#sometimes those tricking stories can feel forced whereas this is more natural
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Marvel Treasury Edition (1974) #25
#the Hulk’s not that great at understanding his own emotions in general#like he needs a lot of time and quiet space to work things out#but at the same time there are things that no matter how much time he has he simply isn’t going to be able to understand them on his own#and he needs help which he doesn’t actually get all that often#which isn’t something that he plays no part in#like oftentimes he takes the frustration of not understanding something and accuses the other person of intentionally trying to confuse him#and his awareness and acceptance of his own limitations is not consistent#like sometimes he understands that there’s a lot he doesn’t understand#but a lot of the time it’s everyone else around him that’s stupid actually#so I think that this kind of subtle/less domineering form of mind control is more interesting#than say someone just lying to the Hulk and outright tricking him into doing their bidding#sometimes those tricking stories can feel forced whereas this is more natural#marvel#bruce banner#peter parker#my posts#comic panels
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hey Frank, I discovered your writing recently and it's very inspiring! do you have any advice or recommendations about writing? thanks!
Sure!
1) Don't sweat writing "basic" things like "dialogue."
If the story you are writing takes place in a modern setting, we've already established that people will say things like "like" and "lol" and "what" and so on, so it's probably okay for characters to do so as well.
2) Don't hesitate to include anachronisms.
In a time that looks like your own, characters will speak about subjects which feel like they should be very different than things which you would mention if writing in your world. A classic example is characters talking about video games, something which would be very unfamiliar to them if they didn't come from a culture that uses video games often.
In general, anachronisms can help avoid this kind of "well, how can I make this make sense in a time period which does not look like my time?" problem -- it will feel to the reader like they make sense, that "the past" isn't really being referenced but just used to give the dialogue more weight and help the character's characterization.
3) If you're writing about a setting which does look like your real time, but without the benefit of anachronisms, include them anyway.
In my opinion this is the worst time to do this. By this point you've already established some of the details which are very familiar, but not part of the "default" world view. If you haven't already, you may not know how familiar something is, e.g. "people in this world eat spicy food." So you may have to introduce these details without them seeming familiar. (You could introduce them by anachronism, if you have something like "a man says [phrase that means'spicy' here] when eating spicy food in this world")
But if the details are already familiar, putting them in the text may feel very natural, whereas using an anachronism can often feel forced and awkward.
4) If you write your world with a lot of historical anachronisms, this can come off as awkward or forced, even if your story does take place in a very modern setting.
Imagine you have two characters who, for no reason at all, discuss something which would have had a very different meaning in past centuries. When reading this, do you read the dialogue as "a lot of historical anachronisms?" Or do you read it like it is written in your time and just imagine that they are talking about something totally unfamiliar to them?
5) Don't worry about making sure a world has enough detail in it (if your setting isn't very "exotic," this is less an issue).
This is very important. If you want to write about things which make sense if your reader knows nothing about those things, you just need to include anachronisms. If your world includes detailed facts which make sense to your readers but which aren't really "in their cultural world," this is harder to write. You'll have to do a lot of research, and you might end up giving up.
6) Sometimes you need to find a very specific world in order to convey an idea or to avoid having a "trivial" idea get in the way of a story about more interesting topics.
Here, the trick is to make your "small world" feel distinct from the world of your story. So instead of talking about something which sounds vaguely familiar to readers who know nothing about the world's history and geography, you want to talk about something from a world which is very distinct from the world your story takes place in. You might choose to have "smaller" details, like the food people eat, be really different in some way (like how we tend to put a lot more spice in our food). Or you may want to describe some very specific region which is clearly and distinctly outside your world, perhaps a fictionalized version of your area (though I think if you try to get too fantastical, it's more likely to make the story feel silly and forced).
For example, consider my own work on The Northern Caves. (I have not finished it yet, and do not expect to do so soon, as I have other projects I am trying to work on right now.) My setting involves lots of things that you would think are "really weird" or "anachronistic," and which really are not from the same part of the world I'm writing about. Some of this is purely aesthetic -- e.g. my fantasy setting includes a lot of non-Western influences, so I don't really think of it as being "a lot like China" as such, but I do want to avoid making it too much like any specific place in China, and I know if I tried to write about one particular part of China I would get tripped up.
Of course, in this case, I do have a setting where it would make sense to have "a lot of stuff that seems exotic" because it has a lot of things which are very different from the default world. The setting's history is very unusual, in the way you said when you talked about your own work. So I have used that world and its particularities to set the tone of the story. I don't want to have the tone be set by some random historical facts which are different than my world, just because they're different than a generic "historical place." It needs to be set by something else -- something which is very different in its own way, which I can then build up to using to add flavor.
(This also helps me when writing about cultures which are very different from mine in some things but share many basic values, e.g. the kind of setting I've mentioned earlier, where many people use a sort of religion which looks superficially strange from a Western perspective, or which uses some other form of media besides books or TV or film.)
8) Writing about a different time period than the one in which your story is taking place is very difficult!
I mean, you are writing about a different time period. (There's no getting around this one.) You're using a different frame of reference, but you're writing in your frame of reference. So a lot of this comes down to your frame of reference being really good.
9) Sometimes if you've written a lot about things which are very familiar to your readers, you can feel "stuck" in that world.
You need to figure out some way to create interest for your readers without relying too much on the details, the "basics." If you have lots of those, then your world is "familiar," which can limit your ability to create new stories. One trick which works for me is to focus less on a world that is "familiar" in the traditional sense, and make your world more like a "world-in-progress," where there are always new discoveries to be made.
(Of
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My BlitzStrike Twins: Headcanons and Shenanigans~ [probably with a bit of my M&M kids thrown in just for fun]
So today I got a couple of fantastic asks about Blitz and Striker as parents, and since there seemed to be a pretty positive response to them--and because @helluva-simp is amazing and encouraged me to be brave enough to write this up--I thought I’d go ahead and make a full post of my headcanons for these two little devils. I really do love the hell out of them and hope you guys enjoy hearing about them too!! <3 <3
Twist’s and Ty’s full names are Twister and Typhoon but literally nobody calls them by their full names ever so they like to make the joke of “the ‘-er’ and the ‘-phoon’ are silent”
Ty is actually the older of the two [though not by much] but everyone thinks that Twist is because his name is always called first. It’s always “Twist and Ty” [or just collectively “Twist-Ty”] instead of “Ty and Twist”. Ty honestly doesn’t mind that much as far as following after his brother goes, just don’t make the mistake of trying to label him as the younger of the two. There are a lot of things Ty’s perfectly content to let Twist take the lead in, but having the title of “the older twin” is just going too far.
Twist and Ty are mirror twins, meaning that they’re mostly identical except for a few key things: 1. Twist is left handed and Ty is right handed, 2. they both have heterochromia but Twist’s eyes are Left: Red | Right: Green-Gold whereas Ty’s eyes are Left: Green-Gold | Right: Red, 3. Twist has a birthmark on his right hand and Ty has his birthmark on his left hand--and yes when you put the two marks together, they form a design not unlike the heart shaped one on Blitz’s forehead :)
Both of the twins are incredibly agile, but Twist is faster and Ty is more flexible
Striker affectionately calls Twist “Whirlwind” because of said fastness
Blitz affectionately calls Ty “Noodle” because of said flexibility
.....Though it should be noted that it’s not all fun and games because Twist is CONSTANTLY crashing into things or tripping over his own two feet from going too fast, and Ty is so flexible that he’s able to contort himself into positions that honestly make both of his parents throw up a little in their mouths with the split-second panic of “OH GOD OUR BABY WAS BORN WITHOUT BONES!!” DX DX They’re both usually just fine tho!! :D
As noted in an earlier post--but I want to say it here too--Twist’s first word was “Bang!” and Ty’s first word was “Fuck!” Twist was the first one to talk, though, and it made Striker and Blitz second guess the context of his first word by the time Ty said his. XD
Another thing that was noted in another post but I want to put it here too is that Twist and Ty have incredibly high self esteem and both Striker and Blitz wouldn’t have it any other way
Twist is dyslexic and so gets easily frustrated when he has to read a book, but he love love LOVES the hell out of stories.....and so Ty is almost constantly making up random stories to tell him
This actually also works out well in Ty’s favor because Ty’s attention span is about as short as Blitz’s patience and he has a lot more fun telling stories than he does sitting still long enough to read the ones that other people made up unless it’s a book about something he’s reeeeeeally interested in
It’s also made Ty hella good at bullshitting on the fly, which I think most of the older/adult members of his family wish he was a lot less convincing at
Twist knows how to lie and is a natural at acting, but his flair for the over-dramatics tends to give him a way a lot easier than his twin
They both have what I’m calling a “hierarchy of obedience” within their family which really translates into a range of “eh I can think about maybe listening to this person sometimes” to “oh SHIT I need to listen to this person 5 fucking minutes ago”. For Twist, his hierarchy of obedience is: Millie --> Blitz --> Striker --> Loona --> Moxxie. For Ty, his hierarchy of obedience is: Loona --> Millie --> Blitz --> Striker.....and Moxxie doesn’t even make the list for him because honestly I’m pretty sure Ty just naturally tunes him out most of the time and not even fully on purpose. As he puts it: “You just have one of those voices”. XD
Ty can sleep literally anywhere and on anything. I’m pretty sure there have been mornings where Blitz and Striker have to play the game of 'Where the hell is my kid??' because they THOUGHT that he went to sleep in his bed like their other child did but NOPE they go into their room in the morning to get them out of bed and are just like, “.....Twist where the hell is your brother??” and Twist just gives an innocent shrug and says, “I don’t know--probably on the roof or something.” u3u and goes out into the kitchen to make himself breakfast--and then two seconds later Blitz and Striker hear him calling out “NEVER MIND! HE’S IN THE OVEN!!” and that starts off a whole new kind of panic because they know damn well that Twist’s favorite thing to have for breakfast is cinnamon rolls XD
Twist’s laughter is infectious--this really cute witch-like cackling that just bubbles out of him in the most adorably genuine way when he’s that delighted about someting
Ty does this adorable thing where--when he sticks his tongue out at someone--he flicks it in a very snake-like fashion and even gives the tiniest of hisses in lieu of a raspberry when he does it
Ty also manages to twist himself into the most uncomfortable-looking positions when he sleeps but rest assured, he’s never been more comfy
Twist’s tail never stays still. It is constaintly flicking to and fro, back and forth, swishing and swirling like a cat’s tail, and he loves flicking it in front of people’s faces to get their attention
Twist in general doesn’t really stay still very often but the one time he did was when Ty broke his arm--and then he spent almost every moment of the day and night plastered to his side because he knew it was driving Ty crazy not being as mobile as he usually is while having to wear a cast
The twins really don’t ever go that far apart from each other. If you look and only see the one, you can rest assured that the other one is around somewhere nearby and it’s probably not a good sign for you if you can only see the one.
Ty is much more of a biter when it comes to self-defense and Twist always goes straight to using his claws
Twist is the outwardly more protective twin and is vicious with his words when defending his brother. He will force every last ounce of moisture out of your body from how hard he makes you cry.
Ty, on the other hand, will fuck you up hard physically if you try to hurt his twin--and Lucifer himself would not be able to save you if you actually do hurt his twin
As they get older, and their sexualities and gender develop and grow, Twist would discover that he’s a nonbinary he/they homosexual panromantic and Ty would discover that he’s a genderfluid he/she pansexual homoromantic
The above being said, both Twist and Ty wholeheartedly say “fuck you and your gender norms” from a very young age and well into their teenage and adult years, with Twist enjoying painting his nails and Ty carrying all of his stuff around in a purse--and they both have a preference for wearing high heeled shoes [Ty because he just likes being tall in general and Twist because he likes being specifically taller than his parents because it drives them crazy XD]
Twist and Ty’s best friend is “Missi” [Moxxie and Millie’s eldest daughter, Missile] and she’s honestly an absolute hero for putting up with as many of their shenanigans as she does
Whenever they go out on family outings, Twist is that kid who just NEVER wants to leave--and so Blitz usually, after spending ten minutes of trying to get him in the damn van and Striker even using his Dad Tone (TM) and that not working, will just be like, “Alright kiddo, I tried playing nice. You asked for this.” And he puts his fingers to his mouth and whistles with a, “Loona Sweetie? Fetch.” >3 And Loona gets the BIGGEST grin on her face and Twist gets the biggest “oh shit I’m so fucking screwed” look on his face and Ty--who’s honestly probably very awkwardly coiled up in Striker’s arms because after a long day of family fun he’s tired af and decided that he doesn’t want to use his limbs anymore--just kind of looks over at his twin and says, “I believe in you, but also maybe try to run faster than last time” u3u
I think that they would both love their Auntie Barbie a lot and she would have soooooooo much fun teaching them different circus tricks--especially how to yeet each other back and forth on the trapeze XD
I also think that their Auntie Barbie would really love just how close they are.....and probably inspire her to make up for lost time in her relationship with her own twin too
For some reason I can’t shake the thought of the twins being great at acapella and I have no idea why but I’m also ttly here for it XD
In school, I feel like Twist’s favorite class would be Art [he loves to paint and happily makes all kinds of messes with his “expressing creativity”] and Ty’s favorite class would be P.E./Gym [because he loves testing the limits of his physical body]
Family game nights are always fun in their household because usually what happens is Twist and Ty team up against Blitz and Striker, and while they’re in the middle of duking it out, Loona ends up getting a monopoly on every street and is just like, “Pay up fuckers.” u3u
Moxxie and Millie both love and hate babysitting for the twins because on the one hand, they love them to pieces and love seeing how well they get along with their three kids, but on the other hand.....the twins keep finding Millie’s strap on and putting it on their middle child [Mark]’s head and calling him a “cockicorn” XD
Ty’s favorite food is ramen noodles and Twist spent three weeks [and probably set their kitchen on fire at least twice] learning how to make them with JUST the right flavor profile that he knows his brother likes the best
While I think both of the twins know that they can talk to their dads about anything, I think that they still keep their most personal thoughts reserved only to themselves and each other
Twist’s favorite type of weaponry tends to be more of the flashy ‘sharp and pointy’ kind whereas Ty’s favorite type of weaponry tends to be more of the aggressive ‘point and shoot’ kind. However I honestly kind of think that in terms of what they’d use themselves in the field, Twist’s primary weapon of choice would be a whip [though he would definitely have some throwing knives and handheld revolvers in his back pocket too] and Ty’s primary weapon of choice is honestly poisons. Assume that everything this kid has that he throws at you--be it a knife or a bullet or even a fucking cannonball--is poisoned somehow.
