#pc game development services

[sweecute-jamie]

Do you know which game avatar is this ? Checkout on https://Gamepodcasts.com and play online games

[macrobiangames]

unity 3d game development agencies

Among the Unity 3D game development agencies, Macrobian Games is exceptional. They are conversant with how to use Unity 3D in developing good games. Their team is aware of how to design games that are aesthetically pleasing and functional. If you have a game idea and wish to get it done at Unity 3D, then Macrobian Games can be a good option. They can assist you in doing that and ensure that the game is fun for the players.

[knick-global]

In the field of interior design, visualization plays a crucial role in bringing ideas to life. With the advent of advanced rendering software like V-Ray, designers can now create stunningly realistic visual representations of their concepts. In this blog post, we will explore the transformative impact of V-Ray on interior design, unlocking a new era of photorealistic possibilities.

The Power of V-Ray in Interior Design V-Ray has emerged as a game-changer and development in the world of interior design, enabling designers to go beyond traditional 2D representations and immerse clients in virtual spaces that mirror reality. With its robust features and unparalleled rendering capabilities, V-Ray empowers designers to achieve breathtaking levels of detail, lighting, and material accuracy.

[astrocafecoffee]

Astro observation ( part 1)

🔹For entertainment purposes only, enjoy🔹

♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️

✨ Uranus in the first house individuals may reject authority or traditions that feels restrictive to them.others may seem them as trendsetters or avant -garde in their approach to life.

✨ Venus in the 10th house of natal chart peoples are so workaholic that they prioritise their career, success over personal relationships or self care.

✨ your spouse's name asteroid could fall in your natal 7th house. ( Not necessarily, but it can be).

✨ mercury in the 5th house can indicate a communicative and involved parenting style. This individuals may encourage their children's intellectual development, creativity, and curiosity, fostering a supportive environment that values self expression and learning.

✨ Scorpio mars individuals have a strong sense of loyalty and protectiveness towards their loved ones. They can be fiercely protective of those they care about and may go to great lengths to defend and support them.

✨ regulus in 7th house of Composite chart - your relationship with your person may bring some fame/ recognition.

✨ Astrocartography mc lines - indicates which place may have a significant impact on your career or public life.

✨ Astrocartography Dc lines - you may meet your spouse/ long term partner there.

✨ Saturn in the 4th house individuals are very traditional 🙂

✨ solar return Jupiter/ mercury in 3rd house/ 10th house may indicate favorable year for cracking competitive exams.

✨ Earth dominate individuals may admire partners who take their commitments seriously whether it's in personal relationships ,career or other areas of life.

✨ juno in 1st house of groom persona chart means your spouse may influence how you present yourself to others or how you are perceived in social settings. they could bring out certain qualities in you or play a significant role in shaping your public image.

✨ South node lines in your Astrocartography chart indicates where you lived in your past lives.

✨ Briede conjunct Devine asteroid in synastry - divine/ fated relationship.

✨ Union asteroid in your groom / briede pc can indicate where you will meet your potential life partner/ spouse :

♾️ Union in Aries - dynamic / stimulating environments suggest adventurous activities, sports events, or places that involved risk taking and exploration. Gyms, fitness classes, martial art studios, organizing events , can meet through social gatherings / casual meet ups where people gather for fun or socializing. , Business conferences/ academic competitions.

♾️ Union in Taurus -

Fine dining restaurants , art galleries/ elegant social events. Settings related to finance, banking, investments , or business networking events., Exhibitions , concerts, musical performance, through mutual friends, wellness workshops.

♾️ Union in gemini -

Intellectual or educational events, workshops, seminars, book clubs , social gatherings , parties , online platforms, social media, dating apps, local festivals , neighborhood gatherings , during travel, airport, train station, writing workshop, media production, related to communication and journalism.

♾️ Union in cancer -

Family gatherings , reunions, hospitals , caregiving facilities, charity events , volunteering activities, through mutual friends, at historical sites, museums, art galleries, cultural events, small town festivals, near Lake, river, beaches, cafe , restaurant.

♾️ Union in leo -

Theatres , music venues, art galleries, or during performances and artistic events, parties , weddings, festivals , or grand gathering, acting class, outdoor festival, sports event , amusement park, related to child's education, youth organization, casinos, comedy clubs , gaming centre etc.

♾️ Union in Virgo -

Office , workplaces, professional conferences, networking events, volunteer activities, community service projects, charitable organisations, gyms, fitness classes health food store, wellness center, university, school , educational seminars, pet adoption events, parks , botanical garden.

♾️ Union in Libra -

Social getherings, parties, networking events, through mutual friends, concerts, cultural events, museums, theatre performance, settings related to law, mediation or during discussions that involve finding mutual agreements or resolutions., Teamwork, collaboration, relationship focused workshop,fashion shows, design exhibition, cocktail party, formal gatherings, courtroom, law office.

♾️ Union in scorpio -

Psychotherapy session, support groups, detective work, reasearch fields or in setting that require deep analysis and understanding., Spiritual retreats, metaphysical shops, astrology or tarot classes, tantra workshop, relationship councilling, setting related to investment, joint ventures, estate planning, holistic health centres , transformational workshop, place focused on healing practices.

♾️ Union in Sagittarius -

Travel, airport, train station, in foreign countries, or while participating in adventures such as hiking, backpacking, or exploring new cultures, University, libraries, seminars, religious gatherings, philosophy group, outdoor activities, sports events, camping trips, cultural festival, international events, language exchange program, law, publishing house, that promotes justice.

♾️ Union in Capricorn -

Office, corporate events, buisness conference, while pursuing ambitious projects, leadership roles, ceremony, cultural events, context related to banking, investments, Financial setting, teaching activities , prestigious club , organization, or during events where recognition and achievements are celebrated., Formal dinner etc.

♾️ Union in Aquarius -

Activism, volunteer work, community organization, seminars, conferences, discussion groups, online platforms, social media, tech startups, through mutual friends, social circles, online communities, music festival, Charity work.

♾️ Union in Pisces -

May meet in spiritual retreats, meditation centre, yoga studio, art galleries, theatre, music concert, poetry reading,film screening , volunteer work, charitable organisations, near Lake , beaches , hospital, clinic, wellness center, music festival, dance class, spiritual chants or ceremonies, book clubs focused on fiction on fantasy genres.

✨ Saturn in 1st house people often have RBF / Serious demeanor 👺

✨ Moon opposite/ square Saturn in solar return chart indicates emotional heaviness, feeling of loneliness or responsibilities weighing heavily on the emotions 😭.

✨ Jupiter/ Venus in 2nd house of Groom/ Briede pc indicates rich spouse.

✨ South node conjunct karma in synastry might suggest past life conflicts, power struggles or intense experiences that need healing or resolution in the current lifetime.

My other posts :

🔮 your future spouse's career.

🔮 your past life.

🔮 marriage placement in synastry and composite.

And many more on my page-

See you soon ~

- Piko ✨

[ranchstoryblog]

PRESS RELEASE: STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar Revealed on Nintendo Direct, Opening for Business on Nintendo Switch™ and PC Aug. 27, 2025

Marvelous USA Showcases Advancements to the Cozy Farming/Life Sim Series Including Gorgeous Graphics, Richly Voiced Story, and Expanded Gameplay; Physical Pre-order Available Soon for Nintendo Switch

TORRANCE, Calif. — March 27, 2025 — Revealed during today’s Nintendo Direct, Marvelous USA formally announced STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar, the next installment in the beloved farming/life sim series, is in development and will release for the Nintendo Switch™ system and Windows PC via Steam on Aug. 27, 2025. Originally teased on Marvelous Game Showcase broadcasts, STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar takes inspiration from the original handheld release in North America in 2010. This new interpretation expands on the content and feature set of the original, while modernizing the visuals and design, leaning into the title’s focus on the theme of “renewal” as players set out to revitalize Zephyr Town’s bazaar and return it to its world-famous glory. The title will be available soon for physical pre-order on Nintendo Switch™ through participating retailers and on the Marvelous USA Online Store.

Zephyr Town’s bazaar was once one of the grandest in the world, drawing customers and peddlers from all four corners of the globe. These days, though, the bazaar has more tumbleweeds than customers. It’s up to Zephyr Town’s newest resident to turn its fortunes around! Players will raise animals, harvest crops, craft rare delicacies, then sell wares at their very own stall in the bazaar. As the bazaar business grows, new goods and services will arrive, which players can use to improve their farm. Help return prosperity to the bazaar, settle down for a cozy life and start a family, and Zephyr Town is sure to thrive once again!

Inspired by the classic handheld title, the new STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar builds up and improves on the original in every conceivable way. The world is bigger and more alive than ever thanks to incredible new visuals, new characters, an expanded story, and full character voice work in story events—a series first. Take advantage of Zephyr Town’s unique weather, using the wind to make travel and farm tasks a breeze! The winds of change are coming to deliver a new life in STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar.

Key Features

Cozy Living Reaches New Heights: The magnificent beauty of Zephyr Town shines with gorgeous graphics while a richly voiced story carries the player on a rewarding journey of farming, friendship, and renewal.

Ring the Bell and Sell, Sell, Sell: Farm produce and goods take on additional importance as the heart of players’ business at the lively weekly bazaar. Players can customize their stall and take charge of their sales to build up buzz and power up profits.

Take the Leap and Ride the Winds: Harness the power of the wind! Use windmills to create new products to sell, and effortlessly travel across the town on the brand-new glider. Players can use the new jumping skills on their farm or when exploring the town to access new locations. Who knows what they might find!

A Beautifully Cozy Life: Enjoy a rich life amongst a colorful community of characters, from friendly townsfolk to magical Nature Sprites. Build yourself a home, grow relationships, and even find love and start a family.

Marvelous USA also revealed physical editions coming to Nintendo Switch™ with pre-orders to be available soon through participating retailers and via the Marvelous USA Online Store. The title is available in a standard physical edition for an MSRP of $49.99, and a physical Premium Edition including a copy of STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar, an adorable plush Suffolk sheep, a cloth poster, a physical art book with over 115 pages of cozy art, and an original soundtrack CD, for an MSRP of $69.99. Details on digital availability will be announced at a later date.

Developed by Marvelous and published in the Americas by Marvelous USA, STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar will launch for the Nintendo Switch™ system and Windows PC via Steam on Aug. 27, 2025. The title will be published in Asia by Marvelous Inc., and in Europe by Marvelous Europe. This title is rated “E for Everyone” by the ESRB.

For more information about STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar, visit the official site at https://www.storyofseasons.com/grandbazaar/, and follow the series on X and Bluesky.

Information about Marvelous USA’s products can be found at www.marvelous-usa.com. Fans can also check out the latest videos from the Marvelous family of titles on YouTube and get updates by following on Facebook, X, Instagram, and Bluesky.

