#this was challenging but very fun to work on! and i learned about a german poet i wasnt familiar with in the process!

[sclappin]

Mitwölfe! Ich bin glücklich, heut

In eurer Mitte zu weilen,

Wo soviel edle Gemüter mir

Mit Liebe entgegenheulen.

-- Heinrich Heine, Deutschland. Ein Wintermärchen

A commission I had the pleasure of working on for @sherbertilluminated

(Commission info here)

[ndconceptarchive]

Interview with Creators of the original Secrets Can Kill game

It's honestly a very interesting interview about the early days of HI and it includes some foreshadowing to Alibi in Ashes, Tomb of the Lost Queen, and Labyrinth of Lies. (There was also a mention of possibly remastering Message in a Haunted Mansion! Although that likely wasn't in development.)

The following is a transcript from a video titled, Interview with Creators of the original Secrets Can Kill game | Nancy Drew Games | HeR Interactive. Published Aug 20, 2010. It was created in promotion for Secrets Can Kill Remastered, as seen in the video description:

"We interview Megan, Kris, Robert, and Tim about their experiences making the original version of Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill from 12 years ago! They share funny stories and give a few little known clues about the game. It's a look back at how far Her Interactive has come and where it's going with the upcoming release of Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED (PC/Mac, available on August 24)."

Interviewer: Hello, so we are here today, with four of the original people who worked on the very first Secrets Can Kill game: 

Megan, our CEO, what were you back when we made Secrets Can Kill?

Megan: I was the Creative Director when I got hired in 1997, and then Robert was…

Robert: The Program Manager. I had been recruited from the accounting department in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Kris: I’m Kris, I was hired as a 2D artist and I came in to work with Tim…

Tim: who was also a contract artist and then, I kind of took over the 3D part at the very tail end of the project. 

Interviewer: Did you know anything about creating games when you first started on Secrets Kill? 

Robert: I did a little. I made games when I was a kid. When I got my first computer, all I did was make games for it, especially adventure-type of text-based games, so I knew just a little, but definitely not enough. I was really surprised and overwhelmed by the amount of work that it took to make a computer game.

Kris: I used to do computer day camps with my father who taught us to to program to program games in BASIC. But beyond, that no. 

Tim: Oh I played a lot of computer games, but mainly board games was my big thing. I had a little board gaming group that would just play tons of a lot of German board games. And I think that helped because a lot of those mechanics and bargains translate over into, you know, mini games and puzzles and stuff. So that was fun, but I had no design experience or [anything] at that point. 

Interviewer: So what is the biggest challenge that you guys had to face when you were making Secrets Can Kill?

Megan: Well, first, we were a new team and half the team was in Albuquerque. Then it shifted and I guess everyone moved to Bellevue by the end of the game, really, we were all learning how to work as a team and to kind of create this game around Nancy Drew. So communication I think was probably the hardest. 

Robert: yeah, because there there was a lot of assets, but not a lot of documentation to go with.

Megan: No documentation. 

Robert: Yeah, I remember you, you brought down your, the art director at that time, Laura Henion, to Albuquerque so we could all meet. 

Tim: I think the hardest part was just finishing it. It went really long, much longer than we have [now]. I mean, we got it down to a science now. 

I remember [that] I would take my work home. [I would] then get up at like 3:00 in the morning and start another render on the computer, then go back to bed and get up another half hour and check it and make some tweaks and keep running. I was doing that almost every night it seems for a while there just to get it done. 

Kris: That's really true. There were three of us in the art department at that time- counting Laura the art director. So it was a big push at the end to get work finished. That was a challenge. 

Megan: I think you know, communication was the biggest challenge, but the good part was that everybody was so excited and enthusiastic and passionate. It didn't seem to matter what obstacle came up, because we just figured out a way to overcome it. So there's a lot of trial and error in the first game. 

Interviewer: What is something funny or memorable that you remember from the process when you made that first game? 

Robert: So remember we just had a recorder, a voice recorder. So we thought, let's make silly, silly voicemail messages when you would call different places like Maxines or Aunt Eloise. So we all gathered around the microphone and and just add libbed and it was really funny. 

Tim: When I was just basically just kind of an art assitant and helping Laura, the art director, and I just came in and sat down and started doing some work and I heard some rough rustling going on. What's going on? And I looked behind me and Glenn, who was our contract 3D artist at the time (three years at the time) came out of a sleeping bag from underneath his desk.

Interviewer: Kris, do you have any memories? 

Kris: I remember the marketing at the end. When we finished the game, Megan gave me a huge stack of cell sheets to take with me to spread around town. And I remember I was going to visit my family back east, so I was supposed to take them across the country and spread them around. 

And so there was really some guerrilla marketing that went on at that point.

Interviewer: Come a long way for sure. Say, what do you think of the original Secrets Can Kill now that's been 12 years since you've made it?

Robert: It's always, it was, it's very, it was very surprising to replay it when we're when we're looking at it to remaster Master. I mean, it's just it's so much more different. It was shorter. The storyline wasn’t as as intricate as our current ones. The puzzles were pretty primitive and I think there was only like. I don't know, like 7 inventory objects. Now we have at least 30. 

Tim: We also kind of approach it little differently. It was I think the only game where we hid these hidden messages all throughout the game that had really. That we're really outside of Nancy's world and universe. It was just like like the designer hitting hiding messages in there maybe about the game. 

But it was, you know, if you look at different book spine titles in the library, you could actually, spell out a sentence or something that that might say something, mysterious.

Megan: Meaningful? Tim: But it was like, if you were actually a player in the world, you’d be like, “where did that come from?” So we kind of changed our design tactic on that later on, but that was the one game where we did kind of funny things like that.

Kris: A player wouldn’t notice, but a lot of the articles were written by our family members. Or you know, some of the photos in the game, like for example, in the student dome where Hal Tanaka sits, there's the bulletin board for student of the Month.

Tim: That's where Connie was at. 

Kris: Oh, it’s where Connie is. And so that's, you know, pictures of ourselves and our friends and family. 

Interviewer: What kind of other things did you put in there that you don't think our fans would necessarily have picked up on playing through the games that you guys hid in there?

Robert: Ohh, I remember in the opening cinematic Darrell does that, [pulls his ear] which is an old Carol Burnett move to say “hi Mom!”.

Tim: My son Sam is in the teacher's lounge, he’s in a photo, and he was like a year or two years old and now he's like a grown man, you know, it feels like (he's like 13 now). 

Megan: So I can't remember if that's the one my nieces were in, but when I told them [that they were in a game] they said, “do we talk when you press on us?” And I said “no, maybe in the next game.” 

So what was really neat was when we got together with girls to have them play games at that time to see what they thought about Nancy Drew and games in general. 

And girls didn't really play games back then. And so their feedback actually helped us to improve on existing gameplay rather than just perpetuate stereotypes. 

They would say, when they're playing a shooter, “you know, we don't mind shooting, however, we prefer a reason before we shoot. Like if they were beating up my little sister, I'd be all over them.” So they really helped us with their input in terms of making the games, that that they wanted. 

Interviewer: What are some of the changes that you think have made the biggest impact in the newer games versus the original one? 

Tim: I think the design, the tighter design, kind of the overarching puzzle that is woven into the game is very compelling and interesting to follow for this new game. I think. 

The old game was much more open and just kind of, I mean, you could explore, but. There was a little bit more wandering and trying to piece together what was going on. This one, it's just more cleverly put together. Also the graphics. I think make a big difference with the new lighting and just a little bit updated the 3D characters definitely is a huge difference. 

Robert: Something the players won’t notice is that we now use Lua rather than our proprietary scripting language. It was horrendous. Very 20th century, so even though that doesn't affect the players, it really affected us and made it much more easy to put the the games together.

Kris: I feel really nostalgic playing this game going back but as far as the fun factor is concerned, I really liked that the arcade-style mini-games are now included

Interviewer: Barnacle Blast!

Kris: Yeah. 

Megan: I remember when we were on our first or second game people would say so what are you gonna do after that i mean nobody's gonna play a third Nancy Drew game.

Interviewer: Did you imagine that you guys would be still making these games 23 games later? 

Everyone: No [visibly shaking heads]

Tim: It’s pretty incredible just to think about. Every once in a while I’ll just pull up the codes and stuff because I can’t keep track of which games are in what order anymore. I’ll just look through this list and think “I’ve been here for all of these.” It’s crazy. I mean, it’s something I’m really prud of, that we’ve been able to last that long and create just this wonderful collection.