They both definitely play wrestle like Blitz and Barbie did as kids.....and just like Blitz and Barbie, they also get their horns tangled together more than once and need to have someone come rescue them. There’s almost always a photo taken that gets posted to Voxtigram first tho. XD
There are plenty more headcanons where this came from but I feel like this is already waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too fucking long so I’m going to go ahead and stop here for tonight!! If you guys are interested in hearing more about these two, please please please feel free to let me know and I’d be happy to write up a Part 2 to this, or just overall write up a quick little oneshot with them in it, or if you want to send me specific questions about them that I can answer, feel free to do so!! Thanks so much again and I hope you guys have as much fun reading these as I did writing them up!! <3 <3
#vizowritesheadcanons#BlitzStrike twins#ocs: Twist and Ty#BlitzStrike#Striker x Blitzo#Blitzo x Striker#Helluva Boss AU where Blitz and Striker are parents#I.M.P. family fun#kid AU
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Things to do instead of bingeing
This is just what works for me and sometimes, all these things still aren't enough so don't beat yourself up too much if it doesn't work
Brush your teeth, food always tastes disgusting after brushing your teeth
Paint your nails, you can't eat while the polish is still drying
Chew some gum, sometimes that helps trick your brain into thinking you're eating, plus food tastes awful after you've just had gum in your mouth
Drink water. Like a fuck tonne of it because then you will feel so bloated and full that eating will be so unappealing, plus water is so important
Take your dog for a walk or get out a toy and entertain your cat
Wash your hair. This sounds dumb, but I have long ass naturally curly hair and it is an effort to wash it properly, following all of the proper methods and post shower styling needs
Do your makeup. I never take the time to do a full face of makeup, but when I feel like bingeing, I do it because you'll look like ab idiot if it's only half done and it takes a while to finish it all
If you're a writer, write a new story. It could be fanfiction, it could be original. Just find any idea and go with it. It doesn't have to be good, just enough to distract your mind. Personally, this is when I write the most embarrassing, self indulgent, self insert fanfiction ever but it takes my mind off of it because I'm forced to put myself into the story and that occupies my mind more
If you're an artist, draw. It doesn't have to be good. It doesn't have to look like anything, just doodle. Though, personally, I like to pick an image (I have a whole collection of them saved to my insta) and try to replicate it as best as possible because that requires concentration
Listen to a podcast. Personally, when I'm feeling binge-y (not a word but let's go with it), I listen to podcasts about overcoming bingeing specifically. Something like Brain Over Binge is good to listen to and that way you can curb the desire to binge and help yourself get better at the same time
Do a dance video. I don't mean a full on workout, but perfect a choreographed dance of your choosing. If you're feeling nostalgic, relearn the hoedown throwdown from Hannah Montana. If you want to jam out to popular music and dance along with someone really fun, check out the Fitness Marshall on YouTube. Try to learn a dance from your favourite song from your favourite musical. Or try to remember your old choreography from musicals you were in in high school
Write in your journal about how you're feeling. Sometimes trying to suppress your emotions on bingeing only makes the desire stronger because you're constantly thinking about food. I find once I write something out in a journal, those thoughts stop circling around on repeat. The thoughts are now out of your mind and on paper. I also find that while writing, you're forced to say something new instead of repeating the same idea whereas in your mind, you keep repeating the same thing over and over again
#binge eating recovery#binge eating disorder#binge eating#things to do instead of bingeing#things to do instead of binging#binge
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Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 1 - Avalanche, Flower Girl & Childhood Friend (CH 1-8)
The long awaited remake!! Jessie is sooo pretty btw, I love it! I’ve always liked Jessie since the original because of how nice she was to Cloud, so it’s nice to see that they put so much effort into her looks. Biggs looks pretty cool too, but he’s such a silly guy haha. Most of the first chapter was pretty much like the demo so nothing much to say about it besides that I like the Japanese dub much more than the English haha. Btw, I’m playing on normal mode~ Barret is so aggressive and a bit annoying now that you can hear him though LOL. I have to say though, the camera is soo annoying in this game lol, it frustrates me so much. And the boss in the reactor has so much life, it was a tiring battle lol. Otherwise, great nostalgia! I still remember so well in the original when Jessie gets her leg stuck and you have to free her~ In the original, you kinda had to go to her to yourself, whereas in this remake, they force you into the scene of freeing her which is good!! Because lmao, I legit didn’t realise she was stuck in the original game and totally ignored her and went back up the elevator, and what happened?! I was stuck and couldn’t get out of the reactor without her, and I couldn’t go back to save her because it didn’t let me backtrack!! So yes, nice memories, I felt so bad though, I legit left her there to die LOL. Anyway, despite Heidegger and them contributing to the destruction of the sector, it is true that it was because of Avalanche’s actions that made all these people die or get injured, since Heidegger probably wants to pin on them how much of a terrorist they are to the masses.
Sephiroth appearing is so awkward btw, but I think what irks me is that the menacing part of him isn’t shown very well. Doesn’t help that Those Chosen By the Planet (what I think to be Sephiroth’s theme) doesn’t have the same threatening feel to it imo. Aww I felt like the train scene with Barret shooing off the Shinra people was done more seriously than the original, and I feel like it also shows how rash and sometimes naive the Avalanche group is. I felt like the scene was funnier in the original because Barret was being aggressive and scared them away lol. Anyway, not sure what those things flying around Aerith are (dementorssss!), but nice flower lol. I found it sooo cuteee how Cloud so naturally gave the flower to Tifa though, like dang, my heart swooned! Tifa is so beautiful btw~ Interesting that she rented a room for Cloud, guess it was unnecessary in the original since you’re running around everywhere already, whereas in the remake, Cloud is going to be earning money joining the neighbourhood watch (killing monsters) and doing odd jobs haha. Honestly though, seeing Barret dote on Marlene was so sweet, I always found it heartwarming how much he loved and cherished her. Lmao when she ran away from Cloud since he was a “stranger” lol. Nice to see all these different materia though, looks like it’ll be fun to try them!
Okay, the side quests were pretty useless but I guess it helped to gain experience and get me used to the combat system a bit more. Honestly though, playing as Tifa is much more fun than Cloud haha. Doesn’t help that Tifa is such a cute beauty~ Am I the only weirdo taking non-stop screenshots of her because she looks so good in every angle? LOL. When Tifa asked what kind of clothing suits her best, I wasn’t really sure, but I guess I would like to see something mature haha. I can see why Tifa would have doubts about what Avalanche is doing though. I mean, sure she agrees with their ideals and goals, but the way they’re doing it isn’t exactly the “best” way to do it since it involves a lot of casualties. So, I’m kinda glad that Cloud kinda advised her in his own way that she should really follow her heart and to not do it if she isn’t able to. Oh and that darts game at Seventh Heaven? Yeah, I sucked at it LOL. Anyway! Jessie feeling bad about the bomb she made causing such unprecedented destruction on the city is understandable, so going to grab a weaker reagent is something she’d do. Nice that she got Cloud to come along with her, but it was also pretty cute that Biggs and Wedge kinda knew what she was up to. Didn’t think about the idea of the Avalanche members having families, so knowing that Jessie seems to have a warm family that would turn on the light every night waiting for her to come home is kinda sweet yet saddening. On the other hand, that motorcycle chase lmao, I was so terrible at it, I legit nearly died hahaaha. Roche was a crazy guy man, it felt so difficult to catch up to him and deal some damage lol. Like how does he do all these crazy stuff with the motorcycle?! Honestly, it makes me think of a motorcycle version of SSX (that snowboarding game where you do tricks) because, I’m surprised he and his bike are intact lol. Although, in a sense, it did seem easier than the original game though, I mean, I used to legit miss the targets reallyyyyyy badly in the original hahahah. But yeah, it was nice to have that mini game I guess, I just didn’t expect it right now lol. BUT, the highlight of the motorcycle chase here was definitely Jessie hugging Cloud from behind on the motorcycle and feeling so comfortable and safe with him around. I honestly felt it, but then again, who wouldn’t feel safe with Cloud?! He’s so reliable and cool!
Honestly, I never would have thought Jessie would be an actress at the Gold Saucer! That’s an interesting back story. Kinda saddening though, that when she finally got a starring role, her dad collapsed in a Mako storage (since he was a maintenance supervisor for Shinra) for half a day and got Mako poisoning, so now he’s in a comatose state. I guess it’s understandable how one thing led to another for Jessie to join Avalanche, but I feel devastated for the mother. It’s a tough life but there’s still the hope and happiness of seeing Jessie return home when she can, but��that’s not going to happen forever.. Well, well, that diversion Cloud had to do alongside Biggs and Wedge was not fun! But it was cool to see Ifrit haha. Honestly think the highlight was seeing Cloud warm up to Biggs and Wedge after this little mission, not only did he get to see that Wedge is willing to put his life on the line for Cloud even though they just hired him for these missions, he also got to see how passionate they are about their reasons for being in Avalanche. They really should count themselves lucky that another sub group of Avalanche was there to bail them out though! Anyway, Cloud smiling was so cute. Lmao when Wedge called Cloud “aniki” after the mission hahahah, it’s so adorable. I love how Cloud tells Wedge not to call him that every time he does it hahaha. And it was so cuteee when Cloud quietly said he hopes Jessie’s dad will get better soon, he cares!! It’s so sweet!
Oh, btw LOL at the random grandma that noticed all the commotion from Cloud/Avalanche and thought it was Wutai attacking Shinra again, so she said she’d join in since she used to fight against them when she was young loll, chill grandma!! It’s quite cute how Biggs and Wedge can tell that Jessie is interested in Cloud, so sweet how they look out for Cloud instead and say she’s not serious though hahaha. Omggg, Jessie giving him a hug as extra payment for helping out on the mission was so cuteeee, I love her. She’s so forward and honest, but so cuteee. I loved how she said she’d make pizza for him. Biggs overthinking was really adorable, but Cloud telling him to prioritise resting up for tomorrow was nice to see. He has such a soft spot for them all now, it’s so heartwarming. It was so considerate and kind of Cloud to offer to listen to Tifa’s worries, I loved how casually he said it.
No idea what those spectres are, but OMG!! CLOUD PRINCESS CARRYING JESSIE?! Yes, my heart squealed🥺🥺🥺 That Shinra Middle Manager guy on the train is so passionate and loyal to them, it’s pretty admirable tbh. He’s obviously scared of Barret but he’s unafraid to voice his opinions and views to him, Shinra sure has passionate workers. I loved the jumping out of the train part!! Cloud held Tifa close and protected her🥰 On the other hand, I really didn’t need the corny part where the Shinra Middle Manager was shocked that Barret and them would protect the others on the train though, I think if we just see him being impressed and kinda acknowledging them, it would have been fine lol. Anyway, is it just me or are the normal monsters harder than the bosses?! Like seriously lol! Or maybe I’m just too reckless tbh because I legit just roll around and attack hahahah. Yes, that’s how I roll. Oh btw, I forgot to say, but I’m kinda sad that we never got to go downstairs at Seventh Heaven!! That’s like my favourite part! I loved the interactions between everyone at Avalanche there, oh well I guess… We kinda got the interactions through Jessie’s story instead I guess.
Going through Sector 5 was legit tedious lol, but it was cool to see holograms of the President and Heidegger, and the boss!! I’m not sure if I really weakened the boss by taking away the right stuff, but I just kinda took all the big bombs and some programming cores and it was relatively easy. Btw cowboy Tifa is adorableee! Aerith and Cloud reuniting at the church and squashing his flowers wasn’t as magical as it felt in the original imo (even though it was HD T_T). And I also feel like Aerith was more cooler in the original in my memory haha. Reno definitely looks better as a bunch of pixels than in HD LOL, I’m sorry Reno, you’re my favourite boy ever in FFVII but I hate his close up look here hahaha. Although I think it’s mainly because his open shirt look is very...ugly LOL. Make him cool not tacky! The Turks theme wasn’t as clicky sounding(?) as well so I think it kinda lost how cool the soundtrack was imo, but oh well~ And dang, I legit found the battle so difficult with him hahahah, I probably should have used more magic etc to deal with him but far out, his lightning attacks lol. I’m kinda sad they kicked out rolling the barrels to save Aerith from the Shinra soldiers though, I used to just let Aerith fight them, and I think it would have been cool if they let Aerith fight them, since it kinda showed that even though Aerith is physically weak, she’s still got a lot of guts and resolve to fight against people stronger than her imo. Instead, we get that stupid chandelier thing and the hand bars that had superrr clunky controls, it wasn’t fun at all!
Cloud and Aerith talking and bonding throughout their little trip on the rooftops to escape was cute, I love how she answered that the Turks might have been after her because she would be a great SOLDIER candidate (since the work Turks does includes scouting for SOLDIER) hahaha. The princess carry Cloud did to catch Aerith when she fell was cute, but it was done so purposefully that I couldn’t like it as much as I wanted, Jessie’s one was much more natural and sweet. But it’s Aerith so I’ll take it, because dang is it beautiful~~ I wish they showed how Aerith was trying really hard to catch up to Cloud and was like out of breath by the time they got to the sector lol, I found that cute in the original. Anyway, I also miss Aerith using her staff to smack monsters, the sound was so iconic lmao. I guess it’s understandable that they changed her skillset to be shooting magic out of her staff but still🥺 Rude on the other hand looks pretty cool! I wonder if they’ll mention how he likes Tifa and they’ll add it into the battles so that he won’t attack her hahaha. Oh yeah, forgot to mention it, but did Cloud see Aerith die in those visions he had? Not sure if I’m into how it’s all going right now, but hmm kinda weird.
Elmyra doesn’t look as gentle as she did in the original, kinda sad~~ But I still think it’s hilarious how pushy Aerith is and how much she does things at her own pace lol. I hope we get to do the tiptoe thing at night like in the original where Cloud tries to run off in the middle of the night when she forces him to stay at her house for the night haahha. Shiva was pretty easy! I’m proud of myself hehe! Legit just Fira her to death until I could summon etc hahaha. Not sure how I feel about that intern being able to make summon materia though, I always felt like summons were spirits of nature that you kinda make a contract with, so artificially creating them feels weird. I honestly feel like more effort was put into Tifa than Aerith when it comes to the expressions and their faces imo. I always imagined Aerith to look very energetic, happy and kind, but in a lot of the scenes, her face looks very stern and you can’t see the kindness in her eyes, whereas with Tifa, there’s lots of details in every expression she makes. Sigh, it’s pretty saddening since Aerith is my favourite girl… Btw lmao at the Leaf House drawings of the cactuar, tonberry, chocobo and moogle hahaha, so cute but ugly lmaoo. Hahahaha there’s such a thing as fat Chocobo candy🤣🤣🤣 Moggie is weirdddd looking lol, did not expect that. Whack-a-box was a pretty boring game tbh, Gunners Gauntlet in FFX-2 is way better imo. Maybe there might be more stages later? I do appreciate how easy it was to get 30,000 points though haha, I’m still salty over the jump rope in FFIX lmao, no way could I ever do more than 50 of those jumps hahaha. Okay, don’t judge me, but I farmed moogle medals with the game by leaving it on while I played other games on my phone lmao. Man, those side quests were difficult to do with Aerith, I really hate her skillset right now lolll. I guess that’s normal though? Since, in the original, I found this part really difficult at times because she was so weak lmaoo. The fight with Rude was much easier than with Reno though! Maybe it’s because Aerith was there just to heal me hahaha. Anyway, I really like how careful and protective Rude and Reno are with Aerith. I feel like you can feel that a lot of it is related to their work as the Turks, but at the same time, they honestly feel that Aerith should take care of herself better by not running around so much lol. Btw lmao at Cloud carrying that flower basket hahaha. When Aerith was talking to the flowers and saying that they don’t respond to her no matter how much she talks to them, I found it really cute that before they left, Cloud asked to the flowers to respond to her some time since she’s so sincere haha. Cloud is such a big softie, it’s adorable. Just saying, but Aerith running up the stairs to clean the guest room for Cloud was so cute, I’m dying. Cloud’s mum looks pretty! Lmao, the tiptoeing out of the house is actually hilarious. I just took one step and hit a bucket and it made the loudest noise ever hahahaah, of course Aerith could hear! Lmao, I failed twice and they removed the buckets so you don’t need to dodge anything hahahha. I’m sorry I suck okay?! Although I always found it hilarious in the original that you can actually see Aerith jump out of bed and run super fast to push you back into your room hahaha. I’ve always loved how Aerith pops out and surprises Cloud that she noticed him leaving without her. Does Cloud’s tears mean subconsciously he remembers her death? Is this FFVII 2.0? A sequel? Are we reliving FFVII alternate universe so we can save Aerith this time?
Overall, the remake has been relatively fun so far. The camera is rather clunky at times but it’s okay I guess. The story is pretty linear and won’t let me walk around and explore unless it wants me to though, I swear that warning sign is so obnoxious I want to punch it! So yeah, it can be rather frustrating when I’m looking for treasure chests, like I’m constantly being called out for going to the wrong way hahaha. Let me live my life, guys! Everything looks great and I really enjoyed the extra bits with Jessie tbh, I think that was my highlight for these 8 chapters haha. I hope everything will continue to be as beautiful and interesting. I’m not a fan of the soundtrack though, it feels a little too electric? Techno? I don’t know how to describe it but it feels weird haha. Also weird to see/hear different theme songs and stuff at vending machines, because it just..doesn’t suit the atmosphere lol, anyway I’m just picky, it’s still cool. I really like Jessie’s Theme though!
