#something to be said about the way blizzard manages mature content (by which I mean they don't always handle it with what I'd call grace)

[carcharadroid]

speaking of stupid shit, something else that’s been nutty to watch has been all of the people clamoring to axe the “War” out of “Warcraft” realizing that they’re shit bored with the game feeling like a kid’s show. a mid one at that.

[ezzydean]

42. i found a cat shivering in the snow and you’re the cutest vet i’ve ever seen AkaHina???

so this is like 1700 words and is actually more like AkaHinaTsukki and could kind of be read as a future fic for my recently posted chat fic

Keiji tugged his coat tighter around himself and scrunched into his scarf.  He eyed the people out and about with disgust.  This was the kind of weather that if he hadn’t been required to work he would have just stayed home.  Granted he had been at work last night before the storm set in and had been given more than one chance to head home when it was clear business wasn’t going to be picking up much.  So clearly he was just as stubborn and stupid as the rest of these people.

But if he wouldn’t have stayed at work late he wouldn’t have found the cat shivering in a snowbank a block from his apartment.  Which would have been tragic because from what he could tell it was an adorable little thing and it was shivering and shuddering and he had immediately picked the poor thing up and got it inside his coat before he huddled into the nearest doorway and pulled out his phone to find the closest vet.

He didn’t bother calling the office since it was only a couple blocks away, just stuffed his phone back in his pocket and pulled his coat tight.  He could feel the cat wriggling slightly against his chest but it worried him how little it had been moving since he found it.

The door to the vet’s office rang merrily as he pushed it open.

“Be right there,” a voice rang out cheerfully.

Keiji unwrapped his scarf and pulled the cat out carefully before he even registered the familiarity of the voice.  He tilted his head to the side, mind lost in memories, as he heard footsteps hurrying back towards the little waiting area.

“What can I do for you toda- oh!  Akaashi?  Is that you?”

He looked up from the cat in his hands into Hinata’s eyes.

“Oh.  Hello Hinata.”

“It is you!”  Hinata laughed, eyes bright.  “What are you doing here?”  The cat in his arms wriggled and mewled softly and Hinata’s eyes widened.    “Oh!  What’s going on here?”  He grabbed a notebook and started jotting down notes.  “What’s the name of the cat?”

“I don’t.  I don’t know.”  Keiji was surprised by Hinata’s sudden seriousness.  Hinata frowned up at him.  “I was on my way home from work and found it in a snowbank and it was shivering and I couldn’t just leave it there.”

Hinata’s eyes narrowed for a moment and then he grinned at Keiji.

“Got it.  I’ll take them back right now.  We don’t have very many patients in today so the vet should get to them in no time.”

Hinata carefully picked up the cat, talking softly to it as he walked away.  Once the cat was out of his arms and out of sight he wondered just what to do now.  It’s not like the cat was his.  But it wasn’t like he could just leave it either, especially not now that he knew Hinata was here.  One of the few pieces of his past that actually gave him decent memories apparently lived nearby, worked only a few blocks from Keiji’s apartment.

“Okay.”  He startled at Hinata’s voice, so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t heard Hinata return.  “The vet is looking at him now.”

“Him?”

“Yep.  You brought in what looks like a five or six month old male.  Quick look he appears to be an outdoor cat, a stray.”  Hinata started talking about options, if Keiji would keep the cat or turn it over to a shelter or try to find someone himself, and all sorts of things that Keiji really should be listening to.  But it was Hinata.  And Keiji hadn’t seen or spoken to him in years.  And he couldn’t help but stare a little.

Hinata stopped, mouth quirked in amusement and shook his head.  “You’re not even listening are you?”

“Sorry,” Keiji muttered.  “It’s just been awhile.  You know?”

“Yeah,” Hinata laughed softly.  “I know.”  He waved for Keiji to follow him into a small office.

Keiji had no idea how long they talked, sharing short stories about what they had been up to since they last talked, how weird it was to be so far from home and all that.  But there was one thing missing in Hinata’s tales, filled to the brim with expressive arm gestures and goofy noises.

“Um.  Where’s Tsukishima?  Last I knew you two were pretty serious?”

