#the kind of dynamic it would require for a player character to commit to that choice

[lagomorphiclobotomite]

ascended!astarion is genuinely so cool and funny and sweet he has so many really interesting and nuanced moments and im so tired of people reducing him to cazador 2.0 , this characture of a single interpretation of the most cartoonishly abusive person possible. acting like hes a completely different character than spawn!astarion entirely they are literally. the same. guy. stop mischaracterizing my pookie

[seeker-ophelia]

Ophelia’s Review, Part Two: Thedas, The Dragon Age System

Some things I need to get off my chest.

One. This does not feel like a Dragon Age game.

Two. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like it.

Three. I have a lot of feelings right now but I’ll come back when my brain has re-hydrated itself.

(I finished Veilguard at 10PM on Monday, and wrote this the morning after. And its still true, 5 days later.)

TLDR at the bottom

[Read Part 1 Here]

I do miss the heady blend of power, intrigue, danger, and sex that permeates these events games.

[Photo Cred: Dumped, Drunk & Dalish]

Because Veilguard is missing all of that.

Listen, it’s good. Great even. I loved it. Cried. Laughed. Dropped my controller and paced around the room for 5 minutes in anger and angst. Drank a bottle of wine in the bathtub after Solavellan’s happy ending (and my Rooks sad one). But this is not a Dragon Age game.

It is Dragon Age ADJACENT. Similar of course. The backbone is there. The direction, the vector, is there. But the execution…

Dragon Age (Origins through Inquisition) for me, was A Song of Ice and Fire. I love that series.

It was deep. It was harsh. It was MEAN. If offered me hope and then snatched it away. The world-building, the lore crafting, was intense and deep and required attention and critical thought. The characters were nuanced and troubled and real.

Veilguard, for me, is Eragon.

I also loved that series. It is pure and good and takes me on a journey through a fantastical land of dragons and heroes, of good versus evil, of mysteries and magic. But, it is juvenile. Its simple. It doesn’t try to be anything other than it is. Veilguard, is shallow.

The essence is there, beneath the surface Veil, pressing and bursting at the seams to escape, but is being held back by a gentrification of Thedas, the Tranquility of the Dragon Age world, if you would.

The Lore

I don’t want to go into to much about it (its going to be its own post, I think), but I love the lore of Dragon Age. I love learning about it. I love the questions, the pervasive theme that history is only as true as the historians who write it; things get lost, muddled, confused through and over time. And Veilguard, kind of feels like I’m being spoonfed? Like I’m a baby.

I think EA did BioWare a disservice by making this game for new players, instead of assuming that RPG players have the intelligence and wherewithal to comprehend at least a little bit of lore and history, or at the very least, introduce a cannon world state. You can have your cake and eat it to, but, as Veilguard shows, it diminishes the quality of the cake as a whole.

This game is an Action RPG. This is a game about combat. For the record, the first, second, third, 17th time I saw my Rook in their Takedown Animation, I said, out loud, ‘Dragon Age, G.O.T.Y.’ I swore at my inability to time dodges properly, I planned and schemed with primers and detonators and damage types. This is very reminiscent of The Witcher and Assassins Creed, for me (I have not played a ton of games, im sure there are others more like it). It was fun, it was challenging. But. This is not Dragon Age. Its Something Else™.

Dragon Age: Dark Origins

When people say Dragon Age is a dark game, they’re not talking about the gameplay, or the graphics, or the art direction.

Dragon Age deals with dark subject matter. Slavery. Racism. Religion. Politics. Power dynamics. Mages versus Templars. Addiction. Death. War. An unstoppable contagion that deals death indiscriminately. THAT’S what makes Dragon Age Dark.

These stories are deep. They’re hard. And yeah, they weren’t always handled properly (lookin’ at you, Gaider), but doing something wrong… looks like it might actually be better than pretending it doesn’t exist.

As a Sollavellan, I’m unspeakably glad they didn’t yassify Solas. He is still an unlikable character who has committed unspeakable war crimes. And we got a redemption arc that did not end in death. That’s a win for me.

But they kept his darkness at the expense of lightening literally EVERYTHING ELSE in Thedas.

What the fuck happened to Zevran’s Crows? I got the Puss-in-Boots-Found-Family Assassin Agency.

Where are the slaves in Minrathous? Where’s the trip to the upper city, gilded and clean, so we can compare it to the slums of Dock Town (which was not bad at all). Where is the “Rescue the Rabbits” Quest? Tevene Politics boils down to Dorian or Mave, “bad” or “good,” change from within, or power to the people.

The whole Qunari are just Bad™ now? The Antaam warriors turned into… what the fuck is even that? You know the advertising theory where women’s bodies are shown but not their heads or faces? This feels like that. Giant Grey Muscular Powerful Bodies with NoFace. THAT’S the Antaam? The Tamassrins really eliminate every embodiment of individuality from them? They’re just Storm Troopers?

And ‘Thal’enaste, what a lost plot thread to not have Lace and Solas meet in the deep roads, or Kal-Sharok, or fucking anywhere. Instead, you give her one little blurb of “companion banter.” Weak.

Where’s the racism towards the Elves? What happened to that? What happened to Dark Thedas? Oh, its actually all in the South, and thats destroyed now (lets put a pin in that for a minute).

The Companions

I have written and re-written this section 3 times. Its too long. I don’t need to mention them all. How to summarize them.

If you read my part 1, you’ll remember how I fell in love with Dragon Age 2, years after its release (after playing Inquisition, in fact), and how I fucking hard I fell for those very real, very troubled, very nuanced characters.

Anders and his quest for freedom, Fenris and his quest for vengeance. Merrill and her quest for knowledge, Isabella and her quest for… other cultures relics, I guess?

I hated the graphics in 2. It was the characters that carried that game. I don’t know how BioWare wrote them, but they failed to do that in VG.

My favourite character in Inquisition? Surprisingly, its not Solas. Its not even Cole, or the Iron Bull, or Dorian.

Its Cassandra.

I love her. Her story is SO complex. Her devotion to the Seekers, to the Andrastian Faith, is so pure, yet it does not impede her friendship with a Dalish elf who believes in gods that she does not. It does not stop her form forming close bonds with other people from different backgrounds, and although she is fearless in calling out the darkness in her own faith, its sins and its rot, she admits to her Herald that she is envious of the Heralds conviction.

Which character in Veilguard has that nuance?

The necromancer afraid of death? The Elvhen Engineer with ADHD? The literal Demon of Vyantium Puss-In-Boots? The smirking detective? The questioning Qunari? Or the gruff monster daddy?

Listen. I read trash. Smut, romantasy... I read objectively bad literature, for fun, all the time. And, I have a fantastic imagination. It is my own personal fleshing out of theses characters that saved me in this game.

But I should not have had to do that.

The Keep

I cannot explain to you, in words, how important those one-off codices and cameos are.

(Don’tThinkAboutIsabela Don’tThinkAboutIsabela Don’tThinkAboutIsabela).

*Grimaces* Okay.

I can speak no more about this. I am already writing a “Keep” DLC for Veilguard.

I would have rather lived in your world state than this abomination. Which leads me to…

‘The Soft Reboot’

So. The South is Gone. That’s the answer. The Hero of Ferelden. Hawke and their siblings. Everything is wiped clean, just as EA asked. All of the South, turned to the Hissings Wastes and the Anderfels, because of the Blight and the hubris of the Gods. What a tragedy. DA5 looks likes its overseas. Cool.

You know what would have been a better reboot?

Spite, taking over Lucanis’ body, walking through the Ossuary, or the catacombs of Minrathous, explaining to Rook how the heavy emotions of People manifest in the fade. The birth of a spirit. Or a demon.

Taash, meeting a spirit face to face in Arlathan, recoiling in disgust, until they help the spirit on its journey, and Taash begins to question their whole worldview surrounding demons. I- I mean spirits.

Emmerich, taking Rook on a lecture-walk through the fade, meeting spirits, solving puzzles, ‘you know, its not so bad in here, what’s the big deal?’

Bellara, instead of discovering Cyrian only to lose him, meets the demon formed of his death, and how to help him back into a spirit.

Neve, following a trail of wisps in the fade, learning things, memories, feelings, songs. Neve, reveling in the pure beauty of the wisps, until they lead her to Vir Dirthara, and her eyes grow wide, what is this place?

Davrin and Assan, after hard training in the High Anderfels, take a break, and while Rook and Davrin flirt, or joke, Assan finds a long string, and begins to play, the string growing and lengthening and thickening until a soft, feminine whisper fills the air, I Am So Sorry… And Rook and Davrin meet a strange spirit, a perfect combination of protection and regret, and they help her find her way home.

Harding, palms flat on the stone, pushing, working, threading her magic into a titan, tilting her face up to Rook, eyes shining blue, speaking in a thousand voices at once, let me show you what was lost, and for a millisecond, we FEEL Isatunoll.

The Dwarvhen was tranquil’d from their Memories, but the Elvhen were tranquil’d from the Fade.

And when Solas turns from Rook in Minrathous, I am sorry for this final betrayal, he is puzzled at the lack of retaliation, and turns to see the Veilguard, standing behind Rook, eyes locked on the giant eye-shaped rift in the sky.

Why are you not stopping me? He asks the group of misfits.

And Rook answers, I can admit when I was wrong. Tear it the fuck down.

And Solas, battered, bruised, and bloody, smiles, brandishes his ritual dagger with a flashy flip, banishes the blight, and tears down the Veil.

When I learned there were only going to be 3 choices carried over from the rest of the series into Veilguard, I tagged my complaint posts with something.

#You Cannot Dangle A Carrot In Front Of Me For 10 Years And Then Not Be Surprised At My Anger In Discovering It Was A Painted Dowel

Let me reiterate. I enjoyed this game. It was fun for me. I’m in the middle of my second playthrough and am planning a third, and a fourth. But this is NOT a Dragon Age game.

This is an EA game. And its good. But it could have been everything.

Bellanaris.

TLDR;

How torn I feel; lobotomized, rendered tranquil, separated from the memories, lore, and spirits, of the old Dragon Age, while still, like the Veilguard, wanting this world to endure.

Var lath vir suledin, BioWare.

For now.

[prpfz]

🚬 21 y/o Queer mun seeking 18+ Fandomless Dead Dove Oc x Oc Rp! M x M or Masc x Masc! Very trans friendly as my character is trans himself! Looking to include maybe some power dynamics, mutual toxicity or abuse, drugging, non con or dub con, age gaps, incest, violence/crime/murder, 🍪 is a big theme but not necessarily looking to write that it’s just a big part of the background for my oc and in general the plot ideas. All in all looking for heavy dark themes! Open to doing stuff with Omegaverse or Hybrids or even Monsters if you’d like! Really looking for something good and twisted and dark ( think like Boyfriend to Death or The Price Of Flesh kind of dark with the gore and non/dub con elements ) and if it fits our characters dynamics, maybe some nice hurt/comfort too. If you’d like to use multiple characters I’m all game, I can even throw in one or two of my other characters that go with my guy for the plot as well!

My writing ranges from lazy lit to novella — anywhere from 600 to 1,200+ words; possibly slow replies at times but I can absolutely be fast paced too. I’m down for any smut to plot ratio, but I would definitely like to include smut at least a little bit. And even if we do a smut heavy rp I want it to have a lot of plot based lore to it. I’m open to all ideas you may have for plot, just ask! I only write on discord but I prefer to see if we match in DMs. I’m CST timezone wise. I have face claims but I also have some ( not that great ) art I’ve drawn of my character! Neither is required on your end though!

My character is a victim of 🍪 trafficking and abuse, big dark web themes, one final straw later and he ☠️ed someone, he ended up in debt because of it and was forced into some violent whump or be whumped scenarios in order to get out of it. After he repaid his debt in his early adulthood, he turned to hit man jobs. Never suspect the unexpected right? Still he’s very much controlled by his main abuser. He’s picked up a lot of nasty behaviors because of his past. He acts out often, but on the contrary he’s very careful with his work. He’s transmasc, default 21 y/o, classic stereotypical angry spitfire but short, at 5’0” he’s petite from struggling with an ed.

Smut wise my character is a bottom leaning vers, he might not use a strap but he’s good with his fingers what can I say? I can write him as a cocky top eager to please, an asshole brat, or obedient like a dog; it all depends on what we’re going for.

Looking for characters who could possibly be involved in his past, maybe past victims themselves or abusers. Would love characters who are sketchy dudes, freaks, bullies, guys full of anger issues like mine, dudes with bad behaviors, scumbags, toxic to the core, guys with bad pasts like him, your classic alcoholics or addicts, sex workers, complicated personalities, guys who can’t commit, players, guys involved in crime, guys with daddy or mommy issues; maybe both, etc. On the contrary I’d also be open to characters who have turned their lives around from a bad past. ( I love the drama what can I say? ) Also open to hurt/comfort plots as well!

If any of that sounds up your alley or still has your attention, please leave a like and I’ll get back to you asap!

Leave a like, and anon will get back to you!

