#number 1 missiler fan

[epim3des]

sighs

i must provide myself with the cringe fanart for tiny defense - mini robot wars

heres a humanised Gunner Bot

[best-fictional-band-poll]

In one of the most exciting match-ups so far, two of the heavyweight champions from the first round go head to head!!

In the red corner, Mad Gear and the Missile Kid is, of course, the band from the Danger Days album - surviving radioactive post-apocalypse America, and still finding time to put out an EP! This is after all the My Chemical Romance website, and it's one of your blog runners personal favourite submissions - but can it compete?

In the blue corner, Gorillaz are a much-beloved animated band, with several studio albums, number 1 hits, and a MASSIVE global fan base! Almost everyone will have heard one of their songs, whether on the radio, from a friend, or even in the club.

But of these two, only ONE can go through! Who will it be?

[terminalblue]

Time for some theorycrafting about Draag.

Hello. Hi. It seems we're in the MCR cycle of cryptic messages leading up to Something Big, so this period of time wouldn't be complete without some outlandish and far-too-long theories from music-starved fans. We all know by now that they're going on tour in America, a complete surpise to many in how they're "digging up" The Black Parade 17 years after loudly proclaiming that it was Dead. What are they doing? Are they becoming a Greatest Hits band? Is creativity dead. No, not at all my friends. Rather the opposite. This is all just part of a grander plan. And when I mean all, I mean all. Everything going back even possibly to the occult/witch era where the reunion was first announced.

Let's first consider the most recent announcement, the tour, and the trailers coming out for it. The sheer level of lore that got dropped out of absolutely nowhere. A whole world being opened up in front of us with the nation of Draag. An industrial nation led by one 'Immortal Dictator' seventeen years after the Black Parade was 'sent to the MOAT', whatever that means, I still have no idea. But what is abundantly clear is that this specific backdrop to present the tour in is explicitly a sequel to the story of The Black Parade, not an AU, not a prequel, not an afterword, all that stuff. A sequel. A paper-white fascist kingdom reinstating a beloved old band to perform on behalf of the state.

How did this dictator rise to power? Usually such things happen during times of great peril and uncertainty for a country, searching for a strong and charismatic figure to lead them through the worst times. An event that led to The Swarm, perhaps? Flies are typically related to death and disease, and what happens in the world that causes such widespread death and disease if not war?

Now The Black Parade, the album, is on it's surface a story about the death of a cancer patient, but there are many, many overt references to war all throughout the album. Much of the aesthetic of the album reflects these time periods, The Civil War, WW1, and WW2. Now those last two can be valid perspectives going forwards, but I'm going to focus on the latter date of 1945, the end of the Second World War. 17 years after that is the year 1962, famously the year of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the absolute height of the Cold War where the world was on the brink of destruction. Now this alt-history is likely not 1:1 and the dates might not line up exactly to what I've put, but what I'm saying is that I believe this is some sort of parallel to real life, with the Cold War having 'boiled over' into a Hot War, nuclear armaggedon ensuing.

Is The Swarm supposed to be literally, or metaphorically, nuclear extinction? Hard to say personally. But if we go by the established representation before, then it would actually fit better as a follow-up to such a thing, after the dust has settled. Because of their relation to death and disease, flies are also harbingers of evil. Going by the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of 'Swarm', it is "a great number of honeybees emigrating together from a hive in company with a queen to start a new colony elsewhere". Sounds an awful lot like the start of a nation, huh? One that begins in the wake of worldly annhiliation?

The Swarm, in this sense, is this nation of Draag, or at least the ideology of it, a great many people falling in line with evil because the world is broken and that's the easiest solution. Let somebody else lead you, even if they have the worst intentions. One that people continue to have to resist the call for, wondering if falling in line is easier than fighting for what you believe in, even if it doesn't feel like it matters.

This is exactly what "The Foundations of Decay" is all about, the sheer ease that is giving up and not doing anything, yet it's a song that is kind of arguing with itself about doing what is easier vs what is right. Ending on a note of the main voice yelling at itself to get up, coward.

How does that fit into this new lore? Well, this time period is named 'The Concrete Age', and what is built from concrete? Well, a lot of things, but one of those things happens to be foundations, a lot of the time. I believe The Foundations of Decay is set after The Concrete Age, after Draag has fallen. It's an ending.

Because evil eats itself eventually, fascism is self-defeating. You could say, in a sense, that Draag is a Paper Kingdom. Grand and beautiful, but incredibly fragile. One spark is all it could take for it to all burn down, and really it's only a matter of time. Leaving nothing but Foundations of Decay. But what would exist in the settled dust is hope, perserverence, a chance to fix your heart, to let it all wash away, instead of simply laying down in the foundations. Don't repeat the mistakes of the past. MCR5, which I'm fairly certain is real at this point, may follow the Black Parade in documenting this nation. A beloved band rather abruptly reinstated by a fascist nation, that likely exiled/killed them in the first place, to twist its nostalgia into its own messages and propaganda. People were confused as to why MCR were announcing TBP in full again rather than something new, but that's the point. Because fascism is inherently unimaginative and anti-art. They can only steal from what has already been created and claim it as their own. TBP will play their great album to huge fanfare, before moving onto their 'second' album centered around the nation of Draag under orders of the Immortal Dictator.

But The Black Parade are a band that exist within death, taking souls through to the other side after ferrying them back through their lives. They themselves could be considered harbingers of death. So to me, it would make sense that this would be an album that follows the height and subsequent burning of Draag, as its image falls apart and collapses due to its own ignorance.

[oldiesstationlover11607]

🎶Hello my baby, hello my honey, hello my ragtime gal🎶

Hey dude! It’s me. 💛. Your (self proclaimed) number one fan. So, I really loved the Spooky Jim story and its sequel. I can only imagine it was a hard character and stuff to write for because honestly we don’t know a whole lot about him (#justiceforJosh’slorecharacters), but you still managed to hit it out of the park, just like always.

So, I am actually going to shake it up…I will not be requesting TØP (*gasp*). Don’t get me wrong, I have ideas and I LOVE your work, but I know you’ve been writing them a lot. That, and I’ve been on a bit of a Danger Days kick recently.

So, my request. I was wondering if you could do a MCR Danger Days one shot for me. I was thinking that the reader could maybe be Dr. Death Defying’s daughter (adopted or biological) and they could possibly be in a semi-secret relationship with Party Poison. The other members of the Fab Four know about it, but Dr. D doesn’t. Anyways, maybe one night the reader sneaks out to meet up with Party (maybe to see a a Mad Gear and Missile Kid show. Maybe just because. Your choice!). Somehow or another Dr. D finds out about the relationship (my idea is that Dr. D figures out the reader snuck out and sent Show Pony after her and Show Pony finds out and tells him, but it can be anything), and we end up getting a protective dad speech of some sort.

Sorry if that is too specific. If it isn’t something you want to do, I completely understand. ☺️

Secrets in the Zones - Party Poison x DR D.'s daughter!Reader

Warnings: bit of angst lol

Word Count: 1337 - shorter sorry!

A/N: HEYY #1 FAN! I 100% agree, Josh's lore characters need more screen time and a larger voice! I want to hear Torchbearer talk - like PLEASE 🙏 I LOVE writing TØP but here's something different like you requested! I'd been super into TØP for the last year and I think the last time I was into the Danger Days lore was about a year ago so it was super fun to revisit this! I'm guilty of using chat GPT to help me with this as I was struggling a little bit hopefully it's okay. Enjoy! Can't wait for your next request! P.S. There's a Josh fic I just posted before this so definitely check that out bc I've treated you with two fics today :)

The desert was alive tonight. The cool air prickled against my skin, a sharp contrast to the day’s oppressive heat, but it was the sort of night I loved. It made sneaking out a little easier, less likely to draw the attention of anyone holed up in Dr D.’s bunker. My dad, Dr. Death Defying, was glued to his radio station, sending out messages and songs to the Zone each night, surrounded by his friend Show Pony. I stepped softly across the cracked, dust-covered floor of the bunker, slipping my boots on and making sure my jacket was secure. The neon patch on the back reflected my Killjoy name — Riot Rhythm — though my father preferred to call me by my real name, something that reminded me that no matter what, I’d always be his daughter and likely never a true Killjoy.

