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dreamsandcozygames · 1 month

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My Favorite Time Loop Games

I've been playing a lot of games involving time loops lately, so I thought I'd recommend some of my favorites!

(The descriptions are from Steam.)

I Was A Teenage Exocolonist:

Spend your teenage years on an alien planet in this narrative RPG with card-based battles. Explore, grow up, and fall in love. The choices you make and skills you master over ten years will determine the course of your life and the survival of your colony.

The Choices You Make, Make You

Growing up in humanity’s first extrasolar space colony means navigating a new world full of wonder, danger, and beauty. Explore the wilderness, study, fall in love, discover strange creatures, and deal with the consequences of your actions. Your choices will directly affect the lives of your friends and the fate of the colony. What kind of world will you help make? Will you survive to enjoy it? Why do you remember doing this before?

Growing Up on an Alien Planet

You have your whole life ahead of you. Will you spend it studying in school, or diving into the intriguing flora and fauna of this new world? Will you introduce space-age technology, or live in harmony with nature? Will you battle massive beasts, or nurture future generations? Realized in brilliant watercolor, the world of Vertumna is yours to explore.

Your Pasts and Your Futures Matter

Everything you learn and experience will make you and your colony stronger. You will thrive and you will make mistakes. These formative moments - your memories, decisions, and friendships - become collectible cards you carry with you. Each season brings new obstacles on Vertumna. The battle cards you earn from your experiences give you new options for overcoming these challenges, whether that is navigating relationships, learning new skills, exploring the planet, or staying alive. Every decision counts, during this life and the next.

How Many Lives Will YOU Live?

The cosmos is full of incredible mysteries, and your ability to remember your past lives is one of them. There are dozens of different endings to your story. How many lives will it take to save both your colony and the planet? Are you ready to wake up again?

Features:

Use memories of past lives to explore 800+ story events.

Discover more than 250 battle cards as you grow up on an alien planet.

Play your best hand in challenge encounters to ace your math test or escape from a wild snapbladder.

Make friends, fight with your parents, go on dates, fall in love, and save the colony.

29 wildly different endings based on the choices you make each month.

Pick from 25 colony jobs, like goofing off as a depot clerk, or surveying the valley.

Grow into 15 skills, including bravery, toughness, organization, and empathy.

Get to know 10 dateable characters, including dog-boys, aliens, hot politicians and stone cold killers.

In Stars and Time:

Live with the ever-present burden of being trapped in a time loop only you can know about in this turn-based RPG. Create a better future for you and your friends. Find hope where there is none left. Pray to the stars and free yourself from time.

What would you do if you were forced to relive your failures over and over again?

In Stars and Time tells the story of Siffrin and their adventurer friends—a found family bound together by fate in order to end the tyrannical reign of an evil king. But as victory is just within the party’s grasp, a tragedy occurs, the clock resets, and they have to do it all again.

As Siffrin’s the only one who notices this loop, each new start wears away at his cheerful veneer, yet he keeps going in hopes he can end this temporal tragedy once and for all.

In Stars and Time is a time-looping RPG adventure. With each loop, Siffrin gains a new perspective on the world around them, opening up new solutions to puzzles and allowing them to make better choices in conversation. Equip memories as armor, pray to the Change God to improve your team’s capabilities each loop, and challenge deadly foes to Rock, Paper, Scissors as Siffrin seeks the truth.

Our Adventurers:

Siffrin (he/they): Stressed, depressed, and under duress. (Don’t worry about it. They’re doing fine.) The punmaster protagonist of our neverending tale.

Mirabelle (she/her): A caring and nervous housemaiden mysteriously blessed by the god she so ardently follows.

Isabeau (he/him): Defender with a heart of gold. Cares dearly for his people and his friends.

Odile (she/her): The mature and nonsensical researcher studying…something. (No, she will not tell you what it is.)

Bonnie (they/them): Wait a minute, who brought this kid along???

Features:

Save the world through the power of Rock, Paper, Scissors in strategic turn-based RPG combat encounters.

Ignore the limits of time and space to fix your past mistakes by repeating the same two days over and over again.

Equip the memories you have of your friends to make your party stronger in combat.

Watch the fate of this world unfold as you escape the twists and turns of this endless(???) loop.

Eat samossas with your friends!

Get heckled by a cheeky ethereal being of infinite starlight.

Pray to a god for good luck in your travels. You’re gonna need it.

Slay the Princess:

You're on a path in the woods, and at the end of that path is a cabin. And in the basement of that cabin is a Princess.

You're here to slay her. If you don't, it will be the end of the world.

She will do everything in her power to stop you. She'll charm, and she'll lie, and she'll promise you the world, and if you let her, she'll kill you a dozen times over. You can't let that happen. Don't forget, the fate of the world rests on your shoulders.

You're not going to listen to him, are you? We're supposed to save princesses, not slay them...

Features:

Fully voice-acted by the impeccable Jonathan Sims and Nichole Goodnight.

Hand-penciled art - every background and sprite is drawn traditionally with pencil and paper by Ignatz-winning graphic novelist Abby Howard.

A princess. She's very bad and you have to get rid of her for all our sakes.

No, the Princess isn't a “cosmic horror,” whatever that is supposed to mean. She's just an ordinary human Princess, and you can definitely slay her as long as you put your mind to it.

Don't even think about trying to romance her. It won't end well for you.

Hopefully you won't die. But if you do, you'll die a lot. Be careful and stay focused on the task at hand!

A branching narrative where what you say and what you believe determines both who you are and how the story unfolds. Though I wouldn’t recommend taking any paths outside of the one I lay before you.

A new roleplaying experience from the creators of Scarlet Hollow.

#i was a teenage exocolonist #in stars and time #slay the princess #video games #gaming #time loops #time loop games

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kellterntempest · 1 year

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@tyrannysaurusfloof i thought maybe sending you 2,500 words in your askbox wasn't the best way to send this lol and apparently tumblr doesn't let you send documents in DMs, so i have it in separate post here for u!

Stobotnik Subnautica AU fic snippet

Out of all the Earth luxuries Robotnik was forced to live without, he missed music the most. His CDs, his mixtapes, his curated playlists. He missed the deafening pulse of industrial drum and bass, the intricate rhythms of funk and jazz, the comforting pop classics, and invigorating rock melodies that he could dance to.

Robotnik never fully realized just how miserable a world without music could be. He began humming to himself, even sang songs he only half remembered the lyrics to in an effort to stay sane in the deserted, depressing isolation he was surviving in.

And here he was, humming a Tears for Fears tune while he piloted his submarine vessel 500 meters down under the sea. The submarine that Robotnik constructed and christened "The Eggmarine" was holding up perfectly, just as planned. He never made mistakes when it came to engineering, it was just like breathing to him. Physics, math, science, electronics, all of it was second nature.

Robotnik was able to harness the near endless power supply of the blue quill and recycle parts of his prototype – as only an extraordinary genius like him could do – and he created something incredible after losing nearly everything.

The Eggmarine was an engineering marvel in and of itself, but he had even bigger blueprints in progress. His ultimate mission: to construct a space shuttle capable of interstellar travel. He was going to make it back to Earth no matter what. He'd make it home by Christmas. He declared it boldly to himself out loud after barely surviving the crash landing of his prototype on one of the many islands of the alien planet.

Another great feat that the doctor took pride in was the detailed cataloging and analysis of every single new thing about this alien planet. Countless unknown species of flora, fauna, megafauna, biomes and climates, lifeless ruins of what seemed to be some kind of ancient civilization with astounding technology… It was all exhilarating.

Robotnik was at heart a brilliant scientist, and though the circumstances bringing him to this planet were absolutely horrid, he often found himself feeling like a kid discovering the wonders of science again. He intensively studied the new alien technology he found in the ruins – He was so close to cracking the code to their written language – and vastly advanced his progress surviving on the planet. With the alien technology he was able to build a much improved habitat and small laboratory with ease.

It had been 63 days now since Sonic sent him crashing through the ring portal in Green Hills. If there was anything he had now, it was down time. Day 63, and he'd already recorded over two hundred new species, determined multiple theories of their evolution, mapped out the string of islands he crashed on, not to mention narrowly escaping being killed and eaten countless times by the local mega predators – which there were plenty of.

Robotnik had faced an assorted deadly lineup of insects, poisonous animals, scavengers, hunters and predators both on land and under the sea, and the kings at the top of the food chain: Leviathan class mega predators – gargantuan creatures similar to the dinosaurs back in earth's ancient history.

Robotnik learned very quickly he had to create a predator of his own if he ever wanted to get off this planet unscathed.

So he did what he did best, and built a robotic mech suit designed for combat, capable of both land and marine travel, and resource gathering. With it, he was now able to hold his own against most predators, and even fought a few different leviathans in the depths of the ocean and escaped the battles unharmed. But stealth was always the best policy so far – less damage to his precious machine, and less risk of being drowned or eaten.

Robotnik had not found anything that resembled anything close to a sentient life form yet, and the chances of doing so were growing smaller and smaller. He laughed out thinking, was it really that different here from the 8 billion barely sentient monkeys back on earth?

"Passing 750 meters. Pressure stabilized." The robotic voice of the vessel's artificial intelligence spoke, showing the status of all ship systems in green. "Scanners indicate traces of nickel ore below, south west."

Robotnik was currently in search of rare minerals to craft his escape plan. Minerals that he determined could only be found beneath the sea floor in a thermal, volcanic climate.

The A.I. spoke again, this time with a warning. "Detecting multiple leviathan class life forms in the region. Doctor, are you certain whatever you're doing is worth it?"

Of course the exact biome where he needed to go would be crawling with dangerous monsters. The statistical probability that he calculated before was, again, unfortunately proven correct. Of course he had to be right, every time! He thought with a groan. Sometimes, it was worse to be proved right. Even the warm glow of smug satisfaction wears off quickly when you're chased by savage animals out to make you their next meal.

"Shut your trap and keep scanning. I'm not leaving until I get my hands on that ore." Robotnik continued the descent, passing tall black hydrothermal vents – a good sign that he was heading in the right direction.

There was no sound now but the engine's hum, and the steady ping of the sonar system every 7 seconds.

984 meters. Ping. The sonar mapped out the deep trench he was in, and showed a massive crevice opening further down. He was getting readings of small-scale volcanic eruptions in this region, and hoped that crevice was the entrance to his destination.

A loud, organic screech passed through the dark waters, and Robotnik instinctively rushed to hit silent mode.

The internal and external lights went out, and the engine shifted gears. Robotnik sat in the pilot seat, frozen, waiting for another noise.

It was almost worse that he heard nothing.

The artificial intelligence spoke up quickly, casting information in red in the control screens. "Proximity Alert: Threat Detected. Leviathan class life form."

Robotnik cursed out loud, white knuckling the control wheel.

"Proximity: 50 meters." The A.I. stated. "25… 10… brace for impact."

The side of the sub was hit by something colossal, and Robotnik was nearly thrown out of the pilot chair.

Then another uncomfortably loud sound – a roar vibrating through the metallic chambers and utterly harrowing.

A leviathan predator. A reaper - he recognized the horrible sound.

He didn't have any weapons mounted on the Eggmarine, and he couldn't launch his mech suit and fight back – he was in completely unknown territory and what looked to be about 400 more meters to the bottom of the trench. His mech suit couldn't make it up 400 meters straight up back to the submarine, and no way could he safely swim back to his Eggmarine without getting snapped up. Nightmare scenario again. He could only sit tight, stay on course, and hope the predator would lose interest and leave, or kick engines in high gear and make a break for it.

The sub was hit again, and the alarms began sounding. "Hull damage imminent."

The leviathan was not going to leave.

Robotnik slammed the switches and revved up the engine to full speed. He had to get the hell out of here. The only way through was down.

He was sure every creature in the region could hear the Eggmarine's engines and the roars of the reaper leviathan.

"New Threat Detected: Another Leviathan class life form. Proximity: 58 meters."

Oh no.

Ping. The sonar sounded, and the red outline of another large shape was dead ahead of the submarine's path of escape.

Ping. The shape grew bigger, and it was coming straight for him.

"Proximity Alert: 25 meters."

Robotnik jumped out of his skin, his heart beating out of his chest. "Fucking hell!" He shoved the control wheel forward to avoid the impact. "Nononono!"

The submarine descended sharply, and the leviathan behind him roared, but it was interrupted halfway from a second massive sound bellowing through the depths. The second leviathan growled – but it was completely different from the first – like a harsh rumbling of thunder ending with rhythmic clicking.

"Danger: Engine overheating." Robotnik heard a blast coming from the engine bay.

Everything was going to hell. He couldn't leave the bridge to attend to the fire he knew had started, not with two giant monsters about to tear his ship apart.

The sonar pinged, and Robotnik could see the two leviathans grappling together. It was hard to make out the image from the red flash that lasted only seconds, but it seemed as if they were fighting – it sounded horrible, with the two huge predators growling, howling, and snapping at each other. Roars pierced through the darkness, and the top of the vessel was hit again, worse this time.

"Hull compromised - storage bay ceiling."

Robotnik was flung forwards from the mighty impact of the leviathans. “Damn it, come on! Go!” He hissed, reorienting himself on the controls and leaning into them as if it would make the sub go faster. He saw a blink of movement in the glass, a blur of 2 long tails and fins swiftly passing the front of the bridge, so fast he could barely make it out in the dark.

Robotnik shoved the wheel as far forward as possible, plummeting the vessel in a rapid descent. "Not today you hungry mongrels! This snack is out of your league!" He taunted through clenched teeth.

