#off to my bullshit again

[mwezina]

Okay, because I'm fucking unhinged I'm gonna put this thought out there.

So, Paradox Space from Homestuck is a world that leans full tilt into the Space / Time continuum. Where Space is creation, and Time is destruction; Space is possibility, and Time is destiny. And every plot event can be seen as Space and Time grappling for control over the narrative. As a result, the story is very setting focused (because Space and Time literally translates to physical / metaphysical setting). It's also why every game needs to have a Time and a Space player to succeed.

But what if we create another universe that graphs itself on a different axis? What would a world like that look like? Could Sburb even function if it were to lean into another continuum?

(Disregarding the urban sprawl and coming-of-age in early 2010s aspects of the webcomic)

I thought about a possible world that could reflect the Life / Doom continuum instead. Instead of Paradox Space, it would be called Life Line. This world would be focused on survival, sacrifice, and the gathering of resources instead of creation and destruction.

So the players would begin to inhabit worlds connected in a line until the final player joins, creating a line of worlds connected by a perilous road. The win conditions are to use each of the worlds to contribute to a final product that can create another world that was less hostile (doesn't have to be a new universe, but I'm still working on that).

But instead of like in Paradox Space where we explore the ideas of creation and destruction; creation as a form of destruction and destruction as a form of creation, we'll explore the ideas of freewill and sacrifice.

There'll also be paradoxical moments, like characters choosing sacrifice creates more life, and characters choosing freewill ends up dooming others.

(Ugh, now I have to say what I'm inspired by, which is The Last of Us [2023]. I like the idea that Bill and Frank choosing death and accepting Doom is actually choosing Life. When they commit suicide together, they are taking agency over the cancer and the pointlessness of survival when you lose the things you care about. I also like the idea that when Joel chooses Life for Ellie, he directly Dooms the world. So you can see how Life and Doom can play so well together, just like Time and Space. But instead, there is a very humanising effect to it.)

So, the story that can thrive in this narrative will probably be more emotion-centric explorations. Explorations of society, ethics, human choices, etc. And I can see some ideas where the game can only be won if a Scratch is performed, making Doomed sessions also a path to Life.

And we can even have a Muse of Life who must be sacrificed for the world to continue and a Lord of Doom who ends up facilitating Life and freewill through his oppression. A lot of interesting ideas we can explore related to human nature. We can even make it Kafka-esque perhaps, with the Lord of Doom creating a totally oppressive system and forcing others to perpetuated it.

(Okay, what the fuck. Bring back the urban sprawl and growing up in 2010s America. This is the stuff of political conflict. In fact, this world might explore the underlying horrors of capitalism and colonialism even better. This story can go hard!)

While Homestuck explores thoroughly the Person v. Nature (or rather, force of nature or fate) conflict, this world can explore Person v. Society, or even Person v. Self. It's not just ideas and metaphysics we're fighting to understand, we're fighting for the soul of the universe.

[vaguely-concerned]

I understand and agree with a lot of the frustrations about the shortcomings of Inquisition as a story. but sometimes when I hear people complain about the chosen one narrative in it I do want to just be like... you know it's a deconstruction of the concept more than anything, right. the inquisitor isn't actually chosen by anything except stumbling into the wrong (right?) room at the right (wrong?) time because they like, heard a noise or whatever. or if you think they are chosen, as many do in-universe, that's something you have to take on faith, the maker-or-whoever moves in mysterious ways indeed-style. the Inquisitor isn't actually a Destined Chosen One, they're a Just Some Guy in a fancy hat, self-delusions of grandeur to taste as you'd prefer.

a running thread that goes through all of the personal quests of the companions is the concept of a comforting lie vs. an uncomfortable truth, upholding old corrupt structures vs. disrupting them, and the role of faith in navigating that. (blackwall the warden vs. thom rainier the liar and murderer. hissrad vs. the iron bull, or is that the other way around? cassandra and the seekers -- do we tell the truth about what we find, even if it means dismantling the old order of the world? and so on.) and your inquisitor IS at the same time a comforting lie (a necessary one, in dark times? the game seems to ask) and an uncomfortable truth (we are the result of random fickle chance, no protective hand is held over the universe, it's on us to make a better world because the maker sure as hell won't lift a divine finger to help anyone, should he against all odds exist). faith wielded for political power... where's the point that it crosses the line into ugliness? is it before it even begins? what's the alternative? will anyone listen to the truth, if you tell it?

