#yeah i think others and myself knew this design appealed to me hardcore

[kerocola]

The Seal (Little Witch Nobeta)

[antagonistchan]

really long post sorry lol but i have so many thoughts about this that i so desperately need to get out

Something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately: Cheating in Transformers.

For some backstory; I’ve vaguely known about Transformers as long as I can remember (I had a bunch of Armada minicons as a little kid, and my Dad liked G1 when he was a kid and told me about it a couple times (and eventually I inherited his old toys)). And then I really got into Transformers myself in 2006 when I was 8 years old, when I started watching Transformers: Cybertron (which was already over halfway done at that point, oops, but still). And then I got REALLY into Transformers myself in 2008, when I truly discovered the Transformers fandom (I discovered tfwiki, and I discovered a couple Transformers youtubers who I actually still follow today, and I realized that I wanted to start collecting Transformers...); ever since then, I’ve been a hardcore Transformers fan. Transformers has consistently been at least one of my biggest fandoms this whole time. And most of the time it’s my absolute biggest, I’ve just had a couple phases here and there of thinking “maybe I care about this other thing just as much as if not more than Transformers” (most notably during my Vocaloid phase from 2015-2018). My favorite video game of all time is the Mass Effect trilogy, and a couple weeks ago I was thinking “there’s probably nothing that could ever top Mass Effect as my all-time favorite game” and then a week later I realized “Actually, no, there’s one thing that could potentially push Mass Effect aside, and that would be my dream Transformers game”.

So, I'm currently 23, I got into Transformers when I was 8, and I’ve been a hardcore fan since I was ten. More than half of my life. Way more than half of my conscious life since the first few years don’t really count.

So, with that context in mind, returning to the point of this post: Cheating.

I don’t like it when Transformers cheat. The robot mode and the altmode are extremely important to me, but ultimately, the most important part of a Transformer is the transformation between the two itself. And when it’s cheating, I feel a little... well, cheated.

Point 1: Bayverse. When I first saw the Bayverse designs, I was immediately put off because I knew that those designs couldn’t translate into toys without cheating. The only toys that even remotely approach movie-accurate transformations are Masterpieces and old Leader-class toys, and even then it’s not fully there. So like, the Bayverse designs feel like they’re missing the point of Transformers. And remember, I was a kid back then. I’m not saying I was a super mature kid or anything; rather, I was put off because of my childlike priorities. I wanted a toy that didn’t lie to me.

The Bumblebee-style designs are a step in the right direction; the characters are all actually recognizable as themselves now. But the whole design philosophy is still wildly out of scale with what’s actually possible in a toy. And god, as I get older, the more and more I do actually understand the appeal of the Bayverse design philosophy. It is a really cool and creative and interesting design philosophy. But it’s a good design philosophy for a movie, NOT for a toy. So even though I actually appreciate the Bayverse style now, it still stings that it doesn’t really understand toys, and the only Bayverse-style toys I’d ever be willing to buy are the insanely expensive ones.

(Also, it’ll always sting at least re: non-Bumblebee designs that the most high-profile part of the brand for so long was one of the least representative, and was so radically different from everything else. To a lot of people, Bayverse is Transformers. If those people are hardcore fans... I don’t mind too much that Bayverse defined Transformers for them. I can’t fully relate, but I do relate a little (these movies have been around and huge for more than half of my life, I definitely have some nostalgia for them), and they clearly have a lot of love for it and that largely placates me. But the fact that Bayverse also defined Transformers to a lot of casual consumers- THAT makes me wildly uncomfortable)

I had a similar initial reaction to Animated’s designs, but then Animated’s designs actually won me over because the designers used some sort of blood magic to make the toys actually work. The toys actually transform the way they do in the show! Incredible! And even at reasonable prices, and looking good in both modes (at worst, there’s some minor kibble and visible robot bits)! They actually did understand the point of Transformers, and I feel ashamed for having ever doubted them! Animated is actually one of the highest points of Transformers, both in media and in the toys! God, I love Animated!

Point 2: Speaking of Animated, we gotta talk about Wreck-Gar.