[hvwks]

like i understand that a lot of people really think that mha is going to end with izuku having his quirks taken away completely and that by the completion of the story, he's going to be quirkless again, but i just don't... agree. or at the very least, i'll be really disappointed if that's the case. now hear me out! [cut for spoilers]

i understand that with danger sense taken, it's being speculated that each of izuku's quirks will be stripped away one by one. it makes sense from a predictive perspective--as in, it makes sense if you're solely looking at the deku vs shigaraki fight from a purely action-based standpoint. but narrative-wise? i just don't understand what having izuku becoming quirkless again would achieve for the story.

mha, as a narrative, is focused around themes of what it means to 'save' others, whether certain people who commit acts of evil are worth redeeming or not, and a slightly on-the-nose discussion about the commodification of good deeds (IE: pro-heroes who pursue the career for the fame and the glory of it, saturating the market with people who lack the 'true' spirit of what it means to be a hero.)

we see a lot of this in bakugou's characterization, for example.

we see him go from selfish and destructive to becoming cooperative and a strong team-player. he goes from being the kind of kid who wants to be a hero for the title of being 'the best' to being an aspiring hero who understands that working for the greater good requires sacrifices.

i also think with bakugou in mind, if we even look at the dynamic between him and izuku (whether you want to take it as romantic or platonic idk i'm not the boss of u) we see that he feels guilty for treating him poorly. while he did bully izuku for being quirkless, it was the fact that izuku was always trying to help him that pissed bakugo off even more. their relationship developed for the positive not because bakugou magically decided that quirkless individuals are on the same level as him (NOT to say he still holds discriminatory feelings towards quirkless people still) but because he sees that izuku is powerful now, almost more powerful than him, and the fact that he's being driven to become better and better to help people now that he has one for all show's bakugou that he still has a lot to learn about what it means to be a hero.

it's hard to articulate the exact nuance i am trying to clarify, but... basically, it's not that izuku's quirklessness is a major thematic element for the character arcs that occur throughout the show. the story isn't about how a quirkless teenager can become a hero. it's a story about how a quirkless teenager inherited the strongest quirk in the world and how he takes it and uses it to save the world.

the relevance of izuku's quirklessness mainly comes up when discussing whether he's suitable for OFA or not. the only other times it comes up is when he's reflecting on how he managed to stumble his way into being an OFA holder.

however, we don't really get any dialogue on how even the quirkless can become heroes without having a quirk or acquiring one by other means. even if izuku was to lose all his quirks, what is that intended to symbolize? izuku leaving the war a winner is one thing, but him being quirkless while holding that win doesn't add depth to the victory. all it does is reduce izuku's entire character development throughout the entirety of the series to him being nothing but a vessel for OFA and the key to victory, nothing more and nothing less.

that feels like shoddy storytelling to me and would be a huge L for izuku who, for the most part, has shown so much growth and maturity over time through the series. giving him a quirk when he wsa at his most hopeless, allowing him to win, then taking it away feels both cruel and counterintuitive.

while some people may argue that it's just another take on the "doomed from the start" type of narrative, i just think that this kind of move is... almost a cop-out. i feel like the story would be so much more impactful if izuku came out of this fight victorious with at least the core of OFA still intact (do we remember how the vestiges refused to be taken? both canonically during the paranormal liberation war arc AND in the movie where he attempted to transfer OFA to bakugou? i like to think that at the very least, the core power of OFA without the ability to pass itself on via Yoichi) would be a great way to show how the obsession with quirks and strengths is detrimental to hero society.

if he also completes his objective of saving shigaraki over killing him (which i really hope for!!!) then we now have the perfect way to tie up the narrative of MHA, where we see the question of "can everyone be saved?" get answered while also exposing the cracks in hero society. it would be the perfect jumping point for hero society as a whole to break down and rebuild into something better than what it was before.

i think those are important themes that would just lose its impact if izuku was made permanently quirkless all over again. after all, izuku midoriya shouldn't have to just be the vessel, he should get to come out of this war as the very EMBODIMENT of what OFA stands for.

[maximuswolf]

Adulting & FOMO (Rant)

Adulting & FOMO (Rant) Adulting and gaming is hard. Time is scarce from working and dating and I'm unable to sink in my time to games I loved before like WoW, FFXIV and Runescape. With every game having dailies, weeklies, battle pass, limited time events... It's hard not to get sucked in... Similar for most PvP Games, people have been playing the same game and (usually) the same character since the game's launch and you get beaten by it, and have no idea where to start improving because the next game's makeup and dynamics are different. I try to play PvP games for the adrenaline and because they require the least commitment for a session as compared to PvEs, yet I leave unsatisfied and self-loathing every single time. I just feel like I'm unable to focus on one game at a time, and yet so many more games are being released on PC, Switch, and I feel the excitement and would like to get them, but at the same time other games I played before are churning out updates like no tomorrow, and yet I can't finish the game as compared to those players who view the game as content droughts. Any ideas on what kind of games I should focus on, or HOW to focus on one game at a time without getting bored, and get decently good at it (pretty much have ADHD). There's so much FOMO, and I can't keep up with the general pace of things. Just so frustrated as I feel sometimes I impulse and make stupid decisions such as thinking I'll enjoy certain games, and lots of installing and uninstalling. Rant over, thanks for listening. TLDR: Too much new games, old games pushing updates, can't keep up. Need to get my shit together otherwise I'm gonna be miserable. Gaming List: Mobile: Path of Champions (frustrated about RNG), Genshin Impact (Artifact Stat RNG, too much content, stuck on side stories) PC: Blizzard Games, Bethesda Games, husband just bought me TTW but have no time to commit, occasional LoL/DotA, SC2, OW, Company of Heroes, World of Tanks, Battletech... Pretty much a bit of everything Submitted October 14, 2024 at 08:56AM by Soffypaws https://ift.tt/J9TKqtX via /r/gaming

[theresattrpgforthat]

THEME: The Sea Calls

This week’s recommendations are aquatic adventures of all kinds!

Stoneshore, by Stoneshore. 

Enter a coastal realm of sea-goblins, nymphs, crab-like shellfellows and human fisherpeople ekeing a living from the mostly pleasant, sometimes strange, occasionally dangerous Stoneshore region. 

A simple, narrative-led tabletop role-playing game, the Stoneshore Micro RPG is a pleasant change of pace for seasoned players, or a good introduction to the world of roleplaying for those less familiar with the format. This tabletop role-playing game requires a twelve-sided dice (d12), six-sided dice (d6) and ten-sided dice (d10), pens and paper, and a couple of friends. This is a simple game to pick up and play, with tools to create quick improvised stories.

Rising Tide, by cosmic beagle.

In Rising Tide, you are a member of a crew fighting for ecojustice. You live your life aboard a ship, in a near-future Earth where the oceans have risen, destroying many coastal areas. Corporations and corrupt governments continue abusing the ecosystem, too dependent on the resources or too inept to break old habits.

In the story, your crew’s aim is to perform missions to take down the people and organizations continuing to exploit the Earth’s ecosystem. As you complete missions, you live up to ideologies, retiring when you’ve completed one ideology. Rising Tide deals with environmental disasters, injustice, and violence. There may be tension between the crew as they debate the ethical, moral, and appropriate actions to take.

This game uses the Paragon System by John Harper and Sean Nittner. It's an excellent system option for folks who want self-contained stories, and who want the space to determine whether or not they succeed before they narrate what it is exactly that they do. Your character will grow as you play, but some of that growth is determined by your teammates.

Jellyfish Felonies, by Penguin King Games.

Jellyfish. Few would suspect that these fragile bags of transparent goo are the most dangerous thing in the ocean – and that's just the way you like it. Take advantage of your unassuming appearance and the hidden wisdom of the depths to lie, cheat, swindle, defraud, embezzle, and prove that you don't need a brain to be a criminal mastermind!

Jellyfish Felonies is a semi-competitive tabletop roleplaying game for three to five players, plus an optional Game master. You will start with three stats: Drift Aimlessly, Philosophize, and Commit Fraud. Take turns swimming into the spotlight to accrue your Ill-Gotten Gains without increasing your Entanglement, Contemplation, or Liability. If you’re not careful, you’ll be eaten by a whale!

Emerge, by Jake Gollub.

Down in the ocean depths of a post-apocalyptic world, The Surface City is a symbol of hope to any human who can make it there, but the question is… will you be human by the time you reach it? Embark on an oceanic adventure for survival with your crew-mates as you stare down every danger thrown your way, whether it be mutant, mech, or something more ancient…

Emerge is a table-top RPG designed for 3-6 players with minimal prep time, dynamic story-telling opportunities, and flexible session length. Your characters are spending a number of days in the ocean, going through a number of phases in an attempt to keep your submarine running while facing numerous obstacles. The game uses Yahtzee rolls to determine what it is your characters will have to overcome. 

Emerge is built so that you can determine how long you want to play for, whether it be for only two hours, or a full 4-hour session. It encourages players to take control over what exactly they’ll face when their bodies undergo changes, whether those changes be mechanical or mutative, and it’s absolutely free!

Bones Deep, by Technical Grimoire Games

Bones Deep is a tabletop RPG of skeletons exploring the ocean floor.

Emergent adventures. Every random encounter in Bones Deep aims to draw you deeper into the setting. Warring factions, clues to hidden treasure, terrible foes, cute pets, and nefarious mysteries all compete for your attention. The book includes 5 detailed quests to kick off your campaign. 

This setting is wonderfully original and unique: bones don’t float, so your characters will travel along the ocean floor. There’s a mix of foes both real and imagined, from the devious cephalopods to the ridiculously wonderful Sharkball. On top of an intriguing setting, Bones Deep has one of the best set of hyperlinks I’ve ever seen. Every single page has a small index at the top and bottom that allows you to navigate between player options, locations, and foes. You need the Troika rulebook in order to know how to play this game, as it doesn’t explain the rules system in detail. However, this also makes it 100% compatible with your Troika game.

Requires Troika, by Melsonian Arts Council

Bro, is it Gay to Dock? by Nguyen Conditions

In every bay is booty waiting to be dug up. On every port an Imperial waiting to bind you. Coin is cursed with more than avarice. The sea, while you love it, does not always love you back as gently. Out there is a charge & cutlass with your name on it, waiting to meet you at your final destination. Which is all well and good! But, you're here for him. Your swashbuckling hero, 

...The Legend. 

Bro, Is It Gay To Dock? is a rules light tabletop rpg for a GM and 1-4 players interested in queer high seas adventure. 

Players take on the role of novice pirates who're saved and companioned by a Pirate Legend. Play mixes swashbuckling adventure with romantic tension between pirates. In short... You meet a gay pirate. You are a gay pirate. You gay pirate together.  Be Gay! Go Pirate!

This game is built off of the What’s So Cool About Outer Space rule system, by Jared Sinclair. It has quick, descriptive character creation, just enough of a setting to get you started, and a simple success metric that can be learned in one session. Check this game out if you like the idea of playing gay pirates, and you don’t want to learn a complicated system in order to do so. 

Seemannsgarn, by Max Kämmerer

It is the golden age of piracy. The night has been long - or is it day already? - and you have been drinking heavily, sitting around one of the tables of the shady, dirty, and loud interior of your favorite watering hole, sharing tales from the high seas, each larger and more unlikely than the last. Tales of grandeur and ridicule. Tales of the Kraken, the wildest storms, and improbable feats. The sea is your one true love, be it as a pirate, a trader, a soldier, or a fisher. It is an unhealthy relationship of stiff winds, burned skin, and salty water, but you love her nonetheless.

In "Seemannsgarn" you take turns telling tall tales from the seas, your character claims to have experienced. You draw cards, which offer you prompts, weave a tale from those prompts and make a roll. Depending on the result of your roll the tale is true, exaggerated or completely made up. Other players may then decide which parts of the story are made up and tell the true story. During the game you draw symbols on a map that represent the tales you told.

[my-bated-breath]

Research Shows that Zutara Would Have Been the Ideal Friends to Lovers Dynamic

(featured below: a very self-indulgent Zutara post that uses Facts and Evidence to be self-indulgent)

When I joined the ATLA fandom, a common trend I've seen used to discredit Zutara was the belief that upon transitioning from a platonic relationship to a romantic one, Zuko and Katara would immediately become The Worst (TM) for each other. It's quite the stretch, and the Zutara fandom nearly unanimously recognizes that. Still, since the attacks have yet to cease even 15 years after the show’s first release, I'd like to add my two-cents on the subject, along with a reference to actual research that is much harder to dismiss.

The reason why Zutara is framed as a “toxic and unhealthy” relationship is that their romance would be a classic example of the enemies-to-lovers trope, a trope which modern media has not been particularly kind to. However, when executed correctly, enemies-to-lovers can produce a healthy and loving relationship, frequently relying on friendship as an intermediate between the “enemy” and “lover” stages in the most well-executed versions of this trope. Meanwhile, the trope of friends-to-lovers is just as popular as enemies-to-lovers, though the specific dynamic required between two individuals to achieve this transition is not well-known. Recognizing this, Laura K. Guerrero and Paul A. Mongeau, both of whom are involved in relationship-related research as professors at Arizona State University, wrote a research paper on how friendships may transition into romantic relationships.

While “On Becoming ‘More Than Friends: The Transition From Friendship to Romantic Relationship” covers a variety of aspects regarding how friends may approach a budding romantic relationship, this meta will focus on the section titled “The Trajectory from Platonic Friendship to Romantic Relationship,” which describes stages of intimacy that are in common between platonic and romantic relationships.

(I am only using this one source for my meta because as much as I love research and argumentative writing, I can only give myself so much more school work before I break. If you wish to see more sources that corroborate the argument from above, refer to the end of this meta at the “Works Cited.”)

According to Guerrero and Mongeau, “...scholars have argued that intimacy is located in different types of interactions, ranging from sexual activity and physical contact to warm, cozy interactions that can occur between friends, family members, and lovers…” Guerrero and Mongeau then reference a relationship model where the initial stages (i.e. perceiving similarities, achieving rapport, and inducing self-disclosure) reflect platonic/romantic intimacy through communication while the latter stages (i.e. role-taking, achieving interpersonal role fit, and achieving dyadic crystallization) often see both individuals as achieving a higher level of intimacy that involves more self-awareness.

Definitions, because some terminology in this quote is field-specific:

_____

Perception of similarity: (similar in background, values, etc.) which contributes to pair rapport

Pair rapport: produces positive emotional and behavioral responses to the partner, promotes effective communication and instills feelings of self-validation

Self-disclosure: a process of communication by which one person reveals information about themselves to another. The information can be descriptive or evaluative and can include thoughts, feelings, aspirations, goals, failures, successes, fears, and dreams, as well as one's likes, dislikes, and favorites.