Hinata stilled, eyes wide and glimmering with emotion.  He opened his mouth to reply and Keiji watched the way his eyes caught on something behind Keiji and soften.

“Who do you think was looking at the stray you brought in?”  Tsukishima’s voice was just as sarcastic as Keiji remembered.  When he spun in his seat Tsukishima was standing in the doorway, cat in his arms, both looking content and smug as could be.

“You’re the vet here?”

“I’m one of them.”  Tsukishima handed Keiji the cat and dropped into the seat next to Hinata.  “Your cat is going to be okay.  Other than being stuck in the snow and a little underfed he’s okay.  Going to need his shots since I’m guessing he’s a stray.”

“My cat?”

Tsukishima gave him a look.  If Keiji had to classify it based on what he remembered of Tsukishima’s expressions it was something fond and amused and like Keiji was a little dense.  But he really couldn’t be blamed could he?  This morning he had left the warmth of the bar, stepped into a blizzard, found a cat, and ran into what had been two of his closest friends back in high school, even if most of their interactions had been in a group chat.  Two friends who had grown up in the almost ten years since he last saw them.  Hinata wasn’t much taller but he seemed calmer, no less enthusiastic about everything, but more able to express it without overwhelming everyone around him.  Tsukishima still had the same smirks and the same sarcasm tinged his voice.  But everything he did had a sense of confidence and maturity to it that he never had before.

He was so, so screwed.

—

“So what you’re telling me is that you left yesterday morning with a coat and scarf - my coat and scarf might I remind you - and managed to get a new cat and re-meet two of the guys you’ve had the hots for since high school?”  Jun propped his chin on his hand.  “Why can’t I ever be that lucky?”

Keiji rolled his eyes and held out a handful of rags, shaking them when Jun didn’t grab them immediately.  “You use up all your luck driving that junk heap to work every day in this weather.”

Jun shrugged.  “Fair enough.”

It was another typical night at the bar.  Until the door swung open and a Keiji glanced up to scowl at the gust of wind that swept inside.  Only to meet Hinata’s eyes.  Hinata waved cheerfully and the only thing Keiji’s brain could process to do was wave back.  Tsukishima crowded Hinata forward until the door closed and then Keiji lost them in the crowd.  A heavy weight settled against his back and Jun’s arms draped over his shoulders.

“Oh,” Jun cooed in his ear.  “Is that them?  No wonder I’ve never been able to pin down your type.”  

“I don’t have a type,” Keiji responded automatically.

“Of course not.”  Keiji narrowed his eyes and tried to look at Jun.  He had agreed far too easily.  He could just see Jun’s grin out of the corner of his eye.  “You don’t need a type when you already have the hots for these two.”

Keiji took a deep breath and glanced to the side.  Sure enough Hinata and Tsukishima were standing there watching him.  He would have immediately started plotting Jun’s imminent demise - more so that he usually did - if Hinata didn’t have such a pleased look on his face or if Tsukishima didn’t look so smug.

Jun nuzzled the side of Keiji’s head affectionately and then pushed away to go tend to another set of customers further down the bar.

“So you have the hots for us?”  Keiji wasn’t sure if it was better or worse being delivered in Tsukishima’s slightly smug monotone instead of Hinata’s excited chirp.

“If I say yes will you help me ruin Jun’s life for the next week somehow and maybe bury him in a snowbank later?”  Keiji smiled politely and nodded towards Jun.  Tsukishima got a sharp look in his eyes as he gave Jun a slow once over and Hinata grinned deviously.  Jun shivered visibly and glanced back down the bar at the three of them.

Tsukishima propped his elbows on the bar as he slid onto a barstool.  He set his chin in his hand and gave Keiji a smile that made Keiji’s knees far weaker than it probably should have.

“There’s our pretty, petty friend,” Tsukishima said.  “Tell you what.  If you say yes, and mean it, I will personally see to it he has the worst week ever and Hinata will make sure it takes him ten minutes to dig himself out of the snow at some point this week.”

“And if you say yes then we can take you on a date sometime,” Hinata added.  “Only if you want to that is.”

Keiji thought about it for a moment.  Until Jun looked down at them and winked at him.