If he could only reach the crevice, maybe he could find a place to hide, buy time to repair the hull damage, and stand his ground against the leviathans in the mech suit. The engines had to burn for a little longer, there was no other choice.

But the universe had other plans.

"Engine Damage Critical. Shutting Down."

"AARGH– give me a big, fat break!!" Robotnik yelled in frustration, still pushing the wheel hard.

The Eggmarine's movement slowed to a halt, floating dead in the water.

Ping. The sonar marked the vast, empty space of his location in the ocean, in a trench about 700 kilometers wide with mountainous walls going nearly straight upwards on either side of it.

There was 1 dot left on his display. 1 leviathan.

Threat Proximity: 20 meters.

There was nothing Robotnik could do. The sub's engine was down, a breach was ripping the hull, and a hungry, territorial leviathan was coming for him.

The creature sounded – a short, clicking rumble. It was the second leviathan, the one Robotnik had never heard before.

It was swimming up from the deep, still chasing him after surviving and presumably winning its deadly fight with the reaper.

The sonar rang out again. Ping.

The creature responded to the sonar with the same short rumble, ending with an ascending trill.

Robotnik leaned forward, brows furrowed at this new behavior. He switched off the sonar and floodlights and watched anxiously for movement.

Something slowly floated up into view of the glass dome of the Eggmarine's bridge.

Robotnik saw scaled and finned limbs coming from the dark, and they gently landed on the glass below him. He counted three, no, four arm-like appendages.

They almost resembled… webbed hands, pressed against the glass. They lifted, and tapped the glass several times, almost experimentally. The bang of the glass nearly gave Robotnik a heart attack.

The creature swam from beneath the glass up until it was directly in front of the pilot's control panel. The leviathan made no noise since the last sonar soundwave, and stayed in its spot facing the front glass of the bridge, its body swishing slowly side to side in the darkness.

Robotnik was almost afraid to turn the exterior flood lights back on, but he had to know what kind of beast was staring him in the face.

This leviathan was an entirely different species from any other he'd seen. It was slightly smaller in length than the reaper, but its body was much thicker and more mammalian. Its underbelly looked smooth, but its 6 limbs, spine and tail were scaled and armored. Its lower pair of arms were tucked into itself, and the top two arms swayed in front. It had two powerful muscular legs that were treading slowly in the water, and its long, spined tail snaked along with them.

Its head was more frighteningly humanoid than he would ever have expected. In its face were multiple sets of eyes squinting back, blinking rapidly from the bright floodlights. Small clusters of bubbles escaped from gills on either side of its neck, and 2 long, thin rays coming out of either side of its head with bioluminescent bulbs at the end.

Robotnik turned the sonar back on. A single ping.

The creature rumbled back, and it almost sounded like a whale's call in an attempt to imitate the sonar's frequency. It made no sudden movements, continuing to tread in place with unhurried motions.

Robotnik breathed out a shaken gasp of relief. This creature, whatever it was, didn't seem to see him on its menu right now. However, he had no time to investigate the intentions of the leviathan, he had engine fires to put out and a catastrophic implosion to prevent.

He left the sonar on to keep the creature distracted, switched the internal lights back on and ran full speed into the engine room to extinguish the fires. A thin stream of water was steadily spraying like a fire hydrant from a small breach in the plasteel ceiling that was getting worse every minute from the massive pressure of about 1200 PSI from the outside.

Robotnik yanked the repair tool off the wall, and clipped his harness to the suspension support and hauled himself up into the air to reach the storage bay ceiling.

He focused on welding the breach as best he could through the low visibility of the water flying everywhere and covering his goggles.

"It's just another day!" He shouted above the noise of the welding. "Just another day in the life of Dr. Ivo Robotnik, greatest man on earth AND planet 4546B! Day 63, boldly going! It's Tuesday back home! Stupid blue alien rat and its stupid magic rings!"

A strange, fuzzy sensation suddenly passed through his head. It was like a soft static of a distant radio, organic sounds garbled and unintelligible within. It was growing louder and louder. Robotnik cursed out loud. What the hell was next? Had he developed some new medical or psychological condition from a dangerous stimuli he'd unknowingly interacted with?

There was a painful pop of pressure in his head, as if the air pressure had climbed steeply in seconds – and the static noise stopped, both his ears started ringing a high pitched drone.

But Robotnik kept welding, he couldn't stop or he'd be dead in minutes, crushed from the impending implosion.

Finally, the water subsided, and the breach was closed.

Robotnik hung suspended in the air in his harness, breathing hard through the adrenaline rush and pain in his ears and head.

He slid down, and landed unsteadily on his feet on the metal floor. Back to the bridge. He was certain that all the noise from the Eggmarine's roaring engines and the leviathan fight would attract other predators.

The leviathan was gone from the view of the glass dome.

The sonar went off, and Robotnik saw the creature was floating in place beside the top of the sub, close to where the hull breach was. And now, it was swimming back into view of the bridge again.

Robotnik swallowed a prickle of fear. What the hell was it doing?

The high pitched ringing was at its loudest now. Robotnik leaned over the console, elbows hitting the metal, and clasped both hands to the side of his head, pushing them hard against his skull in a panicked effort to make the pain stop.

But the agonizing drone faded sharply into nothing, and was replaced with something else – a voice, soft and low pitched, echoing clear inside his head.

"Who…are…you?"

#subnautica au #stobotnik #my fics #Stone takes the place of sea emperor leviathan woooooo lets gooooo scaly giant telepathic monster boy #leviathan!stone

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the-bloody-sadist · 11 months

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Has there been pieces of media that have genuinely scared you before?

I’m actually a big scaredy cat! Although I find a lot of supernatural horror tropes uncreative and unmotivated, I also can only watch them through reviews by YouTubers most of the time because I don’t want to watch the scares myself. That’s one of the reasons why I prefer (and am more scared by) psychological horror. I enjoy that so much more than big scary demon haunts a house for the hundredth movie.

That is, if psychological horror has GOOD PSYCHOLOGY, which is even harder to find 😭.

With that said, the top horror types that scare me on a deeply personal level are: analogue horror, ARGs, and a category in cosmic horror that I would call “the earth wants to eat you” (i.e. Annihilation (2018) which shares elements with a part in a non-horror movie called Life of Pi that also terrified me as a teen, in which Pi lands on an island that is slowly trying to consume him whenever the sun sets.)

I’ll circle back around to the other categories, but in both Annihilation and that portion of Life of Pi, nature itself, having no consciousness as an entity that wants to kill or haunt or get revenge, is consuming all life as if to return living creatures to flora and fauna. In Annihilation, this is because of an alien force of life that has taken over a spot on the world that’s slowly growing, where the cycle of life is accelerated to the point that you see cells regenerate before your eyes. This causes tumors to grow in human brains in the course of a single day (causing madness—a particularly scary topic to me) and organisms take root inside their bodies when they sleep on the ground, which eventually grows out of them. When I saw this movie I wasn’t prepared for how it would affect me, and I was screaming my actual guts out when it came to the climax of the movie. I was so deeply disturbed that I couldn’t even go home to sleep on my own lmfao. There’s just something incredibly terrifying about the earth—meaning no harm and being an innocent creation—brutalizing humanity as it goes about it’s course. Again, if you watch it, the ending is the most disturbing part to me, and I had to cover my eyes for the whole scene AND WILL NEVER WATCH IT AGAIN 😭….

Next up, The Mandela Catalogue. If you know you know. I can’t see any images from it or hear the audio for the scares again. Anything to do with things that look like uncanny humans, things that pretend to be humans but are skinwalkers, and so on—I’m SO OUT. That’s the most terrifying concept to me. Along with this category I would include regular people not acting like themselves anymore—someone with a brain tumor perhaps who is acting odd or “innocently” attempting to hurt someone without full clarity of mind. HELP. Lmao 😭 the potential of it to be reality is way too close for me.

This is also why ARGs are also hard for me to watch. Since the whole concept is to portray it as reality and the creators will do everything in their power to tell the audience it’s not fictional, I have no absolutes and therefore cannot compartmentalize the fear it creates. I would never watch this kind of media except through the filter of a YouTuber reviewing it and explaining why it’s NOT REAL AND NOBODY DIED.

I do get disturbed quite easily by things like online media that’s strange (i.e. gory claymations by someone who was a weirdo irl and used the animations for his irl fantasies) and movies that are intensely graphic and have no positive elements at all. I know about pretty much every awful “banned” type film (A Serbian Film, Nekromantic, Cannibal Holocaust etc.) but only because I watch Mista GG make jokes about them so I don’t have to consider suicide. When things are made to be simply shock horror and have no clear point, there’s just something about it from a writer’s perspective that deeply troubled me. Because WHY DID THEY WRITE THAT SCRIPT???? If I can’t figure it out I get A BIT DISTRAUGHT….!!!

Lmao anyway, the last piece of media I’ll mention that REALLY unsettled me (except this time in a way where I think the film was brilliantly written and should be watched by those who can handle it better than me) is a movie called Mother! (2017). I won’t say much about it except that it’s an allegorical film representing the God of the Bible and his wife Mother Nature, and just….goddam, man. Religion in horror is always a turn-off for me or something I can’t handle, so this one hit hard after I realized what was going on. HIGHLY SUGGEST LOOKING AT THE ALLEGORICAL ELEMENTS BEFORE YOU GET INTO THE MOVIE THOUGH BECAUSE I THINK IT WILL MAKE THE EXPERIENCE SO MUCH BETTER. I went in totally blind and was sick with confusion.

ANYWAY! That’s all! Thank gods for tumblr where I can ramble to my heart’s content to the one person who asked 😵‍💫

#sadist’s answered asks #horror films

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script-a-world · 2 years

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Submitted via Google Form:

I'm thinking of creating a race of people who mature to adult very quickly - in the span of 1-2 years. They'll be very similiar to humans and could pass as one if they hide some features. Part of the plot will be humans discovering this species/sub species of humans. (or maybe I'll end up making them alien) and there's certainly some scientists in that group. Trying to also come up with technical vocabulary that at least would make some sense that could work. Also, what reasons would such species have for maturing this way, at least physically?

I'm not sure how to account for mental development. There's so much fiction about rapidly growing kids but the problem is, that has never been a natural happening, so either they are magically/technologically designed to be mentally equiped adults or very much show signs of being a child in an adult body. I'm trying to have this all be naturally.

Finally, this will totally be set in a universe of my own.

Tex: In what ways are they similar to humans? Facial features? Height? Linguistic capabilities? Love of ice cream? Humans are a bit endearing in that they have a tendency to look at a person and go “they’re a little odd but they’re alright” - pack-bonding with anything and all that jazz.

The general growth process from birth through puberty and into adulthood is a very energy-intensive process. In terms of sheer caloric content, their needs are going to be incredibly condensed according to the condensed time frame. If a teenager needs between two thousand and three thousand calories a day (NHS), for about nine years (12-20, for upper and lower bounds), how many calories a day would a “teenager” of your species need if their puberty lasts a tenth of the time? What about a twentieth?

Depending on an infant’s age, they’ll need between 400 and 800 calories a day (NIH). How long will your species spend in that section of their developmental years?

Mental development is in part a byproduct of physical development. It’s difficult to emotionally regulate when the section of your brain dedicated to emotional regulation and processing simply aren’t the same as a fully-grown adult that’s also had the benefit of several years of social conditioning on how to behave in what’s considered an appropriate manner.

One to two years is rapid. On top of all the other mentioned difficulties - a voracious appetite to keep pace with the nutrients required to grow so quickly and difficulties with emotional and mental regulation - such a condensed period to grow is going to be exceptionally painful. It’s already painful for humans, as growth spurts are your closest equivalents and small children can experience those several times a year depending on their age, and the time period you’ve outlined is going to be agonizing. Does your species have any biological equivalent to painkillers, or else some flora or fauna from their home environment that they can consume to produce the same effects?

What it seems like you’re attempting to do is cloned humans with some parameters adjusted, only with the word “naturally” attached. There’s a reason why mammals of the dimensions of a human being don’t have the pace of growth that you’re writing in - it’s resource-intensive and can often be contextually a disadvantage in a niche environment. Just because humans have managed to assemble social groups that have developed artificial materials and environments doesn’t mean their hearts have evolved into, say, an upside-down shape just because they live in skyscrapers.

The primary reason I can see this sort of development being “naturally” possible is if at one point it was artificially-induced, via something like genetic manipulation or exposure to deeply non-native environments such as space. For the former, there would need to be some reasoning behind altering the genetic code of an entire species in such a drastic manner - I’m not sure I could come up with any particular scenario. For the latter, low gravity environments or even a particular mode of FTL travel might induce particular gene expressions and generational alterations that would make a rapid developmental stage reasonable.

Something would need to explain the shortened period of intense hunger accompanying such growth, however. Maybe resources changed? If I keep to the theme of something like space travel, then it’s possible that the growth cycles of their food - or artificial replication - would be scavenged for materials necessary to grow, and they adapted accordingly.

A lot of this seems to boil down to changing situations of resource availability, and how your species compensates for that. How much of this is reflected in your plot?

#google submitted #evolution

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meltedhorror · 3 years

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👾

👾 Do you believe in aliens?

Green/grey tall, lanky and big eyes? No, not really.

The potential for living cells and micro organisms existing outside of planet earth though? Yeah! There might be a possibility.

We’ve yet to be able to even come close to creating life anew in a controlled scientific environment with the correct steps and ingredients that are known to us though, so the possibility of life actually coming to existence might only have an incredibly microscopic chance of happening, and that our planet and its flora/fauna is the exemption and not the rule.