Role-taking: ability to understand the partner's perspective and empathize with his/her role in the interaction and the relationship

Role-fit: partners assess the extent of their similarities in personality, needs, and roles

Dyadic crystallization: partners become increasingly involved with each other and committed to the relationship and they form an identity as a committed couple

_____

(Source: Quizlet -- not the most reliable source, I know, but once again field-specific terms tend to be ubiquitous in their definitions, and I doubt that this Quizlet can be that inaccurate)

(Additional note: only the first three definitions will be relevant to this meta, but the other definitions are left in for all of you who want to speculate what the next part of this meta, which may or may not be published the following week, will be about.)

Let’s apply what we just learned back to the real Zuko-Katara relationship we see throughout the show. What attributes of healthy and natural friends-to-lovers dynamics may they check off?

Perceiving similarities:

Zuko and Katara share an astounding number of parallels in background and character throughout the show. Both their mothers had sacrificed their lives to save them, and then there are many deliberate parallels drawn between Zuko and Katara’s confrontations in the Day of Black Sun and The Southern Raiders, respectively. Of course, there are more, but since I do not have much to add to this subject, I’ll say that perceiving these similarities helps contribute to…

Pair rapport:

We see three standout examples of this from the show in which Zuko and Katara “make positive emotional and behavioral responses” towards each other: In the Crossroads of Destiny, the Southern Raiders, and Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters.

(1) Crossroads of Destiny. Zuko and Katara bond over the loss of their mothers in the Crystal Catacombs, allowing themselves to truly see the other for the first time as well as for them to speak civilly and intimately (is this self-disclosure I see?) with each other. Of course, their conversation (on-screen or off-screen) is meaningful enough for Katara to offer to use the Spirit Oasis water to heal Zuko’s scar.

(2) The Southern Raiders. The journey Zuko and Katara take for her to achieve closure (which is something Zuko himself knew was necessary to heal and grow) is the catalyst for Katara forgiving Zuko. Though there is no true “rapport” in the scene where Katara forgives him, all other banter/conversations (in the Ember Island Players and the ATLA finale) between Katara and Zuko are reliant on the moment she forgives him.

(3) Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters. In the finale, Zuko experiences a moment of uncertainty before just before he faces his uncle -- his uncle who had always been there for him since the days of his banishment, his uncle had loved him unconditionally even when Zuko did not know that such love was possible, his uncle who loved him like his own son, his uncle who he betrayed in the Crystal Catacombs, his uncle who turned away when he was encased in crystal, too disappointed to look him in the eye. He tells this to Katara -- and what does Katara say to Zuko in response?

“Then he'll forgive you. He will.”

The dialogue speaks for itself. The positive emotional response, the open communication, and the (rightful) encouragement Katara provides, all without invalidating Zuko’s self-doubt, demonstrates the epitome of pair rapport. Further elaboration would simply be me gushing over their dynamic.

Self-disclosure:

Self-disclosure involves revealing intimate feelings. We’re revisiting the same three episodes that we covered up above since they all include self-disclosure.

(1) The Crossroads of Destiny. When he reaches out in the Crystal Catacombs, Zuko reveals something to Katara that he has never told anyone before, perhaps something he didn’t even want to admit to himself -- in response to “the Fire Nation took my mother away from me” he says “that's something we have in common.” And to say that out loud, to say it to himself and Katara when for three whole years he’s been trying to convince himself that the Fire Nation is good and that his father loves him -- there are no words to describe it. It’s both awe-inspiring and heartbreaking to see that Zuko and Katara’s shared pain is what allowed them to see each other as more than the “face of the enemy,” and it’s something so poignant that it forms an immediately profound connection between the two.

(2) The Southern Raiders. On their way to the Fire Nation communications tower on Whale Tail Island, Katara tells the story of her mother’s death, a story that has haunted her memories for years, looming over her as a ghost, a wound that festers into fear to grief to anger. This was the moment that divided Katara’s life into the Before and the After, the one that forced her to abandon childhood and to become a mother to her own brother (as implied by Sokka in his conversation with Toph in the Runaway). And yet this is the first time we see her tell someone her story in the show, full and vivid as if it happened yesterday. Because even though she mentioned her mother before to Aang, Haru, and Jet in order to sympathize with them -- it’s just that. Sympathizing. This time she tells Zuko about her mother’s death for her own sake rather than for another’s. And it’s an incredibly intimate moment, one that is made even more fragile, wrenching, and beautiful by Zuko’s response -- “Your mother was a brave woman.”

(3) Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters. Throughout the second half of season 3, Zuko shares his love and insecurities regarding Iroh to every member of the GAang.

In the Firebending Masters, he mentions to Aang offhandedly -- and perhaps too offhandedly, as if he didn’t want to believe it himself -- that Iroh, Dragon of the West, received his honorary title for killing the last dragon.

An episode later in part one of the Boiling Rock, Zuko talks about his uncle with near constancy. He brews tea for the GAang and (endearingly) tries retelling “Uncle’s favorite tea joke.” He tells Sokka, “Hey, hold on. Not everyone in my family is like that… I  meant my uncle. He was more of a father to me. And I really let him down.” He (fails at, adorably) giving advice to Sokka when the rescue mission to the Boiling Rock has begun to look helpless, asking himself “what would Uncle say?” before completely floundering away.

Then, in the Ember Island Players, he shares a sweet moment with Toph, bitterly spitting out that

“...for me, [the play] takes all the mistakes I've made in my life, and shoves them back in my face. My uncle, he's always been on my side, even when things were bad. He was there for me, he taught me so much, and how do I repay him? With a knife in his back. It's my greatest regret, and I may never get to redeem myself.”

Toph, in turn, reveals the thoughtful side to her character, the side that is almost always hidden, telling Zuko that “you have redeemed yourself to your uncle. You don't realize it, but you already have.”

And every one of these moments matter, because we see Zuko’s inner conflict (though this inner conflict does not exist to the extent at which it did at the first half of season 3) and its evolution. First, with Aang, he remains skeptical and disillusioned. Second, with Sokka, his longing for Iroh’s love and presence manifests itself in him imitating his uncle as well as he can. Third, with Toph, he finally admits everything he had been afraid of ever since he saw Iroh’s empty prison cell during the eclipse -- that Iroh is disappointed in him. That Iroh hates him. That Iroh will never accept him again.

And for a moment, with Toph’s encouraging response and Zuko’s resulting little smile, it appears as though Zuko’s internal conflict arc is concluded. But we are wrong -- because in the finale of the show, we are given the true climax and resolution to Zuko’s insecurities, fears, and self-loathing. And who is it that he shares this moment with?

It speaks volumes about Zuko and Katara’s relationship that Katara is the one to comfort Zuko in this scene, in that last moment of hesitation right before he steps inside his uncle’s tent, preparing himself to see his uncle as a completely changed person. As a person who now knows humility and unconditional love. And remember -- selecting Katara to be in this scene is a deliberate narrative choice because ATLA was written by a team of producers and writers, and perhaps even if it wasn’t, it becomes a powerful moment in which Zuko’s arc with Iroh reaches its peak.

Simply having Katara there in this scene already has such a great narrative impact, but then the show gives us some of the most intimate dialogue that Zuko, a naturally closed-off person, delivers (although his emotional outbursts may suggest otherwise, Zuko tends to hide most of his internally conflicting feelings to himself. Hence, he is always able to dramatically monologue about his honor, his country, and his throne -- because he’s trying to convince himself to play a part. But that’s another meta for another day).

Let’s begin by comparing Toph and Zuko’s dialogue with Katara and Zuko’s dialogue because both see the other party validating Zuko’s feelings.

(Warning: the following section plunges deep into the realm of speculation and overanalyzing dialogue. Regarding literature or any media, there are countless ways to interpret the source material, and this is simply one way it could be done.)

_____

Ember Island Players Dialogue:

Toph: Geez, everyone's getting so upset about their characters. Even you seem more down than usual, and that's saying something!

Zuko: You don't get it, it's different for you. You get a muscly version of yourself, taking down ten bad guys at once, and making sassy remarks.

Toph: Yeah, that's pretty great!

Zuko: But for me, it takes all the mistakes I've made in my life, and shoves them back in my face. My uncle, he's always been on my side, even when things were bad. He was there for me, he taught me so much, and how do I repay him? With a knife in his back. It's my greatest regret, and I may never get to redeem myself.

_____

Although Toph and Zuko’s dynamic is one of the most innocent and understanding throughout the show, the conversation begins with Toph joking with a negative connotation -- that “even [Zuko seemed] more down than usual, and that’s saying something!” Thus, the conversation opener is not one that allows for Zuko to easily be emotionally vulnerable, and so he responds bitterly and angrily -- “You don’t get it, it’s different for you” and “...and how do I repay him? With a knife in his back.” By stating that their portrayals in the shows were different, Zuko mentally places a wall between himself and Toph, saying that “[Toph doesn’t] get it.” Then, the rhetorical question Zuko asks himself and the shortness with which he answers the question showcases a forceful and biting tone, indicating that he is covering up his inner turmoil with vehemence. This tendency is something we’ve seen Zuko default to before, whenever he had shouted the oft-mocked “I must restore my honor!” lines in response to a few introspective questions Iroh had asked (though once again, that’s another meta for another day). Now, let’s examine the remainder of their conversation.

_____

Ember Island Players Dialogue Continued:

Toph: You have redeemed yourself to your uncle. You don't realize it, but you already have.

Zuko: How do you know?

Toph: Because I once had a long conversation with the guy, and all he would talk about was you.

Zuko: Really?

Toph: Yeah, and it was kind of annoying.

Zuko: Oh, sorry.

_____

Here we see Toph and Zuko’s conversation take a more serious turn as Toph becomes more sincere. Zuko, however, is still full of self-doubt as he is constantly questioning Toph with “how do you know?” and “really” and “oh, sorry.”

(featured up above: Zuko looking dejected and doubtful.)

Still, the conversation ends on a sweet and inspiring note:

_____

Ember Island Players Dialogue Continued:

Toph: But it was also very sweet. All your uncle wanted was for you to find your own path, and see the light. Now you're here with us. He'd be proud.

_____

Hence, though Zuko and Toph’s conversation displays a heartening and hopeful dynamic, Zuko is ultimately still guarded for the majority of their conversation. Now, let’s look at how Katara approaches Zuko in the Sozin’s Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters.

_____

Sozin’s Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters Dialogue:

Katara: Are you okay?

Zuko: No, I'm not okay. My uncle hates me, I know it. He loved and supported me in every way he could, and I still turned against him. How can I even face him?

Katara: Zuko, you're sorry for what you did, right?

Zuko: More sorry than I've been about anything in my entire life.

_____

In direct contrast to the conversation opener with Toph, Katara begins to engage Zuko with an openly concerned question. And even though Katara never disappointed an Iroh-figure in her life in the way Zuko has, Zuko immediately doesn’t close himself off from her, he doesn’t create a wall that prevents him from revealing his deepest fears to her. During this scene, he neither sounds bitter or angry -- he sounds lost, doubtful, and afraid (perhaps even afraid to hope). This shift in tone is blatant in his voice (thanks to Dante Basco’s line delivery) but even with nothing but the written dialogue, we can note the difference in which he describes his turmoil to Toph and as compared to Katara:

With Toph: “But for me, it takes all the mistakes I've made in my life, and shoves them back in my face. My uncle, he's always been on my side, even when things were bad. He was there for me, he taught me so much, and how do I repay him? With a knife in his back. It's my greatest regret, and I may never get to redeem myself.”

With Katara: “No, I'm not okay. My uncle hates me, I know it. He loved and supported me in every way he could, and I still turned against him. How can I even face him?”

With Katara, the underlying bitterness from his conversation with Toph is toned down to the point of nonexistence, though a part of it is still there. With Toph, Zuko says, “it takes all the mistakes I’ve made in my life, and shoves them back in my face,” which is a rather incensed statement. Meanwhile, by saying, “no, I'm not okay. My uncle hates me, I know it,” Zuko directly addresses his self-loathing without the use of language such as “shoves them back in my face,” the latter of which is reminiscent of how individuals may unthinkingly reveal information in a sudden emotional outburst.

Then, when Katara asks him if he’s sorry for what he did, the words come easily to Zuko, the most easily he admits to his own mistakes after three years of not admitting anything truthful to himself: “More sorry than I've been about anything in my entire life.”

And Katara, just as Toph did, says with the utmost confidence and sincerity, “Then he'll forgive you. He will.”

This moment of affirmation that runs parallel between both dialogues is where Zuko’s responses begin to diverge. Whereas Zuko reacts to Toph with disbelief and doubt, this is how he reacts once he hears Katara’s words:

He takes Katara’s words to heart and accepts them. Because out of all the GAang, Katara is the one who knows the most about forgiving him, who most keenly feels the change he underwent since his betrayal in the catacombs. And so he stands, still nervous but no longer afraid, facing forward towards the future instead of back into his past.

Iroh and Zuko’s relationship is one of the most important ones throughout the entire show, so to see Katara play a pivotal role in a critical point in their dynamic shows just how important Katara’s character is to Zuko (and vice versa, though in here I do touch upon the former in more detail).

Although my analysis on the self-disclosure between Zuko and Katara may have run away from me a bit (due to my love for far-too-in-depth critical analysis), these all show an undeniable bond between Zuko and Katara, displaying a profound friendship rooted in narrative parallels, mutual understanding, and interwoven character arcs. Ultimately, their fulfillment of perceived similarities, pair rapport, and (the one I rambled most on) self-disclosure is what establishes Zuko and Katara as not just a strong platonic bond -- but one that has the potential to transition into a romantic one.

