. I'll even discount you, if you share whatever flower secrets you have. Anything to get my sister off my back about redecorating."

Kenji did well at getting-a-tattoo, something totally normal to want and achieve!! Perks up slightly, going into business mode, of course! That's so nice of you to do, he'd help even without the discount, it was fun just getting to chat and do something new. Digs a business card for the shop out of his bag, doesn't even think when he writes his number on the back to tell Makoto he can call and text him directly about anything if it's easier

Makoto looking at the card, the number for a second… "… Clients don't usually try to flirt like this… It's cute." Smallest smirk, a bit hidden behind the card

Kenji panicked, ah sorry, no he didnt intend that, he doesn't think Makoto's like that just because he looks like a punk

Makoto soft chuckling, he was just teasing. Kenji's expressions are just really funny

They get everything finalized, Kenji leaves, I assume Junpei's the one waiting to make sure Kenji actually did it. Junpei bumps him around until Kenji shows him. "Oh man that's… actually cool!" - "what did you think he'd draw something stupid because he looks a bit scary? Guy's a professional!" - "Dunno what I expected but, it's pretty cool man!"

Extra ideas to expand

Makoto visits shop shortly after, planning with Kenji so he was there. He says he was looking up stuff about flowers, didn't realize they were so complicated

Makoto comes by often enough Kenji's boss remembers him and lets Kenji be delivery boy to his store

Kenji starts realizing how hard he's crushing, starts sneaking in flowers with happy and sweet meetings as a way to funnel without being found out. Makoto always complimenting everything Kenji picks. All his clients -- and his sister -- like how it livens up the place a bit

Kenji goes back to let Makoto expand his tattoo. Makoto drawing out more flowers… ones that Kenji swears have romantic context. But Makoto can't know all that right? He's too busy doing his job. Let the artist do what he thinks is best

Aka they dance around each other forever. Kenji because he's in denial they could ever work, Makoto playing the patience game of letting Kenji make the first move. He doesn't wanna make any mistakes like that

They hang out more, share stories about earlier in life, Kenji lets Makoto pierce his ears, Makoto lets Kenji tour him all around town

I was writing this whole AU at work so ideas end a bit abruptly. I already cleaned and expanded previous sections so just. Don't wanna with this one right now lol

[cyberpunkonline]

The Best Halloween-Themed Games on PC Today: Spooky Digital Delights for #CyberSamhain

Alright, PC gamers, it’s time to dim the lights, crank up your gaming rig, and dive into the creepiest, most terrifying games this side of a hard drive for #CyberSamhain. Sure, we’ve left the days of 8-bit ghosts and ghouls behind, but PC horror has stepped up its game in a big way—seriously, the jump scares now are next-level. Whether you’re into psychological horror, grotesque monsters, or just wanna creep through haunted mansions with nothing but a flashlight, there’s something here to make your Halloween one to remember.

So, grab your headset and your snack of choice (maybe skip the heart-attack-inducing energy drink for these), and get ready to scream at your monitor. Let’s check out the best spooky-themed PC games you should be playing right now.

1. Phasmophobia (2020) If ghost-hunting reality shows and your fear of things going bump in the night had a terrifying lovechild, Phasmophobia would be it. This multiplayer co-op game has you and your friends investigating haunted locations, trying to figure out what kind of spirit is messing with you. Sounds fun, right? Well, until you’re the one standing alone in a dark hallway, watching your breath fog up while a ghost whispers in your ear. This game is straight-up nightmare fuel, and the scariest part? It’s unpredictable. One second you’re laughing with your mates, the next, you’re screaming as the lights flicker and something moves behind you.

Resource: Rock Paper Shotgun has a killer (pun intended) guide on Phasmophobia—check it out for pro ghost-hunting tips and tricks.

2. Resident Evil Village (2021) No Halloween gaming list is complete without a Resident Evil title, and Resident Evil Village is one of the best ways to freak yourself out in glorious HD. You play as Ethan Winters (again), wandering through a remote village filled with creepy castles, werewolf-like monsters, and the internet’s favorite tall vampire lady. The atmosphere in this game is off the charts, from the snow-covered ruins to the eerie castle halls. And trust me, the scares? Yeah, they’re there. Whether you’re fending off a swarm of creatures or just trying to survive the creepy-as-hell doll house section, Village knows how to keep your heart racing.

Resource: Head over to IGN’s review of Resident Evil Village for an in-depth look at why it’s perfect for a Halloween scare-fest.

3. Little Nightmares II (2021) If you’re into creepy visuals and dark fairy-tale vibes, Little Nightmares II is an absolute must-play. This puzzle-platformer has you controlling a tiny, raincoat-wearing character in a nightmarish world where everything wants to kill you. The unsettling atmosphere is paired with grotesque enemies that’ll have you on the edge of your seat. It’s not gory—it’s just unnerving in that “things are very wrong here” way. If Tim Burton made a video game, this would be it. The art style is gorgeous, the sound design is chilling, and the puzzles will keep you glued to the screen until you escape this horrific world (if you can).

