#the fandom that shan't be named

[phoenixyfriend]

So, what is an intrusive crossover?

(In response to this post)

The thing is I had a post about this way, way back, like... probably somewhere in the 2014-2016 era? My Marvel-and-Naruto period.

But I cannot find it.

Anyway.

I divide crossovers into categories or types, and here the most basic ones.

Intrusive: A character from one setting ends up in another, completely unrelated setting. They do not share a universe, do not share a planet, nada. This is 'falls through a portal' type of crossover. EXAMPLE: A Witch's Favor, where Wanda Maximoff and Maria Rambeau (Marvel) end up in the Star Wars universe due to an unexplained spell malfunction.

Shared Verse: The settings could theoretically, in some manner, exist in the same universe without ever intersecting. EXAMPLE: I usually use Naruto for this example, e.g. the Hidden Continent exists in the Pacific but has had minimal influence/interaction with the rest of the setting up to this point because it's magically cut off from the rest of the planet. For Star Wars, this is usually pretty easy by just putting whatever the second canon is as just. A planet in Wild Space. They exist in the same universe! They just haven't found each other yet! A great example is the fic A Star to Steer By, by @norcumii and @dogmatix. A subset of this is fics where one is the distant past of the other, like Muse on This or Red-Eyed Black Widow.

Mixed Verse: The setting is one that involves both canons influencing each other to a degree, or being in the same verse without being a fusion AU or shared-verse. The settings exist together, both having strong worldbuilding elements of the original, but are not fully themselves and show obvious elements of the other. EXAMPLE: Unfortunately my most recent example is an HP crossover so. Please keep in mind that this is from four years ago, before R*wling outed herself as a massive bigot: Professor Storm.

Fusion: more or less 1:1 "this character from fandom 1 would be this character from fandom 2" or otherwise "characters from fandom 1 reimagined in fandom 2 with none of the original setting." For a long time, HP was the biggest and most constant example, but uhhh that's clearly been falling out of favor like raw eggs. EXAMPLE: After Me Comes the Flood.

There are other types, like infusing the plot of one narrative into the setting and characters of the other, which is a really fun kind of fusion (I always come back to thinking about Age of Marvels by justplainrii, which only ever got three chapters but still eats at my brain sometimes), buuuuut I'd say most crossovers are some variant of the above four.

[liesmyth]

biggest curse in fandom is when you have deep rooted personal beef with someone the fandom has decided is cool. and u can't escape seeing their fucking name wherever you go

[stellerssong]

like 99% of the time i WILL be like "actually as a woc participating in fandom the LET WOMEN BE HORRID EVIL MURDERESS CUNTS conversation does nothing for me, because in general that conversation revolves around taking female characters of color who have been portrayed as nothing but good-to-heroic in canon and applying totally revisionist readings to their characterizations that play on stereotypical views of women of color as sexual aggressors/morally suspect/uniquely untrustworthy and uphold fandom's priors regarding the victimization and overwhelming narrative value of white men" because that is almost without exception the behavior i see in fandom

the other 1% of the time fumi nikaido is being so so compellingly evil on my teavee screen so never mind all that i guess. let lady ochiba be a horrid evil murderess cunt.

[chinzhilla]

✨ when you get this you have to reply with share however you want five of your favorite songs then tag your mutuals to do the same ✨

tagged by @vegasandhishedgehog - thanks maddi! 🩷 making my own post cause the spotify thumbnails are so big and i don't want ppl to have to scroll past too many skdjfhk. everyone should go check out the original post though cause maddi and jamie both have Taste (i do listen to all the songs when i'm tagged in these posts btw)

tagging @sollucets @khaotunq @pondsphuwin @firstkanaphans and @krystaljungs if y'all wanna 💟

[sheliesshattered]

oh joy, another popular thing I hate so much that I'm going to have to unfollow anyone who puts it on my dash