[felassan]

New Dragon Age: The Veilguard Journal entry:

"Journal #9 Hans Zimmer & Lorne Balfe Co-Composers Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Composers Announcement"

"Hey everyone! Today, we’re so happy to announce that two-time Oscar-winner Hans Zimmer and Grammy-winner Lorne Balfe have co-composed the Official Soundtrack (OST) for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the new single-player fantasy RPG experience coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam, EA App, and Epic Games Store on October 31, 2024. The legendary composers have collaborated on dozens of projects throughout their careers and have worked closely with the development team at BioWare to create a score celebrating the world of Thedas and its heroes. Fans will be able to pre-order the Official Soundtrack album beginning October 18th on iTunes and Amazon Music, with the formal release to follow on November 1st via Lakeshore Records. Moreover, in celebration of the announcement, Dragon Age: The Veilguard Main Theme, has been released as the first single from the official soundtrack, and can be downloaded and streamed now on all major music services such as Spotify, iTunes, and more. “One of our goals with the music for Dragon Age: The Veilguard was to provide a strong anchor between the world of Thedas and the diverse characters that inhabit that world,” said Cody Behiel, Audio Director for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. “We wanted to ensure that throughout the game's story, whether at its most epic or its most intimate, players were able to feel their actions connect to the personal relationships they have been fostering. Working with Hans and Lorne took these ideas to greater emotional heights than we thought possible and I am so excited for players to experience it.” Oscar-winner Zimmer, one of the world’s most renowned composers, has won numerous awards and honors for his scores in such films as Dune, Dunkirk, Interstellar, Inception, and many more. With over 100 film scores to his credit, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the first video game soundtrack composed by Zimmer in nearly 10 years. Speaking about his work on Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Hans Zimmer said, “Epic stories lend themselves to epic scores, and the narrative tapestry BioWare has woven in The Veilguard never left me wanting for inspiration, be it during the game’s moments of shining heroism or darkest emotional pitfalls. I’m proud to have shared the journey of creating the musical backdrop for the latest Dragon Age adventure with Lorne and the entire design team.” GRAMMY Award-winner Balfe has over 170 composer credits across movies, TV and games, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed III, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and Beyond: Two Souls, all of which received nominations for Best Original Music from the BAFTA Games Awards. “The world of Dragon Age is an unprecedented immersive experience, and never more so than in Dragon Age: The Veilguard,” said Lorne Balfe. “Crafting this score alongside Hans Zimmer has allowed us to bring an epic new majesty to the realm of Thedas, bringing these characters and their stories to the next level. I cannot wait for people to play this game.” Players can pre-order Dragon Age: The Veilguard now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. We still have a few more things to talk about before release, and we hope you enjoy our main theme in the meantime!             — The Dragon Age Team"

[source]

(emphasis mine)

[genshin-impact-updates]

Day of the Flame's Return Version 5.5 Update Details

Dear Traveler,

Below are the details of the Version 5.5 update "Day of the Flame's Return" and the update compensation.

〓Compensation Details〓

Maintenance Compensation: Primogems ×300 (60 Primogems per hour the servers are down)

Issue Fix Compensation: Primogems ×300 (please refer to the relevant compensation mail for more details)

〓Scope of Compensation〓

Maintenance Compensation: Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 5 or above by 2025/03/26 06:00 (UTC+8).

Compensation must be claimed before the end of Version 5.5.

Issue Fix Compensation: Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 5 or above by 2025/03/26 06:00 (UTC+8).

Please log in and claim your compensation before 2025/03/29 06:00 (UTC+8).

Our developers will distribute compensation to Travelers via in-game mail within 5 hours after the update maintenance is finished. The mail will expire after 30 days, so don't forget to claim the attached compensation in time.

〓Update Schedule〓

Update maintenance begins

2025/03/26 06:00 (UTC+8) and is estimated to take 5 hours.

〓How to Update Game Client〓

PC: Close the game, open the Genshin Impact Launcher, and click Update.

iOS: Open the App Store and tap Update.

Android: Open the game and follow the directions on-screen.

PS5™ and PS4™: Highlight Genshin Impact from the Home Screen, press the OPTIONS button and select "Check for Update."

Xbox Series X|S: Open the system main menu, select "My games & apps," select the "Manage" tab, and on the "Updates" page, find "Genshin Impact" and confirm to update.

Please do not hesitate to contact Customer Service if you encounter any issues installing the new version. We will do our very best to resolve the issue.

〓Update Details〓

I. New Areas

New Areas Now Available

◇ New Areas: In Version 5.5, the following areas in Natlan will become available: Atocpan and Ancient Sacred Mountain.

※ As long as you have completed Archon Quest Prologue: Act III "Song of the Dragon and Freedom," a Teleport Waypoint will be automatically unlocked near Atocpan in the southwest of Natlan's Stadium of the Sacred Flame. (If you have already completed this Archon Quest, the Teleport Waypoint will be unlocked after the update). You'll also receive the Primogem reward for this Teleport Waypoint when it unlocks automatically.

◇ Natlan Reputation System Update: With the opening of new areas, the Natlan Reputation System now includes Tribe Reputation for the Collective of Plenty.

◆ Unlock Criteria:

• Complete "Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame" in Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn"

In addition, there will be new Fishing Points and "Radiant Spincrystals" in Natlan.

II. New Characters

5-Star Character "Strength in Serenity" Varesa (Electro)

◇ Vision: Electro

◇ Weapon: Catalyst

◇ A laid-back orchard manager and warrior of the Collective of Plenty. An aspiring hero who hungers for justice... and lots and lots of food!

◆ Varesa is a DPS character who specializes in Plunging Attacks and possesses high-speed movement.

By tapping her Elemental Skill, Varesa can quickly cycle through her Elemental Skill, Charged Attacks, and Plunging Attacks, making for an exciting battle. By holding her Elemental Skill, Varesa enters a high-speed movement mode, allowing her to explore the open world with ease.

Varesa enters the Fiery Passion state, which enhances all her skills and increases her DMG. Under certain conditions, she can ignore her skill CD and trigger her special Elemental Burst once while consuming less Energy, providing her with a significant advantage in combat.

4-Star Character "Tempered in Molten Stone" Iansan (Electro)

◇ Vision: Electro

◇ Weapon: Polearm

◇ Head coach of the fitness club at the Collective of Plenty, and a renowned Natlanese nutritionist.

◆ Iansan is an Electro support character who provides various buffs for on-field characters.

After using her Elemental Skill, she will enter the Nightsoul's Blessing state, greatly increasing her movement SPD. Performing Special Charged Attacks will grant her buff effects.

Her Elemental Burst provides an ATK Bonus to the active character. During this time, the active character's movement will restore Nightsoul points for Iansan, providing additional bonuses.

Additionally, under specific conditions, Iansan's Passive Talent can also restore HP for the active character.

III. New Domain

Domain of Blessing: Derelict Masonry Dock

◇ An environment incomprehensible to the inhabitants of today's lands, one where ash-gray mechanisms driven by golden runes replaced the toil of flesh, effortlessly bringing brilliance and imagination to life above pools of flame. After this era was ended by tyrannical outsiders, the once-powerful race stagnated in their submission. Now, the only visitors left to this place are mourners of a bygone era.

◇ Unlock Criteria (satisfy any one of the criteria below to unlock):

• Reach Adventure Rank 10 or above

• Complete Archon Quest Prologue: Act III "Song of the Dragon and Freedom"

◆ Challenge the Domain to obtain artifacts in the "Long Night's Oath" and "Finale of the Deep Galleries" sets.

IV. New Equipment

1. New Weapon (Examples based on Refinement Rank 1)

Vivid Notions (5-Star Catalyst)

ATK is increased by 28%. When you use a Plunging Attack, you will gain the "Dawn's First Hue" effect: Plunging Attack CRIT DMG is increased by 28%. When you use an Elemental Skill or Burst, you will gain the "Twilight's Splendor" effect: Plunging Attack CRIT DMG is increased by 40%. The two effects above each last for 15s, and will be canceled 0.1s after the ground impact deals DMG.

◆ The event-exclusive 5-star weapon "Vivid Notions" (Catalyst) can be obtained from the Event Wish. Please refer to the relevant official Event Notices for specific acquisition details.

2. New Artifact Sets

Long Night's Oath (4-Star and 5-Star)

◇ 2-Piece Set: Increases Plunging Attack DMG by 25%.

◇ 4-Piece Set: After the equipping character's Plunging Attack/Charged Attack/Elemental Skill hits an opponent, they will gain 1/2/2 stack(s) of "Radiance Everlasting." Plunging Attacks, Charged Attacks, or Elemental Skills can each trigger this effect once every 1s. Radiance Everlasting: Plunging Attacks deal 15% increased DMG for 6s. Max 5 stacks. Each stack's duration is counted independently.

Finale of the Deep Galleries (4-Star and 5-Star)

◇ 2-Piece Set: Cryo DMG Bonus +15%.

◇ 4-Piece Set: When the equipping character has 0 Elemental Energy, Normal Attack DMG is increased by 60% and Elemental Burst DMG is increased by 60%. After the equipping character deals Normal Attack DMG, the aforementioned Elemental Burst effect will stop applying for 6s. After the equipping character deals Elemental Burst DMG, the aforementioned Normal Attack effect will stop applying for 6s. This effect can trigger even if the equipping character is off the field.

Obtain the following artifact sets from Derelict Masonry Dock, the new Domain of Blessing in Natlan: "Long Night's Oath" and "Finale of the Deep Galleries."

V. New Main Story

1. New Tribal Chronicles

Mushroom Realm Mystery

Act I – Act III of "Mushroom Realm Mystery" will be permanently available after the Version 5.5 update

◆ Act I and Act II Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Reach Adventure Rank 28 or above

• Complete "Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame" in Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn"

◆ Act III Quest Unlock Criteria:

• Reach Adventure Rank 28 or above

• Complete Archon Quest Chapter V: Act V "Incandescent Ode of Resurrection"

• The "Focused Experience Mode" function is available for this quest.

The three acts must be experienced in sequence. You can only unlock the next act after completing the previous one and meeting the corresponding unlock criteria.

You can use the "Quick Start" function to accept Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I "Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn." After completing Archon Quest Chapter V: Act I, you can continue to accept and complete the subsequent Acts of Chapter V until you unlock the latest Tribal Chronicles introduced in the current version update.

Additionally, after Version 5.5 update until 2025/04/15 17:59, the "Quick Start" function will be available for Tribal Chronicles "Mushroom Realm Mystery": Act III. If you have completed Act II but don't meet the unlock criteria to start Act III, you can use the "Quick Start" function to unlock Act III in the "Events Overview" interface.