Resource: GameSpot has a fantastic piece on Little Nightmares II, explaining why it’s the perfect creepy game to play alone with the lights off.

4. The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes (2021) Love interactive horror movies where your decisions actually matter? Then the Dark Pictures Anthology is calling your name, and House of Ashes is the latest chapter in this spine-tingling series. Set during the Iraq war, a group of soldiers stumbles upon an ancient underground temple, and guess what? It’s not empty. You’ll guide them through this terrifying labyrinth while making decisions that can lead to either their survival or some truly horrifying deaths. This one is all about atmosphere, tension, and those sweet, sweet jump scares. Plus, it’s a game best played with friends, thanks to the online multiplayer mode that’ll have you arguing about who just got everyone killed.

Resource: Check out Polygon’s breakdown of the entire Dark Pictures Anthology series to get all the background you need before diving into House of Ashes.

5. Dead by Daylight (2016) If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Dead by Daylight. It’s the ultimate multiplayer horror game where you either play as one of four survivors or as the killer who’s trying to hunt them down. With a variety of different killers to choose from (including classics like Ghostface, Michael Myers, and more), every match feels like a terrifying game of cat and mouse. And survivors? Yeah, you’re going to be running, hiding, and screaming as you try to repair generators and escape the map before the killer finds you. It’s an adrenaline rush, pure and simple. Also, the devs keep adding new content, so it’s never boring.

Resource: PC Gamer has an excellent guide on how to survive in Dead by Daylight—trust me, you’ll need it.

6. Visage (2020) Looking for a psychological horror game that’ll mess with your mind? Visage is the kind of game that you play with the lights on and a backup pair of underwear nearby. Set in an old, creepy house, you’ll be exploring rooms filled with paranormal activity, strange noises, and freaky occurrences that will leave you questioning what’s real and what isn’t. The atmosphere is thick with tension, and the pacing is perfect for slowly building up to those terrifying moments. If you loved the P.T. demo (RIP Silent Hills), then Visage will scratch that same haunted house itch.

Resource: For a detailed breakdown of why Visage will make you sleep with the lights on, head over to TechRaptor’s review of the game.

7. Amnesia: Rebirth (2020) Amnesia: Rebirth takes everything you loved (or feared) about the original Amnesia and cranks it up. Set in the Algerian desert, you play as Tasi Trianon, trying to survive the horrors lurking in a forgotten underground temple while slowly unraveling your past. Expect plenty of dark, claustrophobic spaces, disturbing creatures, and puzzles that’ll leave you with sweaty palms. This game is a slow burn, but the payoff is worth it, especially if you like your horror with a healthy dose of “oh my god, what was that sound?”

Resource: Eurogamer has a great piece on why Amnesia: Rebirth is the perfect mix of psychological horror and puzzle-solving fun.

Final Thoughts So, there you have it, ghouls and gamers—the best Halloween-themed PC games to spook up your #CyberSamhain celebrations. Whether you’re hunting ghosts with your mates, battling vampires, or creeping through haunted houses all by your lonesome, these games are guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Just remember to keep your speakers turned up and your lights down low—after all, it’s not really Halloween unless you’re terrified.

Now, get out there, boot up your PC, and let’s make this #CyberSamhain one to remember! Just don’t blame me when you scream so loud the neighbors think you're being haunted.

[kitsunehb]

Just a photo of two pages from my sketchbook with some doodles. I've played D&D (Spelljammer) with some friends yesterday after several months playing BG3 together. It was wonderful to return to our old characters. But my brain? Just thinking about my Tavs, Astarion (I played him in my second playthrough) and there was enough space for a Gale doodle as well. Left top: My first Tav - Nyloth. Drow, rogue, who became a bard later in the game. I used to call him the "lovesick fool" because he was so helpless in love with Astarion. He did a lot of morally questionable things in act 1. And he is sooo handsome! Seriously - I would romance that fool! And to be honest - the wavemother's robe suits him even better than Astarion! Two peacocks, one adventure. Directly under Nyloth: This strange shapes will become my multiplayer Tav - Mino'rass. Nyloth's elder sibling and the reason why he had to leave Menzoberranzan as a kid. They have a complicated relationship. Mino is a ranger (gloom stalker) and had no romance in our game - it was hard to romance anyone because we four left the companions in camp. I tried to have a good relationship with Gale, but nope! Maybe I will play Mino again on my own and maybe I will romance someone else (Lae'zel? Karlach? Wyll? Halsin? I like them all). Next to Mino'rass (and also just some shapes with a hair bun): My newest Tav created on saturday, when I recovered from a concert the evening before and did nearly nothing except for eating, existing and playing. Her name is Eloriel, high elf (moon elf), monk and dark urge. She tries to resist, meditates a lot, drinks LOTS of herbal teas to calm down and flirted a bit with Lae'zel. And then she gave Astarion a certain book, let him bite her and let him kill the gur and now he calls her darling ... well, at least she is no lovesick fool. She got enough problems already.