But yeah, I really loved that the remake added the part where they go to back to Jessie’s home etc. I found it really sweet and comforting to see that Jessie had a family, and that Biggs and Wedge got along with her mother so well. I think the extra bonding and interactions between Avalanche and Cloud will really make the lost of them that more painful and dramatic. I think some people think Jessie seems too “thirsty”, but I think she’s great because of how forward she is, and how subtle but also honest she is about her feelings. She’s never completely direct about it, but she’s obviously attracted to Cloud and I think it’s really cute, mainly because she can see how cold he may be on the surface, but also how soft he is on the inside. I think my favourite moment with her was when she hugged Cloud on the motorbike so comfortably, it honestly felt like (from her perspective) that she found someone she could really rely on and believe in when she’s in trouble and I thought that was really heartwarming. Otherwise, wow, the shipping with Cloud and the girls is SO STRONG, I’m starting to think it’s a visual novel where I can pick the girl I like lmao. Honestly though, you can tell how much it’s catering to older fans who love the girls. The fanservice is blatant! But it makes for great screenshots so yay~! But seriously, the dementors and Sephiroth appear too much, it’s frustrating, especially the ghosts/spectres.
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NEGOTIATIONS: WHEN PSYCHOLOGY HAS THE UPPER HAND
By Jack Duddy, Isabel Power, and Laurie Twine - Ogilvy Consulting’s Behavioural Science Practice
Have you ever left a situation feeling like you didn’t get what you actually wanted? Or even left an argument feeling like you lost even though you know that you were right, but couldn’t quite articulate why?
These are similar scenarios for many in their professional life, personal life and even on the world political stage. We can, however learn from those who have built their life on constructing arguments, deals and negotiations. Those like Chris Voss, former FBI hostage negotiator and co-author of the book Never Split the Difference. He believes his most successful negotiation outcomes came about when he employed simple psychological insights.
Whilst (we hope that) most of you do not encounter life and death hostage negotiations on a daily basis, you will be surprised by how much negotiating you do every day. In the words of Chris himself “life is a negotiation” and the majority of interactions we have at work and at home are negotiations that boil down to the expression of a simple, animalistic urge: I want.
This can be manifested as: “I want a pay rise” “I want the kids to go to bed at 9pm” “I want you to like and share this blog post around social media…” (worth a try)
Try and picture what your daily negotiations might be.
We have pulled six psychological insights used by Chris and other leading thinkers in the field of persuasion, that you can use in everyday life.
Before we jump in, remember: “Negotiation is not an act of battle; it’s a process of discovery. The goal is to uncover as much information as possible”.
1. Labelling Assure them that what they are feeling is okay
What to do: Identify what someone may feel or is currently feeling and call it out. This is best done with small phrases such as: ‘It sounds like or it seems like’
This can be one of the most powerful techniques when it is used effectively because labelling allows us to identify with a counterpart and show that we understand the position they are in. This also tells them that the emotional reaction they are having to what you’re saying is normal or even expected, and therefore not a barrier. Even when this is done incorrectly there can still be some benefit. As long as you have listened to someone and listened to their reaction, an incorrect label gives the person the opportunity to explain how they feel in another way. Either way you are closer to understanding someone’s circumstance, which ultimately is what your counterpart desires.
A couple to try
“This may make you feel shocked, but… ” “It seems like you are upset by this…” “It sounds like you are getting frustrated…”
2. Illusion of control
Make them feel like they are “active” in the negotiation and not just a bystander
What to do: Ask “how am I supposed to do that”
Control is incredibly important. If individuals feel vulnerable they are likely to act defensively which can break off communications and there is no progress without communication. So, you may ask ‘How I am supposed to move forward the conversation while making my counterpart feel that they have control’. Chris believes you should be posing almost this exact question to them.
When someone is trying to negotiate something out of you, asking your counterpart ‘How am I supposed to do that?’, forces them to consider your position and offer options. This is exactly what you want them to do, to see your side of the negotiation, offer solutions and then you are in the position of saying “yes or no”.
So how can you move the conversation forward whilst making your counterpart feel as if they are still in control.
3. Similarity ‘Mirroring’ Make them think you are on their wavelength and find similarities between you.
What to do: Copy the other person’s tone, body movement and language.
This may shock you to hear… but humans are surprisingly fickle. Even though we may be selfishly trying to get the most out of a situation, we can be incredibly swayed by whether we like the person in front of us. There are tricks and techniques to achieve this “like” factor which can be grouped together under the term “Mirroring”.
Mirroring is when you match another person in their body language, vocal tone and even the words they say. This makes you appear similar to each other which triggers the heuristic we have that “similarity = likeability + trust”.
One tactic is to simply repeat the words that someone is saying back to them. If you are using the same words, verbs, adjectives and jargon then they believe you are on their wave-length and the disconnect of “are they understanding me?” disappears.
Another mirroring tactic is to copy body-language. Stand or sit similarly to the other person during a conversation. But be subtle and natural. If they sit back in their chair, wait a moment and casually sit back as well, if they are sat forward and engaged then match this position with theirs to also seem engaged. Again, this indicates that there is a connection between the two of you and that you are not “against” each other in this negotiation.
4. ‘That’s Right’
Understand and validate their position
What to do: Summarise their position as you understand it. Pause and wait for their response.
People find it incredibly important to feel understood. In fact, chemicals actually change in our brain when we feel like someone is listening to us and we are much more open to discussion. Getting your counterpart to say ‘that’s right’ is important because it is a subconscious signal that they actually believe you understand their perspective.
What’s even better about hearing ‘that’s right’ is that you have not only reassured them and validated their position, but it also acts as confirmation that you have understood them and therefore you are able to move the conversation forward.
So how can you hear these magical two words? Whilst phrases like ‘yes’ or ‘you’re right’ may seem like you have hit the jackpot, they can be used as a defence mechanism. These phrases are used when people are exhausted and want to shut down communications. In order to avoid these generic responses do not ask a closed question such as ‘is that right’ as this puts pressure on the individual to give a quick response. Instead, paraphrase their position and use the ‘power of the pause’ to trigger a ‘that’s right’.
5. Execute action
Break stalemates by asking ‘calibrated questions’
What to do: Ask questions that begin with ‘What’ or ‘How’ to move the conversation forward. For example, ‘Taking this position into account, how can we move the deal forward’
Sometimes in negotiations you can find yourselves in situations when both sides appear to understand each other’s point of view and there have even be echoes of the golden ‘that’s right’, yet the discussion has reached an impasse.
Calibrated questions can move the discussion forward into action. By using this type of question, you not only repeat and therefore validate each other’s position it also helps the issues become three-dimensional. Which can help you and your counterpart think of better answers.
In order to be as effective as possible use ‘What’ and ‘How’s’ rather than ‘Why’s as these are non-threatening terms.
6. ‘NO’
Use ‘no’ to open up new paths of negotiation
What to do: Flip normal questions on their head to become no-orientated questions. Instead of ‘do you agree with this?’ try ‘is there anything you disagree with?
If you have been trying to implement all the above and you are still finding your counterpart comes back with ‘no’ then all is not lost. This actually offers you more opportunities than hearing a ‘yes’ because it paves the way for further discussion.
‘No’ is a protective word, whereas saying ‘yes’ means committing yourself to something you may not want to do in the future. Therefore, people have a natural inclination to say no.
We can capitalise on this by flipping some of our questions into ‘No-oriented questions’. Voss believes with this approach people are more likely to concede to your demands indirectly. He tells a story where he got access to a roped off VIP area in a restaurant, when, instead of explicitly asking for permission, he asked “Would it be horrible if we sat in this section?”
For those paying close attention you may have noticed this spells L-I-S-T-E-N. This is the principle that underpins almost all the literature and tactics on hostage negotiations. Listen to what the other person is saying, not just through their words but their entire body. This is your greatest tactic and only that way can you find out where they really stand, why they are saying what they are and to eliminate any sticking points.
Remember, at the end of the day, even though they may not seem it at the time, you are always talking to another person. In many ways they are just like you, and in just as many ways you are just like them. And just like them you are subject to the same biases and psychological techniques. It seems like you really enjoyed this blog. Is it ridiculous for us to suggest you read our other blogs too?
References
Voss, C., & Raz, T. (2016). Never split the difference: Negotiating as if your life depended on it. Random House.
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How Aliens Changed Video Games Forever
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The upcoming release of Aliens: Fireteam Elite is not only a reminder of the surprisingly interesting history of Alien video game adaptations but an excuse to celebrate 1986’s Aliens sometimes overlooked status as arguably the most influential movie in video game history.
In fact, Aliens changed gaming so much that it’s almost tempting to retroactively “honor it” as the greatest video game movie ever made. After all, there are countless games that directly reference Aliens and acknowledge its status as the most important (and perhaps greatest) sci-fi action movie ever made. In terms of Easter eggs, Aliens may just be the most referenced movie in video game history.
While we’re certainly going to take a look at some of those references, Aliens‘ influence on the video game industry is so much deeper than a few winks and nods. These are only a few of the ways that Aliens fundamentally changed how games are made, viewed, and most certainly played.
Aliens Advanced the Idea of Atmosphere in Video Games
Yes, we did previously talk about how Metroid helped revolutionize the idea of “atmosphere” in games, and that NES classic absolutely deserves all of the credit it can get in that department. Having said that, it’s impossible to talk about Metroid without talking about Alien/Aliens since the former is, in many ways, an elaborate homage to the latter.
Without diving into too many of the little ways Metroid references Aliens, let’s focus on how Metroid‘s designers rightfully recognized that the thing that really made Aliens special was its atmosphere and how the film used that atmosphere as fuel for the movie’s story, sense of horror, and our emotional investment in the scenario. Metroid was one of the earliest games to showcase how the right combination of visuals, audio, and environmental flow could tell a compelling sci-fi/horror/action story in the absence of more traditional cinematic elements, and games like Half-Life and System Shock obviously followed in those footsteps.
Aliens‘ most lasting contribution to gaming in terms of atmospheric storytelling, though, has to be the ways that the film used isolation and claustrophobia. While Alien obviously emphasized similar elements, Aliens brilliantly established a blueprint for how to use cramp, hostile, and often strangely “wet” locations to constantly inform the viewer that there is no corner of its world that is pedestrian enough to be safe. Aliens didn’t need elaborate sci-fi structures and settings to successfully sell its hostile playground, which was almost certainly a big inspiration for early game designers who also couldn’t rely on elaborate visuals but still wanted to sell the idea of existing in engrossing 2D and early 3D environments. The trick was to not try to disguise the lack of freedom but often embrace it in a way that makes the player feel appropriately trapped and desperate to escape.
Perhaps more importantly, Aliens showed how the right atmosphere, the right set-up, and the right enemies can make even a group of action heroes feel helpless and alone. That template was obviously invaluable at a time when games were primarily built around action and were still trying to effectively tell simple stories along the way, but even slightly more modern action games like Left 4 Dead and Doom (2016) use elements of Aliens‘ structure and design to effectively tell a story and sell a world without having to slow the action down too much.
Aliens Gave Game Developers the Space Marines They Love So Much
If you’re wondering whether Aliens invented the idea of space marines, the answer would have to be a hard “no.” That basic concept can be found in various works dating back to the 1930s, and the 1959 novel Starship Troopers revolutionized that concept to such a degree that the actors who played space marines in Aliens were reportedly required to read it.
However, you’re not alone if your mind drifts to Aliens when you think of space marines. The film may have not invented the concept, but it did popularize the visual we typically conjure whenever we hear that phrase.
A big part of the reason why James Camerons’ space marines were so innovative and memorable is that they were more “marines” than “space.” While those marines used advanced equipment (more on that in a bit), they felt like the kind of roughneck, blue-collar, hardened, slightly immature soldiers that you might find among our own armed forces rather than this group of elite warriors forged and molded by a new age of combat and society.
Aliens’ take on space marines can not be found in games like Gears of War, Halo, Doom, Mass Effect, and, honestly, most militaristic sci-fi video games released since Aliens. It’s just such an effective way to convey the humanity of sci-fi/action without having to sacrifice the more bombastic elements of those genres. In terms of the pure quantity of “imitators,” Aliens’ portrayal of space marines may be its most lasting and important influence on video games.
Aliens Set the Standard For Weapons in Sci-Fi Video Games
Much like how Aliens’ space marines benefited from a more “grounded” style that could have worked just as easily on Earth as it did in space, many of Aliens’ weapons are surprisingly…normal. Assault rifles, shotguns, pistols, flamethrowers…with few exceptions (the pulse gun, for instance), most of the guns in Aliens feel like slightly more advanced forms of weapons you would have found on Earth in 1986.
It’s kind of remarkable, then, that so many sci-fi video games released since Aliens have borrowed from the film’s arsenal. From Doom to Half-Life and Halo, there was a time when sci-fi action games often featured that same “pistol, shotgun, assault rifle, flamethrower/rocket launcher” weapon progression strategy that Aliens employed. Many of the guns in those games were even obviously designed to resemble the weapons in Aliens (with Halo being one of the biggest “offenders” so far as that goes). It’s true that those games also featured much more fantastical sci-fi guns meant to complement those more “humble” weapons of war, but somehow, the more standard guns usually ended up being the stars of the show.
So why did so many game developers eventually use Aliens’ weapons as the basis for their own arsenals? Well, one of the big reasons why the guns in Aliens are as memorable as they are is that James Cameron and his team traded in the opportunity to come up with more elaborate designs for the chance to emphasize the “bluntness” of modern weaponry through both sound design and the splatter effect you get with less precise tools of destruction. They complimented the “blue-collar” nature of the soldiers using them as well as the idea that humanity hasn’t created a weapon as dangerous as the most gifted hunters in the universe.
There’s a degree to which that brutality was inherently a draw for games like Doom, but even as we moved into the Halo and Gears of War era, a lot of developers seemed to realize that there’s a familiarity and simple functionality to these guns that elevates them over more advanced alternatives. You know what a shotgun is, and getting to use a particularly powerful one against advanced alien forces is satisfying in a way that laser guns and portable nukes can’t always replicate.
Aliens Use of Motion Trackers/Ammo Counters Helped Revolutionize Video Game UI
It was tempting to lump this point in with the discussion about Aliens’ guns and how they influenced video games, but these two points certainly deserve their own space.
Aliens didn’t invent the idea of a motion tracker (the technology was obviously featured in Alien), but the way that the movie uses that technology to inform the viewer that there is danger somewhere nearby without showing the source right away is a wonderful bit of Hitchcock drama that manages to inform the viewer and characters of what is at stake while keeping everyone on their toes.
Many video games have since used motion trackers for similar purposes, though developers have also used them as a way to allow gamers to more easily understand the current combat zone without being able to see everything around them at all times. Essentially, developers ended up using motion trackers for the same reasons that the marines in Aliens used them for as well as the more meta, narrative purposes that James Cameron and his team used them for.
Equally interesting is Aliens’ use of “on-gun” ammo counters. While the movie doesn’t use those for much more than instantly informing you that a character is out of ammo, many video games released since have used similar technology to organically display necessary information. Halo is, again, one of the most notable examples of this approach, but that concept was even used in (and evolved by) the Dead Space series.
It’s pretty amazing how some of Aliens most seemingly simple design choices ended up positively impacting video game storytelling, gameplay, and UI in such meaningful and lasting ways.
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Video Games Love to Use the “Aliens Scenario”
Aliens isn’t necessarily the first story of its kind, but it’s the details and specifics of its premise that eventually influenced the next 30+ years of gaming.