*Tribal Chronicles "Mushroom Realm Mystery": Act III takes place after Archon Quest Chapter V: Act V "Incandescent Ode of Resurrection." Regardless of the order in which you complete the quests, the Pilgrim's Chronicle will only record the content related to the Tribal Chronicles "Mushroom Realm Mystery" after both Tribal Chronicles "Mushroom Realm Mystery": Act III and Archon Quest Chapter V: Act V "Incandescent Ode of Resurrection" are completed.

2. New World Quests

New World Quests

Path to the Flaming Peaks Quest Chain, "Chronicler of the Crumbling City" Quest Chain, "A Finale Emberforged" Quest Chain, "Is 'Intensity' Really the Key," "Sing, Ho, For the Greatness of Fat!," and "Someday, We All Must Walk Alone," etc.

A Finale Emberforged Quest Chain Unlock Criteria: Complete the "Between Pledge and Forgettance" Quest Chain and "Lost Traveler in the Ashen Realm" Quest Chain, as well as obtain two Golden Entreaties.

VI. New Enemies

Lava Dragon Statue

◇ A creature with two forms that is capable of continuously generating heat.

When in its "Geohuman" form, you can use Pyro attacks to cause it to enter its "Molten Dragon" form. At this point, if you continue to use Pyro attacks, it will enter an Overburn state... However, if you manage to cool it down, it will revert back to its "Geohuman" form...

Located in Atocpan.

Furnace Shell Mountain Weasel

◇ A unique ancient species of mountain beast that has long lived in the Sacred Mountain Ruins and has formed an interdependent relationship with the Source Mechanism.

During battle, the Furnace Shell Mountain Weasel will burrow underground and activate its "Secret Source Core" to periodically attack surrounding enemies. At this time, dealing enough damage to the "Secret Source Core" will force it to emerge from underground. However, since it is hiding underground, using a Plunging Attack might prove more effective...

Wayob Manifestation

Thundering Wayob Manifestation

◇ The Wayob worshipped by the various tribes of Natlan manifest themselves in the form of these obsidian totems.

In battle, the Wayob Manifestation will deploy its Arena: Moment of Trial, creating a shield for itself and absorbing the Elemental Energy of all characters in the Arena. Characters in the Arena deal greatly increased DMG. If the shield is broken before the Arena expires, they will also regain a large amount of Energy. However, if they fail to break the Shield, the Manifestation will generate an Elemental Ward based on the value of the remaining Shield.

Natlan Saurians

Tatankasaurus and Tatankasaur Whelp

◇ The Saurians that inhabit the land of Natlan.

Special dragons that were better able to adapt to their environments, taking on different shapes and forms based on their surroundings.

Sauroform Tribal Warriors

Ferocious Warrior: Human Ram, Ferocious Warrior: Wrestler, Ferocious Warrior: Grappler, Tatankasaurus Warrior: Skybreaker, and Tatankasaurus Warrior: Spiritlight Chaser

◇ The warriors of Natlan's great tribes who fight for the honor and glory of their people.

Over long years of living and fighting alongside their Saurian companions, these tribal warriors have gradually acquired their traits and learned how to apply them on the field of battle.

VII. Genius Invokation TCG

Genius Invokation TCG Gameplay Update

New Character Cards: Kachina, Emilie, and their corresponding Talent cards. Corresponding invitation duel and guest challenges have been added to the Player List.

New Action Cards "Waverider," "Masters of the Night-Wind," "In the Name of the Extreme," and "Mystique Soup" have been added which can be purchased from Prince at The Cat's Tail.

The Forge Realm's Temper is once again available. The theme of this edition is "The Forge Realm's Temper: Endless Swarm":

(1) Defeat endless waves of enemies during the rounds in "The Forge Realm's Temper: Endless Swarm" to accrue score.

(2) After you complete the stage battle, you will gain a score and the corresponding rewards based on the highest score you got in the stage.

(3) Different stages will contain different special rules that grant buffs. Use these rules well to fight more effectively.

VIII. Imaginarium Theater

Imaginarium Theater Update

After the Version 5.5 update, the two Imaginarium Theater seasons will be as follows:

○ The first season of "Imaginarium Theater" will be available on April 1, 2025.

Required Elemental Types: Pyro, Electro, and Anemo

Opening Characters: Yoimiya, Thoma, Clorinde, Beidou, Xiao, and Sucrose

When Imaginarium Theater is open, the corresponding Opening Characters will obtain Fantastical Blessings.

Special Guest Stars: Xilonen, Alhaitham, Yaoyao, and Mika

After the first season of Imaginarium Theater begins, the characters Wanderer, Ganyu, Lisa, and Xinyan will each gain a new "Thespian Trick" that can be exchanged from the NPC Wolfy.

○ The second season of "Imaginarium Theater" will be available on May 1, 2025.

Required Elemental Types: Hydro, Cryo, and Geo

Opening Characters: Neuvillette, Candace, Kamisato Ayaka, Charlotte, Albedo, and Kachina

When Imaginarium Theater is open, the corresponding Opening Characters will obtain Fantastical Blessings.

Special Guest Stars: Venti, Hu Tao, Kaveh, and Kuki Shinobu

After the second season of Imaginarium Theater begins, the characters Mona, Tighnari, Ningguang, and Freminet will each gain a new "Thespian Trick" that can be exchanged from the NPC Wolfy.

Envisaged Echoes Update

After the Version 5.5 update, new challenge stages and Echo cosmetics for Venti and Dehya will be added.

IX. Spiral Abyss

Spiral Abyss Update

After the Version 5.5 update, Phase 1 of the Spiral Abyss will be updated on April 16.

◆ Floor 11 Ley Line Disorder changed to:

• All party members gain a 75% Cryo DMG Bonus.

◆ Floor 12 Ley Line Disorders changed to:

• First Half: Characters' Elemental Skill Geo DMG increased by 75%.

• Second Half: Characters' Elemental Skill Cryo DMG increased by 75%.

◆ Updated the monster lineup on Floors 11 – 12 of the Spiral Abyss.

◆ Blessing of the Abyssal Moon:

Dreadfrost Moon

When a character triggers Cryo-related reactions, a shockwave will be released at the opponent's position, dealing True DMG. This effect can be triggered once every 4s.

X. Other Update Details

New Recipes:

○ Exploration or Quest Rewards: Magma Eggs, Puffed Grainfruit Bars, Cheesy Mushroom Skewer, and Fruits Aplenty

○ Natlan Reputation System Rewards: Harvest's Boon and Cheesy Crab Hotpot

New Character Specialty Dishes:

○ Varesa's specialty: Mt. Mushroom (For One)

○ Iansan's specialty: Gold-Standard Healthy Meal

Adds new "Sacred Mountain's Fading Glow" and "Duelist: Series III" Achievement categories, and adds new Achievements to the "Wonders of the World" category.

Adds Set 39 of "Paimon's Paintings" chat emojis.

Adds some prompts for loading screens.

New Namecards:

Varesa: Powerhouse: Reward for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Varesa

Iansan: Unyielding: Reward for reaching Friendship Lv. 10 with Iansan

Natlan: Draconic Gaze: Reward for completing all achievements under "Sacred Mountain's Fading Glow"

Achievement: Tranquil Peace: Reward for completing all achievements under "Duelist: Series III"

Travel Notes: Blooming Glory: Reward obtained via the BP system

Adds some of the Harvestable seeds from Natlan to the Seed Dispensary.

Adds new Wildlife: Ancient Firewalker Spoonbill and Ancient Glazeback Turtle.

Adds Natlan wildlife that can be captured by the Omni-Ubiquity Net: Ancient Scarlet-Plume Finch and Ancient Red-Mane Boar.

Adds new Fish: Secret Source Scout Sweeper.

Adds a Natlanese "Gift Set" to the Serenitea Pot, which can be purchased from Tubby in the Realm Depot.

Another 4 sets of Artifacts are available to exchange in the Mystic Offering system: Artifact Strongbox: Song of Days Past, Artifact Strongbox: Nighttime Whispers in the Echoing Woods, Artifact Strongbox: Fragment of Harmonic Whimsy, and Artifact Strongbox: Unfinished Reverie.

Tona's Flame: Increase in the Level Cap of Tona's Flame to Level 40.

Repertoire of Myriad Melodies Update:

Adds new music album "Natlan: Land of Tleyaoyotl."

Adds new score themes "Fire and War" and "Ode to Azure Skies."

〓Adjustments & Optimizations〓

● Artifacts

In the "Artifact" interface, the "Quick Select" option in "Artifact Salvage" automatically selects all Artifacts by default.

In the "Artifact Enhancement" interface, when using the "Quick Select" function, Artifact Enhancement Materials are prioritized over 5-star Artifacts.

After the version update, Artifacts defined through the consumption of Sanctifying Elixirs will be marked, and are guaranteed to get at least 2 rolls for the defined Minor Affixes when fully leveled up.

● Serenitea Pot

Adjusts the layout of the "Realm Depot" interface to display more items.

Adjusts the "Realm Depot" interface by adding a "Exchange List" feature, which allows you to add items to a list for redemption, adjust quantities, and perform batch redemptions within the list.

● Android Controller Support

Adds controller support for Android devices. The following are the supported controller models and system requirements:

DualSense™ Wireless Controller: Android 12.0 and above;

DUALSHOCK®4 Wireless Controller: Android 10.0 and above;

Xbox Wireless Controller: Android 9.0 and above;

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2: Android 9.0 and above.

*The controller needs to be connected to the device in Bluetooth mode.

● Controller

Optimizes the operation experience of certain wheel-related button combinations in controller mode (taking DualSense™ wireless controller as an example):

a. Slightly increases the time required to hold L1 button to display the wheel interface.

b. The "L1 + right stick" combination is still able to quickly open the wheel interface.

c. Other button combinations will no longer open the wheel interface (e.g., when interacting with the Four-Leaf Sigil, activating Elemental Sight, etc.), and will instead perform the corresponding action immediately upon pressing.

● Mail

In the "Mail" interface, a search function has been added to the "Gift Mail Box."

In the "Mail" interface, certain event-related notification mails now include direct links to jump to their respective event pages.

Adds mail reminder for when "Blessing of the Welkin Moon" expires.

● Crafting

Adds an "Original Resin" amount display in the top-right corner of the "Craft" interface when crafting "Condensed Resin", as well as a button that can be pressed to refill Original Resin (similar to the "Map" page).

When crafting "Condensed Resin" on the "Craft" interface, if there is insufficient Original Resin but replenishment options are available, a prompt will appear with options to replenish Original Resin.

● Audio

Optimizes Chinese, English, and Japanese voice-overs in certain quests, and improves sound effects for certain Chinese voice-overs.

After Version 5.5 is updated, Kinich's VA will be updated to Jacob Takanashi (this change only applies to new content in Version 5.5, historical content will be gradually updated in subsequent versions).

After the Version 5.5 update, the character Ifa's Japanese VA will be updated to Terashima Junta.