Thus concludes my essay on Zutara’s friendship and its connection with the initial stages of intimacy that are shared between both platonic and romantic bonds. After all that analysis, it would be remiss to simply dismiss the Zutara dynamic as one that would instantly become toxic should they pursue a romantic relationship.

That being said, I will explore the possibility of a romantic relationship between Zuko and Katara and how this connects to the latter stages of intimacy -- role-taking, interpersonal role fit, and dyadic crystallization -- in part 2 of this meta-analysis. Click on the link if you want to read it!

Part 2

Works Cited

(only partially in MLA 8 format because I want to live a little)

Close Relationships: A Sourcebook. By Clyde A. Hendrick & Susan S. Hendrick. Link

“Nonverbal behavior in intimate interactions and intimate relationships.” By P.A Andersen, Laura K. Guerrero, & Susanne M. Jones. Link

“On Becoming ‘More Than Friends’: The Transition From Friendship to Romantic Relationship.” By Laura K. Guerrero & Paul A. Mongeau. Link

The Psychology of Intimacy (The Guilford Series on Personal Relationships). By Karen J. Prager. Link

(If you check some of these links, you may note a few of these sources have been cited quite a few times. With just a bit more research, it appears possible to find a plethora of other sources to corroborate the theory of shared platonic-romantic intimacies.)

Thank you all for reading!

[kastle09]

Principles: States of Play and Transition

This is a new sub category of articles describing very fundamental topics of how I think about games in a very abstract manner. As different as fighting games are in mechanics and scope, once you strip those things away what's left to observe are the underlying aspects. I wanted to talk about concepts that have application to any fighting game you play.

It's definitely something that you feel more than you can describe to someone so in that vein I want to articulate a new concept which I will describe as “The States of Play”. If you really boil down to it, at any point in a round I believe you are placed into one of five states.

The 5 States

The five states are as follows:

True Neutral - When neither player has advantage and neither is forced to initiate

Offense in Neutral - When neither player has advantage but you have to initiate.

Defense in Neutral - When neither player has advantage and your opponent needs to initiate.

Offense in Pressure - When you have advantage and have a set offensive plan

Defense in Pressure - When the opponent has advantage and you need a set defensive plan

Understanding which state you are currently in can inform your decision making and recognise what options are currently available to you and which aren’t.

True, Offensive and Defensive Neutral

Neutral gets used as an all encompassing word, but it can be broken down further as even if both players are playing “in neutral”, they aren’t always concentrating on the same aspects.

For instance a player who is Defensive in Neutral has more of a mind for things like Anti Airs, Dash checking, Defensive whiff punishing etc

Conversely a player who is offensively minded is looking for opportunities such as dash pressure, spacing traps, jump/divekick pressure etc.

All of these tools at a players disposal encompass neutral but which you are focused on and which you can kind of ignore because the state of the game can be dependent on a variety of factors.

I'd say it's actually quite rare where the state of play is truly neutral (for reasons I will go into soon) and in fact the shifting to one of the other types happens quite quickly whether it's due to health differences, meter advantage or character toolset.

When understanding what state of neutral you are in it, it helps to ask yourself the question:

“If the timer ticks down, and the neutral continues to be played in this way, who will win first?”

So let's look at some scenarios and apply this question.

Scenario 1: Mirror match, Life Lead

Let's say it's a mirror match but one player has a life lead on another. Just based purely on attrition as each side whittles the other down evenly, the player with the life lead is going to win as they just have more of a resource to maintain the status quo.

Therefore the onus is on the opponent to try and make something happen and initiate to change that variable.

Scenario 2: Grappler vs Zoner

So in a scenario where a character has a clear advantage over the other in neutral we can tell as soon as the round start bell rings, The character more dominant in neutral is automatically assigned to be “Neutrally Defensive” and the opponent is “Neutrally Offensive”.

The example of a grappler vs zoner archetype represents this in the extremes by the fact that often the grappler does not want to spend any more time in neutral then is required whereas a zoner is the opposite of that.

But now let's say it's later into a match and through exchanges the grappler has a life lead over the opponent, even though the zoner is stronger in neutral, They can no longer win by trading the same way.

Now we are in a scenario where the onus is on the zoner to initiate and the grappler is allowed to let the opponents come to them. The roles of each player are now reversed.

Scenario 3: Playstyles affect

This time, instead of thinking in terms of character, we are going to look at it in terms of how the players themselves can affect this dynamic.

If a person naturally tends towards being more offensive regardless of the matchup or resources at present he is evidently forcing an opponent into the compliment.

Think about a lot of beginner or intermediate level matches where it's common to give the advice to “let the opponent hang themselves”.

In other words, if they are taking all the risks, we don’t have to do anything but play reactionary and punish the over commitment. The reason that kind of blanket advice is effective despite matchups is the opponent is clearly not playing the matchup so it is no longer relevant.

Having said that, characters can still have an effect on playstyle match ups. Let's imagine a match between two defensively minded players who carry identical skill sets and play styles but one player has a character much more suited for that type of play then the other.

Just because the character has the tools to play strongly in that way, even if each player gets the same opportunities in neutral and captalise on them identically, the output of the stronger neutral character may be unequivocally higher than the other just because that character is able to produce more in each scenario. Either the opponent has to work even harder for the same reward or move to a different approach, one more suited to the character strengths.

Pressure as the Attacker and Defender

When I use the term “pressure” what I really just mean is spots where one player has frame advantage over the other. These are spots that just mean someone has an advantage and therefore definitively, Someone is attacking to maintain or get value from the situation and the other has to defend and escape.

As we know, there are a number of situations that this could represent but surprisingly, the decision making can be remarkably similar depending on the game. “A +2 situation by any other name would smell as sweet” you might say.

For instance in Street Fighter, a knockdown and an air reset after an anti air are remarkably similar situations even if we don’t internalise it as such. In both spots the rock - paper - scissors game of meaty vs throw vs shimmy is identical.

What's even more interesting is it's a spot where a player's default decision making can be so different despite that similarity. Someone may play close attention to how they act on wake up but autopilot during air resets for example. The biggest difference that sets these scenarios apart from neutral offense and defense is that it's far less free form. Usually there will always be a selection of very specific “correct” responses that each player needs to select from. This is a big benefit to players who thrive in making players ask the hard questions, shoving a multiple choice question in your face, that if you get wrong they get damage, oki and the ability to shove another one in your face.

If neutral is a mind game of intentions that leave a backdoor to remaining safe, A pressure scenario is like reaching the end of the poker hand, the River card has just been flipped and each player has to show their cards and live with the decision (There you are Cam, that was for you).

The Transition

So now that we have talked about the states, the final thing I want to touch on is how these interact when we have to quickly switch from one state to another and there are a couple of things to note. You will notice that however a player is playing in neutral (defensively or offensively), either situation can produce a pressure situation that gives them advantage. Whether I offensively whiff punished by setup or baited an opponent into over extension defensively the result has led to the same Attacking pressure. What this tells us is states aren’t linked in a circle only leading from one to the next. It's possible for these transition to happen from any state to any other in the flash if the opportunity presents itself.

I don't have to be aggressive to get an advantageous position; in other words.

The other interesting thing about this transition phase is the psychological aspect it presents, with particular focus on the difficulty of task switching. It's something that becomes most apparent when you watch someone play vs when you actually have to play yourself.

Think how much easier it is to anti air when nothing happens in the few seconds prior, vs when you have just whiffed a button.

What you may feel as an obvious error is actually a really difficult skill that needs to be trained and its difficulty can be explained when your brain had to transition from a state you were thinking about opening someone up to then having to mentally switch to defending in neutral.

In Football(Soccer), there is a well known concept that one of the times a player is most vulnerable is when they have just gained possession of the ball.

They have just expended energy in the challenge, still trying to get the ball under control, and haven't fully grasped where other players are on the pitch (teammates and opponents alike).

Tactics have been developed specifically on speedily identifying and defending in a manner to panic the player on the ball and regain position as quickly as possible and the same is true for fighting games, as possession in soccer is analogous to gaining the plus frame advantage once again.

Conclusion

It's an interesting experiment to see if when you play you can identify the states for your game. Not every game has the same neutral, or attacking defending options, but I think the broad strokes are there whether it be traditional 2D, anime, 3D or teams.

This is a concept that I'll probably refine in future as I consider it more and if I need to include or trim anything so if you have any thoughts Id like to hear them and improve what is this first draft on the States of Play in fighting games.

[cupidmarwani-archive]

can i ask what your statuses are for your abo!ls au? also if its not too much trouble do you now how the traditions work in your mind? any hcs?

The dynamics of the characters are in the introductory post under the #abo!ls tag. That being said, world building?? *eyes emoji*

- While Omegas are permitted to hold normal jobs and are considered citizens and have the same basic human rights as others, there is still some red tape and social stigma. For example, TK can have a job as a firefighter, but it depends on certain medical criteria (in TX, for example, he must be on suppressants, and in New York, he must meet a certain level of muscle mass) and there’s a social culture in which a decent number of people don’t think he should be a firefighter. Many people (I’d say around half) still hold views that Omegas should not have jobs, or at the very least, not non “nurturing” jobs.

- About one in every four Omegas is on suppressants in the U.S. because it makes things easier socially and some jobs require it. One in every fifteen Alphas is on suppressants, often just out of convenience, but on occasion for mental health reasons. One in every five hundred Betas is on suppressants, as they are only taken when medically necessary. 

- Pack structure is so complicated and important. Packs are a vital part of society and actually have legal standing-- the Pack Alpha can automatically make medical or legal decisions for members of their pack in the event that they are incapacitated. Violent crimes that were committed in the defense or perceived defense of a pack member carry lesser crimes. Pack members may also perform certain duties on behalf of others, such as pick up medications, speak to doctors, etc. The Pack Alpha is also seen as a guardian figure to the pack, and can be held responsible for their pack’s actions in some instances.

- But moving on to pack structure, there are three basic roles: Pack Alpha, Middle Pack, and Pack Omega. The Pack Alpha is basically in charge and the most dominant role in the pack. They protect their pack, they take care of them, they make major decisions regarding the welfare of the group. In this AU, Marjan is the Pack Alpha. The Pack Omega is someone who is protected by others and is kind of the “glue” in a way- the pack specifically bonds over protecting and looking after this Omega. Often, they will be the Pack Alpha’s mate, but not always. In this AU, the Pack Omega is TK. Everyone else is “Middle Pack” but they do have an hierarchy. In general, Alphas are “higher up” followed by Betas and Omegas, but there are several factors that contribute to it. For example, if TK had an Alpha child, he would be “higher up” than that child because he’s its father. TK is “lower” than Judd. But this child would be considered “higher” than Judd. I’ll make a diagram of this particular pack’s structure later, because it’s extremely complicated, but suffice to say, the “main players” in terms of the structure of the pack are TK and Marjan.

- Alpha/Alpha and Omega/Omega relationships are socially frowned upon and sometimes not protected under law the same way Alpha/Omega or Beta/Beta relationships are. If two Alphas become mates, in some areas of the U.S. they may not be legally recognized as such. If two Alphas mated in Texas, they would not get the legal protections that other mates do because of their dynamic. These relationships are a social taboo. 

- Courting is an important part of any relationship, and can be a long or short process, but good mates usually had a long courtship. It not only consists of normal relationship stuff, but scenting, grooming, and marking rituals as well as nesting from both parties. Yes, Alphas can “nest” but it’s not the way Omega’s do, and is often unrecognized. 

Anywhom I love worldbuilding thanks for listening to my TED talk

[mahou-furbies]

On the teams in Magical Girl Raising Project : Restart

When reading MagiPro Restart I paid attention to how different the dynamics in each team were and how fun it was to read about them, so here’s an appreciation post. (note that this is based on just the two Restart novels; I haven’t read most of the side stories about these characters).

Team Daisy

The team whose dynamics most resemble the more common magical girl team where there is an upbeat, friendly and supportive vibe going on. When reading from the POV of a character in this group I get the feeling that they all enjoy being together, and don't have any major disagreements. Especially the enthusiastic and outgoing NyanNyan and Genopsyko get along really well and behave like longtime friends even if they only just met, and being invested in Genopsyko's well-being becomes a very defining character trait for NyanNyan as the story goes on and even causes her to act irrationally and recklessly. And the young and unassuming Nokko-chan inspires protectiveness from everyone, but she still manages to hold her own in a pinch.

There is more to the team dynamics than just everyone being nice though. The former magical girl celebrity Magical Daisy had been living a lonely and dull life after the anime in which she starred ended, and now finds herself enjoying the fact that she ended up as the group leader and has people depending on her again. I feel that her relationship with her team is a bit shallow, and that she sees them in the role of an audience to some degree and doesn't form that close friendships with them as people. There is also some charming childishness about her; like she often thinks about how she wants to use her flashy beam attack for the sake of it, and her reaction to being forced to compete in a game is not only that she wants out but that she would also like to win.

This is not to say I think Daisy is an egoistical or arrogant person; like sure she cares about her team and never thinks badly of them, and the narrative doesn't show her in a bad light either. I also find her enjoying the attention very human, like she's been alone and starved for validation for long, so it's understandable that meeting fans who gush about her show would be flattering. She's like a little skewed version of your typical pure and heroic magical girl lead in that she knows what a good magical girl is and consistently acts upon the expectations, but isn't quite committed to the spirit. Which shows in the way everyone sees her as a mature and competent leader, but the readers get to know that she likes that the game lets her use lethal force on the AI enemies without moral repercussions.

