#so honestly its just me thinking about the andromeda tv show. i just finished it and it left me destitute bc i clung onto the first 2 season

[sateurn]

😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

These sobs really limited my tags?????

I have so many more thoughts this is so so much less than 1/2. Broski. Big dislike

[theseerasures]

Conspicuous Media Consumption, 2019

i mean, everyone's doing these write-ups, right? might as well hop onto the bandwagon

towards the end of last year i had one of my typical existential crises about my media consumption: am i slowly disappearing up my own ass because i no longer care about most of the pop culture people like to discuss ad nauseam? but on the other hand, isn’t it more responsible to find the niche items made by non-mainstream and marginalized creators? on the third hand, wouldn’t i be much happier if i just watched FMA Brotherhood over and over again, preferably while starting a new Mass Effect playthrough at the same time?

the answer to all these questions is probably “yes,” but i decided to try something different going into 2019. for every week of the year, i would try to get through a year’s worth of content for some kind of media, be it comics, video games, TV, etc--they didn’t all have to be recent, or even new to me, but once i was done with that week i’d be done, even if i didn’t finish the content, and i’d make a judgement based what i’d seen on whether i want to continue. mostly, i was trying to avoid what happened to me with video games in 2018, when i was hating every second of playing Uncharted but still felt obligated to finish because everyone and their houseplant liked Uncharted or listlessly doing the Master Hunter achievement in RDR2 because the main quest made me miserable.

the actual outcomes of this Project(tm) are a little more complicated than anticipated--some media i could finish in a day, while trying to play through ALL THE CONTENT OF AN MMO understandably took much longer than a week--but it all kind of evened out. in the end i did 48 weeks of this, and used December as my catch-ups month to follow up on some things i didn’t get to finish. i thought i’d give my thoughts on each of the things i consumed this year as part of this project below in a concise manner--and yes, i know the people who’ve read even one (1) thing i’ve written are probably laughing right now, particularly given how long i took in this introduction just to get to me point, but i really am going to try!! it’s all an exercise in shameless self-indulgence, basically, but hey: if any of you want to chat at length about any of this stuff below, hit me up.

(quick note: you’ll only find media that i chose for this particular project below, so things i watched socially with friends--like certain film properties slorping me back into Disney’s gelatinous monolith--are not included)

Devilman Crybaby (anime, finished 1/5/2019): honestly i should have twigged onto what the year was going to be like when the first thing i drew from the metaphorical barrel was demon tiddies and apocalyptic existentialism. i was determined to dislike it for most of the year due to fundamentally disagreeing with its main thematic thrust, but i kept THINKING about it even months after. at this point i’ve kinda mellowed out. it’s definitely not a must love, but there’s enough queer metaphor and philosophical richness in it to make it worth checking out.

Attack on Titan (manga, 3 volumes finished 1/12/2019): this is the second time i’ve tried to get into this franchise and...yeah, no. i still don’t see the appeal. the fascistic overtones juxtaposed with absolutely no one having a sense of humor wigs me out to no end.

Young Justice (TV, 2.5 seasons finished 1/31/2019): honestly, what even is there to say? they’re my kids. they’re back and grown up and making even more terrible decisions. i screamed when i saw Babs in her wheelchair.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf (book, finished 2/10/2019): i tried VERY HARD to like this book, given how much i liked Brief History of Seven Killings, but it just...didn’t click for me. which honestly is fine, since i don’t think it was made for me either.

Dragon Age (3 games, finished 2/28/2019): i feel like there’s always a part of me that’s going to think of this series as “the other one,” but y’know. it’s good. it’s my second playthrough (as a mage for all three) and it’s good! i even went around killing all the dragons in Inquisition because Knight Enchanter was a blast. appreciate the higher queer content vis-a-vis Mass Effect, even though i couldn’t care less about any of the plot. Dragon Age II is the best one, do not @ me

Bitter Root (comic, 4 issues finished 3/1/2019): i love intergenerational dramas and i love stories about vampire slayers, so this was aces. my only complaint is the pacing was a little slow for a story that was going on hiatus after five issues.