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witchynyx · 4 years

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Southern Hemisphere Witchcraft: Seasons & Sabbats

With seasonal celebrations being an important part of most folks' practices (whether you follow the Wiccan/neopagan Wheel of the Year, observe just the solstices/equinoxes, or even stick with more mainstream religious and cultural holidays), living somewhere that doesn’t follow a Euro-centric seasonal model can make the question of “how do I approach these here??” a common stumbling block.

Having put a lot of thought into this question myself, and participated in a lot of discussions on the topic, I’m going to suggest getting at least some basic understanding of your areas seasonal (and possibly agricultural) patterns first, and then looking at how you might approach it.

Southern Hemisphere Seasons

One of the most obvious and well-known difference between the hemispheres, that even most folks living in the Northern half are aware of, is that our seasons occur at the opposite time of year.

Obviously this is an over-simplification, as seasonal patterns are affected by far more factors. This idea of “opposites” is also largely based on a Euro-centric seasonal model, which awkwardly sits over the calendar in some places, and in others - like the tropics - is almost entirely absurd.

I feel like it’s beneficial for most of us to try to learn about the actual natural weather patterns of our own areas. It might be pretty similar, and most of the differences are down to the different flora and fauna, or it might not divide into four distinct seasons at all. For Aussies: I’ve found Indigenous weather knowledge to be a useful place to start researching, because that’s going to give you much more reality-based information in a colonised country than modern science, which is still often interpreting data through a foreign lens.

It’s hard to try to adapt a system built around the patterns of another place to where you live, if you don’t really know what the patterns are here. Once you have some idea of the seasons, you can look more into what might be the best approach to celebrate them.

So When do I Celebrate the Sabbats?

Ok, so there are a number of different ways to approach this, depending on how quickly you want to make a decision and how much effort you want to put into said decision.

Approach #1: Follow the “Traditional” (European) Dates

An easy option, that requires zero real thought, is to just follow the dates as they’re celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere, as they’re presented in pretty well every witchy/Wiccan/Neopagan book you’re likely to get your hands on.

Pros:

Follow the dates in most books/resources;

Celebrate at the same time as the majority of the (international) community;

Sabbats will thematically match the European seasonal holidays that have made it into our secular calendar (Yule/Christmas, Samhain/Halloween, Ostara/Easter);

If you follow European pagan beliefs, particularly any that the Wiccan/neopagan wheel has borrowed traditions from, you’re celebrating those holidays at the same time as they were/are celebrated in that land;

Does your environment come alive in winter (when the NH are celebrating the height of vitality at Beltane and Midsummer) and die/go into hibernation over summer (when the NH are focusing on the quiet/hibernation of winter)? Because that might match up well!

Cons:

Celebrating Summer Solstice when it’s Winter Solstice where you are (and vice versa, and the same with the Equinoxes) can just be.. weird?

The imagery and symbolism is likely to be double-out: Not only do you have the disconnect, for example, of Yule/Christmas symbolism being heavy on foreign flora and fauna like pine trees, holly, and robins, but it can also cause some cognitive dissonance decorating with snowflakes and heavy roasts and mulled wine when it’s the height of summer and you can see heat rising off the road outside.

Approach #2: ‘Flip/Rotate’ the Wheel

Another easy option, and probably the most popular, is to just flip/rotate the Wheel of the Year so that the solar events (solstices and equinoxes) match up. This shifts the dates by 6 months, and “swaps” the Sabbats. It’s version that you’ll see in almost any book/resource you look at that acknowledges those of us in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Southern Hemisphere Wheel of the Year above by Jenwytch (2004) shows the flipped/rotated version, with the Sabbats on both images arranged synwyse (and thus anti-clockwise for the SH)

Pros:

Follow the Southern Hemisphere dates in most books/resources;

Celebrate at the same time as the majority of the Southern Hemisphere community;

Sabbats will thematically match the Eurocentric view of the seasons: You’re celebrating mid-winter at Winter Solstice, and midsummer at Summer Solstice;

Does your environment come alive in summer (when Beltane and Midsummer are celebrating the height of vitality) and die/go into hibernation over winter (when the focus of Yule is on silence and scarcity)? Because that sounds like a match!

Cons:

Celebrating opposite the international community can be alienating, especially when so many people/spaces don’t acknowledge that their experiences and practices aren’t universal;

If you follow any European pagan beliefs that the Wiccan/neopagan wheel has borrowed traditions from, you’re celebrating those holidays at the opposite time as they were/are celebrated in that land;

Sabbats will thematically oppose the European seasonal holidays that have made it into our secular calendar, and might make you extra-aware of how weird it is decorating for “autumn” Halloween themes at the height of spring and “spring” Easter themes when it’s autumn. How do you decorate for Halloween AND Beltane, or Christmas AND Midsummer? If you have children, how to you explain that dichotomy?

As listed above, this approach can leave folks pretty confused and frazzled as to how to reconcile celebrations with “energies” so different to what folks in the other half of the world are celebrating, or especially how to reconcile these celebrations with the European holidays in our calender. One of the things worth noting is that the planet is a constant state of balance: what’s happening in one place is a balance to that which is happening in another. The other thing to note is how the “opposing” celebrations relate to each other: eg Samhain and Beltane both have a focus on the ‘thinning of the veil between worlds’, with Samhain on its way into winter lending itself to a closeness with the dead, and Beltane at the height of spring holding a focus on the Fair Folk - one gives thanks for the bounty of harvest and the other to the bounty of life flourishing (which will later lead to the harvest), and both traditionally focusing on divination and relationships. They can easily be seen as different sides of the same coin.

Approach #3: ‘Flip/Rotate’ the Wheel and then Customise it

This is where the work starts to come in. Again, one of the more popular approaches is the flip the wheel (as above) and use that as a framework to customise your own Wheel of the Year.

Usually the names and dates will remain intact (although aligning with the timing of the astrological events might become more important than celebrating on the same calendar date each year), but then how much you stick with the ‘traditional’ vs how much you customise things is completely up to you. Maybe you keep the themes and mythologies but add in/swap out seasonally-appropriate local flora and fauna? Maybe you add in some extra days that are important to you as well, because they’re important to your religious path, or because they hold great personal significance to you. You really can take this where you like.

Pros:

Following the Southern Hemisphere dates from most books/resources, either exactly or close enough;

Celebrating the same things at the same time as most other folks in the Southern Hemisphere community, or pretty close to;

Great for forming a connection with your local seasons and environment;

Flexible and customisable: If something doesn’t gel, explore why, change things, try stuff;

Interactive and dynamic: Your relationship takes priority over the information written in a book, and being forever-changing rather than fixed can be interesting and engaging.

Cons:

You might never be “finished” building your wheel;

It takes active thought and involvement. Particularly if you’re new, this can be incredibly overwhelming;

If you follow pagan beliefs from elsewhere in the world (especially any of those that the Wiccan/neopagan wheel has borrowed traditions from), you’ll have to decide whether it makes more sense to celebrate events by the seasons or the calendar.

I think probably the easiest way to approach this is a little at a time. Start with just flipping the wheel, and as the wheel turns, work on your relationships with both the sabbats as they’re presented and the seasonal shifts happening around you. Maybe set one goal to focus on for each revolution: Get a feel for the ‘traditional’ wheel, get a feel for the seasons where you live and how they compare, notice what the local flora and fauna are doing, meditate on what colours/energies are prominent, learn about what your local agricultural cycles are doing and what food is in season. The fact that there’s no time limit on it means that you can just do a little at a time, and you can tweak it each time it rolls around.

One book which uses this approach is Dancing the Sacred Wheel (2012), by Adelaide witch/author Frances Billinghurst. Frances presents her approach to the Sabbats in this book, and it’s highly influenced by both the natural cycles around Adelaide, and her path as a Celtic Wiccan.

Approach #4: Create Your Own Wheel from Scratch!

The final approach is to completely throw the Wicca/neopagan wheel straight in the bin and build your own wheel/calendar from scratch. No guides and no preconceptions! Is that exciting? Terrifying? Maybe some of both?

Pros:

You’re starting from zero with no existing frameworks or ideas!

Ultimate freedom and flexibility;

Cons:

You’re starting from zero with no existing frameworks or ideas!

Enormous job: starting from zero with no framework or guide;

For a great example of this approach, check out Australian Druidry (2017) by Julie Brett, who takes this approach creating a Wheel of the Year for her area in Sydney (pictured).

My own Wheel of the Year is probably somewhere between approaches 3 & 4. I’m still working on it, but here’s where I’m at as of late 2020.

#southern hemisphere witch #aussie witchcraft #seasonal celebrations #witchcraft #original content #witchynyx

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fyrapartnersearch · 4 years

Text

Howdy there! How are you?

Self

My name is James Home. I’m a 23 year old trans male from Olympia WA. In time zones that’s PST (Pacific standard time) am a visual artist, graphic designer, and storyteller. My Briggs acronym ENFJ. In saying so I’m a huge talker and communicator, physically and literally! Personal interests of mine include BOTW, FFXV, and Hanibal atm. I have a lovely and incredible wife named Isabella. We both additionally like DND (were even painting our minis), collecting Halloween decorations, and watching Avatar the last air bender with our roommate. Though I do have a history in plenty of other fandoms as well and always on the lookout for recommendations.

Preference

So for myself I love to take care of my Rp partners in all accommodations possible.

Meaning if your heart has been craving fluff, rough smut, or a plain ol hug. IM GAME! If none, no biggie let’s make a plot spot!

Roles I usually fall under are but not limited too….

-DOM , Vers, Power bottom

-caretaker, guardian, teacher

-father, handler, knight

-beefcakes, robots, selfless leaders

And so much more!

The roles I lean towards are

-caretaker, strong and silent-ish type, and flamboyant entertainers.

-male roles, trans male roles, open to trying a female role?, non binary, pangender role.

- I do enjoy topping, some aspects of BDSM, and some hard kinks.

-fallen leader, relearning about a loving world, hopeful in a dark world.

-not taking their role as important as they should have or are, “I’ve been doing this for years. But this is new”, and “I brought you your favorite drink wanna cuddle, I’ll provide the sugar?” Types

And so much more!

As far as story things themes are

-highly complex kingdoms

-High pace fantasy

-society by the ocean

-abandon green houses

-heavily dense forests

-fae and fiend worlds

-AUs of pre-existing universes from shows

-magic incorporated

-supernatural

Worlds we design collectively.

My HARD NOs are…

NO MINORS ROLEPLAYING WITH ME, 19 AND UNDER DO NOT APPLY

-abuse in active Rp (can be used from background and really has to depend on circumstance)

-harm of any children

-harm of expected mother

-any form of r*pe play

-blood play, degrading play, hard impact play

-crying kinks, humiliation kink, and electric play

-no smoking kinks either or character usage of substances.

Writing

I’m not too big on proper grammar or sentence structure as long as there was an idea getting across. I’m ok with role playing as many people as you’d like to actively work on, so doubles, and even triples are okay. Plus working two different stories is fun! I do prefer paragraphing and we all know the feeling of one word responses. This is a hobby and creative outlet from myself so that’s why I have no big stressors about punctuation or spelling.

Storytelling

Here are some story concepts I’ve come up with. Yet if you’d like to imply your own let’s talk about it!

Counterpart pathways

A magical filled fantasy realm where all is possible including the bad. One summer day a incubus/demon hybrid named Jona, father of three, learns someone has kidnapped all three of his boys! He's on the hunt for clues and finding them at all costs. Gathering the best crew possible of Moof the best wolf bounty hunter in all the realm, Bell the boys spider caretaker shapeshifter, and Glover the bull/bison hybrid the green alchemist, set off to find the children. Along the way by gathering clues they encounter obstacles and trials of skill and pursuit! Will they ever find the three octopus babies ? Will Jona have closure and put on a shirt? Will Bell ever stop stealing everything shiny? Will Moof grow more confident in his teammates? Will Glover not stop shaking and being such a wuss? Who will help this odd 4 on their epic abnormal quest?!

Puddles

A time traveler that gets stuck in between dimensions due to their powers temporarily weakened from the extensive work they've been doing end up meeting a stranger who takes them in. Not used to the timeline they shows up in, they have to knowledge of normal behavior. They must figure out a way to recharge their abilities but has not of the slightly clue as to what it causing them to have lost them in the first place. Is the person that's helping them good or evil? Who's side are they on? How will they figure them out? Why do they find the stranger oddly familiar?

