#that game is SO MUCH FUN 'S UNREAL

[xiomeebo]

've been in such a sonic mood as of late an 'm unsure why but i am havin a good time i will say

[bunabi]

I finished Veilguard btw so here's my long thoughts (be warned I've been writing notes during my entire playthrough so this is very long) for folks who want it:

My favorite parts of DAV:

Best level design in any DA so far. The platforming grew on me, and I think the levels were well-thought out and mostly fun to navigate. Arlathan Forest was exhausting but other areas felt nicely balanced with branching paths, hidden rooms, etc. Exploration in smaller contained maps done right imo.

Mage combat is really satisfying at higher levels. Pure ranged combat is totally impossible unless you have Davrin and Taash popping taunts back to back, but dropping a massive AOE while fighting close-range feels good too.

Being able to auto-equip and compare new gear is great.

Same with the codex entries. Not having to hunt down whatever note I just picked up is a huge improvement.

Upgrading equipment via duplicates incentivized treasure chest hunting, which I would have otherwise skipped lol. It really helped me slow down and take time exploring areas, and I appreciated that.

The final act didn't make the previous 70+ hours feel better, my fault for spoiling most of it for myself, but it was neat. Cool set pieces, cool fights. I was worried Elgar'nan was gonna have the same moveset as the Regrets, but his final battle was great.

Oh, I forgot Felassan! His notes were a tragic delight. Such a good man. Funny too. They didn't need to kill Varric to make Solas less sympathetic...I think Felassan's betrayal(s) serve that purpose well already.

Rook & Their Faction:

Without rehashing what I've said over the past few weeks: this is my least favorite protagonist.

Being a funny and sarcastic and irreverent hero in a DA game is not new. Not having a choice in the matter is. The Inquisitor was pretty fixed in their tone too (cant even choose a personality for them in CC) but even they had better aggressive options available.

Folks say not to judge Rook's depth by a Lord of Fortune playthrough but since factions are asymmetrical on purpose here are my impressions:

The Lords of Fortune didn't contribute to my run in any meaningful way other than getting Emmrich hot which is not unique, as it turns out, to any particular background. In fact, learning Natalene was a galley slave as an aside detracted from my experience. Being a former galley slave, former Circle mage (again: Rivain doesn't have Circles), semi-Dalish city elf with DIY vallaslin is unreal. Especially as characters continuously imply Rook is a young 20-something. The fact this wasn't immediately caught and course-corrected shows -- to me -- how hectic and spread-thin DAV's development really was. :(

Story & Antagonists:

Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain have cackling witch disease. No motivations outside of power. That was a little disappointing. Was also hoping they'd at least comment on Rook/Davrin/Bellara's vallaslin but they're too busy plotting world domination to really notice. Love their designs though. I'd love to hear a deep dive on how they animated Ghil's tentacles.

Veilguard feels like an immediate follow-up to Trespasser, not the ten year timeskip it says it is. I wonder if that's a symptom of adapting the live service story (content that was likely meant to stretch, similar to Anthem and Destiny, over a decade) for single-player.

I miss the politically-motivated meddling. Every villain is allied with the Evanuris. We needed some that aren't. The Right and Left Hand of the Black Divine, corrupt brothers of the Imperial Chantry, the agents of the Archon, a Minrathous street gang, some Rivaini pirates, anything, anyone.

It's crazy how all elven resistance seemed to evaporate with the dissolution of the Dread Wolf Army. As much as I'd hate seeing them duped and betrayed by Solas…I prefer that to just pretending everything's fine now. I could easily see alienage elves and slaves take Cyrian's path, desperate for change no matter the source, especially since oppression is all they've known and there's no end to it in sight. Especially with their gods confirmed as the source of the blight. All downhill from here I fear.

The Butcher. Would. That voice and that frame....it purred I fear. But even he was not immune to cackling witch disease. Wish he stuck around longer for personal reasons. My South is under siege and I aint talking about Ferelden.

Combat:

I found myself switching builds a lot, which was nice and kept things fresh. That being said: DAV needed loadouts for skills and equipment and a menu showing active passive skills + enchantments. A QOL update for this stuff would have been amazing. I want to try an archer run, but I dread (🐺) fussing with skill tree nodes again.

After fighting Mythal (my first full dragon fight) I was disappointed how all dragons share her same attack patterns. They didn't have to reinvent the wheel or anything -- this was the case with dragon battles in DAI and I thought it was fine -- but Mythal of all enemies should have been unique.

High-level demons are limited to Rage and Pride. High-level darkspawn are limited to Ogres. I miss those little scrungly lookin' despair demons and nasty ass hurlock emissaries. After 60 hours I did get a little tired of the same handful of mobs over and over.

Companions & NPCs:

The Veilguardians feel like my kids. Except Emmrich who's absolutely convinced he's in an age-gap relationship with my older lady Rook. It's not that they're uniquely dependent or rudderless, it's that their struggles are solved with nurturing pep talks. Reaffirm their worth, give them a hug, and all that inner turmoil is cancelled. Rich coming from the 'I should have been able to influence my companions more in DAI' girl, but Rook's impact on the Veilguard, the way their doubts vanish completely via some life coaching, feels off.

Speculation: I think the companions were originally planned to be NPCs. Their written banter in some of the notes, their verbal banter throughout the Lighthouse, they feel like they're meant to stay in the hub and act as quest-givers in the live service game. Especially with how Rook is excluded. That's fine btw it just helps explains some things. (Just remembered something else: when you talk to quest NPCs out in the world and the camera focuses in on the conversation, you can't see your companions. They chime in with disembodied voices, always hidden out of frame. That also gives me the feeling they were added later. Not confirmed btw just my hunch!)

Torn about Taash. I love them for breaking the 'agreeable companion' monotony but hate the ~animalistic race~ tropes they were saddled with. I've had issues with Weekes' handling of race and culture in the past. I'm disappointed to see it continue a decade later. I'll leave it there. Sten cannot smell ovulating coochie!

I tried to kill Lucanis during the final assault. Had full faction strength but I didn't complete his personal quest. It didn't work. Sorry Zevran!

Shathann's VA was acting her ass off. Great performance. Absolute bars from Taash's VA during their scenes too.

I dreaded (🐺) opening the Lighthouse map to see who wanted to talk. I usually love chopping it up and getting to know my party; that's my favorite part of any DA game. But so many conversations were just spent restating the obvious (Bellara is worried about The Gods and her brother, Harding is worried about her powers and Solas, Davrin is worried about the griffons and Gloom Howler, you know like in case you forgot). Running person-to-person-to-person and feeling no sense of accomplishment or progress for it seriously drained me.

The Inquisitor… I assumed vowing to stop Solas would block my Lavellan from pining and questioning herself after a decade apart and two very clear rejections. She kept asking whether he could still be reasoned with even in the midst of the final operation. I'm disappointed how little that choice mattered in the end. The second-hand embarrassment was crazyyy.

Romance:

Now this part is a little unique. Sorry for what I'm about to say about Emmrich. If it helps: I found him the most fun of all the companions. He's handsome, thoughtful, and has a fascinating past. But I ended up being dissatisfied by the end, and not just because of being soft-locked into a May-December fling, cringe commentary from Rook, and feeling like I was straight-up harassing Emmrich in early flirting dialogue.

The main issue: I don't care for the Mourn Watch. I like the Mourn Watch characters, but the organization makes me crazy. We hear so little about how they function in the context of an Andrastian nation like Nevarra. Summoning the dead in a world that still believes souls join the Maker's side in the Fade is huge. I wanted to really dig into discussions on the afterlife but in the end I'm supposed to go 'waow cool skeletons' and forget that religion is such an important facet of Thedas. I was so bummed!

I made him a Lich because he didn't seem to care either way. Reuniting him with Manfred is morally good, turning him into an eternal protector of the Necropolis is morally good. Emmrich is happy with whatever, so I gave him whatever, and I said 'whatever' when it was all over. My god is that man cute, but the romance overall just didn't do it for me.

Should've known when I saw his rotunda lol Bioware you sly dogs you got me again!

Personal final thoughts:

Well? I don't think I'm sad anymore, but I am left with complicated feelings. Obviously things are a little different for me being an EA Partner and getting an idea of just how much work has gone into making the game exist period. And I think because I can't blame it all on one person, shit all over it, and move on that these feelings are just kinda churning with nowhere to go.

Things could have been handled better. Didn't like the attempt to hide the world states until launch, or the dismissive comments from writers about it. Didn't like the AMA answers. And this isn't really my business but I'll say it anyway: I feel like the community council was thrown to the wolves, having to base their DA4 impressions around the sliver of content they were allowed to see, and having a much more hands-off role than implied.

I hope DAV is taken as an opportunity to refocus, double-down on what makes Dragon Age so beloved, and lean into those strengths unapologetically. Easier said than done -- as much as I loved Swen's speech about creating games free of marketing expectations and mimicking the latest trends that's often times impossible -- but I want to believe it can be done in this case.

Anyway both Sabine & my antibiotics are complete and I'm overcoming my moodiness and getting back to work on commissions! I've cured the Blight in more ways than one! 😄

[wings-of-ink]

Alright, everyone!

HERE ARE THE ASKS YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR

Below the cut are the asks and my answers/responses. I do apologize for not answering these individually, but some of them contain spoilers for chapter 5 content. Given the developments and reveals of the chapter, I want to let things simmer a bit before I pop off responses like normal.

If my Nonies listed below want to pop back into the ask box and let me know they got their answer, I would appreciate that, but you don't have to either (or if you have an additional question or comment, that's fine too!). I will reblog this a few times to make sure you have a higher chance of spotting it.

I numbered the Asks and put my answers in another color so you can tell things apart a bit easier. This is a trial run on answering these this way. I will also tag things for spoilers. ^_^

Anon:  "There's a she-wolf in the closet" made me laugh so hard I cried sdfjglkjl I was not expecting that out of nowhere 🤣😭  the temptation to name the wolf Shakira...............immense.

I'm so glad you got that reference! My husband and I sing that song to each other with the little "awoos" and all, lol. It was too good to pass up. Fun fact, if you name her Shakira, Oswin has a unique response. 

2. Anon:  Hmmm. "I like the name Aster I'll probably use it again" HMMMMM hMMMMM hmmmMMMM Is this new Aster the ??? RO

Remembered that, did ya 😁 (I was quietly cackling when I wrote that for the old ask). You questioning Aster just makes me want to mess with you Nony, you can't tempt me like this! 

3. Anon:  Aster is so hawt, carressing our cheek w his thumb???? "i wont hurr you" pls let him be an ro bc gah damnnnn

Glad that did it for you, Anon, lol. There will be more of that in store. ^_^

4. Ravioli anon here, hope you remember me LOL I just finished reading the new chapter and I HAD A BLAST The whole gang in here now!!!!!! Aster is no longer question marks!!!! (I will admit when they were introcuded I almost, ALMOST expected their name in game to just be ???)

Hello Ravioli! Still chuckling about that I hope you know. The temptation was unreal to leave ??? in there, lol. At this point, even I know him more by that than his name!