Megan: I think there’s just the team that you know, that we had all these years. Everyone is so talented and creative. There’s this creative collaboration from the beginning where everybody feels comfortable to add their ideas to the mix. 

Robert: The sky’s the limit for Nancy Drew. There’s so many stories you can tell, so many places you can go, so many people you can meet. It’s fun reinventing Nancy Drew for other platforms as well.

Tim: We get feedback all the time from players who are like “I really wanna see Nancy go to Egypt or to Greece” and we 

Megan: We’re all storytellers. We all come from very different backgrounds. Math, architecture, film, art, but we all love to tell a story. And in these Nancy Drew games, there’s a weave of fact and fiction. And it’s a lot of meaningful content. Historical references and characters, cultural discovery, you learn about the folklore. You learn, but you’re having so much fun you don’t even realize. 

Interviewer: What mystery would you like to see Nancy Drew solve in the future now that we’re talking about how the sky’s the limit? Robert: I actually liked going back to Secrets Can Kill. And I kind of wanna do some retro stuff. So I wouldn't mind going back to like Haunted Mansion and maybe something was left unfound. 

Kris: I might like to see Nancy go to Thailand so we could showcase the architecture of Thailand.

Tim: So many great characters.  some of these secondary characters that you never see like Krolmeister and Sonny Joon and all these people that have kind of built up this universe. It's it's great to be able to go back and and draw from some of that and create more content from that. 

Megan: Traveling just to different countries. I think that's so interesting. Egypt would be fascinating. 

Robert: I think it'd be also fun to take her back home. You know, we we haven't explored River Heights and there's just so much there too and this just wide geography of River Heights. It would be fun to look at. 

Interviewer: Do you guys have anything else that you'd like our fans to know about the new version of Secrets Can Kill Remastered? 

Robert: There's clues everywhere so…

[laughter from everyone] 

Megan: What made you give that away! 

Interviewer: We hope to see a lot more games from you guys.  Megan & the others: thank you, Thank you! We hope you enjoyed this.

[ego-meliorem-esse]

Do you hc America to speak other languages or is he a fully English bimbo? To my knowledge, NASA requires Russian fluency, I don't think many other US-government level agencies require another language but I could be wrong. I know Spanish translations of official documents are increasingly accessible but English is still the de facto language.

What I will say is that the notion that Alfred, as a superpower in the modern age, does not speaks several languages is absurd to me.

The languages i hc him to know, besides English, are:

Spanish - first and foremost. Though Alfred does have more of a Mexican dialect when speaking Spanish, which slightly annoys Antonio. As it should.

German - very good at it! Gets the accent almost perfect. For Alfred, German was one of those easier languages he learned. With most nations, Alfred speaks English. And not really because he doesn't want to or try to speak their language, but mostly because it's rare that other nations expect this dude to speak their native languages. Not with Gil tho! Their conversations are full of German-centric memes. Alfred is a big fan of Mitten im Leben. Unapologetically so! He knows enough German to understand the shitty acting in the show.

Mandarin - this on is very straight forward, it's good business. He uses it too much for diplomatic purposes to find joy and interest in speaking it. Sad really, as its a fascinating language.

Russian - also very straightforward, he works at NASA for commissions and contracts and its very common to speak it. Even besides that, the Cold War required it as well. His Spotify playlists are full of post communist songs of Russian, Polish, Yugoslav origins but he'll die before show it to anyone.

Japanese - He stutters and takes his time when speaking Japanese. He learned it but rarely uses it nowadays.

Korean - man, he tries. It's a relatively new language under Alfreds belt. But his problem is that he sounds very flat when speaking Korean. Nowadays he uses it more than Japanese though!

French - oh this is a very fun one for me to get into. Contrary to popular headcanoning, I hc him to struggle with it. He does understand most of verbal French, but as a child he started learning it and at that point he wasn't really all that interested in other languages. He had other shit keep his focus. So, while he did hear a large amount of it growing up, he had few attempts to speak it himself. Even during the American revolution, when he made his way across the pond to woo his french patrons, he was mostly spoken to in English. In their minds he was not very cultured. A mixed race country bumpkin putting his big boy pants on for the first time. As annoying that was for Alfred, he had other shit to worry about. And Matt rarely spoke French when living with Al and Arthur so there wasn't really an opportunity there for Alfred. This is one language that he is constantly passively learning, which is hilarious bc it's one of the first ones he should have known lol. I get that this is a very niche hc and makes little sense but i find joy in it. And also in François' frustration.

Plus a limited knowledge of other languages. Alfred is trying to make time to learn more languages, but finding time for it is a challenge.

I'll expand on Alfreds knowledge of both specific classifications of Algonquian and Iroquois languages in a later post.

All that said, Alfred is, in heart and soul, an "English bimbo" 🙏

[sulkybender]

20 questions for fic writers!

Thank you to @hot-flippin-mess and @spacecasehobbit for the tags!

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 109

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? …. afraid to look

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Only ATLA/LOK :)

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

1. Every night my teeth are falling out

2. Black eyes always watch the clock

3. wasn’t my body rescued, wasn’t it safe

4. Candles and honey

5. Beloved of the sun

5. Do you respond to comments? Always, unless they’re mean 😂

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Uhhhh. It’s hard to say. I write a lot about disability and so I can see arguments for those stories being angsty in the way they end because no one gets “better”—that’s not how disability works—but I don’t find those endings angsty. It’s about being supported and affirmed and loved. I don’t know, life is really hard and all we can do in the face of that hardness is love each other.

I would say possibly “like petals on your skin” is the saddest but the ending is more bittersweet.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Oh gosh. Most of them? I think the ending of the “pretty burn” series is especially euphoric.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I got a comment once on how my depiction of Azula losing her bending was not “psychologically accurate” or something, and two of my favorite commenters went off on them 😂

Apart from that, I got a comment once on one of my favorite stories saying I write “trauma porn,” which was very hurtful. That still hurts. That’s not what I do.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yeah! Ummmm smutty smut, that’s the kind of smut I write 😂

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Nope!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Someone asked to translate one into German—I think that’s still a work in progress? But I was very honored, it’s a beautiful thing.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? I’ve brainstormed/shared brainworms that have led to fics! And I wrote a fic for my friend Cat which she recorded, so we’re listed as co-authors on the podfic.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship? Zukkaaaaaaaaaa

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I’ve kind of learned to never say never. “I used to invent love when necessary,” one of my current multi chapters? I’d been trying to think of ways to write it for like a year. And then a couple weeks ago I started sharing ideas with friends and that gave me the boost to actually do it.

There’s an LOK-era Zukka fic I really want to write but I think it needs to sit longer. I’m tired!

16. What are your writing strengths?

Oh God. Um. I get anxious thinking about this lol. I asked a friend and they said “compassion,” compassion for the characters <3

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Action scenes are challenging.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I haven’t really felt the need for it.

19. First fandom you wrote for? LOTR 🥲

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? Completely impossible to answer ahaha

I’ll tag: @anarchycox, @anodymalion, @queendollophead-ao3, and @lovelyelbowleech! Just if it’s fun for you :)

[calamitaswrath]

Lucia plays Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn: Part 2 Endgame

So Elincia instantly recognizes a bit of hair of Lucia's. . .? I know she lives in anime hair land where every colour of the rainbow and then some is a natural hair colour, but still. She needs to be very familiar with it to just recognize it. . .

Ah, there's a CG attached. With this much of it I guess I'm not as surprised, but still.

Ohohoho, we're getting Amiti back! That sword was already sick in PoR, so I'm looking forward to having it again!

Base conversations - here's Callil! Nice, let's see if she can put in some work.

And Haar's giving us a Mend. Alright, sure.

And. . . ahhh, I knew it! This is the exact map layout that they used in one of Fire Emblem Fates' DLC maps! I remember playing that one a bunch to get a lot of the class item for Ike's class, but that has been years already. I wonder if these skills are transferable.

We got traitors in our ranks, of course. I can understand why Elincia wouldn't want to kill the guy, but can she at least kick him in the dick?

So, the map itself - for how much the game wanted to drive home that I just needed to defend and not try to take out enemies, these enemies. . . really weren't that challenging to deal with. I managed to have Heather steal a whole bunch of goodies including the Draco Shield, got some good level-ups for Nephenee and Haar, and when I tried to stall the boss so that somebody else could get the exp, Elincia activated her skill and just killed him. It was a fun map though, I'll say that!