● Other Systems

Removing friends, adding friends to the blacklist, or removing a friend from the blacklist will no longer refresh the scrolling interface for the "Friends" and "Blacklist" interfaces.

Adds the Astral Mark feature to the "Food" interface. Marked food items will be prioritized in the "Food" interface and other interfaces where Food items are used.

Adds a new icon for food effects.

If there are entrances to other environment maps in the "Map" interface, (such as "Enkanomiya"), an icon will be displayed. Press it to view information about the corresponding environment.

Optimizes the display logic for red dots of the "Spiral Abyss" in the "Events Overview" interface.

When tracking boss enemies in the "Adventurer Handbook" or "Events" menu:

a. If the nearest Teleport Waypoint to the enemy has been unlocked, you can use the sidebar in the "Map" interface to directly teleport to that waypoint and track the enemy.

b. If the nearest Teleport Waypoint to the enemy is not unlocked, the "Map" interface will track and guide the Traveler to the enemy's location.

*In Version 5.5, this feature will support boss enemies in the "Natlan" region, as well as boss enemies related to the 5-star characters featured during Version 5.5. In Version 5.6, this feature will support all boss enemies.

● Other

Optimizes the scrolling speed of scrollbars in some interfaces and makes them easier to press. In controller mode, the corresponding operation buttons for certain lists scrolled using the right joystick will be displayed.

Optimizes the "Paimon" menu on PC, adds the "Exit to Desktop" option to the interface when choosing to quit the game from this menu.

Reduces the cooldown time for successfully locating an Oculus using the "Oculus Resonance Stone" from 5 minutes to 2 minutes.

When tracking a quest in the "Quest" interface, if the quest is located in another scene, the map of the corresponding scene will now open and track the quest (this function is currently not supported in Domains, including the Theater Lobby).

Adds compatibility support for iPad Air (M3) and iPad (A16) devices.

Decreases the maximum amount of reaction DMG caused by Burning grass and Electro-Charged water bodies in Domains.

〓Bug Fixes〓

● Enemies

Fixes an issue whereby the head model of certain "Sauroform Tribal Warriors" would occasionally display abnormally when casting skills.

● Characters

Fixes an issue where the hair effects of Mavuika would display incorrectly during Nightsoul's Blessing at certain angles on some mobile devices.

Fixes an issue where after Xiangling switches to the "New Year's Cheer" outfit, her feet would float abnormally when selecting "Upbeat Encouragement" in "Take Photo" > "Pose."

Fixes an issue where, under certain circumstances, triggering the "Hypersense" effect from Ororon's Passive Talent "Nightshade Synesthesia" would consume Nightsoul points without dealing damage.

Fixes an issue whereby under specific circumstances, when Ororon was equipped with the Artifact Sets "Gilded Dreams" or "Flower of Paradise Lost," the on-field character triggering Ororon's "Hypersense" effect would not simultaneously activate Ororon's Artifact Set Bonus.

Fixes an issue whereby Yumemizuki Mizuki's weapon model would display abnormally after performing Plunging Attacks.

Fixes an issue whereby Yumemizuki Mizuki's hair had minor display abnormalities.

Fixes an issue whereby Yumemizuki Mizuki had a chance of prematurely ending her Dreamdrifter state when launched into the air while in Dreamdrifter state.

● Imaginarium Theater

Fixes an issue whereby some Overloaded DMG could not trigger the Thunderstrikes effect of "Brilliant Blessings."

Fixes some text description errors in "Brilliant Blessings."

● System

Fixes an issue where, under certain circumstances, the material quantity would display incorrectly when using the "Quick Select" function to add refinement materials in the "Weapon Refinement" interface.

Fixes an issue where, after the Version 5.4 update, under certain circumstances, there was a chance that the tutorial "Unlocking Domains" would be unable to trigger normally. After the version update, Travelers who have met the trigger conditions but have not triggered this tutorial will automatically trigger the relevant tutorial upon logging in.

Fixes an issue where, under certain circumstances, the completion rate would display abnormally when completing a performance in Repertoire of Myriad Melodies.

● Audio

Fixes an issue of abnormal sound effects and music playing.

Fixes an issue whereby some background music would play abnormally in areas near the enemy "Rilai."

Fixes an issue whereby when using a controller, the musical instrument sound effects would be abnormal when choosing to try out the instruments during dialogue with NPC "Sansa" under specific circumstances.

Fixes an issue where adjusting the key sound volume in the "Instrument Settings" menu within the "Settings" interface of "Repertoire of Myriad Melodies" did not affect the volume of the Floral Zither, Festive Drum, and Djem Djem Drum.

● Other

Fixes an issue where the "Ley Line Disorder" effects in the Domain of Guyun and Floor 1 of the Spiral Abyss did not match their descriptions.

Fixes an issue where characters or Iktomisaurs could not interact with certain activated Phlogiston supply objects while in the Spiritspeaker state.

Fixes some text errors in certain languages and optimizes text. (Note: Related in-game functions have not changed. Travelers can view the changes in different languages by going to the Paimon Menu > Settings > Language and changing the Game Language.)

�� Optimizes inconsistencies between certain voice-overs and the corresponding lines.

◆ Optimizes certain English translations.

〓Genius Invokation TCG Balance Adjustment〓

Adjusts the initial max HP of Character Cards "Sigewinne," "Sangonomiya Kokomi," "Venti," "Ganyu," "Hu Tao," "Zhongli," "Noelle," and "Jean" from 10 to 12.

Adjusts the effect of Event Card "Elemental Resonance: High Voltage" to: "Your active character and your next character without maximum Energy gain 1 Energy."

Adjusts the effect of Event Card "Elemental Resonance: Impetuous Winds" to: "The next time you perform 'Switch Character': This action will be considered a Fast Action instead of a Combat Action. It will also cost 1 less Elemental Die. The next Swirl Reaction you trigger deals +1 DMG to all opposing characters except the target."

Adjusts the effect of Event Card "Elemental Resonance: Sprawling Greenery" to: "If you have Burning Flame/Dendro Core/Catalyzing Field on the field, deal 1 Pyro DMG/Hydro DMG/Electro DMG to the opposing active character."

Adjusts the effect of Event Card "Elemental Resonance: Enduring Rock" to: "Provides 3 Shield points for your active character."

*This is a work of fiction and is not related to any actual people, events, groups, or organizations.

PlayStation, "PS5", "PS4", "DualSense", "DUALSHOCK" are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

[gloomlet]

Gloomlet’s TS4 Script, Gameplay & Replacement Mods

So I decided to compile a list of all the script/gameplay mods that i use or have used in my game. This was mainly made for my personal use, but i am sure it could be helpful to other people too!

Fully Updated - 1/22/2025

Basic & Recommended!

TS4 Mod Manager ui cheats extension mc command center Carl's Sims 4 Gameplay Overhaul Relationship & Pregnancy Overhaul Wonderful Whims The Mood Pack Mod First Impressions Contextual Social Interactions Simulation Lag Fix Teleport Any Sim Better Exceptions

CAS Mods

Stand still in CAS More Traits in CAS Tidy details in CAS More CAS columns Lifetime Aspirations Child Aspirations Set Housewife - Aspiration Unlimited Likes + Dislikes Preferences Plus Homebody - Preferences 100+ CAS Traits Resized Facial Piercings More Teeth!

Replacements & Retextures

Fan Art Maps Map Replacements Overhaul Clean UI Sims 1 & 2 Font LIS Fonts Fluffy Clouds (Ghibli Clouds) Feet replacement Hand replacement Bra + Panty Replacement better babies Baby bottle replacement Default Cutlery! Cute Kitchenware Replacement Boxing Gloves Aquarium Fish Recolor paint it up mod A brighter mop Selfie Override Phone call animations Extended Phone Calls

Objects Phone Replacement Another phone replacement Phone wallpaper & icons Smaller dollhouses Switch Controller + console Game controller PS1 console pc game override Remote control sponge & spray override Another Sponge & Spray override

Electric Toothbrush Razor Bassinet override infant rug +  infant tub child drawing replacement more drawing replacements weather controller Cats & Dogs Fireplace Headphone/earbud override Old-fashioned Suitcase The slightly nicer Tree House Fireplace Lil Campers Light

Replaced + more Interactions Bed Cuddles Better Woohoo Reactions Realistic Reactions Brush Teeth From Toothbrush Holders Wake-up animation Greetings Offer Rose override

Visuals & effects No overhead effects No zzz No object highlight no plumbob please Smaller Mosaic Minimalist CC Icon More Holiday icons

Gameplay!

Playable Pets Slower infant needs Expanded Mermaids Who's Knocking More Visitors No Bad Microwave Buffs Memory Panel Smarter Pie Menu: Searchable Smart Sim Randomizer Play Chess on any computer Strangerville Story toggle

Careers & Jobs Career Overhaul New Careers Simdeed Recruitment Services Flex Part-Time Recruitment Agency Game Developer Career Ultimate Nursing Career Modeling Career Tumbling Tots Daycare Career Shear Brilliance - Cosmetology Seasonal Odd Jobs - Autumn Odd Job Overhaul Modeling and Makeup Odd Jobs Babysitting Gigs Freelance Chef

Education Uni Tweaks Education Overhaul Uni Application Overhaul University costs more Choose Your Roommate Long Distance Learning No Uni Housing Restrictions Uni Aspirations School Lunch Override Longer or Shorter Degree Requirements

Cooking + Food Food Retexture Pack 1, Pack 2, Pack 3 Breakfast Retextures Dinner Food Retextures Pizza Retexture Grannies Cookbook Oni’s Recipe Pack + more recipes Chef Buffet S’more Options Srsly's Complete Cooking Overhaul Dine Out Reloaded Delivery Services Sims Eat and Drink Faster Porto Luminoso Market Cutouts Buyable Cakes Functional Mixer HCH Mixer & Cookbook Functional Air fryer Functional Blender Functional Cookie jar Another Cookie Jar Functional Toaster Functional Cake Stand Functional Rice cooker Functional Pressure Cooker Boba Tea Add-ons Functional Beer Functional Frozen Ice Cart

Pregnancy Realistic Pregnancy Cherished Moments - Pregnancy Science Baby Tweak

Services & Apps Sim National Bank “SimDa” Dating App Exchange Store

Interactions Meaningful Stories Cute Romance Drama Mod Autonomous Go Steady and Propose Autonomous Break Up and Divorce Dynamic Teen Life Parent-Child Relationships Let's Get Fit Modpack Sumba Fitness

Functional Items Playful Toddler Pack Toddler Play Telephone Little Chef’s Toy Kitchen Void Critter Tablet Functional Pool Slide

Functional Toy Bin Functional Hopscotch Functional Broom Functional Paper Sketchpad Functional Drumkit Functional Spiral Staircases In Your Safe Piggy Banks Film Reaper Movie Theater Left End Counter Dishwaser

Random Small mods

Loading and CAS screens

Free Sims 4, Free Loading Screen Bonehilda Loading Screen Custom Color loading screens Lights Out Loading Screen The Blues Collection Loading Screen Lin Sims Loading Screens San Sequoia Loading Screens Abstract Art + Landscape Loading Screens H-O-B & Sulani Loading Screens Autumn Loading Screens Pink Kitten Animated Loading Screen Life is Strange Loading Screens Cloudy TS2 CAS Background Ocean Waves CAS Room Old School - CAS Room Modern Minimalism CAS Room Plumbob replacements Crystal Loading Screens

lighting mods

sunblind lighting + installation Milk Thistle Better in-game lighting Gentle CAS lighting

[acealistair]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard GameInformer Article Transcribed

I saw some people lamenting that they had no way to read the GameInformer article, and while MVP dalishious posted screenshots of the article here, I figured that might be a little difficult to read, plus people with screen readers can't read it of course. So I've gone ahead and transcribed it! Full thing below the cut!