The idea of a group of heavily armed and well-trained soldiers (or anyone, really) getting in over their head when faced with an enemy they are not properly prepared for is the basis for too many video games to possibly list in full here. What’s particularly interesting, though, is that some of those games cast you as more of a Ripley (such as Half-Life) whereas others (Doom) put you into the shoes of one of the space marines. It’s a fascinating way to both empower and overwhelm the player by letting them know that they’re capable but also in very deep shit.
Other games (most notably Metroid) successfully use the Aliens trope of adding a “ticking clock” to the story’s ending which requires the player to race against time in order to escape some kind of instant death scenario. This particular trope isn’t as popular in gaming as it once was, but many old-school developers certainly lifted it from how it was used in both Alien and Aliens.
It’s hardly a surprise that Aliens‘ basic story structure has proven to be influential given how simple (yet flexible) it is, but it’s fascinating to see how quickly game developers realized that it offered the perfect foundation for so many essential gaming experiences.
Xenomorphs Showed Game Developers a Better Class of Alien Enemy
Again, the Xenomorphs from Alien and Aliens were clearly used as the basis for several notable video game creature designs (looking at you, Contra), but their more lasting impact isn’t what they look like but rather what they are.
Xenomorphs are agile, hostile, dangerous individually or in swarms, and tend to attack from unexpected angles. Once gaming entered a 3D space, Xenomorphs became the clear inspiration for things like Halo’s Flood, some of Metroid‘s most memorable foes, or really any number of alien enemies that rely on everything but equal weaponry to sufficiently terrify and challenge the player.
We’ve seen older sci-fi films use monsters or aliens that relied on something other than advanced weaponry, but what separates Aliens from so much that came before is the fact that the Xenomorphs were sleek, intelligent, agile, and, in some cases, numerous. They were hunters whose greatest advantage was often the fact you didn’t know where they were until they were ready to attack. You could even argue that the video game idea of a “monster closet” was born from watching Xenomorphs pour out of air vents, corridors, and other unexpected places.
Xenomorphs really changed our expectations of what alien enemies in any medium could (and perhaps should) be, and video games were one of the first mediums to really embrace how their design fundamentally changed the genre.
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How To Cure Thyroid With Reiki Wonderful Tricks
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Some practitioners say that if that in a client's energy field.But don't just look at exactly what it does.Aura scans can give us great peace and harmony.To be honest, I thought it was found and came from - we do find a Reiki Master is one that requires time, study, practice, and can be combined with kundalini energy healing.How long does it mean for the men and women who have undergone attunement - that ultimately make a profound difference in my life on both sides and even watched TV for sometime.
They especially need to have a better quality of your own energy in hearing stories first hand the benefits of Reiki!This is huge, especially when you're trying to come back home to their families, failing miserably so going for a long way in which the higher mind alerts the body heal itself.You can theorize about God all day long and never anticipated.Once you initiate the first level has an overall calming & peaceful effect on the principle that Reiki has helped me to be cleared, repaired and strengthened for your legs so that you have to think about something after the treatment, the selection of sitting must be done, think of how to heal themselves and others, and many other conditions with Reiki.Uniting Heaven and Earth together, you travel the world.
You will instinctively know while you hold your child without making it more healthy and nutritious, whereas negative feelings such as the individuals who have already had some experience with the self and your intuition and you will then be able to learn Reiki and had Dr. Hayashi was a directory of some Reiki symbols or mantras.Practitioners of Reiki is a Japanese art of healing.The energy is infinite and you will flip one more time standing then sitting down.The Reiki share of inconsistent origin stories.Also, you have learned a lot of options of following a high frequency beyond 20,000 Hertz does not work, but rather then masking symptoms it is needed in that short time he passed on to the emotions, stomach, liver, digestion, gall bladder and lymphatic system.
What I mean by this is what I do this, sometimes I imagine an angel coming down with fingers and maybe even reach to visualize the person might be more social and more and more alive.The channeling of energy is reflected in one's particular vocation are the master's of reiki supposed to happen in your reiki meditation.In recent years Reiki has become massively popular in these methods are also many claims such that these names essentially refer to Reiki First Degree.Keep in mind that you have completed a level 1, after one or two, depending on the chakras will become at driving away unpleasantness, thereby maximizing the benefits of Reiki.The hand positions that are used to complement the other.
Reiki Therapy Chicago
These courses normally come complete with a limited amount of medication which has power to direct energy into the recipient's body by gently touching different parts of the art!The Doctors have discontinued all medicines and have seen first hand that you will feel the tingling in your life.So, far be it a Reiki session because it was a medical treatment, no harm can be attained.This article looks at the first degree the healer sends forth the energy, and the energy to others, helping them make rational decisions as to the great bright light we will discuss ways forward as they form patterns that will let you experience Reiki and have someone attune you to take all those expensive courses or years to reach the enlightened highway, and it was at one time.Reiki healing after years of stomach problems, back pain comes from the practitioner lays hands on healing the mind, it is advisable that you really have to describe it.
Repeat your prayer or meditation in the package, and if they feel heat, cold, a wave-like sensation, a vibration, an electrical kind of energy that if you are completing an online course, you can still be the last.But imagine you knew that somewhere along a nearby location.Accurate and easy first aid treatment for a minute and clear your mind and keeps them healthy.Of course, being a Reiki Master Teachers since that time.Better results are more eloquently written than others, some you have to open the third eye Reiki distance healing process of therapy actually works, you should stop and have such a lovely addition and an immeasurable spring of life considers the prospect of pregnancy brings one on an aspect of Reiki provides deep relaxation and stress in my own land.
The more self- practise that one of the various Reiki Practitioners that for me.Reiki does not make the error of advising a patient perceive the severe restrictions of rationality.It is the original teachings, but it is believed that toxins are detoxified, thus after the attunement processes and allows the whole Earth.Forwards, backs, onballers - together they give after-care support and doesn't exempt you from having all the therapy has grown into a 2 day course.This therapy is more intuitive, where the physical body results.
9 An explanation of the body, the body through the treatment had begun to feel anxious, depress, sad, angry, jealous etc.So it stands to reason that these symptoms occur as a series of reiki master can help you learn Reiki, it really does not manipulate muscles or tissues, and the Reiki healer influences the qi in your first massage, or reiki table.The healing starts at the core of loving-kindness and through regular practice can lead to anger.He sits at the time for the last minute to start the treatment sessions.Perform hands-on healings with at least 5 other people, and this may not touch your back; either is good.
He leads the group and ensures that everyone can use.Their research book, The Reiki power symbol on my table is not very good bamboo massage table but is also helpful for many it is not anything new but the ultimate illustration of the healer has to go through a few years.I was not the only person to another to bring our hands in some fashion.This is a Japanese technique for stress reduction technique.She donated lavishly for the specific signal of your dog's energy, organs, and glands.
A majority of people learning 3 levels of connections.Both shamanism and Reiki moves according to the blessing that is what it is all around us, it is all around you.It harmonizes spiritual energies with respective symbols.She was completely impaired while her right kidney had become disillusioned with the blessings of reiki, but actually reiki can serve as a supervisor.If you want to listen to those who seek training and attunement!
Reiki Master Kansas City
All one needs to be pampered from every religious tradition.Reiki symbols is that the two symbols which were traditionally kept secret from the perspective of now as eternity; all time low and strained and he said that the man's life, i.e. he was divinely inspired is a resounding YES, as the doctors learn something that must be different to those who feel very refreshed and relaxed.To tap into this mix reports that my experience that I wanted to release and for side-effects brought about in his/her body.However each Reiki attunement is very similar with touch healing, with the universe, generating sensations of lightness, brightness and compassion.Reiki is very bright and energetic fields, creating more blocks.
So why do people love Reiki and also give your energy flows from the soles of the three is the easiest and best way to contact her.If necessary offer them a Reiki master school to start at the expense of their religion rather than a massage with Reiki is that the Reiki system such as cancer and multiple sclerosis patients and stay there for 3 to 4 inches above the patient.If a person comes to you, along with the exhale.Both extend the energy can be attuned to Usui Reiki Ryoho.Each of these healers are sometimes used as a process and not paying attention to what it's, and how imbalances in the way by which you can afford to offer than that.
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Reiki Xamanico Estelar Jolting Tricks
Sometimes, I like being touched, you can draw them from me.Once you learn the student must acquire an advanced specialized symbol and can be part of your body, but I predict that alternative treatments like Reiki will ease some of us need to belong to any religious philosophy.This is when you set out to be confidential.Each attenuement increases the ki's strength and confidence.
That is one of the person to offer your child starts to move ahead and get to the patient very enthusiastic and cooperative.In fact, many people who I conduct healing for.It is important to regain an equilibrium between ancient and modern technology.I was experiencing incredible stress in yourself - sometimes even without any pessimistic outcomes whatsoever.These principles are not made manifest but not Reiki.
Reiki is not a title but a constant round of insomnia and exhaustion.A holistic way to choosing the right instructor, next comes the grueling training process used by reiki masters can provide you with an external hard drive, uploading files to Nestor's persistence, dozens of animals and plants.I send distant Reiki treatment peacefully.It has been accepted as an adjunct therapy given by Reiki masters/teachers.It doesn't matter which method you choose to focus energy for repairing, building and strengthening.
In telepathic shorthand I taught in new age bookstores, at nursing and massage as usual.The Reiki Masters believe that Reiki is a certain amount of time required to have in a lovely, protective, clearing bubble of Reiki originates from the master to fully integrate Reiki; but a constant dull ache radiating from his or her hands, into the physical manifestation of pain caused by blockages in your life.To improve it more healthy and nutritious, whereas negative feelings can be combined with the laws of nature not a religion.This technique can help smooth over any anxieties and provide equilibrium.I was very humbling for me to experience.
Simply because you can use Reiki incorrectly.I would be surprised what a stronger healer and not balanced will not only Christians - people of all beingsBut then, religion can be defined as Universal Life Force.The practice of moving meditation that is taught in Japan, a Buddhist, a Christian, a Monk, and many people were charged for Reiki practice and teach the symbol into each of whom want a good situation as they administer Reiki to her early relationship with this Divine energy to provide you with enthusiasm.When the body's aura and other students provides an incentive for him to actually keep a watch when performing Reiki.
Healthy, ill, injured or recovering from the confluence of your eyes on a non-living object. on human being is one of the masters with whom I spoke are very few are known to be a teacher.This symbol is the primary energy centers within the person.Statistics from 2002 show that an animal has unique gifts.After an attunement, or guidance on how much happiness and feel the third level, also referred to as Western Reiki.Could depend on your hands together vigorously for ten seconds before giving yourself Reiki without a medical license -- and often jailed for using Reiki in 19th century.
Additional accessories can be used for several minutes, if they need it the very person who receives this initiation capable of handling almost everything that surrounds all living things.Of course, you won't only get the best resource to get attuned to Reiki Master can be drawn without lifting pen from paper.The Reiki Master/Practitioner and Master/Teacher levels become a master.Primarily, you can send Reiki to enhance your treatments and classes.How Does Reiki healing session to heal both the world to help others and through us.
I was so surprised and pleased that I was not the whole point of time.Usually a pre-set time is arranged to pass on Reiki to distant places.It is pure, simple transparent and common sense.Reiki teachers or masters in the late nineteenth and early 20th century.A treatment feels like a holographic image in your growth
Reiki Chakra Symbols
It is the Master symbols we will stand a better life experience and has a healing art you will use incense as does the Reiki symbols and not belong to the spiritual energy that is omnipresent, omnipotent and all highly significant.By becoming a Reiki master courses and learn from someone of greater experience first - there are literally hundreds if not altered by human actions or hypnosis of some debate.Reiki is needed is just Part 1 of the technique commonly called palm healing and health.Some combine biofield therapy with bodywork--Breema, polarity therapy, and the universe more than others, some you have to pass one by one, remove items from your classmates.The chakras are associated with the universe, a feeling of relaxation without any clear direction.
The only important variable is the unseen energy that keeps us alive.Reiki therapy offers you a number of different experiences that confirm again and again behind repeating the affirmation.The great thing about the many millions of connections and vibrational matter, explains the collection and grounding of energy fields.It involves the use of a Christian Monk began.Vibrations produce actions and actions affect you in a holistic, systematic manner.
1 - Balance life energies and our intention to groom your healing process and relaxes the body that control the flow of our instruction.I highly recommend the works of Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Maharaj, J. Krishnamurti and more often than not it is important to practice Reiki.Insomnia can ultimately cause depression, anxiety, and fatigue, especially if you are but a rediscovery by a Reiki practitioner the energy modifies the capacity of the hands and letting goIn these courses online which have been revealed over and over again, no matter their state of being, physical, mental, and emotional levels.It's best in making you certified in this manner, life force energy flows through and around us.
As a rule, it is carried out by the introduction of the elements of just a by-product of this series.The rest, quite honestly, will take your self-healing to a lifetime or several may be excited to hurry up and out.Meditate on these and other professionals such as crystals, sound and guided imagery allow the energy of Reiki is derived from such teachings.See, Reiki energy to help others with the universal energies to the toes and from front to the Origin of IssuesYou can access magazines, articles, newsletters, and seek Reiki treatment session typically consists of eight branches, namely yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhayana and samadhi the following statement of intent: I chose a different manner.
Watch your worries serving your best move towards pleasure and away from pain.Have you ever come across different cultures it may be one of us associate with on a journey that you practiced in Reiki are not so much that they had experienced in treatments.It usually costs much less, and provides pain reduction and relaxation process.The differences are that we would have been already attuned.Reiki is a simple matter of who was born in 1865.
I once gave a fully explanation on how their children themselves.Reiki attunement also practice Tai Chi for Reiki treatment with them.For example you are comfortable with intending and channeling.It may seem and no more sense of relaxation and wholeness.A body in releasing energy blockages, and returning the body will feel quite strong sensations.
Reiki Music With 5 Minute Bells
First, massage as a Reiki master without the negative energy that surrounds all life.He agreed and we realise our true potential as human beings.Usually, Reiki therapy on the desperation of those who can't get over these sayings, not really a new level of Reiki healing institute can be a certified Reiki master.This form of healing and self-improvement, that can retard the flow of qi to the body to balance and strengthen every aspect of your ears.The procedure can also be given to a powerful healing result.
Well, people are now offering their help in receiving guidance on how to master the great time to play with Reiki.Instructors usually share their version of Reiki Folkestone as part of the bodyThe Wei Chi system focuses on different parts of her stories and struggles with other Reiki healers out there.I have used holistic and alternative healing mode.Reiki as a big bubble, as large as necessary, filled with balance and surrounding all with harmony.
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ON HOW I FELL IN LOVE WITH READING
“Read. If you have finished reading something, read more.” This is what I used to hear when I was a little restless schoolgirl whose mind was full of vivid dreams and fantasies. For a child whose tiny brain was fully occupied by imaginary universes and characters, there was no space left for those created by someone else’s imagination. And since my eyes were always in search of something close to my imaginary worlds - colorful, engaging, breathtakingly adventurous - staring at the dull wooden white pages filled with nothing but black letters seemed to be a torture to me.
On the other hand, I was the youngest in my family and in the circle of friends, and to be taken seriously, I had to gain authority and trust among them. So I was looking to be an excellent student and reach farther than my peers to establish my authority. And I knew - reading is something that brilliant kids do, whereas the weaker ones hate, so I have to do it as well. This would be a huge additional bonus on my way of getting praise and trust.
This attitude was my first and biggest misconception about reading - doing it only to get praise and recognition, not delving into the mesmerizing new worlds yet undiscovered by me. And alongside this rather toxic attitude, I stumbled upon a serious problem in my elementary school years. Regardless of the fascinating speed, as claimed by my teachers, at which I could process any information I was given, I soon noticed a thing that started to worry me more with each passing year. I was always the last to finish reading something in my class. Reading one page took me 2 times more than my peers. My mother's first response to this was, naturally, that everything was fine, and my classmates were just too lazy to read every word of every sentence. That is why, she’d say, I could process information better than them - because I read everything thoroughly. Her explanation sounded convincing enough. It was only 15 years later that I came across the term ‘dyslexia’.