[fairyspheres]

i cannot overstate how much i'm loving writing all my good omens fics. the multi-chaptered wip? different from what i normally do (in a good way). all the historical one shots that i can't seem to stop writing? amazing, i haven't had this much fun with writing something in ages. i love the research i can put into them (the historical fashion, dates of treaties, which plantaganet king was the biggest bastard; all the various depictions of religious scripture and how depictions vary between, say, the church of england and roman catholicism)

i don't think a piece of media has inspired me this much, writing wise, in probably about ten years

[tavyliasin]

A gift, from Tavylia and the Dear Abdirak fans who made this happen, and of course the star of the show himself~

Hello darlings, dear ones, and sinners all~ This cameo is our gift, for all of us who know pain a little too intimately. Written and joint funded by Abdirak fans and Lia, to provide some measure of comfort. Please, enjoy, know you are heard, you are loved, and you are never alone when enduring the most intense of Loviatar's affections. (And all my gratitude to Declan for making this so very swiftly right before going offline for his holiday)

--- The script, including content there was no space for, and some more notes from Lia, will follow after the cut~ This one is clean, no NSFW content, so feel free to proceed at your leisure. For those new here, please be aware that the majority of my content is around NSFW writing with a few art shares and essays on fandom things. Welcome, and I hope you enjoy your stay even if you're only here for this one video.

About The Script

Even with the additional payment, the maximum character limit in a request is 650. My original draft? 1117. We got out the knives, we cut it up, we boiled it down to the most pertinent line, and still had to defenestrate some of the punctuation. Far be it from me to ever know the meaning of brevity, loves, simply not in my extensive vocabulary. I also cannot thank Declan enough for the stunning performance, both in the game and in the cameo, and for giving us a character who we can relate to and adore in so many unexpected ways.

The Script We Sent

[greeting] Loviatar Maiden of Pain felt the echo of your pain singing through infinite realities. In her mercy, she has allowed us to speak. Agony is a cloak that you wear, armour you cannot remove, it is as bound to you as the guilt you feel for its very presence. I might envy you, but you did not choose this path. Your penitence is unnecessary. Let go, dear one, do not punish yourself further. The ebb and flow of exquisite torment, the rise & fall of the tides, you need not try so hard to swim. Breathe. Whether it is of the flesh or mind, your devotions have been heard. [reminder to share burdens/rely on each other/not alone/anything else]

The Original Draft Script

Greetings, Dear Ones, beloved of Loviatar - perhaps too beloved, in your case… Your pain sang through the fabric of the planes of infinite realities, catching and pulling at the Weave like a loose thread. My Goddess, the Maiden of Pain, she felt your echo through her web. Through her mercy, she has allowed me to speak with you. Agony is a cloak that you wear, an armour you cannot remove, it is as bound to you as the guilt you feel for its very presence. I might envy you…but you did not choose this path. Your penitence is not necessary. Let it go, dear one, do not punish yourself further. The ebb and flow of exquisite torment, the rise and fall of the tides, you need not try so hard to swim through them all. Breathe, keep your head above the water. Whether it is of the flesh or of the mind, your devotions have been heard by our most beloved Maiden of Pain. You endure it well, and you are not alone. There are other voices that sing her melody, listen for them, share your burdens and know you are all very dearly loved by the most gracious Loviatar. Even if her affections are a little excessive…

Lia's Notes And Thanks

First of all, a HUGE thank you to the dear ones who helped this happen, with encouragement, editing advice, and throwing some pennies in the pot to cover the cost I couldn't do alone. I shan't name names but you are already well aware of the endless affection I hold for you all. For everyone else, I really do hope this brings you some measure of comfort. It's important to recognise how much we tend to give of ourselves even when we suffer most, and how harsh we can be towards ourselves too.

You are not a burden, having needs is normal and natural, the people who matter most should be there to support you just as you would wish to be there to support them were your roles reversed.