[mizgrownnonsense]

I have no children yet, but here’s what I’m thinking about kids and media:

0-5ish: No media, unless it’s together or a trusted adult is helping them pick and keeping an eye on duration. Maybe they have a little mp3 player for their favorite songs (music should be a human right)

Justification: I’ve watched so many toddlers fall down unboxing video rabbit holes on YouTube and it freaks me OUT. I want media to be part of our shared family culture, not a way to check out and go numb. I’m aware that this is a lot more work, and plan to put that work in.

5ish-8ish: There is now an iPad, with some age-appropriate streaming services for movies and shows and some (offline, obv) games Maybe some pre-downloaded favourites and home movies, too. No YouTube at all. The iPad does not have a passcode or time lock, so it isn’t a scarce resource, but we keep an eye on usage and encourage alternatives if they start zombie-ing.

Justification: At 5, kiddo should be able to practice regulating their own attention span and explore media choices more autonomously—within certain parameters. The kid-eating YouTube algorithm is still hard-banned, and there are no messaging/social media/online gaming options. This is about them exploring media independently from us, but not using technology as a conduit to other people just yet.

8-12ish: kiddo gets a phone for direct messaging/calling with friends and family ONLY. The older and dumber the phone the better. Some closed-circle social medias (like Marco Polo) ok. This phone will be checked by parents periodically (sorry) but always with advanced notice and a conversation about what we might be looking for and why.

Justification: This is a good age for texts from grandma/cousins and the ability for them to explore the world and be able to text/call back for help. Obviously, they’ll want to send goofy messages to their friends, too, and that’s great. However, I don’t want them to develop an “audience” yet, so social media is out, and I still want to keep an eye out on how people interact with them, working together to recognise and set boundaries around this kind of communication. Checking their phone is mainly to enforce which apps they use, since they’ll be encountering more social pressure to join social media (and defy rules) around that age. I won’t read my kid’s messages unless I have a concern about their or one of their contacts’ behavior, and if it comes to that, looking at their messages is something I’ll do WITH THEM. We’ll have a conversation about my concerns, what I’m looking for, and what to do about it together.

10-12ish: Some multiplayer games okay, but with oversight around who they interact with and guidance about how to navigate uncomfortable interactions. YouTube is finally available, but with conversation about the ideas they encounter there. I won’t like this, but I can’t keep them off Minecraft forever.

13 ish-17ish: Parental controls off their tech, and a baseline of phone autonomy: no check-ins unless something seems seriously wrong; all check-ins with conversation. Encourage kiddo to manage screentime within other responsibilities and goals, check in if screens become a numbing reflex. Only big rule: MAINTAIN ANONYMITY (no real name, selfies/ vlogging, or identifying details) in any open-form social media. Advise them to be aware of social media that gives them a sense of an “audience” and council them to set boundaries with how they interact with that idea (ie: you don’t owe strangers interactions or energy, you are allowed to make mistakes, you are allowed to change your mind, grow, and change. You do not need to have an opinion on everything, especially if you haven’t had time to think it over, and you can/should block anyone who makes you feel unsafe). Here, I’ll also inform them about para-social relationships and how to navigate those.

Justification: god, I wish the adults in my life at that age told me the same. I cannot tell you how I wince when my full name still pulls up deviant art posts from my teen years on google searches. I have become so much kinder to myself since I let go the idea that I owe a vague internet audience my take on every new thing. Even if the internet wasn’t full of people who could exploit your personal information to harm you (for whatever reason), it does you no service whatsoever to put your most vulnerable developmental years under a public spotlight.

18: Full technology autonomy. Hopefully I’ve prepared kiddo to navigate it well, and left the door open to come to me if they ever need more help/guidance. Good luck, kiddo.

Posting for peer review: what do y’all think?

[malinastharlock]

Malina Reviews Diablo 4

Okay so I am a fan of Blizzard's games and have been since I first played The Lost Vikings and the original Warcraft. So of course I'm going to pick up the new Diablo 4 game and okay the fuck out of it. I've grown used to games having a few glitches and maybe some bugs here and there but omg this is stupid. I have always held Blizzard to a higher standard than other big game companies cuz they only make like 4 titles and they normally go hard as fuck on them and release something amazing. I will not just sit here and bash a game just because a few bugs either but, Oh My Fucking Cthulhu! This is shit! It's a sparklie fun steaming pile of shit, but still shit. So from here I'm going to break down this steaming pile.

1. THE STORY

::SPOILERS ALERT::

The story is basically like any other Diablo game you are the glorified custodian of a war between good and evil and you're just basically cleaning up the crap fest that they leave behind although this time they change it up with the story of Lilith, a demon who got tired of all the bullshit between the forces of good and evil and decides to do her own thing, she found herself an angel who was also tired of the war too, and both decided to make a nice home have some kids but then baby daddy was like naw fuck this shit, I don't want these kids being so powerful that they could destroy me or heaven. So bro bounced and locked her ass up and decided these kids are mine and I'm gonna make sure they never live up to their potential. Mommy got released from the slammer and decided to go on a revenge kick and whoop the shit out of her baby daddy, while also trying to empower her children, but some of her kids are like, "Naw we like being bitches.", so decided to be punk ass bitches and kill her.