And by “We gotta talk about Wreck-Gar”, I mean “Wreck-Gar is actually perfectly fine and everyone’s way too harsh on him”. Animated Wreck-Gar is one of the most infamous backpack-formers, and backpack-forming is one of the most infamous methods of cheating.... but honestly, with Wreck-Gar, it doesn’t feel like cheating at all.

Yeah, he’s got most of a dump truck hanging off his back... but it feels like that’s the point. A dump truck is already just a cargo delivery system, so with Wreck-Gar, it just feels like the robot is still just a cargo delivery system. He doesn’t have a backpack because he’s poorly-designed, he has a backpack because he has a backpack.

That’s not to say the backpack-forming doesn’t have any issues. It does still create two problems- that is, it restricts his waist articulation and gives him balance issues. Those are both unfortunate. But it’s not cheating.

Kibble doesn’t feel like cheating if it feels like it’s supposed to be there.

Point 3: Fake kibble.

CHUG toys like to cheat a lot, especially lately.

For instance, PotP Punch/Counterpunch. Counterpunch’s chest is not the actual windows; the real windows are in his feet and slot over Counterpunch’s chest.

This is... kinda clever. It’s still cheating, but the fake thing is just hidden inside the real one, so everything’s kinda in the same place.

But again, it is still cheating, and I feel like cheating misses the point for me.

In this case, they’re clearly cheating because it makes the two modes look better. And they’re right. If the altmode used Counterpunch’s real chest, it’d be too small; and if Counterpunch used the altmode’s real windows, it’d be too big. I get it. But I just don’t think that’s worth the cheating.

But much like actual kibble, sometimes fake kibble doesn’t feel like cheating.

Optimus Prime has had many many toys with fake cheating over the years, because they’ve experimented with so many ways for him to transform but like to keep his design mostly intact (hell, that’s part of why they’ve experimented so much- Floro Dery’s take on his design is really hard to replicate in a toy). And they have varying levels of “does this feel like cheating”.

Classics Voyager Optimus Prime is cool, but his fake kibble is absolutely cheating.

Powermaster Prime doesn’t feel like cheating at all to me. Part of that is because in the Masterforce anime (which I saw before I’d even seen the toy), they don’t hide how he actually transforms in the slightest. They show him transforming, and he transforms like the toy. There, it feels like they just wanted him to transform different, but wanted to keep the iconic details, rather than making him transform different for the sake of the iconic details.

Earthrise Optimus Prime’s fake kibble is mostly cheating, but the way it cheats is actually so interesting that, if I force myself to think of it the way I think of Powermaster Prime- pretend that it admits it transforms funny- I can actually accept it as somewhat not cheating.

But there’s one Optimus Prime that doesn’t use fake kibble at all and still ends up with a Floro Dery-accurate robot mode. I really love the way this Optimus Prime transforms.

It just fucking sucks that this Optimus Prime’s vehicle mode is so bad that even I- who prioritizes the transformation above the vehicle mode- am willing to say “Wow, this toy is garbage”.

I’m speaking of Classics Deluxe Optimus Prime. The robot mode isn’t as good as Earthrise’s, but it was good at the time, and god, that transformation is absolutely beautiful. But jesus, that vehicle mode is ugly as shit. I really wish they’d give Classics Deluxe’s general design another go, have an Optimus that transforms just about the same way but doesn’t have the worst fucking vehicle mode of all time.

Point 4: Partsforming.

I don’t usually like partsforming. I have a hard time accepting Earthrise Cliffjumper even though it’s mostly very good because the partsforming is so much.

But sometimes- and I think you might be noticing a pattern after the kibble and fake kibble bits- partsforming doesn’t feel like cheating for me.

Partsforming typically feels right when it actually gets so egregious that it loops back around to being Really Good, Actually.

For instance, RiD01 Ultra Magnus. His entire vehicle mode basically splits in half, and one half becomes his legs while the other half becomes everything else. The fact that he has to split in half so dramatically and then recombine equally dramatically makes it feel like an inventive and unique transformation instead of a cheat.

[greatdrams]

The Story Behind My Book The GreatDrams of Scotland

With The GreatDrams of Scotland, my inaugural book, having finally been released, I have collated a bunch of answers that I have been asked about the journey to getting published, the pride of having written something that hopefully thousands of whisky lovers and learners the world over will enjoy and what’s next. I felt it only fitting that as well as these answers being published into magazines, newspapers and websites all over the place, that you, my faithful and loyal GreatDrams readers should get to read a bit more about the journey too.