Also to keep up with my perfect choice of names, my she-wolf is now named Der, because together we are Ravi and Der Get it, Ravi 'n Der. Consider this as a way to honor our dear grandma we were named after by our loving dads, you'll never be forgotten, you girlboss of a woman 

OMG, you are killing me over here, lol. This makes me want to code something for that, lol. Just your fathers shaking their heads at your MC while still being kinda amused and weirdly proud. Grandmother Ravinder would glare at you, but smile later.

5. @origamihoshi: Screaming about the necklace Oswin gives MC, my headcanon about MC wearing the snail shell as a necklace can now be canon! and I guess more reasons for my MC to be down bad for Oswin oops. I'm loving the update! I'm so happy to finally meet Rune, I love them so much! I wanna befriend them all. and I feel like there's been a good balance to spend time with all the characters so far and that makes me really happy. 😌Also cuddling with Zahn was so sweet oh my god, I love them so much too! I got so many more questions about MC and the curse, and the mark for that matter, looking forward to when we finally get some answers.

I very, very nearly told you that when you posted your MC, I was so ecstatic. I thought if you while coding that section too. I am so glad you enjoyed the new chapter and new goodies. Lots of fun stuff to come! ^_^

6. @mutsuowo:  HELP I NAMED THE SHE-WOLF ASTER BECAUSE I FIRST CALLED THE MULE YARROW AND NOW I HAVE NOT ONE, NOT TWO BUR THREE ASTER* GOING AROUND (I know one changed to Lakota but the joke that count)

Whoops! Lol Sorry my friend! I don't think any more Asters are hiding about at least. Probably….

7. @mutsuowo: I got spoiled of Aster's name by accident and even then I mistook it for being Lakota, so I thought somehow Lakota had a divorce and took the children to be an option romance with the MC. Cue to me acting like a variety game host and going "We have a cult member, a magician, childhood friends and also a wolf...what about you Aster ? What do you bring to make we choose you ?" The answer was being a DILF

Lol! Oh dear, yeah, bestie has a quarter-life crisis and leaves his wife and 4 kids to live that DILF life. Love it, this is some quality daytime TV stuff. 😆 

8. Anon:  Hello there! I am currently in the middle of the newest chapter, very very good work! Spoiler ahead : So MC is absorbing magic? That might actually help the theory that somehow MC is a god, demi-god, or whatever that is: cursed because they are on this plane and needing magic as a very part of their being? I can't imagine that a god wouldn't be starving for magic if deprived of it. Perhaps in GC it's not magic gods handle, but something similar? The fact that we CHOSE the mark truly makes me think that somehow we were choosing an aspect of ourselves for some reason. Not only something physical either. If not our domain, perhaps a tell of why we were cursed in the first place ? I wonder if, before the Curse manifested, MC would have been flagged as a magic being ? I don't think there was anybody that could have sussed them out back then though ? Rune is amazing, btw, big fan. Can't wait for Purple Lad to accompany us and need a bath as badly as Duri did !

Oooh, are you perhaps my Nony who sent some other theories in about this? Very juicy theory as well. Next chapter you'll learn a bit more about Hayat's curse over the gods and see if it lines up or changes your thoughts more. 😁 I'm glad you like Rune too! They are in for a new experience for sure. Even if they aren't as stuffy as other nobles, they definitely appreciate more refined things. The little town MC grew up in might be a bit of a culture shock. 

9. Anon:  Sooooo... I'm thinking we ARE the mad god ! A reincarnation of it at least ! Thinking about how the cult wanted us dead, I am thinking that as long as MC is alive, they can't have another incarnation of them.   But What exactly was it that drove the god mad ?

Oooh! This one is juicy too! These theories are so tasty! Lots of questions with this one. And like the one above, there may be some info in chapter 6 that may just give more evidence one way or another.

10. Anon:  Me on my first playthrough: oh, Oswin's pretty cute! I think I'll try romancing him first Me when I meet Zahn: oh no you can't just make me choose like that how am I supposed to do this Me when I meet Duri: are you kidding me. Ok screw it I'm romancing Duri Me when I meet Rune: FUCKAIJASJDSAAA Me when I meet ???: No reaction because I'm already combusted. I can't even anymore 

Lol! I am glad and maybe just a tiny bit sorry that you're so torn, my dear. Let's find some glue and get you patched up… ^_^

11. Anon:  HAVE THEORIES! NATHAN IS DURI'S UNCLE, AND ASS-TER -HE DESERVES THAT AFTER THE RING BUSINESS >:( - WAS RAISED BY THOSE ASSHOLES WHO ALMOST KIDNAPPED MC! (I am open to Asster endearing himself later, but I'm mad at him rn, how dare he hurt my already hurt, lovely, MC 😡😡😡) Anyway, your writing is impeccable as always, can't wait to (perhaps) bring Asster to his knees (with love or spite, or maybe both?? He seems like someone easy to love-hate, lol). Tysm, for God Cursed, I love it <333

Yaaass, moar theories! That's a good one too! Nathan having some secrets wouldn't be shocking either. They'd get along too… And it is totally fair for MC to be salty! And ASSter is a perfect nickname, lol. It's also fair that in chapter 6 you'll be able to (try to) get after him about it. :3

12. Anon:  TW SPOILERS ''There is nothing I want more than to hear you…hear you say what you- Nothing more… But for your own sake. Y/N, I'm a monster. I have been a monster. Your heart should be free of thoughts of me until you know what haunts my sleep at night. If you can do that for me and your heart does not change, then I will hear those words and I will spend the rest of my days showing you what you mean to me.'' UUUUHHMMMMM, EXCUSE MEE?????? LIKE THIS IS THE MOST-ROMANTIC-NON-LOVE-CONFESSION I HAVE EVER HEARD??? EVEN THOUGH IT BURNS ME TO NOT KNOW WHAT AFFLICTS OSWIN, AFTER HEARING THAT I'M WILLING TO WAIT FOR HIM.

I love that you love this! I might have cried juuuust a little bit when I wrote that scene, lol (shocking, I know).

13. Anon:  replayed the IF from the start for the update and gosh i felt so bad for our dear MC who has gone through SO much in a (relatively) short amount of time. and the way MC just always thinks about their fathers makes me sobbbbbb. one that always gets me is the scene where MC cried out for their fathers when they were in pain (my heart broke when they said they wanted to be held by their papa). another is in the scene with jasper and co. (‘i learned it from my fathers!’, yesss go MC!!!!). but oh, just imagining the absolute heartbreak the fathers would feel if they knew how MC cried out for them and knew about everything that MC went through, makes me tear up! MC is SO loved by their fathers and MC loves them just as much and i love that. i hope we’ll be able to give da and papa the biggest hugs when we see them again 🥹wonderful update, author! i absolutely adore the world you’ve built and the brilliant characters you’ve created (shout out to one my favs.. our new she-wolf friend <3)

I set out on this IF journey intending to be a bit hard on the MC and I think I succeeded, lol. It might be hard to believe but I really do love the MC as a character too and I feel for them. Hopefully not too hard, but they're on a journey of perseverance so I have faith in them. ^_^ That scene really tore me up too, especially thinking about how hard it would hit the dads to know their beloved kid was calling out to them. 😭 I am so glad you enjoyed the update, my dear, there will be great big dad-hugs in the future, I promise (and more than a few tears). ^_^

14. Anon:  idk if it's choice or route-specific but, zahn was NOT looking good at the end of chapter 5 and i'm worried 😟

Not route-specific (unfortunately???)…they're…going through some things. 😬 (sorry in advance)

15. Anon:  Hi, hi!! Dropping by to blabber about the update after i've finally had time to lose myself in it! (Oh no it got long again.) Okay, so, from the very moment i saw your intro post (over half a year ago, methinks) i decided to go for Rune's route first. I have been very patient, very faithful. And now i can finally say it was so, so worth the wait!!! they have me wrapped all around their beautiful noble finger; they're perfect, they are everything (i mean, how many people can say a literal god shows up for their birthday? yeah, thought so). I know they are no exception either and have their own share of issues, but honestly? that's even better. I wish i was kidding about the amount of times i daydream about them. Look at me now how i'm smiling like a stupid idiot. And the fact that i can make my MC an absolute shy mess around them is just so!! *chef's kiss* 

"Oh no it got long again" is like the tagline for my existence, lol. I am so giddy that you adore Rune! I think they've had less traction since they weren't introduced until now, but I also believe they are just the type of person that is better experienced. I enjoy writing all of the ROs, but Rune is such a presence in my heart and I really hope that comes through.

Also, did Duri seriously rat them out like that? Umm, for science, of what nature, exactly, are the books under Runey's bed?

LOL and I'm so glad you caught that bit about their "hidden literature." Rune LOVES romance novels, including the ridiculous smutty ones even if the plot is kinda bad.

Anyway, moving on, because you fed us so well with the story once again!! Can i just say i love your brain? Can i? Is that weird? Apologies. So!

You can totally say that, lol. I appreciate that you think so, my brain frustrates me sometimes, but I like how smooth it is. Very soft.

We learned so much in this update, and yet our answers are still too far to reach--but that's the whole fun about this! I'm thinking things, i'm suspecting, but i'll hold onto my theories for now… It is indeed very fortunate that each of MC's new friends can seemingly contribute a piece to this vexing puzzle; question is, is the picture only missing the very last piece, or are all four needed for it to be complete? I'm folding my hands and patiently waiting to find out in future updates. 

Oooh, you're speaking my language, Nony. There are some theories up above, maybe those will get your mind spinning too. That's a very good question though too. Eveyone seems to have something that might help MC out…so the question could be, do they go full Power Rangers and combine them to solve this problem or is one strong enough on their own? Hmmmmm? Time will tell.

One thing i will say is, more people may know about MC and their whole deal than Oswin may want to even consider. People with not the best intentions, that is.

I'm sure it's fiiiiiine. Probably just a…crazy…crazy fluke. It's fine. 😀

Speaking of, Oswin is so sweet! He cares so much i think it's rending him apart. Perhaps he should partake of Nathan's pipe every now and then. You know, for recreational purposes. Frankly i admit i don't know how mean you still can be to Oswin because every time there's a choice during his scenes i just tunnel-vision to the friendliest one there. It really makes me feel sorry for him if there are MCs out there who are still bitter about their relationship. As he was opening up about what kinds of actual horrors he witnessed and had to deal with in consequence, it really made me think MC's little group should, as a side-quest, go out and find him a therapist, because this guy *slaps him on the back* can fit so much trauma in him!

That's a good way to describe Oswin. He feels very intensely and those emotions are difficult for him to manage. I try not to be too mean to him, but I do want to try and give a decent variety of responses to the past tension for some MCs. Negativity there isn't a huge focus, so I try not to go too far down the rabbit hole with it at least, lol. A therapist is a great idea for him, for real. You cracked me up with that reference, I imagine Lakota trying to sell him to the MC, lol.