Now me personally, I didn't like it at all. I found myself rooting for Lilith and wishing she won but ::SPOILER ALERT:: she doesn't. No instead she get offed and much like the other day SX ma kina evils can't I don't think she can actually die, but who knows, we might see her later on sometime, much like how he ended up seeing Mephisto again. Yeah, Blizzard made sure to plug as much of Diablo 2 into this Diablo 4 game as a possibly, cuz you know, got to milk that franchise and all that. I will give them props. On one thing, there were several instances in this game where I actually ended up crying, because I was like, "Why? Why did you kill that character you fucker? I liked that one."

I did, however, find a lot more enjoyment out of the side quests in the game, which there are plenty of. There were actually a few side quests that really got me and made me cringe a little. Cringe, as in, Great Cthulhu, that is gross! Still not that bad. I enjoy gross sometimes.

2. The Gameplay

🤢🤮🤮🤮🤧

I am sorry you got to give me a second, sometimes when I think about the gameplay it makes you want to puke.

Ok, so normally, blizzard is known for releasing beautiful games. They release games that are good, they look good, they play good, their story is at least adequate, however, I can't say the same for this one. I don't know what happened, and I don't know where they drop the ball. I mean, its still plays like your normal dungeon runner. I really don't know where they went wrong or where to even start, so here's a try.

They brought several elements from Diablo and mortal into the game that I don't mind. It makes it more fun in multiplayer, since if I really wanted to do multiplayer, which is not what I normally like to do with Diablo games. Seriously it's all multiplayer now. 🤢🤮 I really don't think they play tested this game enough because the overwhelming amount of glitches I have found in this game is astonishing for blizzard game. That's not even the worst part. They make you so underpowered at the beginning that everything is a struggle. Unless you run through the entire game and collect every single Lilith statue, you can find then you'll become OP in the game feels like an normal Diablo game. Oh, and collecting all the Lilith statues is pretty dag-on hard unless you get your horse, which you won't get until after act 3, then running all over the ginormous freaking world map that they are creating and probably plan on creating more of sanctuary to go with it as time goes on, or they end up scrapping the whole thing because they screwed up so bad to begin with. Knowing Blizzard, they might do that. I'm seriously starting to think that blizzard is becoming as bad as Netflix, but that's a gripe for another time.

Another huge problem, I see with this right now is the grind after you hit level 50. From level 50 to 100, you have to grind and grind and grind, and it is so tedious, that after reaching level 60, I was like, fuck this I'm out. I'm not out out but I am definitely not going to waste all my time grinding to 100.

As much as I seem to like the horse on the console version, there seems to be a huge problem with the horse just going in general. Like you, you click on the horse and it just stops or it's super slow, and you end up getting hit by all the creatures you're trying to run from or you're just, what is the word I'm thinking of? inconvenienced in a way that it's really irritating.

The Butcher

So like how I said they make you very underpowered and very challenging, I don't mind a good challenge, but when you're getting wrecked by everything when you first start playing your favorite class from the other several games, you can't help but get really frustrated with Diablo 4. Like when you first run into The Butcher and you are running around very underpowered and then he proceeds to makes you his bitch. That really sucks.

3. Graphics

The graphics in this game are actually really beautiful. I love the cut scenes, I love what they've done, blizzard has really come a long way, and it shows. I really do love the fact that they have a giant open world to run around in, and the events that they do are really fun, I love the particle effects. I love that they put so much effort into it, but I also think they could have done more with that least the character creation, but that has nothing do with graphics.

[bishoukun]

Thankmas Streams Tomorrow!!

Tomorrow, December 10th, is the main event of third of what has become an annual collaborative charity fundraising event for content creators of all kinds, coordinated by Sean McLaughlin - aka Jacksepticeye. Each year a different charity is vetted and chosen, and a team event is made on Tiltify to put together all of our collective efforts into one number we share.

This year has been really tough on us. We've lost friends, struggled with changes in medication and the following consequences of doing so, and we've barely at all left the house. However, we have also learned more about how our body works and why it does some of the wacky things it does, watched my girlfriend blossom into herself by tackling trauma head on in therapy fearlessly, and while the last few months have been particularly disorganized and hard for many of us and our friends, we have largely strengthened some of the friendships that have really kept us going and growing.

So, we're going to try to be streaming most of the day tomorrow on my personal Twtich @bishoukun with both single and multiplayer games with some of the aforementioned friends. This includes what has become a tradition of Kagome playing Assassin's Creed Origins (because of course she would) and at least one game that will have me screaming in gamer-rage for the amusement of others. (Don't worry, I don't play games I don't actually like, and I don't take them too seriously.)