Ahh, there we go. That's the supposed execution scene that I heard about and had already seen ages ago.

"I was testing you" - . . .what the fuck, Lord Lodveck, duke of Felirae??? Testing somebody is for interpersonal drama at best, not for politics! This guy instigated an uprising and had who knows how many people die just to see if Elincia makes for a good ruler? What???

Good on Elincia for basically also making that point. Jeez. . .

Animated cutscene - well, the voice acting wasn't terrible here (the German one, I mean), but it also wasn't amazing. Also have to say, Soren looks a bit older in the animated cutscene style than he actually does in the game artwork.

So Mia explicitly joined Greil's mercenaries now, is that it?

Oh, so that's why nobody could find Ike and the others. They were deliberately hiding. Okay, sure.

And Elincia insisting on taking out the remnants of the rebellion herself. Sounds like a good decision.

Ike learns that the Black Knight is still alive. Surely that won't lead to any future encounter.

Second part done! Hmm. . . it did feel a bit rushed still, but in this instance it did work a lot better than it did with part one. We basically spent most of the game in PoR setting this cast up, so have more characterization than just these few chapters. Still, this part honestly feels shockingly short.

[ladylooch]

I am the anon with a question ☺️

I feel like such a normalized part of hockey culture (unfortunately) is the violence and the unhealthy coping mechanisms that come along with losing seasons.

I know you write most of your AU men as mostly perfect hubbies (as we’d like all men to be. I mean that’s the point of fiction, right?) but are there ever times when the teams are having a rough time during the season and the boys aren’t handling it well. Maybe taking their anger out at home (not physically). Do the girls ever get scared?

The way this is SUCH a thoughtful and eloquent question! I love it Nonnie! I did LOL @ all my men being perfect. I’m a comfort writer 😁 But they all have their moments. I think a huge chunk of being a professional athlete now is the mental gymnastics they need to work through, especially in these moments of frustration. 

In the AUs specifically:

Nico & Lexi: We see that Nico gets sad and spins his wheels overanalyzing everything. But his focus is always on “I need to be better” and “I’m not good enough.” So, taking it out at home on his girls would not be his style. Not to say this version of him is fun to be around though. It is a chore to get Nico to participate in anything other than hockey. He spends most of the time on the couch snuggling with their babies, watching movies. Lexi allows it, but eventually confronts Nico about finding healthier ways to cope, so they can mirror for their daughters how to navigate challenges in a healthy way.

Timo & Emma: Emma Meier would never allow that behavior in their household. First, she grew up in a strong, calm and resilient household. Second, she would mama bear maul Timo if he thought about expressing his anger by throwing things or yelling angrily at her or their children. Now, Timo has gotten heated and yelled about the overall situation in the car ride home when it is just him and Emma. He feels safe expressing himself to her completely. But as with Nico, his competitiveness focuses that energy internally on himself. It takes a lot for Timo to be in a rage over his play, but when it happens, Emma is there holding his hand, assuring him he isn’t a giant pile of stinky garbage.  

Miles & Kailey: As wild as Miles Wood is on the ice, off of it he is very soft spoken and shy. He uses hockey to channel all that internal chaotic energy into a focus. Now, when he is being scratched playoff game after playoff game in New Jersey? That is a level of frustration Kailey has never seen from him. But as always with Miles, Kailey is more worried about what is under the surface that he isn’t saying out loud. What is he tunneling down deep into his chest that is leaving marks on his beautiful soul? Miles kicks off his shoes and throws his bag and plops his big heavy body down on the couch net to Kailey. “Scratched again?” She murmurs, carding her fingers through the side of his hair. “I think I’m done here, babe.” Miles whispers from where his head is leaned back against the couch, eyes closed. Kailey doesn’t respond, but she agrees. Life in Jersey is coming to a close.

Kevin & Sam: Kevin Fiala wears his heart on his sleeve. Sam knew that before they were married. But what she is witnessing right now is unacceptable behavior. Kevin is screaming, carrying on, chucking things in and around the main area of their house. Thankfully, Luca and Lacey are out of the house with Kevin’s parents. “You are so unsupportive!” Kevin howls. Sam rolls her eyes. “You wanna be a teenager, Kevin? I’ll treat you like one.” She hisses back. This enrages him further. He begins to speak rapidly at her in Swiss German, using her lack of understanding as a weapon against her. Dick. He comes closer to Sam. Her shoulders tighten and she stands to her full height, speaking loudly over him. “I am not going to be treated like this in my own home. If you can’t get it together, then you need to leave.” Kevin squints. “This is my house.” “Not when you behave this way.” 

Connor & Lucie: Connor learned his lesson when he lost Lucie. After his hit on Lio during a game, his hot temper followed him out of the locker room, in the car, and back to their apartment where she packed a suitcase and walked out saying she wouldn’t be raising a baby with someone who could say the things he was sating to her tonight. He never, EVER wants to feel like that again. If he is hot, he stays behind at the rink and calls his dad from the weight room. Miles has a way of putting the world back into perspective for his son.

Luca & Liv: In the category of could absolutely never is Luca Fiala. He has an incredible ability to turn it all off once his skates come off. It could be a terrible, game 7 loss in the playoffs and he would still show up for Liv the same way- with a kiss and a smile and a “you ready to go home, baby?” He is actually perfect. I can barely imagine him otherwise. 

Lio & Sav: Lio spent many years of his career coping in unhealthy ways. By the time him and Savannah are together, for real, he has all of them in a cauldron to pull from after every Devils loss. As the captain, he takes it hard. So he pulls out the drinking and the partying and begging to fuck it out of him with Savannah. None of those things are what Savannah wants to do. She wants to talk to him. She wants him to know she isn’t alone by holding his hand or rubbing his back- soft touches that make them melt into a better world. He spends a lot of that first season they are together running from her and himself. It hurts them both. Eventually, with encouragement from Lucie, he reaches out to Nico, who spends countless hours on the phone with him from that moment on. Nico shares stories and wisdom in ways Timo can’t relate to. Nico understands very well the pressure on Lio’s shoulders and together they work that weight into a manageable container that Lio can take off after the game to be present with Sav. 

[folkloresthings]

congrats on 1k love!! can i please request a jane eyre with the racing guys? 🤗

i’m a third year in uni studying theoretical physics in London. i was born in france but im from algeria and a bunch of carribean islands.

im about 176cm tall if that has any impact on your ships. i have no idea what i want to do with my degree but i think i’ll do a masters then maybe a phd and just see where life takes me. i love all animals, even spiders and snakes but worms and chickens terrify me. like it’s a genuine fear.

unlike my entire family, i physically can not tan in the sun. i just burn and turn red even though my skin is already like olivey.

when i was younger i wanted to be a vet and a teacher but they i realised that im very sensitive as a person so i’d be awful at both the jobs so settled for ohysics as numbers won’t be able to upset me even if they cause a few mental breakdowns here and there.

im a very quiet person and i always keep to myself really. because of this im quite a sarcastic person and drop my fair share of self depriving jokes to the few people i’m around often which sounds very sad now i type it out🫠.

i speak 7 languages (french, spanish, berber, arabic, english, italian and swedish(learnt in that order)) so everyone tells me i should have studied linguistics. i took latin as well but it sounded too pretentious to say and i was awful at it so i dropped it even though i didn’t want to give up on it😭. but i’m trying to learn BSL and german for fun.

i am completely unable to tell my left and rights apart, even the making an L with your hand trick doesn’t work for me so even though i get good grades, i have zero common sense at all and i don’t know anyone more accident prone. i managed to injury my acl rowing. not in a boat but when i was cooling down in the machine.

i cant really think of much else to say about myself as i’m quite boring but i’m a theatre kid who can’t sing or dance or act but yeah

THANKS FOR EVEN READING THIS BRO I JUST RAMBLED ABOUT ANYTHING I COULD THINK OF

i ship you with: max verstappen! so so so supportive of your degree and career, no matter what decision you want to make. even through the numerous mental breakdowns, he’s right there by his side. all he’s known is formula one, so seeing someone pursue such a challenging degree inspires him so much. adores hearing you switch between languages, your abundance of knowledge always fascinates him. learns to sway you from sharp corners and anything you might stumble into — follows the sidewalk rule religiously.