Pearl (comic, 6 issues finished 3/3/2019): i know that he’s done great things and grudgingly admit that he’s probably a net positive in the industry but Brian Michael Bendis can suck my entire dick

Lazarus (comic, 5 trades finished 3/ 4/2019): i really thought this was going to clench the position for comic of the year. it’s Rucka doing Highly Relevant Dystopia! it’s a corporate Lannisters AU! it’s a highly personal story about a woman with high privilege and little agency! what more could you want

Immortal Hulk (comic, 2 trades finished 3/ 4/2019): i vibed with the horror feel, but i don’t honestly think it’s THAT exceptional. being set in 616-verse means there was still ton of baggage i didn’t know or care about, since i’ve now swung more to the DC side of things

thank u, next (album, finished 3/5/2019): didn’t Ariana Grande get canceled this year for some reason? oh well, i liked her album

When I Get Home (album, finished 3/13/2019): i vividly remember listening to this for the first time and feeling vaguely disappointed that it wasn’t more like Seat at the Table until i realized that i was covered in goosebumps. still don’t understand the magic but it is Good

The Bird King (book, finished 3/23/2019): pretty much everything you’d expect from a G. Willow Wilson book--spirituality, the female lead finding Themselves and the Answer and learning they’re the same thing, etc etc. i’m slightly resentful that her Wonder Woman was so lackluster while this was so good, but whatevs

Psychodrama (album, finished 3/29/2019): possibly my favorite album of the year? dense and emotionally raw in a way i really appreciate. Dave has a Mercury and he’s younger than me

Mass Effect (4 games, finished 4/7/2019): wow guys did you know that Mass Effect is good! it is. all of it is actually, even the Mass Effect 3 ending, another controversial finale to a big franchise that i will obstinately defend. even Andromeda, which isn’t AS good as the trilogy but still has a lot of heart. all its bugs have been exhaustively patched since launch anyway

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (TV, 4 seasons finished 5/13/2019): i’m...still kind of mad about this finale, but can’t exactly deny that this show is one of the best things to ever happen to me, or television probably. i didn’t even mind new!Greg that much! tho he was probably the nail on the coffin of me jumping onto the Nathaniel train.

Knights of the Old Republic/The Old Republic (3 games, finished 7/4/2019): did you guys know that KOTOR II was my first ever video game? i feel like that...explains a lot about me. anyway, the first game is a classic and the second is a deconstructive classic and playing either of them is basically a fun way for me to turn off my brain these days. even the MMO wasn’t as much of slog as i worried it would be. the Imperial Agent storyline had some nice surprises and i dig the general atmosphere of ruthless pragmatism and crushing loneliness.

Wanderers (book, finished 7/13/2019): Chuck Wendig is a very well-intentioned man in dire need of a strict editor. still good tho! some VERY punchy emotional bits and an ending that still leaves me with vague existential terror.

Code Geass (anime, 2 seasons finished 7/20/2019): i feel like this is on the polar opposite of the spectrum as Devilman Crybaby, because i don’t think Geass is GOOD on like, any basis, and i actually find its central moral message kind of abhorrent? but some part of my lizard brain LOVED the High Imperial Family Drama (it’s been a good year for me and Lannister types, hasn’t it? well, with the obvious exception of--never mind), so...yeah. have i discovered the true meaning of guilty pleasure

The Farewell (movie, finished 7/23/2019): how could i not a) watch this and b) love this and c) feel emotionally cold towards this at the same time because the situations depicted were so similar to mine that i ended up feeling kind of alienated

The Nickel Boys (book, finished 8/8/2019): i STILL haven’t read Underground Railroad, but here i am a book late and a dollar short to appreciate Whitehead’s new book. the man’s stylistic versatility is jaw-dropping and i appreciate the plotting in contrast to like, 90% of the litfic out there that’s just “protagonist sad in different milieu”

Durarara (anime, 2 seasons finished 8/31/2019): it’s fucking bonkers and i loved pretty much every second of it? even the second season, where i finally got the BruceNat AU i deserved??? the first anime i’ve seen where everyone was relatively soberly dressed. the answer was love and having feelings and asking your middle school best friend to hurl you like a projectile so you can chop your girlfriend’s head off with a demon katana