We live significantly under the poverty line. We rely on food stamps and parental support to keep ourselves fed. Not everyone has either of those, and that's where this year's charity comes in. World Central Kitchen is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. They build resilient food systems with locally led solutions. We'll be posting links in the morning after we set our Tiltify page.

In the meantime, here's a highlight from last year - turn your volume down, Kagome freaked out and screamed a lot!

[jessecrust]

games as art, part 2: who cares?

An eternity ago, I wrote a blog about a game you might have heard of called Elden Ring and why it and other games like Hades are probably works of art. It's something I think about far too much on lonely car rides to and from work (my commute is roughly 10 minutes). And it's something I've been thinking about a lot more lately having spent a good deal of my free time actively avoiding any new games and trying to get games from the 90s and 2000s to run on my PC without crashing. Honestly, it's actually extremely easy to avoid playing new games because they're released at a rate of about 2.5 a year in a good year.

And yet it somehow feels like there's never been more video game content out there. There's your multiplayer shooters, your MMOs, your "live service" games, mobile games, remakes, re-releases, etc. etc. I'm not one of those people who think you can draw a line between "real" games like something on a major console or PC and "fake" games like this cute thing I have on my phone called "Cats&Soup", but if every video game is indeed art then it is a unfathomably broad category.

Why does any of this matter? Well, if you've ever spent any time on Wikipedia, you may have come across this, or a similar, sentence:

Deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress, Die Hard was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2017

One reason it's important to figure out what exactly we're talking about when we have these incredibly tedious conversations is so we can figure out what is worth preserving. I feel that in our Age of Content, as I'll call it, it's increasingly difficult to figure out what we should be preserving for future generations.

I don't think this is me being pretentious, although that word itself has come to mean something entirely different in the age of the never ending Battle Royale Multiplayer Shooter and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A few nights ago, I saw someone say Quentin Tarantino was a pretentious director because he didn't want to make a Marvel movie. That idea really bothered me, that someone would see a guy who spent his career making eminently watchable popcorn movies and think "what a snob". Yes, I admit, I got sad about one guy writing a tweet, that's really dumb, I know. But go type Martin Scorsese into a Twitter search and you'll find he's not alone in thinking there's something pretentious about making movies that doesn't include a CGI raccoon.

But back to the pretentious art snobbery, it's not necessarily a question of "real" vs. fake or art vs. not art. I've had a good time watching movies like Spider-Man: Far From Home, The Batman (which I wrote about), and even that weird Dr. Strange movie that people can't really decide if they liked or not. These movies are probably not in any real danger of disappearing, but other movies are and most, if not all, video games are. And no one is seriously making the claim that none of them are worth preserving: The Dark Knight, a movie about Batman, is part of the National Film Registry.

Film lovers like Scorsese and other writers, directors, critics, etc. have worked hard to preserve their artform for future generations. I can't think of any director or writer or video games that is doing the same for games. It already requires extensive modding to get some games to run on modern PCs, let alone tracking down physical copies of classic games that could easily cost more than you make in a full eight hour shift at your job. Game directors and writers are not celebrities in the way film directors, actors, and musicians are. Try to name a video game director or think of a game you've played recently where you even bothered to find out who directed or wrote it. The most widely known director of video games is probably Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo and I doubt even he would be recognized by more than a quarter of the general population despite being responsible for over 75% of your childhood nostalgia. Yes, there are plenty of hobbyists, academics, etc. that are doing everything they can to preserve games, but we need those artist/advocates to really drive home the stakes. Who better to talk about the history, love, and preservations of this medium than their own creators?

As more technology is pushed to the wayside, as physical media continues to decline and copyright laws in the digital sphere get stranger and stranger, there's a real danger of not being able to immerse yourself in the history of games in the same way you can with every other piece of human culture. What good is a top 100 video games of all time list if I can't even play them? I can't even play the version of Overwatch I bought five years ago. To be sure, this project is also necessarily anti-capitalist, since the rights holders to these franchises and IPs will fight/have fought tooth and nail to stop it.

Do you know why "you can run Doom on anything" became a meme? Partly because anyone can download its source code for free. Imagine if the same were true of every other game release on or before 1993.

To close, I'll tell another anecdote about a post I saw on the internet. I saw a comment somewhere, maybe YouTube, that said something to the effect of "I'm glad I'll get to play Silent Hill 2 when the remake comes out". This is a problem we have to solve quickly...

[jaythelay]

Deadlock is almost good. It's so close to being a classic.

But my god. It's flawed from the start, who the hell at Valve keeps approving of respawn timers? You have the fucking rail system? Use it? Use anything other than "The player now must wait and do absolutely nothing"

It's at least better than TF2 was in that there's something to do, but a fucking 70 second respawn timer? Get real. No console command to turn it off? Get real.

There's also characters that are just straight up dogshit, completely worthless and I don't know why? Others are OP as shit for no reason. AI is a bit shit but it's better than anything today unfortunately.