Tonight wasn’t just about escaping the bunker, though. It was about him.

Party Poison.

The leader of the Fab Four had stolen my heart without even trying. His fierce determination, his loyalty to his friends, the way he fought so hard against Better Living Industries… all of it had drawn me in. The others knew. Kobra Kid, Fun Ghoul, and Jet Star had all figured it out by now, throwing subtle winks and knowing nudges whenever they saw us together. The only person who didn’t seem to know was Dad, too focused on keeping everyone in the Zones safe. 

Slipping out the door, I made sure to avoid Show Pony’s makeshift patrol route. As Dr. D’s assistant and best friend, Show Pony had become something of a caretaker when my dad was too busy running the airwaves. The last thing I needed was for them to catch me sneaking off again. 

The roar of a motorcycle engine caught my ears in the distance. There, under the cover of night, I spotted him — Party Poison, waiting in the shadows. His red hair glowed like a fire under the moonlight, and when he saw me approach, he smiled. His smile was the equivalent of my dad’s transmissions–it brought hope. 

“You ready?” Party asked, voice low but playful.

I grinned, nodding. “You know it. Where are we headed this time?”

He leaned in close, his lips brushing against my ear. “Mad Gear and Missile Kid are playing at an old hideout past Zone 3. Figured we’d catch the show.”

My heart skipped a beat. I loved the wild, rebellious energy of the Mad Gear shows. It was dangerous and chaotic, everything that BL/ind stood against, which made it all the more thrilling. That and Party had introduced me to their music a few months ago, pirating me the cassette for my birthday.

“Let’s go, then,” I whispered, hopping onto the back of his motorcycle. As the engine roared to life beneath me, the wind whipped against my face, and for a moment, I felt completely free. With Party’s arms steady around me, I didn’t have to think about my dad or the constant threat of Dracs. It was just the two of us, racing through the desert, neon lights of the city in the distance fading into nothingness.

At the Mad Gear and Missile Kid show, the music was loud and wild. I stood close to Party, feeling the beat reverberate through my body. The chaos around us was exhilarating — masked fans dancing, shouting, living in the moment. Party pulled me closer, his arm wrapping around my waist protectively.

“Glad you came out tonight,” he said, his lips close to my ear so I could hear him over the music. 

I smiled up at him, my heart swelling with affection. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

For a moment, everything felt perfect. But just as quickly as the moment came, it shattered when I spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.

Show Pony.

My heart sank. They weren't here for fun; they were here for me.

I nudged Party, nodding toward the entrance. “We’ve got trouble.”

Party’s eyes followed my gaze and landed on Show Pony, who was skating through the crowd, scanning for me. “Shit,” Party muttered under his breath. “Let’s get out of here.”

The two of us slipped through the crowd, trying to make our way to the exit before Show Pony spotted me. But luck wasn’t on my side. Show Pony’s eyes locked onto mine, and in an instant, they were skating after me with determined speed.

“Riot!” They shouted. “Stop!”

I broke into a run, Party keeping pace beside me. The two of us darted out the door, but Show Pony was right behind me, cutting me off before I could get to the motorcycle.

“I’m not letting you leave,” Show Pony said, crossing their arms. “Your dad sent me. He knows you’re out here.”

My heart pounded in my chest, guilt washing over me. I hadn’t meant to sneak out and cause this much trouble, but I also couldn’t stand the thought of Dad finding out about Party and I this way.

Party stepped forward, his expression serious. “Look, we didn’t mean to cause any problems. We just—”

“Save it,” Show Pony interrupted. “I’ve kept this secret for too long Y/N.” They used my birth name, indicating this was it–this was serious. 

I bit my lip, unable to meet their gaze. “It’s not what you think.”

Show Pony sighed, their gaze softening just a little. “I’m not here to judge, but you can’t keep this from him forever. You know that, right?”

I nodded. “I know.”

Show Pony glanced at Party, then back at me. “Come on. Let’s go back. You need to talk to Dr. D.”

Back at the bunker, my heart raced as I stood before my father. Dr. D leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

“So,” he said, breaking the silence. “You’ve been sneaking out to see Party Poison.”

I winced at his bluntness, but there was no use denying it now. “Yeah.”

Dr. D sighed, rubbing his temples. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I glanced at Party, who stood beside me, his usual confidence replaced by a quiet tension. “I didn’t want you to worry. I didn’t want you to think it would distract me from… everything else.”

Dr. D’s gaze softened, but his voice remained firm. “You’re my daughter, Riot. It’s my job to worry about you. But this… I don’t want you sneaking around, putting yourself in danger. If something happens out there, I need to know where you are.”

Party spoke up then, stepping forward. “I care about her, Dr. D. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”

Dr. D studied him for a long moment before nodding. “I know you wouldn’t. But this can’t be a secret anymore. If you’re going to be with my daughter, I need to know she’s safe — and that means no more sneaking around.”

I felt a weight lift off your shoulders, relief flooding through you. “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean to keep it from you.”

Dr. D sighed, standing up from his chair and crossing the room to us. He pulled me into a tight hug, his voice soft in my ear. “Just promise me you’ll be careful. You’re all I’ve got left.”

Tears stung at the corners of my eyes as I hugged him back. “I promise.”

Party stepped forward, resting a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll be careful, Dr. D. I swear.”

Dr. D pulled back, giving Party a long, hard look before nodding. “Alright. But if anything happens to her, you’re gonna have to answer to me.”

Party grinned, saluting him. “Understood.”

As the tension in the room eased, I finally allowed myself to breathe. The secret was out, but instead of the chaos I’d feared, there was understanding — even acceptance. And for the first time, I felt like I didn’t have to hide anymore.

Out in the Zones, the world was full of danger and uncertainty, but here, surrounded by the people I loved, I knew I’d be okay.

//

REQUESTS OPEN

[regina-bithyniae]

Progress Studies

Reading the rules for Space Marine 1st Edition (1989) (i.e. the first mass battle 6mm scale game in the "Epic 40k" genre), it's striking how little innovation has been made for the modern Legions Imperialis (LI, 2023) ruleset. Turn structure and flow of play is about 90% identical between the games even with close to 35 years separating them.

Notable is that the entire rules section of the Space Marine 1st Ed book is about 33 pages, and is written in a far more conversational style. Representative case:

Meanwhile, LI has dedicated way, way more rule-writing effort to special rules and weapon traits:

Jesus fucking christ guys, it's an 8mm game! You've got more pages of special rules than you have for all phases of a turn put together!

The main difference between the two is that LI devotes far more of the design effort into giving very large numbers of different units and weapons, with an openly stated goal of including as many distinct Horus Heresy units as possible. And even then, a common complaint at launch was that the game felt incomplete due to the number of units which were "missing" from the Astartes roster.

But it's a good case where a crowd pleaser (giving the Sicaran Arcus Missile Battle Tank #1 Fan rules for his tank waifu) makes for a bad game. At this scale a stripped-down set of army rosters with better internal balance was the right choice. But the designers, likely nudged by GW corporate wanting to sell as many distinct model sets as possible, ran 20 pages of rules in the opposite direction.

[ang3l-d4rk]

☠️Intro Post☠️

I'm Angel Dark, name stolen from the pornstar. Don't ask me my city name, unless you want a free vasectomy. Lesbian, she/they. 19ish. Number 1 Mad Gear and Missile Kid fan. Talk to me, don't be a wuss 💋

Main blog: @rotten-gal13

[emeraldzephyr]

Glory Days: A Baseball AU Fic

Part 1 of my Baseball Player Steve Harrington Fic!

Eddie Munson was at the last place he thought he would ever be on a Wednesday afternoon. 