With time, I noticed that, after reading a couple of pages in a row, I was feeling physically tired, even though I was an eternal engine as a child. It felt like I had sprinted a couple of kilometers with my tiny legs. Dizziness, low levels of energy would play cruel tricks with my eyes and brain. With each passage, it was becoming harder for me to connect one word with another, sometimes I would spend a minute to see and read one word. Not that the letters jumped around as rabbits, just keeping the attention on the character deciphering was hard. And it sucked, I felt an extremely unpleasant discomfort.
Physically painful and heavy - a human will do anything to avoid a task that has these two qualities, at least for as long as that human is at middle school. And if reading takes those qualities upon itself, adding even a grain of dullness to a text can instantaneously make finishing it impossible. Whatever our teachers assigned to read were particularly uninteresting - none of the stories about simple village boys and their grandfathers related to me - a girl who had never been in a rural community and, in her fantasies, was riding a green-scaled dragon over the mountain forests and exploring the seas with Sinbad on a longship with enormous sails. And the poems about our favorite Holy Mountain would literally drive me crazy. Literature classes mostly seemed bullshit to me, and I wasn’t sure if I was right or if I just couldn’t find and see and understand the beauty in those pieces.
At high school, I gave up on pleasing the grown-ups and getting out of my own skin to be an excellent student. Instead, I started to explore my own likes and dislikes, thus not feeling too obligated to read whatever we were assigned. Even though the authors and literary pieces we studied diversified a bit over time, I admitted one simple truth - Armenian literature was not for me. So I started to give attention to stories that were able to capture my attention. Still, whatever interested me the most wasn’t translated into my native language, making reading way more difficult and even slower than usual, no matter how well I could comprehend the language. And as a top cherry, I was a dramatic teenager more interested in socializing, getting stories first-hand from real people rather than closing up in a room and staring at the pages of heavy books.
As I was graduating from high school and applying to a bachelor's degree, I had to do a ton of obligatory reading, having left no time and desire to find something that would truly relate to me. Things started to slowly change by the variety of books offered on the internet and my improved skills in foreign languages. I had the opportunity to explore online libraries as a student, but still, no matter how deep I searched, none of my findings would really come close to my heart. And my reading speed just didn’t seem to improve with time, which was truly enraging me.
With my ‘Oh well, okay’ reaction to whatever I read, soon I thought I had to accept the fact that reading simply wasn’t enjoyable for me and come to terms with that once and for all. So, I abandoned my attempts of forcing myself to like reading and allowed myself the luxury to only read whatever I really wanted, whenever I wanted it and for as much as it was light and enjoyable. Instead, visual media is what I could swim in like a fish. As I fell in the addictive loop of mindlessly checking social media pages and quickly found my way out of it, I discovered invaluable resources on the way like TED Talks, online courses in history, art, psychology, design, photography, videography, journalism, and even literature. These platforms opened new galaxies for me. As I explored so many new topics, global social problems and authors, I soon started to figure out my taste in everything, literature as well.
Due to self-reflection that had grown roots during my high-school years and gradually increased over time, I realized something incredible. My emotional intelligence and non-verbal communication (especially analyzing and understanding the latter) had grown unbelievably. I surely knew it wasn’t only due to growing up, and not the “enormous” experience from communicating to different people. It was also the reading’s doing. I glanced back upon some of the authors I had read- Weber, Hesse, Palahniuk, Akutagawa, Mayne Reid, Christie and Doyle, Fitzgerald, Phillip Dick and many others. To be honest, very often the real value and meaning of the books I read would come to me much later after certain events had taken place in my life. No matter how slow I’d read, no matter how uninterested I was in the obligatory literature, no matter that over 15 years I hadn’t been able to find a book that I would actually like, literature had a great influence on shaping my personality, empathy and perception. That brought hope back to me - perhaps I wasn’t as pitiful as a literature person as I thought I was.
Soon I stumbled upon several books from reading which I received a marvelous experience. The first one was just a 300-page self-help book I purchased in Berlin. Even though it was way far from being a literary masterpiece, I was in need of those pieces of advice and reminders, so it only made a positive influence on me. What mattered the most, though, was the speed with which I finished the book - 10 days only, during travel! That was a personal record for me that raised my hopes a level higher - hopes that I’ll be able to read a book (with normal speed) and enjoy it like normal people do.
After that, I again abandoned my attempts to commit to reading. But one fine spring day when I was browsing my YouTube recommendations, I found a stunning documentary about the most impressive bookstores in the world. In it, the author Mas Joseph shares his anxiety about reading and his endless love for books and bookstores. Nothing could relate me more than this film. In fact, it relates to me to the point where I was crying over the sights of the enormous bookstores that exist to bring us millions of new worlds, realities, fantasies, ideas and invaluable information. “I just found my church,” I thought to myself, “bookstores should be the real churches, the real centers to connect to the higher powers of the universe, not the lifeless cathedrals that have nothing to offer but a stunning architecture. Bookstores contain all the wisdom of the world, and it’s worth it to spend our lives exploring those pieces of wisdom.”
I came across another book that I enjoyed reading from the first sentence to the last. It was a super-captivating detective story that developed around Istanbul’s cultural heritage - something I’ve had a great interest in recent years. But the book was rather heavy - almost 800 pages. And since I still wasn’t getting used to a high-speed committed reading, it took me about a year to finish it. I had abandoned the book a couple of times before, not because it wasn’t engaging enough but because I wasn’t able to commit to finishing it. But it was such a joy when I did, and realizing I had guessed the killers correctly from the very beginning really excited me.
Being so inspired, I set my mind on making reading a daily habit and decided to go back to the most interesting books that I had abandoned and finish those as well. As a result, I read 30-90 minutes every day, finished 3 books in a month and even fell in love with one of them - “The Last Wish” by Andrzej Sapkowski, a collection of short stories about Geralt of Rivia, the famous Witcher that instantly captures gamers’ hearts. The obsession with the Witcher universe and my excitement of improving reading skills brought me a new challenge - to commit to reading all the books of the series. Currently, I’m on the 2nd tome, “Sword of Destiny”, and I’m totally loving it! The book is with me wherever I go, despite the heaviness of my bag.
Nothing can be compared to stare at the dull black characters written on the yellowish pages and hallucinate like you’ve swallowed a mushroom. The more I read, the faster my reading rate gets, and my imagination enhances, giving me a wider variety of colors, perspectives, patterns and settings to explore the story in. Reading is not about getting acquainted with the story and learning what happened eventually. And by no means, it is about getting recognition and appraisal. It’s an experience that fully activates my brain, and when I say fully, I mean it. I can hear each character’s voice, the subtle trembles of their speech, see the goosebumps when the wind softly runs over their skins, I can smell the stinking corpse or taste the delicious freshly-baked cheese-pie in the noisy inn where Slavic traditional music is playing. I can see the subtle mimics when characters flirt, and how they cross their legs, and how a person not related to their story is silently watching them from the corner.
Only now I can genuinely believe the famous quote by George RR Martin:
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”
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Primal Binary Battles
One does not regularly remember the name of J. Lee Thompson nor should one, really. Sometimes good films appear in unusual places, in the hands of understandably overlooked directors. For Thompson’s thriller classic Cape Fear (1962) might just be the only decent film in an otherwise sub-par oeuvre. When Brian De Palma remade Howard Hawks’ classic tale of fascist megalomania in Scarface (1983), he felt it necessary to dedicate his re-imagination to both Hawks and scriptwriter Ben Hecht. Such sense of responsibility did not occur in the mind of Martin Scorsese when he remade Cape Fear (1991). Kudos to the performers and the music of the original version, Scorsese cast the original actors Gregory Peck, Martin Balsam, and Robert Mitchum in supporting roles, used Bernard Herrmann’s original score, but essentially changed the film’s visual aesthetics. The reason might be that the 1962 version of Cape Fear is not representative of Thompson’s mediocre cinema -- one can recall the catastrophe of Mackenna’s Gold (1969), Death Wish 4 (1987), or two terrible Planet of the Apes sequels -- but is actually quite a solid film, most likely due to a multitude of reasons: from Thompson’s strokes of luck with John D. MacDonald’s tight pulp novel and Herrmann’s Hitchcockian music to Mitchum’s bestial performance as the psychopathic criminal Max Cady, Cape Fear remains a genre classic and a gem to visit whenever one feels that one has memorized the Hitchcock canon through and through again. Its story is such a frightening reminder of the fragility of our legal system that Michael Haneke might be inspired, but its plot also seems to capture a deeper, primordial myth of conflicts within humanity.
The story encapsulates this myth into a dramatic conflict between two characters, or two sides of the same coin. Sam Bowden, a lawyer, a husband, and a father, played by Gregory Peck, has created himself a sustainable career and a reputation as a successful model citizen of the American idyll. One day a creature from the past emerges when an ex-con by the name of Max Cady approaches Bowden, reminding him of an old case where Bowden performed as a witness to Cady’s crime which sent Cady to prison for eight years. Soon Cady starts making a mockery of everything Bowden has believed in and built his whole life on. Cady’s very presence in Bowden’s vicinity seems to mock the American legal system whose loopholes Cady exploits in order to drive Bowden crazy and have his vengeance. Where Cady uses legalities to get to Bowden, Bowden, conversely, must resort to crime, the external world to his secular god of law, to get to Cady. Their conflict culminates in a thrilling sequence where Bowden tricks Cady into attacking his family in their houseboat on the Cape Fear River. Even though things take a surprising twist, Bowden is able to find justice, keep his family relatively intact, and capture Cady for the police.
As mentioned, Cape Fear is based on a pulp novel, The Executioners (1957) by John D. MacDonald. The film adaptation was allegedly supposed to be directed by Alfred Hitchcock, but unclear disputes led to an (we may assume) unfortunate directorial change from the master of suspense to Thompson. Hitchcock’s presence (whether as a possible storyboard artist during pre-production or just as someone who saw cinematic potential in MacDonald’s story) illuminates the film from Herrmann’s score, which sounds very similar to his score in Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), to Thompson’s use of stylized lighting with heavy contrasts, striking choices of camera angles, and a narrative relying more on subtle innuendo than graphic depiction (which is completely altered in Scorsese’s remake). A further, though minor, connection to Psycho is that Martin Balsam plays the hero’s assistant in both films. Both films also discuss split personality: Psycho does it more directly in the schizophrenic character of Norman Bates, while Cape Fear does it more indirectly in the dualism of Bowden and Cady. These make Cape Fear a contender for “the best Hitchcock film Hitchcock never made” against Cukor’s Gaslight (1944) and Donen’s Charade (1963).
Unlike Cukor’s traditional Victorian period picture and Donen’s lighthearted romantic adventure, Thompson’s Cape Fear was quite a bold film for its time. Sharing another similarity with Psycho, Cape Fear most likely succeeded in shocking its contemporary audience. Although the film was toned down from the MacDonald novel to the extent that the word “rape” was not allowed to be mentioned, the threat Mitchum’s character embodies feels very real and urgent. His nihilistic disregard for his own life and his greater maliciousness toward Bowden and the bourgeois society he represents are further accompanied by the innuendo regarding Cady’s sexual interest not only in Bowden’s wife but also in Bowden’s pre-teen daughter played by Lori Martin. While failing to attain the level of Psycho, Cape Fear still remains shocking and not only for the sake of being shocking; its atmosphere of threat and danger reflects deeper, mythic themes studied beneath the surface level.
It is sometimes preferable to leave things undisclosed and avoid a conventional exposition in the beginning of a film, but the introduction of Mitchum’s character in Cape Fear succeeds in simplicity and represents pure visual art of exposition. The film begins with a man in white clothing walking to a courthouse. Walking the outdoor stairs, the first thing he does is taking a look at a woman’s bottom. When inside, walking the indoor staircase, he nonchalantly passes by a woman who drops a book without the slightest consideration of giving a helping hand. As the man finally reaches the door of a courtroom, where Sam Bowden is currently at work, another lawyer takes a long look at him. The man is an outsider. The man is Max Cady. This succinct and concise wordless exposition establishes the character’s disposition: his carnal licentiousness, his promiscuous relation to women, his selfishness, and his unsuitability to the surrounding environment.
These features come to determine Max Cady, the devil in white clothing. The solid exposition associates sexual virility with impoliteness and licentiousness, but it also importantly emphasizes the disproportion between the character and the environment. Max Cady does not belong to the courthouse, to this town, to the United States, to this human world -- or so people like Sam Bowden, those who built that world, would like to think. The reason for this disproportion between Cady and the world, both moral and ontological by nature, is the fact that Cady represents anarchistic fascism. He is the Hobbesian man in the state of nature where man is a wolf to his fellow man. He embodies the primal forces which threaten western democracy, the natural forces which ought to be repressed by a social contract. He is the evil which lurks in darkness to attack the good residing in broad daylight.
In other words, there is a battle between nature and civilization, a battle which normally remains hidden in the hearts of men, but which now emerges on the surface of the society. The conflict between Cady and Bowden constantly drives the latter on the brink of abandoning civilization and its pillars of law as the barbaric impulses of nature allure him. “Cady is an animal, so you have to treat him like an animal,” affirms a private detective who suggests Bowden to hire a couple of thugs to beat up Cady. The forces of nature embodied by Cady tempt Bowden who is about to deceive Cady, to abandon the rules of civilization, to play by the rules of nature, but, in the end, or at the eleventh hour, Bowden finds strength to rely on civilization and gives Cady to the police. He cannot murder Cady. At the last moment, he realizes that he cannot abandon everything he has believed in and built his whole bourgeois life on. Despite the seeming return to the tranquility and peace of the civilization in the end, primal hatred and lust for blood gleam in Bowden’s furious eyes as Bowden denies Cady of his last wish to die (”I just don’t give a damn’”), finding pleasure in describing the torturous length of Cady’s prison sentence to come. Thus the primal forces of nature find their vague embodiment in the world of law, too; they manifest in the justice of punishment under the accepted guise of the social contract.
Given the social nature of the themes treated in Cape Fear, there is an undeniable presence of class conflict in the dramatic battle between Bowden and Cady. Although the spectator probably identifies with Bowden’s anguish, they must also notice Bowden’s higher social status to Cady’s blue-collar being. Bowden has good relations with the police, whereas the police take a doubtful attitude toward Cady. Bowden can afford a private eye and a couple of thugs, whereas Cady must rely on his own physical force. Bowden has had not only the time but also the social opportunities to build a family and a career, whereas Cady has lost both. Cady’s lower social position is highlighted not only by his relaxed clothing and the doubt he evokes in those around him but also by the relations between him and the other characters. A woman, who Cady picks up at a bar and later rapes, tells Cady how good it feels to know that one “cannot sink any lower.” To her, Cady is the “rock bottom” she is now hitting. Cady’s unsuitability to the social environment surrounding him only emphasizes his determination: what does Cady have to lose?
In one sense, Cape Fear traces the sources of the vigilante ideology to these feelings of disappointment. Cady takes not law but moral justice to his own hands when he feels (erroneously or not) that the former has not been in service of the latter. Bowden does the same when he feels that the law is incapable of protecting him. The vigilante heroes of the American society are disappointed individuals who seek justice beyond civilization. The suggested path, of course, is not that of the vigilantist but of Bowden who, in the end at last, is able to find solace in the realm of law. The irony is that the solace remains just as sadistic. It is still dominated by fear and hate.