It's a good time, with bots, never play online holy shit.

It's also impossible to garner souls. Skills feel utterly random. It tries hard to teach you everything and ease you in, and it's great at that, but shit man, who the hell approved that damn upgrade menu? It's insane. Actual, schizophrenic nonsense. Simplify it and it becomes better.

I enjoy looking around for boxes n junk to find little upgrades though. It's really close to being good, but that respawn timer is lethal to fun.

I think they're setting themselves up for problems however, and to be clear from the start, the solution isn't removing bots, the solution is fixing multiplayer. Because I will neeeever go back to it, holy shit it was bad, made me write off the game til I tried with bots, then it was actually fun.

I reccommend it presently but seriously holy shit just put a console command for the respawn timer, absolutely ridiculously embarrassingly amateur "game design". Yeah put the controller down, go take a shit, and then come back, that's gaming!

[eziojensenthe3rd]

Midnight Gaming: Storming Space Normandy

So I played Quake 2 past midnight, checked socials and found... Streamer Kai Cenat is streaming Bloodborne to try and bring to attention demand for remaster/pc port.

So when I played Quake 1, I mentioned that Quake didnt have as much of a cultural impact as doom did. If people actually read these, this would be one hell of a hot take. Quake was after all from technical standpoint a leap forward for 3d graphics in games, Carmacks work has brought a lot to the table that modern games share a relation with. To suggest it didnt have a cultural impact would be ludicrous. You can see that impact mapped out on this image from wikipedia:

But I didnt say that though, i said that Quake, as a game, didnt have as much of a cultural impact as Doom did.

Doom had bill gates greenscreened on it for an investors meeting, Doom was being ported to devices it shouldnt be possible because of its small size and the love of the meme, people nowadays recognise the pinky and cacaodemon sprites from Doom, you think folks will recognise the shamblr from look alone? Show a zoomer the quake symbol and ask them what it is, then make an appointment with your local retirement home when you're done having your soul hollowed out.

The most that the Quake series has in cultural significance is its multiplayer. 1's mechanic of the player not taking too much damage from explosions including their own helped pioneer rocket-jumping ie shooting an explosive at your own feet and using the force of the explosion to propel yourself. Quake 3 straight up depriotised singleplayer in favour for multiplayer and the most recent Quake game to date has that with a splash of hero shooter. Most folks who have heard of the quake series know it more for its multiplayer then they do the singleplayer. You remember Quake 4? What was your first thought about it, the stroggification scene? Yeah..

Thing is.. while i say Quake 1's game wasnt as significant compared to Dooms, its a lot more than can be said about Quake 2. Be honest, before the remaster... how often did you hear about Quake 2 when discussions about first-person shooters come up? How about classic shooters (boomer shooter)? Not much, i certanly didnt. Most folks seem to forget this game existed, its usually when the Quake series gets brought up that 2 is mentioned. "Aw man Quake was so good, its a classic. And Quake 3, man, I fragged so ma.." "What about Quake 2?" "Oh? Oh yeah Quake 2 that was good...too... yeah...".

Honestly, the RTX port was probably the most recognition Quake 2 got before the remaster, mostly to showcase how bad of an idea it is to put rtx graphics and raytracing to a 90s shooter. Made it look uncanny. But that was then, this is now and now we have a remaster that allows the game to played by more people and thats always a good thing, especially since the remaster is very good.... with one caveat being the lack of addon support similar to Quake 1 and Doom 1 & 2s recent ports. Seriously why?

Anyways playing Quake 2, its certanly a change from the lovecraft vibe to a sci-fi ww2 vibe but the music definatly helps in getting you engaged with the game. The strogg being a sort of forced amalgamation of human meat and hard metal is an interesting enemy to fight and their is a nice variety of them to fight, the big enemies that have that railgun however were very annoying since they can take up to 45 health off you while teasing the power of the railgun that you wont get just yet...ughhh... chaingun is a necessity for them. Thing about the weapons is that, from what i've noticied in my session, is theres quite a few weapons that end up being obsolete as soon as you find their contemporaries. For example, the super shotgun replaces the normal shotgun, the chaingun replaces the machinegun (unless theres weak enemies i wanna mow down without burning too much ammo) and the grenade launcher replaces throwing grenades.

Another change is that you collect power ups to use for later as opposed to using them now, most them being rather situational except for three items, the quad damage (for obvious reasons), the adrenaline (for health) and the compass which is a new thing added for the remaster that spawns some arrows  to lead you to your objective. A very nice quality-of-life change to help keep the player moving forward. Honestly, I enjoyed my session with quake 2 and if you havent played it, get the remaster and you can play it along with the expansions, the new expansion made for this and the n64 version of quake 2.

Ok enough of Quake 2, lets go to news. Bloodborne was a launch title for the playstation 4 and for many people, it was one of their favourite soulslikes. Not me though because i never played it myself and at the time of writing, its not likely i will. Despite Sony porting some games like God of War, Uncharted and Ghost of Tsushima to pc, bloodborne has remained locked to the playstation consoles.