After arriving in Chicago for the next stop on Corroded Coffin's Raising the Dead tour, their manager, Nancy Wheeler, presented them with suite tickets to the Chicago Cubs game.

"One of the player's brothers is a huge fan" She said as she passed over the envelope, "It would mean a lot to go, and it's good press."

"Nancy," Eddie started, and the rest of the band sighed, preparing for his rant, "We are not sports sorts. In fact, it was those same types that made our lives such hell in school. And yes, that was 10 years ago but I have a very good memory, and even a few scars to remember it by!" 

"Look, it's 3 hours tops, there will be food and drinks in the suite, and if you get pics at the game I bet you sell out the rest of those tickets before the show on Saturday. Chicago loves the Cubs, and Steve Harrington is their golden boy."

Eddie looked to his band members, eyes darting between the three of them.

Gareth shrugged "Might as well, maybe it could be fun."

Eddie frowned, and glared down at Jeff, "Weirdly enough, I kind of like baseball."

Eddie gasped, murmuring traitor under his breath.

Finally, he leveled his gaze to Frank, who gulped before sputtering out, "I mean, free food and drinks is nice." 

" Ugh… .fine!" Eddie snaps, throwing his hands up and flopping down on the couch in the hotel suite," but don't expect me to be happy about it."

Which brings us to the present, where Eddie sits in the cushy Legends suite at Wrigley Field. At least the day was nice, the sky a bright blue with fluffy clouds, a chill breeze just enough to cool the warm rays of the sun.

A bat cracked, and Eddie flinched. He knew there was netting keeping the balls from getting to them but that didn't stop his anxiety from expecting every single one of those fuckers to come flying at his face like some kind of jock powered magic missile. 

“I would say you get used to it, but you really don’t.”

Eddie turned to see a woman with short brown hair and blue eyes seated two seats over. Her long legs were propped up on the seat in front of her, and she wore a white and blue striped jersey with HARRINGTON across the back.

“I mean, I’ve been going to Steve’s games since college and I still flinch every time.” She said, chuckling to herself, “I’m Robin, by the way.”

“Ah, so you must be Harrington’s lucky girl!” Eddie exclaims, sweeping his hands open in a dramatic bow, “Eddie Munson, pleasure to meet you.”

“Eww, no.” Robin clips, “Steve is my very platonic best friend. And roommate, but I am but a humble graduate student and he makes fuck you amounts of money.”

Eddie barks out a laugh at that as the loudspeaker in the stadium crackles to life.

“Batting Number 4, Your Shortstop Steve Harrington!!”

The crowd roars to life, Robin cheering enthusiastically next to him, and Eddie’s jaw drops open as he hears a familiar drum and guitar riff before his own voice shouts through the stadium “I don’t need your crown!!”, the fans echoing his words as the guitar and drums kick into a fast and heavy riff. When Jeff explained the concept of walkout music to him earlier in the game he never expected to hear one of their own songs blasted through the stadium.

“Holy shit!” Gareth shouted, shaking Eddie by the shoulders “Harrington has our song as his walkout music!”

Eddie looks up to the jumbotron screens to see a close up of Harrington as he steps up to the batter's box, a beaming smile on his face as he taps the end of the bat on each shoe before bringing the bat up and squatting slightly to get in batting position, his eyes focused like a laser on the pitcher. 

The first pitch flies in just below the strike zone, the second in the dirt. 

“Ooo, they’re scared of him.” a curly haired man says, plopping into the empty seat between Eddie and Robin.

“Scared of him?” Eddie questions, tilting his head at the new arrival.

He turns towards Eddie and a look of recognition crosses his face, “Holy shit, you’re Eddie Munson! Steve said he was giving you and the band tickets but I didn’t think you’d actually come! I’m Dustin, his little brother!”

Dustin grabs Eddie’s hand, shaking it enthusiastically as Steve fouls off the third pitch.

“They’re scared of him because he’s a damn good player,” Robin fills in, sitting up just enough to make eye contact with Eddie over Dustin’s head.

“Yeah, they don’t want to give him anything he can get ahold of,” Dustin muses as the crack of the bat against the ball rings out through the stadium.

The ball rockets up the middle, cutting between the second base and shortstop and rolling through center field. Steve takes off at a sprint, rounding first base and making it comfortably to second before the ball flies in from the outfield.

“Hell yeah Steve!!” Dustin shouts, with Robin whistling.

* * * * *

Eddie spends the majority of the game talking to Dustin and Robin about a variety of topics. Eddie learns that Dustin is working at a tech company that does…something with radio waves. Honestly Eddie was lost on that one after about three words. He also learns Robin is studying linguistics at the University of Chicago. Eddie talks to them both about his music, their tour, and a few early ideas for songs. 

The group always stops when Steve comes up to bat. It’s endearing how much the pair cares about Steve, contrasting with how little they care about the rest of the game. It honestly surprises Eddie how good of a time he is having. 

Steve’s next two at bats are a sacrifice fly, putting the Cubs on the board but still behind. His second at bat ends in a double play, giving Eddie precious little time to admire the man as he ran the bases. And Eddie was a weak, weak man, and those baseball pants hugged just right. He should honestly know better than to crush on the straight jock, but looking was fine, right?

It was the bottom of the ninth and the Cubs trailed 4-1 when Steve came to bat, bases loaded. After Steve’s walkout music cut off you could hear a pin drop in the stadium. Pitch one was a fastball, rocketing in right down the center of the strike zone. Steve stood completely still, taking the strike. The next, a breaking ball down and left, outside the strike zone. One and one count.

“Holy shit this is stressful,” Eddie said through clenched teeth, twisting the rings on his fingers nervously.

“No kidding,” Robin mumbles, her knee bouncing anxiously as Steve stepped back into the batter’s box.

Pitch three was a fastball that floated just outside of the strike zone, pitch four a curve ball fouled off into the first base stands. The count was even, and it felt as if the stadium itself was holding its breath. 

Pitch five was where the pitcher made a grave error. It flew straight down the center of the strike zone, but Steve was ready for it this time. The ball cracked off the bat, soaring towards right field. The stadium erupted, growing louder and louder the further the ball flew, until it landed in the right field bleachers.

“HOLY SHIT THAT WAS A WALK OFF GRAND SLAM!!” Dustin screamed, as all of them jumped to their feet, shouting and cheering as Steve and his teammates all rounded the bases. 

The entire stadium was whipped into a frenzy, the team included. Steve rounded third base and beamed as his entire team waited for him at home plate, where they instantly swarmed him, multiple coolers of gatorade dunked on his head as the team celebrated. 

Eddie and the Corroded Coffin boys couldn’t help but be swept up in the kinetic atmosphere of the stadium, jumping and cheering. His eyes locked with Gareth’s when the entire stadium began to sing.

“Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey, Chicago, what do you say, The Cubs are gonna win today!”

“They have their own theme song?” Gareth exclaimed, “We gotta do a cover.”

“Wouldn’t be the first!” Jeff shouted over the crowd, slinging an arm around Gareth’s shoulders, “Pantera wrote a song for the Dallas hockey team that they play when goals are scored.”

The crowd continued singing as they all filtered out of the stadium, while the suite that Eddie and the others were in continued their libations. After a few minutes, the door swung open and a chorus of “Steve!” rang out from the box.

Eddie may as well have looked right at the sun with as bright as Harrington was beaming as both Dustin and Robin threw their arms around his shoulders, both speaking lightning fast at him in their excitement. His eyes darted between the two of them, trying to keep up with the separate streams of conversations, when his eyes finally settled between the two of them on Eddie, Gareth, Jeff, and Frank.

“You must be Corroded Coffin!” He greeted, slipping between Robin and Dustin and walking over to shake hands, “I’m really glad you could make it, Dusty and I are both big fans.”

“Gotta say,” Eddie started as he shook Steve’s hand, “I didn’t expect a pretty boy jock like yourself to be a metal fan.”

Steve flushed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Yeah, well Dustin was the one who got me into it in all honesty. That plus a smidge of teenage rebellion was the right combination I guess. Plus, it makes great workout music.”