 I see Zahn has entered the trenches(TM). Just after i had them repeatedly stabbed in MC's place. And just after they finally got to cuddle with MC. This is fine. Not gonna lie, for a solid second you had me believe we wouldn't see them come back from that totally not evil or at least highly doubtful church of theirs, and that we'd had to leave without them. Haha, no waay. Lunan wouldn't do that to them, right? Right? Oh thank gods. See? I was right. Anyway, it seems like their character development arc is coming up soon, so i'm keeping calm and not cracking my knuckles, not at all.

Oh yes, there will be some development soon here. Tee hee?

Duri is so fun. Their playfulness is so endearing, so much so that i find myself repeatedly swayed in my decision to have them in a (now mostly) platonic relationship with MC. Simmer down, you'll have your turn. It had me rolling how they snapped once the bandits insulted their feet lmao! Also, also, their dynamic with Rune? Mmm, so good. I love the kind of friendship that's like "yeah i picked up this weird wet dog one day and now it won't leave me be and it's annoying, but only i'm allowed to say that. here, have a treat."

I love that you love that. Writing Duri is fun and I get to break some social norms with them so it's a win-win for us all. The relation to Rune is a blast.

Moving on, Duri sniffing MC after they talked with someone they didn't know; Duri immediately leaping at the opportunity to tease a jealous MC; Duri coming to MC's rescue to put a harasser in their place--they can't keep getting away with being so charming! Oh wait, they can. Human laws don't apply to them, after all.

Duri is already so loyal. Like a pup you picked up at the shelter, the connection is pretty quick for them. Also, if you didn't know, you can also get Rune to get defensive of MC being harassed in the tavern. Currently thinking of changing the code of that, but if you choose to stay neutral or a bit distrustful of Duri, Rune will get involved instead. Both have the confidence and the power to back it up though, can't go wrong.

And Aster? Something is up with him. Big time. Bost obviously, his name. I don't know, i don't know, i'm not convinced it's a coincidence or merely "fate." I'm watching you, Aster. Okay, and yes, i see why MC might need his help, but he never once elaborated on that part where he said he needs MC for power. Sooo, naah, i'm not putting my egg in your basket, not yet. Especially!! After he so brutally demonstrated just how much of a bigger hand he has over MC. That was evil. (In a good way.) He's unhinged, and i love that in a character. I would not trust him even with a cheese grater.

That may be wisdom here for sure, lol. Aster is quite the character, as are all of them I suppose. All have secrets he especially has some serious growing to do. He'll be an interesting addition - and a very smug one at that. Maybe juuuust maybe MC can get him to feel a little remorse for being an ASSter, to quote a previous ask, lol.

I almost thought MC's group of friends were going to mistake him for the kidnapper and everyone would want to throw hands, or would at least be very leery of him, so seeing how easily he slotted in had me a little surprised (and i think he was a bit surprised himself).

That very nearly happened actually. I cut it because of chapter length, and I'm thinking I want to polish the ending for that anyway. I feel like I was burnt out while writing that and I pushed it too fast. So, we'll see what happens in future….

I really, really liked the option of having MC be scared of him after he put a cork (dart) in Jasper's mouth (throat). The head tilt afterwards? Wiping away a stray tear? "Now come sit with me on my picnic blanket designer cloak to talk about how everything is drawn to you, including me?" "I'll need to study you?" Yes, i'll take your entire stock.

I'm glad you enjoyed your dessert, Nony. ;) There will be some serious studying in the next chapter.

Oswin being extremely quiet while MC was recounting their failed abduction because he was still recovering from those 6 panic attacks he had since finding MC's room empty and with signs of struggle.

THIS absolutely. MC may get an account of the experience later.

 i can't wait to see what the dads are going to say about each of MC's new friends! I can already imagine who might not entirely vibe with whom, especially if papa and da are going to be in a sour mood after they see my (feral despite being the healer of the party) MC scarred and sore despite their letters containing nothing but rainbows and sunshine (oops). MC's right, though, how are they going to house so many people lol.

This will be so much fun, especially when it comes to sleeping arrangements…A couple ROs will get themselves sorted but there's a couple that we might just get a "one bed" trope with, lol.

And last but not least, MC got the promised puppy!!! (i named her "Ginger" <33) 

Oh that is such a cute name too! She is kinda the color of ginger and she's also very gentle (ginger) AND she can be very spicy if you piss her off. Very gingery.

I have been here before and gushed about your writing on multiple occasions and i don't want to repeat myself over and over, so i'll just reiterate once more that i'm constantly blown away by how real and vivid you make everything feel. You're putting things down and i'm picking them right up, thank you, thank you, yup, i'll have that as well, thank you. You're painting pictures inside my head, and they're gorgeous and vibrant and moving now--hey, how did you even get in here? I'm convinced you're a mage. MC is not the mage here (yet?), but you sure are!! It's okay, you may fess up now. As always, thank you so much for all your hard work! May your holidays be full of joy and rest! Take care <333

I am so thankful that you resonate so much with my writing, my friend. That really truly makes my heart so glad and encourages me to keep at it. I hope each chapter brings you more and more enjoyment and adventure. ^_^

16. @rhiannon02:  IM SCREAMING OVER CH 5 LITERALLY SCREAMING ASTER ??? IM IM LOSING IT

Well, hang on dear, maybe I can help you find it, lol. (I heard that one in my soul) ^_^

That's all for now! ^_^

[greenplumbboblover]

Hey Lyra, Hypothetically, and based on recent developments in AI and being able to use chatgbt to pretty much get an answer for most things, I've noticed some games are being completely remastered by modders/community in UE5 (eg: 2unreal5underground) and I wanted to know if you ever imagined ts3 to be "remade" in the future by the community? You are an OG so I thought it made sense to ask you as you've developed a lot of stuff for the game. So just an idea and wanted to know your thoughts???

Hey!

Oh I love this question because I have checked this out actually! (and have thought about it many times lol) :)

So we all know that TS3's scripting API runs on C#. Unity is also purely C# in that sense (well okay their engine is also written in C++ but generally speaking, it's C#). So, in theory, this would be possible. Unreal would be harder as you'd have to create the game basically from scratch. Including the code.

However, the bottleneck comes to stuff that needs to be rewritten. For example (assuming we'd use Unity as a reference), some things that come to mind that are handled by the C++ side of TS3's engine would need to be "Unity-fied" such as:

Thumbnail creation. That one is easy.

Package reading/loading/writing. That one is doable because of the amount of wiki info on it. Though, not everything is reversed engineered, unfortunately.

Convert everything to use Unity's calculations and helper classes. Since those are, often, 10000x better than EAs more "cheaper" methods. (they're often made for one purpose rather than multiple in mind, which makes things much more challenging than they have to be.)

Routing needs to be completely redone, since Unity also has its own (better) routing system. \

Somehow make EA's custom UI elements work with Unity's UI. Or completely rework it.

Save readings. Although if it was totally up to me I'd rework that myself to be much lighter.

I do know what needs to happen, but I haven't really attempted it because by myself it's A LOT of work that definitely will take years to do on my own.

However, I do have a secret thing to share :p

I had for funs, made a TS3 bodyshop thingy as my first Unity project. It looks cool right now, but it's a bit shit in regards to the coding, because I was really new to Unity). Plus it's SO SLOW!... I was thinking of redoing the whole thing after the core mod for Hobbies and Interests was out.

Here are some pictures!

Anyways, I may check it out. But I may just stick with my little bodyshop program for the time being :p

[crehador]

brother crab's fall 2024 parting thoughts: uhhhhh basically everything

doing these all in one batch because i have been falling behind big time this season orz

long post under the cut

acro trip & kabushiki gaisha magi lumiere: the two magical girl series i picked up this season, both delightful! my only gripe is i wish acro trip had also gotten a season two, but thrilled to have more magilumi coming eventually

sengoku youko: after the wreck that was biscuit hammer THANK FUCKING GOD THIS WAS GOOD, and it was really. really. really good. it's not the, like, shiniest thing you'll ever see in 2024 in terms of animation, and the story isn't exceptionally unique or anything, but it's a great, classic adventure fantasy that has a really nostalgic feel to it

haigakura: ummmmmmmmm the less said the better. let's move on

tasuuketsu: was it good? no. was it compelling? also no. did i watch all 24 episodes? well. man idk the beginning was a mess, and not even the fun sort of mess, and the situation did not really improve. however i do feel like there's some potential in the characters and death game mechanics here, just fully unrealized potential, which is just... frustrating. anyway. do not recommend

touhai: this one's rolling onwards into a second cour but this is the fun sort of mess. it delivers on its gritty-dark premise in all the ways that yakuza fiance (i'll get to that) doesn't. do i even necessarily like its gritty-dark premise? ehhh... but i do respect it for being just. balls to the wall ridiculous

raise wa tanin ga ii: mannnnn this one probably warrants its own post because i could go on and on about what i found lacking here if anyone wants to hear it, but the tl;dr is i just don't feel like they committed to the yandere-ness of the yandere relationship quite enough. but i did love yoshino and i did love kirishima... 's voice (basically picked this up solely for ishida akira lol) so it was fine. whatever. it was fine

rekishi ni nokoru akujo ni naruzo: surprisingly decent villainess series! for a while it seemed like it was going to fall into the boring old trap of actually the villainess is Good and the heroine is Evil. while our aspiring villainess is clearly not Evil in this, she's at least going about her supposed 'villainy' in a somewhat interesting way

kimi wa meido-sama.: i... i don't know. i think overall i did enjoy this, i remember it having a really strong start, the main characters were both really charming and fun, but it sort of fizzled out for me. i don't really have a problem with the flagrant wish fulfillment-y vibe here, it's just i guess i feel like it didn't really strike a steady balance between the romance, the slice-of-life bits of yuki trying to lead a normal life, and the looming hints of her ominous history. it's not that these things can't all coexist, the show was just a little clumsy about balancing them imo

kamonohashi ron no kindan suiri s2: honestly i don't think this has gotten worse, i think it's just gotten to be not my thing. when ron said "this is the last case i'll ever thought" i said out loud "promise? 🥺" so... i probably shouldn't continue if they make another season. but they did just get suwabe in here so. we'll see

blue lock s2: lol. lmao even

goukon ni ittara onna ga inakatta hanashi: an absolute delight! all the characters wound up being really fun to follow but for me fuji and asagi absolutely stole the show. they were just too good

maou 2099: this has one more episode to go, but i can't imagine my thoughts on it changing much. and my thoughts are it was fun! nothing mindblowing in the end, but solidly fun. you can feel the hpmi all over it

natsume s7 & bleach tybw cour whatever & beastars final season pt1: lumping these together since pretty much all i have to say on them is it's more of the same, which is a very good thing. bleach and beastars quality is staying up, and natsume is still the same natsume we know and love which is exactly what i want it to be forever and ever

dandadan & ranma 1/2 & ao no hako: grouping these together because they're clearly the big names of the season (well idk about ao no hako but i certainly hope it's one, because it deserves to be) and there's not much i can say that hasn't already been said. they look great and were/are (ao no hako is continuing into a second cour) a delight to watch. dandadan does a great job of portraying not just kids being kids but weird kids being weird kids, which is a somewhat rare delight. ranma 1/2 and ao no hako are both peak romance. ranma is also such a visual joy to watch

of the three... ough... i feel like i have to give anime of the season to ranma because it was just such a pleasure to watch, but i have such a soft spot in my heart for ao no hako right now. it's just gorgeous, and the characters feel so wonderfully real. the only thing knocking it down a bit is i don't enjoy love triangles in general, but like if there has to be one, ao no hako's is not (currently) that annoying

anyway this is not my anime of the season post so more on that later

i think... that's... everything? maybe? chi and slf s2 are both excellent, but more on those after their second cour. the one thing i will say about slf s2 for now is nothing has topped the wethermon fight for me yet and phew. it's gonna be tough because that fight was peak

tsumasho, mecha-ude, and murai no koi i've already made separate posts on. some other two cour stuff i'll also save comments on for next season

oh wait

kinokoinu: this was cute but not all the memorable i guess, as evidenced by the fact that i. just. nearly forgot it lol

anyway! i'd say overall this was a very solid season with some seriously underwatched sleeper hits like mecha-ude. anime of the season is... going to be fun to think about. much to consider

[secrets-and-streetlights]

My Theories / Thoughts on the new HtP audio log

Spoilers under the cut! Don't read unless you listened to the ghoul lore episode!! I will know!!!! (also massive post)

okay there is. so insanely much to talk about with this audio log. I have so many theories and thoughts, but I'll just share my main ones in no specific order.