This may change with one streamer Kai Cenat, who has a sizeable audience and has been streaming games like elden ring lately, intending to stream bloodborne with the aim of getting demand for a pc port noticied by Sony and Fromsoft. Time will tell if it will succeed. Link to a pcgamer article covering it right here:

Anyways, im not a professional essayist, i dont always articulate my thoughts well enough but i hope that as I write these, i will improve over time. At the very least, i dont get paid unlike some folks over at ign. You get my bad hot takes freely.

Anyways see you tomorrow, feedback is appreciated. Anons are currently on.

[redgemwink]

my games of the year!!

hey yall!! with the year coming to a close i wanted to list my top 5 favorite games that i played this year!

5. honkai star rail - i was really conflicted abt putting a gacha game on here, especially since i don't even play it much anymore but tbh the belobog arc was just too good not to put it here. maybe the next planet will bring me back in but i didn't really like the luofu at all. but the time i spent on the herta space center and belobog were so enjoyable that i rlly feel like it deserves this spot.

4. octopath traveler 2 - this came out this year?? jfc this has been a long year. but yeah this game is really good!! i would absolutely die for agnea. i feel like in just about every area this game was a huge step up from octopath 1, i found every character really enjoyable and i genuinely cried multiple times during castti's story (malaya.... she loved her) and in general just loved nearly every story, and the endgame and how the characters from each route tied in was so cool. i think there's still some qol needed in certain areas and that's why this is only fourth but overall very good game i recommend. also ochette is super fun to play, love beastmaster classes sm

3. fire emblem engage - sort of the opposite of octopath honestly, the story was pretty awful in this game and the characters were all very one note but the game is just so gorgeous to look at and so so much fun. what can i say, i like fire emblem dfkdfskdkdsf and while the characters and story are completely camp i found it charming in it's simplicity at times, lapis and citrinne especially were really endearing characters to me. this certainly isn't my favorite fe game bc i admittedly prefer story/character heavy ones like 3h but i still found it to be a really enjoyable experience with lots of fun customization! i hope they take a lot of what was in engage and put that into future games bc i rlly need more fe games where everyone has cute casual outfits like that and you can dress everyone up all silly. this game is just pure silly fun.

2. cassette beasts - so this one took me by surprise. this game is an absolute GEM and if you like pokemon at all you seriously owe yourself to play this!! it takes everything i love about pokemon and just brings it to a whole new level. the story, the characters, even the designs for the beasts are all so peak. the way types interact with each other is so fun and something i've never seen before in this genre. this is the type of game i absolutely see myself replaying every year just to try out new beasts and the randomizer mode and stuff!! ALSO THE WAY YOU CAN REMOVE THE MOVES AND PUT THEM ON OTHER BEASTS?? god. this game is everything i WISH pokemon was, and if it were any other year it probably would have been my goty. but..

baldur's gate 3 - yeah. i mean, do i even need to say anything on this one?? a strong demon lady held me in her strong arms and kissed me. we ate spaghetti together. we went to hell and fought demons together. this game is a lesbian love story and i- oh wait i probably shouldn't just talk about karlach for this whole section lol. really though, bg3 is just one of those games that hits different, there is SO much to do in this game and not a single moment of it isn't filled with fun. exploring the world was so fun, whenever i discovered secrets and stuff it felt amazing, there's just such a wonderful feeling of mystery in this world. there's so many ways every interaction can go, the story is amazing, the characters are amazing, the multiplayer is amazing. this whole game just fucks hard, and i think it's not only my game of the year but possibly my game of the decade. i think if this game's mod support gets better then we could be looking at a stardew valley situation where fans keep the game alive FOREVER by adding all sorts of cool stuff over the years. i can't wait to see what gets added as time goes on! anyways back to karlach so yeah i wanna cuddle with her and go on a pizza date and be pinned against the

[linuxgamenews]

Gimmicks, Quests and Collectibles – Genfanad: The MMORPG-TCG Hybrid Game

Genfanad: A Generic Fantasy Adventure MMORPG - TCG hybrid game for Linux, Mac, and Windows PC announces date for Closed Beta. Thanks to Rose Tinted Games for their support and dedication. Due to make its way onto Steam. Genfanad, after three years of hard work, is taking a massive leap forward with "The Contest of Gimmicks". Forget everything you know about the usual multiplayer online worlds. This initiative, Genfanad aims to blend the thrilling adventure of MMOs with the strategy and depth of Trading Card Games (TCGs) on Linux. Not only battle monsters and going on quests but also collect and trade cards, and battle against other players with your unique deck. So, why is this a big deal? It's due to combining these two realms isn't just about mashing two systems together. It's about designing a universe where players can both socialize and strategize in an entirely new way. Such as challenging an epic boss with friends, and the strategy involves which cards each Genfanad player uses. The victory isn't just about agility and skills, but also about the depth of strategy and cooperation.