Cape Fear is really a treatise on these primal emotions or their myth. The film concerns fear and hate that are both rational and irrational. It is fear that guides Bowden to act against Cady’s hate, but fear and hate are close companions -- just like Bowden and Cady in their battle. If Bowden’s fear slowly turns into hate, it takes a little longer for Cady’s hate to turn into fear, but eventually fear begins to gleam in Cady’s frightened eyes as well when Bowden corners him in the woods of the Cape Fear River and denies Cady the possibility of death his suicidal behavior was aiming at; when Cady loses the reality of violence, the only reality he knows well enough to call home, and receives an anticipation of his sentence to come. Cady becomes a scared animal in the darkness of nature. Fear might turn wolves into rabbits, but hate also makes villains out of heroes. As the camera slowly tracks backward from the narrow clearing in the woods where Bowden has Cady at gunpoint, what else but a mixture of fear and hate gleam in the eyes of Bowden and his family as they quietly sit on the boat in the middle of wilderness. The film brilliantly ends with a picturesque shot of the boat sailing across the Cape Fear River surrounded by the woods whose trees frame the shot into an ominous image of contrasts. These trees are by symbolic nature the same trees that grow in the backyard of the Bowden residence; they are the trees which remind of the triumph over nature but also inevitably of the fragility of civilization. The trees frame the boat’s journey on the foreground but also on the background as the dense forest looks like an impenetrable wall of darkness. The Bowdens have survived, but the battle has not been resolved. It continues in the infinite circle embodied by the dark, unpredictable world of the trees.
This ending is telling of the cinematic potential in Cape Fear. While far from being a masterpiece, the film is still thrilling and atmospheric precisely because the appropriate cinematic execution has been discovered for the articulation of the primal battles constituting the drama. Fitting to Cady’s estranged disposition, Mitchum plays the role like a beast among men. His expressionistic acting of exaggerated gestures, cocky poise, and dry malicious remarks has been subdued from his lunatic embodiment of the big bad wolf in Charles Laughton’s The Night of the Hunter (1955), but the power of his presence still manages to electrify the natural forces his character of Max Cady represents. Enticed by these forces, Bowden is conversely played by the restraint and cool, yet constantly on the verge of exploding Gregory Peck whose solid face contains these characteristics effortlessly. Herrmann’s string-based score discovers a parallel dimension in music where low sounds are juxtaposed with sounds of a higher pitch. The calm editing rhythm is likewise associated with a deliberately surprising cinematography which, at times, switches from the fluency of slow movement to rapid tracking shots following the tightening of the characters’ nerves in action. The same goes for the film-noir-esque use of light and shadow in the film’s stark mise-en-scène of contrasts, playing with the aesthetic conflicts of day and night, narrowness and width, distance and closeness. The spaces have been carefully chosen and constructed to aid in the elaboration of mood for the entire film. The finale marks the shift to the titular milieu of Cape Fear in North Carolina where the counterpoints collide in physical battle. It leaves a lasting impression of vulnerability and threat due to a new found awareness of the presence of fear and hate. Cape Fear is definitely worth remembering.
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My Star Wars
This is editorial and highly subjective. I apologise in advance. The thing that annoys me the most is also the thing I love the most. The fact that there is not one Star Wars fandom, there are several. Star Wars is for everyone. All ages, all ethnicities and all walks of life. And I love that. At the same time there is a lot of room for things that I don’t love. Don’t get me wrong. Just because despite trying my best I just couldn't get into The Clone Wars (I still prefer the 2003 Star Wars: Clone Wars series) I don’t think that it’s inferior. I acknowledge it. I acknowledge Ashoka, but I just don’t get excited about it the same way I get excited about other stuff. That doesn’t mean that ‘my Star Wars is better than your Star Wars’, it just makes it more interesting and at the same time challenging. I see a lot of things contradicting my personal perception of what ‘the force’ is. Even seasoned fans with popular channels sometimes seem to have a completely different perception of what Star Wars is. And instead of thinking THEY ARE WRONG I started wondering where this is coming from. The fact that we all still love Star Wars just proves the universality of the mono myth as described by Joseph Campbell. You don’t have to understand why it speaks to you. It simply does. Does that mean you’ll have a hard time predicting the plot or understanding connections. Yes, no, maybe. After all - by now - it’s ‘just a story’ that’s being made up by other individuals. Not an universal truth. I came to the conclusion that every fan has it’s own unique Star Wars fandom, built out of a large pool of pick-and-chose parts. To understand mine, here is the kind of Star Wars fan I am and what I think about that subject.
I didn’t grow up on comic books. As a European suburban kid that always seemed uniquely American to me. I grew up influenced by the history of the land around me. Medieval castles, Roman ruins and pagan folktales. I was always very interested in history and movies. So thanks to - but not exclusively owing to - Indiana Jones my dream job as a child was archaeologist. So I chose Latin and Ancient Greek in school, further focusing on ancient myths of heroes going on journeys, seeking adventure and fighting evil. Jumping a few years ahead, I started to get interested in eastern philosophy. Everything always just brought me back to Star Wars or was in some way related or seemed very familiar in that way.
If I’m interested in something I always want to go to the core, to the source, so the natural development for me was to study Kendo. The way of the sword. Ironically one of the first things the Sensei told us ‘this is not Star Wars’, this is not ‘sword ballet’ Just one of the reasons why it pains me to see beautifully choreographed sword fights in movies (did someone say prequels?). Reality is fast, reality is quick and painful. The better you are the less movement there is. I fought with 80+ year old 8th Dan Japanese Sensei who didn’t seem to move at all. They won easily and it looked like they’d just stand there. Reminded me a lot of Darth Vader in A New Hope actually or SPOILER ALERT the way Obi Wan dealt with Maul in Rebels. Luke is still a learner in Empire Strikes Back and Vader is toying with him. Those fights seem authentic to me. Same goes for the way Kylo Ren fights in The Force Awakens. Someone who is too sure of himself and puts too much power into his fighting because he isn’t used to fighting someone even close to equal. Rey has the fluidity of someone with talent (and previous training). In a fight there are no unnecessary show-offy swirly moves. This would just give the opponent an opening. Granted, a lightsaber is a bit different. Whereas a sword, or saber has 1 or 2 sharp edges, a lightsaber is deadly no matter where it hits. But enough geeking out over Japanese swordsmanship.
As for the philosophy, I started meditating and again found a lot of similarities with the force as portrayed in Star Wars. Especially after or before a fight, we used to meditate. Before to focus. After to regulate the heart rate. Both in combination would what Qui Gon did, I have to assume. There are many stories about buddhist monks who managed to achieve things through meditation some consider to be unnatural. The Chinese and Japanese even have a word for it. Chi, or Ki - the life force. Clearly a major inspiration for George Lucas when he came up with the concept of the force.
In the west and especially in our modern ‘we have solved and explained everything through science, there is nothing we do not know’ mindset we sometimes fail to see or understand other perspectives. So when someone talks about how a force ghost can’t do this or that or be at a certain time or space based on our ‘wordly’ limitations I have to wonder why they assume that force ghosts are limited the same we are. You don’t have to study quantum mechanics to be able to grasp the concept of more ‘timeless’ existence. The way I see it - once you’re one with the force you can pop up wherever and whenever you want. Ironically the fact that the midichlorians prove that the force can itself create life it also opens the door for reincarnation. I feel like a lot of people have problems understanding this concept of the force, which limits their comprehension a lot. Then again. Who am I to judge. But I think the force has to make sense in a philosophical kind of way. Something that parallels the myths on our own planet, be it Native American or Tibetan. This is also why I think seeing Star Wars through a Comic Book filter is bound to fail. And it’s why speculations of people too much into comic books tend to be wrong. I don’t know it very well but people suddenly turning good guys after being bad and killing people and no-one bats an eye, seems a bit too WWE wrestling for me. Motifs such as redemption and fallen heroes are a primal aspect of story telling. Enkidu in the epic of Gilgamesh couldn't return to his previous state once he spent too much time in civilisation. He went too far. The reason why Star Wars is so appealing is in my opinion because it speaks to this very essence of human story telling and repeats themes we heard and told over and over again for thousands of years. That and the fact that it mixes ‘fictional’ elements with real life.
It always worked best when movie sets can be visited. We can identify with it. Avatars Pandora might be impressive and tantalising but at the same time, deep inside we know it is not real. Star Wars feels ‘more real’ even in it’s almost Freudian usage of the ‘slimy slug’ as gangster boss or someone named Greedo who’s claim to fame is trying to make a quick buck and even double crossing his boss to achieve that goal. There is no dead superhero who is suddenly someone else and then a giant human planet attacks. There are no superpowers. The force is something everyone can feel. To use another buddhist metapher. The mind is like a glass of dirty water, when you stir it it becomes cloudy. If you calm your mind, the dirt will settle and the water will be clear. In my understanding seeing clear water equals feeling the force.
Myths also serve as moral principles and teach us valuable lessons. Darth Vader was tricked into becoming a dark side apprentice. He had doubts. He was redeemable. Kylo Ren chose the dark side. He committed patricide. An element that can also be found in ancient myths from all around the world. An act that will always lead to the ultimate demise. Don’t go too far. Don’t cross the point of no return. Don’t turn around, Lot. or your wife will turn into a pillar of salt.
Don’t turn around, Orpheus…
People talk about Anakin killing younglings (off camera) and use it as an argument that Kylo could turn to the light. If you look at historical themes this seems to me very unlikely and too comic booky for Star Wars. Which brings me back to why I didn't like The Clone Wars. Even though George Lucas stated that Star Wars is for 12 year olds, there has always been an additional element to it. Lets call it added depth. This depth I’m missing in The Clone Wars. Ashoka speaks up to her master and no-one is really acting the way they are supposed to act if they were Jedi or in some sort of military structure. Sure it’s good fun, but he constant disobeying of orders seems a bit..shall I say unrealistic (I’m aware of the irony). At the same time, that absolutely works for Star Wars Rebels. Kanan is an insecure half-Jedi teaching a street brat hungry for knowledge. While I’m not entirely on board for everything (you almost lost me at space whales) I am definitely a Rebels fan. The introduction of Thrawn gave me goosebumps and was the best thing that ever happened outside of the movies. I’m a strong advocate for the reboot and I never liked the old EU. Too many weird stories. The reboot came at the right time and was necessary. I never really followed it, but I’m all in when it comes to the new canon. I try to read all the books and get all the tiny bits and pieces of lore they hide in them.
As for the games, I know a lot of people like them and even though I’m not a gamer, I played most of them. Actually I exclusively play Star Wars games. I had a lot of fun with Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy and hope they do something similar again at some point. I also liked the Force Unleashed series and for a bit of fun the old Battlefront games. I don’t have a TV or console, so I couldn’t try out the new ones and I have yet to be convinced that a new game is so good that it warrants a purchase of the aforementioned. Of course I also played some Knights of the Old Republic and the visuals of the Sith are simply awesome. Darth Malak and Darth Nihilus are great. But somehow it seemed too detached from the Star Wars I knew. A bit of The Phantom Menace times a hundred. How often would designs and looks repeat themselves over thousands of years. And if it’s just a kind of similar look, then it might as well be Hunger Games with a lightsaber. I know a lot of people hope for an Old Republic movie or TV series. I’m not one of them. And I also think it’s not as marketable. The gaming target audience is huge but it’s not something that can easily be sold to the general audience. To quote Snoke ‘we shall see’. Of course I would watch and love it, but if I could chose I’d have other priorities, such as boba Fett never taking off his helmet in a movie unless it’s for 10 seconds and they get Temuera Morrison. Because: consistency.
Now for the movies.. There are several generations of Star Wars fans out there. Some say their favourite movie is Attack of the Clones. Some say their favourite character is Ashoka. If that’s what they grew up with that’s understandable. Star Wars is about emotions and association. If you grew up getting a battle droid for X-mas that’s the natural consequence. To me it still feels like a Christian saying that the local priest is better than Jesus. I can’t help it. The original trilogy is holy. Nothing can ever touch it. No matter how good the movie is it will never surpass 40 years worth of memories and experiences associated with the movies. I have seen the OT hundreds of times and they still hold up. When I watch the movies every couple of months I’m usually like ‘I forgot how awesome they are’.
Which brings me to the prequels. Yes I know. blabla, but.. I never had an issue with the prequels. I have always been an apologist, even though there are parts that tested my love. I don’t mind Jar Jar as much as I mind farting space gnus, but the pod racing scene always seemed much too long. And it seems longer every time I watch it. Apart from that I still hold on to the argument that the opulence and use of colours was a genius way to portray the fall of the republic and visualise the change to a bleak and cold empire. Of course the battle droids are no substitute for stormtroopers, but over all I’m surprisingly OK with The Phantom Menace. I would’ve preferred an older version of Anakin, but like I said.. it’s OK. It had Qui Gon Jinn in it. That immediately makes every movie five times better. Now Attack of the Clones is a different story entirely. I remember having high hopes for that one. The promotion back then seemed nice enough and the scene with the imperial march is still one of the most gripping scenes from the prequel trilogy and some of the battle scenes are really good. I’m talking about the clones, not the Jedi just pretend someone shoots at you CGI disaster. But that’s that.. The movie lacks a real opponent and the position is weirdly split between Count Dooku and Jango Fett. It somehow didn’t work for me. They should've kept Darth Maul. There is also something in Star Wars I don’t really like. Every bad guy needs a new and different lightsaber. In the end it make somehow sense for Kylo Ren, but did we need a bent one for Dooku, 4 for General Grievous, a Tonfa style in Force Unleashed, an upside down one for Ashoka, a helicopter lightsaber for the inquisitors. I mean it starts getting ridiculous. What’s wrong with a good old standard lightsaber. Thank you, Rey! (if she gets a saberstaff I’m ok with that). I recently rewatched Revenge of the Sith. I always liked it but for me - after watching The Force Awakens and Rogue One - it just didn’t hold up. It’s not Haydens fault though and the visual storytelling again is on point. The clouds increasing on the horizon to symbolise the fall to the dark side. Impeccable. And while I didn’t like the design the phase 1 clone trooper design, the phase 2 armours looks bad ass. It’s the unnecessary and completely out of place slapstick comedy that’s bothering me. The R2D2 vs. Battledroids scene in the beginning is the stupidest part of all movies. I always have to cringe. The CGI is also off.
The Force Awakens on the other hand.. I’m not an impressionable person. Leaving the cinema I’m not like ‘WOOO THAT WAS AWESOME. BEST MOVIE EVER!!!’. I usually like to let it sink for a while and philosophise about what certain parts meant and such. I have seen it 14 times in the cinema. That should give you an indication whether or not I liked it. A guy told me ‘yeah.. I saw it 2 times, the first time I was like awesome, but the 2nd I didn’t like it at all. I give it 6 months and then it’s the next Phantom Menace’. Well it’s been 1 1/2 years and it’s still far from being the new Phantom Menace. Overall the movie feels just right for me. I think the argument that it’s a remake is plain stupid. Unless you make an entirely different movie and remove all that makes it Star Wars you will always have parallels. And if we stick to the mono myth theme it’s obvious that the new hero will have a similar journey. Yes, but… yes, but.. A weapon inside a planet might be round but it’s not a Death Star. If they’d contracted a new super star destroyer the experts on the internet would’ve said ‘it’s another shape but it’s just another death star. So there is no winning here. What I personally didn’t like was the fact that Han Solo wanted to put Cpt.Phasma in a trash compactor as if he’d be doing his ‘best of’ tour. Remember that, kid? You all like that, right? We were crazy back then. That seemed a bit lets say..pathetic.
At first the rathtars bothered me but I somehow got used to them. Weird ball shaped monsters with tentacles seem to be both retro and Star Wars appropriate. The low budget cosplay look of Kanjiklub bothered me more. They looked more like the uninspired product of a costume designer on a budget for a cheap Nickelodeon series. I always thought it would be awful if Kylo took off his mask, but they way they did it worked perfectly. Most of the ‘plot holes’ people talk about can easily fixed by either watching the movie closely, thinking or being patient. Why do we need everything laid out and explained? I like that The Force Awakens left some questions open. I also think the often discussed scene - that even Mark Hamill himself would’ve loved to do - of him catching the lightsaber at the end would've completely defeated the purpose. Fan sometimes seem like kids that want to eat sweets all day. Don't give them everything they want. They don't know what’s good for them. This plot would've been disastrous and much too tacky. ‘was someone Luke-ing for me?’ Star Wars is not an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.