Keep in mind that I'm no WoD scholar, so some info could be wrong or be interpreted by the Ogre Poppenang team differently. A lot of this info is coming from the White Wolf wiki.

The Lost Sons

I have a lot of theories on who the sons D lost were. My actual theory is that we'll never know so it remains mysterious. However, endlessly theorizing is fun so: 1.) D says that he lost a son and that it wasn't the first time. So we know at least two sons are gone. Assuming he has only lost two sons, they could be stand ins for the two lost Primarchs from 40k.

For those that don't know a lot about 40k, two of the emperor's sons are 'lost'. Thier names are never said and as far as I know their exact fates never confirmed (but assumedly killed). This goes with my actual theory of not actually knowing what happened.

2.) Anton. During the Australia story, D mentions Anton offhandly. I agree with @sensarna that Anton is a stand in for Angron. We don't know the exact details of that hunt so there is no way to be sure. Biggest point against this is that D gets very intense about saying "Markus' Brother's" name, so I doubt he would mention it offhandedly.

3.) I want to avoid using things not in the series but I'll be drawing on primarch fates from 40k for this. Fates are defiantly not one to one since Door is alive/has both hands, Horus is alive/a horse, and so on. But I immediately thought of Jaghatai Khan when hearing the Australia story.

Simplified for non-40k fans, Jaghatai is supposedly fighting space elf pirates in the space elf dimension, trapped in its endlessly twisting paths. In HtP, this could be interpreted as Jaghatai being trapped in a changeling freehold. Other primarchs are also trapped/lost in places (like Leman Russ and Vulkan) but Jaghatai is involved with the closest thing 40k has to cruel fae.

4.) The previous lost son(s) was not lost as in killed (necessarily) but lost as in changed. This has nothing to do with the Australia story but I'd be surprised if Markus was D's only supernatural(?) son. Leman is probably a werewolf or a gangrel, Lorgar could be possessed by a demon or a nephandi mage, Vulkan could be a wraith constantly possessing people, Roboute could be a changeling lost to banality, anything.

Markus and the Thing (1982)

We know a few things about Markus contacting the unknown force (which I will refer to as the Thing). The Thing is not a 'monster' or a 'demon'.

The Thing is described as or something from the Abyss (with a capital A, even). The Abyss is portrayed differently in every WoD game line, the descriptions conveyed by how that game's supernatural would interact with it. Its a cursed sea to Wraiths, a realm of sensory deprivation to Demons, and the realm of paradoxes and unreality to Magi just to name a few.

D himself says that he doesn't know exactly what it is or how exactly Markus contacted it, so he may be wrong in saying it is/from the Abyss. However, we do know from the Kevin audiolog that D was part of a hunt that killed a Lasombra Methuselah, whose clan has Abyss powers. I'm willing to give D the benefit of the doubt and assume that the Thing is related the the Abyss.

So, what the hell is it?

1.) While kind of a copout, we probably won't ever know its exact nature. The fifth edition Hunter book is full of creatures that don't fit into any neat classifications. It could be something totally unique to this story.

2.) While also unlikely, it could be a Neverborn. They are a major part of Wraith. Neverborn are forces of primordial destruction, endlessly slumbering while they wait for the end of everything. Their minds are the source of the Specters' hivemind, commands carried out through dreams. The 'million eyes' Markus caught a glimpse of could have been an endless hivemind trying to destroy the universe suddenly becoming aware of a lone child.

The big points against this is that getting into the world of the living is difficult for any single wraith/specter, more so for a whole group of them. Maybe whatever ritual Markus did made it easier, we don't know.

3.) According to D, Markus has had a 'sorcerous aptitude'. This immediately made me think of an Avatar. Avatars in mage are a kind of spiritual guide to Magi, always pushing them to realize their potential. Since Magi can have literally any paradigm (the way a mage understands magik), their Avatar can be literally anything.

I'm unsure if Avatars can manifest for anyone aside the mage, but during an Awakening anything could happen. From the picture of the Thing (assuming the photo is diegetic) we know it was visible. If not interrupted, maybe Markus could've even stopped the fae. Or he could've been consumed by overwhelming power and died.

I think this is best supported theory, especially since D has no idea how Markus did it. Markus didn't have to know how to do it. He just needed to believe that it'd work.

4.) Lastly is the most closely related to Changelings. Fomorians. The oldest nightmares of the Dreaming. They are too alien to describe properly. Whatever Markus was doing, he thought he was "channeling a rival power in the fae court". If we're assuming the main power of the court was Seelie, this would mean he was using Unseelie (or possibly Shadow Court) power. Fomorians are supposedly the predecessors to the Unseelie, so Markus might've tapped into something much older than intended.

So why isn't this my main theory? Fomorians fit the physical description (as in, indescribable), are related to the enemy the Family was hunting at the time, and are esoteric enough that D could possibly not know about them.

Because as far as I know, The Dreaming not associated with the Abyss in any way. Its quite the opposite, since its the place of dreams and nightmares. Where the Dreaming is overstimulation, the Abyss is deprivation. That is my interpretation at least. This theory would have to assume that D was just wrong when name dropping the capital A Abyss, which doesn't seem right to me.

The Funny Drink

So the whole Draught thing. This post is long and rambling enough as is, so my theories will be brief.

We know that the draught can bestow any of the following. Strength, Speed, Endurance, or (uniquely for Norfolk) Domination. D says that the Domination one could "give victims complex orders that can be carried out without question."

I think the two lines of thinking are the ones brought up by @possiblylando , mainly that the domination draught is a red herring or that it was used to make someone attack Occam.

The other draughts could also be in use instead, assuming the Ghoul only has one.

If the person that took out Occam wasn't very strong, the Strength draught could give them the edge to overpower him.

Whoever killed Fatigue could've used the Speed draught and cleaned up/fled quickly after making him suddenly explode.

More theory than example but Brok takes a punch from D in chapter 4. D says "Your papa could never take a punch like that.", which could be the Endurance draught at work.

Summary

What a good audio log. Can't wait for the next episode!

[mister13eyond]

read 10h's short story and i really like so much of how pod 006's personality was adapted into mama especially.... like it's fun going back to the source and seeing that even before she was calling herself mama in the cage, pod 006 had absolutely developed most of the quirks and idiosyncrasies we see in her personality later on

also the chess scene with 10h and mama was precious? neither of them are good at chess so they're just trying to distract each other into making mistakes....

10h being the final act protag of reincarnation adds So much imo too, like... idk, i've thought a lot about how the thing with reincarnation is that it builds on yoko taro's final trick in replicant/automata so well. like "you would give something up for the fictional happiness of these pixels on the screen, because that's how strong human empathy is- you want to make them happy even knowing they're not real" is such a strong point in replicant and automata but like

reincarnation adds a whole extra layer to that. the people in the cage are not only pixels and data to us, they're even pixels and data WITHIN the framework of the world. they were never even real INSIDE the fiction. they're at best memories of long-dead people whose stories have already ended, and at worst lines of code personified. but they're also 10h's only solace from loneliness. of course she cares about them and feels empathy for them after watching their stories play out over the course of three years. so do we. of course she considers them her friends even though they've had a one-sided relationship through a screen- so do we

10h adds another doll to the russian doll of unreality going on in yoko taro games- she's us, but we're also in the exact same position with her. she's been alone and trapped inside and stir crazy and lonely, with only her pod for company, for all this time, and she bonded with some data she watched through a screen because empathy and investment in stories and having strong feelings about the world inside of a story is a deeply human experience and she and her pod have both gotten a little too human in their time together with the cage

but we have the same relationship with her!! we only know her from a short story and a brief appearance on the other side of a screen, but we care about her! we want her to be happy!!

[chirpingfromthebox]

Post Game 5 press session with Taylor Heise

You can find the entire interview here! Be sure to go show them some love/views/likes/nice comments/etc for the work they put in making these so accessible for everyone.

I'm putting basically the whole thing in, or I guess I'm putting in all the questions at least. I did cut out all the bits where they were having issues with their mic setup and their occasional banter while doing so. But if you want to see and hear such exciting things as people fiddling with levels while Taylor reties her hair back and people swapping mics around and doing checks, you'll definitely want to check out the full thing.

Transcription under the break.

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[Taylor approaches the table and begins to sit down]

TAYLOR HEISE: I’ve never done this with my skates still on.

REPORTER: It’s a season of firsts.

TAYLOR: It really is. I would agree.

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REPORTER: Taylor Heise, PWHL champion, Walter Cup champion, Ilana Kloss MVP award winner. Just put into words us.

TAYLOR HEISE: It’s hard to. You know, I’ve been honored to be part of such an unreal organization that has had our backs since day one. It’s awesome to know that this is the only pro that I know. Coming out of college and making so many strides with, whether that be the league coming together as one right after I came out of college, not quite sure where I was gonna go. But this league came a part of an amazing time and people like Kendall Coyne, Hilary Knight, anyone that’s put together hours and hours and hours to have this be a thing. And I’m very honored to be a part of it. Because like I said, it’s the only thing I know. And I haven’t had to go through the grunge of, you know, the ice times in the morning and not getting to games, not having a place to play and practice. So I’m honored to be a part of this great group.

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REPORTER: Taylor, you’re the one voted MVP, but certainly a lot of big efforts from teammates tonight. Nicole Hensley, captain Kendall Coyne Schofield. Can we just get a few words about those around you and just how the entire team came together?