Lover (album, finished 9/1/2019): i feel like with all the Discourse surrounding Taylor Swift re: she’s the devil incarnate or re: she’s good, actually the fact that she makes fucking bops gets kind of lost in the conversation. i have no vested interest in her as a person but i liked Lover, even though London Boy was “what if Style but stupid”

Are You Listening (comic, finished 10/2/2019): my actual choice for best comic of the year if i were giving out awards like that. it’s coming of age! it’s grief! it’s queers! it’s trauma! it’s magical realism! it’s cats! it’s expressive gorgeous art! Tillie Walden has an Eisner and she’s younger than me

High School DxD (manga, 2 volumes finished 10/10/2019): i don’t even know how to talk about this series?? i actually kind of came around to the whole “main character is a perv but goes hard for consent” by the end of the second volume, but it’s still...bad. i only can have lingering conflicted feelings about one Japanese adaptation of Christian mythology per year

Ghosteen (album, finished 10/18/2019): much like Immortal Hulk i thought it was fine but over-hyped. it’s Nick Cave doing his Nick Cave ethereal music thing. i still can’t tell what any of the lyrics mean, except Jesus is there sometimes

Watchmen (TV, 2 episodes finished 10/29/2019): i am nOT FUCKING CAUGHT UP so please watch out for spoilers. it is on my high priority list of things to be caught up on tho--i appreciate that the plot is blatantly unsubtle but still manages to give me aneurysms and i appreciate the political overtones just kinda...balances on a razor thin wire and also gives me aneurysms. i wanna say i have no expectations and would be fine if it does a full dive into the horrible bland depths of the both-sides porridge, but i’m sadly a fool who wants to believe in Damon Lindelof

Syllabus/Making Comics (2 comics, finished 12/24/2019): it’s funny--even before Making Comics came out i was like “man i miss Lynda Barry” and then BAM. it’s incredible how her work just makes me feel taken care of, even when we’re wrestling with tough topics or she’s demanding that i draw a Batman in 30 seconds. kudos for immediately shooting to the top of my gift list for my sister also

Allegiance/Choices of One (2 books, finished 12/24/2019): fun and largely inoffensive, but i was honestly hoping for more. the level of Empire apologia going on was too much for me, someone who thinks Mara Jade is the best Star Wars character of all time (still?????? still). it reeked a little of Zahn believing his own hype as the only valid guy in Star Wars Legends of whatever

Aldnoah.Zero (anime, 1 season finished 12/24/2019): turns out i also can only have “trash but my trash” feelings about one Japanese mecha show with higher art pretensions and patriotism verging into jingoism per year, and this one ain’t it. it’s not as good as Code Geass and Code Geass ISN’T GOOD. at least Geass attempted character complexity and moved at enough of a breakneck pace to distract me from its questionable bits. Aldnoah is just...bland, and nothing gets accomplished or revealed in 12 episodes, except the baffling and contradictory motivations of the main bad guy.

Baldur’s Gate (game, unfinished): yet again something i really wanted to like, given *gestures at all the BioWare above*. i think it’s mainly the Seinfeld issue, where it actually predates my own experience with video games and was so formative for the Western RPG genre that what was innovative just comes across as kind of staid now. i didn’t DISLIKE it, and will probably play the sequel since it’s supposed to be more character-driven, but by the time i finished the vanilla campaign i just didn’t have it in me to squint at more tiny avatars on the screen, so the expansions ended up a no-go.

most prominent thing i noticed about this list is that only one 2019 movie made it on the list and ZERO 2019 video games did so. the former i’m okay with because i currently live with two film people with whom i’m happy to tag along to the cinema. the latter bums me out a little more, because there WERE a few things i wanted to play this year, but all of them came out just as my semester was reaching its catastrophic boil, so i had no time. maybe i’ll use my free time after the New Year festivities to catch up on those.

to conclude: this worked out pretty well! i ended up finishing all but one of the things, and only a few were bad enough that i have no interest in seeking out more content. i’ll probably do this again in 2020--we’ll see if the scheduling can withstand a full year of grad school hell

[himluv]

Self-Rec Challenge

Thanks to @notebookalpha for the tag (again!), and you’re literally tagging all the people I could think to tag, so if you see this and want to play, consider yourself tagged!