As a note, I transcribed it without correcting any typos, capitalization errors, etc. that the article itself had (as much as it pained me, omg the author capitalizes so many things that shouldn't be and vice versa). There may be some typos on my part as I did this as quickly as I could, so apologies in advance for any you might encounter.

I have also created a plot-spoiler-free version of the article for those who would like to learn more about the mechanics of the game without learning more plot info than they want!

Throughout my research and preparation for a trip to BioWare’s Edmonton, Canada, office for this cover story, I kept returning to the idea that its next game, Dragon Age: The Veilguard (formerly subtitled Dreadwolf) is releasing at a critical moment for the storied developer. The previous installment, Dragon Age: Inquisition, hit PlayStation, Xbox, and PC a decade ago. It was the win BioWare needed, following the 2012 release of Mass Effect 3 with its highly controversial and (for many) disappointing ending. Inquisition launched two years later, in 2014, to rave reviews and, eventually, various Gameo the Year awards, almost as if a reminder of what the studio was capable of.

Now, in 2024, coincidentally, the next Dragon Age finds itself in a similar position. BioWare attempted a soft reboot of Mass Effect with Andromeda in 2017, largely seen as a letdown among the community, and saw its first live-service multiplayer attempt in 2019’s Anthem flounder in the tricky waters of the genre; it aimed for a No Man’s Sky-like turnaround with Anthem Next, but that rework was canceled in 2021. Like its predecessor, BioWare’s next Dragon Age installment is not only a new release in a beloved franchise, but is another launch with the pressure of BioWare’s prior misses; a game fans hope will remind them the old BioWare is still alive today.

“Having been in this industry for 25 years, you see hits and misses, and it’s all about building off of those hits and learning from those misses,” BioWare general manager Gary McKay, who’s been with the studio since January 2020, tells me.

As McKay gives me a tour of the office, I can’t help but notice how much Anthem is scattered around it. More than Mass Effect, more than Dragon Age, there’s a lot of Anthem - posters, real-life replicas of its various Javelins, wallpaper, and more. Recent BioWare news stories tell of leads and longtime studio veterans laid off and others departing voluntarily. Veilguard’s development practically began with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. When I ask McKay about the tumultuousness of BioWare and how he, as the studio manager, makes the team feel safe in the product it’s developing, he says it’s about centering on the creative vision. “[When] we have that relentless pursuit for quality, and we have passion and people in the right roles, a lot of the other stuff you’re talking about just fades into the background.”

That’s a sentiment echoed throughout the team I speak to: Focus on what makes a BioWare game great and let Veilguard speak for itself. Though I had no expectations going in - it’s been 10 years since the last Drag Age, after all, and BioWare has been cagey about showing this game publicly - my expectations have been surpassed. This return to Thedas, the singular continent of the franchise, feels like both a warm welcome for returning fans and an impressive entry point for first-time players.

New Age, New Name

At the start of each interview, I address a dragon-sized elephant in the room with the game’s leads. What was Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is now Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Why?

“These games are reflections of the teams that make them, and as part of that, it means we learn a lot about what the heart and soul of the game really is as we’re developing it,” Veilguard game director Corinne Busche tells me. “We quickly learned and realized that the absolute beating heart of this game is these authentic, diverse companions. And when we took a step back, as we always do, we always check our decisions and make sure they still represent the game we’re trying to build.”

Dreadwolf no longer did that, but each member of BioWare I speak to tells me The Veilguard does. And while I was initially abrasive to the change - lore aside, Dreadwolf is simply a cool name - I warmed up to The Veilguard.

Solas, a Loki-esque trickster member of the Elven pantheon of gods known as the Dread Wolf, created the Veil long ago while attempting to free the elves from their slave-like status in Thedas. This Veil is a barrier between the magical Fade and Thedas, banishing Elven gods and removing Elven immortality from the world. But players didn’t know that in Inquisition, where he is introduced as a mage ally and companion. However, at the end of Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC, which sets the stage for Veilguard, we learn in a shocking twist that Solas wants to destroy the Veil and restore Elves to their former glory. However, doing so would bring chaos to Thedas, and those who call it home, the people who eventually become The Veilguard, want to stop him.

“There’s an analogy I like to use, which is, ‘If you want to carve an elephant out of marble, you just take a piece of marble and remove everything that doesn’t look like an elephant,’” Veilguard creative director John Epler says. “As we were building this game, it became really clear that it was less that we were trying to make The Veilguard and more like The Veilguard was taking shape as we built the game. Solas is still a central figure in it. He’s still a significant character. But really, the focus shifts to the team.

“[We] realized Dreadwolf suggests a title focused on a specific individual, whereas The Veilguard, much like Inquisition, focuses more on the team.”

Creating Your Rook

Veilguard’s character creator is staggeringly rich, with a dizzying number of customizable options. Busche tells me that inclusivity is at the heart of it, noting that she believes everyone can create someone who represents them on-screen.

There are four races to choose from when customizing Rook, the new playable lead - Elves, Qunari, Humans, and Dwarves - and hundreds of options to customize your character beyond that. You can select pronouns separately from gender and adjust physical characteristics like height, shoulder width, chest size, glute and bulge size, hip width, how bloodshot your eyes are, how crooked your nose is, and so much more. There must be hundreds of sliders to customize these body proportions and features like skin hue, tone, melanin, and just about anything else you might adjust on a character. Oh, and there’s nudity in Veilguard, too, which I learn firsthand while customizing my Rook.

“The technology has finally caught up to our ambition,” Dragon Age series art director Matt Rhodes tells me as we decide on my warrior-class Qunari’s backstory, which affects faction allegiance, in-game dialogue, and reputation standing - we choose the pirate-themed Lords of Fortune.

Notably, instead of a warrior class, we could have chosen mage or rogue. All three classes have unique specializations, bespoke skill trees, and special armors, too. And though our Rook is aligned with the Lords of Fortune faction, there are others to choose from including the Grey Wardens, Shadow Dragons, The Mourn Watch, and more. There is some flexibility in playstyle thanks to specializations, but your class largely determines the kind of actions you can perform in combat.

“Rook ascends because of competency, not because of a magical McGuffin,” BioWare core lead and Mass effect executive producer Michael Gamble tells me in contrast to Inquisition’s destiny-has-chosen-you-characterization.

“Rook is here because they choose to be, and that speaks to the kind of character that we’ve built.” Busche adds, “Someone needs to stop this, and Rook says, ‘I guess that’s me.’”

Beyond the on-paper greatness of this character creator, its customizability speaks to something repeated throughout my BioWare visit: Veilguard is a single-player, story-driven RPG. Or in other words, the type of game that made BioWare as storied as it is. McKay tells me the team explored a multiplayer concept early in development before scratching it to get back to BioWare basics. The final game will feature zero multiplayer and no microtransactions.

Happy to hear that, I pick our first and last name, then one of four voices, with a pitch shifter for each, too, and we’re off to Minrathous.

Exploring Tevinter For The First Time

Throughout the Dragon Age series, parts of Thedas are discussed by characters and referenced by lore material but left to the imagination of players as they can’t visit them. Veilguard immediately eschews this, setting its opening prologue mission in Minrathous, the capital of the  Tevinter Empire. Frankly, I’m blown away by how good it looks. It’s my first time seeing Veilguard in action and my first look at a Dragon Age game in nearly a decade. Time has treated this series well, and so has technology.

Epler, who’s coming up on 17 years at BioWare, acknowledges that the franchise has always been at the will of its engine. Dragon Age: Origins and II’s Eclipse Engine worked well for the time, but today, they show their age. Inquisition was BioWare’s first go at Ea’s proprietary Frostbite engine - mind you, an engine designed for first-person shooters and decidedly not multi-character RPGs - and the team struggled there, too. Epler and Busche agree Veilguard is the first RPG where BioWare feels fully in command of Frostbite and, more generally, its vision for this world.

We begin inside a bar. Rook and Varric are looking for Neve Gallus, a detective mage somewhere in Minrathous. The first thing players will do once Veilguard begins is select a dialogue option, something the team says speaks to their vision of a story-forward, choice-driven adventure. After a quick bar brawl cutscene that demonstrates Rook’s capabilities, there’s another dialogue choice, and different symbols here indicate the type of tone you can roll with. There’s a friendly, snarky, and rough-and-tough direct choice, and I later learn of a more romantically inclined “emotional” response. These are the replies that will build relationships with characters, romantic and platonic alike, but you’re welcome to ignore this option. However, your companions can romance each other, so giving someone the cold shoulder might nudge them into the warm embrace of another. We learn Neve is in Dumat Plaza and head into the heart of Minrathous.

Rhodes explains BioWare’s philosophy for designing this city harkens back to a quick dialogue from Inquisition’s Dorian Pavus. Upon entering Halamshiral’s Winter Palace, the largest venue in Dragon Age history at that point, Dorian notes that it’s cute, adorable even, alluding to his Tevinter heritage. If Dorian thinks the largest venue in Dragon Age history is cute and adorable, what must the place he’s from be like? “It’s like this,” Rhodes says as we enter Minrathous proper in-game.

Minrathous is huge, painted in magical insignia that looks like cyberpunk-inspired neon city signs and brimming with detail. Knowing it’s a city run by mages and built entirely upon magic, Rhodes says the team let its imagination run wild. The result is the most stunning and unique city in the series. Down a wide, winding pathway, there’s a pub with a dozen NPCs - Busche says BioWare used Veilguard’s character creator to make each in-world NPC except for specific characters like recruitable companions - and a smart use of verticality, scaling, and wayfinding to push us toward the main attraction: Solas, attempting to tear down the Veil.

All hell is breaking loose. Pride Demons are rampaging through the city. Considering Pride Demons were bosses in prior games, seeing them roaming freely in the prologue of Veilguard speaks to the stakes of this opener. Something I appreciate throughout our short journey through Minrathous to its center below is the cinematography at play. As a Qunari, my character stands tall, and Rhodes says the camera adjusts to ensure larger characters loom over those below. On the flip side, the camera adjusts for dwarves to demonstrate their smaller stature compared to those around them.