The GreatDrams of Scotland is available to order now on Amazon, Waterstones and GreatDrams at this link:

[embed]http://ift.tt/2imSkak]

How long have you been interested in whisky?

Since I was about 19, my father had just passed away and I knew he enjoyed the stuff so I set about discovering what I could about the drink and trying to find what flavour profile worked for me; he was very much a Bell’s, Johnnie Walker Black and Teacher’s drinker; I wanted to see what else was out there… but even now I still come back to a couple of his favourites from time to time.

What is it about Scotch in particular that appeals to you?

The people, the diversity of flavour and the legend around the drink; what other drink has so much storytelling and chat around it? I think you’d find it pretty hard to match whisky’s prowess in myth, legend and passion. The people are extraordinary; I used to work with design agencies on FMCG brands in the homeware, personal care and soft drinks categories… all owned by mega brands, and even the brands in whisky owned by the ‘big guys’ are still operated, produced, marketed and sold with a passion that smashes other categories out of the park.

Are you a fan of whisky books?

Love them, I have tonnes of them at home - from the hardcore technical side of things to the beautiful photography books and the light reading ones. There is something special about them that capture a moment, a way of thinking and a selection of the best products at that specific time.

How did you want your book to differ from others?

I just want it to be enjoyed; it is not a tome to mark the nth degree of detail, neither is it so light-hearted it is flippant, it is something very personal to me as it collates my tales of enjoyment through understanding whisky and making pilgrimages to the various distilleries, and the brands that have made this spirit so great and so loved the world over.

Can you remember where you were /what you were doing at the moment you decided you wanted to write a book?

I’ve wanted to do it for ages, was actually the 18th September 2014, I sat on the black Chesterfield in my old office and sketched out the look and feel I wanted for the book on Post-Its, then the rough chapter outline and what I wanted to achieve with it… then I mapped it out, but it was about a year later that I started writing properly, and was in the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in London with some hearty single cask whiskies to kick start the creativity.

Are people as important as the liquid when it comes to whisky?

Massively; more in some cases as it is their passion that enables you to feel a dram, feel the sense of place, the provenance, the work, the longevity behind the process that you cannot just get from the liquid, the packaging or the website.

Is the published book the same as you originally to set out to write, or did you change your mind along the way?

Pretty much, although I originally had lofty thoughts and desires to cover all the distilleries in Scotland, then realised pretty sharpish that that was going to be way too much to keep the momentum, energy and attention of both myself and the reader going, so I selected a few brands and distilleries that meant a lot to me.  And this way I might do a second edition with all new distilleries and brands… you never know.

Would you ever want to make whisky yourself?

I have considered it several times, I own a few casks now and yeah am tempted to make the stuff, but the investment is incredible, and would mean not being able to do that I do now so I would prefer to JV or bottle some whiskies independently… watch this space…

How did you choose which brands to feature?

They have all either touched me through their storytelling, their people or I have had a genuine moment with them that has left a mark and reminded me why I love what I do and why I love this great drink.

How long from start to finish did it take to write and publish the book?

Hmmm, from first word to being in print it was about two years… the writing side was around six months of that though! Working with the publisher, RedDoor, and designing the book took much longer than anticipated, but for the right reasons. I’m incredibly proud of this piece of work and hope others enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it.

What feedback did you receive from other whisky professionals and influencers while writing the book?

Mostly that it was a great thing to do and that it sounded like a great concept … which was nice, and kept me going!

How would you describe the written style of the book?

The stories are my experiences with, and interpretations of the brands’ hard work in creating amazing drinks for people the world over to enjoy so telling the stories honestly, hopefully interestingly and with some level of authority is what I was aiming for.

Are visuals a crucial aspect for your readers?

Definitely, they create that sense of place that I cannot do unless in front of people actually reading the book to them, each should tell a tale in its own right and aid understanding.

What was your travel schedule like?