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers.

1. The Fall of Santa Sarita (Mass Effect Andromeda; fReyder, rated M)

Summary: Sara and Reyes share a sweet reunion on the Nexus after the events of Meridian.

“I can’t believe I’m dating a criminal,” he said, shaking his head. Sara snorted. “I am not a criminal.” “Uh,” Scott interrupted. “The trespassing and public indecency charges beg to differ.” Real shock took over his features then. “You were actually charged?” “And sentenced,” Scott said, his voice and face smug. Sara scoffed, “six months community service.” Reyes bowed his head and made the sign of the cross with his right hand. “The fall of Santa Sarita,” he said mournfully.

Why I Love It: This story was my first foray into writing ME fic. And it ended my two month writing drought. It ended up snowballing into so much more than I planned, and brought me to tumblr. It’s literally my gateway fic!

2. The Cost of Salvation ( Mass Effect Andromeda; fReyder, rated M )

Summary: The sequel to The Fall of Santa Sarita, this story follows Sara and Reyes as they struggle with being a long distance couple in a galaxy hellbent on tearing them apart.

He looked at her for a moment, and she saw the exact second when he decided to lie to her. It flickered in his eyes, a moment of worry, of doubt, and then he was Vidal again, all charm and swagger. “And miss your beautiful face?” “Reyes,” she warned. His smile faltered, but he nodded. “I know. But, I told you the big thing, Sara. The rest is small. Details that need sorting and then assigned down the ranks.” She considered him for a moment. He was trying. He led a double life that demanded secrets be kept, and he was doing his best to tell her what he could. She understood and appreciated that. Plus, his plans and schemes, his role as the Charlatan, had existed long before she’d stepped foot in Kadara Port. She understood that too. And more than anything she just wanted to enjoy uninterrupted time with him, with Reyes. She nodded. “I miss you,” she whispered, lying back down.

Why I Love It: This fic is teaching me so much. I’ve had to write some scenes that are outside of my comfort zone, and I’m really proud of them. But, I’m also just stupidly in love with my Ryder and  Reyes, and the backstories I’ve built for them.

3. The  Long Way Around (Moonlight (TV Show) Mick/Beth Mystery)

Summary: When a series of mysterious murders brings Beth, Mick, and Josef together how could it possibly come to a peaceful conclusion?

As Mick walked along the stone path that led to Josef's front door he took some deep, calming breaths. When he thought about the last words he'd heard from his best friend's mouth, he wanted to throw something. Or punch him. But he knew arguing with Josef wasn't go to get him anywhere- even if it did make him feel a little better. Josef saw him through the glass wall and waved him in; nonchalant as always. As if they hadn't exchanged some rough words the day before. But, that was Josef. Unless you did something heinous, like cheat him out of money or something he wanted, he was a "forgive and forget" kind of guy. Maybe that's why Mick was such good friends with him; because Mick had a hard time letting go, but Josef held onto one thing- Money. "Can I get you anything?" Josef asked silkily, knowing Mick would refuse. The younger vampire threw him an exasperated look. "I'm good, thanks." "Are you sure?" Josef teased. "As sure as I always am." Mick said as he sat at the bar. Josef chuckled. "Sure… but one day you're gonna come in here and you're not gonna be able to stop." Josef watched Mick tense, it was sort of amusing. "It'll be your reawakening! You'll be a born again Vampire!" "Yeah, yeah. But until that day- No thank you."

Why I Love It: This was the first fic I ever completed. I’d honestly forgotten about it until this challenge. It’s formatted terribly, and I have come SUCH a long way since this, but the dialogue is surprisingly good, and my  Josef characterization is spot on. Good job, wee little teen me!