When men become mortal

An alien/robot/human species that survives by using different masks/chips for various occasions. It's like buying different clothes but they adapt or transform the hoist for a month or less of another body/form/identity. The main character experiences a technical difficulty where their head socket cannot adapt to a new face for long and has to get it repaired. Though along the way he seems to find that not wearing a false identity they actually enjoy seeing the outside world with no expectation of appearance. The other is a identity artist, the one whom develops different faces and identity. He spends hours tweaking details of bodies and faces. He always has the nicest things because of his work and from important commissions and work for certain clients.They meet at a gallery that the artist is hoisting at a museum. The individuals there are decorated like some of the model pieces and others artist curators-part sellers. The faceless one decides to go to the museum to see what's or who's being showcased and since he has a little bit of extra money he saved up for the occasion. Everyone finds him interesting since he doesn't have an appearance, they think he's a model. Thus they send him to meet with the artist for the show. The artist doesn't know him at all. They find eachother very different but most parts similar. From their meeting the artist gets inspired by his original face. Coming to realize that even himself that he has given into the world he never wanted to.The two of them hit it off. Both dwelling into the matters of the "perfect" vessel. Asking the serious questions such as what makes a body, a face, a soul attractive? They go on for hours and it starts to inspire the artists work into his new resorted craftsmanship. The faceless impressed by the purposed questions and also work. The two of them grow closer resulted from talking so much about bodies and meaning. All the while testing out the new creations, body parts, and vessels capabilities. Not all though is good while the two develop this hoist. There's a villain at hand who one of the artist's main clients that goes unsuspected. They want to use the designs to create a vessel for the bad and wealth. Only to include to kill off all humans.The two of them hit it off. Both dwelling into the matters of the "perfect" vessel. Asking the serious questions such as what makes a body, a face, a soul attractive? They go on for hours and it starts to inspire the artists work into his new resorted craftsmanship. The faceless impressed by the purposed questions and also work. The two of them grow closer resulted from talking so much about bodies and meaning. All the while testing out the new creations, body parts, and vessels capabilities. Not all though is good while the two develop this hoist. There's a villain at hand who one of the artist's main clients that goes unsuspected. They want to use the designs to create a vessel for the bad and wealth. Only to include to kill off all humans. Thus forces the artist to reveal his true identity. A human being. Not a hologram. Plus he's not just an artist but a ex-con scientist from the labs that have bloomed into a internalized war. Faceless becomes confused and also hurt that the artist to mention this. Only for the two of them being followed. The artist informs the robot that the hybrids (the children of the robot-species, generations of offspring) are the real threat to society. The one who hoists and is in charge of the power sorce is human and machine. The first of its kind, and also the previous mentor of the artist/ex-scientist. Who will get to the power source first. Our main dynamic couple or the robotic uprising that believe all humans should cease to exist once and for all?

Gay Cryptids

Themes

Active night life

Next to the ocean, sea, body of water.

Beach city/lost boys/Mad max?/punk/ regal?/neon lights/old mascots/vapor wave af

Carnival / festivals

Dark market authenticity

Biker gang(s)

Aquatic features, art, incorporated in surroundings

Lifestyles like fish importing, dock workers, sushi shops, fancy diners

Common foods are all fish and sea foods

The city was a work in process for a resort city, and a major violent storm came too early taking out some of the fancier parts of the island. Most of the higher end houses and mansions were believed to be damaged in the outer edges of the island. There had been a castle built as a main part of the hotel/resort. Old costumes, sets, mascots were left to rot by the seas breeze. Barnacles, ivy, and vines with exotic flora and fauna growing wildly cover the buildings. Possibly even growing in the mansion and other houses. The main part of the biker gang is in a abandoned church next to the sea caves is where the biker gang mostly resides and work primarily as hit men and women. The island would be decided by the two head family of vampires one powerful family versus the other in over control if the current situation of resort in the actual tourist location.A rambunctious gang of young cryptics disguise themselves as human during the daytime but during the night it's quite the time to be alive and young. Various story arcs of love and lust between the group members figuring out their own sexualities and forming adulthood. Though most of it is all of them just fucking around.A rambunctious gang of young cryptics disguise themselves as human during the daytime but during the night it's quite the time to be alive and young. Various story arcs of love and lust between the group members figuring out their own sexualities and forming adulthood. Though most of it is all of them just fucking around.

Plausible locations

Old mill

Carnival / freakshow

Rides and amusement

Abandoned Church

Greenhouse

Garden

Boat house

Log cabins

CAMP grounds

Old schools

Warehouses

The Docks or Port

Boat houses

Boat docks

Abandoned Hotel

Studios

Bike store

Surf or like diving store

Knickknack shack

Ma and Pa restaurants

Antique stores

Downtown

Library

Hospital or infirmary excotic masion

I have story plots for days SONNNN so these are at skim level for plot.

If you’d like to contact me the best ways are

Discord at

Agodnamedhome#4202

[email protected]

I work from 11:30 to 4 Monday-Friday

But available before, and after for sure.

Thursday’s at 5 are my therapist appointments

Weekends are 100% free atm

Looking for a long term, short term, a friend!

#long term rp #oc rp #mulitfandom rp #email #discord #writting #hobby #rp #roleplay #looking for an online friend #pacfic northwest #orginal content #submission

6 notes · View notes

agodnamedhome · 4 years

Text

Howdy there! How are you?

Self

Preference

So for myself I love to take care of my Rp partners in all accommodations possible.

Meaning if your heart has been craving fluff, rough smut, or a plain ol hug. IM GAME! If none, no biggie let’s make a plot spot!

Roles I usually fall under are but not limited too….

-DOM , Vers, Power bottom

-caretaker, guardian, teacher

-father, handler, knight

-beefcakes, robots, selfless leaders

And so much more!

The roles I lean towards are

-caretaker, strong and silent-ish type, and flamboyant entertainers.

-male roles, trans male roles, open to trying a female role?, non binary, pangender role.

- I do enjoy topping, some aspects of BDSM, and some hard kinks.

-fallen leader, relearning about a loving world, hopeful in a dark world.

And so much more!

As far as story things themes are

-highly complex kingdoms

-High pace fantasy

-society by the ocean

-abandon green houses

-heavily dense forests

-fae and fiend worlds

-AUs of pre-existing universes from shows

-magic incorporated

-supernatural

Worlds we design collectively.

My HARD NOs are…

NO MINORS ROLEPLAYING WITH ME, 19 AND UNDER DO NOT APPLY

-abuse in active Rp (can be used from background and really has to depend on circumstance)

-harm of any children

-harm of expected mother

-any form of r*pe play

-blood play, degrading play, hard impact play

-crying kinks, humiliation kink, and electric play

-no smoking kinks either or character usage of substances.

Writing

Storytelling

Here are some story concepts I’ve come up with. Yet if you’d like to imply your own let’s talk about it!

Counterpart pathways

Puddles

When men become mortal

An alien/robot/human species that survives by using different masks/chips for various occasions.

It's like buying different clothes but they adapt or transform the hoist for a month or less of another body/form/identity.

The main character experiences a technical difficulty where their head socket cannot adapt to a new face for long and has to get it repaired. Though along the way he seems to find that not wearing a false identity they actually enjoy seeing the outside world with no expectation of appearance.

The other is a identity artist, the one whom develops different faces and identity. He spends hours tweaking details of bodies and faces. He always has the nicest things because of his work and from important commissions and work for certain clients.

They meet at a gallery that the artist is hoisting at a museum. The individuals there are decorated like some of the model pieces and others artist curators-part sellers.

The faceless one decides to go to the museum to see what's or who's being showcased and since he has a little bit of extra money he saved up for the occasion. Everyone finds him interesting since he doesn't have an appearance, they think he's a model. Thus they send him to meet with the artist for the show.

The artist doesn't know him at all. They find eachother very different but most parts similar. From their meeting the artist gets inspired by his original face. Coming to realize that even himself that he has given into the world he never wanted to.

The two of them hit it off. Both dwelling into the matters of the "perfect" vessel. Asking the serious questions such as what makes a body, a face, a soul attractive? They go on for hours and it starts to inspire the artists work into his new resorted craftsmanship. The faceless impressed by the purposed questions and also work. The two of them grow closer resulted from talking so much about bodies and meaning. All the while testing out the new creations, body parts, and vessels capabilities.

Not all though is good while the two develop this hoist. There's a villain at hand who one of the artist's main clients that goes unsuspected. They want to use the designs to create a vessel for the bad and wealth. Only to include to kill off all humans.

Thus forces the artist to reveal his true identity. A human being. Not a hologram. Plus he's not just an artist but a ex-con scientist from the labs that have bloomed into a internalized war. Faceless becomes confused and also hurt that the artist to mention this. Only for the two of them being followed.

The artist informs the robot that the hybrids (the children of the robot-species, generations of offspring) are the real threat to society. The one who hoists and is in charge of the power sorce is human and machine. The first of its kind, and also the previous mentor of the artist/ex-scientist.

Who will get to the power source first. Our main dynamic couple or the robotic uprising that believe all humans should cease to exist once and for all?

Gay Cryptids

Themes

Active night life

Next to the ocean, sea, body of water.

Beach city/lost boys/Mad max?/punk/ regal?/neon lights/old mascots/vapor wave af

Carnival / festivals

Dark market authenticity

Biker gang(s)

Aquatic features, art, incorporated in surroundings

Lifestyles like fish importing, dock workers, sushi shops, fancy diners

Common foods are all fish and sea foods

A rambunctious gang of young cryptics disguise themselves as human during the daytime but during the night it's quite the time to be alive and young.

Various story arcs of love and lust between the group members figuring out their own sexualities and forming adulthood. Though most of it is all of them just fucking around.

A rambunctious gang of young cryptics disguise themselves as human during the daytime but during the night it's quite the time to be alive and young.

Various story arcs of love and lust between the group members figuring out their own sexualities and forming adulthood. Though most of it is all of them just fucking around.

Plausible locations

Old mill

Carnival / freakshow

Rides and amusement

Abandoned Church

Greenhouse

Garden

Boat house

Log cabins

CAMP grounds

Old schools

Warehouses

The Docks or Port

Boat houses

Boat docks

Abandoned Hotel

Studios

Bike store

Surf or like diving store

Knickknack shack

Ma and Pa restaurants

Antique stores

Downtown

Library

Hospital or infirmary excotic masion

I have story plots for days SONNNN so these are at skim level for plot.

If you’d like to contact me the best ways are

Discord at

Agodnamedhome#4202

[email protected]

I work from 11:30 to 4 Monday-Friday

But available before, and after for sure.

Thursday’s at 5 are my therapist appointments

Weekends are 100% free atm

Looking for a long term, short term, a friend!

#rp #rp partner search #rp search #oc rp #orginal content #writting #fantasy #smut #fun #art #self promte

4 notes · View notes

yetibaba · 6 years

Photo

Welp, one of my coveted gems came in the mail today! I've wanted a copy of this book for a Long time, and now I have one! It is absolutely beautiful and magical--even the paper is super high quality; thick and textured. (Side note: Damnit! There's a Deluxe, Limited, Signed Edition!? . . oh thank God--it is Super expensive, haha). Someday. ;) From Amazon: "An extraordinary and surreal art book, this edition has been redesigned by the author and includes new illustrations. Ever since the Codex Seraphinianus was first published in 1981, the book has been recognized as one of the strangest and most beautiful art books ever made. This visual encyclopedia of an unknown world written in an unknown language has fueled much debate over its meaning. Written for the information age and addressing the import of coding and decoding in genetics, literary criticism, and computer science, the Codex confused, fascinated, and enchanted a generation. While its message may be unclear, its appeal is obvious: it is a most exquisite artifact. Blurring the distinction between art book and art object, this anniversary edition-redesigned by the author and featuring new illustrations-presents this unique work in a new, unparalleled light." And this excellent comment/review from Amazon user Solari: "Codex Seraphianus is one of my favorite books, but I have never read it. No one has, in fact, because this encyclopedia of a surreal world is written in an imaginary alphabet, with indecipherable texts. The book was first published in 1981, by Italian artist and architect Luigi Serafini. He claims he created the book during a three-year-long mental outbreak in Rome in 1976, and that he doesn’t consider himself the author of the codex. The true author, Serafini claims, is a white cat he found some day as he went back home and lay on his lap as he wrote and drew the codex. “The white cat was the true author. I passed for the author, but was only a manual executor. As the present confession could not be done before for copyright reasons, I take the chance to express, with the author’s permission, the most sincere thanks for the cat, in memoriam.” And how is the book the cat wrote and Serafini transcribed? It looks like a codex from Leonardo da Vinci if he was on acid. An alien encyclopedia written in an impossible language, describing a world that at the same time remembers and parodies our own. It is the kind of object Jorge Luis Borges imagined in Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius, an artifact from another world that for some reason passed through the cracks of reality into our own. It is possibly the strangest book ever written. Linguists tried for over thirty years to translate the language, but only the numeral code, based on 21, has been cracked. Recently, Serafini said the writing is meaningless. This is how he says the crazy calligraphy of the codex was born: “It was the writing that contained the dreams of several other writings.” The book is divided in 11 chapters, with themes that can more or less be inferred by the images: flora, fauna, biped creatures, chemistry, culture, mythology, games, architecture, technology and so on. The images have a very characteristic surreal feel, like the way they mend together biological parts and machines. A book filled with migrating trees, impossible cities, half-built creatures, and the famous image of a copulating couple turning into a crocodile. Quite simply an incredible, one of-a-kind book." It is. . . Precious, to me. ;)

8 notes · View notes

arinfmdxcs2 · 3 years

Text

CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS

IThe relationship between man and nature is a prominent theme that contemporary artists explore, largely due to the notion of fear and guilt that the current state of the earth places upon people. Many artists feel that it is their duty to address these environmental issues to communicate the severity of the situation to wider audiences, though it is a personal connection to nature that predominantly makes these artists use nature as subject matter. Here I will explore the different ways in which contemporary artists display this relationship, and the perspectives they commonly hold.

Caitlin Hackett is an example of a contemporary artist who devotedly explores the relationship between human and nature in her work; creating a series of dramatic and striking representations of animals which convey such a strong emotion of guilt, not as regret from her own conscious but as a blanket statement about humanity. She states that her work “alludes to the boundaries that separate humans from animals both physically and metaphysically, and the way in which these boundaries are warped by science, mythology, and religion alike. Like the gods of so many myths Humanity has warped the world into our own image, and it is this often frightening image I hope to reflect in my work.” (C. Hackett, Available at: https://www.caitlinhackett.com/about)[1].