Team Clantail

Team Clantail has a lot more conflict than Team Daisy. Rionetta and Nonako aren't afraid to voice their opinions, and that causes constant quarreling. However they aren't identical in their bitching, with Rionetta being more confrontational and snippy while in Nonako's case it's more like she just says what's on her mind without caring how insensitive it might be. Meanwhile Clantail is the calm and reliable leader who gets stuff done, but she remains distant and doesn't do much to mitigate the drama. Finally there is the timid and anxious Pechka, who has low self esteem and is useless in battle. At first Rionetta and Nonako don't even try to hide the fact that they're only letting her be a part of the team out of social obligation and wouldn’t mind seeing her leave, and Clantail does nothing to make her feel better either.

However the team dynamics drastically change when Pechka reveals her magical cooking ability, and the delicious meals together greatly boost the team's morale. The more competent fighters start to see how Pechka is valuable in the team in an unexpected way, and the tension mitigates and the arguments turn into friendly bickering. As the story goes on, Team Clantail starts to feel more like a tight group of people who care about each other and does well in the game with their teamwork, but the little quarreling and Pechka's self esteem issues keep it from becoming boring and stale.

Team Bell

For the most part these guys come across as having a more practical and business-like relationship and working together just because it's useful, rather than the typical magical girl squad where everyone is best friends and ready to protect the others with their life. They do work well enough together though and advance well in the game, but they have fundamental disagreements to how much they should progress at the expense of the competing teams. At one point Detec Bell even hopes her own team would lose a contest so that they would get better along with the other players.

Detec Bell doesn't have the fighting skills or the required charisma and appears to only be the leader nominally, since ultimately the proud and mysterious Melville does what she feels like and the childish Cherna Mouse only takes orders from Melville. Detec Bell is one of the more mature characters in the book though, and does her best to maintain her team's cohesion and relationships with the other teams. However Team Bell starts to fall apart when suspicions of the unknown killer arise.

All the talk about a dysfunctional team of course doesn't apply to Lapis Lazuline, who is ten times as chummy as the other three put together. She is super cheerful and friendly with everyone and acts enthusiastic and emotionally about everything. Thus she acts as the glue that makes Team Bell stick together and feel like an actual team and not just a bunch of people who happened to stand close to each other when it was time to team up.

Team Pfle

I feel a lot of negative energy emanating from this team... As the story goes on we discover that there's deception in the other teams as well, but in this case we get to follow it closely from within. Pfle is very smart and manipulative, and the first thing she does after being thrown into the game is fake injuries in order to gain empathy and get others do her dirty work. I really like the contrast between Pfle maintaining a friendly and co-operative public image, while we get to read Shadow Gale's narration where she constantly roasts Pfle for being self-absorbed, arrogant or even sadistic.

As a fine lady and her long-suffering friend/servant, Pfle and Shadow Gale are the only girls who knew each other before being transported to the game, and the trust and familiarity they have really shows. While Pfle often doesn't tell what she's planning and sometimes is outright pretty rude towards Shadow Gale, and Shadow Gale's thoughts towards Pfle are often pretty unkind even when her behaviour is polite on the surface, when reading about them I feel secure that they can count on each other. Also in Pfle's defense even if she manages to keep her emotions well in check, she can go to great lengths for those who she considers a part of her in-group.

And then there's of course the third member of the group, Masked Wonder, who is exactly the kind of pure hearted defender of justice who falls for Pfle's fake injury act and becomes the group's muscle. Her straightforward and altruistic behaviour looks even more heroic next to Pfle's scheming, and she also pairs up really well with the equally enthusiastic Lapis Lazuline for some funny scenes.

In conclusion I really like how different every team is in terms of internal relationships and how they relate to the other teams, and handle being forced to compete in the game. And then there's also the fact that when the characters start dying, the survivors form new groups both permanently (like someone whose entire team has been killed gets adopted by another team) or temporarily (when a common goal needs more manpower), which gives even more team dynamics to read about.

Of course the fact that this is such a dark series affects the mood, so a lot of the interaction involves deception, doubt, fear, and violence and death. But I find that the starting point is striking enough that the characters would be interesting to follow even if you put them into a family friendly series, where the point really is just to clear a video game and those who are initially uncooperative learn the power of friendship by the end (and everyone lives). So I really wish more magical girl shows would utilise character writing like this; like obviously I don't mean that next year we should get Murder! Battle Royale Precure<3, but that there are other options besides everyone being best friends from the moment they join the team.

[mediaeval-muse]

Video Game Review: GreedFall (Spiders, 2018)

Genres: action RPG, fantasy

Premise: Players assume the role of De Sardet, a human noble who arrives on the recently-discovered island of Teer Fradee. Able to ally with either the natives who inhabit the land and/or any of the foreign nations competing to colonize it, De Sardet seeks out a cure for the mysterious illness that plagues their family, while also battling monsters and magic.

Platform Played On: PC (Windows)

Rating: 3/5 stars

Disclaimer: My rating is in response to multiple aspects of the game, not just its politics. If I were evaluating solely on politics and gave the developers the benefit of the doubt that they were trying to make something with a good message, my rating would be around the 1 to 2-star range, depending on player choices.

***Full review under the cut.***

I am evaluating this game based on four key aspects: story, characters, gameplay, and visuals.

Story: I’m immediately wary of any pop culture item that tries to tell a story about colonialism and Indigeneity because it usually ends up indulging in colonialist fantasies rather than critiquing them. Complex, morally-grey stories are great and all, but when it comes to tales about colonialism, “both sides” narratives tend to look a little insensitive. So, I can’t tell you why I decided to play GreedFall, other than I heard that it filled the Dragon Age-sized hole in people’s hearts. Since I’d rather use my own judgment than read video game reviews, I bought this game on sale and gave it a go. If nothing else, I told myself, I could use my history and literary analysis chops to say something intelligent about it.

In terms of politics, I don’t think GreedFall was as terrible as games where the goal in itself is colonization, but I also don’t think it achieved a narrative that was critical enough of colonization. De Sardet’s primary goal is to achieve balance between all the nations (which I’m calling factions because they’re mostly that). While I can admire that GreedFall really pushed for peaceful relationships, as well as pushed back against abuse and racism, I ultimately thought the developers didn’t consider how the struggle for balance actually facilitates colonialism. This game presents colonialism a diplomatic issue, so as a result, Teer Fradee is kind of a fantasy where colonists can settle on native land while maintaining friendly relationships with Indigenous peoples (at least, if you play it that way - at worst, you can seize absolute power). The experience was similar to the one I had playing BioShock Infinite, whose politics involve a “both sides” argument - the difference is that BioShock Infinite made explicitly clear by the end of the game that Booker was the true villain. With de Sardet, it’s a bit more ambiguous, depending on how you play, but I do think the game pushes you to be diplomatic rather than power-hungry. As a whole, it brings up the very valid question of whether or not colonialism should be in media period, or if there’s some value to be derived from consuming problematic media that tries to do good and talking about it.

Still, I have to give credit where credit is due. GreedFall had the guts to actually try to tackle little-discussed themes in this game, such as forced conversion, abuse within the sciences, and institutionalized bullying. While the missions associated with these big themes were accomplished with varying degrees of success, many of them added emotional depth to the game. Companions would have emotional reactions to these quests that tugged at my heartstrings, and there were never any shots of graphic violence or mutilated bodies, so it didn’t feel like I was playing the game for an edgy thrill. All of the side quests had a lot of bearing on the main plot and the worldbuilding - I don’t think I encountered any “fetch quests,” so most of the things I was doing actually related to enhancing my understanding of the world and its social dynamics.

The game also did a good job of presenting players with factions that were constantly in conflict with one another, lending an added layer of complexity to all the political aspects of the plot. Character’s personal quests were also very well done and had emotional depth. Vasco’s arc about learning about his true family was a nice exploration of birth family vs found family (he’s a sailor whose birth family gave him to the naval faction, the Nauts). Kurt’s quest was also a good one about the bonds between military recruits and really showed his commitment to people over institutions (he’s de Sardet’s commander at arms). Siora’s quests were more about staying true to her culture (she’s a native and daughter of one of a now-deceased tribe leader), while Aphra’s were about learning to be open minded when learning about a different culture (she’s a scientist interested in plants). Petrus’ were a mix of taking down the head of his Church and helping your character find their roots (he’s something of a pastor who also wields magic to fight). You can tell that the developers were inspired by Bioware games in that you can cultivate reputations with your companions and eventually romance them. Many of these romances are available to both male and female PCs, so there’s potential for a queer ship.

I will say that by the end of game, I was emotionally wrecked, despite all the political problems. So, I do think the developers of this game have a good sense of storytelling - I just wish they had done better politically.

Characters: Similar to Mass Effect or Dragon Age, GreedFall gives players a player-controlled character (PC) and a host of companions to take on an adventuring party. De Sardet, the PC, doesn’t have much personality when they’re being diplomatic, but I did enjoy the moments when they were confronted with information that impacted them emotionally. I played a female de Sardet, and the voice actress did a good job of balancing emotion with the facade that’s required of a diplomat. Constantin, de Sardet’s cousin and governor of New Serene (one of a few colonial settlements on Teer Fradee), is also carefully written as a charismatic, sympathetic nobleman’s son who wants to prove his worth. He and de Sardet share a close bond, which made moral decisions a bit more personal and emotionally difficult. I do think he became a scapegoat for all the evils of colonization, though, and I wish more was done with him to implicate every colonizer on the island. The companions are likewise very likable and fairly unique. Each of them had personal quests and stories that were compelling and sympathetic. I do wish there had been more opportunities to chat with them, or that they talked to each other during exploration (like Bioware companions do). I also appreciated that the Teer Fradee natives weren’t one, homogeneous group. I think too often we see pop culture try to write Indigenous peoples as having the same culture and goals, but with this game, there was some variety regarding what the best course of action would be against an invading force. I’m sure, however, that the depiction of the natives overall was problematic, but I’m not well-versed enough in native representation in pop culture to articulate the issues. While they weren’t portrayed as primitive or child-like (at least, I didn’t think so), I don’t doubt that there were tropes in there that I just couldn’t recognize (for example, Siora maybe a Chief’s Daughter/Indian Princess trope - it’s complicated). I suggest finding and reading an Indigenous critique of the game. (There’s also this one, which is valid, and I do think the game’s efforts and failures are worth talking about.)

Gameplay: This RPG mainly relies on balancing skills, talents, and attributes. Skills define what weapons you can use and how (one-handed blades, two-handed blades, firearms, magic, etc). Talents are things like charisma, science, or lockpicking - stuff which will affect the way you interact with the world. Attributes are mental and physical abilities like strength or willpower which affect how you wield weapons. Overall, the process of leveling up and gaining points to spend in these areas was pretty straight-forward, and I enjoyed the mental challenge of building a character that fit my play style.

Combat was a little clunky; basic attacks ran just fine for me, but there wasn’t much grace in the way characters dodged or rolled. I also kept getting thrown off by the fact that you can’t press space to jump! But in all, it wasn’t the worst experience. Enemies had helpful health bars, and I enjoyed the combination of a pistol and a rapier to finish off my foes. The diplomatic elements were by far the best part of gameplay for me. If players assign their skill points well, de Sardet can use a number of different tactics and choose from multiple dialogue options, from intimidation to taking advantage of intuition to laying on the charisma. It was fun to figure out which tactic would work on which characters, and how my skill sets translated into consequences for my decisions. I do think, however, that more options could have been presented to players in terms of dialogue choices and role-playing elements. While players make important choices regarding how to handle any given situation, there was little opportunity to purely role play. More opportunities to influence the direction or tone of the dialogue in non-crucial situations, I think, would have helped and made my De Sardet feel more unique.

Visuals: Aesthetically, I very much appreciated that we were given a fantasy game that wasn’t set in the faux Middle Ages. I loved the 18th century vibe to all the clothing and town layouts, and each of the maps were distinct and fully-realized, from the urban settings to the natural ones. There was a bit of repetition in the urban layouts; the palaces, for example, were the same, and some houses were recycled, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as Dragon Age II. I also appreciated that there were people of various races and genders in all positions and all social circles. There were women in the guard, women working on ships, and so on, without any hint that it was unusual. There was also a fairly wide variety of skin tones, with people of color being included in higher social classes and not relegated to lowly servant roles. There are some problems in that “diversity washing” detracts from the racial conflicts that were very present in the 18th century. I don’t think the developers thought through the implications of putting POC in positions of power where they could commit violent colonial acts against the natives. The creatures on the island were interesting to look at. Their designs frequently combined natural imagery (such as vines and wood) with horror to create foes with an eldritch, elemental vibe. The same creepiness was reflected in the fictional disease that afflicts the colonists; the afflicted had black, vine-like tendrils running through the skin, and there was an impending sense of dread whenever I looked at someone who was infected. Despite all the things I liked, GreedFall’s biggest problem is its animation. For a game that was made in 2019, facial expressions and combat are quite clunky, to the point where the characters felt robotic. I understand that not every video game needs to have top-tier level animation, but playing GreedFall was similar to my experiences playing the first Witcher game or the first Mass Effect or Dragon Age: Origins games. Still technically playable, but it feels very outdated.

In-Game Triggers: violence (especially racial violence), colonialism, racism, religious zealotry, torture, 

I feel the need to point out that while I don’t think this game is gory or explicit in any way (PG-13 would be my rating), there are some scenes that people may find triggering. There’s also one where a Native is killed by a religious zealot, and I found it extremely upsetting (it happens when you first enter San Matheus, if you need a heads up). Other than that, you never actually see characters torture native peoples, but you do hear about it later.

Recommendations: I would recommend this game if you’re interested in the 18th century, the age of imperialism, role-playing games, and fantasy. You might also like this game if you’re a fan of Bioware RPGs.

[pass-the-bechdel]

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Black Panther (2018)

Does it pass the Bechdel Test?

Yes, nine times.

How many female characters (with names and lines) are there?

Six (40% of cast).

How many male characters (with names and lines) are there?

Nine.