We can rely on each other to a degree, even if it is just to listen, to say "I understand, it's alright to feel all of the things you are feeling. You do not have to be strong, you do not have to wear that mask of endurance with me." So do let go of that guilt, dear one, it does not serve you. If you would like to read more of a discussion on chronic pain, Abdirak, fandom, please see the main essay on the topic (click here) though be aware there is discussion of the more spicy topic of how pleasure and pain can be entwined, even for those of us who feel too much pain in our every day.

Tavylia's Offer

I'm going to round this one off with a simple offer to you all. Should you wish for words of comfort from a beloved character (probably BG3 but if I know the character well enough I can try others), send them to my ask box, or on Discord/Twitter/Anything on my Carrd. This is what I have worked on before, mostly SFW (only some light suggestive moments) as the focus is on comfort to the reader.

Abdirak - Migraine Comfort Yurgir - Migraine Comfort Tav - General Comfort, with Audio Multi-Character Comfort Drabbles (Including Abdirak)

If my little words can bring you any measure of comfort or relief, you need only ask.

Farewell for now, Dear Ones, darlings, loves, Pain Pals, - all of you. Please take care of yourselves - hydrate, nourish, and for the sake of the gods please allow yourself some rest and be kind to yourself for a change. And I do mean all of you. No exceptions, now. Love yourself with grace and forgiveness, care for yourself as if you were the most precious friend you have ever made. I hope to see you all very soon~

May Loviatar's blessings be more merciful. ~ Lia

[daisyofwaterdeep]

theres a certain character whose name i shan't say (but you'll probably know who im talking about) that gets the short end of the stick in both game and fandom content. and i get it: we should absolutely talk about the fact that this character gets less content, and why this is the case. but also...this discussion has taken up everything about this character. you can't talk about how you love them without every single comment begrudging the lack of content. every post about them has to mention it. rather than celebrating this really cool character and talking and hc'ing about them, the conversation stops dead in the water bc ppl would rather mention (not discuss: bc it's never a discussion, it's just commented on) the lack of content rather then, you know...talk and share and discuss this character.

if i have to see another fanart/post about them that starts with a "they have little content so i'm here to fix that!" im gonna explode. make art for the love of this character, not to meet some quota, please. we can (and should!) aknowledge that they're screwed by the creators and fandom, absolutely. but also...we need to celebrate them too. we deserve to enjoy them with our whole heart. can't we have some fun with them too, like all the other characters?

only talking about this character in negative contexts is doing exactly what ppl are complaining about: making less content for the character.

[fadewalking]

Opinion on the Solrook ship? 👀

I like it, in theory. I ship it, in theory. I think there's some really great narrative potential with Solas and Rook, who as we know, are basically mirrors of each other. And that is super compelling, naturally.

It's in practice, where the ship becomes challenging. Mirrors, especially the kind that they present to each other, are uncomfortable to look at.

Solas looks at Rook and sees an allegedly idealized version of himself (more or less). A version that wouldn't sacrifice the ideals that form the bedrock of his lifelong rebellion against tyranny. A version that's stronger than him, spiritually, because they are more adaptable, and willing to take risks in a way Solas isn't (willing to be wrong).

As much as Solas admires that about Rook, he also kind of hates it. I mean, he's spent his entire long lived existence, forcing himself to believe that he knows what's right because he's afraid to be wrong, and what that would mean (that everything he's ever sacrificed has been unnecessary). And Rook forces him to contend with that reality. It's frightening in a way I think few people really appreciate. Rook represents a profoundly terrifying realization for Solas, and it's way easier to meet that with anger and combativeness rather than to just... accept it, let alone grapple with it to the extent that he could fall in love with Rook because of or in spite of it.

Rook on the other hand sees.. what? Themself, but worse? lol. What they might turn into if they let their convictions drop, or if they make too many excuses, or if they let pride and pragmatism overtake their compassion and morality? For Rook to look at Solas and fall in love with him despite that.. It's very "I can fix him", or maybe even "I can overlook that", lol, which is not me criticizing Rook, ik it sounds like I am, but what I mean to say is that it's just very ambitious, and love would never know more obstacles than those between Rook and Solas. Because, let's also not forget the parallel Solas and Rook draw in-game between their dynamic and Solas and Elgar'nan. In ways we can't ignore, if we're going to say that Solas and Rook can fall in love, then we have to look at how that might reflect from Solas and Elgar'nan's relationship, and that becomes very uncomfortable, doesn't it?