[mx-princey]

Puppies World 3D Review

Disclaimer: I have not 100% Nintendogs, have not played the newer Nintendogs+Cats editions, and rarely if ever used the commands feature in my Nintendogs game, so if some of my comparisons seem off that is probably why.

So, since the 3DS EShop was closing, I decided to get a couple of games that happened to grab my attention, and one I was curious about was Puppies World 3D. I had been playing a bit of Nintendogs recently and wanted to see how it would compare. That is what lead me to make this review. So, let's get into it :-)

The models for the puppies are exceptionally cute, and I actually find them cuter than the Nintendogs models. I am particularly fond of the German Shepherd model, so I chose that as my first dog and named him Beanie.

It was an interesting choice to have the in-game days progress at a faster rate than real life days. It tripped me up at first, having been used to the Nintendogs real-world tied system of time, but was quickly adjusted once I realised what was happening. However, the inclusion of a time system in the game becomes rather redundant when all in-game actions can be taken as many times as the user likes. The fact that there are no time limits is very appreciated, even if it is confusing. It is also nice to have the dog notify you when it needs care with the icon.

The animated pixel art featured for the icons and dog tricks are also very cute, and I admire them a lot, especially considering simpler icons could have done the job just fine if the developers had so chosen.

The fact that tricks are learned through a drag-n-drop minigame is an unexpected concept, but an appreciated one all the same. The mic-input tricks of Nintendogs may have been more immersive, but the minigame approach in Puppies World 3D is much less frustrating (and embarrassing) than yelling commands at your console. Although this does get quite tedious after a while, since the game wants you to complete this minigame maybe around ten times for each of the eight tricks.

The game introduces some photo modes, including the ability to take photos of and place stickers on the photos of your dogs, as well as a AR mode, that lets you take a photo of your room and then play with your dog there (albeit only letting you play with discs and tennis balls). There is also supposedly an AR-Card mode, which I assume would function like the AR cards that came bundled with the 3DS, but since I don't have access to the card I can't actually say. Actually pretty ingenious in my opinion, though it is disappointing that they seem to have only done the bare minimum with the concept.

However, these are where the positives end. Unfortunately, the gameplay falls flat compared to that of nintendogs.

The disc throwing physics are not as dynamic of fun to use, and can feel sluggish and weighed down, even on more powerful throws (the same goes for the tennis balls, which throw like they have weights inside), not to mention the difficulty that the puppies have actually catching the disc. You could be spending tens of minutes throwing the disc for your dog before it even catches it a single time, and when it finally does, you will be disappointed by the total lack of animation or character when it does so. It is more than just challenging - it is nothing but frustration. If there is a trick to making this minigame easier, the game certainly does not make it easy for you to work it out.

The game also copies the concept of walks and the park. The walking simulator is fine, allowing you to take your dog out for a walk in a 3D neighbourhood populated with various characters. The characters, at least to me, feel quite flat though- and not just because they utilise static 2D sprites. All they seem to be is game tips with faces, barely any substance. I wasn't expecting characters in a childrens petsim game to be the most compelling, but even Nintendogs managed to make an interesting character, ie Archie, who was entertaining and memorable.

The park is also very grating on the eyes, functioning like Nintendog's park, but with no other dogs to play with and assets that look like they were pulled straight from stock photo packs and copy pasted around the landscape. The landscape being practically a block of offensively vibrant green.

But the worst offender of all is the "combination tricks" this game introduced. Conceptually, it is actually very interesting! Tricks that have to be performed by selecting two other tricks at once, such as combining "sit" and "speak" to perform "yawn." It introduces a challenge beyond just commanding your dog to do one trick - there is an element of memory too. But then you get to actually performing the tricks... and it quickly becomes clear that this portion of the game, at least to me, has intricacies that are difficult to understand and are not explained. Many of the combination tricks are very fun and interesting to discover, like the breakdance and ballerina moves. But then some just seem to not make sense and seem to be misprogrammed, like "sneeze" having the dog stand up on its hind legs and wave its paws as if it were begging, and then the actual "beg" command only having the dog play the "paw" animation (raising a single paw while sitting), but mirrored. And then you enter the competitions, and it gets worse. They will start telling you to give your dog commands that I haven't found any way to perform. It is possible that they are just extra hidden commands, but as far as I can tell, you are only able to combine two commands together, and I have tried every combination, and still not found some of the commands they are requesting, such as "howl." Even if they are hidden behind some sort of mechanic or "level," these mysterious combination commands are never explained! Either it is the result of an unfinished game, or it is bad game design that leaves you confused and frustrated. Either way, I ended up feeling cheated after the effort I put in to train my dog, and very confused and disappointed. I dis not enjoy this.

Some immersion breaking nitpicks are that at each point that the time of in-game day changes, the game stops you for a moment while it resets your room. It also locks you out of taking any actions at all while your dog is eating or drinking, placing you in a glorified cutscene. Also, the "mentor" character greets you every in-game morning with "Congrats! Challenge Clear!" Which if having someone intrude your home every morning wasn't hellish enough is very interruptive and robotic, too.

All in all, I have found it a game that I am able to enjoy, but which has some glaring issues that keep it from having the same charm or level of enjoyment as the ever so classic Nintendogs. If you are interested in this game, I would say that it is worth a try if you can find it for cheap (or dare I say free), but overall you're probably better off with a copy of Nintendogs, or maybe even not playing at all.

Also, I wish the pixel art icons for this game were avaliable online somewhere. I do quite like those. And the homescreen icon is very cute as well.

Anyway say hi to Beanie ❤️

[everythingmaxriemelt]

Max talks to General-Anzeiger about “Bonn - alte Freunde, neue Feinde” TV series.

Q: In "Bonn - Old Friends, New Enemies" you play a secret agent. Was secret agent on your unfulfilled roles wish-list?

Max: No, there is no wish-list of unfulfilled roles. I found the character and the series itself very exciting - especially the background. A story that hasn't been told that much until now - neither in school lessons, in society, nor in films or TV.

Q: How did you prepare for the role of Wolfgang Berns? Any tips from real agents?

Max: In the series, you only watch Wolfgang Berns doing certain tasks. I don't think I needed agent training for that. But what had to be practiced from time to time was motorcycling. Because it's a historical story, there were old motorcycles and cars that weren't easy to drive.

Q: Do you ride a motorbike or did you have to learn it for the role?

Max: I can ride a motorbike, but with the older machines it's just something completely different. But it was good and fun. Overall, this agent role was a lot of fun. (laughs) I would say that's actually the origin of actors: you transform and you disguise yourself. Emotions were also particular importance in the role, which was a challenge. Berns is a guy who is rather opaque - he poses a great mystery to the viewer.

Q:The series is based on true events in the young Federal Republic. Did you know the names of Otto John and Reinhard Gehlen before shooting?

Max: I've heard the names before. But what dimensions the Gehlen organization had at the time was frightening for me - especially how many old Nazis worked for the Federal Intelligence Service or were involved in its founding. I knew even less about Otto John than about Gehlen, I had to read everything about him first.

Q: When you work with such historical material, do you stick to the events very precisely?

Max: Luckily my character wasn’t an actual person, so I didn't have to worry about that. That was the task of the director, how she created and told the character. But I had complete confidence because she knows the subject very well.

Q: When you were shooting on the Konrad Adenauer ferry in Bad Godesberg in July 2021, it was raining incessantly (NB: actually there was a flooding crisis in the area around that time). What memories do you have of the shoot?

Max: The day actually started quite nicely. (laughs) Then it started raining, and when we were on the ferry, it really poured. But you have to see that as a sport. Later on in the film it looks good, so nobody asks how about it anymore. You just have to concentrate and persevere. But I had a very nice time in the area. I really like the Drachenfels (hill), (the location of ) the legend of Siegfried, I also like hiking through the woods – nature is really great there.

Q: Speaking of Drachenfels: Babylon Berlin was partly filmed on the Drachenburg. There are many other historical crime series, with “Bonn – Old Friends, New Enemies” adding to it. Why is this historical material so popular with the public?

Max: I believe that such material is always in demand. The audience has a fascination for the past, and also for their own identity. It all has something to do with where you come from. 100 years ago was an extremely exciting time that is shown in Babylon. The time after the war is like a dark episode in German history that has not yet been properly dealt with. That's why it's exciting to get information that reflects the complexity and concerns of the post-war period. There were mixed feelings at the time: people survived the war, but some people still had the perpetrator mentality. Others wanted to make sure this never happened again. All this can be told in an exciting way, with people who have experienced extreme fates collide.