Positive Content Rating:

Three (though it’s worth reminding that this rating is based on the positivity of the content in relation to the female characters, not in general - there’s some real top-shelf content in here, otherwise. Still a very happy three for the ladies anyway, for that matter).

General Film Quality:

High-end. The commitment to nuanced storytelling is impeccable, grappling with all angles of a complex hypothetical far better than could have been anticipated. This is a movie which never loses sight of its own importance, while also never getting too bogged down in it to be entertaining. Earns every ounce of the hype.

MORE INFO (and potential spoilers) UNDER THE CUT:

Passing the Bechdel:

Nakia gives her condolences to the Queen Mother. The Queen chastises Shuri. Nakia compliments Okoye’s wig. Nakia negotiates entrance to the club with Sophia. Nakia and Okoye conflict over loyalties. Nakia passes with the Queen Mother after Killmonger takes over, twice. Shuri and Nakia go into battle. They pass together later.

Female characters:

Okoye.

Nakia.

The Queen Mother (technically not a name, but I’m allowing it as a title).

Shuri.

Sophia.

Ayo.

Male characters:

Erik ‘Killmoger’ Stevens/N’Jadaka.

N’Jobu.

Zuri.

T’Chaka.

T’Challa.

Ulysses Klaue.

M’Baku.

W’Kabi.

Everett Ross.

OTHER NOTES:

I’m not sure if T’Challa ruining Nakia’s anti-HUMAN TRAFFICKING mission because he wants her around for emotional support is a very endearing intro for his character in this film...I mean, sure, they rescue the people in the convoy, but presumably there was more to the mission (otherwise Nakia wouldn’t complain that it was ruined), and T’Challa prioritises his feelings over both Nakia’s work, and the lives of all the people it effects. Coulda avoided the negative implications there with just a little fine-tuning in the dialogue.

“Nah, I’m just feelin’ it.” Michael B Jordan has such a great energy about him; he’s very, very convincing, in a role which could have broken the film if it were poorly cast.

But you know what? I fucking LOVE M’Baku, he’s my personal fave for the movie. That presence. This is an excruciatingly well-cast film (among other virtues).

I’m Hella into that Lion King vibe when communing with the spirit realm, too.

Erik shoots his unnamed girlfriend for nothing more than the drama of it, and that is not one of this film’s virtues.

Shuri calling Ross ‘coloniser’ is just...so good. There’s a lot about this film that is a reclamation, in big and obvious in-text ways, but there are also these kinds of little impactful choices which contextualise Wakanda’s relationship to the world and its history, and that kind of detailing is the difference between posturing, and playing for real.

The music in this movie? Also great. Traditional African and modern African-American, representing the interweave of themes and ideologies in-story? Fucking gold. They did not skimp on details in putting this movie together with intelligent design, and I am Hella into it.

M’Baku just fucking BARKING at Ross when he dares speak before him is the highlight of the whole film. It’s perfect. 

A friend of mine has suggested that there must be a missing scene or two in this movie, wherein the Queen Mother convinces M’Baku to go into battle after all, since as-is he just kinda...changes his mind off-screen and she serves no narrative purpose at all. It’s unfortunate such a linking scene is missing, as it would have significantly enhanced both characters and helped to emotionally underpin the final act of the film, which is comparatively weak. 

But anyway, M’Baku is my best dude in this movie. I love a huge man in a grass skirt.

The whole idea that W’Kabi and Okoye have a relationship at all is kinda nonexistent; we wouldn’t know about it at all if she hadn’t called him ‘my love’ that one time. Coulda beefed that up better, i.e. at all.

“Bury me in the ocean, with my ancestors that jumped from the ships, because they knew that death was better than bondage.” Michael B Jordan delivered every aspect of this character with such raw power and sincerity, y’all. He hits it straight home.

It goes without saying that there was a lot of pressure for this film to be good: a big-budget superhero action movie, part of the most lucrative cinema franchise in the world right now, taking on an afro-futuristic setting with an almost exclusively black cast? The potential for Black Panther to come off as little more than lip service paid to representation, ‘too PC’, lacking the guts to acknowledge the breadth of the racism that inevitably informs it, perhaps even falling dangerously toward racist cliches of its own...there is no other film of its kind, and as such, Black Panther could not escape being judged as more than an individual story on its own, as a representation of an entire continent’s worth of people and culture and what they could bring to an industry which has made an aggressive point of shutting them out in the past. The pressure was well and truly on to provide not only financial success put also critical acclaim, and boy oh boy, did they rise to the occasion or what?

The centrepiece of Black Panther’s success is Michael B Jordan as Erik Killmonger, striking a precise balance between the heat of well-deserved fury, and the chilling calculation of his revenge. Killmonger’s rhetoric is compelling, and it is the meeting point of the film’s threads, of Wakandan tradition, of the country’s privilege in the midst of colonial oppression and the dire morality of its secrecy, of the call of the wider world and the determining of one’s place within it. It’s vitally important that Killmonger makes sense, right up until he doesn’t - a good villain should always feel like someone you could almost follow, if only they weren’t taking things that one step too far - narratively, this is in an important pitch, but it’s also vital for the context of the viewing audience, the acknowledgement and the validation of that rage at injustice (without which, the film would come off as pandering to white guilt), but without the promotion of violent eye-for-an-eye solutions. Killmonger’s anger is never condemned, only the actions he perpetrates in the name of that anger; the viewer is forced to acknowledge the reality that made Killmonger what he is, but without being encouraged to forgive; only to understand.

I am hardly the first to observe that it is Nakia, not T’Challa, who represents the foil to Killmonger’s ideology, recognising and stirring to action at the injustice’s wrought upon the African people, but seeing in Wakanda the potential to offer unprecedented assistance rather than the opportunity for the oppressed to become the oppressor. The film is populated with character counter-balances, and it validates each perspective (while also illuminating shortcomings) to enhance the overall narrative, rather than equivocating too strenuously to make any point; Nakia values people like Okoye values her country, and while Nakia is right that blind patriotism fails the country if it allows tyranny, the strength of Okoye’s conviction is exactly what inspires the loyalty of those who follow her in the protection of Wakandan values; while Shuri ‘scoffs at tradition’ and leans entirely on the unending machine of technological progress, M’Baku and his people are safeguarding traditional practices and keeping ancient knowledge alive, which saves T’Challa when there’s no tech around - by the same token, without the protective blanket of technological progress, the Jabari would not be free to live as they do. There is good sense in the perspective which every character brings, and all of them are required in symbiosis to achieve a full picture of cultural identity. 

In that broad conversation of identity and place in the world, if there’s one weak link, it’s the Black Panther himself, T’Challa. Not that he’s a weak character or that Chadwick Boseman is a weak actor - it’s just that he’s being thoroughly outplayed by all around him. It’s a good thing in regards to how well-cast the movie is and how it fleshes out its supporting players (in spite of the missing pieces pointed out in the notes above); in an overall-lesser film, the lead being the least compelling character - and especially with such a powerfully-constructed antagonist opposite him - could be a crippling flaw, but as-is Black Panther is pulling out enough stops to get away with having an under-sold Black Panther at its head. That, really, is a testament to the power of the story, and the work being done by everyone involved to tell the tale with tact, with dynamism, with all the colour and flavour the white-washed film industry has been denying all this time. We could talk about its flaws, sure, but there doesn’t seem to be much point - none of them are fatal, none are even particularly egregious, and the achievements of the movie far outweigh any quality blips along the way. Black Panther is a measured, sensitive triumph, and there’s a part of me that - in the best of ways - almost forgets that I’m watching a Marvel movie, a cash-grab - sure, they want to make money out of it, but this feels above all like a passion project. Passion like this, so fully-realised, I am not inclined to fault.

[the-colony-roleplay]

OCS, SKELETONS & AN ALL NEW NWRF EXTRAVAGANZA

Okay guys! We come to you with another really exciting announcement! 

As you probably know, Lottie and I are always working hard behind the scenes coming up with ideas for future plots, and potential changes/expansions that will help ensure the longevity of the Colony’s life. And we have lots in store for you guys, things that we hope to release or expand over the next year, but our current project and focus, especially since we’re not able to get into the next Games Live Play until Game season is back upon us in the verse, is to do with helping to foster an actively played, NWRF presence at the Colony. 

After some discussion about the current environment of the game, and the kinds of things that might help to make it continue to prosper as well as it has been these past couple years, we’d like to help strengthen the active conflict dynamic within the RP. As of now, the verse has plenty to work with, which has helped us immensely in the last three years, since the drop of the NWRF plot. However, we’ve been thinking that since we’re all one big happy family just trying to play a cool game, what kinds of tools can we introduce to help make the game even better and more accessible for everyone? So....

Introducing ‘Plot Device’ Skeleton bios! 

Starting now, we’re going to start working on and rolling out skeleton bios specifically designed for characters that will help move the plot forward, and open doors for new and exciting tension and content! For the time being, since this is essentially an NWRF themed promotional festival (lol, the irony is obscene), all of these skeletons will be NWRF, with potential for other roles and bio types in the future. 

These skeletons, however, will come with their own parameters for activity and play, which will hopefully help make filling these roles more feasible, and make the gameplay more exciting and fun for the whole group! The parameters will be as follows: 

Skeletons (or ‘skeles’ as I’ve taken to calling them) will be designed in such a way that they can be temporary, if need be.  That is to say, if we’re in need of someone on a temporary basis to help make a certain plot more interesting or dynamic, these characters can be played on a temporary basis. Of course, hanging onto them is always encouraged too! If you fall in love, who are we to take them away from you! :) 

Picking up a skeleton will not count towards your character count. 

Muns will not be specifically required to write paras on skeletons, UNLESS it’s for a big/action heavy plot, etc.  Essentially, we will always encourage paras, especially since half of y’alls chats are basically long enough to be paras—but with these skeles, you will not be expected to para in the same way you are with regular bios. The exception to this will be applied when you’re participating in a plot where the content sort of demands para format anyway. 

Skeleton bios will have an extended activity limit of TEN days.  We know that NWRF type characters can be a heavier load sometimes, in terms of muse, and the weightiness of threads. But these skeletons are designed more to be sort of part-time characters, whose appearances on the dash will really help shake things up, but don’t necessarily have to be as present. That being said, goodness gracious, if you can be as active on them as your other characters please do so. We are not suggesting you can’t dedicate as much time to these guys. Just that they are designed to be more flexible, so more people feel they have the time to pick them up, which will help add cool versatility to the active player plotting opportunities. 

Similarly, Skeles will not be expected to have as many on going interactions at one given time.  So, yes, we still want people to RP with a variety of characters and members, and try to experience plotting and threading with everyone eventually. But you will not be under the same expectations to have that many threads going at one given time, or to reply to as many starters, etc. We still hope for diversity, but as ‘plot-device’ characters, our goal for them is to add range to the dash that will be beneficial to the plot and for people’s muse, while not bogging down our muns or be quite as large of a commitment.  (We may set a minimum number of 3, but these rules will be solidified in the future). 

Skeles will only have suggested FCs (some requirements accordingly, like POC, etc) age ranges, +/- traits, and general summaries.  Like most skeletons, these will be character guides that we would like the muns to get creative with and flesh out in their own way. We will provide character labels, (rather than full names), job titles, a small summary of the character, and some general aesthetic/moods. From there, you will be free to do the rest. This also means that the application will be different for these bios, and that will be released at a later date. 

Skeletons that are dropped will be handled on a case by case basis much like any other bio. They’ll either be closed and written out of the story, reopened to be played again in the future, or potentially reopened as a full bio, if the mun decides to release it as such. 

Skeleton bios will only be available to current members.  This is strictly because if you are going to be a member of this RP, you should start with a fully committed character, with regular activity requirements and participation. We want new members to get the most out of their time here and to really be a part of this community, and these particular skeletons are fashioned in such a way that the requirements wouldn’t be beneficial to you as a new member. However, if you are a new member and you’re interested in NWRF roles, keep in mind there will always be the full NWRF bios, as found on on our open masterlist, as well as the possibility of writing OCs! And finally, if you’ve absolutely fallen in love with a skeleton, and want to apply for it as a full character with normal activity requirements, that’s certainly something that could be discussed, and we encourage you to come to us about that if you’d like! 

NWRF OOC Blog

One of the challenging things about playing NWRF characters is their connection to the main plot, which is largely executed and controlled by the admins, so communication is essential, and across so many players in so many different timezones, it can sometimes be confusing. So, starting this week, we’re going to be introducing a secondary OOC, that will be specifically reserved for plotting and sharing information between NWRF reps, guards, lab techs, etc etc etc, with regards to the goings on in the Colony. It will be where you can easily plot and drop notes and ideas, so you all have one place to communicate together where timezones won’t be an issue, and things won’t get too cluttered like they might in a group chat. 

The separation of this is only to be able to retain a bit of fun and mystery when it comes to Lottie and I not wanting to spoil event ideas and plot drops for everyone, but needing to loop in some of the NWRF for their own character dev or what have you, etc. This OOC, however, will never be for socializing, because we have no intention of splitting up the family in anyway.  It’ll exclusively be for plotting and the sharing of NWRF related info, etc. We’re hoping this method will help facilitate an easier and more cohesive system to playing an NWRF character. 

 Opening NWRF OCs

We’ve been on OC ban for some time now, and we had planned to do another stint of opening them up for a limited time. We have decided, however, to simply fully open NWRF OCs. (Not to worry, there will be more opportunities to apply for non-NWRF OCs in the future, but if anyone is interested in that, come chat with us about it off anon!) For now, however, since our current goal is to focus on getting more NWRF up and running in the game play, and we didn’t necessarily want to go on an NWRF exclusive ban, we figured this was a great alternative! 

The NWRF Incentive! (Better than it sounds!!) 