Now put your pitchforks down, because I'm not saying that they're the same thing. Solas and Elgar'nan are vastly different characters, and the only reason I even bring it up is just to illustrate the kind of gap Solas and Rook would have to cross to get to each other in a place of love and romance. It is not so extreme as Solas and Elgar'nan, but the parallel is made for a reason.

Aside from all of that, Solas in VG is more guarded than ever. And the very very last thing on his mind in that prison is love in that way. If you thought he played hard to get in Inquisition, babe you ain't seen nothing yet. But, as discouraging as this all must sound, I do actually see a path forward for them, even if that path is extremely narrow. I think the ship is... possible. And as a writer, I'm willing to explore that.

I tell this to all Rooks who come looking to ship with my Solas: It's going to be like playing Romance on legendary difficulty. If they're okay with the uphill battle of their fucking lives and no guarantee of success or a happy ending, then they are more than free to try their luck.

Also. I shan't name drop. But some people in this fandom are... less than desirable in the way they talk about and represent the ship, and that, imo, ruins a lot of the optics for shipping it, in the same way that the fandom at large has mishandled Solavellan so egregiously that it puts a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths just on instinct. But that's just my opinion.

In reality, I ship Solas with anyone who has chemistry with him, or at least the good potential for it, whomever that might be. It's that simple ♡

[nikkoliferous]

This was NOT me and this is bullshit! I have been inactive for over a week and my friend just sent this to me. I would NEVER talk to another blogger like this ever. This was sent from an account @pussy-ass-bitch-fandom-wank

why do you think the anon signed it? They’re trying to frame me because I have been helping their victim @Lokilaufeysondiaries and they’re pissed about it. I’d never even heard of you until my friend sent this here’s some more proof. Here people are notorious for pretending to be others they sent a friend a nasty anon and signed it "Abby118" another very real Loki blog who doesn't do that kind of stuff ever. I hope we can talk because this just absolutely not okay what so ever and it needs to stop.

okay, I'm going to address this one time and one time only. I have nothing to do with @littlelokilad, @lokihiddleston, the LMQ server, or any drama going down between yourselves and the aforementioned parties. I literally don't know any of you, nor do I care to be involved in whatever petty, high-school-clique bullshit is going on there.

However, I will say that I find myself extremely suspicious of anyone attempting to paint @lokilaufeysondiaries as some kind of innocent victim in all this. I became involved in this stupidity because—and only because—LLD displayed some very inappropriate, manipulative behaviours towards @abby118, a friend, in DM over Abby declining to unblock them (which is absolutely her right). When Abby decided to publicly call out this toxic behaviour on her own blog, providing direct screenshots of their conversation as evidence, she began to be accused of "bullying" LLD (ridiculous) and has since been sent multiple abusive and suicide-baiting asks, ostensibly in LLD's defence.

As for the above accusations by @buckybarnes-winters0ldier, I find it hilariously ironic to, in one breath, complain about people falling for baseless frame jobs and, in the very next, accuse @lotus-eyedindiangoddess of backstabbing her own friends (namely, myself and Abby) and orchestrating this entire mess. Without a lick of evidence, of course. As you do.

TL;DR I am way too fucking old to be invested or interested in whatever manufactured drama is going down on that side of the fandom. My only interest in this bullshit is, and ever has been, Abby being targeted for harassment. Full-stop.