“Yes.  Yes I still find you both attractive and if you are both okay with the idea I’d like to go on a date with you.  And I would love it if you made Jun’s life hell for awhile.  He’s far too smug.  And not even in an amusing way right now.”  Keiji sniffed daintily and huffed, just to hear the way Hinata and Tsukishima laughed at him.  “And,” he added almost sheepishly, “you can maybe come over and see if I have the stuff I need to properly take care of Yuki?  I’ve never had a cat before.”

“That all sounds amazing!”  Hinata practically bounced in place on his barstool.

“I haven’t had the chance to be truly terrifying for awhile,” Tsukishima said with a smile.  “And I would never pass up the chance to take you out on a date Akaashi.”

He looked back and forth between their eager and content faces.

Yep.  He was so screwed.

[waynekelton]

The Best (And Worst) Auto Chess Games on Android and iOS

Dota Auto Chess is being heralded as “the next big thing” after its meteoric rise back in January 2019. While It hasn't quite managed to surpass the Battle Royale craze just yet, its potential has yet to be fully realised. Just as we saw with the Puzzle, MOBA, and Battle Royale genres in the past; clones, copycats, and tributes are quick to spring up across gaming landscape.

We've gone through the best and worst Auto Chess variants mobile has to offer right now, and we're ready to give some recommendations (and some hard passes). And you needn’t worry about price. All 'Auto-Battler' games (legitimate or otherwise) are Free-to-Play. These things make their money through cosmetic micro-transactions like board skins and avatars – there’s nothing we’ve found so far that lets you spend real money to have an in-game advantage, which is the way it’s meant to be done.

Those that don’t follow this model gain swift admittance into our 'Ones to Avoid' section.

Teamfight Tactics

Developer: Riot Games Platforms: iOS Universal, Android (and PC)

Riot's own take on the Auto Chess phenomenon is a bit tamer than Battlegrounds below, but it's still a slick piece of software. Changes are again on the subtle side, although one major difference is that TFT boards use hexes, instead of a square grid. That being said, so far movement patterns and the way combat plays out doesn't seem to differ that much as to make this a noticeable change.

Otherwise, Teamfight Tactics follows all the usual rules set-out by OG Auto Chess. There's a coin-based economy, items and loot drops, mob rounds and you can collect champions to level them up to Tier 3. TFT goes through seasonal content cycles, with the most recent one being 'Galaxies'. Each season entire sets of champions are rotated out in favour of new, more on-brand champions, which bring new synergies. The avatars and arenas also change to be more on-theme. This game features a Battle Pass monetisation system, but is otherwise free-to-play.

Hearthstone: Battlegrounds

Developer: Blizzard Platforms: iOS Universal, Android (PC etc...)

The first genuinely new Auto Chess game to arrive since the craze kicked off, Battlegrounds blends the basic belt-and-braces design concepts of the Auto Battler genre, with the DNA of Blizzard's main CCG Hearthstone. Gone are animated minions that jump and weave across a grid arena - instead you're presented with the main Hearthstone aesthetic. You still draft minions in the same way, although things like minion costs and the economy in general are wildly different. There's also a lot more combos and active planning, as not only do you need to draft cards that synergise well together, their order in your line up is also important, as it will control who attacks (and, just as in important - who dies) first.

It's definitely different and inventive and I've got a lot of time for using cards and card games as a platform, the only drawbacks is that Battlegrounds is just as susceptible to the bonkers combo plays that the main CCG suffers. Stat buffing particularly is integral to the meta right now, and it can be hard to keep track and predict where your opponents are going to be in terms of relative power. It makes it a less predictable game, which combined with the built-in RNG of the format can make the experience more stressful than it needs to be. On the bright side - dealing damage to your opponent can scale quite quickly, so if you do make a mistake you won't have to suffer for it for too long.

Dota Underlords

Developer: Valve Platforms: iOS Universal, Android (PC, Mac)

In an unusual display of vigour, Valve have been anything but lax in getting their own, 'official' Auto Chess take out the door and into the hands of players. Available in beta across all platforms, Valve have essentially built on the original Dota Auto Chess mod and put their own unique spin on things. From little changes like bench size and how the various synergies work, to their own take on monetisation, ranking and an offline mode, Dota Underlords sports a fully functional tutorial, robust AI play, as well the ability to seamlessly transition a game between PC and Mobile.