interesting how you also get a mix of companion agency in this -- you have characters like dorian who ALWAYS choose one side of the comforting lie vs. uncomfortable truth dichotomy. he will always make up his own mind to go back to tevinter and try to dismantle the corruption of the old system no matter what you say, or how you try to influence him. meanwhile iron bull is on the complete opposite side of the spectrum -- so psychologically trapped and mangled, caught in an impossible spiritual catch-22, that his sense of identity is left entirely to you and your mercy. you cannot change dorian in any way that matters; you can be his friend or not, support him or not, but he is whole no matter what. you are given incredible and potentially destructive-to-him power over bull's soul. it's really cool (and heartbreaking) to think about.

this is a game about how history will eat you even while you're still alive, and shape you into whatever image it pleases to serve it, and for all your incredible power right now you are powerless in the face of the gravitational force of time -- of more than time, of History. you won't recognize yourself in what History will make of you, because you belong to it now. you don't belong to yourself anymore and you never will again. the further you were from what it needs from you to begin with, the more you will find yourself distorted in its funhouse mirror. (why hello there inquisitor ameridan, same hat!)

and to me this is so much the core of what Dragon Age is about right from the Origins days -- how and by whom history gets written, the inherent unreliable narration of it all. I hope you like stories, Inquisitor. You are one now.

I do think it's probably still the weakest of the games narratively, and it's hampered by its structure and bloated systems. but I also find it disingenous to say that there's nothing deeper or actually interesting going on with it, thematically. if you're willing to engage with it there is Some Real Shit going on under the high fantasy-tinted surface.

[boimgfrog]

it's always "autism acceptance" until the autistic person is weird, or fat, or a man, or has poor hygiene, or a POC, or makes unfunny jokes, or isn't a cute feminine gay, or is actually bad at communicating, or needs to have things explained to them, or is too loud, or too quiet, or needs to be told something multiple times to understand it, or has mannerisms that make people stare at them, or, or, or, etc. if you would show patience to the cute autistic girl who collects plushies and stims by flapping her hands then you MUST show equal patience to the large autistic boy who stims by humming or hitting his head and worms underwater welding into every conversation. I am no longer asking. your acceptance cannot begin and end with people you deem palatable.

[schizopositivity]

It sucks so much that as someone with a severe and persistent mental illness it's MY responsibility to jump through hoops and be proactive in contacting people at limited times of the day just to get MY MEDS THAT I'VE BEEN TAKING CONSISTENTLY FOR YEARS

[sweetshelluvaau]

You know: fuck this show! Fuck Viviziepop and her gaslighting victim blaming bullshit!

I don't care if you like Blitzo or not, he was forced into having sex with Stolas and even as the owl fuck 'apologizes' he still makes himself the victim! If he loved him he'd just give him the crystal without guilt tripping the guy or end the deal and let him use the book with no strings attached but no it's only about how much Stolas is the victim. We don't see things from Blitzo's perspective only this delusional asshole who only thought they were childhood friends when Blitzo was FORCED to be his playmate for a day.

Also I hate how Viv writes her characters like Ozzie and Fizz ooc just so Stolas can look better I'm sorry Ozzie would have saved Fizz himself and tell Stolas to go fuck himself and honestly I think they would give the crystal straight to Blitzo suppose to Stolas. Ozzie gave a speech about consent to Stolas he's gonna pick up on some red flags.

And yes I am still mad about how Ozzie was treated in this season thanks for asking...

I hate this, I hate what this show became it just fucking hurts to see something that I once loved turn into this Stolas pity party. I hate that this makes me as angry as it is but holy shit I never seen a show take such a nose dive as this and gaslight the audience in thinking that this is good writing just...