Her youth on the Northern coast of California had allowed her to traverse impressive landscapes and develop a spiritual connection to nature. She often reminisces about her past in response to being asked about her inspirations as an artist; she describes that she has always “personified all the elements of the natural world, plant and animal alike…There is a lost kinship between man and beast, and I have long been drawn to this shifting boundary between us.” (C. Hackett, Available at: https://www.caitlinhackett.com/about) This evidences a reality that a person’s experiences allow such a strong bond between human and nature to be created, and therefore the opposite is possible; the way in which Hackett explores this relationship is striking as she tackles criticism of human induced extinction, damaged ecosystems and broken connection. She describes her youth as being surrounded by the love of nature and mythology – which nourished her curiosity of Native American lore and European fairy tales based upon themes of chimeral shifts; Literature that blurred the boundaries between man and animal, where hybrid transformations invoked a deep appreciation for the relationship between these connected dualities in Hackett.

Hackett has been especially interested in mythology, in her more recent reflections of the parallels between ancient text and philosophical allegory, she recognises that these myths of transformation from the past have somewhat become a symbol of prophecy as they correlate to modern deformities in animals due to radiation and human pollutants. In this way she combines mythological visuals with a message about the environmental deterioration humans have caused. “I hope to remind those who view my artwork that we too are animals, embedded in this fragile world even as we poison it.” (C. Hackett, Available at: https://www.caitlinhackett.com/about)

Caitlin Hackett’s inspirations come from various places, sometimes from memorable dreams of unusual dystopian or utopian worlds, her passion for mythology, and primarily her fear of environmental issues caused and continuously catalysed by humans’ harmful practice, including deforestation, pollution, extinction, hunting and animal testing. She intends to employ these themes alongside each other to evoke thought for the viewers of her work – hoping that people will recognise their duty to help shift the widespread societal perspectives that we are superior. Hackett also describes her fascination with tools of escapism, such as fairy tales, daydreaming and fantasy literature, imagining a utopian landscape in which she can explore nature and all of its beauties – a parallel to our world where living creatures live in harmony alongside each other. This is communicated through her work through the use of juxtaposing themes, beauty and tragedy of our landscape contextualised together and influencing viewers to think about how we have diminished and obstruct the beauty of the earth. These incredibly passionate works are created using a multimedia technique of ballpoint pen, coloured pencil, and watercolours. Hackett explores a bleak portrayal of human impact on the world through mutated animals set within scenes of pollution, she uses muted and toned down colours create the sense of downfall.

Hackett describes her intense admiration and passion for birds as she believes they represent “survival in the face of all odds” (C. Hackett, Available at: https://theflyingfruitbowl.co.uk/2013/03/29/an-interview-with-caitlin-hackett/) [2] For her, these birds strength and determination is respectable and enchanting. As a symbol of freedom in a lot of imagery, these birds are symbolically juxtaposed in her artwork. She uses this powerful imagery to criticise the damage we have caused to limited habitats in attempts to prevent the irreversible destruction of species. Hackett also criticises the way in which modern society selfishly and hypocritically imposes views on animals, from which some animals are personified, domesticated, worshipped whilst others are discarded, especially in the instance of the food market. The societal value of an animal is decided based on coincidence or subjective media depictions. The pieces titled “Sacred Bull” and “The Gift Horse” [fig 4] act as a diptych about this very topic – the cow is inspired by Hindu worship, contrasted to violent bull fighting practices in Spain and the prominence in the meat industry. In this way, the same animal is both depicted as ‘sacred’ and ‘sacrificial’. This is carefully compared to the image of a horse which is often in western perspective, personified as a companion or pet, a symbol of colonialism, while also a symbol of captive animal harnessed for selfish human needs. Hackett states: “It’s easy for me to understand why we personify the horse: we long for grace and strength and power, they represent a creature we have tamed, a form of beauty we have molded to our own needs.” (C. Hackett, 2017, Available at: https://www.thepeoplesprintshop.com/blogs/news/one-great-tumble-of-beautiful-wilderness-an-interview-with-caitlin-hackett) [3]

Caitlin Hackett has developed her art through the perspective she holds about humanities connection with a fragile system of imbalance. She intends to show that we mutually connect to this earth with animals and nature – we should not be alienating ourselves further when discussing a future for the development of environment. These themes are particularly important in the discussions of environmental politics, humanity needs to recognise the borders we have implemented on ourselves, creating this fragile relationship.

Caitlin Hackett

Caitlin Hackett - Lazaret I - via Modern Eden gallery

Caitlin Hackett

Caitlin Hackett - ‘Sacred Bull’ and ‘The Gift Horse’

Lauren Marx, to Hackett alike, is known for her beautifully detailed 2D artworks with nature as the focal point of her work created using pen, ink, and watercolours. However, this artist stood out to me for a different reason, despite these two artists work being similar in style – it is the technique in which Marx uses symbolism through fauna to convey personal struggles. “I had a very hard time growing-up being emotionally and physically abused by several close family members. The anger stuck with me and I used the ‘violence’ of my art as an outlet for those emotions. I try my best to surround the violence with beauty to remember that not everything is so dark” (L. Marx, 2017, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2017/07/06/lauren-marxs-interconnectivity-of-life-unforgiving-portrayals-of-nature/) [4] This careful juxtaposition of visceral imagery paired with imagery associated with elegance and purity is particularly interesting about her work, intertwining the beauty and the grotesque creates striking images and reveals a way in which humans can use the imagery of nature to communicate their experience. For example, exposed intestines and brutal combat alongside moths, butterflies, or plants. The melancholic scenes of Marx’s work, representing personal emotions related to mental health, displays a technique which highlights a bond between human and nature, the spirituality some may feel towards it which allows a personal connection between personal life and a natural world. Her work at surface value may communicate views about society and nature, especially as the elegance to her work may be slightly shrouded by the grotesque imagery of decay, though her deep connection with this work is even more interesting in the suggestion of human and nature relationship. Lauren Marx’s focus on life and death and mental health through symbolism provides an interesting account of how contemporary artists can use nature to express themselves in a comfortable way. Marx states “I am creating a mythological world, centred around North American flora and fauna, to better expresses my image of who I am, how I am perceived, my struggles with mental health, and to explore self-healing.” (L, Marx, 2017, Available at: https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2019/12/chimera-by-lauren-marx/)[5]

Lauren Marx

Martin Wittfooth is another example of a modern artist who has developed a fascinating way of working which communicates the flawed relationship between humans and nature, by removing the human figure from settings of destruction, yet keeping evidence of their spent presence. Wittfooth describes this technique of expressing emotion without a key piece of the theme as a “symbolic device... to suggest a reminder to a bygone kind of spiritual connection to the world around us – a world that our materially-obsessed species has exploited, pushed to the margins, and largely forgotten.” (M. Wittfooth, 2019, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2019/09/27/interview-with-martin-wittfooth/)[6] The debris of human dominance is quite apparent in his works, seen through crumbled cities, destroyed vehicles and wires – in which animals are placed within these settings in a melancholic and nostalgic way. This dystopian subject matter communicates a question of what impact humans are having on the natural world, where the advanced infrastructures and technologies are left devoid without human interference, opens up the argument to the viewer that the developments humans are making are selfish. These symbolic implications that our disrespect and apathetic perspective towards nature has formed a downfall for the earth provide evidence of a large portion of a generation of humanity that is now worried for the earth’s future. He has thought quite in depth about how his artwork fits in to the historical timeline of image making, and how that classical pieces seem more in touch with nature with the use of religious allegories and mythology, with intentions to have his work feel “trapped in two worlds: the nostalgic past, and the troubled now.” This may be achieved by using oil paints, reminiscent of the visual components in classical paintings. Wittfooth also explores light in his paintings, quite often in the form of fire as a symbol of destruction, though also in use of symbolic and religious references. The collective psychology of human reaction to nature or animals interests Wittfooth, for example, the “awe or respect for large animals” or “revulsion for spiders and snakes” (M. Wittfooth, 2015, Available at: https://beinart.org/blogs/articles/interview-martin-wittfooth) [7] – this concept has developed him to become mindful of the natural imagery he uses in his works. In this way he focusses on scale as well as composition to create an emotional and striking response to the paintings. Martin Wittfooth states “my work is often trying to point at: that nature and the human condition in relation to it is cyclical and self-repeating, variations on the same themes through time. I’m not as interested in speaking about events or topics specific to our era as exploring ideas of how our past, present and future flow together.” (M. Wittfooth, 2015, Available at: https://wowxwow.com/artist-interview/martin-wittfooth-ai )[8] These themes make Wittfooth an interesting example of contemporary artist, as his reference to human impact on the world is seen from an uninvolved perspective, it seems as his interest in the psychology and history of these themes is viewed from quite an unopinionated perspective, despite the imagery of his works evoking such a nostalgic and melancholic mood. These artworks are therefore added to the contemporary collection of artworks as a piece of historical evidence to a somewhat dystopia driven generation, seamlessly transitioning from classical paintings to an anthropogenic viewpoint on the contemporary world.

Chris Wittfooth

Tamara Dean is a photographic artist who passionately communicates messages regarding themes of damaged ecology, beauty in humanity, and the balance of humans and nature, this is especially prevalent in her photo series titled ‘Endangered’. This particular set of art pieces is intended to show humanity in a different light, to resemble a natural and vulnerable form of life, rather than an untouchable force of dominance. ‘Endangered’ portrays humans as “mammals in a sensitive ecosystem” (T. Dean, 2021, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2021/02/02/tamara-dean-interview/)[9] in an attempt to show people that we will face the same consequences of our actions as any other living creature, that we are not exempt from our mistakes. We cannot afford to see ourselves as separate from the natural world. The prominence of Dean’s work comes from the way in which she highlights that we are not superior or separate to nature, that we are as much a part of it than anything else (despite the years of urbanisation and civilising societal practice) – one way she achieves this is with her models being nude. This shows humans in a raw and vulnerable state, which is particularly striking. This idea is especially interesting (in the series ‘Endangered’) in contrast to other instances that society has generally seen humans submerged in water. For example, this type of imagery is often associated with tragedy, especially if fully clothed. Other instances of this type of imagery commonly seen are scientific exploration (separating human from nature) and holiday imagery often used in advertisement. The concept of holiday imagery ties into a theme of escapism with humans, this emphasises the idea that reconnecting with nature is a luxury and not something that should be normalised in a civilised society. There is something overwhelming seeing humans in an ‘unnatural’ setting for us, Dean successfully blurs the boundaries between what is human and what is animal.

Tamara Deans’ views on the natural world highlight the disconnected relationship a lot of contemporary artists may feel towards nature, as she tries to rekindle this in attempts to create a harmony that was once lost in the past. “My intention with these works is to change the narrative; show that in an age of mass extinction humanity is as vulnerable as every other living creature, to make the point that this is personal.” Dean is overtly critical of the way contemporary society views nature, she uses statistics such as “Biologists predict that if we continue carrying on the way we are, by the end of this century 50% of species living today will face extinction. As much as 45% of biodiversity could be lost by 2050. And humans are not immune.” To highlight her reason for anxiety around this subject, it is especially important for humans to realise this problem as soon as possible, as human-induced climate change can only be solved by prioritising environment over capitalism in the future. Her aims as an artist are to heal a gap in the relationship between human and nature, to diminish the alienation a lot of contemporary, urbanised audiences feel towards nature. Tamara Dean’s deep concern for the planet is evident in the collection of works during her career, including another series named ‘The Edge’ where she depicts rites of passages and rituals in nature in cultures with prominent themes of spirituality within. It necessary for the models in Dean’s work to experience nature in a raw and transitional setting, engaging with overwhelming emotions that come with being connected with nature. This helps to emphasise that destruction against nature is ultimately going to harm us. Tamara Dean has an extremely developed relationship between herself and nature, “Wilderness represents eternity for me, a shared sense of time between our ancestors and our future. It is a space we can imagine ourselves in, as primitive beings and yet still find a place in the now. It’s an ancient space which we can revisit, to remember where we came from and to reflect on where we are going…I feel most alive when I am in nature.” (T. Dean, 2018, Available at:https://bluethumb.com.au/blog/interviews/an-interview-with-tamara-dean/) [10] Her art practice and research helped her to rekindle a relationship lost by the years of industrialisation.

Tamara Dean from the ‘Endangered’ series.

Tamara Dean - Sacred Lotus

Lexi Laine is a similar photography artist in that she creates underwater settings, though I found this artist was more useful in displaying another way in which humans feel closeness to nature, and how they may use it as a tool of escapism from the chaotic sense of an urban setting. Laine describes the magnetism water has on her; “I think it must have something to do with our evolution as humans, it is believed that all life once originated in the ocean after all. In my imagery, water represents how different this part of our world is from the places we typically inhabit” – revealing that sometimes artists love to create in nature because of the emotions and feelings they experience while being connected in the moment, rather than having an outward motive to communicate a message. This artist reveals that the beauty of nature still holds the overwhelming power over humans that draws us in. For Laine, water enables her to defy gravity, allowing her to encompass her work with a feeling of another reality. She states that “It feels like our above water world is getting busier and louder by the day. Being underwater is a form of meditation and escape for me.” (L. Laine, 2021, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2021/02/09/lexi-laine-interview/ ) [11] Being underwater creates a separation between two completely different settings, it is perhaps the most multisensory way of experiencing nature. Water is a tool for envisioning a dystopian reality for Laine. This artists work in my opinion is not as interesting as her words, which provoked thought about escapism in the natural world and ways in which it can be used with meditative intentions.