This, coupled with movie-liked movement through the city as BioWare showcases the chaos happening at the hands of Solas’ Veil-break ritual, creates a cinematic start that excited me, and I’m not even hands-on with the game.

Eventually, we reach Neve, who has angered some murderous blood mages, and rescue her from danger. Or rather, help… barely. Neve is quite capable, and her well-acted dialogue highlights that. Together, Varric, returning character Lace Harding, who is helping us stop Solas and is now a companion, Rook, and Neve defeat some demons. They then take on some Venatori Cultists seizing this chaotic opportunity to take over the city and other enemies before making it to Solas’ hideout. As we traverse deeper and deeper into this hideout, more of Solas’ murals appear on the walls, and things get more Elven. Rhodes says this is because you’re symbolically going back in time, as Minrathous is a city built by mages on the bones of what was originally the home of Elves.

At the heart of his hideout, we discover Solas’ personal Eluvian. This magical mirror-like structure allows the gang to teleport (and mechanically fast-travel) to Arlathan Forest, where Solas is secretly performing the ritual (while its effects pour out into Minrathous).

Here, we encounter a dozen or so demons, which BioWare has fully redesigned on the original premise of these monstrous creatures. Rhodes says they’re creatures of feeling and live and die off the emotions around them. As such, they are just a floating nervous system, push into this world from the Fade, rapidly assembled into bodies out of whatever scraps they find.

I won’t spoil the sequence of events here, but we stop Solas’ ritual and seemingly save the world… for now. Rook passes out moments later and wakes up in a dream-like landscape to the voice of none  other than Solas. He explains a few drops of Rook’s blood interacted with the ritual, connecting them to the Fade forever. He also says he was attempting to move the Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain, part of the Evanuris or Elven gods of ancient times, to a new prison because the one he had previously constructed was failing. Unfortunately, Solas is trapped in the Fade by our doing, and these gods are now free. It’s up to Rook to stop them; thus, the stage for our adventure is set.

The Veilguard Who’s Who

While we learned a lot about returning character but first-time companion Lace Harding, ice mage private detective Neve Gallus, and veil jumper Bellara Lutara, BioWare shared some additional details about other companions Rook will meet later in the game. Davrin is a charming Grey Warden who is also an excellent monster hunter; Emmrich is a member of Nevarra’s Mourn Watch and a necromancer with a skeleton assistant named Manfred; Lucanis is a pragmatic assassin whose bloodline descends from the criminal House of Crows organization; And Taash is a dragon hunter allied with the piratic Lords of Fortune. All seven of these characters adorn this Game Informer issue, with Bellara up front and center in the spotlight.

The Lighthouse

After their encounter with Solas, Rook wakes up with Harding and Neve in the lair of the Dread Wolf himself, a special magical realm in the Fade called the Lighthouse. It’s a towering structure centered amongst various floating islands. Epler says, much like Skyhold in Inquisition, the Lighthouse is where your team bonds, grows, and prepares for its adventures throughout the campaign. It also becomes more functional and homier as you do. Already, though, it’s a beautifully distraught headquarters for the Veilguard, although they aren’t quite referring to themselves as that just yet.

Because it was Solas’ home base of operations, it’s gaudy, with his fresco murals adorning various walls, greenery hanging from above, and hues of purple and touches of gold everywhere. Since it’s in the Fade, a realm of dreams that responds to your world state and emotion, the Lighthouse reflects the chaos and disrepair of the Thedas you were in moments ago. I see a clock symbol over a dialogue icon in the distance, which signals an optional dialogue option. We head there, talk to Neve, select a response to try our hand at flirting, and then head to the dining hall.

A plate, a fork and knife, and a drinking chalice are at the end of a massive table. Rhodes says this is both a funny (and sad) look at Solas’ isolated existence and an example of the detail BioWare’s art team has put into Veilguard. “It’s a case of letting you see the story,” he says. “It’s like when you go to a friend's house and see their bedroom for the first time; you get to learn more about them.” From the dining hall, we gather the not-quite-Veilguard in the library, which Busche says in the central area of the Lighthouse and where your party will often regroup and prepare for what’s next. The team decides it must reach the ritual site back in Arlathan Forest, and Busche says I’m missing unique dialogue options here because I’m Qunari; an Elf would have more to say about the Fade due to their connection to it. The same goes for my backstory earlier in Minrathous. If I had picked the Shadow Dragons background, Neve would have recognized me immediately, with unique dialogue.

With our next move decided, we head to Solas’ Eluvian to return to Arlathan Forest and the ritual site. However, it’s not fully functional without Solas, and while it returns us to Arlathan Forest, it’s not exactly where we want to go. A few moments later, we’re back in the Arlathan Forest, and just before a demon-infested suit of mechanized armor known as a Sentinel can attack, two new NPCs appear to save us: Strife and Irelin. Harding recognizes them, something Dragon Age comic readers might know about. They’re experts in ancient elven magic and part of the new Veil Jumpers faction. The ensuing cutscene, where we learn Strife and Irelin need help finding someone named Bellara Lutara, is long, with multiple dialogue options. That’s something I’m noticing with Veilguard, too - there’s a heavy emphasis on storytelling and dialogue, and it feels deep and meaty, like a good fantasy novel. BioWare doesn’t shy away from minutes-long cutscenes.

Busche says that’s intentional, too. “For Rook, [this story’s about] what does it meant to be a leader,” she says. “You’re defining their leadership style with your choices.” Knowing that Rook is the leader of the Veilguard, I’m excited to see how far this goes. From the sound of it, my team will react to my chosen leadership style in how my relationships play out. That’s demonstrated within the game’s dialogue and a special relationship meter on each companion’s character screen.

Redefining Combat Once More

Bellara is deep within Arlathan Forest, and following the prolgoue’s events, something is up here. Three rings of massive rocks fly through the air, protecting what appears to be a central fortress. Demon Sentinels plague the surrounding lands, and after loading up a new save, we’re in control of a human mage.

Following the trend of prior Dragon Age games, Veilguard has completed the series’ shift from tactical strategy to real-time action, but fret not: a tactical pause-and-play mechanic returns to satiate fans who remember the series’ origins (pun intended). Though I got a taste of combat in the prologue, Veilguard’s drastic departure from all that came before it is even more apparent here.

Busche says player complete every swing in real-time, with special care taken to animation swing-through and canceling. There's a dash, a parry, the ability to charge moves, and a completely revamped healing system that allows you to use potions at your discretion by hitting right on the d-pad. You can combo attacks and even “bookmark” combos with a quick dash, which means you can pause a combo’s status with a dash to safety and continue the rest of the combo afterward. It looks even cooler than it sounds.

Like any good action game, there is a handful of abilities to customize your kit. And, if you want to maintain that real-time action feel, you can use them on the fly, so long as you take cooldowns into effect. But Veilguard’s pause-and-play gameplay mechanic, similar to Inquisition’s without the floating camera view, lets you bring things to halt for a healthy but optional dose of strategy.

In this screen, which essentially pauses the camera and pulls up a flashy combat wheel that highlights you and your companions’ skills, you can choose abilities, queue them up, and strategize with synergies and combos, all while targeting specific enemies. Do what you need to here, let go of the combat wheel, and watch your selections play out. Busche says she uses the combat wheel to dole out her companions’ attacks and abilities while sticking to the real-time action for her player-controlled Rook. On the other hand, Epler says he almost exclusively uses the combat wheel to dish out every ability and combo.

Busche says each character will play the same, in that you execute light and heavy attacks with hte same buttons, use abilities with the same buttons, and interact with the combo wheel in the same way, regardless of which class you select. But a sword-and-shield warrior, like we used in the prolgoue, can hip-fire or aim their shield to throw it like Captain America, whereas our human mage uses that same button to throw out magical ranged attacks. The warrior can parry incoming attacks, which can stagger enemies. The rogue gets a larger parry window. Our mage, however, can’t parry at all. Instead, they throw up a shield that blocks incoming attacks automatically so long as you have the mana to sustain it.

“What I see from Veilguard is a game that finally bridges the gap,” former Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah, who left BioWare in 2021 before joining the Veilguard team last year as a consultant, tells me. “Uncharitably, previous Dragon Age games got to the realm of ‘combat wasn’t too bad.’ In this game, the combat’s actually fun, but it does keep that thread that’s always been there. You have the focus on Rook, on your character, but still have that control and character coming into the combat experience from the other people in the party.”

“This is really the best Dragon Age game that I’ve ever played,” he adds, noting his bias. “This is the one where we get back to our roots of character-driven storytelling, have really fun combat, and aren’t making compromises.”

Watching Busche take down sentinels and legions of darkspawn on-screen, I can already sense Veilguard’s combat will likely end up my favorite in the series, although admittedly, as a fan of action games, I’m an easy sell here. It’s flashy, quick, and thanks to different types of health bars, like a greenish-blue one that represents barrier and is taken down most effectively with ranged attacks, a decent amount of strategy, even if you don’t use the pause-and-play combo wheel. Like the rest of the game, too, it’s gorgeous, with sprinkles, droplets, and splashes of magic in each attack our mage unleashes. Though I’m seeing the game run on a powerful PC, which is sure to be the best showcase of Veilguard, Epler tells me the game looks amazing on consoles - he’s been playing it on PlayStation 5 and enjoying it in both its fidelity and performance modes, but I’ll have to take his word for it.

Pressing Start

The start or pause screen is as important to a good RPG as the game outside the menus. Veilguard’s contains your map, journal, character sheets, skill tree, and a library for lore information. You can cross-compare equipment and equip new gear here for Rook and your companions, build weapon loadouts for quick change-ups mid-combat, and customize you and your party’s abilities and builds via an easy-to-understand skill tree. You won’t find minutiae here, “just real numbers,” Busche says. That means a new unlocked trait might increase damage by 25 percent against armor, but that’s as in-depth as the numbers get. Passive abilities unlock jump attacks and guarantee critical hit opportunities, while abilities add moves like a Wall of Fire to your arsenal (if you’re a mage). As you spec out this skill tree, which is 100 percent bespoke to each class, you’ll work closer to unlocking a specialization, of which there are three for each class, complete with a unique ultimate ability. Busche says BioWare’s philosophy here is “about changing the way you play, not statistical minutiae.”

Companion Customization

You can advance your bonds by helping companions on their own personal quests and by including them in your party for main quests. Every Relationship Level you rank up, shown on their character sheet, nets you a skill point to spend on them. Busche says the choices you make, what you say to companions, how you help them, and more all matter to their development as characters and party members. And with seven companions, there’s plenty to customize, from bespoke gear to abilities and more. Though each companion has access to five abilities, you can only take three into combat, so it’s important to strategize different combos and synergies within your party. Rhodes says beyond  this kind of customizable characterization, each companion has issues, problems, and personal quests to complete. “Bellara has her own story arc that runs parallel to and informs the story path you’re on,” Rhodes says.