While it's still early days yet, this is our favourite mobile version of the Auto Chess games so far, mainly because Valve have put a lot of thought into addressing many of the usability and quality of life issues the original game had on both PC and mobile (although, Drodo isn't slouching there either). It's really the offline play that cinches it - not only can you play against different difficulty levels, you can completely disable the round-timers so that you can take your time as you learn the ropes of Valve's blend of Auto-Battler. Anyone who's been wary in getting caught up in knock-offs or clones may also feel starting here a safer bet, before looking at some of the others below.

Auto Chess: Origin

Developer: Dragonest Game/Drodo Platforms: iOS Universal, Android

If you were quick to the scene on Android and assumed Auto Chess by Dragonest to be nothing but a Chinese copycat, you'd be forgiven. It happens with website domains all the time. But in actuality, this is the ‘OG’ Auto Chess game that started it all. It comes from the same developers - Drodo. Washing itself of its Dota roots, Auto Chess (or Auto Chess: Origin as it’s now known on iOS) is the real deal. 

Separating from its Dota foundation means Auto Chess: Origin no longer has access to familiar assets like sounds and models. So, while you might recognize its logo from the original PC version, you’ll find a pretty different looking game when you fire it up, with humour that might seem a little too juvenile for some. If you can get passed that, you’ll find a mobile replacement almost exactly the same as the PC version minus the obvious (and better suited) touch interface. It's added new pieces since first launching, and is also now starting to experiment with new game modes to try and stand-out from the competition.

Arena Allstars

Developer: Match Set Games Platforms: iOS Universal, Android

This is another recent newcomer, Arena Allstars is as innovative as it is kinda lazy. 'Optimised for mobile' returns as a selling-point, although in this game's case it's basically true - quicker matches, a vertical UI and lots of information on hand to help you figure out what's what. You'll notice on the screens everything from front-and-centre synergy guides, and you can even tap on your income to get a breakdown as to whether it's all coming from (Notice Interest makes a return in this game). Levelling up is also nice and seamless, and space concerns are addressed by allowing you to stack the same pieces together (provided they are of the same tier).

Other than that though, you'll kind of recognise all the playing pieces. Even that ability that fires a ship made of water at your opponents is in there. It's also got the typical back-end progression and monetisation offerings that most of the others have. I'd say despite it's laziness some of the quality of life features make it worth a potential migration, or at least checking out.

Chess Rush

Developer: Tencent Games Platforms: iOS Universal, Android

Tencent being one of the 'big names' in Chinese videogame publishing, it makes sense that they'd try and push out their own version of Auto Chess - which makes the partnership with Drodo over OG Auto Chess a bit odd. Come to think of it, Imba are also partnered with Drodo, and they've got their own game on this list as well. The Auto Chess Wars are weird. Anyway, Chess Rush might as well be a carbon copy clone of Auto Chess: Origins. It's got pretty much all the same features, and the heroes are very similar in a lot of respects apart from extra/different types and synergies. It's also got a slightly more in-your-face free-to-play economy in the sense that it keeps throwing free resources at you but it's largely harmless.

I'm recommending this one because it's a prettier looking alternative to Auto Chess: Origin - the production values are actually surprisingly good, with nice visuals, and a neat little intro into every match. I suspect Tencent have more resources to draw on than Drodo does so if you're looking for something that's likely iterate and polish at a decent rate, this might be an alternative. It's currently experimenting with a 4x4 mode, after having just introduced Co-op to the game, and is proving to be a bit quicker in terms of pushing out iterations and new ideas.

Arena of Evolutions: Red Tides

Developer: HERO Game Platforms: iOS Universal, Android

Now this is what we're talking about. A grittier, more sci-fi take on the Auto Chess formula. With some moody splash artwork and even a full-fledged opening movie to boot, our first thought when firing up this game was just how quickly the company must have got the ball rolling when Dota Auto Chess originally broke onto the scene.