Now, I will say that I am inclined to believe you when you say you were not behind the aforementioned ask—if only because you would have to be very, very stupid to use the anon function only to announce your identity within the text of the ask. like, why?? And I am aware that Abby has been a victim of the very same (terribly executed) tactic. As such, I will update the post in question to reflect this... development? information? idk, whatever. That is, unfortunately, all I can really do, as we all know that once something is on the internet, it's on the internet forever. Even if I were to delete the whole post, any reblogs of it would still exist. If I update it instead, at least the contradicting information is there to be digested in the future, so that would seem to be the best option for dealing with this, to me.

I do sincerely apologise for whatever additional distress the aforementioned ask has caused to you. I have no interest in smearing anyone or discrediting their reputation. As I said, my sole interest in this entire matter has been Abby's well-being. Nothing more, and nothing less. Whoever it is behind all this manufactured drama—and I shan't make any accusations here because I have no evidence to present, regardless of any personal suspicions I may or may not have *cough*—really needs to get some less debilitating hobbies than treating real human beings on Tumblr like abused Barbie dolls to manipulate for their own sick amusement. It's pathetic.

[phoenixyfriend]

Making this its own post instead of an ask.

I divide crossovers into categories or types, and here the most basic ones.

Intrusive:

A character from one setting ends up in another, completely unrelated setting. They do not share a universe, do not share a planet, nada. This is "falls through a portal" type of crossover. EXAMPLE: A Witch's Favor, where Wanda Maximoff and Maria Rambeau (Marvel) end up in the Star Wars universe due to an unexplained spell malfunction.

Shared Verse:

The settings could theoretically, in some manner, exist in the same universe without ever intersecting. EXAMPLE: I usually use Naruto for this example, e.g. the Hidden Continent exists in the Pacific but has had minimal influence/interaction with the rest of the setting up to this point because it's magically cut off from the rest of the planet. For Star Wars, this is usually pretty easy by just putting whatever the second canon is as just. A planet in Wild Space. They exist in the same universe! They just haven't found each other yet! A great example is the fic A Star to Steer By, by @norcumii and @dogmatix. A subset of this is fics where one is the distant past of the other, like Muse on This or Red-Eyed Black Widow.

Mixed Verse:

The setting is one that involves both canons influencing each other to a degree, or being in the same verse without being a fusion AU or shared-verse. The settings exist together, both having strong worldbuilding elements of the original, but are not fully themselves and show obvious elements of the other. EXAMPLE: Unfortunately my most recent example is an HP crossover so. Please keep in mind that this is from four years ago, before R*wling outed herself as a massive bigot: Professor Storm.

Fusion:

More or less 1:1 "this character from fandom A would be this character from fandom B" or otherwise "characters from fandom A reimagined in fandom B with none of the original setting." For a long time, HP was the biggest and most constant example, but uhhh that's clearly been falling out of favor like raw eggs. I've seen a lot of good ones for Hunger Games, though, and even wrote my own, but I know some other common ones are Steven Universe (which gem are they?), AtLA (which bender type are they?), or Pokemon (what trainer type are they). Also, arguably, generic AUs that don't take place in canon-verse, like modern or historical or zombie or Generic Cyberdystopia. EXAMPLE: After Me Comes the Flood.

Element Overlay:

A world-building element from Fandom B is applied to the setting and characters of Fandom A. Common examples are Daemon AUs or Sentinel/Guide AUs. I think a fun thing to point out is that, while they don't technically have a source fandom of origin since they were developed communally by fandom, soulmate AUs and omegaverse count as well.

There are other types, like infusing the plot of one narrative into the setting and characters of the other, which is a really fun kind of fusion (I always come back to thinking about Age of Marvels by justplainrii, which only ever got three chapters but still eats at my brain sometimes), buuuuut I'd say most crossovers are some variant of the above.

[olderthannetfic]

https://www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/773974400931397632/since-it-seems-to-be-top-bottom-discourse-hours?source=share

Same anon here giving context since there's some confusion in the notes. I wasn't talking about Eastern fandom spaces. I don't use those. If I did, yes, I'd follow their conventions—but I don't and so I shan't.