Adam Matano explores interest and admiration for nature through sculptures based on real life models, the way he experiences these animals provides an extra layer of depth to his artwork and message. Matano focusses on the concept that though we have the means to help animals through modern technology and developments, we need to recognise the power of how animals can help mankind in return, the spiritual and emotional lessons they can teach us can even help develop our understanding of humans. Harmonising the relationships between man and animal is crucial for the balance of life – contemporary human perspective needs to be redirected towards a centrally equal direction. Climate change and increasingly unhospitable features of this earth is an issue for all living creatures not just animals, having a selfish and apathetic outlook on the role we have in the way the earth has developed has impacted all sections of life. Matano believes that artwork centred around animals have a role to play in the societal discussions about the human condition, philosophy, and our place within the universe, it allows us to critically view and analyse why we are compelled to show admiration for animals. He states that he doesn’t view animals differently to humans; “I have always seen the qualities in them that most people think are unique to humans. You just have to go about looking at them in a different way.” “We can try to leave nature, but that doesn’t change that we are still a part of it. Everything has a connection to the cycle, even if we don’t see it, or don’t want to see it.” (A. Matano, 2020, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2020/03/19/interview-animal-sculptor-adam-matano/) [12] The technique of using life models allows him to develop a relationship with the animals he is portraying, paired with the research he puts into the types of animals he incorporates, facilitates the aims to defeat stigma and nurture the relationship viewers have with the art and animal.

Adam Matano

Ariel Bowman is a contemporary sculptor, with a notable passion of science, history, and art - combining them into a rich approach to her craft. (A. Bowman, 2020, Available at: http://voyagedallas.com/interview/meet-ariel-bowman-ariel-bowman-cearmics-flower-mound/)[13] There is a significant theme of history within her pieces, as Bowman primarily sculpts paleofauna within various scenes of civilisation. She is particularly interested in the shift of perspectives towards nature during the 18th century, during a time of industrialisation and technologies allowing a deeper and more concise understanding of nature. These discoveries caused the concept of wilderness to be diminished, ultimately raising the idea that humans are the superior force on the planet, as well as forcing a revelation of thought. Bowman states “I am fascinated by this contrast and this time period as the height of the Anthropocene and a symbol for human hubris and decadence.”. Bowman uses this theme of historical human activity, especially during the 18th century carefully in her work to communicate the relationship between human and animal. Ariel Bowmans approach to the theme of humanity’s place within nature is based on a technique of re-evaluation and reimagining various epochs of the earth together. The rustic and classic imagery of dull-coloured paleo animals contrasted with detailed and ornate decorative settings creates a sense of separation and other worldliness. It forces the viewer to think about humanities impact and place in the world, which is quite successful.

Ariel Bowman

There are some key visual similarities between Bowman and Julia DeVille, however this artist uses the technique of neo-Victorian taxidermy to celebrate animals and nature. The animals she uses in her work have all died from natural causes, and her work aims to celebrate them with ornate decoration, jewels, and precious metals to communicate respect to powerful creatures that have been included in thousands of cultural and spiritual worships. Using taxidermy as a means to honour animals rather than the former collective patriotic displays of superiority. Taxidermy is commonly associated with hunting ‘trophies’ – a decoration intended to provide admiration for those who killed the animals. Taxidermy has connotations with trophy hunting and a decline in wildlife population – and while DeVille ethically sources her animals, there is still a huge amount of controversy about this type of work as people find it offends the dignity of the animal, presenting them as something they are not or in a disrespectful or humorous way. Though this type of work allows a conversation about life and death and how to honour our animals alike to humans, I think there is a duality of morals appropriate in regard to taxidermy – however in this case there is a clear motive only of reverence to the dead. DeVille intends to divert attention to the way humans have become human centric and lost connection to other living creatures. It is ultimately a criticism of the widespread capitalistic outlook on nature and humanity. She also mentions that her work intends to open conversation about morals of eating meat and to bring attention to the viewers principles. Julia DeVille believes that her pieces have spiritual significance in that they still contain energy; “Energy pervades beyond death, even if it’s merely via a human experience of an emotion, instilled by the sight of what remains of the animal.” (J. DeVille, 2019, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2019/10/01/interview-with-julia-deville/) [14] As an artist, DeVille highlights the spiritual connection between humans and nature, and the importance of the celebration of life.

Julia Deville, taxidermy giraffe.

Forest Rogers’ subject matter as a sculptural artist is an extraordinary display of the amalgamation of humans and animals, this type of chimeral theme is explored throughout a lot of her works – she uses this technique to evoke an unnerving feeling to those who view the work. The sculptures are grand and monumental within a space, holding the space almost as if they are real scientific displays. The use of morphing human and animal together in a symbiotic manner is overwhelming for an audience, especially as her scientific research allows her to articulate a delicate, detailed, and realistic biological forms. These sculptures commonly involve black eyes creating an intense contrast to the surface of the skin, creating an unsettling mood to the audience – it may make you feel you are looking through an empty vessel, where a lack of emotion from the eye’s expression is eerily impactful. The cohesion between hybrid features provides a seamless switch between human and animal which is really effective in causing uncanny experiences for me as a viewer, however it simultaneously seems natural and beautiful. The delicate posture of the sculpture also adds a sense of innocence and understanding between viewer and character. The morbid imagery is subtle but enables the viewer to link human and animalistic traits in quite an alluring way. Rogers is another artist who uses these chimeral techniques to transform pain into something beautiful. Turning sorrow into artistic creativity is a skill that Rogers and many other artists possess, which is one of the most common features of artists who use nature as subject matter. She expresses her admiration towards the transformative nature of metamorphosis, regarding it as “useful metaphor at times of pivotal trauma.” (F. Rodgers, 2019, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2019/09/05/interview-with-forest-rogers/)[15] Again, this shows the subtle ways nature can help lead to healing for humans.

Forest Rodgers - Octopoid

Forest Rodgers - Horned Fragment

Forest Rodgers - Enricos Faun

There is a huge variety in the way in which contemporary sculptors depict the theme of nature in their work. Sabrina Gruss for example, uses the physical remains of animals as well as vegetation and found objects to create reinterpretations of biology in the form of fantastical creatures. This is one of the examples of an artist who physically uses nature to create art and express emotions, rather than the alternate way around. This is a particularly interesting way of working as it highlights the intense respect and interest in nature and natural processes. Her pieces become a reflection of beauty within life, and she brings parts of different pieces of nature together, she states that bone as a material releases “emotional strength” – the morbid themes of her work can therefore be viewed something quite respectful, a human using a spiritual connection with nature and the cycle of decay to communicate feelings. (S. Gruss, 2014, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2014/06/12/the-living-dead-creatures-of-sabrina-gruss-interview/)[16] For Gruss working so closely to death is a coping mechanism, allowing her to process her feelings and emotions about her familial ties to loss during World War 2 concentration camps, helping reduce her fear of death and allowing it to once again become a natural and comfortable topic. Another example is the replication of natural textures in realistic sculptures to depict metaphorical ideas regarding the human-nature relationship. Christopher David Whites extremely detailed pieces explore the fluctuating relationship between humanity and nature through illusion, focussed on the theme of decay and growth. He criticises the separation we have caused, placing ourselves in a false position of superiority and disconnectedness while remaining linked to the natural world from within; “Human is to nature as skin is to bark – as roots are to veins. Humanity is inextricably linked to the natural world… We have become outsiders to everything that makes us who we are.” (C. David White, Available at: https://www.christopherdavidwhite.com/index.php/en/about)[17] The concept of impermanence is also thoroughly explored in White’s work as he explores the way in which we have provoked the current state of fragility on the earth, where there is no balance of unity between us and this detachment from the natural world will only become worse. The damaging perspectives that this Anthropogenic drive to keep developing economy and technology will have no consequences, White argues that everything comes to an end and the fast paced, absent minded, economically driven society will only catalyse this. (C. David White, 2014, Available at: https://twistedsifter.com/2014/03/wood-like-ceramic-sculptures-by-christopher-david-white/) [18] This artist is important to my research in that he provides a perspective based on the concept of growth and decay and how the shifted human perspective towards nature is damaging.

Sabrina Gruss

Christopher David White

Cultures of film and tv also provide widespread societal perspectives on the relationship between man and nature, including the ever developing technological advancements. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind [19] is a 1984 animation depicting a post-apocalyptic scene after catastrophic nuclear warfare, in this film, the ‘Seven Days of Fire’ symbolises the destruction of man-made bio-weapons. Environmentalism is explored through the depiction of ruin – poisonous seas, polluted air, unhospitable land, and mutated insects are shown as the nuclear fallout. Miyazaki provides a perspective of pacifism and ecological awareness; the protagonist recognises the beauty within the earth and hold compassion for its creatures, the film encompasses ideas of peaceful coexistence and respect towards nature. Other examples of environmentalist themes through film are seen in media such as Avatar[20], There Will be Blood[21] and series such as Black Mirror[22] is a key example of contemporary awareness of technology – its name derived from looking into a screen – this series encapsulates themes of the dark side of technology, making unpleasant fiction seem close to reality.

[1] C. Hackett, Available at: https://www.caitlinhackett.com/about

[2] C. Hackett, Available at: https://theflyingfruitbowl.co.uk/2013/03/29/an-interview-with-caitlin-hackett/

[3] (C. Hackett, 2017, Available at: https://www.thepeoplesprintshop.com/blogs/news/one-great-tumble-of-beautiful-wilderness-an-interview-with-caitlin-hackett)

[4] L. Marx, 2017, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2017/07/06/lauren-marxs-interconnectivity-of-life-unforgiving-portrayals-of-nature/

[5] L, Marx, 2017, Available at: https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2019/12/chimera-by-lauren-marx/

[6] M. Wittfooth, 2019, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2019/09/27/interview-with-martin-wittfooth/

[7] M. Wittfooth, 2015, Available at: https://beinart.org/blogs/articles/interview-martin-wittfooth

[8] M. Wittfooth, 2015, Available at: https://wowxwow.com/artist-interview/martin-wittfooth-ai

[9] T. Dean, 2021, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2021/02/02/tamara-dean-interview/

[10] T. Dean, 2018, Available at:https://bluethumb.com.au/blog/interviews/an-interview-with-tamara-dean/

[11] L. Laine, 2021, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2021/02/09/lexi-laine-interview/

[12] A. Matano, 2020, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2020/03/19/interview-animal-sculptor-adam-matano/

[13] A. Bowman, 2020, Available at: http://voyagedallas.com/interview/meet-ariel-bowman-ariel-bowman-cearmics-flower-mound/

[14] J. DeVille, 2019, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2019/10/01/interview-with-julia-deville/

[15] F. Rodgers, 2019, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2019/09/05/interview-with-forest-rogers/

[16] S. Gruss, 2014, Available at: https://beautifulbizarre.net/2014/06/12/the-living-dead-creatures-of-sabrina-gruss-interview/

[17] C. David White, Available at: https://www.christopherdavidwhite.com/index.php/en/about

[18] C. David White, 2014, Available at: https://twistedsifter.com/2014/03/wood-like-ceramic-sculptures-by-christopher-david-white/

[19] Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) Directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

[20] Avatar (2009) Directed by James Cameron.

[21] There Will Be Blood (2008) Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

[22] Black Mirror (2011) NETFLIX, 4 December 2011.

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monstrositytrolls · 7 years

Text

The Cedran are a species whose lives begin when they are torn into two separate entities. These entities, known as the Cirith, have a very limited timeframe to find each other and become whole again. Failure to reunite will result in the death of both Cirith. This process is to ensure that only the strong and most dedicated will survive, and is the result of a failed plan to make a species of soldiers.

Gods

The Cedran were created by four divine beings: Alach (The Deity of Creation), Aminia (The Deity of Separation), Casten (The Deity of Reunion), and Blait (The Deity of Recovery). Each of these deities lives on one of the four moons orbiting around the planet Cedras. Alach resides on Aeshal (the moon closest to Cedras), Aminia resides on Kusot, Casten resides on Elago, and Blait resides on Ra'rin (the moon farthest from Cedras).

Originally the gods agreed to have a very hands-off approach with their creations. They wouldn't interfere with the Cedran, and would simply sit back and watch them grow on their own. Alach and Blait were content with this decision, but the twins Aminia and Casten had ulterior motives. They wanted to use the Cedran as warriors and started influencing the way their society was growing. Alach discovered this plan and quickly put a stop to it, preventing the Cedran from going down the path the twins had in mind for them. With the agreement broken and the Cedran completely alerted to their presence, Alach and Blait decided to interact more with them. They still avoid influencing their society in any way, but it's not uncommon to hear Alach whispering stories to their beloved creations or to see Blait on Cedras itself, watching the Cedran go about their lives.

Life Cycle

The Cedran do not reproduce, and instead are each personally created by Alach and Blait. When a Cedran dies their residual energy is reshaped and given a new life and body by the Gods of Creation and Recovery. Because of this, only a set number of Cedran exist at any given time. Their life cycle is as follows:

1. Brought into existence by Alach and Blait 2. Split into Cirith and placed on two separate parts of Cedras by Aminia 3. Attempt to reunite with their other half 4. If successful in finding their other half Casten combines them back into a whole being, known as a Maelim 5. The Maelim then live out the rest of their lives, doing whatever they're drawn to do

Cirith

The Cirith have an innate pull to their other half, finding each other is easy in that regard. However, they are weak and have a very short lifespan (roughly two months) compared to the Maelim, and reunion rates are fairly low due to outside dangers and time restraints.