TAYLOR: Yeah, I’ve been ecstatic to play with Kendall and [Michela] Cava here the past few games.* Not to say that they’re the only ones that have done things, because we have had so many amazing performances from every single line on our team. And whether that comes from Liz [Scheper]’s first goal that Syd [Brodt] brought, having two really big- a big point and a big assist, big goal the other day. Nic [Hensley] playing a hell of a game- but you gotta look at Maddie Rooney too. She’s one of the ones that got us through to this point too. So both of them. And then we got Kendall, who’s not only the mom of the league, but the mom of the team. She’s someone who does everything and anything and somehow still has a child. Not really sure how she can do it all, but she does and she manages it quite well. And then Cava. I don’t know if everyone knows this but she’s a four-time champion. Back-to-back-to-back-to-back. She’s had MVPs at almost every single level. She coulda had this right now too. It’s our to share. She’s a special player. She’s someone I’ve been very honored to have played with. There’s so many amazing people on our team that deserve so many props. I couldn’t sit here and name everyone on our team, but we’re excited to go and have some fun here.

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REPORTER: Taylor, first of all, congratulations.

TAYLOR HEISE: Thank you.

R: Second thing, after Game 4, you come out of that, you think you’ve won.

TH: Yeah.

R: How do you mentally reset, come back into this one ready to play, ready to go, and then pull off the victory Away in front of a raucous crowd here at Tsongas Center?

TH: Yeah. I think they robbed us in Game 4 and we all felt that very, very much so. I think to have the feeling of being a champion taken from you is one of the worst things ever. I can’t say that that’s happened to me before, other than last time.

So I think we came into today knowing if we weathered the storm the first 10 minutes we were going to come out on top as long as we put the first goal in. You know, that’s what we did. We weathered the storm and we put the first goal in. So you look at both those things and I think we had a full team effort for today. We allowed, I think, 3 shots in an amount of 20 minutes at one point? It’s hard to win a game when you get 3 shots on net like that. We’re excited to continue this with this group, but it’s just a special moment and I’m excited to share it with the girls.

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REPORTER: Whirlwind year for you, Taylor. For you, to put it into perspective, Billie Jean King calling your name first overall pick, first MVP award winner.

TAYLOR: Yeah, you know, I’m not someone to make anything about me. I’ve never been like that. But you know, it’s a special moment. It’s something I’m going to chalk up to- you know, this [taps the MVP trophy] will sit, probably, in my basement somewhere. But I’m more excited about the group. I’m more excited that I get to live this life with this group of girls who has cared about me since day one. And I’ve known that they’ve had confidence in me and everything I can do. I think recently they’ve really stepped up and put their hand on my back, and made sure I knew that I was loved and cared for no matter what happens: points on the board or wins or losses.

But I just feel very loved and cared for by this group. And that’s something that we’re really happy and special to be a part of. And every team has had great years so far, but I think for us we just came out and gave everything we had at the end of the year. That’s playoff hockey. Being the fourth seed and coming in and not knowing where we were going to be at, is special.

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end of interview

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[that-one-i-think]

This.. May be the hunger games au anon (you already know who I am so do I rlly need to make myself anonymous) Been thinking about how Sasha and Michi went on a field trip to Tu'La at the end of s2, where do you think they'd go and what would they do? Obviously they're there to do evil or whatevs but could they even have fun? (especially since Tu'La is at war)

You're good! Replying in comments is very different than being in a post! Also this is a wonderful question and thank you so much!

So Michi was a child child when she left Tu'la and the war in Tu'la didn't happen until Liochant was 10 and he is 26 now. Michi is probably around the same age so her memories of Tu'la is pre North Takeover so she originally went with no understanding of the countries current state and Sasha went in plane blind.

Michi will immediately try and start thieving and scamming, and Sasha will use what little magic she has to make people forget if they get caught. It plays out like a 2000's girl roadtrip comedy with a focus on Sasha embracing girlhood after dealing with the fact that Kenmur, her ex fiance, is now remarried.

They straight up get into shenanigans and become wanted by many officials. Originally, they aren't too worried until they find out what exactly happens to criminals. They can not be sent to the gladiator pits because Michi can't fight and Sasha is a shadow knight and they love sending those to the pit.

It slowly turns from a comedy to a "WE NEED TO ESCAPE THE COPS" movie. I think it will stay completely platonic but there are situations where they go "THATS MY WIFE!" To screw with people and quickly confuse others to escape.

I honestly think they are thriving and making so many enemies it is unreal.

[charleslee-valentine]

For the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Fanworks Event Day 7- It’s a Nice Picture!

Ship(s): Implied Franknub (Franklin Hardesty x Nubbins Sawyer)

Word count: ~1700

Warnings: Abuse, injury recovery, mild panic attack, implied character death, unreality towards the end, bad self image.

@texas-chainsaw-fanworks

___________

Taking pictures always used to be easy.

Easier than even feeding the chickens, which was his easiest chore!

He even thought it could be fun now and again. There was never much of that around the farm, fun was when he got to leave and adventure. But that was never very often, so he chased it when he could get it.

Running in the sunflower field, wind making his hair all tickly, snapping blurry photos of the beauty, was the most fun he had that didn’t involve some kind of danger. Unless tripping on his face and busting his nose up counted.

But that was before.

Now Nubbins, with his homemade wrist braces, can’t even hold his camera for more than a few minutes.

Bobby helped him build a stand to hold it up on, which helps him get extra special pictures, even ones he’s in. It helps that a few years after the accident, he got a new camera, one with a delay on its shutter.

The problem is being fast enough to get in the shot.

Ever since his brothers had to piece him back together, Nubbins hasn’t really walked much. Franklin Hardesty's wheelchair is occupied, but they found one just like his for Nubbins to have. His wheels are slower than his legs were though, or at least he thinks so. They feel slower.

There’s at least a giant stack of pictures of just his back that prove he isn’t quick enough to get into the frame.

It gets frustrating.

Nubbins has taken to hiding the bad pictures. Some part of him gets embarrassed by not being able to keep up with his old self. A bigger part is angry.

That growing anger is probably the reason why he eventually boils over, and tears up a picture with his dumb shaky hands.

He’d been trying to capture a moment of the family all together, and trying to make it natural. Pictures where everyone’s posing and stiff feel too pretend. Like they don’t like each other.

Nubbins wanted desperately to prove they did.

He was just desperate to feel like he was still cared for.

But he’d failed at even that.

Five pictures of his blurry, ghastly figure blocking the game of cards his brothers were playing, and he’d just totally broken down.

It wasn’t even easy to rip it up. The sticky, plasticky texture was strong. He only got it into three pieces before Bobby grabbed his wrists and stopped him.

“Nooooo. No! S-Stop it.” He’d chided like Nubbins was their pet raccoon.

Nubbins was so mad he could’ve hissed like a raccoon. If he were stronger, maybe he’d bite and claw and maim too.

He felt so worthless.

The little pieces of broken picture fell to the floor, one after the other. Discarded. Jinxed.

All of a sudden, it felt hard to breathe. Nubbins started freaking out for real. It was bad luck to do that to a photo. Everyone in his family could get hurt. Torn into little tiny pieces, just like they looked in the ruined photo.

He’d looked at Bobby and felt so much dread and guilt, thinking about him getting hurt again because of him, after all he’d been through from the war and stuff. Words were supposed to come out, but all that did was a sob. Pathetic and wet and sad sounding.

Bobby hugged him, which meant Bubba got up and hugged them both in one big scoop of his arms. Normally, Nubbins would never give in that easy to a crushing hug, finding it more fun to run (or wheel, more accurately) away from affection and be chased down.

This time hadn’t been normal.

Nobody was ever supposed to see him break down. Those moments were for when you’re totally weakened, alone behind closed and shuttered and locked up tight doors. At least, according to Drayton.

But as Nubbins cried and cried and got cooed at by his younger brother and twin, Drayton seemed compassionate too. As much as the old bastard could be.

He’d patted Nubbins’ head and shoo’d off his brothers.

“There, there now. You just, you just wait here and those boys’ll fix it up for you. Won’t they?”

The last part is through gritted teeth. Bobby got a whack on the head to encourage him, sending him scrambling to the floor to pick up the pieces of the ripped picture. Bubba ran off to find something to fix it with, while Bobby went straight to the table, shoving the settings aside to have a workspace.

Drayton continued to calm Nubbins, in the familiar, but strange way, “Just quiet up, boy. It’ll be right as rain in a minute.”

For some reason, Nubbins believed him every time. He hugged his brother even though he never hugged back. Drayton just promised,

“Look, I-I’ll even hang it on the wall. Anywhere you’d like it.”

“I-It’s not a..a good p-pi’ture..” Nubbins had argued bashfully.

“You boys ain’t good neither, but I keep you ��round.” Drayton cackled at himself. Like something was funny.

“Outta m-my way.” Bobby interrupted by shoving right into Drayton and making him stumble, so he could show off the picture. It was taped back together and had a couple of stickers on the tears too. “W-We did it, bro!”

“See. All better now. Nothin’ to… got no more worries.” Drayton pat Nubbins on the shoulder one more time, and left the room into the kitchen. Probably to calm himself after being pushed by Bobby. That had been enough emotional outreach for him for the day.

Not for Bobby. He still wanted to cheer nubbins up with compliments and such, “Bubba says he r-reeeally likes th-this’n. Y-You made him look p-pretty!”

Bubba had even testified to it with his high pitched babbles off to the side.

That did actually help to make Nubbins feel at least a little better, “Y-You think so?”

Bobby nodded and his head made a weird, metal clicky sort of sound, “F-For sure! I-I likes it, c-cause you’s in it. Not a-all the w-way but that’s okay. L-Looks real good, a-anyway. Look at ya s-smilin’.”

Nubbins hadn’t realized how happy he looked before he got upset. The smile from the past come back to brighten his face.

That made Bobby cheer in celebration of his twins happiness, “There i-it is! The r-real life thing!”

They both matched perfectly in that moment, their smiles alight and their hands dancing and flapping and playing. With Drayton busy out of the room, there was nobody to make them stop either.

Though Bubba had had to come over and lock the little brakes on Nubbins’ chair wheels, since he was scared of his brother wiggling around too much and rolling away.

His appearance made Bobby remember something, an idea he’d had, “Y-You don’ gotta talk. I-I know you’s f-feelin’ better. So.. So I-I’d like it, i-if you come with us, o-on this next tr-trip.”

Automatically, Nubbins’ smile dropped and he shook his head.

Bobby wouldn’t hear it, “Y-You’ll be alright. Me and B-Bubba’ll look out for-for ya. W-We’re real good, a-aren’t we, Bubba?”

For a moment, Bubba was frozen, figuring out if it was even safe to make promises to Nubbins, and he decided it was, or at least decided to lie, ‘cause then he’d nodded and given a little thumbs up.

Nubbins felt encouraged, “I-I do wanna get some- some good o-outside pi’tures. Been a l-long time since I seen flowers.”

Which had been perfectly true. He hadn’t left the house in a long, long time, not since they settled here in battle land, and it was starting to drive him as looney as the head wound drove Bobby.

Bobby who, from his brothers vague agreement, got even more excited and started jumping around, “Yeah! We’ll t-take ya! W-We’ll show ya good!”

All the shouting drew big brother back into the room to break it up, with one quick warning, “After supper.”

“But-“ Bobby tried to argue.

It fell on deaf ears, “I’m ‘bout ready to kick you in your butt if you don’t your skinny ass in here and help.”