In Entropy’s Grasp

As we progress through the forest and the current “In Entropy’s Grasp” mission, we finally find Bellara. She’s a veil jumper, the first companion you meet and recruit in-game (unlike Neve, who automatically joins), and the centerpiece of this issue’s cover image. Because our mage’s background is Veil Jumper, we get some unique dialogue. Bellara explains we’re all trapped in a Veil Bubble, and there’s no way out once you pass through it. Despite the dire situation, Bellara is bubbly, witty, and charming.

“When designing companions, they’re the load-bearing pillars for everything,” Rhodes says. “They’re the face of their faction, and in this case [with Bellara], their entire area of the world. She’s your window into Arlathan Forest.” Rhodes describes her as a sweetheart and nerd for ancient elven artifacts. As such ,she’s dressed more like an academic than a combat expert, although her special arm gauntlet is useful both for tinkering with her environment and taking down enemies.

Unlike Neve, who uses ice magic like our Rook and can slow down time with a special ability, Bellara specializes in electricity, and she can also use magic to heal you, something Busche says Dragon Age fans have been desperate to have in a game. Busche says if you don’t direct Neve and Bellara, they’re fully independent and will attack on their own. But synergizing your team will add to the fun and strategy of combat. Bellara’s electric magic is effective against Sentinels, which is great because we currently only have access to ice. However, without Bellara, we could also equip a rune that converts my ice magic, for a brief duration, into electricity to counter the Sentinels.

As we progress through Arlathan Forest, we encounter more and more darkspawn. Bellara mentions the darkspawn have never been this far before because the underground Deep Roads, where they usually escape from, aren’t nearby. However, with blighted Elven gods roaming the world, and thanks to Blight’s radiation-like spread, it’s a much bigger threat in Veilguard than in any Dragon Age before it.

I continue to soak in the visuals of Veilguard with Arlathan Forest’s elven ruins, dense greenery, and disgusting Blight tentacles and pustules; it’s perhaps the most impressive aspect of my time seeing the game, although everything else is making a strong impression, too. I am frustrated about having to watch the game rather than play it, to be honest. I’m in love with the art style, which is more high fantasy than anything in the series thus far and almost reminiscent of the whimsy of Fable, a welcome reprieve from the recent gritty Game of Thrones trend in fantasy games. Rhodes says that’s the result of the game’s newfound dose of magic.

“The use of magic has been an evolution as the series has gone on,” he says. “It’s something we’ve been planning for a while because Solas has been planning all this for a while. In the past, you could hint at cooler magical things in the corner because you couldn’t actually go there, but now we actually can, and it’s fun to showcase that.”

Busche, Epler, and Rhodes warn me that Arlathan Forest’s whimsy will starkly contrast to other areas. They promise some grim locations and even grimmer story moments because, without that contrast, everything falls flat. Busche likens it to a “thread of optimism” pulled through otherworldly chaos ravaging Thedas. For now, the spunky and effervescent Bellara is that thread.

As we progress deeper into the forest, Bellara spots a floating fortress and thinks the artifact needed to destroy the Veil Bubble is in there. To reach it, though, wem ust remove the floating rock rings, and Bellara’s unique ability, Tinker, can do just that by interacting with a piece of ancient elven technology nearby. Busche says Rook can acquire abilities like Tinker later to complete such tasks in instances where Bellara, for example, isn’t in the party.

Bellara must activate three of these in Arlathan Forest to reach the floating castle, and each one we activate brings forth a slew of sentinels, demons, and darkspawn to defeat. Busche does so with ease, showcasing high-level gameplay by adding three stacks of arcane build-up to create an Arcane Bomb on an enemy, which does devastating damage after being hit by a heavy attack. Now, she begins charging a heavy attack on her magical staff, then switches to magical daggers in a second loadout accessed with a quick tap of down on the d-pad to unleash some quick attacks, then back to the staff to charge it some more and unleash a heavy attack.

After a few more combat encounters, including one against a sentinel that’s “Frenzied,” which means it hits harder, moves faster, and has more health, we finally reach the center of the temple. Within is a particular artifact known as the Nadas Dirthalen, which Bellara says means “the inevitability of knowledge.” Before we can advance with it, a darkspawn Ogre boss attacks. It hits hard, has plenty of unblockable, red-coded attacks, and a massive shield we must take down first. However, it’s weak to fire, and our new fire staff is perfect for the situation.

After taking down this boss in a climactic arena fight, Bellara uses a special crystal to power the artifact and remove it from a pedestal, destroying the Veil Bubble. Then, the Nadas Dirthalen comes alive as an Archive Spirit, but because the crystal used to power it breaks, we learn little about this spirit before it disappears. Fortunately, Bellara thinks she can fix it - fixing broken stuff is kind of her thing, Epler says - so the group heads back to the Veil Jumper camp and, as interested as I am in learning what happens next, the demo ends. It’s clear that even after a few hours with the game’s opening, I’ve seen a nigh negligible amount of game; frustrating but equally as exciting.

Don’t Call It An Open World

Veilguard is not an open world, even if some of its explorable areas might fee like one. Gamble describes Veilguard’s Thedas as a hub-and-spoke design where “the needs of the story are served by the level design.” A version of Inquisition’s Crossroads, a network of teleporting Eluvians, returns, and it’s how players will traverse across northern Thedas. Instead of a connected open world, players will travel from Eluvian to Eluvian to different stretches of this part of the continent. This allows BioWare to go from places like Minrathous to tropical beaches to Arlathan Forest to grim and gothic areas and elsewhere. Some of these areas are larger and full of secrets and treasures. Others are smaller and more focused on linear storytelling. Arlathan Forest is an example of this, but there are still optional paths and offshoots to explore for loot, healing potion refreshes, and other things. There’s a minimap in each location, though linear levels like “In Entropy’s Grasp” won’t have the fog of war that disappears as you explore like some of Veilguard’s bigger locations. Regardless, BioWare says Veilguard has the largest number of diverse biomes in series history.

Dragon’s Delight

With a 10-hour day at BioWare behind me after hours of demo gameplay and interviews with the leads, I’m acutely aware of my favorite part of video games: the surprises. I dabbled with Origins and II and put nearly 50 hours into Inquisition, but any familiarity with the series the latter gave me had long since subsided over the past decade. I wanted to be excited about the next Dragon Age as I viewed each teaser and trailer, but other than seeing the words “Dragon Age,” I felt little. Without gameplay, without a proper look at the actual game we’ll all be playing this fall, I struggled to remember why Inquisition sucked me in 10 years ago.

This trip reminded me.

Dragon Age, much like the Thedas of Veilguard, lives in the uncertainty: The turbulence of BioWare’s recent release history and the lessons learned from it, the drastic changes to each Dragon Age’s combat, the mystery of its narrative, and the implications of its lore. It’s all a part of the wider Dragon Age story and why this studio keeps returning to this world. It’s been a fertile franchise for experimentation. While Veilguard is attempting to branch out in unique ways, it feels less like new soil and more like the harvest BioWare has been trying to cultivate since 2009, and I’m surprised by that.

I’m additionally surprised, in retrospect, how numb I’ve been to the game before this. I’m surprised by BioWare’s command over EA’s notoriously difficult Frostbite engine to create its prettiest game yet. I’m surprised by this series’ 15-year transition from tactical strategy to action-forward combat. I’m surprised by how much narrative thought the team has poured into these characters, even for BioWare. Perhaps having no expectations will do that to you. But most of all, with proper acknowledgement that I reserve additional judgment until I actually play the game, I’m surprised that Veilguard might just be the RPG I’m looking forward to most this year.

[hpowellsmith]

Honor Bound: Recruitment Day

It's Honor Bound week! The game will be out on 5th December!

While you wait, you can play this mini prequel about a day in the life of the Honor Bound PC, age 17.

Today, the Teranese Service recruiters are coming to Elene's Prospect. You'll work in the military for years after your mandatory service ends - but you don't know that yet.

-

More things to do before 5th December comes around:

Play Honor Bound Chapters 1-3 for free

Wishlist Honor Bound on Steam

Read more about Honor Bound on the forum developer thread

Play Five Months Ago: a mini prologue in which the PC is given their new assignment

And if you're still keen for more before the release comes around, here are a plethora of blogposts to read:

The Honor Bound setting and culture

Building your Honor Bound MC and how I wrote the game to be super responsive to your MC's personality, background, emotions, injury, and trauma responses

How I wrote each of the romanceable characters, plus excerpts from some of their moments in game

Enjoy!

[beedreamscape]

This has to be the last thing I say on C3 finale because otherwise, I will not stop, it simply baffles me in its mediocrity. And obviously, this will be negative, if you loved it, good for you, this is my takeaway as someone who loved this campaign and was severely let down.

This finale changes everything that came before and not for good, better yet, it emphasizes all the faults in the structure of what c3 tried to be, it made most of the campaign feel like a true exercise in futility — How far can we go in a campaign that is meandering and unsatisfying? How long can we have the same discussion over and over and over again despite everyone knowing how this will end? How long can we drag out characters that don't change without anyone noticing? (spoiler everyone noticed)

Can't say I was emotionally invested in the finale because I tapped out back in the 70s, came back for Aeor/Downfall shenanigans, and left again. But in experiencing the finale something became clear to me:

THIS STORY NEEDED TO BE SHORTER.

WITH ANOTHER PARTY AT THE HELM.

If the objective from the very conception of C3 was to wipe out the gods, that had to be clear from the very start. And it wasn't clear, at all — not in the characters, not in the starting city, not in theme. This was a completely different campaign at the start! That clarity was what made Calamity so great, it was short and precise, and every pc SERVICED THE THEME, filled with hubris and contempt, not to mention the setting.

Even Ludinus went in circles for convenience of the campaign length and became a weaker opponent for it, more of a nuisance than a villain. The threat he posed at episode 50 was much stronger than now at 120 something. The battle against Otohan was more nail-biting and emotionally engaging than fighting Ludinus and Predathos, a god eater!!!!

This campaign would've benefited from three to four acts instead of one overarching objective like the past campaigns because urgency is the name of the game and we can't carry urgency for 70 episodes straight (and they didn't).

The constant inclusion of the other parties made it clear how easy it was to detach BH from the story, how easy and fun it was for them to tell it through another party's eyes (one of the main reasons why I walked away back when I did, but that's more of a personal preference).

Which is not to say Bells Hell's didn't deserve a long story! They could very well have existed in a more intimate campaign which these characters were clearly built for! Their premises begged for closer looks in slow moments, something tragicomical, exploration of the inner world while developing MARQUET and its microcosm of injustice and politics which was left in the dust mid-campaign (pun intended).