Mental, in a word. In 2015 I visited 33 distilleries, 2016 I saw 28 I think, and thus far in 2017 (at time of writing, September) I’m up to 24 for the year, despite a two-month ‘grounding’ around my son’s due date and the weeks after Archie’s arrival, this year I have spent an average of two days per week travelling to distilleries and meetings for both writing missions and to see my consulting clients… busy times, and I would not have it any other way. I’m actually typing this at 30-thousand feet on my way to Toronto for the launch of the new Glenfiddich Experimental Batch #3, all about using otherwise ‘dead time’ to be productive… on this flight alone I have this to write / compile, two other articles to draft and fifteen YouTube videos, and to build propositions for two new NPD launches going into production in 2018 / 2019… it is NEVER dull at GreatDrams.

How challenging is it to write a book?

It had its moments; I find writing very therapeutic, but I have to be in the right headspace, and not have deadlines or the consulting side of the business on my mind… Per above, I actually wrote most of the book on trains and in the air (on planes) as they are the only real places I have no distractions from the vibrant world of the GreatDrams social media channels.

What is the most fun part of writing a book?

Speaking to the people behind some of my favourite whiskies, and visiting the places they are made too… that and hitting word count targets! When the word count, proofed, fact check spreadsheet showed all green cells indicating they were done and sorted, that was a nice feeling… then came editing, design, bottle shots, cover design and of course the nervous, yet super-exciting moment when I green-lit the printing process. Yikes.

Are all the whiskies in your book on your blog?

Nope, and that’s the beauty of it, it is a hybrid; many of the brands are covered on the site, but quite a few are ones I’ve not had the chance to spend time with before so this gave me the chance to get intimate with them in a different context.

Why did you want to go offline to write a book when your blog is such a successful award-winner?

To appeal to a different audience, to also be able to say ‘I did that’, and also to have created something physical from scratch, a real product, something I’ve wanted to do for years. Articles, PDFs and digital files only give you so much satisfaction after a while…

What is your next project going to look like and will there be another whisky book?

Yep! About 65% of the next book is written… and various other things I cannot talk about, but all very exciting (but I would say that, I try not to work on boring things). Oh and I have a limited edition whisky out too:

[embed]http://ift.tt/2imdwxh]

The GreatDrams of Scotland is available to order now on Amazon, Waterstones and GreatDrams at this link:

[embed]http://ift.tt/2imSkak]

[gallery type="rectangular" ids="27518,27519,27520,27521"]

The post The Story Behind My Book The GreatDrams of Scotland appeared first on GreatDrams.

from GreatDrams http://ift.tt/2gTviYd Greg

[moonshroooms]

RIPS SHIRT OFF TALK TO ME ABOUT VIDEO GAMES

1: Do you try to stay away from walkthroughs?

On a playthrough stand point, absolutely (unless I’ve been so stuck that I’m ready to throw my controller, which doesn’t happen that often. I always feel dumber afterwards though >_<). But I like to watch let’s plays and I got like, through the entirety of all the Bioshock games and halfway through Ni no Kuni before I was like ‘u know what I’m getting a ps3 and playing them  myself’

2: Company you're always loyal to?

Midna, all of my Pikmin. Uhh. Saadia. I haven’t played a lot of games where you gotta choose one side or the other XD

3: Best game you've ever played?

Zelda series, Pikmin series, Okami, Journey. 

I have a lot of favorites bite me.

4: Worst game you've ever played?

I had the one of the Spyro trilogies on my ds and oooohmygooood it is absolutely horrid. The controls and graphics are bad enough. I had absolutely no idea what was going on. The other one was called like Slime or something and you played a prince with like, fairy/monster characters who could spray ice and water, and slime and vomit, to work your way through the levels. Yeah. Vomit. Yum. Controls were disgusting it literally made me cry as a child.

5: A popular series/game you just can't get into no matter how much you try?

Probably any MMORPG (if that counts). They’re fun with friends, but if my friends aren’t there it’s like. No thanks. And most modern shooter where it’s like, an army setting and all you do is shoot people and nothing else. bishockdoesn’tcountonlycauseitsnotrealisticandalsonotinanarmysetingsotakethat alsoigetbirdpowers alsoletsbehonestthatstoryiscraycray #excuses

6: A game that's changed you the most?

The ending of Okami hit me pretty hard about helping God (or the gods), out every once in a while. Made me cry pretty hard when I was younger.