“J-Just think about it. Okay?” Bobby asked Nubbins before he ran off with Cook. When he didn’t respond immediately, Bobby grabbed his shoulders lightly and gave him a little shake, “O-Okay, Nubbins?”

He nodded. Gave a thumbs up like Bubba did. When it hurts to talk or he just doesn’t want to, Nubbins has learned to communicate more the way their brother does. Afterall, thirty-some-odd years of doin’ it that way was goin’ just fine.

Nubbins wasn’t sure everything was exactly fine, but it felt close to okay, knowing he was being included again. They’d hold their word and keep him safe. Just like they did with fixing up the photo.

Right, the photo! He was supposed to look for a spot to hang it up!

Nubbins wheeled around a little bit, since he couldn’t just lift his head, with a broken neck and all. He stopped when the tunnel overhead led to his favorite part of the house, the hall with all the lights. Nubbins decided he’d go up there and visit with Franklin before he made up his mind on the trip.

Franklin always understood bein’ underestimated and afraid. It was only natural he did, given their food, if they ever got close to running off, still thought he was a victim too after all this time staying with the Sawyers. You could look in his eye and see he’s a natural born killer, but put him in them wheels and suddenly he can’t do no foul.

If Frankie could kill ‘round battleland, maybe Nubbins really could go on trips too!

Oh, can’t forget- Nubbins grabbed his camera and his pouch from where he’d dropped it down to the ground after his outburst. Franklin would wanna see his pictures. He always did. It probably got lonely up there, in his little room that he doesn’t leave.

Nubbins would visit more, if only there were ramps his wheels could get up. Maybe he’d have the courage to ask for help building one sometime.

After the chili cook-off, he swore. They’ll get the trophy, they’ll be number one, and Drayton’ll be so darn happy he’d let Nubbins and his wheelchair go anywhere he wanted.

[littlepetbee]

i've had the house to myself this weekend so i decided to marathon a bunch of movies that have been on my watchlist for aaages. here they are ranked bc i love making lists lmao:

Game Night: this one was far and away my favorite...it's a fun, clever mystery that's also funny as shit. rachel mcadams is the queen of comedy and also waving a loaded gun around like a crazy person. fuckin 10/10, you guys

I Love You Phillip Morris: listen. i avoid jim carrey like the plague - it's nothing personal, his face just irritates the shit out of me. but i'm SO glad i gave this one a try anyway...it was so cute and touching and gay little ewan mcgregor with his gay little earring is genuinely the softest, sweetest thing to ever exist. it makes complete sense that someone would become a conman for him lmao. 10/10

Bullet Train: thee action comedy lbr!! shoutout to @seeinhindsight for reccing this one to me. it was so well done...with all the winding storylines and running gags it easily could have been a tonal mess, but i feel like they knocked it outta the park. also the steady stream of "oh shit this guy's in it too???" was fun as hell. 9/10 just bc some parts made me sad and my movie ratings are based solely on how they Make Me Feel, not any objectivity lol

Attack The Block: my brain the whole time: YEAH BOY(EGA)!!!! an alien invasion movie with a Message and pre-star wars john boyega?? that was always gonna be a slam dunk for me. though i do gotta say watching british movies as an american is always jarring as hell bc there's no guns. it feels like the weirdest kind of unreality. anyways 8/10

This Is Where I Leave You: slowing things down and getting way more Serious here but i was surprised by how much i liked this one (though maybe i shouldn't have been, since dysfunctional families/siblings are kinda my bread and butter lmao). the surprise lesbianism-slash-lowkey-polyamory definitely elevated it, too! 7/10

Shattered Glass: 100% the movie you gotta show people when they try to say hayden christensen sucks at his job bc uhhh he ate that shit up. not to be #me about it, but if that dude can be that fucking cute the whole time and still make me wanna throttle him within an inch of his life, you know he was doing something right. 6/10

As Above, So Below: i was bummed at first when i realized it was one of those found footage horror dealios, but i actually ended up really liking it. and honestly for the setting, i think found footage really was the only way to go. the concept was super interesting and the horror aspects were sufficiently creepy without being enough to give me nightmares, which is about all my babyass can handle. 6/10

Everybody Wants Some!!: yeah the hoechlin 80's movie lol. it was fun! the characters were likable for the most part! the vibes were good! but B's cannot live on vibes alone (that's a bible verse, i'm p sure) so i was left wondering what the Point was. i am not the target audience for hangout movies, i'll tell you that lmao. 3.5/10

so that's the list!!! all in all a very great way to spend a weekend <3

[evilfloralfoolery]

Okay, so I've spent some time "listening" to Adrian talk about himself, and this is what I have so far for his character nonsense. SHIT GOT REALLY WEIRD REALLY QUICK lol.

It's under the cut because it's hella long, as per the usual. Kinda surprised he was the one that spoke up first, but hey....

Adrian is part of Grimm and Indigo's universe and is one of Grimm's men. We're talking tactical, not tactile, you perverts lol.

Name: Adrian "Amadan" Black

Age: 29

Star Sign: Leo

Partner: Tahoma "Eddie" Shonto

Appearance: 6'1" (185-ish cm). Medium athletic build. Long layered hair that is about shoulder length and a mix of brown, black, red, copper, blond, and any other "natural" hair color. Olive skin. Dark red eyes. Slightly pointed canines on top and bottom teeth (he's not a cryptid. Keep reading for more on that). Various tattoos, including two mourning bands on his left upper bicep. Various piercings, including labret, tongue, nipples, and elsewhere. Big "come fuck me" energy.

Weapon of Choice: Bare hands, knives, voice.

Other Weapons: Demon-assisted antics.

Likes: Goth rap, fast cars, red meat, sashimi, tight jeans, video games, darts, lifting weights, running, rock climbing, hot weather, spicy food, artifacts, fixing shit, Eddie's cooking.

Dislikes: Extreme formality, people with no sense of humor, raw tomatoes, country music, pastel or white colors, people who walk too slow, public transit, liars, religious crap, cold weather, button down shirts.

Allergic to: Dust and probably other shit we haven't discovered yet.

Sensitive to: Any manmade scent, camphor, cleaning products, the pepper gas that he creates in the kitchen when he tries to cook.

Other Snzfucker Info: (Read his history first to understand this better.) Adrian is weird one because while he has the fetish, it's not just for hearing others. He's HELLA turned on by hearing himself, but he wasn't like this until he became the housing unit for a powerful demon. It's a constant source of annoyance for him because he'd rather not be, but there's nothing he can do about it. I don't make the rules, y'all. This is some wtfery.

History: Adrian was a real "problem child" growing up. He liked to play "fuck around and find out" with dangerous (and often illegal) shit. Until the people he loved got hurt by it. That was a real eye-opener for him. (I'm still learning about Adrian, so I don't have a complete picture yet.) At some point, he was scouted by Grimm's organization (F.I.R.E.) and that's where he met Eddie. That escalated quickly into something more than friends.

The Exchange: Eddie was shot in the line of duty and basically died in Adrian's arms. Adrian sacrificed himself to save Eddie’s life, but technically, Eddie was already dead.  So, he had to offer the death gods something in exchange to bring his partner back.  He offered himself. The death gods accepted, but instead of taking Adrian’s life, they made a different sort of arrangement.  Adrian isn’t alone in his body anymore.  There’s a powerful demon in there with him.  It basically shares his soul now.  As long as Adrian is alive, the demon is confined.  (I have a much longer explanation about this that I will put somewhere else.) It changed Adrian's appearance. His hair is a multitude of colors (black, blond, red, copper, etc.) His hazel eyes turned dark red. He was somewhat slight of frame before, but came back as something stronger, bigger, and faster.

Fun facts:

*Adrian actually has pretty great singing voice, but he plays it off as being obnoxious and rarely uses it in that way. He CAN, however, use it in a more nefarious way, thanks to his demonic side. The power of suggestion is strong.

*He's twice as strong as a regular human and extremely fast. All of senses are much, MUCH keener since "The Exchange." He's become F.I.R.E.'s best tracker because of this.

*He likes to eat Carolina Reaper peppers for snacks. His tolerance for spicy food is unreal.

*"Cards Against Humanity" is his favorite game.

*He seriously cannot cook for shit. Pretty sure he could burn water.

[liauditore]

77.9

A masked figure sits at the opposite side of the table, its legs crossed and hands planted comfortably in its lap.

"77.9, we would like to ask some questions."

(cw: canon typical violence, mention of animal death, some unreality/unfiction elements if you squint, very brief suicidal ideation)

~

ROUND TWO

77.9: Seventy-seven point nine? Is that what you're calling me?

The Watcher: For the sake of keeping you detached from the "you" in the games, yes.

77.9: What's wrong with being myself?

The Watcher: You are always yourself, but you cannot be your name right now. I don't have the power to make that possible.

77.9: That's awfully cryptic, isn't it? Doesn't tell me anything at all.

The Watcher: Knowing how this world works is not within your responsibilities. Just answer as well as you can.

77.9: ..Fine, fine.

[The Watcher shifts into a more comfortable position.]

~~

The Watcher: Do you know how to drive?

77.9: I love going on long drives. My first car was this cheap old thing I found after searching local dealerships for months. I loved her so much.

The Watcher: Can you describe your family?

77.9: No. You took those memories.

The Watcher: Do your best anyway.

77.9: I had a mum and dad at some point, I'd think. I don't think we talk much anymore. It's all very hazy.

The Watcher: Do you like your name?

77.9: It fits me okay. I think some people expect someone.. fancier?

The Watcher: Do you believe in true love? Would you like to get married?

77.9: I don't think I'd be very good to live with.

The Watcher: Do you have anything you'd want from us?

77.9: Please forgive Scott.

The Watcher: Do you like animals?

77.9: I'd have a lot of pets if I knew I could take care of them well.

The Watcher: Do you think you're yourself?

77.9: I don't know. I think I'm somewhat different, but in the end there's only one of me.

The Watcher: If the opportunity arises, would you play the game once again?

77.9: I don't think I could've made a better ending.

The Watcher: That's not for you to decide anyway.

77.9: I'm only answering what you asked.

The Watcher: Do you have any regrets?

77.9: I wish I spent more time with everyone before the end… I think we could've been better friends.

The Watcher: Do you regret doing it?

77.9: What are you referring to?

[The Watcher remains silent]

77.9: What's the point in asking me all this anyway? Shouldn't you already know?

The Watcher: It's a… fun exercise.

77.9: So you just don't have anything better to do?

[The Watcher nods]

~~

A masked figure sits at the opposite side of the table, chin resting on her hands with fingers intertwined. Despite her face being covered, a smile beams through the mask.

"77.9, we would like to ask some questions.“

~

ROUND THREE

[A loud clang is heard, followed by frantic pacing. 77.9 appears to be irritated]

The Watcher: Take a seat, I insist.

[Another clang is heard, something metal bounces off of a wall]

77.9: What's the point? What's the point, huh? You're not done torturing me yet?

The Watcher: I'm just curious.

77.9: I'll kill you. I'll rip you apart. I can take down people twice my size, you know? You're nothing. Easy prey.

The Watcher: Is that so?

77.9: I'll rip you to shreds with my bare hands. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I'll tear you apart. I'll kill you. I'll kill you.