A woman’s head popped into the door as the group chatted, “Steve, we have a presser in 5.”

“Guess that’s my cue,” he said, thumbing over his shoulder at the door, “If you don’t have plans after the game, we are doing a barbecue at my place.”

The Corroded Coffin boys all looked between each other, Jeff nodding enthusiastically. Frank shrugged, and Gareth smiled mischievously at Eddie. He didn’t like that look one bit.

“I guess we can swing by,” Eddie said, eyebrows knitted together in confusion at Gareth’s expression, then turning to smile at Steve.

“Great!” Steve beamed, clapping Eddie on the shoulder, “Robin can give you the details.”

Steve walked up to Nancy just before leaving, giving her a hug and lifting her slightly off her toes.

“It was good to see you Nance Pants,” he grinned, “See you at the barbecue!”

"Nance Pants?" The band choruses in unison.

"We are NOT talking about it."

[pip-n-flinx]

First, let me be clear, I’m not a subscriber to The Rules Lawyer on Youtube. With that out of the way, I have no idea about the rest of the content on this channel I’m posting this because the Paizo website is down and in addition to reading their full statement from 1/12/23 he also provides some context on who some of the people involved are.

Paizo, the company that publishes Pathfinder and Starfinder, has just thrown down the gauntlet with Wizards of the Coast over their leaked intentions to revoke the Open Gaming License. For those unfamiliar, the OGL (1.0a as it stands at time of posting) underpins a truly startling number of works. Mechanics and expressions like ‘Lich’ in its modern incarnation, Magic Missile, as well as all D&D rules largely labeled Systems Reference Document (SRD.) SRD rules underpin the 2003 Game-of-the-Year Knights of the Old Republic, Bethesda’s Fall Out to name a few games outside the Table Top banner that many picture when talking about D&D. Notably, the OGL as it has stood for two decades or so is actually more restrictive in some ways than Fair Usage doctrine might be. Notably, if you publish using their intellectual and creative rights as many authors have done, not only does you forfeit your story IP, but Wizards could take half of your publishing profits. Third party stories set in Faerun or Eberron, naming cities like Waterdeep or Greyhawk, published under the OGL are ultimately Wizards property, at least as I understand the original document. Publishers could use and adapt the rules for D&D, create their own classes or monsters, and write their own stories and settings referencing other OGL works without fear. The license stipulated that it would last in perpetuity, and that you could publish under any OGL document.

The legal loopholes that Wizards is trying to exploit now, are that perpetuity =/= irrevocable and that you can publish under any ‘authorized’ OGL, meaning that they can simply remove the authorization they granted the original OGL. Or, at the very least, that’s what Wizards has claimed.

For those curious, D&D Fourth Edition was not published under the OGL. Wizards of the Coast has been hard at work building their own Virtual Table Top or VTT to host their games online, which likely spun into D&D Beyond and later One D&D.

The concern is that not only will Wizards begin locking content behind paywalls in their app, but also that they can have complete control over what content appears in their VTT for players, cutting Third Party Publishers out entirely from the Wizards endorsed D&D experience.

I might make a post about this later, but fans of Critical Roll and Darrington Press may be surprised to find how much of Matt Mercer’s world was built on Pathfinder and not D&D IP. I don’t have an exhaustive list, but from the names of the gods to the continents and nations their are very thinly veiled pieces of Paizo IP in the Darrington Press printings of Critical Roll lore. The point being that the OGL had grown well beyond Wizards of the Coast, and largely protected smaller publishers as they helped grow the reach and player base for Wizards of the Coast. No one could deny - at least not in good faith - the importance of streams and online personalities in growing the D&D brand and the importance of table top games.

Understand while Paizo may be the second largest publisher of OGL tabletop content, this is still a David versus Goliath story. Wizards of the Coast is the most profitable arm of Hasbro, and Paizo pales in terms of sales numbers. That being said, I made the switch back in 2017 to first edition Pathfinder and haven’t looked back since.

Full disclosure, I have a friend who works in the accounting department at Paizo, so while I don’t directly have a monetary stake in this race I am biased. This wasn’t true when we made the leap to the new system in 2017 as a playgroup, but Will moved out to Seattle about a year later. I believe @theplaneswalk actual had made the switch before me, but a number of my old school friends and I are playing in a modified Pathfinder 1e campaign this Sunday.

[kudosmyhero]

Transformers (vol. 1) #10: The Next Best Thing to Being There!

Read Date: February 23, 2023 Cover Date: November 1985 ● Writer: Bob Budiansky ● Penciler: Ricardo Villamonte ● Inker: Brad K. Joyce ● Colorist: Nel Yomtov ● Letterer: Janice Chiang ● Editor: Mike Carlin ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● Shockwave thinks Optimus Prime's head is going to be a mother (…and that's one of the oddest sentences I think I've ever typed) ● wait, I thought they needed the creation matrix to make new robots. So how are there now three new Constructicons? Scavenger, Mixmaster, Bonecrusher, Scrapper, and Hook ● Huffer looks pretty cool, but I imagine having that permanent hood-like structure really limits his peripheral vision:

● Yikes, Laserbeak fires two missiles at the army encampment. The people are ok, but all of the vehicles start melting. ● Sparkplug Witwicky is finally home from the hospital. Instead of resting, he immediately goes to his garage. ● heh, is Buster going to accidentally imbue his garage tools with sentient life? ● ah, the Constructicons can combine into a biiiiig robot ● Soundwave lookin' good this issue ● 👏👏

Synopsis: At G.B. Blackrock's Aerospace Plant, Shockwave forced Optimus Prime to witness as he completes the final touches on his six new Decepticon warriors whom he dubs the Constructicons: Scrapper, Mixmaster, Scavenger, Hook, Long Haul, and Bonecrusher all of whom can transform into Earth-based construction vehicles. As Prime witnesses this he wonders what Shockwave will do to him when he learns that he no longer carries the Creation Matrix.

While at the Autobot base, the Ark, Prowl show G.B. Blackrock around their base where they discuss telling the world of their existence while Blackrock secretly marvels at how the technology aboard the Ark could be a boon to his company. He is then shown the repair bay where he watches as Jazz gets repairs to the damage sustained from Circuit Breaker. Prowl points out that their war is not without casualties and turns Blackrock's attention to Sunstreaker whom they have not been able to fully repair as yet. They then meet Huffer who is working on reestablishing communications and find that he is just reminiscing over their homeworld Cybertron. Showing Blackrock the repaired and headless body of Optimus Prime, Blackrock suddenly remembers that the phone system at his Aerospace plant is rigged to allow for him to dial a special number and listen in from any phone in the building even if it's hung up. With this revelation, Prowl orders Huffer to connect a phone hook-up.

They are then radioed by Bumblebee, who has been scouting the Aerospace plant and he reports in seeing Laserbeak dropping a special bomb on the soldiers positioned outside the base, causing their weapons and vehicles to melt. While the soldiers are harmless, the Constructicons rush out to carry out their first mission. Prowl orders Bumblebee to follow after him and promises to send out a team of Autobots to meet with him. Inside the Aerospace Plant, Shockwave then shows off his next work in progress, the ultimate jet fighter that he dubs Jetfire.

At the Witwicky house, Sparkplug finally comes home from the hospital and is surprised to find that his son has fixed up all the cars that were waiting for repairs. While he is glad his father is proud of him, Buster keeps secret the fact that he gained strange powers that allow him to mentally control all things made of metal thanks to the fact that Optimus Prime transferred the Creation Matrix into him.

Meanwhile at a road-side diner in Idaho, Bomber Bill stops in for his usual meal while on the road shipping freight in his big-rig. While showing off pictures of his children to the waitress, Bomber Bill is suddenly startled when the Constructicons arrive and steal all the big rigs, including Bomber Bill's rig. Wanting to get home to his family, Bomber Bill decides to follow after the truck thieves and get his vehicle back. That night he watches as an Autobot convoy speeds by and manages to stop Huffer. Hopping into the Autobot, he is shocked to find that there is nobody inside driving, leaving Huffer to explain what he is.