4. The Ones You Love (Moonlight (TV Show, Josef/Sarah)

Summary: It’s Christmas, and Josef makes a long overdue visit to New York.

"A friend of mine told me that holidays are meant to be spent with the ones you love-" He smiled through his tears, "I thought of you…" He paused, taking a moment to compose himself. "And… I also thought, if ever anyone deserved a Christmas Miracle- it was you."

Why I Love It: This is still one of my favorite things I ever wrote. I have a printed copy of it in my keepsakes. It was the first story I ever wrote that I was proud of. And, again, my Josef characterization is really good.

5. The Science of Souffles: A Love Story  (Mass Effect Andromeda; OCs)

Summary: Two warring chefs, a Salarian and a Krogan, discover that any quarrel can be resolved over a good souffle.

A Krogan. There was a Krogan standing in her kitchen. Her eyes searched the room for any evidence of damage, but instead she was surprised to find everything polished and shining. "Don't just stand there," a deep, gravelly voice commanded. "These omelets aren't going to flip themselves!" Kalla blinked at the hulking, rust colored mass that was the interloper. "Omelets?" The krogan sighed, shaking his head. "A whole cryobay of hungry humans and they send me an amateur." "Amateur?" Kall stepped further into the room.. "Amateurs don't win Sur'Kesh's highest honors in gastronomy," she paused, crossing her arms. "Twice." "Hate to break it to ya," he said. He took a skillet by the handle and flipped a large omelet on the first try. "But this ain't Sur'Kesh." He glanced over at her. "Now either help, or get out." She nearly suggested that he leave, seeing as it was her kitchen, when she heard the distinct clamor of a large group entering the mess. Lots of them. Her discussion with the krogan would have to wait. So, for the first time in almost a decade, Kalla took on the role of sous chef, following the krogan's orders. Food found its way to plates, and plates to tables. Andromeda's first humans sat in the next room, eating their first meal in their new home.

Why I Love It: Because it was a ridiculous prompt from a friend after a conversation about a Krogan pastry chef got WAY out of hand. Now Kalla and Wreav are two of my favorites, and once Reyes and Sara release me from their grip, I’ll come back and finish this one. For funsies.

[aurimeanswind]

Happy Easter—Sunday Chats (4-16-17)

WOOOOO IT’S EASTER! YEAH!

But for folks out there who celebrate, happy Easter. For everyone who saw family but didn’t celebrate, happy... non-denominational bunny-related holiday, and for everyone else, happy Sunday.

Let’s talk about Pasta Sauce.

Easter Sauce

About nine-ish years ago, my aunt, technically my Great Aunt, Bon, started making Spaghetti on Easter. What was really special about this, other than the separation from the standard holiday fare which I couldn’t care less for, is the sauce. The star of the show in any truly great pasta. It was amazing. Sweet, yet cheesy. Flavorful in every sense of a simple sauce. Not hounded down by tons of spices, but just delectable in every simplistic sense of the word. It stuck with me so much and eventually I’d look forward to Easter far more than any of the holidays just for the good food.

About 6 years ago, after I turned 18, I offered to help my Aunt make the sauce before Easter in exchange for learning the recipe. It was well worth it.

To get me more involved with bringing my own cooking to it, a couple years ago I even made chicken wings as a side dish for Easter, using my own spin on the same recipe Greg Miller taught the whole internet on an old Conversation with Colin.

We didn’t get together this year to make the sauce because of my work scheduled, but still, it’s a tradition that is really special to me. I’m not super close with many of my extended family members. It’s hard for me to get closer since there is such a political sphere there that is difficult for me to break in, because my Grandmother was part of local Politics for a time, so it’s obviously very important to that sector of my family. It just ends up being a wall I can’t get over most of the time. But this was different.

Getting together, talking about writing, and making pasta sauce together was a big tradition for me, for us, and it’s helped me become a better cook. The memories of throwing the meatballs together while listening to music, letting the sauce simmer, and running out to get Chipotle midday for lunch are all still really precious memories to me.

Plus holy god the sauce is damn good.