Q: Also exciting because this period has been kept silent in many families...

Max: Many also got into a moral conflict. Especially when it comes to guilt and the motives you had during the war. There are different opinions and attitudes about it.

Q: Does it help you as an actor if you shoot on original locations? You shot a large part on a set in the Czech Republic far from Bonn...

Max: Costumes, backgrounds and every little detail helps - that way you can put yourself in the shoes of that time and you are not disrupted by modern things that later have to be concealed. The shooting in Prague was very nice. We pretty much had the city to ourselves due to the Covid lockdown, the film sets were empty. Everything was beautifully restored, and if you walked inside it, you could quickly forget the time.

Q: You played in the Hollywood film "Matrix" - that's something completely different than your current role of Wolfgang Berns. How do you switch from fiction to history?

Max: I wouldn’t say it’s a switch. It's just a different kind of work. Matrix was a big production that had a lot of money and was made with a lot of people. The content is also different: the conversation in Matrix is ​​more of a philosophical nature, and in Bonn, it’s more fictional, but also biopic-like. Which means a completely different form of authenticity.

*interview from General-Anzeiger and gifs are mine

[bizar-got-some-stuff]

So uh

This my 22nd day of my 100 Days Of Productivity challenge

I know I fucked up the initial challenge, so I'll put up a new objective: finish this challenge before July.

But yeah, let's get to it

To start things off, we have a lil drawing of a lil guy here - his name's Ióveth, and he's not my character .-.

Credits go to the one and only @diddly-darn-its-gone-to-shit

But yeah, this guy's pretty sweet, if you don't go too deep into his personal life

A lil' sheet of fun facts about my characters! I honestly want to make these sheets into a regular thing for my blog here, but for that I'll have to figure out my art block (...if that's the correct term (which I'm working on!!!!!!))

But for now, we have three lil' fun facts here, including me myself)))

Again, this is @diddly-darn-its-gone-to-shit

Just a joke sketch based on a funny typo on discord, which actually turned out to be much better than I thought it would

And here's my man Nimdok!

Two doodles if him, with different brushes

...I think I fucked up the second one

But yeah, that's the German man himself

And here we have a... Face?

To be fair, it didn't turn out really bad, though it is my first attempt at something realistic looking - I was using an anatomy textbook as a reference for this sketch, and it kinda works?

It looks decent at least. I'll work on it later on

...I know I've been inactive with this thing for a very long time in terms of this challenge, abd I have explained it in an earlier post - I was just confused with myself and my own abilities, with no idea what to do next

Thankfully, I'm making a slow but steady recovery from my state of inactivity, with some new learning material!

I'll be more active from now on, abd I do have ideas for what I could do else with drawing))))

And now - toodles, see ya tomorrow! ^^

[dgnknight]

What languages do you speak?

What’s the last thing you googled?

And lastly, tell me about one of your current wips :)

i’m fluent in english & and almost fluent in spanish, i’m terrible at speaking it out loud i don’t have the accent for it. + i know some irish & swedish! i want to learn more germanic languages very fun stuff

my recent tabs are all ao3 fics lol but i recently tried googling ‘currency in the 1700s’ bc i wanted to make up a number whereabouts a rich person would be worth back then for a fic. i got very confused and gave up

currently i am working on an au where beckett lets his father talk him into becoming a vicar instead of running away. idk why the idea of an evil reverend appeals to me (religious trauma? yippee) and it’s a challenge keeping him in character bc of course he would never do that. but it’s actually been fun so far

thank u for the q’s elle! :)

[redwineconversation]

Laura Benkarth OL Interview

Posted on Youtube, was done in English, yet I am somewhat skeptical that people will take the 3 minutes and 39 seconds to watch it before judging her, so I am transcribing it instead.

I'm like 99 percent sure Timothee did the interview but a person's voice pitch changes when they're not speaking in their native language so I don't want to be wrong and incorrectly assign who did the interview.

Finally: @OL Comms Dept, this heatwave is insane, pls pitch in for the AC bill and/or Damo's frozen pup cups and/or Apollo's electrolytes.

LAURA BENKARTH OL INTERVIEW

Journalist: So Laura, we're really happy to welcome you here in Lyon. Can you first of all just introduce yourself for the people who don't know you yet?

Benkarth: Yeah. I'm Laura Benkarth, I'm a goalkeeper. I'm also really happy to be here at Lyon because I think it's one of the best clubs in the world. I'm really looking forward to the new season and the new challenge.

Journalist: Why did you choose to come here? Can you tell us a bit about the contacts, the exchanges, why you made the choice to come here?

Benkarth: Yeah, like I said, Lyon is one of the biggest clubs in Europe, even in the world, and they won a lot of titles. And I think it's a great challenge to be here, to train everyday at the highest level. I had good talks also with the coach, and so I chose Lyon.

Journalist: What image did you have of the club from the outside, what did you think about Lyon before coming here?

Benkarth: I think that Lyon's a really professional club, where you can do your job at the highest level in really good conditions. And yeah, I was really happy when I heard that Lyon wanted to have me, and so. Yeah.

Journalist: Were you able to ask for some advice from Saki Kumagai or Emelyne Laurent at Bayern? We have a few players there. Did they tell you about Lyon? What was your relationship with Saki and Emelyne?

Benkarth: With Saki, I was her roommate so of course I talked to her and asked her about Lyon. She only tells positive things. I also talked to Sara Dabritz, because I played with her at Bayern and Freibourg, and also on the German National Team. They also only said positive things about the club, the club is very professional, the team is really cool, that they have a lot of fun together. And of course they are really good and win a lot of titles.

Journalist: Obviously the goalkeeper role is quite special. Right now, as we speak, we have Christiane Endler who has spent the entire season as the No. 1. What do you think about her, first of all, as a goalkeeper? Are you excited to get to meet her, train with her, things like that?

Benkarth: Yes, of course. She's a great goalkeeper and I'm happy to train with her because I think we can learn from each other, and can bring us to the next level maybe through the competition. I'm really happy to train with her.

Journalist: The coach, when I talked to her just before, said that competition was important and that it's important to have people who are motived. Of course it has to be a fair competition as well. Are you ready to have this healthy competition and, like, pushing up with Christiane [Endler]?

Benkarth: Yes. I'm absolutely ready for that. It was also [the case] when I was at Bayern, where you always have competition with other players, because you're a top team and you have top players. So competition is always there, and I like it because I think it pushes me to the next level. But like you said it always has to be in a good way, because you're still a team and you still have to stand up for each other on the pitch and off the pitch, and yeah, help each other to grow.

Journalist: What would you say are your strengths in the game, what type of goalkeeper are you in a way?

Benkarth: I'm a goalkeeper who communicates a lot on the field, so I'm really interested how it works in French. But like I said, I will learn it, the language. And I think I'm also really good with the ball at my feet, I think the players are always safe when they play the ball back to me. I'm comfortable with it and that's a lot of fun for me to build the game up from behind. And I think that's one of my biggest strengths.

[girlieinterns]

Hey! My name is Kate Beemer, (she/her/hers) I go to Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and I grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey. I am so grateful for the opportunity and can’t wait to get started as an intern at Girlie Action!

What do you hope to gain from this experience?

I am a Journalism and Media Studies major, with a double minor in German, and Gender & Media. I am an active member at WRSU, the official radio station at Rutgers, and a writer for the Daily Targum, the official student-run newspaper at the University. Through my involvement at the Targum and WRSU, I am lucky to have gained many opportunities to practice journalistic writing, press coverage, artist interviews, and more. I am passionate about music, media production, and learning more about the world of PR and Media, especially in the realm of the music industry. I am still very new to this field though, and I have a lot to learn. Through this experience, I hope to continue to explore my passion in these areas and continue learning about PR, promotions, media production, etc. I’m really excited to connect with people that are knowledgeable and experienced in this area, and I am eager to pick up any new skills and knowledge that I can while interning. I am thrilled to be a part of Girlie Action this summer!

What is the best concert you’ve been to?