And I'm not suggesting this just for our enjoyment, I know it's them playing and their enjoyment comes first blah blah, though this is a multi-million company therefore their jobs but this would contribute to their enjoyment! You could see several moments in the campaign how tapped out they felt and acted. I doubt it was "fun" discussing the gods situation ad naseaum, trudging through landscapes they barely cared about, with empty arcs.

I could nitpick every fault I see in the finale but it would be pointless, these issues have been dragged from ages ago and poor character matching, and now this is a culmination of everything and it barely fazes me anymore.

(And yeah it's their game and it's "free", but that doesn't undermine its weight as a story, stories were made be analyzed, and it was a poorly structured one no matter how much I still like and admire them as people.)

WHICH is not to say I had no fun at all ever, I did! several times! and that's what makes me upset, it could've been great instead is just meh.

[blacktabbygames]

Hi, I admit I dont really know what the process for this looks like, but would you ever consider adding Slay the Princess to the Playstation Plus subscription service, or to Xbox GamePass? Even temporary, with a time limit?

This might be something we do towards the very end of Slay the Princess' life cycle, but subscription services are a pretty hard sell for us in general. I don't think they're sustainable for the games industry as a whole, and they're a contributor to some of the race-to-the-bottom mentality. (Absolutely zero judgment for folks who use these services, btw. *I* use these services, but then I also know that I never actually buy a game after getting it on Game Pass or PS+; this is really just about the corporate side of things)

A big news item in the industry over the past month was the closure of Tango Gameworks, the Microsoft-owned studio that made Hi-Fi Rush last year, a wonderful game that got a bunch of awards and scored an 87 on Metacritic.

There's been a lot of speculation around this closure, and to add to that speculation, I believe that at the end of the day, Hi Fi Rush lost a lot of money, at least on paper.

It was shadow-dropped as a day 1 gamepass exclusive, which meant that there was no marketing done in advance, and sales were immediately cannibalized. (Side note— Hi-Fi Rush is maybe the only game I've picked up on Game Pass that I turned around and bought a Steam copy of, mostly because I wanted to play it on my Steam Deck.)

Since Tango was owned by MS, this was almost certainly a deliberate choice to make Game Pass seem more appealing, and even then, the studio behind a *hit* game was closed for financial reasons. So we're not sure that's a part of the industry we want to dance with.

I know this probably seems at odds with our stance on piracy, but at the end of the day, I think they're different beasts, and it's the scale, perceived legitimacy, and corporatization of subscription services that gives me a lot of pause, especially with Game Pass, which tends to double-release for PC and console. And on the flipside, I legitimately don't think piracy hurts developers.

So again, I think if we were to do something like this, it would be towards the end of the game's life, or it would be something tied more to an isolated ecosystem (i.e. if we do mobile, something like Apple Arcade, since people don't really *buy* mobile games, and the overlap with console + PC is very small.)

[knick-global]

The Rising Trend of Play-to-Earn Games and Innovative Development Companies in the USA

In recent years, the gaming industry has witnessed a revolutionary shift with the emergence of play-to-earn games. These games allow players to earn real-world rewards and even make a living through their in-game achievements. Alongside this trend, various innovative game development companies in the USA have been leading the charge in creating immersive experiences through procedural animation and web-based augmented reality (AR) development. In this blog, we will explore the growing significance of play-to-earn games USA and highlight some prominent USA-based companies driving the advancements in procedural animation and web AR development.

Play-to-Earn Games: A Gamechanger in the Industry:

Play-to-earn games, also known as blockchain-based games or decentralized gaming, have disrupted the traditional gaming landscape. These games leverage blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies to create unique ecosystems where players can earn digital assets, tokens, or even real-world currencies. By participating in gameplay, completing tasks, and achieving in-game milestones, players can unlock valuable rewards that can be traded or monetized outside the game.

The concept of play-to-earn has gained immense popularity due to its potential to provide financial independence and create new economic opportunities for players. With the rise of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which enable the ownership of unique digital assets, play-to-earn games have seen explosive growth. Players can buy, sell, and trade these digital assets, allowing for a vibrant virtual economy that transcends traditional gaming boundaries.

Prominent Play-to-Earn Game Development Companies in the USA:

Forte: Based in San Francisco, Forte is a leading play-to-earn game development company that focuses on building blockchain-based ecosystems for game developers and players. Their platform enables the creation of in-game economies and facilitates secure and transparent transactions using blockchain technology.

Immutable: Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with a strong presence in the USA, Immutable has developed the popular play-to-earn game "Gods Unchained." This blockchain-based trading card game allows players to earn digital assets that hold real-world value, creating a thriving marketplace for collectors and players alike.

Procedural Animation: Breathing Life into Virtual Worlds:

Procedural animation is a technique that empowers developers to create lifelike and dynamic movements within virtual environments. By using algorithms and mathematical functions, developers can generate animations that respond intelligently to in-game interactions, enhancing immersion and realism.

Several game development companies in the USA specialize in procedural animation, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in virtual worlds:

SideFX: Based in Santa Monica, California, SideFX develops Houdini, a powerful software widely used in the entertainment industry for procedural animation, visual effects, and game development. Houdini's procedural workflow empowers developers to create complex animations and simulations efficiently.

Giant Sparrow: Known for their critically acclaimed game "What Remains of Edith Finch," Giant Sparrow is a game development studio located in Santa Monica, California. They excel in combining procedural animation techniques with compelling storytelling, creating emotionally engaging experiences for players.

Web AR Development: Augmenting Reality through the Browser:

Web-based augmented reality (AR) development has opened up new avenues for creating interactive and immersive experiences accessible through web browsers.

By leveraging web technologies such as WebGL and WebXR, developers can deliver AR content directly to users' devices without the need for installing additional apps.

Prominent Web AR Development Companies in the USA: 8th Wall: Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, 8th Wall specializes in developing tools and platforms that enable web-based AR experiences.

Their technology allows developers to build and deploy AR content easily across a wide range of devices, empowering them to create engaging and interactive web AR.

[askagamedev]

From past responses you clearly have some experience with the console cert process. I was wondering: why do so few games offer cross platform play? Does the cert process become disproportionately more difficult when communicating to other systems becomes involved? Or is it just a difficult feature from a purely engineering pov? Thank you!

There are two major groups of hurdles to crossplay - technical and political. Both of these issues were primarily ironed out by Epic in late 2018, and then they opened up the doors for everybody else by releasing their set of crossplay tools and tech to the public for free.

On the technical side, the various walled garden networks - PSN, XBL, Nintendo Online - each have their own set of protocols, ports, technology, etc. They do not talk to each other or transfer information in the same way. There's a good reason for this - they weren't built by the same people or using the same technology, so their internal workings are all different. In order to solve this, the any third party developer needs to build a system that can take data from any supported service and translate it in real time so all players on other platforms understand what's happening in the game. This requires a fairly hefty engineering effort.

On the political side, console platform networks are walled gardens that generate a lot of revenue for the platforms. Every sale within that walled garden typically earns the platform owner a 30% cut. This is why they can afford to sell game consoles at a loss, they hope to make it back from their users. Allowing other players on other platforms to play with their users takes away from their exclusivity. This attitude permeates their certification rules, which are then enforced on all third party developers. Even now that crossplay is allowed, there are a lot of rules in place about things like communication between platforms (e.g. Rocket League was not allowed to let Playstation players communicate with PC players because of potential content ratings).

In 2018, Epic pushed to allow crossplay for their lifestyle game juggernaut Fortnite. Microsoft had already been dabbling in that arena by allowing Xbox to play with PC players (since most players ran on Windows anyway, so they were both Microsoft platforms), but Sony refused. Epic smoothed this over by paying Sony a significant sum of money to 'make up for lost revenue' and developing their own tools and technology to handle the technical issues of allowing crossplay. Sony begrudgingly agreed, so Fortnite went crossplay. Then, in typical fashion, Epic released their entire suite of crossplay tools to the public for free. Games like Dauntless and Rocket League soon followed to crossplay, and by 2019 Sony had changed their stance to accept crossplay.

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[stickyspeckledlight]

𝒲𝐻𝒪𝒟ℛ𝒜𝒩𝒦𝐼𝒯? KFC‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚: A Shitpost Of the Whodrankit? DEMO by @brynn-lear

Content warnings: Shitpost :3

DOWNLOAD THE GAME HERE (Available on PC, Linux, Mac, Android, and Web Browser!)

Link to better quality cutscenes because I had to really compress them to save on storage y'know

Unfortunately for you, thanks to the shenanigans of eminent domain, you have been left without a house. However, luckily for you, local bourgeois Senator Sunday has offered you his home. Seeing little choice in the matter, you take up his offer...

However, in the corner of your eye, a Colonel stands, and you can't help but wonder what he wants from you...

What is this?

This is a mod/fangame of HSR fangame Whodrankit? demo by @brynn-lear! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go play it first!!! And after that THEN you can come play this one!

No I mean what is this specifically you know

This mod is a shitpost hypothetical of a scenario where you can agree to Sunday's offer. Included is: 2 endings (Depending if you are nice to customer service people or not lol) ~30k words 7 (joke) endings Bad jokes Bad and disappointing story because I felt obligated to make some sort of plot even though none of it really works but hey I put in all of the jokes I wanted so there's a silver lining at least

How is this connected to the OG WDI? demo?

This is mostly its own thing; the only things that are referenced from WDI itself in this game is the general plot (minus the mystery, bc Idk what any of that shit's about) and well, the assets and stuff. This has absolutely no connection to WDI itself and is NOT canon---Brynn, the OG dev, had no real involvement in the development of this mod beyond making the base game which provided the base assets and original premise this mod is derived from.

Was this the other big project/sunday fic you were talking about

Yes! I started work on this in late June and worked on it on and off for a few months.

why

I wanted to punch Whodrankit?! Sunday and then made this

I come to your for yandere fanfic not shitposts

L bozo

What are the credits?

Credits are in the Readme doc attached to the game zip file; and also follow all of the credits from the OG Whodrankit? plus some more stuff. I acknowledge this game is violating all manner of copyright but I'm already writing fanfic and this'll probably only get 60 notes or something so I'm sure it'll be fine. Pls don't D**A me random big company.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

(BROWSER AND ANDROID VERSION NOW AVALIABLE) I do not plan on making a new WDI? mod; this mod it of itself just spiraled out of control. Though, if there's enough interest, I might release updates for the KFC mod if there is enough interest. Maybe as a Follower Milestone thing or if this gets a decent amount of interaction lol. Still, please do not expect updates or new WDI? mods from me, or request any whatsoever. New WDI? KFC! content will be entirely at my own discretion unless I state otherwise (as mentioned earlier if I choose to make WDI? KFC! related content a follower milestone, for example). But I'm always open to discussing it bc shitposts deserve to be shit on 🔥