The Watcher: You certainly proved your capabilities in that department.

77.9: You're insane, you know that?

The Watcher: Am I the villain, then?

77.9: YES! You and everyone! All of you are crazy. All of you are evil. You just want to hurt me more, don't you?

The Watcher: All of us?

77.9: All of you. All of you. Every single one of you. I hate all of you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.

[77.9's mantra continues, slowly becoming garbled before morphing into sobs]

77.9: Hate. You. Hate.. You.

77.9: You want me to be the bad guy, don't you? You made me like this. You're. You're the worst. You're the worst. I hate you. I hate you.

[Heavy breathing can be heard]

[Footsteps are heard, followed by something being set down on the floor. The Watcher sits back down]

The Watcher: Take a seat, I insist.

~

The Watcher: What are your thoughts on cats?

77.9: I don't have any choice but to answer your stupid questions, huh?

[The Watcher remains silent]

77.9: Cats are nice, I guess. When I was little I used to feed this stray cat that showed up sometimes. I was convinced we had some sort of special bond, but one day he just didn't show up again. I like to think that he died peacefully.

The Watcher: Do you dislike any of the other participants?

77.9: I hate all of them.

The Watcher: Do you have any regrets?

77.9: I should've killed him when I had the chance.

The Watcher: Do you like yourself?

77.9: Not anymore. I'm dirty now.

The Watcher: Is there anyone you'd like to see right now?

77.9: My real soulmate. I'd like to die and be with her again.

The Watcher: You know she wasn't-

77.9: I don't care.

The Watcher: If the opportunity arises, would you play the game once again?

77.9: I would give anything to kill him myself.

The Watcher: What do you think of us?

77.9: You're not her. So I don't care.

The Watcher: If you had one wish, what would you ask for?

77.9: To make him suffer.

The Watcher: Do you regret it?

77.9: No.

~~

A masked figure sits at the opposite side of the table, his hands in his pockets, leaning back leisurely onto his chair.

"77.9, we would like to ask some questions."

~

ROUND FOUR

The Watcher: You are quieter today.

77.9: I don't have anything to say. Nothing I can do here matters.

The Watcher: We like it more when you aren't as compliant.

77.9: I don't care what you like.

[There is a note scribbled in between the lines. “She wouldn't look at me the whole time,“ followed by a crudely drawn face sticking its tongue out]

~

The Watcher: Which one of the other participants do you think is most like you?

77.9: None of them. They're all decent people.

The Watcher: What do you do when you're bored?

77.9: I try to sleep.

The Watcher: Do you want to go home?

77.9: I don't think that's something I can do anymore.

The Watcher: Do you have any regrets?

77.9: I think I could've saved him, if I tried harder.

The Watcher: What's more important to you - someone's personality or their looks?

77.9: What kind of question is that?

The Watcher: If the opportunity arises, would you play the game once again?

77.9: No.

The Watcher: If you had $1000 suddenly, what would you spend it on?

77.9: A nice meal with someone I care about.

The Watcher: What do you think of people getting attached to inanimate objects?

77.9: If this is about him, I threw those stupid things away.

[NOTE: writing is scribbled in between the lines. "She's lying."]

The Watcher: You seem much less hostile now. Does that mean you forgive him?

77.9: No. I hope he died slowly and painfully.

The Watcher: In another life, do you think you could've been friends?

77.9: He was my best friend in this life already.

The Watcher: Do you love him?

77.9: I hate him.

The Watcher: Do you regret it?

77.9: No, not at all.

<End Log>

~

NOTE: 77.9 is a capable and deadly participant. We have reason to believe ROUND 3 caused her significant emotional distress. She does not seem to be playing for her own surival anymore.

(( this is just a rlly self-indulgent series im drabbling and felt the need to share. I have trouble writing dialogue so I thought this would be a nice way to not put too much effort in but still tackle something im not good at lol )) (<-- has not written anything in 10 years maybe)

[utilitycaster]

i saw a comment on reddit about what previous villains may return as result of magic prisons dispelling, like Trent or Vecna. And it got me thinking I prefer C2's separation from C1. While bringing 3 campaigns together is fun. With the Mighty Nein, Keyleth, J'mon, Vax and everyone involved it feels like Bell's Hells are a tiny cog in the wheel, not the heroes? Which is realistic. But (bar Imogen and Orym) it doesn't feel like their story anymore? They keep asking 'why us' and I don't know either

So I'm going to just state that I dislike and don't use Reddit as a platform anyway and have specific reasons to mistrust the CR Reddit's rules and moderation. I take any comment made on the Reddit with an entire shaker of salt and would advise people to just not look at it, because I don't think worthwhile discussion is encouraged there.

On the one hand, "why us" is at some point a question most D&D groups ask (and that does include Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein). This is such a massive undertaking that any one group or individual cannot just fix it, and significant and powerful NPCs are a normal part of the game even for past campaigns; J'mon couldn't fix all of Vox Machina's problems so there's no reason to believe they can fix Bells Hells' problems either. Bells Hells are a small cog right now, but missing a small cog will still entirely stop the gears from turning properly.

It's fair to say that because of the setup of this campaign, that sense of "why us" is heightened: most campaigns would probably either build up to the events of episode 51 as the final boss battle, or alternately introduce it very early, before the party can do much about it at all, as something they will build up to solving. Having it as the party hit mid-levels and when they were extremely involved in the lead-up, sometimes at the cost of character development/party meshing is admittedly tricky, and I've said before, the lead-in suffered at times. But that doesn't mean it's not their story. I have had my frustrations, and to be clear if we spend a protracted amount of time in Zephrah I will not be a fan of that specific decision, but since the solstice it has finally, to me, felt like they've been properly in the driver's seat.

I'd also add that my takeaway for quite some time from this campaign has been the theme that imperfect but thoughtful action nearly always is far superior to unrealized perfect ideology. "Why us" isn't really a question they need to answer. Who cares why. It is them, so it's time to shoulder that responsibility. Honestly it's when someone like Ludinus says "yes, it should be me" that we get problems. Had he perhaps looked at all of the things he claims are problems, after serving in positions of power within two separate major governments, and made an effort to actually fix them in real time rather than developing a centuries-long master plan involving draining the life out of various fey creatures, and blowing up the moon we might not be having these problems.

I do still prefer the Mighty Nein as a campaign for a number of reasons, and I still believe that a lot of what I found rough in the earlier campaign would have been improved by, if not the same limitations of the Nein, at least a similarly well-informed character creation process. But that's not something that can really be addressed now, and the appearance of, say, J'mon Sa'Ord is a nonissue entirely unrelated to that.

This is not the first question I've gotten in this vein recently so I'm going to repeat a bit more clearly: I respect people finding that this campaign isn't for them, and as all the above outlines I have had my own issues. However, this is something you should be talking about on your own blog and not my inbox. I probably will answer some, especially if I see a hook to talk about my thoughts, but I'm not going to be terribly validating to you if that's what you're looking for, and I'm not really a good person to vent to if that's all you want.

[cheetahsprints]

Shadow is the coolest!!!

(Spoilers ahead)

STAGES: Eye candy, super fun and fluid.

My totally subjective judgement:

1. Chaos Island (It's a whole vibe and slightly scratches the part of brain that wishes Shadow could've appeared in Frontiers somehow. Ironically my least favorite full island in Frontiers... Speaking of, that was my first Sonic game besides TMOSTH so naturally I'm biased.)

2. Space Colony Ark (Currently all S-ranked, very fun and iconic location. After watching the demo players and waiting so long, finally being in it was so unreal.)

3. Sunset Heights (it's just delicious, I want to eat it)

4. Kingdom Valley (Utterly gorgeous and fun. Doom Surf parts were a little awkward, but don't take away from it much. I'm still salivating, so to speak.)

5. Radical Highway (I'm mad at this stage for skill checking me rn but... it's still the SA2 level remade... so cool. Expected to be hard as the last stage. The wonkiness caused by the game's story kinda takes away from the stage's original vibes for me though.)

6. Rail Canyon (Being at the bottom doesn't mean I don't love it, it just doesn't stand out as much as the others and... a lot of rail gaming as a given, y'know.)

BOSS FIGHTS: Biolizard and Mephiles are great, I'd rather not go through Metal Overlord again (I likely will), but visually it's cool. The gameplay of that was... not my forte. I didn't play '06 so the Mephiles fight in particular was a treat.

CONTROLS: Smooth!!! Doom Morph is kinda slippery sometimes, and I struggle with the sliding sections in Radical Highway. They're not Cyberspace, not Sonic Generations, but a secret third thing. (Somewhat an adaption of Overworld Frontiers controls to an evolution of Sonic Generations type level design? Something to that effect.)

CUT SCENES: My emotions grahh! I got no issues with the writing I can think of. I for one, enjoy the references, which were placed well imo. Overall, it's just really nice to see Shadow be an actual character.

GRAPHICS: Looks fine on the Switch, though I imagine it might be scaled down in places, I don't notice if anything is off. Didn't notice any stuttering, pop-in, or anything like that. I did have moments where the pause menu would freeze while I was scrolling through stages, not sure what that's about.

EXTRAS:

If you've played the game, White Space speaks for itself. It's great.

The 2D acts are fun wtf??? They flow so well? Sorcery! (Some parts of the 2D sections of Act 1 in Sonic Gens mess up my enjoyment of the stages.)

Missions are well done, as pretty much just tests of stage running skill, none of them making me want to punch the screen or just feel like I'm doing a chore as with several of the missions in Sonic Gens.

I don't like chasing music notes. [Redacted] those. The ones where you have to platform to a specific place where they're waiting for you are fine. Me problem though.

I sense if I try to improve my ranks I'm gonna have a love/hate relationship with the ranking system. I don't know yet if it's mostly based on time, but it certainly seems less generous than Sonic's.

Surprised at the lack of minibosses, it seemed like a fair number of people were expecting there to be. After playing most of the game... it makes sense though.

Next Session: Devil Doom...

[zechleton]

A Brief and Depressing History of ESWC

Quick disclaimer. I originally started writing this as a script for some kind of video essay or something like that. I kinda chickened out in the end, and also I know very little about making videos, so here it is as 2.5k word essay instead.

Unless you’re old like me, you might not know that Esports World Cup is actually heading into its third decade of existence. Things have changed considerably in the 21 years since its first event in 2003, not least its ownership, but the entity known as ESWC is not, strictly speaking, new.

What I don’t want to do today is get into the sports washing issue. Plenty of others have covered that already and it’s too complicated a topic to try and squeeze into this piece. Suffice to say, while I’m undecided on where I stand, I fully understand why people many of you will be giving this event a miss.

Today I want to delve into the roller-coaster history of a tournament organiser that is near and dear to my heart. In 2005 I attended my first international event as a journalist – the third ever ESWC finals in Paris. I was awestruck by the entire week, from being in a foreign city alone for the first time to the fact that my nerdy hobby could really host an event of this size. Looking back at photos of the venue, the latter part of that seems particularly quaint. Although the stage was extremely cool, I reckon there were maybe a couple of thousand spectators at most.