Each Cirith is an exaggerated embodiment of half their Maelim's personality and emotions. One Cirith may have their Maelim's happiness and their distaste for the color purple, while the other contains their Maelim's sadness and their love of stargazing. Each also contains half their Maelim's name (The Maelim Eofalni's Cirith are named Eo and Falni).

They have one set of arms, one set of eyes, a pair of horns, and are typically between three and four feet tall. Each has different colors and patterning and very rarely a Cirith will give off light or completely absorb it, their patterns not visible until they're reunited with their other half.

Maelim

The Maelim are much bigger, stronger, and have longer lifespans than the Cirith. They're They can live up to 2,000 years, though most die before they get that old. Each Maelim is brought into existence with an innate knowledge of their culture, though they do not retain the memories of the Cedran whose energy they're made of. They're incredibly fast learners, and are very skilled at learning new languages.

The Maelim are typically between seven and eight feet tall, though it's not unheard of for them to be nine feet. They're humanoid and along with being very tall, they're very spindly. Each have four arms (with every hand having three fingers and a thumb), four eyes (no other facial features), horns, and didactyl feet. They're usually very vividly colored with intricate patterns. They're completely hairless and have very long, pointy ears. Because their only facial features are their eyes, it's hard for them to convey emotion through facial expressions. Instead, they use body language (primarily their very expressive ears) to show others how they're feeling.

They primarily communicate telepathically, though they also have their own sign language for those who have trouble with the typical communication methods. They have no mouths and cannot eat, so they sustain themselves by absorbing the life force of other beings, which they have to do through physical touch. Their touch is very soothing, a trait they use to their advantage when taking something's life force.

Culture

The Cedran are a very social species, and their culture reflects that. They usually live in large communal housing units. A Cedran's bonds with other people are the most important aspects of their lives. Cedran have relationships very similar to human romance, and having multiple partners (known as Moren) is the norm. Because of their life-stealing powers, physical affection is a big sign of trust among the Cedran, reserved mostly for moren and very close friends. Because each Cedran has such an unbalanced and tumultuous start at life, balance in both body and mind is a highly valued trait. Even-tempered Maelim and those with symmetrical markings and horns are thought highly of (and typically considered more attractive). Very rarely a Maelim will have both a Cirith that gives off light and one that absorbs it. These Maelim, called Aehlin, are considered the most balanced and are revered as ambassadors both to other planets and their own gods. Conversely, a Maelim who has two Cirith that give off light or two Cirith that absorb light are thought to be the most imbalanced and an omen of bad luck. These Maelim, known as Essyp, are usually shunned from their communities and forced to live their lives in solitude.

Agriculture is a very large aspect of Cedran society. They sustain themselves through other living things, so they need a fairly large supply of plants and animals. A lot of land on Cedras has been turned into farms, with farmers being highly respected members of their communities.

Due to Aminia and Casten's influences, fighting has become a beloved sport among the Cedran, who have developed their own style of hand-to-hand combat. Large competitions and shows of strength are held often, usually with the whole community taking part. It's not just for show though, the Cedran use the training and competitions as preparation in case Cedras is invaded by hostile aliens.

Also due to the twins' influences, the Cedran are very technologically advanced and space travel is pretty common, albeit very inconvenient for them. Seeing as they have to have living things with them in order to survive, most of their ships are basically giant space farms. The Aehlin spend most of their lives traveling through space, connecting with other species and gathering information about different flora and fauna.

#cedran things #here they are #here are my aliens #if anyone actually reads all this i'll be amazed tbh #y'all can reblog this if you want #but you definitely shouldn't feel pressured to or anything

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omniversalobservations · 4 years

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Lovecraft Country (October 2020)

Hippolyta was on Earth 504 for the equivalent of 200 years on their version of Earth. She acquired infinite wisdom and intends to use it to save Dee. And so, Tic, Leti, Montrose, and herself drive to the observatory in Kentucky to retrieve the Book of Names from Tic’s family before it got lost in the Tulsa riots. Tic and Hippolyta fix the time machine up whilst Leti and Montrose tend to Dee. Montrose reveals to Leti that he and Tic are aware that she’s pregnant. Tic didn’t tell her because he also learned that he dies during Christina’s spell.

Before long, Hippolyta gets the time machine up and running. There are upwards of 60 trillion parallel universes. They need to rewind to their Earth’s Tulsa in 1921. The computer needs a motherboard to give it instructions, so Hippolyta plugs herself up to the machine using the purple implants in her wrists. She uses the picture of Montrose, George, and Dora from 1921 to triangulate. She then warns them not to change anything in the past. Hippolyta plugs herself up to the machine and Tic, Leti, and Montrose travel back in time to Tulsa, 1921.

Source: Lovecraft Country Wiki

The orrery’s coordinates lead Hippolyta to Mayfield, Kansas where she arrives at an observatory. There she finds a machine that fits the orrery’s key. But the machine seems to be stuck so, using her physics and mathematical smarts, she figures out how to turn it on. Police arrive (Captain Lancaster is having them keep an eye on the place) and cause a commotion that leads to the machine creating tears in the universe, and the real heat of the episode begins. Tic throws a cop through the tear and Hippolyta shoots the other cop who bleeds out. Then, standing too close to the disruption in time and space, Hippolyta is sucked in.

Hippolyta arrives, descending meteorically onto what appears to be a planet somewhere in space. Is she in the future? Is that some kind of extraterrestrial ship? Before she can figure it out, two beings looking both robotic and alien approach her. She wakes up in a white room, nude and with purple implants in the beds of her wrists. She is greeted by a tall Black being, with a large, shaped Afro who speaks in code, repeating iterations of “You are not in a prison,” “Where do you want to be?”, and “Name yourself.” (In the credits this character is named as “Seraphina a.k.a. Beyond C’est” — like Beyoncé, get it?)

It’s fun to watch Hippolyta’s mind work as she begins to understand her surroundings and realize this is a place of possibility, but she still doesn’t quite understand the power she is about to wield. Seraphina nudges her again. Who does she want to be? Pressured, she comes up with the quickest idea of freedom she can muster in the moment: “I want to be dancing on stage in Paris with Josephine Baker.” And surely, she is taken there — right onto the stage, in a white feathered getup, mid-dance number. She spends what seems like months there, loosening up thanks to advice from Josephine Baker herself, partaking in the fun, the sisterhood, the lavishness, the drugs. The script and Aunjanue Ellis are wonderful here. What would risk being too on-the-nose elsewhere, becomes layered and full of guts:

“All those years I thought I had everything I ever wanted, only to come here and discover that all I ever was was the exact kind of Negro woman white folks wanted me to be. I feel like they just found a smart way to lynch me without me noticing a noose … Sometimes I just, I wanna kill white folks. And it’s not just them … I hate me, for letting them make me feel small.”

Hippolyta’s ruminations in this episode are full of such nuance in their pauses and pivots—these are feelings wrapped up together, themselves wrapped in a societal history that’s made her feel this way. The audience is forced to feel her emotion here, to listen and be on her side. These very bold feelings become justified. It’s pretty incredible to have her admit this all and have Josephine Baker nod and respond in knowing kinship.

If you’re confused about where and when Hippolyta travels next, that’s part of the point. We see Hippolyta surrounded by other Black women in warrior garb. She begins to spar, in training, with the group’s leader. We watch as her skills grow. And it’s revealed that they’re training to fight … white Confederate soldiers. This is not a space that exists in our current world or timeline, but the orrery is allowing her to travel operating by the many-worlds theory — that if multiple universes exist in parallel, then all possible realities are realized in some world. Or as Hippolyta puts it, she can find “a world where I can name myself anything.” The battle is a bloodbath for the soldiers that ends in Hippolyta kicking off a man’s loosened head. Triumphant, Hippolyta explains to the women she is now leading that this is justified anger, that it’s anger born out of love. She connects these emotions to freedom. More soldiers run toward them in the background, but Hippolyta drops her sword, takes off the helmet she earned, and proclaims her identity once more: “I am Hippolyta; George’s wife.” She’s accomplished what she’s needed to and she’s instantaneously on to the next.

I’ll admit that Hippolyta returning to the scene we first met her in is touching. Her revisiting this moment of tenderness with George is grand because she is able to express her true feelings. “When I was a kid, I thought I was big enough to have every right to name something out of this world,” she tells him, “and then I just started shrinking myself.” She calls out George further—indicating that he influenced her to do this. This version of George is hesitant but apologies and admits that he dulled her shine. With that off her chest, we get her final declaration: “I am Hippolyta; Discoverer.” She grabs George’s hand and the two are transported to a colorful, yet-to-be-explored planet. They make peace with the aliens living there and help catalog and discover new flora and fauna. It’s pure joy.

In the end, Hippolyta chooses to return home. She asks Seraphina, “How could I fit in everything that I am now, into that place?” It’s a lovely, poetic question that I’ll be thinking about for a long time. She explains, “That Hippolyta, she was so small,” but Dee needs her mother. It’s not sad because she’s not that same person. She is now a Hippolyta transformed.

Source: Vulture

(image via Twitter)

#television #Lovecraft Country #many worlds #multiverse #time travel

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starchasers2020 · 4 years

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The Story of Creation

The creator of the universe, master of dimensions, giver of fates is known as Alseer. Alseer created the planets, orbits, asteroids, stars, black holes - every celestial body. But then when he stepped back to view his creation, he saw a vast plane devoid of life. He decided it needed more - and he needed help.

Alseer built great automatons known as the Nunuki to help him flesh out the universe in incredible detail. The Nunuki fabricated the flora and fauna, filled the oceans, and eventually got bored of helping and began to pursue their own interests.

They created philosophy and science, feeding their mechanical brains with infinite knowledge. They began to experiment; specifically, they wanted slave laborers that were smarter than animals but not as smart as them. So they made humans.

Alseer popped in one day to see how his creations were doing and was impressed by the Nunuki’s ‘humans’. The slaves were peak biological design - strong, tireless, brainless, unaware and unable to do anything but what they are assigned. The Nunuki had been experimenting particularly on the first two specimens they created. After observing the two humans, Alseer decides to fiddle around with them a bit. He gives them free will, sentience, dreams, motivation, passion, love, hate, jealousy, fear; everything that makes humans interesting.

While this was happening, the Nunuki were fighting amongst themselves. They warred over valuable, attractive things (like gold and diamonds) because they love adorning themselves. In fact, they basically depleted all the natural resources in the known universe, with the most powerful group of Nunuki hogging it all for themselves. The resulting war lasted eons.

In the meantime, the Nunuki had isolated the two test subjects that were given free will in a large observatory dome. Inside the dome was a small living space, a pond, and a massive tree. It was explained to the inhabitants that the fruit of that tree is the rarest and most powerful food in existence. The two were given a choice - live as they are, or partake of the fruit.

After giving the two humans sentience, Alseer left and began ‘working on other canvases’ (creating different realities/dimensions). When he came back to this universe and saw the ravages of the Nunuki’s war, he was heartbroken. All the time, energy, resources, planning, and faith that Alseer had put into his creation; ruined. Quickly, his heartbreak turned to rage. He grew to 20 times his size and wiped out the Nunuki completely. He swept them into the Void and they (and their golden adornments) liquidized.

After his rampage, Alseer was filled with guilt and remorse. He saw how pitiable the humans were (semi-sentient husks that didn’t eat, drink, sleep, or even perceive their own existence). In a blast of energy, he gave them all of the wonderful things that he had given Atom and Cella (for those are the names the two isolated human test subjects had chosen for themselves). More importantly, he gave them variety - in personality, build, genetics, biological structure, habitats, abilities, etc. And suddenly there weren’t just humans! All kinds of humanoid aliens and creatures were filled with life and vigor.

He restored the resources and life to the planets, preparing them to be inhabited by his newly varied humanoids. He then created the gods to watch over the humanoids, giving them enough power to protect his creation, but not enough to destroy it. To be frank, he had created glorified babysitters to keep humanity safe while he explored the cosmos, attempting to come to terms with what he had done.

#creation story #star chasers #scifi #fantasy #spacefaring #universe #worldbuilding #storytelling #background #thank you universe

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muthur9000 · 7 years

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‘Alien: Covenant’: 38 Things We Learned from Ridley Scott’s Audio Commentary

Ridley says David wasn’t an A.I. that was an embryo and grew up—when we see him in the prologue, he’s freshly “born.”

David realizes in the prologue that his creator has limitations (i.e. will die), and when Peter asks him to pour him tea after David points out that Peter will die, it was a challenge—his first “order” to David.

Scott says that David’s choice to pour the tea immediately, with no reaction, shows that he’s political, and therefore dangerous. He’s biding his time and choosing his actions wisely.

The opening title font, information about the ship, and even the score all harken back to the original Alien directly after the prologue.

Scott says the nail necklace represents the idea of the cabin on the lake that Katherine Waterston and James Franco’s character’s planned to build.

There’s no random choice in the crew members—they all had to earn their spots on the ship.

Danny McBride’s character was inspired by Slim Pickens, down to the hat. Scott calls him his hat tip to Stanley Kubrick’s Strangelove.

The holodeck on the Covenant is meant to be an evolution of the holodeck from Prometheus.

Scott says on the set of Alien his actors would get fussy with him about not having any backstory or motivation beyond surviving the titular menace, so Scott sat down and wrote a page of backstory for each character.

In the original script, Shaw’s transmission was a prayer. But Scott felt it was corny and instead changed it to the John Denver song because of its purity and focus on loneliness, despite not actually being a big John Denver fan himself.