The Autobots track the Decepticons to a space monitoring center in the mountains where the Constructicons and Soundwave are building a giant transmitter out of the stolen trucks and radio equipment. Spotting the Autobots, Soundwave orders the Constructicons to defend the transmitter while he completes his transmission to Cybertron. The Constructicons then merge into one giant form, a robot called Devastator who manages to keep the Autobots at bay. Ordering Huffer to destroy the transmitter the home-sick Autobot is hesitant at first and fails to stop Soundwave from completing his transmission.

Bomber Bill meanwhile has found his truck complete and intact and uses it to sever some of the wires leading to the transmitters. When Soundwave attempts to kill Bomber Bill, Huffer saves him knocking Soundwave aside. With their mission accomplished, the Constructicons separate and transform into their vehicle modes and retreat. Huffer and the Autobots then bid Bomber Bill farewell and Huffer comments on how he envy's Bill for being able to go home when he can't.

Lastly at the Aerospace Plant, Shockwave is annoyed to find that Optimus Prime has not used the Creation Matrix to bring life to Jetfire yet and determines that if Prime cannot produce this new warrior then his usefulness has come to an end. Listening to this threat over the phone are G.B. Blackrock and Prowl.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Transformers_Vol_1_10)

Fan Art: Constructicons by xjager513

Accompanying Podcasts: ● Transformers Chronicles - episode 10

● Transformers University - episode 24

[mayhemproduces]

All six women are in the ring- at least most are standing, with Alexa Bliss sitting on the ropes like she’s on a child’s swing. As the bell rings there’s a second of hesitation before Ziggy Haim’s slamming Bliss out of the ropes and onto the floor with a harsh tope suicida! As the chaos gets the fans to their feet, Suruga goes after Trinity with some heavy lefts, while Julia and Riho both start with some harsh punches straight to the head. Trinity throws Mei Suruga into Julia and Riho, reveling in the crowds attention for a moment before Ziggy slides back into the ring and slamming Trinity in the back of the head. Haim’s quickly on top of Trinity, slamming again and again before she’s knocked the hell over by Riho with a diving missile drop kick! As soon as Riho’s standing again, Mei’s got her number with a harsh clothesline, before Julia hits her with a harsh knee strike. Before Bliss has a chance to get a shot to the back of Julia’s head, Hart’s spun around and they get into a headlock again before Trinity pulls Bliss out of it with a harsh neckbreaker! Trinity just looks at Julia, before brushing the blonde off and going for further shots against Alexa Bliss. Julia can’t rest easy, because Riho’s back up and definitely has a bone to pick with Hart getting a cheat to win in their last meeting. They start with some harsh back and forth’s again, before Riho pushes her away before slamming Julia out of the ring with a missile dropkick! They’re joined on the floor by a staggered Bliss and Trinity, who also stumbled out and continued to fight each other, but there’s barely a moment to breathe before Ziggy Haim is up on the top turnbuckle- OH! and they all go crumbling to the floor with a 450 splash! Mei Suruga crawls back into the ring, watching them all pull themselves up as she has the higher ground above all of them, stomping at their hands as they try and slide back in the ring.As Julia jumps onto the ring apron, Suruga runs at her for a harsh elbow, but the others use the distraction to slide in on the other side of the ring, Trinity grabbing Mei into a german suplex! 1-Julia breaks up the pin with a boot to Trinity’s stomach, but before she can go for a submission, Bliss slams Hart with a roundhouse kick that causes her to roll out of the ring.Riho hits Bliss with a neck breaker, before Trinity grabs her foot causing her to face plant as Mei Suruga slammed Ziggy Haim back out of the ring with a sliding baseball kick that caused her to crash into the front row of fans.Mei’s standing up in the ring, but she’s quickly met with Trinity up too, staring at each other as they both square up, but as Riho slides back into the ring they both turn their attention to the smaller woman with two superkicks for her trouble-As Trinity moves forward to kick Riho out of the ring so she could get back to a one-on-one fight, Suruga uses this little mistake to slam Trinity in the back of the head with a spinning roundhouse kick! As Trinity gets back up, Suruga sends a kick to her stomach causing Trinity to double over in pain, Mei Suruga grabs her head like she’s about to go for a package pile driver- but instead she jumps onto Trinity’s back and spins into a Newton Clutch! Mei Suruga’s got Trinity on her back, pushing her legs down to pin her for the- 1…2…3!!With a violent finisher, Mei Suruga’s got the Number One Contender’s spot for the MPW Fatales title!! What a match!!

[adventuresinclientservice]

Why don’t I quit?

Around this time of year I do a quick accounting of the number of people who have visited Adventures since I began writing it in 2010:   give or take, there have been about 26,000 visitors, most of whom I assume became at least momentary readers, if not repeat visitors.  The year before it was 24,000 visitors; the year before that, about 20,000.  Some growth yes – it certainly beats diminishing returns -- but a long way from explosive.  

Viral I am not.

There are two ways to view this:  1) “That’s a fair number of people, Robert; congrats;” or 2) “That really sucks, Robert, you ought to stop.”

It’s a little like the sales of The Art of Client Service:   20,000-plus copies sold is, by most measures, a respectable number, especially for the third edition of a specialized business book with a far from inexhaustible market.  But then I think, would it be acceptable to another business book writer, say a Michael Lewis or a Malcolm Gladwell?  Anything but.  It is, by their standards I imagine, a failure.

So why do I keep at it?  Why continue writing?  Is it worth it?  I’ve been at this for twelve years, I will be 72 next month; after nearly 40 years in this business, isn’t calling it a day long overdue?

That’s one voice in my head, marshalling compelling, hard-to-ignore arguments.  But there is another voice, equally strong, making counter-arguments, so I sat down for a quiet reckoning of sorts.  I made a list of reasons – the cynical among you might consider them rationalizations; I think otherwise -- that ran pretty long, but as I think about it, five emerge:

Connection.  There’s a saying, “You don’t use it, you lose it.”  Adventures is my way of orienting myself in, to, and with the business, a means of keeping my head in the game.  Posting once a week, which I try to do, provides structure and discipline.  I get  to “try on” ideas, one of which, the optimist in me proclaims, might serve as the spark that ignites a book idea.  It hasn’t happened yet – there have been any number of false starts -- but one can hope.

Conversation.   Adventures has served as connective tissue to former strangers I now consider friends, people like Rick English, Ken Ohlemeyer, Jenny Plant, Eva Van Krugel, and a host of others I otherwise would not have had the pleasure of engaging with.  On occasion an unsolicited note from a complete unknown validates my efforts.  In a moment of doubt, I receive a message from a former client, Seth Romanow, “I enjoy reading your posts.”

I am not reaching millions of people, but I am reaching one person at a time; that person matters, at least to me.  

Conviction.  This doesn’t happen often, but Adventures grants license to set the record straight. For example, I am a proverbial heat-seeking missile when Peter Theil suggests students no longer need to go to college, or Charlie Rose reveals himself to be the despicable sexual predator he is, or people pervert and abuse LinkedIn,, or when the liar-in-chief embarrasses himself yet again.  

When someone or something elevates my temperature to a boiling point, I know where the frog lives.

Condolence.  The hardest thing to write is a tribute to someone who has departed to the big advertising agency in the sky or elsewhere in the unknowable firmament. The most rewarding thing to write is that tribute.  

I never envisioned Adventures as a place to recognize the departed, but I am glad it has evolved into this role.  Most of the people I celebrate are colleagues. A few are friends.  With a handful, I simply am a fan.  I am honored to write about all of them.

Continuity.  Truth be told, the number of visitors to Adventures is abysmal, an embarrassment, maybe both. I’ve lost count of the number of times I seriously considered giving up.  But then I think of the friends I’ve made, the opinions I’ve shared, and the people I’ve remembered and celebrated, and, above all, the help I tried to provide. 

Perspective is a funny thing.  I step back from the on-going, occasionally discouraging toil of writing Adventures in Client Service and ask,

“Is it worth it?”  