Hearing live music is probably my favorite thing to do, whether that's at a concert or a house show or even just my younger sister practicing guitar. I feel like I see live music so frequently that this answer changes all the time. But right now, the best concert that comes to mind is when I recently saw the band The Beths play at Union Transfer in Philadelphia, with Sydney Gish as their opener. I got to go with a peer from WRSU, and we were able to get photo passes and photograph both acts from the photo pit during their first two songs. This was an incredibly special experience on its own, as I had never gone to a show with a photo pass. But aside from that, The Beths and Sydney Gish are both extremely talented artists whose music I love. They sounded incredible live and it was an amazing show. It’s awesome to see artists you love in concert when they sound just as good (if not better) in person as they do in their recordings. Again, it is not easy to pick just one concert because I’ve seen so many talented people perform- but the Beths and Sydney Gish are definitely some of my favorite artists that I’ve seen live so far.

What else do you love besides music?

I love to read and write, and I’m really enjoying practicing writing in different forms and styles as a journalism student vs in my own independent writing. I love to travel and learn about new cultures and history. I minor in German and plan to study in Berlin for my junior year at Rutgers. Learning new languages is a major challenge but I do enjoy trying. I love meeting new people and seeking out new experiences. I love to spend time with my family and friends, especially my two younger sisters. I also love clothes and going thrifting. I enjoy water coloring and drawing for fun although I am not good at either. I love spending time outside, swimming, hiking, walking my dog etc. 

What’s your dream job?

I’m not sure what exactly my dream job is, but I hope it will be something that allows me to travel, and be creative. I could definitely see myself working in journalism or the media world in some way, especially internationally. I would hope that I could continue my work with broadcast media production, as that is something I have found that I really love. If I had to say a specific job right now, I would say that my dream job is to be an international reporter / radio host. I am inspired by people who have created their own investigative podcasts, or who work in music media production/broadcasting, etc. I’m hoping to find a more clear answer to this through more professional experiences, for example interning here at Girlie Action!

[theroundbartable]

Oooooh, looks like fun XD (I think I've been tagged in this twice, lol) I always thought that I don't work with WIPs and that has been true for a very long time because I buried them so deep that I learned of their existence just now. You're reading me find them... there are some that have gathered and my brain hates me for every. single. one. of them. XD

First: The ones I'm publishing

Idiots in Love: (Merthur) Chapter 5 is still in progress, Arthur is still smitten, problems arrive from other ends. It's meant to be fluffy and sweet and I think I am succeeding XD

Second Chances: (Drarry) I have mentioned it before, this fic is LONG. So far, six chapters are out, but I have like 9 more ready to go. Although I'm starting to question them all. I don't really like the pacing at times and I've been working on this for over 2 years. It's the longest fic I've ever written and the one I've reworked most often.

Karak'nirir, the goddess of creation: (Klance) 9 chapters are out so far but I have stagnated on the 10th. I'm very stuck on the Merlin fandom, so motivation is fleeting at times. But it's there and it's not forgotten.

The clockroom: (Merthur) When I say second chances is my longest fic, this one comes second and is also far more complicated than anything else I have ever written. Please forgive me for abandoning this project so often.

Now on to the ideas I started and immediately put on hiatus. They should have remained concepts, but somehow still exist somewhere in the ether of my writing programms:

Incarnation: An original. My siblings are working with me on the worldbuilding, but I have attempted to draft this four times and I hated every beginning. I'm usually notoriously ignorant of beginnings, which is one of many reason why this one is quite the challenge.

The stone sword: An original twist on the Arthurian legend (if I ever publish an original, I want to take part in the legend, sue me.) I started this so long ago, I lost the plot, but I did use some of the takes in a fanfic.

Avatar Merlin: (Merthur) One where Merlin is the Avatar but hides in the Kingdom that hates all forms of benders. Five Kingdoms = each an element, one non-benders who managed to take over almost all the other kingdoms.

Survivor: (Sanji-Centric) I don't remember writing this? It's ten pages long about the relationship between Zeff and Sanji. I should look into that again.

Okay, now lets go even deeper. (I'm finding stuff I didn't even know existed? When did these happen? I'll drop the file name if they had one) (cursive are the ones who didn't even get an interim name). I'm just listing them, I have no idea what's in them. It's like a lottery at this point. I am opening some of them though to look at the size and what fandom they are for.

Tributes of Camelot (Merthur)

The soldier (Vld)

Silence (BBC Merlin - knight centric)

Scared? (Zosan)

unnamed (a German original, that I don't remember the plot of. It had to do with prophecies)

Lance time travel AU

Klance in space

unnamed (Merthur) The fuck, this has 91 pages????? The actual file name is: "I'm gonna hate myself for this I guess" from 2022. Which isn't ominous at all.

A land of fear (Merthur) also 21 pages, wtf???

I also have a folder called "Stuff I'll never finish" and that is a threat. I'm not listing these Wips, they should never, ever, be touched again. Do not ask.

Anyone may join. Feel yourself invited. However, if you want to do this too, do it at your own risk, I'm having an existencial crisis over here.

@snazzy-jas-z-is-a-fan-of @crimsonrose14

Wip Game

Thank you @tansyuduri for tagging me 😊

Rules: Make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

I actually do have a lot of drafts of each story I have. I don't mind sharing snippets if you don't mind spoilers, of course. So I'm going to catagorize them as this:

Drafts of my fic "From the Grave to the Cradle" (because yes, I'm still working on it, I havent forgotten it):

Chapter 6: So far and yet so close (incomplete)

Merlin and Arthur after Emry's dead

Merlin and Gaius after Arthur is discovered as "The Lost Prince"

Arthur's confinement in his Royal Chambers

Morgana meets Kilgharrah

After war with Essetir

Merlin kills impostor knights

Merlin discovers Gwaine

And eye for and eye

The real prophecy

Memory transferency

Arthur hides Merlin's dagger

(I'm willing to share more of this one cause the story has been on pause for too long and I think it's the least you deserve)

2. Drafts of my fic "Dragonlord's son series" (or rather the sequel of it, "Loving the Dragonlord's son"):

Reconciliation (kind of the end of the saga, I already published the summaries of all the chapters in a previous post. I needed to have the end clear to know where I was going)

3. Drafts of my "Arthur and Merlin travel back in time without knowing the other is from the future too AU"

"The sins of a father"

Alternative "La morte of Arthur"

4. Drafts of my "Merlin as Arthur's familiar/Arthur's shapeshifter falcon AU"

Arthur arrests King Carleon's cousin

5. MerlinxThe son of The Song of Achilles AU

@theroundbartable , @star-rie , @evadne01 , @that-nerd-who-writes-fanfiction , @ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral

[perpetual-stories]

Story Structures for your Next WIP

hello, hello. this post will be mostly for my notes. this is something I need in to be reminded of for my business, but it can also be very useful and beneficial for you guys as well.

everything in life has structure and storytelling is no different, so let’s dive right in :)

First off let’s just review what a story structure is :

a story is the backbone of the story, the skeleton if you will. It hold the entire story together.

the structure in which you choose your story will effectively determine how you create drama and depending on the structure you choose it should help you align your story and sequence it with the conflict, climax, and resolution.

1. Freytag's Pyramid

this first story structure i will be talking about was named after 19th century German novelist and playwright.

it is a five point structure that is based off classical Greek tragedies such as Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripedes.

Freytag's Pyramid structure consists of:

Introduction: the status quo has been established and an inciting incident occurs.

Rise or rising action: the protagonist will search and try to achieve their goal, heightening the stakes,

Climax: the protagonist can no longer go back, the point of no return if you will.

Return or fall: after the climax of the story, tension builds and the story inevitably heads towards...

Catastrophe: the main character has reached their lowest point and their greatest fears have come into fruition.

this structure is used less and less nowadays in modern storytelling mainly due to readers lack of appetite for tragic narratives.

2. The Hero's Journey

the hero's journey is a very well known and popular form of storytelling.

it is very popular in modern stories such as Star Wars, and movies in the MCU.

although the hero's journey was inspired by Joseph Campbell's concept, a Disney executive Christopher Vogler has created a simplified version:

The Ordinary World: The hero's everyday routine and life is established.

The Call of Adventure: the inciting incident.

Refusal of the Call: the hero / protagonist is hesitant or reluctant to take on the challenges.

Meeting the Mentor: the hero meets someone who will help them and prepare them for the dangers ahead.

Crossing the First Threshold: first steps out of the comfort zone are taken.