I was talking about an Eastern fan complaining about how portmanteau ship names are used in Western fandom spaces. The ship names overlap between the two spheres, but the usage varies. The conventions of Pixiv aren't the conventions of Tumblr or Ao3 (where I dwell). Idk about X or Bluesky.

There's variation within Western fandom sections too, but a single ship name has been the main usage (regardless of sex positions) since I got into fandom some 15 years ago. More to the point, trying to claim that portmanteau ship names are an Eastern fandom norm that's being used "wrong" by the Western side was the ridiculous part of that take.

--

The complaints I've seen have been about places where we all share the same tags.

[foxwitchaine]

If you could erase any characters from Miraculous Ladybug, which one would you pick?

(The catch is that you cannot say Adrien)

Hahaha, honey, you best be ready. Because there's one character that comes to mind right away and it's not He-Who-Shan't-Be-Named. Would you like to know who it is? Because once I say it, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get some backlash. Going once. Going twice. You've had your chance and I'm gonna unleash one heck of a hot take. You all ready? Because here we go.

The one character I would erase from the canon of Miraculous Ladybug is:

This guy. This guy right here.

But wait... isn't that the director guy? And... doesn't that look like the creator of the show? Do not adjust your monitor, because you're not looking at a cartoon lookalike of the show's creator.

That is the show's creator. In his own show. Crying about how no one takes him seriously or knows what he does.

... gee. I wonder why.

Smartassery aside, I have a whole laundry list of reasons why I would delete this guy from the show. Aside from serving no purpose other than whining to the world about "woe is me, I'm so [insert buzzword]", he contributes nothing to the plot. And, considering how atrociously sloppy the writing has gotten as of late, part of the reason the show has declined so sharply. I don't fancy pointing fingers at people without enough evidence, but the way he behaves on social media tells me plenty. Sounds conceited, I know, but it takes a special kind of arrogance to believe you can say whatever you want online and not get backlash from the people literally supporting your show. I've made my own blunders online, but that's beside the point.

Creators of popular media have a certain responsibility to the world. No, I'm not requoting Uncle Ben's "with great power" speech, but it kinda does have something to do with it. What I mean is, creators of popular franchises are partly responsible for the kind of fans they attract. Be a creep, more than likely you'll attract a lot of them. Be an upstanding civilian, you'll more than likely grab a few likeminded individuals. Granted, it's not always so clean nor is it always easy to spot someone unsavory, but my point still stands. The way a creator behaves tells the resulting fandom how to behave. Haters are inevitable, but to me and Rafe it means we have a pretty healthy fandom rather than an echo chamber, which is what immature writers and creators usually go for.

And that, ladies and gents, is what usually causes otherwise good shows like The Mandalorian to stagnate and eventually wither.

Miraculous Ladybug isn't the worst show on earth nor is it the best. But the way the creator tries to flex on the fanbase — aka, the people who support his show — it tells the less mature fans how to respond. And that is another major part of the reason the show has declined so much there's hardly anyone of note left to watch Season 6. Ourselves included.

[tedcicle]

Official Palcove Propaganda Post

[ID: Text with a fire effect that says "WATCH PALCOVE NOW" in red capital letters. /.End ID.] Now you may be asking... Who?

Palcove is both the name of the iconic duo of Ted Nivison (of Rainforest Cafe/Margaritaville/400mg edible fame) and Charlie Slimecicle (professional gay sex roleplayer, at least that's what he should be known for) and the area they lived in during their brief time on EpicSMP (a modded SMP created by, uh... *cough* Matt SuperMega *cough*. You can hazard a guess as to why this SMP didn’t really take off.)

Okay, why should I care?