Still, in 2005 that was huge. The main competitor at the time, Cyber Athlete Professional League (CPL), pretty much just didn’t have an in-person spectatorship at all to begin with and when they did try to attract fans, results were mixed. Back then, Esports was a far cry from AR pop groups performing opening ceremonies for a stadium of thousands and a stream viewership in the millions. World Cyber Games (WCG), which is theoretically still in existence but hasn’t run a tournament since 2020,was the closest thing to a modern event. It had Olympics-style branding, an opening ceremony and even its own theme song, but its viewership paled in comparison to today’s events. ESWC, in the early 2000’s, was a moderately large fish in pretty small pond.

Despite many changes down the years, one thing that has remained the same about under the new regime is the multi-game format. When I went to Paris in 2005, I mostly covered Warcraft 3 despite being on GotFrag’s staff as a Counter-Strike writer at the time. There was also Quake 3, Unreal Tournament, Pro Evolution Soccer and more. CS was definitely The Main Event, but every game had its final played on the main stage. Every game had its moment in the spotlight. ESWC was even ahead of the curve in having a women’s CS tournament, and I remember my American colleagues being hyped for Girls Got Game making an American CS double, with Complexity winning the men’s event.

Looking back, I wonder how much of this was out of necessity. With so much less money coming into esports in its early days, perhaps it made more financial sense to host multiple games in one venue, in order to maximize both viewership and participation while only needing to pay for one venue. It’s no coincidence that most tournaments back in the day were attached to other attractions. Dreamhack, obviously, was always attached to a BYOC event, but other organises did similar things. Even as late as 2010, I remember wading through thousands of people, past the hundreds of booths that made up CeBIT to reach the ESL IEM stage.

Fun aside: this was the event where Azael became a “literal world champion,” after winning the World of Warcraft tournament with Evil Geniuses. I will never not cringe when I think about how inappropriately quickly I leapt on him and his teammates to ask for an interview after the game. I didn’t even wait for them to finish celebrating their victory. Azael, reasonably, told me to give them a minute. I have never watched any of my interviews from this event, and I don’t think SK’s site has them hosted any more – what a pity.

By the way, if this sounds weird now, that’s because it was. I had a press pass, sure, but I was sitting in the crowd of a couple of hundred people and simply wandered up to the stage without needing to show it to anyone.

I went back to ESWC in 2006, solely as a WC3 guy now. Ironically, I barely recall the WC3 final at all, but the MIBR vs Fnatic CS final turned out to be a banger. To those of us on the outside, ESWC seemed to be tootling along just nicely but capitalism demands growth and “tootling along” was never going to be enough in the long run.

That was my last in-person event for a few years. I left GotFrag a few months after it got bought by Major League Gaming in 2007. Similarly, ESWC soldiered on as-is for a while, but the organisers had to switch things up. They changed formats in 2008, moving to something closer to the IEM and Blast Pro series formats we know today but this would only last one year. In 2009, under the weight of a global financial crisis, ESWC closed its doors for, erm, like a year.

They weren’t the only casualty, and Counter-Strike’s love-hate relationship with CPL ended in early 2008. An official statement read “The current fragmentation of the sport, a crowded field of competing leagues, and the current economic climate have prompted the CPL to suspend its pro-tournament operations.” Matthieu Dallon, founder of ESWC, echoed this sentiment in an interview with Fragster.de (https://complexity.gg/matthieu-dallon-interviewed-on-eswc-bankruptcy/ not the og link): “We have contacted several dozen of potential partners, big and small brands. We always received the same answer: Our stock value is in free fall, the sales decline, we are going to lose money this quarter, nobody knows when all will restart, so we have to reduce all our marketing and communication budgets, we have to target our direct consumers, and we have to cut all special budgets as sponsoring or alternate advertising.”

Other leagues such as ESL and Dreamhack hung on, changed their models and adapted. They became hosts and organisers for the likes of Blizzard and Valve, eventually becoming more of a media company than a league. But when ESWC returned in 2010, it more-or-less picked up where it left off: multiple games (including WC3, surprisingly) and a spectacular venue in Disneyland Paris.

In 2011, my beloved WC3 was replaced by Starcraft II and ESWC attached itself to Paris Games Week. This meant a change of season. Until now, ESWC had always been a summer spectacle. Paris Games Week took place in late October – presumably to give Parisians something to do indoors during the miserable weather.

Still, the event continued to be a fairly important part of the esports calendar. We still hadn’t quite reached the era of The Major and there was plenty of room at the table for competition. Although my own interest in many of the included titles was waning during this period, ESWC looked to be going strong. They took the move to CS:GO and DOTA2 in their stride and added more and more -Mania games. ESWC had always been one of the strongest proponents of Trackmania, but they even added Shootmania for a few years towards the end. Remember Shootmania? Kinda? Yeah, same.

It wasn’t until 2014 that things started to get silly. Call of Duty gets top billing on the official ESWC page for that year. This is the first time that anything other than Counter-Strike sits atop the list of champions, which is a subtle but important change. But okay, people like COD, whatever. It made sense to add another popular FPS game.

Just Dance, though? I think this is where ESWC’s reliance on other parties started to become an issue. Just Dance is an Ubisoft game, developed by Ubisoft Paris specifically. ESWC always had strong ties to its home country of France and while Ubisoft’s Trackmania series made a lot of sense as a competitive game, dancing, just kinda doesn’t. Well, I guess it did go on to be part of the Olympic Series, so joke’s on me, right?

Okay, maybe that’s a bit rude. If you like Just Dance then that’s great. I watched the highlights for this video and everybody looked like they were having a great time. But after so many years of pining for mainstream acceptance, the fact that the Olympics chose a dancing game that a lot of esports fans had never even heard of (myself included), instead of CS or a MOBA of some kind was absurd. Viewers thought so, too – all 800 of them. Yeah, according to esports charts (https://escharts.com/tournaments/other/olympic-esport-series-finals-just-dance) the peak viewership for Just Dance at the Olympics was 777 people.

Look, I’m not suggesting that ESWC immediately shrunk in 2015 because of Just dance and Call of Duty, but they played their part. From the outside looking in, their seems to have been a lack of direction and these two games were part of that. Or rather, there was a direction, but that direction was advertising Ubisoft products. ESWC spread itself too thin at a time when single-title leagues and tournaments were quickly becoming the norm.

ESWC did try its hand at this in 2015, running a COD-only tournament in May and a CS-only event in July (though they do deserve credit for continuing to support female Counter-Strike), but in October they were back to their Olympics-style approach. The list of games at the final event of 2015 paints a picture: FIFA, Women’s LoL (but no men), Trackmania, Shootmania and Just Dance. You might generously call it an eclectic mix, but I’d argue it’s a collection of games nobody else wanted.

ESWC’s website lists a highlight for every year. Usually it’s an iconic moment of game play, sometimes it’s the first use of a game on such a big stage. Tellingly, in 2015, they list the creation of France Esports. Sure, this was a big deal (probably), and it was headed up by Matthieu Dallon of ESWC, but this comes across as a tacit admission that nothing important happened at their own tournaments during that whole year.

In 2016, the spiral into irrelevancy was well underway. Another COD tournament in May was followed by a downsized October tournament. CS was back on the menu, but the list of entrants paints an ugly picture. Alternate Attax beat LDLC in the final – two teams who, in 2016, had no business being in an international final. They did have players who would go onto bigger things, but Attax has never qualified for a Major, before or since. They earned their victory, but it came against a very weak field.

Even more damning, though, is the fourth and final game on the list for that year: Clash Royale. The shark had well and truly been jumped. You can never recover your credibility after you take money from mobile games.

ESWC stumbled on for a few more years after that, but the list of titles became more and more muddled while the CS tournament became populated by fewer and fewer big names. ESWC Africa took place in December of 2018 – a Counter-Strike only tournament that was the last thing ESWC ever ran. While it was cool to see organisers creating tournaments outside of the usual esports hotbeds, it’s no surprise that ESWC disappeared shortly after that.

But the universe had a different fate in mind for ESWC. In 2024, it is being brought back to life in a hideous experiment, worthy of any Gothic Horror. It will return as a shell of its former self, bathed in riches it never had in its previous life, but devoid of all the glory and all the good will it had created over the years.

And yet, ESWC being bought out is nothing new. Behind the scenes, ownership changed several times of the years. Even the name was switched to Esports World Convention at some point – a fact I only learned during my research for this piece. Starting out as an expansion of Ligarena’s domestic LAN tournaments in France, Games-Solution bought the brand in 2009. They passed things onto Oxent in 2011 until Oxent itself was bought out by Webedia in 2016.

What is particularly interesting here is that Matthieu Dallon was in charge of Oxent, too. Despite the bankruptcy of his previous company, he clearly wanted to make his dream of an esports Olympics a reality. He could have easily disappeared into some or other other mundane business and I assume he would have had offers to join other esports organisations, but we chose to resurrect ESWC instead.

And then he sold it to Webedia.

Webedia is a lot of things. A kind of smorgasbord of “online stuff,” featuring typically, deliberately nebulous “Web3” concepts such as “Content Production,” “IP Development” and “Brand Partnership.” If you rolled your eyes at any or all of these phrases, you’re not alone. Essentially, their main role seems to be managing streamers and talent but their reach goes much wider than that. Indeed, esports is only the third entry on their “Webedia Networks” page, below Movies and Gaming. This is the company behind LFL’s broadcasts, however, so they do remain relevant in the esports community, at least in France.

Oh, and they shill NFTs because of course they do.

Is it a coincidence that the year ESWC became part of a larger media empire is the same year they moved into mobile gaming? Probably not. Mobile games, whatever you think of them, do make a lot of money. There’s an Always Sunny scene for every occasion, isn’t there? What do companies like Webedia make? Money, Charlie, they make money.

Still, it’s clear in retrospect that this was the beginning of the end for ESWC. What had started out in 2003 as a passion project based on a love of esports had turned into just another media asset. Viewed in that light, it’s almost sort of fitting that it has now become a sportswashing project – a sad but common arc in today’s hyper-capitalist world. Anything with positive emotional attachment can and will be commodified, either for money or PR, or, more commonly, both. Yes, I’m looking at you, football.

I remember when I first started writing about esports, people always talked about “going mainstream” as though it was a good thing. As though being popular and making money was what made something legitimate or worthwhile. The closer we got to that goal, the worse it seemed to me. ESWC’s fate – a once-loved institution of a small community turned into a heartless advertising entity for an oil state – is about as damning an indictment of that as you could wish to find. The delicious irony in all of this is that ESWC will lose money, and this is by design, but it will also lose the legitimacy it once had. Nobody who used to love ESWC in the early 2000’s will care about its new zombie form and many of them will boycott it, myself included.

ESWC died years ago as far as I’m concerned. The event by the same name later this year is nothing but the reanimated corpse of something that used to be great. The only DNA the two share is their scattergun approach to game selection, but even this is a perversion of the original goal. The old ESWC had to cast its net wide in order to make ends meet. The new monstrosity is just willing to throw money at anything that will buy its owners some positive publicity – a drop in the ocean of its owner’s obscene wealth.