Tests, Allie, Enemies: new challenges occur, and maybe new friends or enemies.

Approach to the Inmost Cave: hero approaches goal.

The Ordeal: the hero faces their biggest challenge.

Reward (Seizing the Sword): the hero manages to get ahold of what they were after.

The Road Back: they realize that their goal was not the final hurdle, but may have actually caused a bigger problem than before.

Resurrection: a final challenge, testing them on everything they've learned.

Return with the Elixir: after succeeding they return to their old life.

the hero's journey can be applied to any genre of fiction.

3. Three Act Structure:

this structure splits the story into the 'beginning, middle and end' but with in-depth components for each act.

Act 1: Setup:

exposition: the status quo or the ordinary life is established.

inciting incident: an event sets the whole story into motion.

plot point one: the main character decided to take on the challenge head on and she crosses the threshold and the story is now progressing forward.

Act 2: Confrontation:

rising action: the stakes are clearer and the hero has started to become familiar with the new world and begins to encounter enemies, allies and tests.

midpoint: an event that derails the protagonists mission.

plot point two: the hero is tested and fails, and begins to doubt themselves.

Act 3: Resolution:

pre-climax: the hero must chose between acting or failing.

climax: they fights against the antagonist or danger one last time, but will they succeed?

Denouement: loose ends are tied up and the reader discovers the consequences of the climax, and return to ordinary life.

4. Dan Harmon's Story Circle

it surprised me to know the creator of Rick and Morty had their own variation of Campbell's hero's journey.

the benefit of Harmon's approach is that is focuses on the main character's arc.

it makes sense that he has such a successful structure, after all the show has multiple seasons, five or six seasons? i don't know not a fan of the show.

the character is in their comfort zone: also known as the status quo or ordinary life.

they want something: this is a longing and it can be brought forth by an inciting incident.

the character enters and unfamiliar situation: they must take action and do something new to pursue what they want.

adapt to it: of course there are challenges, there is struggle and begin to succeed.

they get what they want: often a false victory.

a heavy price is paid: a realization of what they wanted isn't what they needed.

back to the good old ways: they return to their familiar situation yet with a new truth.

having changed: was it for the better or worse?

i might actually make a operate post going more in depth about dan harmon's story circle.

5. Fichtean Curve:

the fichtean curve places the main character in a series of obstacles in order to achieve their goal.

this structure encourages writers to write a story packed with tension and mini-crises to keep the reader engaged.

The Rising Action

the story must start with an inciting indecent.

then a series of crisis arise.

there are often four crises.

2. The Climax:

3. Falling Action

this type of story telling structure goes very well with flash-back structured story as well as in theatre.

6. Save the Cat Beat Sheet:

this is another variation of a three act structure created by screenwriter Blake Snyder, and is praised widely by champion storytellers.

Structure for Save the Cat is as follows: (the numbers in the brackets are for the number of pages required, assuming you're writing a 110 page screenplay)

Opening Image [1]: The first shot of the film. If you’re starting a novel, this would be an opening paragraph or scene that sucks readers into the world of your story.

Set-up [1-10]. Establishing the ‘ordinary world’ of your protagonist. What does he want? What is he missing out on?

Theme Stated [5]. During the setup, hint at what your story is really about — the truth that your protagonist will discover by the end.

Catalyst [12]. The inciting incident!

Debate [12-25]. The hero refuses the call to adventure. He tries to avoid the conflict before they are forced into action.

Break into Two [25]. The protagonist makes an active choice and the journey begins in earnest.

B Story [30]. A subplot kicks in. Often romantic in nature, the protagonist’s subplot should serve to highlight the theme.

The Promise of the Premise [30-55]. Often called the ‘fun and games’ stage, this is usually a highly entertaining section where the writer delivers the goods. If you promised an exciting detective story, we’d see the detective in action. If you promised a goofy story of people falling in love, let’s go on some charmingly awkward dates.

Midpoint [55]. A plot twist occurs that ups the stakes and makes the hero’s goal harder to achieve — or makes them focus on a new, more important goal.

Bad Guys Close In [55-75]. The tension ratchets up. The hero’s obstacles become greater, his plan falls apart, and he is on the back foot.

All is Lost [75]. The hero hits rock bottom. He loses everything he’s gained so far, and things are looking bleak. The hero is overpowered by the villain; a mentor dies; our lovebirds have an argument and break up.

Dark Night of the Soul [75-85-ish]. Having just lost everything, the hero shambles around the city in a minor-key musical montage before discovering some “new information” that reveals exactly what he needs to do if he wants to take another crack at success. (This new information is often delivered through the B-Story)

Break into Three [85]. Armed with this new information, our protagonist decides to try once more!

Finale [85-110]. The hero confronts the antagonist or whatever the source of the primary conflict is. The truth that eluded him at the start of the story (established in step three and accentuated by the B Story) is now clear, allowing him to resolve their story.

Final Image [110]. A final moment or scene that crystallizes how the character has changed. It’s a reflection, in some way, of the opening image.

(all information regarding the save the cat beat sheet was copy and pasted directly from reedsy!)

7. Seven Point Story Structure:

this structure encourages writers to start with the at the end, with the resolution, and work their way back to the starting point.

this structure is about dramatic changes from beginning to end

The Hook. Draw readers in by explaining the protagonist’s current situation. Their state of being at the beginning of the novel should be in direct contrast to what it will be at the end of the novel.

Plot Point 1. Whether it’s a person, an idea, an inciting incident, or something else — there should be a "Call to Adventure" of sorts that sets the narrative and character development in motion.

Pinch Point 1. Things can’t be all sunshine and roses for your protagonist. Something should go wrong here that applies pressure to the main character, forcing them to step up and solve the problem.

Midpoint. A “Turning Point” wherein the main character changes from a passive force to an active force in the story. Whatever the narrative’s main conflict is, the protagonist decides to start meeting it head-on.

Pinch Point 2. The second pinch point involves another blow to the protagonist — things go even more awry than they did during the first pinch point. This might involve the passing of a mentor, the failure of a plan, the reveal of a traitor, etc.

Plot Point 2. After the calamity of Pinch Point 2, the protagonist learns that they’ve actually had the key to solving the conflict the whole time.

Resolution. The story’s primary conflict is resolved — and the character goes through the final bit of development necessary to transform them from who they were at the start of the novel.

(all information regarding the seven point story structure was copy and pasted directly from reedsy!)

i decided to fit all of them in one post instead of making it a two part post.

i hope you all enjoy this post and feel free to comment or reblog which structure you use the most, or if you have your own you prefer to use! please share with me!

if you find this useful feel free to reblog on instagram and tag me at perpetualstories

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[smokedetected]

R6S Duolingo and language learning HCs

Stupid fluff/crack hcs for some of the r6s operators, inspired by a recent heated discussion in our research group about everyone’s Duolingo habits (lol).

Warnings/notes: none (unless you’re severely traumatized by the Duolingo owl, though if that’s the case, it’s probably already too late anyways) Slight romance and/or suggestiveness in some.

Sorted alphabetically under the cut—I wrote for everyone that popped into my mind at the time.

Ace: Will totally take the initial placement test for Norwegian, just for that cheap and easy XP-boost that will catapult him to the top of the leaderboard and allow him to flex his high score in front of the others. (Everyone knows what’s going on, but let’s let him have this.) Will be extra motivated should you decide to get the app as well and absolutely swoon over you should you decide to take up Norwegian (he still won’t take it well should you outcompete him on the leaderboard, though, so keep that in mind).

Bandit: Doesn’t really care for the app per se, but is more than happy to help expand your knowledge of German swear words and street slang should you decide to take it up, whether you want it or not. If you’re serious about learning the language, he will do his best to help you in earnest and make an effort to include you in the German banter between the GSG9 member (be careful, though, as he will absolutely take the opportunity to feed you wrong and/or offensive words every now and then so he can have a laugh when you cheerfully insult any of the other German operators, thinking you were merely throwing out some German slang). Will be more encouraged than ever to give you German pet names. He would also take the opportunity to introduce you to his favorite German bands and songs (just stay wary of the meaning of some of the lyrics you will inevitably pick up).