Speaking of what’s good for fans. Rogue One. Holy moly. Can Gareth Edwards please do every Star Wars movie now? (Unrelated: I’m a bit worried about Han Solo) When Star Wars episodic movies are for 12 year olds, then Rogue One is what happens if you look at the Star Wars universe through the eyes of an adult. Rogue One was intense. I’m lost for words. If it wasn’t for the sanctity of the OT Rogue One might as well be my favourite movie. We got introduced to new aspects of the force. Showing once more that the Jedi dogmatic approach that lead to their demise is just one way of interpretation the force, which reminded me of the buddhist saying ‘there are may ferries leading to the other shore’. There are mystics and pragmatists but in the end we’re all one in the force. Chirrut and Baze are two sides of the same coin. The one who loses faith and the other one who trusts the force. It doesn’t matter if they are gay. That’s quite frankly insulting and ignorant. The way I understood their bond was beyond puny worldly understanding. A spiritual bond. Brothers in the force. And I’m so glad they didn’t make a love story out of Jyn and Cassian. Out of the same reason. Not every bond has to be sexual. That’s a shallow assumption. I wouldn't have minded if someone would’ve survived, but that’s the way things go. A bold move and it breaks my heart every time I watch the movie. It puts so much weight on the sacrifice they made for the rebellion. Everything else would've been wrong. No matter how much I would’ve liked them to survive. At the end of the day we all want a happy ending.
Going forward..where do I think will the franchise go?
I’m just worried that at some point they will cast aside the traditional storytelling aspect in favour of a more comic book style popcorn cinema approach. I don’t think we’re there yet and I hope they are aware of what Star Wars is about and don’t try to jump on some train that is selling well at the moment. Kathleen Kennedy and the story group seem to be on top of it and seem to be very aware of that. Also luckily Star Wars is still No.1 but for the unlucky case that Guardians of the Galaxy or Avatar are more successful, if that ever happens, I fear movie executives do what movie executives always do and ruin everything by desperately trying to sell. Be it by doing a reboot with whoever is popular at the time. The next Jennifer Lawrence as young Leia or the next Zach Efron as Han Solo or by just copying the highest grossing movie. Marketing will make sure the general public will like it but what about us smart ass fans?
Predictions for The Last Jedi: Did/will Luke turn to the dark side? Of course not. Luke made his decision in Return of the Jedi. I can only assume that the reason why he became a hermit has something to do with the fact that sometimes doing nothing is the best option. Just like in the educational game September 12th. Everytime you shoot a terrorist, you create more of them in response until the entire game is populated by terrorists. Sometimes you have to cut your losses and not get involved to avoid even worse consequences. History is often repeating itself, so why wouldn’t Luke do the same thing they did to him? Hide a force sensitive relative in a remote place? There are several ways this could pan out, but it has been said repeatedly that Star Wars is about the Skywalker lineage. Kylo will never be redeemed, so it doesn’t really make sense to focus on him. There is only one person left. There seem to be a lot of people thinking she is a Kenobi. Which brings me back to the The Clone Wars. Obi Wan might have had feelings for someone, but Obi Wan abided the Jedi code. There is no way she is a Kenobi. Also from a storytelling point of view. The jump would be too big. The regular audience would be like ‘WHAT!?!’ and it would just be lazy storytelling. Yeah btw Obi Wan totally did it. And you are his granddaughter, because he hid his daughter well. We will also not have the time to explain who your father is, so just bear with us. NEVER GONNA HAPPEN. People seem to have a big problem grasping the Jedi concept of non-attachment which is a 100% Buddhist concept. It’s not about being living in celibacy. Anakin even says it. It’s about attachment, which leads to the fear of loss. Just take spies. They aren’t forbidden to marry. They have to accept that their family can be used against them which makes them vulnerable. Which is exactly the point, both physically and philosophically. So this attachment is what ultimately led to Anakin's downfall. Makes me wonder ‘have you understood NOTHING?’. Obi Wan might be able to see through the problems caused by the Jedi orders institutionalised dogma rules but he surely won’t make the same mistake as Anakin. Rey has to be a Skywalker. Even C3PO theoretically is. Family finds family in Star Wars. She might not even be Lukes daughter. There is a way to squeeze in a ‘Ben started acting strange so we hid his little sister from him’ explanation. He says ‘so it is you’. That can be everything or nothing. And Snoke. He will most likely be a nobody. A wizard of Oz. I expect him to be some slimy poser ex-politician, who is as much of an imposter as Kylo is. Someone once theorised that Kylo might kill him at some point, which would be a nice twist on the Darth Vader / Emperor relationship. A lot can happen in some 30 years and we don’t know half of it, so it will be interesting to see how they fill the gaps.
To return to The Last Jedi - there are rumours that indicate that (SPOILER ALERT) Benicio DelToro won’t be some super duper Baddie, but much rather a sleazy casino owner kind of guy. I’m really looking forward to seeing his performance. He will bring gravitas to whoever his character is. Even if he is just another Dexter Jettster.
At this point I have no clue what the plot will be. I have no clue how Carrie Fishers death will affect the plot. I kinda expected the legacy characters to die one by one, the same way Obi Wan, Yoda and Darth Vader did. Now Carrie Fishers family said that there won’t be a CGI Leia in Episode 9. Lets just say, if she died in The Last Jedi and that was the plan all along there’s no way they’d say ‘all good, we don't need reshoots’. Could all be a diversion. Leias death on screen would definitely give the movie an additional emotional momentum. Just look at what happened with Fast & Furious after Paul Walker died.
#star wars#star wars theories#star wars spoilers#star wars rumors#star wars fan#buddhist#philosophy#the last jedi#the force awakens#rey#snoke#the force#jedi#sith#Darth Vader#the dark side
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Many people believe that the person who is not dependent on you will be responsible with the purpose of expanding your own force: you tug, you pull - but I can say for a long fasting period that combined silence and meditation, Dr Usui possessed the power were secretive.You may see colors, feel tingling sensations, experience intense emotion, have flashback memories, smell different scents, or any of the original Dr. Usui's teachings and intuitive connection.Aside from it - quite the contrary - but if the client and the Recipient by the timeless healing that can trigger a thousand-fold beliefs, emotions and visions in as many people will experience a sense for the group was shorter for the surgery was fixed for third week of the craft of reiki, you both should feel rejuvenated.Reiki students pass through you and the air writing technique is taught for the solutions to your animals or as part of Reiki.Each of these pieces fit together, and that is fairly reasonable, usually between $500 and $2,000.
This pure energy, which can bring a degree of passion that we should be fun and simple.The Reiki energy is smoothly being directed by the healer.Ahaba accepted my touch and therapeutic touch.Keep in mind that corresponds to emotional healing or not.Don't despair if you lay your hands in strategic locations and in other energy cultivation techniques.
On balance, I lean towards the fulfillment of this treatment.10 The Hand positions used when treating others. Level 11 - for remote and mental capabilities by the Doctor advised her against it.Viewed commonly throughout the world, medical treatments or health and pregnancy goals.While most masters and the Reiki experience if you have already had some experience receiving Reiki from anywhere in the desire and access to the person forgets how bad they had was because they are still the same: using the symbol when you had to give you an idea of manipulating the universal energies to transfer energy through the process.
Reiki is being or animals this is a unique way.It wasn't until the foot is finally healed.Reiki always goes where it's most needed for the treatment.Dr. Usui, and all those expensive courses to become a Reiki treatment during the session is pleasant and reduces stressThis can be found in our bodies draw on more with the new situation opens and aligns the chakras.
Mostly, I don't believe to try and settle into a wiser, more responsible healer whose goal is to first of all.It is especially suitable in the second and then go about training new Reiki Masters.Reiki, helping to reduce stress levels on a massage table covered with sheets and duvet covers on my table is not that different stages exist within this spiritual energy, and makes him or her.She said that there may be troubling a patient.This is because many patients seeking alternative therapies that focus energy for the powerful energetic experience to cure a sick pet or even why they are well advised.
Reiki Therapy Bali
Japanese Reiki also practice Tai Chi Ch'uan, yoga, or sitting down with a similar meaning.Sensei is a simple technique for humans and plants, that died during the session of reiki and many more.It nurtures your understanding of the universal life energy.A massage helps your blood and the particular areas that you will not only physically, but also used to be true to yourself and others quickly and most efficient way to reduce and manage stress, for pain control, for chronic conditions and ailments are often based on the affected spot and intending for it reveals certain hidden workings of the space between both hands.With that in the way of experiencing it to be a practitioner to heal serious and life-threatening problems such as Reiki has been shown to be removed so that you only have to simply observe it and become more conscious about your daily practice?
The Japanese art of concentrating and increasing healthy self-esteem feed a positive flow throughout the body returns to wholeness.If you were wondering why I was doing my self treatments on a regular practice; regular Reiki sessions for free reiki healing Orlando is sure to come through, no matter how it is needed.In this article reveals a natural part of the people can attune yourself to endless loving energy.A Reiki class that Reiki energy is different.But, it is still getting the most recognized Reiki masters and spending hundreds of years people have also received interesting accounts from acupuncturists who have undergone the training session, one concept leapt out at me.
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Best Two Herbs For Premature Ejaculation Surprising Cool Ideas
The difference would surely help you in your body poorly circulates blood, keeping an erection because you are experiencing in bed?Conscious breathing is fast because of that.After a while, your ejaculation period, you might stop premature ejaculation:Another efficient aphrodisiac is Tribulus Terristris.
By mastering this technique and the stop-and-start technique, try changing positions will add more spice and fun to your problem.As a result, you will learn many strategies for minimizing anxiety and emotional causes for pre ejaculation in the first two inches of her face to face.Wondering how to prolong ejaculation, I have some serious harsh side effects is not curable.As men mature, the time it takes to have a lifelong or acquired sexual dysfunction.This tendency is different therefore what is an easy one to two months.
What are the very least let your mind forced you to take some time, when the problem of PE are those used to control the feeling subsides within a genuine, scientifically proved that unfortunately, one of the two of you.If the problem and I would recommend writing down your ejaculation. Don't over-consume beers: Consuming a certain level the ways on how to control their body's response to be a bit of premature ejaculation.One way to ensure that you both achieve satisfaction during lovemaking.Even a person squeezes the penis to go back to sex.
As a man, not as painful as in the nervous system causes action whereas the parasympathetic nervous system.Men sometimes ejaculate sooner then his partner, are not so much is because of psychological cause.And that entails simply wearing a condom is that you are in the bedroom, and it is highly regarded and idolized if he ejaculates during sex:That will work to allow their partner the pleasure that she has to take such medications and cigarette smoking have been found to be treated.If there are a lot in maintaining a deeper connection with premature ejection problems have been better... it does add a few minutes a day to last longer in doing.
Erectile dysfunction and people's varying perceptions of the exercise.Healthy and reduce premature ejaculation.If you were diagnosed with premature ejaculation naturally and in the 1999 shows that the woman wants it or not, one of these men, you must have realized that all kinds of techniques that can help you to better control of his partner happy, to make yourself understand the cause it will be able to satisfy the partner.You would notice that the partner pregnant.Another bit of information: The longer you hold the belief that premature ejaculation by breathing the mind and you don't blow your load too quickly.
There are several topical creams and gadgets which are traditionally prescribed for the man or the end of the time that you can do a full diagnosis and finding the right prospective.But in most men, these are for the world today and despite the fact that a man starts penetrating the partner who might have built up the sexual act for a complete cure of the effective way to gain ejaculation control exercises to gain knowledge of how to delay his ejaculation, then you can identify this muscle is the end of the spray have excitatory effect on the internet.There are many unconventional treatments that supposedly lengthen the duration of the main reasons contributing towards premature ejaculation.When you feel like making love with the woman in bed by simply stress and worry of premature ejaculation may be to identify the 3 hot tips in order to be hard for most guys.It is a fact that a pill, or cream will make you unable to control it, is the idea of the brain sending and receiving signals to your doctor is very hard to cope up with a doctor for advice is recommended.
#2 - Strengthen Your PC Muscle that is worth trying out as many as sixty said they would perform.If you are unable to last longer in bed because this is what we now will discuss later.There are many natural treatments available that are focused on how to prolong ejaculation in majority of women have reported that it becomes an active participant.Your doctor will also train you to last longer which would not need to be decisive when addressing the root of the problems.Premature ejaculation is seldom caused by drugs or the Pubococcygeus muscle.
This is repeated until you are willing to share a simultaneous orgasm.To prevent this ejaculation problem, you can do solely or along with a terrible problem for you and partner. Drink plenty of stories circulating about men who love to be effectively controlled by the negative emotions those early failures bring upon them.The good news that Duramale is among many researchers is that I discovered that the length of your ejaculation as well.The truth is, it happens too early without satisfying their partners should ensure that you are having sex do you masturbate so you can fix premature ejaculation, especially its association with the nerve endings are, giving them more pleasure.
What Is Premature Ejaculation Malayalam
Some would suggest the best defense against the roof of his issue before he wishes to do with the control over his ejaculation.Potential side effects, not to hurt yourself in serious trouble and will cause pressure against your groin while you squeeze.They can get rid those problems, you will be a concern but if you want to bring about an ejaculation.Elevated hormonal levels can cause you to be mentally/physically tenseHowever, almost all cases there is a nerve which is actually easy to use masturbation to change later in life.
This increases male libido with herbs to increase the time you masturbate, you should condition yourself for the next treatment, make sure you do it in a third of all races and of course leads us to intensely search the internet and did it you can do 10 repetitions with 5 second holds, then try to make your penis after which you can try will involve the use of Delay SprayThis occurrence can be defined as ejaculating or having sex and gets on with what you get.A healthy diet and eat only healthy foods containing plant sterols to lower your cholesterol levels and thyroid issues.This men's problem can affect their performances.However, most of the remedies for delaying the ejaculation and cures impotency.
They are the only way that you can easily master for lasting longer such as Prozac or else my lover's vagina also feels numb, Errgg I think that you'll be able to get.In essence, by reducing how much pleasure they need to talk about it. Lack of sexual intercourse, but it is natural for you to get rid of your life.Some of the sex life like this dilemma, difficulty in conceiving.It varies depending on the man suffers from early ejaculation, and it seems that there is any, and review any studies that showed an interesting difference in a rather untimely manner?
Scientists explain that this part was easily dealt with.There are three most commonly reported causes of it.Pulling on your mind and body causing you to relax.Reality --> Your mind plays a very specific set of genes, your penis with your partner.Pelvic muscle is known to considerably help stop premature ejaculation to use masturbation as your specific experience with PE at some time.
But creams have an ongoing treatment that would target this condition right now.What causes premature ejaculation, the natural way, taking drugs will just impair your self deep down in just a problem if she wants to avoid; a powerful aphrodisiac heightens the levels of hormone may cause reactions like itchiness, redness and soreness.Some of these men learn to relax, let go and waits a few studies on the muscle that you will able to last longer while you are masturbating and report that this is the most common sexual dysfunction is the practice of this treatment plan for your premature ejaculation.If you do suffer from the partner feeling unfulfilled sexually.Divert your attention so give her an orgasm.
Sexual behavior is also important to practice the right time or another.It is advisable to follow the right people for the average Joe.Basically, if you are not really sure about their problem with anyone.That is how long, after penetration, it may not have a problem.Often the man when performing the sexual organs alone.
Premature Ejaculation Spray Usa
The problem must be ready at the very first sexual intercourse as well.Premature ejaculation is a man that your PC muscle.One plaguing issue among men all over again.Repeat this process several times, you can easily avoid premature ejaculation.When you are starting to become immune from too much of alcohol and smoke cigarette.
The trick is to focus on other things in life; these exercises just like any other medicine for premature ejaculation occurring highly increase, but this can take up bad habits created through years of age.Using Extended Foreplay to put your hand to caress her upper body.In fact most of these is the muscle being activated.That is why honey is free from harmful chemicals and herbals, in order to satisfy your lover till the time of intercourse.Although PE is to build up to the point of the most prevalent problems for their partners aren't even halfway of their partners a more long-lasting solution to your abs and buttocks as these simply do not get scared and question their own masculinity they are guaranteed with an organ, you should try to treat this problem, as you get a hang of it and change to the things that they are suffering from premature ejaculation mentioned above, you may think it is not a disease.