Scott acknowledges the plot point of receiving a transmission and going to its source is from the original Alien: “I think there’s a comfort zone when a film is so popular and is popular for 30 years, that it’s good to slightly revisit old ideas.”

Scott says this Planet 4, has two moons and is roughly the size of Earth.

All the landing shots are actual location shots from New Zealand.

Scott confirms the planet we saw in Prometheus was a military research outpost, which he based on what he learned about Anthrax Island where they developed anthrax during World War II.

Scott says he storyboards everything, noting that he went through many years of art school and can thus storyboard incredibly quickly.

The neomorph literally grows as he’s running after Amy Seimetz’s character.

Scott develops almost everything he makes, but he says The Martian came out of the blue as something he didn’t personally develop.

Scott says on the commentary that Covenant is the middle chapter for this new series of Alien films: “There’s a platform for what we’re doing right now. It’ll be Prometheus, Covenant 1, and Covenant 2, then we’ll probably come in the back end of Alien 1, and that’s already kind of been worked out. Covenant 2’s already being written by John Logan.”

The big statues inside David’s stronghold are probably the six elders of the entire civilization: “The intellects, the artists, the wise men.”Scott says he thinks the Engineers have a lifespan of around 150 years.

The flashback that shows what happened to the dead Engineers wasn’t in the original script. Scott insisted they needed to show who killed all of them and why.

David has been marooned on the planet for 10 years.

Scott has answers for all your David body hair questions: “Does the hair of an A.I. grow? If David’s a super A.I., they’ll want his hair to grow.

They couldn’t quite work out the red blood—they wanted to differentiate with white blood—but hair will grow, beard will grow… Does he get dirty? Probably, but he doesn’t have body odor or anything like that, so he probably just keeps the parts clean.” The building David is housed in was based in part on the beauty of the Pantheon. Scott says the entire film boils down to issues of A.I. and creator/creation: “The subtext of this whole story is the evolution of an A.I. will eventually demonstrate his superiority to their human intellect, and if we invent a perfect A.I. and the next thing you do is have that A.I. create or invent an equal A.I., from that moment we’re in trouble, unless we can control it.”

Scott says there were about 2 million Engineers in the plaza when David released the biological weapon.

The weapon can kill a planet entirely in months, flora and fauna, then the planet will take years to rebuild.

Visually Scott originally wanted Alien: Covenant to be like Black Hawk Down, but once they dug into it he felt Black Hawk didn’t look “cosmetic” enough for what he needed, so they found a middle ground between that look and Prometheus.

Scott defends Billy Crudup’s character’s decision to touch and look in the eggs noting that John Hurt’s character did it in the first Alien.

Daniels gradually taking over the group in Covenant harkens back to Ripley’s arc in the first Alien.

Scott’s first cut was 2:20, 2:15 and he removed about 15 minutes of footage: “Half the time it’s when shots are too long or the sequence is too long, but I’m quite good at judging where I am and have I done too much and do I waste money by shooting stuff I don’t use.”

The alien that comes out of Crudup’s chest was a puppet on set, then replaced with a digital version in post-production.Scott says David’s love for Elizabeth is real.

Scott was worried people wouldn’t buy the fact that David stabbing Walter didn’t kill him, and he explains that the “kill button” that David thought he hit was already starting to evolve in this new version of the A.I., thus he comes back. There was debate over whether to keep the scene in which Daniels flips through David’s drawings, which Scott thinks gives us insight into how David’s mind works. Scott wanted to keep the A.I. fight short and violent because we’ve seen similar kinds of fights before.

Scott says he wants the audience wondering if the A.I. is Walter or David on the ship.

On the original Alien, as written, when Ripley gets into the shuttle the movie ends. “I felt it was flat, it needs another evolution, so you need a fourth act. So I sat down and wrote the fourth act, which is what happens inside the escape shuttle, and it cost money so they didn’t want to do it, but I think it’s the whole difference in the film.” It constituted an extra five days of shooting, and Scott wanted to tack on a similar “extra ending” for Covenant.

David sneaking the embryos onto the ship in his stomach was inspired by research Scott had done for a film called Cartel, where he learned that girls were swallowing drugs and carrying them across the border.

David’s final walk down the corridor used to have a kick inspired by Adolf Hitler, but Scott removed it.

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casualarsonist · 7 years

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No Man’s Sky (PS4) review

A while back I posted a first impressions run-down of my initial thoughts on No Man’s Sky.

https://casualarsonist.tumblr.com/post/164330011115/no-mans-sky-in-2017-a-first-impressions-review

In it you can find the perspective of someone who was somewhere within the first fifty hours of having an amazing time, and I think it’s a good companion piece to the feelings expressed here. I bought the game for £10 on the Playstation store after a great deal of umm-ing and ah-ing and following the aftermath of the PR meltdown catalysed by Sean Murray and Hello Games’ numerous unfulfilled promises preceding the game’s launch, and upon loading it up I found the incredible size of the game, the beauty of its landscapes, and the utterly unique feeling of dropping down on the middle of a life-sized alien planet with nothing with the sound of the wind howling along a desolate landscape absolutely captivating. But, for some reason, after about fifty hours of engaging gameplay, I just kind of dropped it and never went back. If I recall correctly, it might have had something to do with a PS Store sale and a bunch of other shorter games that distracted me…

You know what it’s like…

But regardless of the reason, I didn’t go back to No Man’s Sky for months. It was only after coming home late one night last week and not feeling like I was ready to go to bed that I sat in the dark, booted the ol’ PS4 up and clicked ‘play’ on the game to remind myself of what was going on. The interesting thing is that after giving myself some time, space, and perspective, coming back to it after all that time away laid bare a fact about the game that had remained hidden to me right up until that moment. A fact that defines the end experience for the player as much as its ambition defines the beginning.

No Man’s Sky is a first-person space exploration game developed by the small 16-man studio, ‘Hello Games’. Having only ever released the side-scrolling racing/platformer ‘Joe Danger’ games, No Man’s Sky was a huge shift from the studio’s base of experience, and an incredible up-scale in scope from anything they had previously attempted. The player awakens on a planet next to the busted shell of their crashed ship. Beyond them lies an enormous, procedurally-generated expanse filled with alien plant and animal life, and rock and mineral deposits, all harvestable for the base resources required to get your ship up and running again. One may find bodies of water, underground caves, outposts both abandoned or inhabited by intelligent lifeforms belonging to one of three alien races, as well as totems that teach you the various languages of the galaxy word by word, and strange monoliths or temples that will offer rewards or punishments to the player for the way they choose to interact with them. Mysterious robots called Sentinels patrol about, sometimes passively, other times aggressively depending on the planet you’re on. The first experience is both incredible and overwhelming, and yet simple to engage with and amazing in scope. You’ll likely spend hours mining mineral deposits dry just for the sake of it. You can sit down with a partner and enjoy the exploration as much as a viewer as you can as a participant, and this to date the only game that my girlfriend is happy to play with me and I with her, which made it a satisfying and enjoyable social experience despite there being no formal multiplayer element.

Once you gather enough resources to repair your ship and regain the means with which to lift off, you can either fly around the planet exploring further and further afield, or take a seamless journey off-world and into the local system, traversing from planet to planet without loading screens, unlocking story missions, gathering more resources to trade or craft components for your ship, fight space pirates or becomes a space pirate yourself or even leave that system entirely and explore other planetary systems. The core feature of the gameplay here is exploration, and it’s important to understand this before you decide to buy, because those expecting to be allowed to blast their way across the galaxy are going to be sorely disappointed with No Man’s Sky’s relatively passive intentions.

Also the space combat is shit.

What can’t be understated is the scale of the game. No Man’s Sky is absolutely. fucking. enormous. There are literally quintillions of technically ‘unique’ planets to explore. Each has its own climate, colour palette, flora, fauna, quantity of life, size…one planet might be a tiny barren rock devoid of all organic life, but with great spires of pure gold jutting out from the ground; the next might be a verdant paradise brimming with creatures in every direction; another might be a radioactive water planet in which most of its bounty lies submerged beneath a purple sea; and yet another may be covered in snow and have floating islands of rock, and giant deposits of metal sinking deep into the ground. The diversity of the variables is impressive, but given the number of planets you’ll likely explore, you will start to see repetition in the different pieces sooner rather than later.

This is not aided by the fact that most of the intelligent creatures you come across will be, for all intents and purposes, the same in their functions. Some will give you small dialogue options in which you’re rewarded for saying or doing the right thing, others will offer to trade, and others still will have nothing to offer you at all. Any radiant quests you might encounter all come from a single quest vendor in each system, located at the same place in each system’s space station. And the radiant quests themselves are only ever of a handful of different types, meaning that, while they are useful for gathering credits, or perhaps eventually earning special rare items or weapons, they will never require any large degree of effort on the part of the player in order to complete them and quickly become activities that you perform by rote.

On the plus side, travel time = wank time.

But perhaps the most important thing that hinders No Man’s Sky’s diversity is the necessary homogenisation of its planets in order to maintain a sustainable gameplay environment. See, whilst the procedural generation allowed Hello Games to create a literal galaxy of planets with comparatively little effort, it also introduces an element of dangerous randomisation into the equation: for instance, say you use your last bit of fuel to travel to a planet that spawns without the materials that can be turned into more fuel, and you get stuck? Say you enter system after system, and every single planet spawns as a barren, uninteresting rock? Say a planet’s climate is so hostile that it kills the player as soon as they leave their ship? The size of the game’s galaxy and sheer number of planets within means that reducing the likelihood that a feature will appear by even 1% might mean that no players will ever see the feature because it ‘only’ appears in six trillion planets that will forever remain unexplored, and so Hello painted themselves into a corner in which they needed to ensure that each planet in the game fulfilled certain basic requirements so as not to render the experience unplayable for any user, whilst also ensuring that each player experienced enough diversity to stave off boredom for as long as possible. The end result is that while there might indeed be many distinct variations in the environments that one travels to, ultimately they are all going to fit within a rather narrow sliver of available options; no gas planets, no water planets, no ice balls, no planets with crushing gravity, and all, after a time, exhibiting fairly homogenised geometry. Looking at it from this perspective is the glass-half-empty approach, and a player coming in with lowered expectations and a positive outlook will find far more wonder in the experience than I’ve just described, but it still remains true that, for all the scope of the project, there are certainly some clear and present boundaries and restraints in the final product.

And this is what I found myself seeing clearly after coming back to the game following a months-long break: free from the momentum of the wave of wonder I rode for a good fifty hours after starting the game, the first planet I journeyed to was identical to the amalgamated image of all the other planets I’d been to that now existed in my memory. Whilst I had a distinct idea of the things I wanted to see and do in the game I was left innoculated against any overwhelming sense of repetition, but here I was having made my largest jump yet to a system nearly 200 light years away, and the first planet I land on is the epitome of the ‘average’ planet.

Which begs the question - how would one improve the situation? Because the current release of No Man’s Sky is certainly a step in the right direction when it comes to developing the space exploration genre. Whereas a game like Elite Dangerous might have better performance, a more accurate diversity in planet types, and more engaging controls and combat mechanics, one is limited to a very sparse series of activities in space, and their execution of on-planet traversal is, in a word, tediousandawfulandshit. There is far less to be found in that game on foot than there is in the sky, and far less content overall than No Man’s Sky in total - a game both much cheaper, and easier to pick up and play. I honestly don’t think there is a better middle ground as of yet because the aforementioned randomisation conundrum inhibits too much variation, and to hand-craft a game of this size would literally be impossible. Perhaps we will never get the perfect space game, and perhaps expecting such a thing is folly; I suppose the only change that could have really improved things would have been a managing of expectations.

Incidentally, it’s nearly impossible to find gifs that aren’t from the ‘Queen Elizabeth II tearing Sean Murray a new asshole’ basket.

The release build of No Man’s Sky was lacking a lot of the narrative and mechanical content, as well as some of the diversity that is in the current release, but even then, had it come out of some dark corner from a little-known indie studio it would be seen as an utter triumph - a milestone in independent games development. Hello Games’ neurotic insistence that their game would be something more than it was killed not only their audience’s goodwill, but also any chance that their game would be seen for the incredible indie accomplishment that it is. Instead, it will only ever be seen as inferior to what they said it would be. And while I think the mainstream awakening that occurred as a result of the scandal is good for consumers and the industry at large, it’s a shame that it happened to a game that deserves much more praise that it gets.

But I suppose that that is the nature of the current industry climate - the people calling the shots have a dreadful distrust of the quality of their products, and so good games will disappear into the ether if their lucky or be ruined if they’re not, and all because the people controlling public perception can’t help but fuck things up for themselves. No Man’s Sky is the Betamax of video games - a quality product brought down by its parent company’s bungling business tactics. Hello Games told the public what they thought they wanted to hear, and once they’d popped that cork there was no chance of being able to put it back in. But for those that are untarnished by the backlash, I assure you that the game is a huge departure from almost any space exploration game you’ve played before, and any sense of purpose that it may have been missing in the beginning has been restored, at least somewhat. If you can ignore the negative rhetoric (despite the fact that it’s all I’ve talked about for the last two hundred words) then I think you’ll find something wonderful here. Its price tends to fluctuate, and it has gone back up to fifty pounds at the moment, which I feel is a bit steep. But as far as I know, they’re still working on large, free updates, so any discount on this is a steal.

8/10

Very Good

#no man's sky #hello games #review #video game #space #exploration #planets #space exploration #crafting #survival #casual #relaxing

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