Answer:  “It most certainly is.”

Twelve years on, I am grateful for your readership of what’s on the page today or what’s come before, anything that is enticing or useful enough to warrant your attention, and when you’re so inclined, a comment in return.  

See you next week.

[epim3des]

auuuughhh got small robots on the brainnn

my tiny defense 2 save got wiped though so i unfortunately lost the less cooler version of missiler bot (known as missile bot, they're decent but by god is the design a downgrade in my eyes)

and i can only play tiny defense 1 and 2 on emulators because they got removed off the app store

i want my missile-firing son back man

[dooodle-bug]

I harshly coughed as the smoke and dust filled my lungs I waved my hand in the air getting the dust out of my face when I looked to gate it was still up "hold on I think I have an idea Hairball can ya help out" a small black tandrill came out an nodded I grasped it in my hand and shoved it into the keyhole for a couple of seconds then the door was open I peeked inside to see origami soilders and paper macho soliders "JP take a look at this" I mooved aside so JP could peek inside

He lamented his failure of an attempt at blowing up the door before peeking through. Inside was a garden of folded soldiers and paper machos, all standing idly. None seemed to have noticed them. "Well, that's interesting. They're probably there to keep people from getting in." he noted. "But don't worry. I'm one of the king's loyal servants; they're bound to recognize me." They turned their back to him, showing the king's insignia printed on the back of their sweater, they twisted their beret to show the insignia printed on the side, and they lowered the case lid to show the insignia indented inside. "Just stay close to me and you'll be alright." He closed and scooped up the case once more and confidently pushed the gates wide open.

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Mechakoopa

Debut: Super Mario World

So a very polite anon has humbly requested we write a post about Mechakoopa! They are apparently this person's favorite, so today's their lucky day! See I don't like to brag but, I'd definitely consider myself as part of the top 100 most qualified people to talk about Mechakoopas in the world! And who am I to turn down such a request?

Now the 90s you see, were a turning point for good Mr. Bowser here. With a brand new clown-helicopter thing to pilot around you might think he's all set, but what kind of self-respecting villain would he be without filling his evil lair with a number of Evil Wind-up Toys based on himself? So he does exactly that- a whole fourteen years before Mario stole his idea, mind you!

Yes, you read that right! Despite their name, Mechakoopas are tiny mechanical versions of Big Bowser himself, not just any run of the mill Koopa, which explains their green heads and funky hair! You know how Koopa is actually Bowser's Japanese name? Yeah! They could've localized them as Mecha-Bowsers, but Mechakoopa just flows nicer doesn't it? And he is still technically a Koopa!

"Yo, somebody rang?"

No!! Not you, Mecha-Bowser from Super Mario Sunshine (2002)!! You'll get your turn eventually! Geez! Anyway. Where was I. Oh! Yes!

This is the obligatory part of the post where I'm like “Get a load of this funky guy”! Get a load of this funky guy! Instead of reinterpreting Bowser’s design very literally in toy form, the Mechakoopa is very much its own beast, with its funny beak and little funny legs. Our aforementioned anon mentioned the wind-up key, and oh, what a wind-up key it is! And of course the raisin d’eclair- the fantastic little googly eyes! Oh where would we be without those googly eyes?

Naturally though, Bowser doesn’t just use his toys to populate his spooky castle- he always has to keep a few on his person! So he chucks them at you in the game’s final boss fight, but he didn’t account for the fact that, in this game only, Mario can throw upwards! Oh no! His one weakness! Being pelted with plastic!

By the by, I’ve always thought the original Mechakoopa sprite from Super Mario World looked super funky! The hair almost looks like its on fire! And I like the goofy grin. 

The Super Mario World cartoon decided to interpret this sprite by turning him into a horrible little man. No, I don’t want this! He shouldn’t have arms!

The Mechakoopa’s next appearance in a mainline Mario platformer was in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, where they act... exactly the same as they do in Super Mario World! Cool! This basically established them as modern Mario enemies, but there isn’t much to say other than that!

Like all our posts about Common Mario Enemies, it would probably be boring if I just listed off their every appearance, so I will just bring up the ones that are worth mentioning. For example, Super Mario RPG! In this game, Bowser’s strongest special attack is Bowser Crush, which summons a giant Mechakoopa to stop on foes! According to the Player’s Guide, this Mechakoopa was a top secret weapon developed by Koopa researchers... to stomp flowers and scare butterflies! Wow! That is so so evil! These big guys would definitely live up to the name “Mecha-Bowser”! 

“Hey guys, are you talking about me?”

NO, we are NOT talking about you, Mecha Bowser (with no hyphen) from Mario Kart: Double Dash (2003)’s Bowser’s Castle course! Get the heck outta here! Gosh, some people just don’t know when they’re not wanted!

I am sure after all this you are wondering, they may be mechanical toys but can they do math? The answer is yes obviously! This is Mechakoopa from Mario Party Advance, and they’re a mathematician! They invented Mechakoopa’s Theorem, the very real mathematical theorem that we all used in school! Everyone give them a round of applause!

I’d like to bring up their appearances in the Mario & Luigi games, not because it’s particularly notable, but because of how much I like their sprite and idle animation! Look at the wind-up key spin around and the eyes go up and down! So cute! Oh, and also because in the Superstar Saga remake they replaced the Mecha-Chomp enemies (may god rest their souls)!

Super Mario Maker 2′s final update was an epic win and a #1 victory royale for Mechakoopa fans anywhere, since it not only added Mechakoopas to all four main game themes, but also two brand new variants: the Blasta Mechakoopa (in red) and the Zappa Mechakoopa (in blue)! 

As you might expect, they can Blast (missiles) and Zap (lasers) respectively! I’ve no idea why they added these random functionalities to Mechakoopas specifically, but they’re a lot of fun and some of the most unique projectiles in the game! Zappa? I barely know ‘a! 

Oh, and I almost forgot! They are in Super Smash Bros. as well! Bowser Jr.’s moveset is a treasure trove of little references to Mario gadgets, and even though Bowser no longer tosses these guys from his Clown Car, his son has taken up the job! Only in this game, Mechakoopas explode. Uh oh! They didn’t do that before! Still, I really like popping a Mechakoopa out of its Mechakoopa Compartment just to see it wander around the stage. It’s fun!

Now that’s all I have to say about good old Mechakoopas, but I’d like to give a special shoutout to this guy in particular- the Micro Mecha-Bowser, from Super Mario Galaxy! For a long time, I assumed they were just Mechakoopas with a different design... But this definitely looks like a beefed up version of the Mechakoopa, with their big goofy teeth, their pig nose and their funky cross-hair eyes! These dudes can breathe fire too, so they really are more like Bowser! And if there’s a Micro Mecha-Bowser, there’s gotta be a normal one!

“Whassup? I heard somebody call my name!”

Harumph! Nobody called you, Mecha-Bowser from Super Mario Galaxy (2007)’s Toy Time Ga- Er... hold on a second. You actually are exactly the person I was talking about after all! My mistake! Though I do wish you’d at least give us a heads up when you’re gonna show up, given you’re the size of a small planetoid!

Yeah, the Micro Mecha-Bowsers are named after this big robot from Toy Time Galaxy, Mecha-Bowser (not to be confused with Mecha-Bowser or Mecha Bowser)! Though I have to say, there isn’t much family resemblance! He’s so blue and un-turtle like! Still, this must’ve been my favorite mission in Galaxy as a kid- I’d replay it over and over again just because the idea of climbing on a giant planet-sized robot and dismantling it piece by piece was so cool! It was like Shadow of the Colossus before I knew what the heck that was!

Well that’s about the extent of the Mechakoopa family. Isn’t it fun? There’s a moral to be learned here, and it’s that, uh... little wind-up toys are very charming! Um, I suppose. Look, writing conclusions is hard! 