Here are some pics. One from a couple years ago the batch we made, and then a couple from today:

Mmm, nothing beats that sweet, sweet sauce.

Easter Conversations

The rest of my Easter was pretty meh though. There were a lot of passive aggressive conversations thrown around. Since my parents split up, and my mom/brother moved to Florida, there is a gap in the O’Neill-clan part of the dinner table. My other brother, who I live with, was also out of town this week because he is off at Coachella, doing god knows what, but having a good time enjoying his vacation.

Because of these recent gaps in the table, my Aunt and Grandmother who usually throw these kinds of events together invite a lot of extended friends and their families. Some of which I absolutely despise.

The person in question, let’s call her Cynthia, lovingly explained how the man dragged off a United flight is running some big scam, and that “he agreed to getting dragged off the plane if need be” when he agreed to the terms and conditions of his flight. Then things were brought up about his past and I decided to take the opportunity to just step outside.

I’m not looking to get into any fights at these kinds of family gatherings. I keep to myself, and though it’s hard sometimes, I just kind of take the brunt of it.

When sitting outside checking on the Twitters, Jackie, a friend who lived up the street from my Aunt came out and talked with me. We had a good chat, but she brought up something super interesting to me. She told me she was about 10 years older than my dad. She told me when she was younger and my dad was 16 or so, he talked ambitiously about starting a place where you could rent and sell movies, that would change the industry forever.

For folks who don’t know, my parents started a local chain of video rental stores called Video Magic back in the 80s, and it was a massive success at the time. A local VHS/DVD rental shop that would eventually be beaten out by the Blockbusters of the world, it was what put them on the map and got them to go to cool events like CES back in the day.

But hearing someone else describe my dad as the kid with wonder in his eyes and a dream to chase, that he achieved for some amount of time. It was... it was odd. My dad is one of those enigmas to me because we’ve never been super close, but after hearing that, I’ve honestly never felt closer to him. We were both kids, with dreams, and we will both achieve them.

That, I know for sure.

What’s On Tap

PERSONA 5 IS STILL SO GOOD YOU GUYS.

But I’ve also been playing Flint Hook, which comes out on Tuesday. My review probably won’t be up soon, because still Persona in my life, but I really dig it. The meta game aspects of Flint Hook remind me a ton of Rogue Legacy, and there is even a bit of Binding of Isaac in the way rounds will play out too.

It’s one to look out for when it comes out Tuesday.

Questions

If this is a subtly-veiled sexual innuendo, then yes.

If not, then yes. Always down with the sauce. Like a true sauce boss.

Aren’t CPAP machines super loud? Like, the sound of a car starting up all the time or something? 

I dunno Cam. What if you got your tonsils removed? That fixes snoring right? Barrett told me I’m not allowed to snore at his place or he’d smother me, but he is strangely okay with the face in my face.

I’m sorry you need a hug Xyger, only in that usually means you’re upset. I miss you too buddy, but presumably you get to see me in both June, and also in July, since I’ll be in Austin around RTX. I don’t know if you’re going to that, but hugs will most assuredly be had.

I liked the part where that bush burned.

#420onEaster

This is a trick, right? They’re the same person, right?

Goddammit Tony. What the hell is this anime shit in my Sunday Chats.

Messing it all up with anime and stuff.

Uh..

Uhhhhhh...

The second one is a better image? Why would you cheat like that?

The first one.

Good question. I like the bunnies in Super Mario Galaxy because they’re super cute. The rabbids are essentially the Minions of video games, but they were around before Minions ruined everything and society, so they’re okay in my book.

Full stop shoutout to Lola Bunny. I’m sure she was in some video games.

Alright kids, the “big fan” thing is cute, but you guys are my FRIENDS. But still. *hugs*

The thing about Persona is the brilliant way its systems interweave with one another. You got a social link with a person you really like, right? Well you have to have that social link up pretty high, so now go get a bunch of Personas, as many will fit in your inventory, and find a way to fuse them to get a Persona of that arcana. You get that arcana boost up really high and you’ll get a mega-powerful Persona out of it by the end. That thing will be able to hold you up in a fight, and your companion characters, swap them out all the time, keep them all up as high a level as you can get them, and fight everything in your way.