I shan't lie and say EpicSMP is like, crazy good, or a hidden gem, or YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS — really, it's basically TekkitLive but there's way more people on it. It's a largely forgotten SMP, overshadowed by more popular and successful SMPs that happened before or around it. (OriginsSMP, for example.) There's a bunch of interesting duos trying to start their own businesses, and while nothing happened happened, at the end everybody died, which is interesting to think about. (Actually, wait... yeah, it’s just like TekkitLive.) But it was fun. There were some good bits, some light roleplay, and enough seedlings of a plotline to get an average viewer Andy like me invested in. There was some kind of season 2, but it never took off. I'm sure MCYT fans are accustomed to the disappointment of non-existent fandoms, unfinished stories, or lacking narratives by now (Shadow of Israphel was my first heartbreak, but maybe yours was something else). Another one wouldn’t hurt, right? Why Palcove specifically? Well, as a former SMPLiver— (I am escorted off the stage to a chorus of boos) I just really like Ted and Charlie's dynamic. They’re the perfect comedy duo. Charlie works best when he has someone to bounce bits off of, and Ted knows exactly how to pick up what Charlie is putting down and elevate it to the next level. (The adverb and adjective bit in the first VOD had me DYING.) Story-wise, Charlie had a satisfying character arc. He’s a pivotal character and I liked how he plays off of Schlatt and Swagger, too. Not to mention, this is the last time Ted has uploaded or streamed any Minecraft content... I miss him, chat. Also, it makes me happy. Isn't that enough?

Well, okay, you got me interested. How do I watch?

I'm glad you asked (even if you wouldn't fucking say that, I don't care). Firstly, a primer. Sometimes we start a new thing, but it ends up not being to our liking, and that's fine. Maybe you want to walk around and see how it fits before you commit. That's fine! All I ask for is 14 minutes of your time. That's like, 4 songs.

This video is the first day edited down into a nice, palatable, taste-tester, courtesy of unknown energy on YouTube. It's so nice and cozy and comfy, it's the equivalent of a mug of hot chocolate curled up in an armchair with a warm blanket wrapped around you. As for continuing, I highly recommend starting with Charlie's POV. It's probably who you're most familiar with, and he bothered to edit down his streams (even if the videos are like, an hour long). If you like listening to men argue and make the unfunniest jokes imaginable, then definitely try the full VODs. All of these have been archived by the channel EpicSMPVods.

Charlie's POV Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 VODS Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | End of S1* Ted's POV Episode 1 (Yes, he really only did one episode) VODS Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

*This VOD is Swagger's POV, as Charlie didn't upload the finale at all, and the VOD of it either doesn’t exist or wasn’t archived. The relevant Charlie section starts around 15 minutes in.

And if you want more of the story, well, Swagger has one of the most comprehensive EpicSMP POVs.

Final Thoughts

Like many other “stream only” SMPs, a lot of content regarding them simply gets lost and forgotten. There's plenty of reasons why EpicSMP wasn't very successful (in-depth analysis post pending). I’m just glad that not only did Palcove exist, but it's archived. It just so happened to survive against surmountable odds and even have what I consider a satisfying narrative ending (in-depth analysis post pending). And I’m insane about it. And everyone else should be, too.

[ID: Text with a fire effect "WATCH PALCOVE NOW" in red capital letters. /.End ID.]

[brujahinaskirt]

30 kcd2 trailer reveal little things / reactions:

Loving the increased Istvan / Henry parallelism

Loving the return of the red PTSD nightmares and so pleased WH isn't watering the game down, keeping up the trauma narrative realism, etc. I expected no less but still delighted by it. I love games that allow characters (esp male characters) to feel things, genuinely, and writing that treats the emotional invitation of its own storytelling with respect.

Good lord, the symbolism returns--as it must in a proper medieval game--but I shan't look too deep yet.

SKALITZ FLASHBACKS. HENRY'S PARENTS' WEDDING PREQUEL CONTENT? W H A T. I never thought we would get to go back; I am so thrilled to learn more about that time. I would have gladly gobbled up a Martin prequel. TELL ME HER FUCKING NAME, WARHORSE, YOU BASTARDS.

where is radzig

Mystery possible new love interest option? Or did Lady Stephanie visit the face sculptor?

And Theresa... where?

Mother of god, the forests and animals look incredible. I'm going insane. Let me pet things please.