Mechakoopa

[lonestarbattleship]

Fire Control: Torpedoes, Part IV

"The battleship and cruiser hull-mounted torpedo tubes from the dreadnought & pre-dreadnought era are a distinct topic. The torpedo was originally intended as a capital ship weapon; its explosive power & ability to impact unprotected underwater hull areas was attractive for a fleet battle. Since battleships to fight in a long line firing guns on the broadside, torpedo tube maneuverability was not important; a battle fleet firing two broadside tubes per ship at a parallel enemy fleet was likely to cause havoc just from the sheer number of explosive missiles in the water. However, some target specificity was required, so some hull-mounted tubes could be trained by several degrees for fine-tuning a firing solution.

The training capability of underwater tubes was also useful for firing spreads in a fleet engagement. If nothing else, these were useful deterrents; if you recall the beginning of this series, it was fear of torpedoes that initially drove efforts to hit more accurately with guns from a greater distance, to stay out of estimated enemy torpedo range. A defensive spread could serve as a Hail Mary in a close range melee, or it could serve to increase the surface area covered by the fleet - the latter was called a "browning shot" and was essentially blanketing a broad point in the ocean with the intent of hitting something, but perhaps not something that could be seen (ie, a squadron in a rain squall or behind smoke). The same was true for above-water mounts; for the mounts used on WWII US destroyers, each tube within the quintuple mount could be set with a slightly different gyro angle, which would cause the torpedoes to fan out in different directions after launching as a salvo.

A central director station near the mainmast generated solutions for the entire ship, to be adjusted for parallax at the individual tube. Shown are: USS New Mexico (BB-40) in dry dock with hull torpedo tube visible, SMS Ostfriesland's open and closed tubes, French battleship Patrie's torpedo flat interior, a trainable tube within USS Maine (ACR-1), and French cruiser Suchet firing a trainable above-water hull torpedo tube."

Photos are public domain, from a variety of sources - namely the USN's collections and the Library of Congress. The sole exception is the interior photo of Patrie, from the 17 May 1914 issue of Le Miroir magazine, © Bibliothèque nationale de France.

For MUCH more detail, subscribe via https://www.patreon.com/hazegreyhistory . Caption is exclusive to Haze Grey History and may only be reposted by using the "Share" button (ie, please have the respect for this work to not copy/paste). Caption is exclusive to Haze Grey History Facebook page (link) and was shared with the permission of Evan Dwyer. Click this link to read more of his works.

[ramblingguy54]

Sonic & Tails R: A Love Letter To Miles Tails Prower’s Characterization

     Warning: This will contain massive spoilers for the short radio play series of Sonic & Tails R. If you haven’t listened to the radio play yet on Youtube, I’d highly recommend any hardcore Sonic fan who hasn’t seen it check it out. It’s one Hell of a treat.

     For as far back as I can remember in my childhood, Tails’ story of trying to step outta Sonic’s shadow has been such a resonating one for myself. Even when I was a much younger kid playing my Dreamcast, during entries like Sonic Adventure 1 & 2, there was some idea lingering about why Tails just stood out more emotionally in his journey to grow beyond depending on Sonic all the time for help. Now here I am a young adult in my late twenties having such a deeper appreciation of this little two tailed genius kiddo because he’s got an important element that’s made him so beloved for good reason.

     In spite of his genius being a rival to that of Eggman’s high IQ and of course proving to surpass it plenty of times when scenarios boil down to being a high stakes battle, Miles Tails Prower beneath it all is still just like any one of us. We’re all trying to find our place in this world about what defines us for who we are as unique people. He wants to be more than just seen as someone who’s alongside Sonic The Hedgehog’s never say die attitude, but prove he’s plenty capable of standing on his own two feet to protect everything the kid holds dear to himself. Underdog stories, when they’re naturally executed very well, can reel me in so easily. They are very much my bread & butter trope I adore seeing.

     To no one’s surprise, the two Sonic Adventure’s iterations portrayal of Tails’ characterization are hands down some of my favorite writing for the two tailed fox, regarding what the 3D era has done toward him, development wise. It gave him more of an existential struggle to endure like, “What happens when Sonic isn’t around to help stop Eggman? What if I’m not strong enough to accomplish what he can?”, making Tails plight to be seen as an equal all the more endearing when stopping Eggman in his climatic battle against the Egg Walker in Station Square. This here is a great use of a timeless lesson you can apply in life that if you set you heart and mind on anything, there isn’t a thing you can’t accomplish on your own, which is why many fell in love with Sonic Adventure 1 & 2′s writing for Miles Tails Prower’s journey of independence.

     As someone who comes from a large family tree of relatives, I feel the weight of my existence on my shoulders at a number of points more than I’d care to count, admittedly. Seeing Tails struggle with his sense of purpose, in contrast to observing how much Sonic has accomplished with his carefree, yet deeply compassionate attitude, means the world to me in watching another trying to comprehend their value as a whole on how much they matter, overall. This is a big part of why my fondness for SA1 & 2′s quality has never wavered over these years, besides still obviously enjoying most of their game play mechanics. People can try to debate to their heart’s content on whether the Adventure games still hold up in their own eyes, but I’ll always respect them for how they tried to develop certain characters, such as Tails, Gamma, and Shadow The Hedgehog notably, to attempt expanding upon their characters, as well as world building.

     I won’t bother going into a rant about how Sonic’s recent 3D games have butchered Tails’ personality & relatable nature, due to the current writers in charge of handling the cast of characters. More or less, I greatly empathize toward the notion many have already stated about Tails being so cowardly and God forbid, looking at Lost World, downright severely mean spirited. Rather, I’m obviously writing this lengthy post to breakdown why Sonic & Tails R succeeds, where these certain 3D games have greatly faltered in exploring Tails’ emotional dilemmas as an insecure, yet still having the courage to prove himself, talented boy full of hidden potential he doesn’t quite realize, until his back is against the wall in life threatening situations.

“That day, I realized I couldn’t depend on you forever. Not that I can’t depend on you, but like, “What happens when Sonic isn’t here?”, you know?”

     Sonic & Tails R further delves into this fundamental rule of what has defined Tails in Sonic Adventure 1 & 2′s stories of events where Sonic wasn’t there to aid his best bud in taking down Eggman’s evil efforts for global domination, most importantly his fear of defending the Earth without his role model. Besides what I already stated in SA1′s events in Station where he stopped the Egg Walker, as well as the missile Eggman launched from detonating before their climatic battle, Tails watched Sonic blow up in ARK’s capsule presuming him to be dead after Sonic imparted how much faith he has in the kid’s abilities to be truly strong in the face of any foe. Sonic & Tails R manages to use fan service in a way that doesn’t feel like “pandering” for the sake of it, using this past canon material to do more of an in-depth study about Miles’ anxieties of existing without Sonic.

     Wouldn’t put it past them if EmuEmi & crew were using SA2′s Sonic death fake out scene in that space capsule to further add trauma to Tails’ psychological attachment to Sonic, as well as his insecurities of depending on him too much, to boot. While it’s never obviously outright stated in their radio play, I definitely believe they were factoring this element into adding dramatic exploration for why Tails is so self-conscious about the worst case scenario of permanently losing Sonic. Watching Sonic supposedly die put Tails into a deeper state of self-reflection, so I very much enjoyed how they went using these past events to create a thorough exploration about him learning just as it’s important to realize you need to stand up for yourself without using someone else as a crutch all the time, it’s doubly important to remember there’s nothing wrong about asking someone for help when you’re about to be down and out with little options left.

     Sonic & Tails R beautifully builds upon the foundation these two games’ stories left behind years ago, creating new damn great material to explore with the most iconic characters of this cast, Sonic & Tails brotherly dynamic. I’ve been praising Sonic & Tails R out the wazoo for how well it captured Tails underdog story of overcoming death defying odds, but it managed to remind me how simply adorable and outright wonderfully endearing their brotherly chemistry is as a whole. This is a big friendly reminder Sonic isn’t all about being cocky wise cracking character making meta jokes left and right, but he can be plenty capable of showing serious compassion to anyone he values as an ally and friend. This is no greater evident, than with him verbally lifting Tails up in his time of need when he’s self-depreciating his own significance. It can be seen in Episodes 2, 4, and 7 giving Tails motivational pieces of advice.