So, in the interest of boosting our NWRF presence here at Col22, we’re sort of rolling out a Bay-Day-Sale type promotion (haha). So, for a limited time only, anyone who applies for a FULL NWRF OPEN BIO (as in not a skeleton) will get to enjoy an extended activity limit of 9 DAYS for the first 3 MONTHS after their application. This is purely promotional, and will not be offered forever, but for the time being, it’s a little extra incentive for you guys to get your bums in gear! We also figured since the Skeleton bios will have a more lax activity limit, we may as well boost our full NWRF bios as well! The more the merrier, right!?

In Closing...

Obviously, the roll out of the skeletons themselves will take some time, and will be gradual. Lottie is about to go on a hiatus for about a week, and obviously I’m working stupid film hours, but hopefully we’ll get some posted for you next weekend! We just really wanted to give everyone the news now, so people can start thinking about it. 

If you have any ideas of things you’d like to see as skeletons, definitely let us know, and feel free to pitch us your ideas! And as always, if you have any questions at all or things you want clarified about this, don’t be afraid to hit us up here on the main blog! Please refer to the Ask Box so we can reply publicly and benefit everyone! 

Okay, that’s all for now folks! So much love to you all from the both of us,  and so very proud!!!

xoxo

Col!Mods

[thedeadflag]

Hey, pretty soon I'll be playing a friend of mine is gonna be DMing Tyranny Of Dragons for me and a couple of friends, and I can't decide whether I should play a Monk (probably Open Hand, maybe Kensei) or a Ranger (either Beastmaster or Horizon Walker), 'cause I've never played either of those classes, nor has anyone at the tables I've played. Can you tell me a little about your experiences with these classes?

The Ranger has been one of my favourite classes throughout the editions of D&D in terms of flavour, and I’ve had some fun with monks as well. In 5th edition, both took a fair bit of a hit in utility (individual and within group dynamics) and power at pretty much all ranges. The Ranger was propped back up a little bit in Unearthed Arcana in the revised ranger archetype, but both are still largely considered at best middle of the road classes, and at worst, the lowest tier of classes in the game in utility and character. 

That’s not to say they can’t be fun and have a lot of flavour, and still find use. If you’ve watched Critical Role, you can see Vex and Beau weren’t useless by any stretch. No class is junk in 5e due to the improved parity compared to some past editions. So power and utility aside, if you feel drawn to any class/subclass, and you want to dive into its particular brand of flavour, then I say go for it. I would gauge the rest of the party’s makeup in making your decision, because group synergy is important, but you have to make yourself happy, too, right?

Anywho, I’ll break down my take on both.

When it comes to Monks, I like Open Hand the best. If you want to have a Monk-style gameplay with weapons, then Mystic or Fighter are probably better options with some more flair and utility involved than Kensei imo, but if that’s the route you want to take, it’d be alright. However, Open Hand has quivering palm, which is pretty incredible late game as far as damage and flexible timing from a single person through 3 ki pts and an action. If you do ever reach level 17, I would recommend multiclassing after that if you’re allowed, since the rest of the Monk’s class progression is kind of junk in comparison, and it could use some much needed utility from 3 levels of another class. Anywho, I like open hand not just for the flavor of being a class that’s capable of being an unarmed beast in battle, but also because of the way it can work in alignment with fighters who can also control the battlefield, like any fighter with a sentinel/polearm master. The ability to shove an enemy up to 15ft with one of your flurry attacks, launching them into the range of a fighter who gets a free opp attack against them and can from then on lock down their movement with a successful hit? That can be an excellent tag team. The Monk isn’t excellent for utility, but the Open Hand technique is probably the best at providing utility in combat among all the monk disciplines. Like, another option after hitting with flurry of blows is to steal all reactions for the opponent until the end of your next turn. This can be especially helpful against casters, as stealing reactions = preventing counterspells. And Monks can get a lot of attacks = lots of attempts to disrupt concentration of enemy casters, so the open hand monk is especially helpful at being a designated mage wrecker with having the mobility to reach casters and the ability to destabilize them. It’s arguably the one thing (aside from unarmed damage) that (this one kind of) monks do better than just about anyone else, arguably.

Now, to Rangers.

Honestly, I don’t like beast-focused Rangers. I think they’re a lot of work in order to get the mechanical payoff most other classes can achieve without a lot of thought or effort. Generally, any class that can let me focus more on flavour and RP is one I’m going to prefer, and beast master’s just…unwieldy. A lot of people say the class is junk, and if you run it without getting into the headspace for optimizing, it’s probably going to be more of a frustrating experience than you’d have hoped for. With BMs, you’re managing not just your character, but your companion, and you have to keep up with the different mechanics of both, you need to be 100% on top of choices made while leveling up, you need to have a strong understanding of battlefield control and your companion’s capabilities from the get go, and you really ought to be the kind of player who is happy to take a backseat to everyone else in and out of combat because the way you’ll shine is by helping everyone else do what they do with a little bit higher odds of success than otherwise. Personally, I like playing that sort of character, but I can do all of that with other classes a lot easier, and usually better, so this isn’t the kind of archetype I’d choose for a character myself. If you really want to, and think it’s cool, go for it, though.

The first thing I’d do is ask if you can use the UA revised ranger instead of the PHB ranger if you’re going the beast route (it’s “beast conclave” archetype in UA). If your DM allows that and insists you choose your companion from the list provided here, take the wolf (pack tactics is v helpful, same with 40ft speed and being able to send enemies prone after attacking) or ape (climb 30ft, melee/ranged ability, good stat baselines). 

The second thing you’ll need is to lock down a quality companion, and that can take a bit of wheeling and dealing with your DM to let you use one of the supplementary books as a source, which is especially necessary if you’re not able to use the revised ranger class from UA. You do not want a hawk, mastiff, or panther, the PHB offers some shit examples out of the gate (panther and hawk are only conditionally good if you’re only ever going to have your companion rushing around the map using the ‘help’ action, or scouting to some extent, and the latter becomes less useful and reliable the higher level you become). Don’t choose a CR 0 companion, or one under ¼. If you absolutely must use a hawk for character flavor, then a blood hawk that at least has pack tactics would be a must. But if you are hoping for a companion that can do damage, look for something with certain damage if it hits, like added poison damage. Look for good AC if you want a tank. Look for versatility in mobility and senses. Look for special abilities (the boar having a relentless ability where it’ll go back to 1HP if it falls below 0; the wolf spider has web walk and web sense which can really help with casters using web if players don’t want to wade into the difficult terrain or are having difficulty finding enemies caught in the web; etc.)

But yeah, beast-focused rangers  will be best when they’re spamming the help action with their beasts, using their beasts to get enemies out of cover, using their beasts to help control the field and give others advantage/take advantage, etc. You need to be quick mentally to know what you want to do with your character and your companion each time your turn comes around (most DMs, myself included, aren’t going to let you have as much time as you need to figure out what you want to do on both fronts, so if you can’t juggle two characters at once without losing a step, it might not be the archetype for you). This type of ranger requires you to know exactly what you want to be able to accomplish for yourself and your party right out of the gate, so you’ll want to gauge what your party members will be specializing in, what they want to be able to do, and see if there’s a way to shape your ranger to aid in that, particularly in choosing a beast that can be the most effective in ensuring that. Group cohesion is the name of the game with this form of ranger, so you’ll want to consider race selection a part of this process, too. I’ve had one player bomb hard as a BM and re-roll a different ranger, and I’ve had a friend who ran one who was the group’s unsung hero a lot of the time during their campaign. If you’re looking at Vex from CR as inspiration, keep in mind she had an excellent set of stats from lvl 9 onwards, and plenty of magical weapons to make up for much of any class shortcomings as characters scale up…look at how often Trinket was useful (very rarely) and understand that the bear was essentially just flavour for most of the campaign, and Vex would have been considerable underpowered compared to the rest of the party if not for some considerable DM intervention in ways that make things a lot trickier for DMs (adding magical weapons/items can easily unbalance a campaign, and it’s a matter of experience in knowing how to dole them out without throwing balance aside…Matt Mercer’s comfortable handing out flying carpets and multiple +2AC items  and superpowered magical weapons by level 9, I wouldn’t give them out before level 14 or 15 and it would really only be if a player was severely struggling and refused to re-roll a more appropriate character while dying or nearly dying most combats). Other classes and archetypes have features and abilities that scale as you level, some earn specific spells as they level up that others can’t get, etc., but with beast conclave rangers, it’s their beast that slightly improves in a few meaningful ways. So if you’re going that route, you need to commit to a great beasts that’s a great fit for you and your party, and you need to commit to making the absolute most out of them and knowing how to make the most out of them.

Horizon Walker’s a simpler archetype that has some badass spells, but the flavour for the class can be a bit…strange in some adventures. It might not fit well with Tyranny of Dragons, I’m not sure how much planar travel’s involved in that adventure. Which might not be a problem for the DM, or you. I still prefer the UA ranger conclaves, but out of the PHB ones, this one’s probably the best of the bunch, even if it’s mostly going to lean towards being a melee build (which, again, check your party comp to see if that’s something that is workable). 

Anywho, those are my late night D&D ramblings. You can take my words with a grain of salt if you’d like, and as always the rule of cool applies…if you think it’s cool and you really want to go with something, go for it and I hope the DM will find a way to help you make it work, but yeah, these classes can be a bit of an uphill battle, though I suppose potentially a rewarding challenge if that’s what you’re looking for.

Best of luck with the campaign, I’m sure you’ll have fun! 

[hunterpink458]

Gta 5 Mac Requirements

Gta 5 Mac Requirements Computer

Gta 5 Mac Requirements Laptop

4GB RAM is the minimum amount of memory required to run GTA 5. But your RAM size isn’t the only requirement for deciding whether you can run GTA 5. You must have at least a 1GB NVIDIA 9800 GT graphics card or the NVIDIA GTX 660. Your hard disk should have at least 80GB of free space. To download Grand Theft Auto 5 to your computer, log into the Steam app and click on Store. Gta 5 for mac free full version. When you’re in the Steam Store browser, type “Grand Theft Auto V” into the search bar. Click the correct result, add it to your cart, and complete the purchase so it will download to your computer. GTA 5 ON MAC!!!At Last There Is A WayAny Questions Comment BelowI Know Its A Stupid Way To Do ItThanks For Watching.

Grand Theft Auto V game details

Updated May 14, 2020:For the first time since its release, Grand Theft Auto V is temporarily FREE to download and keep forever on the Epic Games Store! The most highly tested game on our website is completely free! Take the System Requirements Test now to find out if your PC can run Grand Theft Auto VCan I Run GTA 5, or GTA V? Rockstar’s latest and most elaborate sandbox game, is at its best on PC. Whether you’re driving to the beach, planning elaborate heists, holding up a store or parachuting with friends online, an Intel Core i5/AMD X8 FX-8350 and a GeForce GTX 660/Radeon HD 7870 will keep you committing crimes to your heart’s content.

Grand Theft Auto 5 is the ultimate do everything sandbox, here is how to increase performance on a low end computer. Here is what is on the script shown at t. GTA 5 system requirements: The cheapest graphics card you can play GTA 5 on PC with is an NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT. But, according to the developers the recommended graphics card is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660. An AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core CPU is required at a minimum to run Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5). Whereas, an Intel Core i5-3470 is recommended.

Here are the Grand Theft Auto V System Requirements (Minimum)

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz (4 CPUs) / AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core Processor (4 CPUs) @ 2.5GHz

CPU SPEED: Info

RAM: 4 GB

OS: Windows 10 64 Bit, Windows 8.1 64 Bit, Windows 8 64 Bit, Windows 7 64 Bit Service Pack 1, Windows Vista 64 Bit Service Pack 2*

VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA 9800 GT 1GB / AMD HD 4870 1GB (DX 10, 10.1, 11)

PIXEL SHADER: 4.0

VERTEX SHADER: 4.0

SOUND CARD: 100% DirectX 10 compatible

FREE DISK SPACE: 72 GB

DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 1 GB

Grand Theft Auto V Recommended Requirements

CPU: Intel Core i5 3470 @ 3.2GHz (4 CPUs) / AMD X8 FX-8350 @ 4GHz (8 CPUs)

CPU SPEED: Info

RAM: 8 GB

OS: Windows 10 64 Bit, Windows 8.1 64 Bit, Windows 8 64 Bit, Windows 7 64 Bit Service Pack 1

VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB / AMD HD 7870 2GB

PIXEL SHADER: 5.0

VERTEX SHADER: 5.0

SOUND CARD: 100% DirectX 10 compatible

FREE DISK SPACE: 72 GB

DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 2 GB

Click here for the latest video card drivers

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How well will your PC run GTA V?

The newest addition to the infamous videogame series designed by Rockstar Games, GTA V is a hard-hitting, thrill seeking criminal playground. Released for PC on the 14th of April 2015, Grand Theft Auto 5 has firmly cemented itself as one of the highest grossing and biggest games to date. However, cruising around Los Santos shooting up gang members and stealing tanks in the desert does come at a price. A very good PC.

Gta 5 Mac Requirements Computer

GTA V’s huge immersive world comes equipped with a full functional stock market, dynamic weather system and thousands of things to do around the 81km2 map, it would make sense that you’re going to need a beastly PC to play this smoothly. The PC edition also boasts mod compatibility which has exploded in popularity, allowing the dedicated community design and share brilliant ideas. The base game on its own is very technically demanding for the average PC gamer, but five years’ worth of free expansion packs and the choice to add mods into the mix, is it going to be too much?

So what’s the damage then? What kind of alien technology will I need to run this? Firstly, you’ll need Windows 7 64 Bit Service Pack 1 or better to run the game on. This will need to be accompanied by either an Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 or an AMD Phenom 9850 Quad-Core Processor. In addition to this, the game’s file size is 72 GB with 4 GB of System RAM required too. Finally, the graphics card will have to be at least either a 1 GB NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT or an AMD Radeon HD 4870 to tackle this game.