And Journey just. Journey just makes you feel things man. When I first played through it I had no internet and was completely alone, and I was just so heartbroken when it was over. I wasn’t ready for it to be gone. The second time I played I had an internet connection and I actually found someone to stick with me through most of the game and honestly, the end of the game was different in that moment. I wasn’t sad or lonely. When we walked into the light there was a sense of excitement for the next time, and while this journey was over and we’d miss it, I was so excited for the next time around with someone new.

7: A game you'll never forget?

Undertale. I didn’t think a game that took such a short time to finish could chokehold my heart like that. Sure the gameplay wasn’t much to sneeze at (though it could get difficult at times), but gosh dang. I don’t understand people when they say something is over-rated sometimes. Yes, Undertale fans went absolutely rabid (and I only played the game after like half a year when they hype had died down a smidge), but there’s a reason for that sometimes, you know? It left an impact. It made us feel things or made us think. And if a story can stir absolutely fanatic emotions in just one person, let alone enough people to be absolutely annoying, then there must be something that made it good, right? Maybe not everything in it is amazing, or will appeal to everyone, but there’s something there. There was something of substance, something we latched onto and couldn’t let go, even if it’s a dumb reason. So yeah. Undertale’s certainly I would never forget, and recommend anyone to at least try. Cast aside at the annoyance of the fandom, they’re just the dust surrounding the impact, and see if there’s something in there that you might find interesting - you never know.

8: Best soundtrack?

Zelda, Journey, Okami, Mario Galaxy. I’m sensing a pattern here.

9: A game you turn your volume off every time you play it?

Brodudes and dudebros. WHO TURNS THE VOLUME COMPLETELY OFF HOW BAD IS THE MUSIC?

I do dislike the title music from Age of Empires 3. It’s honestly horrid.

10: A game you've completely given up on?

That slime game from when I was younger. And Amnesia, a dating sim my friend told me to get since there was a sale on steam that made that made it cheaper than a candy bar. I just. My god do all dating sims give you one choice every hour after 10 years of dialogue?? And then make half the decisions for you? The girl in amnesia was so infuriating and dumb as a brick. And everyone was basically just ranting to a wall and didn’t find it odd that she says like 2 words every couple hours. She doesn’t even say anything half the time it’s soooo boringggggg. If you’re gonna give me someone to pretend to be at least give them more options even Link has more personality AND speech options than that.

11: Hardest game you've played?

Uh, uh. Civilization? Mario Galaxy? I’ve never played civilization on a very high setting honestly (I don’t even think I’ve played the default difficulty). I just get too annoyed when Barbarians are there constantly sending invaders. Why isn’t there a setting to have just the wildlife barbarians and then I’ll deal with my computer competitors afterwards? And Mario Galaxy isn’t hard, I’m just lazy and haven’t gotten all the stars.

12: Shortest time you've beaten a game in?

Journey in just a few short hours.

13: A game you were the most excited for when it wasn't released yet?

Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I haven’t been that excited for a game since I was a little kid. Honestly, I don’t know what made the hype about this game so different. I was so giddy and euphoric when I finally got it. 

14: A game you think would be cool if it had voice acting?

I don’t really think I care to have voice acting in any of my games that don’t. Pokemon Sun and Moon, I guess? Not really a deal-breaker.

15: Which two games do you think would make an awesome crossover?

Zelda, Okami. Let’s be honest they’re pretty similarly structured games. I want Wolf Link and Ammy to be on an unstoppable team!

16: Character you've hated most? From what game?

Oh god. I hate Wario from Smash Bros. He’s just. So ugly. I hate his design. And I know that’s the point, but that doesn’t mean he’s still not ugly. And HE JUST HAS FART JOKES FOR NO REASON. TOILET HUMOR, like any other humor, IS FUNNY IF YOU HAVE A JOKE AND NOT IN AND OF ITSELF.

And Louie from Pikmin just grinds my gears. He’s so shady man I want to just leave him on an abandoned, Pikmin-less planet to die.

And Lubba from Mario Galaxy 2. I just hate the fact that he exists. Him AND his stupid hub-world.

17: What game do you never tell people you play?

#noshameonlygame

18: A game you wish your friends knew about?

MMM, Journey. I finally got my one friend to play it and he liked it A+, but my other friend hasn’t even considered it and I desperately want her to.