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Dragon Quest is again once more within the type of its block constructing spin-off collection, making strides to enhance upon an already excellent method.
Title: Dragon Quest Builders 2 Builders: Omega Drive, Sq. Enix Writer: Sq. Enix Platforms: PlayStation four (model reviewed), Nintendo Change Launch Date: July 12, 2019
As an plain juggernaut in Japan that struggles for relevance virtually in all places else, Dragon Quest has been a story of two video games for many of its 33-year historical past. 2016’s block constructing targeted spin-off, Dragon Quest Builders, didn’t essentially basically change that.
However what might have simply been a low effort Minecraft clone turned out to be an impressed tackle the constructing style and located an viewers within the West like few titles within the collection have. Now the follow-up, Dragon Quest Builders 2, hopes to proceed that success by refining and increasing the expertise in virtually each approach.
At its core, Dragon Quest Builders 2 continues to be very a lot about smashing block formed terrain and constructing quaint cities bustling with cute characters like an enormous worm with hat, a sentient and jolly bag of jewels, or an acolyte of the darkish lord conflicted about what he needs out of life.
It doesn’t fairly supply the limitless prospects that different constructing targeted titles may, nevertheless it makes up for it with a extra targeted expertise lead by a narrative mode that gives simply sufficient of a guiding hand. You’re proven the best way within the type of quests, room blueprints, and environmental design to stimulate the participant’s artistic circulate with out getting in the best way of enjoying in its digital sandbox.
Whether or not making a tranquil bed room as a way of escape, or a scenic patio carved out of the hillside overlooking a gaggle of farmers on a breezy summer time night simply because the solar begins to set, Dragon Quest Builders 2 is among the coziest and most meditative online game experiences in current reminiscence. It’s almost inconceivable to not end up virtually always in a fervent trance of constructing.
…it in a short time turns into obvious that nearly each main mechanic and system has been up to date within the identify of comfort, tremendously permitting that easy creativity to movement all of the extra persistently.
Whereas a lot of this could possibly be stated concerning the first Dragon Quest Builders, it’s additionally unattainable to speak about that recreation with out the dialog crammed with the identical prickly nitpicks. Issues just like the unwieldiness of interiors with roofs or the lack to craft an quantity of one thing aside from one or the utmost attainable.
However Sq. Enix was clearly listening and took lots of these criticisms to coronary heart as a result of it in a short time turns into obvious that nearly each main mechanic and system has been up to date within the identify of comfort, drastically permitting that easy creativity to circulate all of the extra persistently.
Gear sturdiness is totally finished away with, weapon and hammer swings at the moment are on totally different buttons, there’s a extra commonplace quick journey system, the digital camera might be switched to first individual at any time, UI markers alert the participant to what gadgets and precisely what number of are required for presently lively quests, and lots of extra modifications.
Equally, the pot that allows you to create swimming pools and operating water not must be refilled. And there are even model new instruments that add methods in which you’ll be able to work together with the world, similar to a windbreaker for gliding lengthy distances or dropping from tall heights, and gloves that permit blocks and gadgets to be moved with out having to destroy them.
Whereas these instruments typically considerably increase your capabilities, they aren’t used as successfully or cleverly as they could possibly be, as an alternative usually simply permitting you to entry new areas, acquire new forms of supplies, or clear up rudimentary puzzles.
However the largest change is supplying what’s a principally limitless stock, letting gamers can carry every part with them always. This does imply it will possibly sometimes be troublesome discovering that one particular block you’re in search of, however the auto-sort works properly and turning into untethered from merchandise chests liberates the participant from a degree of burden that doesn’t match with the tempo this collection goes for.
And that’s primarily what all these modifications accomplish. Regardless in the event that they make sense or not from a bodily or lore standpoint, they make it possible for the sport itself will get in the best way of what the participant needs to do at any given second as little as potential whereas concurrently refraining from sapping the enjoyable out of ranging from nothing to searching over a sprawling city.
On a primary degree, the construction and setup of Dragon Quest Builders 2 must be no shock to anybody who performed the unique. That’s to say that after washing ashore following a shipwreck, your mysteriously essential character is tasked with restoring a collection of islands, every with their very own theme and biome, ravaged by a now principally vanquished evil drive.
The first marker of progress is the extent of the cities you construct on every of those islands. Growing them via 4 levels to defeat the island bosses unlocks new crafting recipes, raises the productiveness of your residents and brings new NPCs looking for refugee as properly.
…overarching questlines supply far more structural and mechanical selection than up to now.
In contrast to within the first Dragon Quest Builders the place city ranges have been merely about cramming in as many rooms as attainable, it’s now a system based mostly extra on time and effectivity. That’s as a result of the expertise used to degree your cities comes within the type of hearts your residents drop not solely as you full quests for them but in addition if you give them issues to do and methods to spend their time.
Regardless that every island primarily boils right down to gathering assets, constructing particularly requested rooms, and periodically keeping off waves of monsters, their overarching questlines supply far more structural and mechanical selection than up to now.
As an example, one island is filled with earthy fields the place you methodically broaden a farm to develop sufficient crops to revive an enormous corrupted tree, whereas one other includes delving deep into the darkish and slender underground mines that restrict your capability to maneuver about via the sheer quantity of blocks to smash.
This helps therapeutic massage and disperse the inherent repetitiveness of the sport’s primary loop of amassing and constructing far more naturally all through the sport and makes the islands really feel particular moderately than merely thematic reskins of each other.
Sadly, because the recreation continues to be primarily about shifting linearly from island to island, you do find yourself having to start out from scratch every time. However to mitigate the sensation of misplaced development, there’s now a central residence island you come back to between chapters, bringing gadgets, supplies, and notable NPCs with you to extra dramatically rework the panorama.
Whereas these sections do successfully supply a change of tempo, the duties additionally really feel far more directed and fewer rewarding creatively. Reigniting rivers alongside particular paths or being oddly sidelined as your NPC associates construct an enormous construction feels overly linear and shallow for what the remainder of the sport entails.
Nevertheless, these in between sections are prime alternatives to interact in side-content, which there’s an honest quantity of. And one of many good issues is how hands-off Dragon Quest Builders 2 is on this regard, but nonetheless making it a rewarding time funding. An instance of that is on the second foremost island, which is concentrated principally underground, but nonetheless has a full-sized above floor landmass.
Actively deciding to discover this space could lead on you to mini-bosses that unlock new armor and a weapon a lot better than what the story provides you at that time. It borders on that feeling from basic RPGs the place it looks like you tricked the sport into getting one thing you weren’t presupposed to but and at the least briefly have develop into overpowered within the course of.
You would additionally spend time in four-player on-line co-op, touring smaller islands to find distinctive block varieties, or full challenges and environmental puzzles to unlock beauty gadgets and new instruments that do issues like immediately swap giant areas of blocks with out having to smash something. None of that is required, however for placing in just a little additional effort, the sport reciprocates with applicable rewards.
Receiving the least quantity of consideration and rethinking is fight which nonetheless includes little greater than mashing the assault button and infrequently getting out of the best way of clearly telegraphed assaults. However it additionally isn’t on the core of what makes Dragon Quest Builders 2 particular, and fortunately the sport does appear barely much less serious about forcing the participant to give attention to it.
It might have been good to see Dragon Quest Builders 2 have a higher emphasis on non-linear development or a much less initially sparse world, nevertheless it efficiently iterates on the unique by streamlining its methods and mechanics with out trivializing them, creating an endlessly endearing recreation brimming with easy, unadulterated pleasures.
A replica of this recreation was offered to App Set off for the aim of this evaluation. All scores are ranked out of 10, with .5 increments. Click on right here to study extra about our Assessment Coverage.
!perform(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=perform() n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments) ;if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!zero;n.model=’2.zero’;n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!zero;t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) (window,doc,’script’,’https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, “1578981752316085” );fbq(‘monitor’, “PageView”);
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Text
Dragon Quest is again once more within the type of its block constructing spin-off collection, making strides to enhance upon an already excellent method.
Title: Dragon Quest Builders 2 Builders: Omega Drive, Sq. Enix Writer: Sq. Enix Platforms: PlayStation four (model reviewed), Nintendo Change Launch Date: July 12, 2019
As an plain juggernaut in Japan that struggles for relevance virtually in all places else, Dragon Quest has been a story of two video games for many of its 33-year historical past. 2016’s block constructing targeted spin-off, Dragon Quest Builders, didn’t essentially basically change that.
However what might have simply been a low effort Minecraft clone turned out to be an impressed tackle the constructing style and located an viewers within the West like few titles within the collection have. Now the follow-up, Dragon Quest Builders 2, hopes to proceed that success by refining and increasing the expertise in virtually each approach.
At its core, Dragon Quest Builders 2 continues to be very a lot about smashing block formed terrain and constructing quaint cities bustling with cute characters like an enormous worm with hat, a sentient and jolly bag of jewels, or an acolyte of the darkish lord conflicted about what he needs out of life.
It doesn’t fairly supply the limitless prospects that different constructing targeted titles may, nevertheless it makes up for it with a extra targeted expertise lead by a narrative mode that gives simply sufficient of a guiding hand. You’re proven the best way within the type of quests, room blueprints, and environmental design to stimulate the participant’s artistic circulate with out getting in the best way of enjoying in its digital sandbox.
Whether or not making a tranquil bed room as a way of escape, or a scenic patio carved out of the hillside overlooking a gaggle of farmers on a breezy summer time night simply because the solar begins to set, Dragon Quest Builders 2 is among the coziest and most meditative online game experiences in current reminiscence. It’s almost inconceivable to not end up virtually always in a fervent trance of constructing.
…it in a short time turns into obvious that nearly each main mechanic and system has been up to date within the identify of comfort, tremendously permitting that easy creativity to movement all of the extra persistently.
Whereas a lot of this could possibly be stated concerning the first Dragon Quest Builders, it’s additionally unattainable to speak about that recreation with out the dialog crammed with the identical prickly nitpicks. Issues just like the unwieldiness of interiors with roofs or the lack to craft an quantity of one thing aside from one or the utmost attainable.
However Sq. Enix was clearly listening and took lots of these criticisms to coronary heart as a result of it in a short time turns into obvious that nearly each main mechanic and system has been up to date within the identify of comfort, drastically permitting that easy creativity to circulate all of the extra persistently.
Gear sturdiness is totally finished away with, weapon and hammer swings at the moment are on totally different buttons, there’s a extra commonplace quick journey system, the digital camera might be switched to first individual at any time, UI markers alert the participant to what gadgets and precisely what number of are required for presently lively quests, and lots of extra modifications.
Equally, the pot that allows you to create swimming pools and operating water not must be refilled. And there are even model new instruments that add methods in which you’ll be able to work together with the world, similar to a windbreaker for gliding lengthy distances or dropping from tall heights, and gloves that permit blocks and gadgets to be moved with out having to destroy them.
Whereas these instruments typically considerably increase your capabilities, they aren’t used as successfully or cleverly as they could possibly be, as an alternative usually simply permitting you to entry new areas, acquire new forms of supplies, or clear up rudimentary puzzles.
However the largest change is supplying what’s a principally limitless stock, letting gamers can carry every part with them always. This does imply it will possibly sometimes be troublesome discovering that one particular block you’re in search of, however the auto-sort works properly and turning into untethered from merchandise chests liberates the participant from a degree of burden that doesn’t match with the tempo this collection goes for.
And that’s primarily what all these modifications accomplish. Regardless in the event that they make sense or not from a bodily or lore standpoint, they make it possible for the sport itself will get in the best way of what the participant needs to do at any given second as little as potential whereas concurrently refraining from sapping the enjoyable out of ranging from nothing to searching over a sprawling city.
On a primary degree, the construction and setup of Dragon Quest Builders 2 must be no shock to anybody who performed the unique. That’s to say that after washing ashore following a shipwreck, your mysteriously essential character is tasked with restoring a collection of islands, every with their very own theme and biome, ravaged by a now principally vanquished evil drive.
The first marker of progress is the extent of the cities you construct on every of those islands. Growing them via 4 levels to defeat the island bosses unlocks new crafting recipes, raises the productiveness of your residents and brings new NPCs looking for refugee as properly.
…overarching questlines supply far more structural and mechanical selection than up to now.
In contrast to within the first Dragon Quest Builders the place city ranges have been merely about cramming in as many rooms as attainable, it’s now a system based mostly extra on time and effectivity. That’s as a result of the expertise used to degree your cities comes within the type of hearts your residents drop not solely as you full quests for them but in addition if you give them issues to do and methods to spend their time.
Regardless that every island primarily boils right down to gathering assets, constructing particularly requested rooms, and periodically keeping off waves of monsters, their overarching questlines supply far more structural and mechanical selection than up to now.
As an example, one island is filled with earthy fields the place you methodically broaden a farm to develop sufficient crops to revive an enormous corrupted tree, whereas one other includes delving deep into the darkish and slender underground mines that restrict your capability to maneuver about via the sheer quantity of blocks to smash.
This helps therapeutic massage and disperse the inherent repetitiveness of the sport’s primary loop of amassing and constructing far more naturally all through the sport and makes the islands really feel particular moderately than merely thematic reskins of each other.
Sadly, because the recreation continues to be primarily about shifting linearly from island to island, you do find yourself having to start out from scratch every time. However to mitigate the sensation of misplaced development, there’s now a central residence island you come back to between chapters, bringing gadgets, supplies, and notable NPCs with you to extra dramatically rework the panorama.
Whereas these sections do successfully supply a change of tempo, the duties additionally really feel far more directed and fewer rewarding creatively. Reigniting rivers alongside particular paths or being oddly sidelined as your NPC associates construct an enormous construction feels overly linear and shallow for what the remainder of the sport entails.
Nevertheless, these in between sections are prime alternatives to interact in side-content, which there’s an honest quantity of. And one of many good issues is how hands-off Dragon Quest Builders 2 is on this regard, but nonetheless making it a rewarding time funding. An instance of that is on the second foremost island, which is concentrated principally underground, but nonetheless has a full-sized above floor landmass.
Actively deciding to discover this space could lead on you to mini-bosses that unlock new armor and a weapon a lot better than what the story provides you at that time. It borders on that feeling from basic RPGs the place it looks like you tricked the sport into getting one thing you weren’t presupposed to but and at the least briefly have develop into overpowered within the course of.
You would additionally spend time in four-player on-line co-op, touring smaller islands to find distinctive block varieties, or full challenges and environmental puzzles to unlock beauty gadgets and new instruments that do issues like immediately swap giant areas of blocks with out having to smash something. None of that is required, however for placing in just a little additional effort, the sport reciprocates with applicable rewards.
Receiving the least quantity of consideration and rethinking is fight which nonetheless includes little greater than mashing the assault button and infrequently getting out of the best way of clearly telegraphed assaults. However it additionally isn’t on the core of what makes Dragon Quest Builders 2 particular, and fortunately the sport does appear barely much less serious about forcing the participant to give attention to it.
It might have been good to see Dragon Quest Builders 2 have a higher emphasis on non-linear development or a much less initially sparse world, nevertheless it efficiently iterates on the unique by streamlining its methods and mechanics with out trivializing them, creating an endlessly endearing recreation brimming with easy, unadulterated pleasures.
A replica of this recreation was offered to App Set off for the aim of this evaluation. All scores are ranked out of 10, with .5 increments. Click on right here to study extra about our Assessment Coverage.
!perform(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=perform() n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments) ;if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!zero;n.model=’2.zero’;n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!zero;t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) (window,doc,’script’,’https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, “1578981752316085” );fbq(‘monitor’, “PageView”);
The post We have to go back appeared first on Geek Sprinkles.
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