NVIDIA’s 9800 GT equipped with NVIDIA PhysX-Ready2 technology means that it can handle many complex physics situations in GTA V, important situations like driving a tank off of a skyscraper. An Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 processing at 2.4GHz should accompanied with the graphics card should be enough for the game to run on minimal graphical settings.

To play GTA V in all its glory, at recommended level you will need a more powerful processor in the form of either an Intel Core i5 3470 or an AMD X8 FX-8350 to truly keep up with the game. In addition to this, a more advanced graphics card will be required to truly show off the beauty of GTA V. You will need either a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 2GB or an AMD Radeon HD 7870 2GB or higher for this to be possible. An AMD X8 FX-8350 with 8 CPUs running at 4GHz will be ample processing power to wreak havoc across Los Santos. This backed up with an AMD HD 7870 or higher will do the design team justice and make world come alive on your monitor. You’ll be able to enjoy beautiful textures and lighting mechanics with these specs.

GTA 5 for Android – Can you believe it?! While it had been made available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 so far, it was never available on mobile phones! Now, you can play this game whenever you want, wherever you want, since it has been released on Android. Even on Android, it comes with great graphics and the game play is also excellent.

For those uninitiated, GTA 5 Android is an open world game wherein you can do whatever you like around the city whenever you want to, even in the midst of a mission. GTA 5 is set in Los Santos and offers you a choice of 3 different characters to play with. Its game play has significantly improved when compared to the previous GTA games, due to better mechanics of shooting, driving, etc. And some additional features have also been included such as yoga and scuba diving.

GTA 5 for Android – Features, Requirements and Installation

Below you can find some important information that will help you access GTA 5 for Android more easily.

Features

While this is clearly not the first time the GTA world has allowed for flight, this game comes with a vast selection of airplanes and helicopters to choose from which can be accessed in a multi-player setting.

There is far more liberty and freedom with how certain missions pan out. Of course there are certain limitations, but with this game you get to decide how you want to go about a mission, whether you wanna go with stealth and smarts, or with a lot of bang and firepower.

There is much wider selection of games and other leisure activities to choose from. If you get bored from the senseless carnage and plot, then you can simply go off to the nearest golf course or yoga studio and relax.

This version of the game considerably ups the ante on how incredibly interactive the GTA environment is. You can actually blast through walls and boulders, offering a far more fun and realistic feel to the game.

Of course, one of the best new features has got to be the multiplayer feature which allows you to better interact with the world around you and the characters, and makes the game far more interactive.

One of the best features other than the multiplayer option has to be the introduction of 3 characters between whom you can switch at any time. As such, you can constantly explore what it feels to explore this world through 3 different eyes, and it even makes the plots so much more fun as you can switch between the characters in the midst of missions thus offering a more vast set of possibilities.

GTA 5 goes underwater! It wasn’t enough that they had to create a large interactive world above ground, they’ve created one underwater as well, one you can explore in a wetsuit!

This time you also have the option to go out to the woods on the outskirts of Los Santos and indulge in some hunting of deers and whatnot.

Walther ppk/s serial number dates. Well, these are only just some of the crazy cool new features that have been introduced to GTA 5 that make it an absolute must play, especially on the android which helps you carry this world in your pocket to wherever you are! Below you can find some important information that will help you more easily access the game.

Minimum Requirements

You need to have at least an Android Version 3.5, preferably higher. You can even install it on a lower version but that will cause some serious lags.

You need at least 3GB of free space on your Android.

How to Install?

You can download the .apk file from the link http://gta5forandroid.org/

Transfer the file to your memory card.

Install an app installer from the App Store.

The .apk file will be visible from the App Installer.

Install GTA 5 onto your android.

Other FAQs

Where can I download it from? You can download it from the link provided in the section above.

Why does my game freeze in the midst of the play? This might be because you are running it on a non-compatible version. Refer to the “Minimum Requirements” above.

You can follow the above instructions to install GTA 5 for Android and have a great time playing this amazing and creative game. Have fun, guys!

Looking for audio drivers for Dolby Home Theater® v4, Dolby Advanced Audio™ v2, Windows® 8, or Windows 10? You can find them by visiting the support section of your PC or tablet manufacturer's website. Every manufacturer's computer or tablet model is custom-tuned to deliver an optimized audio experience for the device. Download dolby for windows 10 for free. Multimedia tools downloads - Dolby Home Theater by Dolby Laboratories, Inc. And many more programs are available for instant and free download. Download dolby for windows 10. This package provides Dolby Audio UI Driver and is supported on 330S-15IKB GTX1050 and running the following Operating Systems: Windows 10 (64-bit). This package provides Realtek Dolby Audio Driver（windows 10 version 1709/1803） and is supported on ideacentre AIO 330-20IGM and running the following Operating Systems: Windows 10 (64-bit).

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Gta 5 Mac Requirements Laptop

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[blubberquark]

Execution Skill as a Resource and Bidding Mechanic

Prerequisites: Keith Burgun’s video on execution skill and Dario Wünsch’s advice for StarCraft players with less-than-perfect execution skill

Main Thesis: Execution skill has an important function in many strategy games, beyond merely keeping the outcome of the game uncertain because somebody could still fumble the execution. Execution skill informs and influences tactical and strategic decisions. In this regard, execution skill is analogous to locally good play in Go and short-term tactical skill in board games.

I’m currently working on Bullet Blueprint, a tactics game with real-time controls, but no way to mess up your execution. I’m interested in game feel, and I like making puzzle platformers more than pure puzzle games. If you find that interesting, follow or message right here on this tumblr, or follow me on twitter here.

What is Execution Skill?

Execution skill in games is usually based on dexterity and fast reaction. In contrast to high-level decision-making, execution skill is the ability to “pull off“ a complex strategy in real time and follow through on your decisions.

Execution skill comes in last: After you formulate a plan and commit to it, you need to execute on the plan. If a game does not fit into this schema and you cannot group your actions into plans, you cannot disentangle the slow high-level decision-making from the fast and frequent actions that make up the execution of the plan.

Execution skill usually relies on the fast “System 1“ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking%2C_Fast_and_Slow) or “muscle memory“ (arguably a part of System 1, and definitely not actually inside your muscles). High-Level decision making utilises the much slower “System 2″.

“Micro-management” or “twitch skill” are often used synonymously to “execution skill“ in many games. In other games macro-management (e.g. unit production) also benefits from fast execution, so this is not always a one-to-one correspondence.

Skills and Time Scales in StarCraft

Some games require both execution skill and high-level thinking. StarCraft for example contains fast-paced execution, tactical decisions, and long-term strategy. On the long-term strategic level, you have to think about pressure, build orders, expansions, map control, timings and unit compositions. On the intermediate, tactical level, you can decide whether to harass, attack, counterattack or defend. You must regularly gather intelligence/map vision, adjust your army position or divide your army and regularly build pylons so you don’t run out of supply. On the fast execution level, you must split your marines or zerglings against area-of-effect attacks, concentrate fire on the most important or most vulnerable enemy units, save your workers from harassment, stutter-step with marauders, and blink away with stalkers. You must also regularly spawn larvae/chrono-boost/drop mules and build new units.

Tactical and Execution Skill in Games - Overview

(This list is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all game genres)

Turn-based strategy games (Frozen Synapse, Advance Wars) have tactical and strategic elements, but do not rely on twitch execution skill. Tactical decisions allow you to gain or lose a material advantage, but they also have medium-term repercussions on unit positioning.

Fighting games (Towerfall, Street Fighter II, Super Smash Bros) need some tactical decisions, as well as a lot of execution skill. Tactical decisions could be when to attack, when to retreat, where to retreat, what moves to use, and so on. Execution skill is making sure your attacks hit, while dodging/blocking enemy attacks and maintaining your combo.

Some games have minigames that heavily rely on execution skill, like the hacking minigame in the first Mass Effect. The hint book in Machinarium is guarded by a shoot-em-up minigame that relies on some execution skill, while the rest of the game relies on exploration, lateral thinking and logical puzzle solving. This isolated use of execution skill is deliberate, by putting the solution behind a skill check, you still feel a bit accomplished when you open the hint book. The book remains solvable without the lateral thinking and logic skills you lack if you have to resort to the book, and the hint book never has any additional puzzle content you can miss by solving the riddles and never consulting it.

Rhythm games like Quadrant or Bit.Trip.Runner rely on just twitch skill for the most part. There are few to no decisions you can make ahead of time, or that would impact the game world for long. Rhythm games like Bit.Trip.Runner let you practice and learn the same level, but there are next to no real decisions.

Real-Time Strategy games, like the game StarCraft described above, have many layers: Strategic, tactical, execution and metagame. Success or failure on every layer feeds back into the higher layer of decision-making, while higher-level decisions inform the lower-level strategies you must follow. Depending on strategic or metagame decisions, different tactical options are open to you. Different tactical approaches take different amounts of execution skill.

Board Games like Go, but also many Eurogames, often have emergent game phases. The phases are not part of the game’s rules, but emerge as game dynamics from the way these games are scored. In the early game, both players divide the board among each other and try to gain control, while in the late game, they consolidate their position and try to gain points. In Go, this phase distinction is only locally applicable: Both players often play out long sequences on one part of the board while the rest of the board is still open. In the beginning, you stake out your moyo (potential territory). A bigger moyo is harder to defend. Back to board games in general: Complex strategies usually take several turns, but wasting turns and resources puts you at an immediate disadvantage. Thus once you decide to build a road in Catan or to invade a corner in Go, you have to follow up somehow. Good moves can sometimes force your opponents to respond while keeping your options open.

Role-Playing Games (Legend of Grimrock, The Banner Saga, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy) have many tactical decisions in combat, as well as strategic decisions about skills and equipped gear. Some, but not all RPGs also rely on twitch execution skills, but usually the focus is on increasing the skills of the player character, not the actual player, by gaining experience points.

Without an open world, a scarcity of resources, or a hunger clock, there are no long-term consequences to the exact outcomes of battles, beyond mere survival. Many RPGs with scarce resources, like NetHack or The Banner Saga, force you to make strategic decisions about whether to fight certain character at all or at a certain time.

Decisions between Skill and Reward

If you can choose between a plan that requires a high amount of execution skill and a plan that requires just a little execution skill, you choose the more difficult path only if it leads to a reward that is commensurate to the risk, and only if the reward could change the outcome of the game. Strategic decisions in board games and turn-based games relate to tactical skills in a similar manner: You should only decide to start a risky invasion in Go if you need the points, or if you are confident that your own stones will survive.

Games can include certain moves that require a of twitch skill for very little benefit, but these options are red herrings: You do not take them if you are serious about winning.

If you are low in health in a fighting game, it might make sense to re-position yourself for a risky attack, or to try a move that is easy to mess up. As long as you can maintain your advantage, there is no need to resort to risky strategies.

Once you start to execute such a reflex-heavy or lookahead-intensive plan, like an invasion in Go, or early Reaper harassment in Starcraft, you cannot back down without realising your losses, whether they are lost time, stones, moves or Vespene Gas. If you can just pull out your investment and abort the plan, the plan is not that risky after all.

Knowing Your Limits

When you are an advanced beginner at StarCraft or Go, you don’t lose to better players because your invasions fail (Go), or because your Reaper dies (StarCraft) and your investment was for nothing. You probably know how good or bad your are at execution skill (StarCraft) or life-and-death problems (Go) and thus never attempt a plan that is outside of your capabilities.

Execution skill factors into tactical or strategic decision making, even if the difference in execution skill rarely decides any local outcome.

If you take an action - any action - in a game, it signals to your opponent that that you think that this action is the most important thing you thought you needed to do. If you place a stone in Go, it tells your opponent that you think this move is the one that gives you the most points or the safest way to secure your existing advantage in the long run. If you push a lane in a MOBA, this tells the other team that you think this lane needs pushing and is strategically important.

If you commit to a micro-intensive plan, your opponent might conclude that you think you have the skills to pull it off. Depending on the kind of game and your strategy, a perfect response to your plan might require an equal amount of execution skill. Your opponent can decide to go for a difficult defense in response to your attack, or to play a safer strategy, which fares better in the worst case, but is not the best possible response.

Of course, if you are a beginner playing against another beginner, you can usually just attack and see what sticks, because you are as likely to mess up your execution of the attack as your opponent is to mess up the execution of the defense. Sometimes this is the best way to learn.

In this regard, an attack in Go or StarCraft is like bidding or betting: You initiate an attack and bet a large amount of resources on your plan. Your opponent can then decide to either meet you in a contest of execution skill, or to concede a smaller amount of resources for certain.

Reflexes, Attention, and APM as Resources

Execution skill in real-time games has one additional layer beyond providing uncertainty, the risk-reward dynamic, or estimating and betting on skill levels.

Especially RTS games and MOBAs require constant vigilance and attention. The map is much bigger than your screen, and unlike in action games or RPGs, important things can happen everywhere on the map while you are not looking. You need to be aware of the state of the whole map, your own position, your allies and your enemies. While you are pushing a lane, concentrating on last-hitting, focus-firing, or splitting your marines against banelings, you have less time and attention left to build your base, defend against counterattacks, keep tabs on your teammates, or to think about what to do next.

The faster you are at execution, the more time you can free up to do more things.

A common pitfall for new StarCraft players is to focus too much time and attention on your main army, and not enough on building your base and scouting the map. If you learn to play faster, you can switch focus to and from your base and economy more often, but especially if you are slow, your attention should be distributed economically in the first place. As the conventional wisdom in StarCraft goes, a player with bad execution skill but sound priorities and a high-level strategy will beat a player with high APM and a bad economy.

TL;DR: Do not just think about contests of execution skill deciding the outcome of a game, think about how execution skill or a lack thereof influences high-level decisions!