Everything about Arena of Evolution: Red Tides screams respectable production value. If you're trying to avoid being called out as a clone, this is the way to do it. The units don't always match the space war vibe the opening movie sets up (thank you, kung-fu panda), but there's a nice variety of unique characters to pick up and play with.  If you're not into multiplayer, AI brawls will still give anyone but the pros a decent (and welcoming) challenge. If you're looking for a more mature Auto Chess experience, this is a solid recommendation over the official counterpart. Everything from the chess board – which is less a board and more a stone battlefield – to the crude iron fence separating the brawl from your bench screams quality in the face of what comes next.

Auto Chess Legends

Developer: Imba/Suga Platforms: iOS Universal, Android

This one was down for maintenance when we first tried to test it out. It wasn't a good look, and we honestly thought the game was just dead on arrival… Turned out we were wrong! It fired up without a hitch the next day and was a pleasant surprise. There's a clean UI and most of the of the details you'd come to expect from a game of Auto Chess, but without an AI mode after the initial tutorial, it might scare off newcomers looking to practice before diving into the real thing. It's a little sparse of the extra game modes, but at least the developers found the time to offer micro-transaction goodies, right?

While it starts off looking like one of those cheap mobile ads on a dodgy website, Auto Chess Legends is one of the better made alternatives out there. Nowhere near the same level of depth and detail of the above games, but enough to avoid the bucket list below.

Avoid These Auto Chess Games At All Costs

We're not going to call out the lack of direct competition on the app stores right now. After all, Auto Chess isn't even a year old. But what we will call out are deplorable cash grabs siphoning the Auto Chess name and bewildering any curious mind that dares search for the next big thing. These games aren't vying for your time at all – just your money. They function mostly the same as any other Auto Battler game would, albeit for once little thing – they're all pay to win. Avoid these unless you're looking for the quick and easy route to learn the fundamentals of the game.

Heroes Auto Chess

Developer: Tap2Play LLC Platforms: iOS/Android

The first of the lot we tested out, Heroes Auto Chess is one of the better efforts of the bunch – but it's still pretty gnarly. Its low-poly art-style is reminiscent of old Steam shovelware riding the 'voxel' hype train. Hop into a match, however, and the quality starts to rapidly deteriorate further. It's a very basic take on Auto Chess, with no notable polish. Units lack personality as they're absolutely mute, while battles are nothing more than a slight wiggle animation with a cheap stock sword clash sound playing out every second or two.

Then comes the worst part – you can forgo any need for actual strategy by watching an ad to re-roll and buy additional units in the shop. Not cool. With only three slots on the bench, there's very little actually strategy to be had here, anyway. Without the ads, we could let Heroes Auto Chess slide as a decent way to introduce the game to a far younger audience. Accept donations or charge for skins by all means, but don't nullify the whole point of your game just to make 1c on an ad click. You're better than that.

AutoChess War

Developer: Phoenix Mobile/Chengdu Phoenix Electronic Arts Co. Limited Platforms: iOS/Android

We wanted to like this one, but it flops out of the gate a little too soon. AutoChess War looked promising – and actually could be if development keeps up – but what little it does is quickly soured yet again by in-game ads. A unique Adventure mode is a nice little touch. It doesn't really add much to the Auto Chess formula (aside from the horizontal board), but it does separate the game into bite-sized rounds you can drop in and out of at will, making the game more commute-friendly. When you're at home, the Endless Challenge mode can be a good way to test out some strategies. But you'll need to play another game entirely to actually execute them against another player. 

Auto Chess Defense

Developer: Phoenix Mobile/Chengdu Phoenix Electronic Arts Co. Limited Platforms: iOS/Android

The first thing I noticed is that this one calls itself Auto Chess Mobile in game. Looks like someone paid for a logo a little too soon. Diving deeper, Auto Chess Defense (Mobile?) feels like a game you would have found on the original iPhone. The first app of its kind. While that would have been a glowing recommendation back in 2007, it's the worst kind of criticism you can have in 2019. We appreciate the option to skip straight into battle rather than waiting on a laborious timer, but, again, the ads creep in the sour the experience.

Seen any other games worthy of people's attention, or ones they should definitely avoid? Let us know in the comments!

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