    Episode 2 In Adabat’s Cavern

-Sonic: Wasn’t it your radar that helped us find these Emerald shards in the first place? How could you be slowing us down when you’ve gotten us this far?

-Tails: But, I...

-Sonic: I could never make something like that. You’re the smartest person I know, Tails. One way or another, we’ll figure this out, count on it.

         Episode 4 In Holoska After Helping Silver Save The Chao

-Sonic: So, what was that back there? At the cave, in Adabat? -Tails: What do you mean? -Sonic: Frozen stiff. Confidence shot. It’s not like you. It was more than feeling like you were “slowing us down”, right?

        Episode 7 Inside The Egg Carrier 3

-Sonic: Let’s split up! I’ll distract them and you can go after the energy source. -Tails: You’re gonna take them on all by yourself!? Let me help, Sonic! -Sonic: No time for this, Tails. Stop overthinking and just go! If I can get their attention, I’ll take the heat off of you and that room you’re going to probably won’t have any security. Take this emerald and I’ll take the other one we have. It’ll lead me right to you after I beat these guys. -Tails: O-Okay... -Sonic: Hold on, Tails! Listen to me. Don’t stop moving and be careful. I’ll be fine and so will you!

     Sonic & Tails R remembers the most crucial detail of their important relationship. One isn’t better than the other and needing to always rely upon that notion for helping one outta a jam, but instead showcases how they’re equals as a team/bros. Sonic may be super fast and strong, however Tails has his intelligence to analyze situations in a different angle Sonic wouldn’t necessarily consider, per say. Which isn’t to say Tails couldn’t put up a fight either, as we’ve seen in SA1 & SA2′s stories where he faced Eggman one on one with no outside help to best him at his own game of wits & strength.

     We get see the apex of this idea through Tails facing Eggman in his super improved mecha walker. Although Tails may get thrown for a loop here at first by Eggman, it’s his villainous speech about winners and losers in their world that ironically does the exact opposite of what he intended. Eggman wanted to crush Tails’ sense of self worth before finishing him off, but all it did was reignite the very lesson Sonic told him earlier before running to distract Eggman’s robotic minions. That said lesson of he’s more than capable of facing dangerous threats

-Eggman: Poor boy. We all have to learn this lesson, sooner or later. In every game there’s no one you can depend on. You’re all alone and you’re either a winner, or a loser. And as you know, loser’s lose all of their lives. Say goodbye, fox!

-Tails: You’re wrong! I can depend Sonic! I won’t let him down! I can’t because...Because he’s depending on me! And because of that I won’t lose to you!

     This radio play strikes a good balance in utilizing the grey moral area about depending on someone vs it being an unhealthy display of attachment derived from serious insecurity. Word’s can’t begin to describe how much I loved this moment to pieces because it’s oh so important for writing Tails’ characterization. If you’re going to tackle him being super self conscious about his reliance on Sonic, then you gotta remember why they are so close to one another to begin with. Sonic & Tails have an unbreakable connection, considering they’ve brought out their best qualities in themselves from being together as individuals. For Sonic, it’s his older brother compassion to Tails to bring him outta feeling melancholy. For Tails, the kid finally understands there isn’t anything wrong with depending on Sonic when he needs it most.

     After all, that’s what a real healthy friendship is all about. Whether you’re giving someone a dose of tough love, or simply a piece of motivational advice, it defines how much you truly care about someone, period. Sonic & Tails have this very same power from their bond, which is why new emeralds form from their compassionate friendship that hasn’t been shaken after all the years they’ve been together. Another detail worth noting is it adds to the lore in an impactful manner when Tikal expresses in Episode 8 about positive connections and thoughts from users of the Chaos Emeralds having a strong will & heart. Using the ideas they had for encapsulating Sonic & Tails’ dynamic to create new emeralds from their love for each other as brothers adds an emotional weight.

“So, Sonic’s not the only one who harness the power of the Chaos Emeralds? I can too!?”

“Yes, you have a strong heart! There is a power waiting to be unlocked within you, as well.”

          I’d always daydreamed about in my childhood seeing Super Sonic & Tails take down a threatening villain, whether it was Eggman or different powerful creature such as Chaos or the Biolizard. You can imagine how fucking giddy I was beyond belief to see this artwork of Episode 9′s cover for the radio play. Tails not only got to have another one on one with Eggman, but a team up with Super Sonic in his own respective Super form? Sign me the Hell up! Talk about an all you eat buffet of good writing for Tails’ journey reaching its climax. Getting to hear this play out, alongside the amazing song of Fly With Me, made it authentically feel like something straight outta if there were an installment of Sonic Adventure 3 being brought into reality, which certainly feels like it now.

     Episode 9 has so much awesome stuff with Sonic & Tails working together in their super forms. Particularly, my favorite scene is at the beginning when Sonic teaches Tails how to navigate his newly acquired speed in his respective Super form. My heart melted hearing Sonic help Tails through it all, while he was overjoyed about how fun this new form is for himself. Wholesome Sonic & Tails content is the perfect daily serotonin for me, easily. It’s an awesome fun fact to know they used a scrapped boss from Tails Tornado segment in SA1 for Eggman’s flying dragon three headed robot in their big final battle, once again using old canon material in a very effective manner to boost the quality of their fan made story.

     It’s been a real thrill to hear Mike Pollock play a straight forward serious Eggman making my day in more ways than one, considering that’s another thing I’ve been yearning for desperately besides Tails being a competent character again. His performance in Episode 9 when Eggman gave that speech about how long he’s been at odds with Sonic & Tails stubborn will power was simply excellent. The moment he told his mechanical dragon to crush them I got serious chills. That’s the Eggman I remember and grew up with. He could be a hammy villain sure, but Eggman wasn’t a doormat that could be swiftly beaten. Robotnik can be considered a serious threat in his own right and this radio play nailed it down to the very letter with how much he predicted their actions.

“Sonic, all I ever wanted to do was be like you. You’re not scared of anyone or anything. I could never be like that. At least, so I thought. I grew from that, but then I got so caught up in trying to prove it that thought it wasn’t okay to depend upon anyone, especially you. I just didn’t want to be that scared little kid in Station Square anymore, but now I understand. It’s okay to depend on your friends. It all means is that we’re stronger together, so the next time Eggman comes back and wants to start any trouble with you, or any of my friends. Emeralds or no emeralds, he’s gonna have to get past me and he won’t!”

Sonic By Episode 1′s End: Aww, yeah! Adventure, here we come!

Tails By Episode 10′s End: Aww, yeah! Adventure, here I come!

Turn your thoughts into power. Be all that you can be.

     The ending legit got me choked up because what of they decided to do for wrapping up Tails journey in a poetic fashion. Having Tails go off on his own separate journey to grow more independence pulled on my heart strings perfectly. Very much so, as I’m transitioning slowly, but surely, into gaining more freedom to go out into the outside world in my own life. Concluding the story, by Sonic & Tails holding onto the two Emeralds their bond had formed from positive energy, due to their powerful friendship, was so heartwarming. This is how you write an overview of what makes Sonic & Tails chemistry work so well as it does.

     Sonic & Tails R’s ending represents while some things never change, like Sonic and Tails bond for each other, it also shows there’s very much a necessity for people to grow, hence Tails’ whole solo journey in the epilogue. People can’t stay in the same place forever and will need go about finding their own path, even if it means saying “goodbye” periodically for a notable amount of time.

     It’s for these reasons I’ve listed in great explanation above throughout this detailed post cement Sonic & Tails R high on my list of favorite Sonic fan projects. They captured the magic of what made the Adventure games so beloved. Gonna be looking back on this passion project for many years to come. Everyone involved in this year long effort of a project dating all the way back Summer of 2020 ought to be immensely proud for how much their hard efforts paid off in the long run.

Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts here! 

Hope you enjoyed.