19: Which game do you think deserves a revival?

The Spyro Trilogy. I’m probably one out of a bunch o’ people that really like the Spyro trilogy (she says, as she’s only actually played Dawn of the Dragon). But I really liked the story and the feel of the game. I have played the actual first Spyro game when I was little, in like hotels and stuff, and it was alright. I’m not much of a collect-a-thon type of gamer. 

20: What was the first video game you ever played?

When I was little I played this alien shooting game with my dad. I can’t for the life of me remember what it’s called though. I think it might’ve been on X-box or something. It was pixally and 3D in the Doom sense of 3D. The camera was always fixed to whatever it felt like at the time. So like, the first level was propped up like a side-scroller (though there was still 3d space), but down the line it might go sort of top down or directly behind the character. It was actually a co-op, with the only second character being a girl who I always played (props for such an old game having a female protagonist). There were different guns, and some power-ups and such. It was probably a liiittle violent to consider it okay for a 5-year-old, but I really liked it, and I’m not a psychopath that craves the taste of bullets.

21: How old were you when you first played a video game?

5

22: If you could immerse yourself in any game for one day, which game would it be? What would you do?

Zelda, Okami, Journey. Screw around with my new superpowers, save the world.

23: Biggest disappointment you've had in gaming?

Super Mario Galaxy 2′s hubworld. It’s so flipping boring and compact and also ugly. And you just get a linear track-path for getting to new galaxies. I miss the sprawling space station and Rosalina’s lovely face.

Spore’s space and civilization stage. Keeping in mind I went into Spore with no expectations. I didn’t know who created it or anything like that. I like the first 3 stages of Spore a whole bunch, but the civilization stage was boring and the space stage was big and boring. It’s just the same thing over and over again in slightly different colors. And the Grox are annoying as all get-out.

Breath of the Wild’s story, lack of a companion, and dungeons. And like one or two tiny things.

24: Casual, Hardcore, or in the middle?

The lovechild between hardcore and in the middle.

25: Be honest; have you ever used cheats (like ActionReplay or Gameshark)?

Like cheats where you can get into the inner-workings of the game? Heck naw dawg. I’ve certainly used cheats that were already in the game, like with Sims or Skyrim, but I try to refrain from that since it tends to ruin the game. I have a really bad habit of cheating in Civilization though and I just can’t break it! >^<

26: Handheld or console?

Switch ;D

But, like, not the actual Switch

27: Has there ever been a moment that has made you cry?

Yes because I’m a big doofus. End of Okami, end of Journey, end of Kingdom Hearts, end of Spyro Dawn of the Dragon, end of LIKE ALMOST EVERY ZELDA GAME, end of Undertale, end of Bioshock 1 & 3, end of Life is Strange, end of Ni no Kuni, and probably a billion moments in between.

28: Which character's clothes do you wish you owned the most?

Every single Gerudo. Also the Journey robes!

29: Which is more important, gameplay or story?

Story, but it’s not that I don’t think gameplay isn’t important. I guess it depends on the kind of game you’re going for, but I tend to lean towards story. 

I play Smash Bros, which is almost exclusively gameplay and it’s one of my favorite games. But without friends there’s nothing for me to go back to.

I also like Life is Strange, but after seeing every option and knowing all the shocking twists and turns, there’s not much for me to go back to either since it’s exclusively story and there’s nothing else really fun to do.

That’s why I tend to drift towards games like Zelda and Okami or Skyrim and Pikmin. 

With a game like Zelda or Okami I feel like it’s 60% story and 40% gameplay. Pikmin is more 70% gameplay and 30% story. Skyrim is pretty 50/50, since it depends on the player how story-oriented the game will be.

Either way, I tend to like games that lean just a bit more towards story. Story is something keeps me thinking about the game even after I turned it off and lets me connect with the poor sap I’m piloting. Gameplay keeps me entertained even as I revisit old stories, and sometimes it’s specifically what I go back for.

30: A game that hasn't been localized in your country that you think should be localized?

Mother 3 - but not because I want to play Mother 3 or have even played or watched any of the Mother/Earthbound games - but because I don’t have a game I want localized and I want people to have their Mother 3 so they can stop being sad about it.