As far as time management, accept that you won’t be able to do everything in one play through, and just do the stuff you want to do. You do have enough time to do the stuff you want to, and you’ll get the most out of that stuff anyway.

And finish Marie’s social link ASAP.

Absolutely! Any Persona is a great one to jump into. Persona 5 has the benefit of being a very modern game, unlike Persona 3, which is way harder than the recent ones, and unlike Persona 4, which is still a PS2 game at the end of the day.

Persona 5 has the sensibilities of a PS4 game, even if its looks are a tad dated behind that. 

The game takes a bit longer to get into, but I also think the premise is positioned in a way that is really, really gripping. I think you’d love it Brendan.

I have heard really great things about it! That and Gravity Falls. I just have really fallen off the whole cartoon band wagon. I haven't found anything that’s made me want to get back in. People told me I’d love adventure time, but I tried to watch that and really didn’t get much out of it.

I also haven’t watched any new cartoons that I’ve loved. The adult cartoon series, Arthur, Bob’s Burger’s, South Park, have absolutely zero appeal to me, and I’ve pretty much fallen off of TV shows altogether.

But we’ll see. Should I go for Steven Universe, or Gravity Falls? That’s the question.

The Last Guardian.

Though I think I’d stand by The Last Guardian more than something like a Mass Effect Andromeda. The game is special. It’s something that matters, regardless of what the critics of it say. I don’t think it’d be a better game if it were shorter, in fact, it’s entire point and meaning would be taken away if that were the case. It needs to be grueling and agonizing to some extent because of the payoff at the end.

But even still, in the same family as like a Papers Please or the games of that same ilk, it delivers its meanings and points through its agonizing gameplay. And it works. But at a cost.

It’s a conflicting game, and months later I still find myself trying to narrow down how I feel about it.

Another game like this is Tales of Zestiria, which I’ve talked about plenty in the past, but I think is closer to a Mass Effect comparison.

In an ideal world, the text. The content. The thing you are talking about. But the reality is there could be a super interesting topic discussed by four hosts I don’t know or recognize, and I wouldn’t want to engage with it because I’d have no clue who the people talking were.

That’s why it’s a bit of both. You bring in the listeners, the folks out there, the wider audience, with the topics and conversations. You bring things that are new or at the very least interesting to say to a topic, and people will want to remember you and hear what you have to say about other things. Format is really important for this, and that’s why I like the formats that encourage discussions and digging deeper into conversations than the ones that jump around. Sometimes you won’t find those conversations every week, but you try and bring them to the forefront anyway.

It’s a balance. I know that sentence alone is not at all helpful, but it’s one each show needs to find on its own.

And to that same point, there isn’t one universal length that works for every show. Like, the Comedy Button is great at an hour, but a show like The GameOverGreggy show works at two or three hours just great. Personally, I like the longer show, because I like the narrative. I like the development and the revisiting of old jokes or bits in a single show. That makes that show stick out more as a piece of something, whether that be time, or a moment that that show reflects, like E3 or something like that.

But it also depends on the show, the hosts, and how long its been going. I like IP at 3ish hours because we have conversations, and we have a format that takes us to different places. I like the BrOC as a show that doesn’t overstay its welcome, and we record those three at a time, so it can get a little hazy.

Haha what is with these weird Easter questions?

I actually don’t know. I think there is an Easter Egg hunt mini game from the PS1 Rug Rats game that I really liked. So I guess that means I’m trash, right?

Shoutouts

A huge massive special shoutout to Danny O’Dwyer. Obviously, the dude is killing it, and changing the games industry one documentary at a time. But this week he put out a documentary on one of my favorite games ever, Spelunky.

It’s fantastic, and it’s the first noclip video I have wathced from to back. I know, I’m missing out here, but you should check it out.

Thank you all for reading. As always, I’m incredibly lucky to have you listening, following, and supporting me, and I appreciate every last goddamn one of you. This was a bit more heartfelt than maybe you expected, but I hope you liked it.

From me to you.

keep it real.