Genfanad | TCG Trailer

Diving deeper, the new system allows for:

Social Interaction on Another Level: It's not just about meeting and talking. It's about working together in card battles, challenging others in player versus player matches, and building the perfect strategy.

Skill Development: There are 16 skills to hone, ranging from mining, crafting with metals, to understanding plants. So, there's a lot more to do than just battling in Genfanad.

Unique Cards Collection: There are over 250 distinct cards for you to collect, enhance, and use in battles. This opens up endless combinations and strategies.

Blend of Card Types: With 5 different card archetypes, the combinations you can come up with for your deck are vast. Think of all the best ways you can shock opponents.

A Light-Hearted Adventure: Nuublandia, the universe in which all of this unfolds, doesn’t overly dwell on seriousness. There's humor, mischief, and tons of solid quests awaiting you.

The Closed Beta:

But hold on a minute! Before you jump in, it's crucial to know that Genfanad is rolling out a test phase first. This 'closed beta', coming on October 20th, is an invitation to their Kickstarter & Patreon supporters to get a taste and share their thoughts. However, it's essential to keep in mind that this isn't the final product. It's more of a tech demo. The developers are open to feedback to refine and perfect the game. The full release is coming towards the end of 2023. Heleor, one of the voices behind Genfanad, mentioned their goal clearly. They are dedicated to crafting an experience that remains engaging for a long time. Feedback from players will be the driving force to achieve that. By the end of 2023, the fully polished version of Genfanad with The Contest of Gimmicks update will be ready for the world to dive into. If this caught your interest, you might want to Wishlist on Steam. Happy adventuring and card battling. Due to making its way onto Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Get involved with the Community on Discord.

[ndoandou]

If the ikevamp boys played modern games

I wrote this almost a year ago so apologies for any mistakes etc 😭

Leonardo - Minecraft

He would create the most unreasonable, complicated, redstone mechanism

Would recreate the monalisa in minecraft

Hes not a fan of mining but he loves travelling

his eyes lit up when he comes across some kind of structure

Occasionally he would get isaac to play on multiplayer

And of course, they will be on multiplayer only to create some redstone mechanism-

Isaac - Universe Sandbox

This boy has 2000+ hours bye-

He spends most of the time defying the laws of physics

He secretly LOVES defying the laws of physics

Would test out absurd things

Like crashing andromeda and milky way together

He feels cool after defying the laws of physics

And at the same time he felt as if he commited a crime with some of the things he tested, like making earth as big as the galaxy for no reason

And make an absurd amount of meteors hit the solar system

Shakespeare - Doki doki literature club

What can i say?

A disturbing game full of young girls who are into literature

Let me tell you this, shakes will treat this game as if hes playing a casual visual novel

For example when yuri stabs herself, shakes would probably just chuckle softly and say "oh! How dramatic!"

The jumpscares and creepy moments makes him laugh and giggle. He sees it as something comedic

I mean what can u expect? We talkin bout shakes here

Mozart - Osu!

Mozart isn't into games

He just happen to stumble across dazai who was trying to play a 7☆ difficulty Osu!Mania map as a joke, while the others watched him

As expected, he failed within a few seconds

"Pathetic. How were you not able to see the notes coming?" Mozart spat

Everyone looked at mozart

"Ahh mozart-kun! Want to try and play this map?" Dazai asked

Mozart rolled his eyes

"Such a waste of time, but ill give it a go. What keys do i press?" Mozart asked

"You press DF and JK" dazai explained

Mozart pressed the hard map dazai was trying to play

When the notes started pouring down, mozart hit every single note perfectly

He ended up scoring an SSS

"There, as simple as that" mozart said as everyone looked at him as if he was crazy"

He actually starts finding the game addicting after playing some more

He also would try other game modes, but osu mania wouod be his favorite.

Dazai - pou

Pls he loves this game too much-

Im not joking, he would spend real money just to buy the shitty cosmetics and clothes

Treats the minigames seriously

This mans sweaty when it comes to sky jump 🥶🥶🥶

Would try and convince people to play pvp with him

Sebastian - Candy crush

You cant tell me that sebastian isn't at level 1000+

He might aswell be a candy crush e-sport player 💀💀💀💀💀

This man would have a mental breakdown if he ran out of moves in the game

Would write a whole essay on why candy crush is a superior game

Would try and get MC to play it which then she would give in

Arthur and theo - Resident Evil

Arthur would be doing most of the objectives ngl

Theo was kinda forced to play it but he slowly starts enjoying it

Theo is terrified half of the time

You can't tell me that theo doesn't scream like a highschool girl whenever he turns back only for a zombie to be right on his face

"AHHHH FUCK! ARTHUR GET IT OFF ME" theo screamed as he pressed space as fast as he could

Arthur would T bag as Theo gets attacked by a swarm of zombies

.

.

Ill do vincent, napoleon, jean, and momte next if u guys want