[aethergazing]

i'm back.

[kentjohnson91]

Need something to cheer me up so i’m gonna post some memes i made the other day but never posted

[polarmary]

What do you mean this never happened?

[abrahamvanhelsings]

the hitch in van helsing's words when he says "i beseech you" im going to cry for real this time. it's not even simply that he knows how important it is that he gets arthur to trust him, that he's conscious of their duty to all living souls and lucy herself to do this to her and how difficult this will be physically and emotionally. it's that arthur now distrusts him, cries at him in anger - arthur, the man who looks like his lost son and whom he loves because of it. the man whose love and respect he may now never get back after suggesting mutilating lucy's corpse. he isn't just desperate for all the men in that room to trust him so they can give lucy peace and keep the living safe. that's the sacrifice of his father's heart splitting in two right there. wtf alan burgon.

[fuedalreesespieces]

doesn't it just suck when your ex girlfriend gets revived and she's literally and figuratively falling apart

[jacarandaaaas]

pov you discover a magical green glowing object and it becomes crucial for your mission

[kayvsworld]

i wonder how many of these fucking talks he's been giving to everyone tony knows

[sweetshelluvaau]

Is it me or does it feel like the show is making everyone in Blitzo's life (minus Fizz and Oz. for now at least) hate him/think little of him all because the show seems to have a hate boner and likes to victim blame him? It even feels as if it's written as every one in IMP even hates him now and it's kinda gross honestly considering that for all the reasons for people to be upset at Blitzo for, and for good reasons: him 'wornging' Stolas is not one of them.

Also it feels like the show just wants to beat down Blitzo until he reaches his breaking point and then breaks him down more and more and I'm sorry if the show is about wanting Blitzo grow as a person that's not how you get there.

People get better and change when they're being lifted up not beaten down. Not saying you shouldn't call out Blitzo's behavior, you should he's an asshole at times but he's already a self destructive mess and knows it. And even for all that dickwardry, he does CARE and the show SHOWS us that supposed to TELLING us like they're doing with Stolas when we've seen him do nothing but guilt trip, manipulate and treat those lower than him like shit. He even negligent his own daughter.

Blitzo cares. He cares about his employees, his friends, his family and in a sad way, even for Stolas though not in a romantic way more than he's trying to keep him 'happy' so he doesn't lose his business and livelihood. If he didn't care he wouldn't have gone through all the work in 'spicing up' their sex lives.

So why is the show making it seem like Blitzo is in the wrong for sharing how he feels yet has every right to feel as frustrated and used as he does. But no, he's a monster because he made the creator pet cry.

Srsly fuck you Viviziepop.

(on a less ranty note: I have to give credit where credit is due that Brandon Rogers can act! No matter how bad the emotional moments are written at times (which is most), he still sells it.)

[mantabanter]

Back on my Raven Queen bullshit apparently

[parab0mb]

The first time I fought the King (after getting the shield of course) I was able to beat him no problem, but then on the subsequent attempt I ended up dying like 5 times in a row because he keeps spamming his instakill attack before the shield can recharge.

Is he supposed to be harder after beating him the first time? Or am I just getting unlucky, because I feel like I only beat him again purely by lucking out and having him not spam the instakill.

[olivexing]

Olympe is smitten. He MUST meet this dancer.

Olympe doesn’t understand corset laces, but he helps out anyway. The dancer seems surprisingly familiar….Ben DOESN’T want him to recognize her. But Ben DOES want to get to know Olympe, her strange merman friend from the docks.

They take a lil walk out to the beach:

And they get to talkin’….

Now I think there should be a g/t interruption.

Should they get to kiss? Should the kiss itself trigger a transformation back into Olympe’s giant merman form? Should he try to run off, and she follows him to the sea? She knows at this point that he’s a sea monster, but he doesn’t know that she’s a woman- and a dancer, at that!

What’s a girl to do? How should Ben reconcile these two identities, as a boy by day and girl by night?

Open to ideas on where to take this scenario in a ✨ g/t direction ✨ involving Olympe’s secret giant merman self 🧜‍♀️