Blitz: This is his home turf—Elias doesn’t need to be convinced to download the app, he already has it (and every other language learning app out there) ready to go on his phone. He finds the questions and problems in Duolingo too easy to really challenge him, but he’ll use it to refresh his memory on grammar and vocabulary during breaks or look into the more exotic languages they offer just for fun. Gets very excited if you are interested in languages, too, and all the more so if the language you want to learn happens to be German! He will send you all kinds of materials and resources to help you study, from news articles to memes. When he sees you practicing using the app, he will come up to you and give you a kiss whenever you get an exercise right.

Doc: Gustave always encourages the people around him to try new things and stay flexible, physically and mentally, so he welcomes it when you introduce him to the app. Other operators might complain about the persistent reminders sent by the app, but Doc actually appreciates them—without them, he would quickly forget about the app again as he’s always caught up with work late into the night. Should you decide to learn French, he will gladly practice with you whenever you have a moment of time throughout the day, remaining patient and encouraging even as you torment him with the exhilarating questions about his name and profession that come with the early stages of learning a new language.

Dokkaebi: Will get super competitive and try to get as many of the other Rainbow members as possible into Duolingo as well. They don’t all have to learn the same language, but there will be an internal competition about who earns the most points every week. Will probably act casually about it, but then log into the app again at the last minute before the leaderboard closes, while her fellow operators are either already asleep or focused on something else and absolutely obliterate them and their scores. If you tell her that you want to learn Korean, she might be a bit surprised at first, but will quickly find it endearing when it becomes apparent that you’re serious about it. She loves it when you text her in Korean whenever you learned something new and will in turn send you Korean proverbs and other tidbits you might fight interesting.

Glaz: Not a huge fan of the app (maybe because he doesn’t think the interface is visually appealing?). Would maybe use it to gain a basic understanding of the language of a country he’s sent to on a mission + any themed lessons that catch his eye. If your native language isn’t English or Russian, he would use the app to check out the basics while he’s away from you, though he would much rather get the explanations directly from you. If you inform him that you’re trying to learn Russian, his heart will melt and he will shower you with sweet words of praise and encouragement to make you feel comfortable enough to speak to him in his native language. Will also buy you a premium subscription when you aren’t looking to make learning even more fun for you.

IQ: Monika is smart and a quick learner - you know it, I know it, it’s literally implied in her codename. Quickly uninstalls the app again because she finds the exercises too easy and doesn’t want to bother wasting time on having to unlock the few lessons she’d actually be interested in. If you or another operator were the ones getting her into the app, however, she’d keep it around just so she can keep doing the weekly challenges with you—she finds it cute when you get all competitive about it and it makes her happy that you want to participate in them with her. Her first reaction to you telling her that you want to learn German would be a blunt “Why?,” as she thinks you might get more use out of other languages. Tell her that you’re doing it for her and she becomes incredibly flustered (all the more so should you decide to call her by one or more German pet name(s)), yet happy at the same time.

Jäger: Marius quickly incorporated the app into his daily routine, usually getting his daily session in during breakfast or dinner. Will regularly remind his GSG9 colleagues to use the app by sharing his milestones to their group chat (*screenshot of perfect 2-week-streak* “Und bei euch so? 😏” (”what about you guys? 😏”) Will be very giddy should you decide to learn German—he’s very eager to practice with you and will constantly point out how certain things are called in German as well as give you additional info and expressions. He’ll probably get ahead of himself and it will be nearly impossible to remember everything he’s telling you, but he doesn’t expect you to and is glad to repeat it.

Kapkan: Hates it. Thinks the interface looks stupid, the sample conversations pointless, and was just about ready to ask Sledge to borrow his hammer to smash his phone and computer because he accidentally consented to receive all the reminders and push notifications and it’s driving him insane. If you’re using the app to learn a language and feel like its helping you, however, he is willing to put up with the eye sore that is the Duolingo owl and the noise pollution coming from the app, just for you (particularly if the language you are trying to learn is Russian—his adoration for your efforts outweighs any negative feelings he may have). If your native language is something different from Russian or English, he would make an effort to learn at least the basics in it when things start to get serious. While he’s a diligent student, he becomes surprisingly shy and easily flustered when attempting to speak to you in your native language, so stay patient and give him lots of encouragement.

Montagne: As his perceived lack of proficiency in foreign languages when compared to some of the other Rainbow operators is something that’s been bothering him on and off for some time, he was very happy and receptive when you introduced him to the app. He uses it to quietly practice by himself during moments of downtime as he goes about his day. I feel like he’d be the type of person to have a 500+ day streak that makes you go “damn! :0″ when you see it on their profile for the first time. Is over the moon when you reveal to him that you’ve been trying to learn some French for him and have nothing but praise for even your most awkward attempts at speaking to him in French. Naturally, he will want to repay the favor and take up your language in return, but it will take some verbal encouragement from you before he overcomes his shyness to actually talk to you in your native language.

Mute: would never resort to cheap exploits like raking in a massive number of points by acing the placement test in his native language (as others are rumored to have done), but would quickly figure out the little tricks, bonuses, and power-ups that allow him to continuously earn the highest score possible while learning. Finds the exercises too easy and doesn’t like how you have to unlock certain topics through progression, rather than being able to freely choose what you’re interested in learning right from the beginning. If your native language isn’t English, he will look for other better resources on it on his own. Even if English isn’t your first language, he doesn’t really see any concrete need for you to improve but will respect your desire to do so by providing you with recommendations for English books and movies, as well as the offer of discussing them with him once you’re done with them.

Smoke: While the gamification aspect does hold some appeal in his eyes, he doesn’t really feel the need to follow the path given by the app—he’s convinced that if you want to learn a new language, it should ideally come naturally to you by actively engaging with source materials in it (read: chemical safety data sheets, scientific papers, and online shitposts). Should his daughter discover her love for Duolingo-based language learning, however, you bet he would download and use the app, if only to keep her happy and connect with her (he would, however, be equally happy if you were to compete with her in the challenges in his stead—in fact, he would only adore you more for doing so). If your native language isn’t English, the first thing he would ask you to teach him are swearwords, if nothing else, so he can annoy his fellow operators even more effectively. If things get serious between the two of you, however, he will be more than eager to learn other things as well from you.

Tachanka: Would use the app to learn a few bits in your language as an icebreaker and to surprise you & show you how much he cares about you. Flirty and straightforward as he is, he would then quickly graduate to asking you for some one-on-one conversation training sessions, offering to teach you basic Russian (or flirting/swearwords, depending on how you roll). Should you decide to learn Russian, he will be all over you whenever you use your newly acquired, meager language skills on him — he will be incredibly happy and proud of you. In fact, he might get a little too excited and unintentionally embarrass you a little by boasting about your “skills” to his fellow Spetsnaz members, putting you on the spot when they subsequently demand a first-hand demonstration. He’s quick to pick up on the naughtiest, most suggestive expressions in your native language and will make good use of them behind closed doors with absolutely zero shame, causing your blood to flow to your face (as well as other places) whenever he does so.

Thatcher: Was most definitely pressured into getting the app by someone else on his team and only begrudgingly agreed to use it under the condition that that person would also set everything up for him. He will quickly get annoyed by it and delete it after Duo keeps counting typos he didn’t bother to correct as mistakes, subsequently providing you with ample opportunity to expand your vocabulary of British swearing. If English isn’t your native language, he would try to learn some phrases from your first language for you. He’s very serious about it and somehow selects rather lyrical source materials for this endeavor—on occasion he sounds like an old-timey gentleman plucked straight from a romance novel, causing a blush to appear on your cheeks every time he talks to you like that.

Thermite: Another one who would probably see Duolingo as a kind of dating app with extra steps. Would repeatedly come to you under the pretense of asking you how certain features of the app work, etc., just so he has an excuse to stay close to you. If you’re in an established relationship, he will ask you for a kiss for every exercise he gets right whenever he’s actually using it to practice. Will make an effort to remember the most random sample phrases to repeat them back to his fellow operators in their native language and think he’s hilarious for doing so. If you’re the type of person that gets discouraged whenever you accidentally miss a day, causing your streak to break (the type of person he is), he will briefly log into your account and do a quick and easy exercise just to keep your streak going when he sees you haven’t logged into the app after you’ve already gone to bed. Will also really work with the random, basic phrases he’s learned in your language so far to impress you or at least make you laugh.

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thank you for reading! <3  these were very fun to do! If you are missing a specific operator, I didn’t spontaneously have a scenario of them pop into my mind, but you are free to request them.

Next post (in a few days) will be less shitpost-y (I hope, lol)~!