How many times can Hans eat royal shit and live in one livestream? Let's find out. One, two, three...

The crime and punishment mechanics are definitely more complex at a glance. This is a good thing but I wonder how much was cutscene flavor and how much will really have an affect on the gameplay/reputation/etc.

I'm extremely afraid for Hans's survival. Not because of his constant trailer beefing (and he really took every opportunity to wipe out) but because of that shot with him doing the big dramatic eagle wing spread on horseback. You can't just do that and not expect to be punished by the narrative, bro.

MUTT IS BACK MUTT IS BACK MUTT IS BACK

is that pebbles? MUTT IS BACK please be pebbles

Henry's new hair is awful and I will be changing it two seconds in.

In general, Henry looks way more mature/stressed. Hard to say if there was a timeskip and Henry is now actually more mature or if the increased graphics allow him to look more like his voice actor, who is older than Henry. Either way I will be content. Will not catch me changing my son's precious face!!!

CROSSBOWS, HAND CANNONS

Istvan is pure fire, holy shit, cannot wait for this performance. Erik looks like a soggy newspaper. What happened king?

radzig? hello? anyone hear from this guy? typical for him to ghost

FIVE HOURS OF CUTSCENES???? YOU KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE. IT IS ME. I LOVE TO WATCH THINGS

Theresa's gonna be in it though, right? They wouldn't do us like that right?

Really excited to see them taking a page from RDR2 and incorporating a temperament-based reply system for non-dialogue initiating NPCs. I really look forward to all the added sandbox immersion enhancements from the first game, and I hope women are incorporated in a broader work spectrum for better historical accuracy.

WAS THAT GODWIN?

Is Hans going to teach Henry how to swim for real, as in a gameplay-altering swim mechanic, or is the topless on the riverbank scene just throwing a meaty bone to the hansry shippers (i am gnawing, i am growling when you try to take it away before i choke myself with it)

I love hearing devs and actors talk intelligently about the writing and character development arcs. Obviously they thought about it deeply in KCD1, but it's nice to see devs of an "action" game treating its narrative seriously, as artwork. Regardless of how the fandom idiots interact with it.

Hans singing a facetious little ballad for Henry (presuming it makes it into the game and isn't just trailer fodder) regenerated my cells. He DID promise in KCD1 (if you lose the tourney after agreeing to be his champion) that one day people would sing ballads in Henry's honor. Probably he did not intend for them to include the word "fuck" at the time.

This is going to be the grown up bromance we deserved in kcd1. Honestly it's so validating to see the second game recentering on that relationship and deliberately using it as the primary storytelling vehicle. KCD1 was pretty imbalanced in favor of Hans content, but it would have been better served by the game storyline fully leaning into the importance of that relationship, rather than trying to juggle it as a side-arc with several other arcs (and thereby creating an imbalance). KCD2 looks like it's built around the backbone of Henry and Hans's friendship and how it has profoundly changed them both/propelled their arcs in somewhat different directions.

On that point, Henry seems to have completely adopted Rattay colors now, but it's possible that's due to him operating as Hans's page (squire?) where we left them in KCD1. WHERE IS RADZIG

Calling Henry an orphan is a LITTLE generous given he was a whole ass adult man when his parents were killed, don't you think.

Calling Henry a lover is VERY VERY GENEROUS

I'm hyped.

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

You and she-who-shan't-be-named were my go to for htod stuff, but with all the drama, and it appears she deactivated her account very recently, I'm a little wary of blogs on here. Do you have any recommendations? Preferably, ones that are drama free or as free as possible as fandom allows.

First of all, I’d like to sincerely apologise for the part I have played in all this. You likely visit my blog for Ewan crumbs and/or fan fiction, not to see me boohooing about people being cruel to me on the internet. I promise I am going to leave all of that in the dust and get back to my usual programming!

Always happy to shout about my mutuals - can you give me an indication of the sort of stuff you’re looking for? I can then base my recommendations around that.