#anyway me personally ive played the game in its entirety up to the true ending and i think its good | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

paladin-andric · 5 years

Text

An Even Game

Hey, everyone! After finishing Blackheart I had a few ideas for some shorts, so I think I’ll be posting some! This one’s about a bunch of mercenaries taking some time off to play some rather elaborate games...

Sofia’s entrance into the company hall was far from silent, but with the boisterous shouts coming from the table, it might as well have been.

None of the group of five could hear her coming as they laughed and complained, the sound of rolling dice and shuffling paper being heard.

“It’s nonsense is what it is!”

“You’re just mad you’re losing!”

“Hey, I’m only losing ‘cause you stacked the game, you rat!”

The woman was a member of the Drakebloods, a mercenary company that had been successful enough to found their own hall. While small, as the company was, it was a pretty massive achievement for them.

It appeared several of the members were using their downtime to play games at the hall, all of them crowded around the round, wooden table and sat in cheap wooden chairs.

Sofia, a soldier within the company, chucked her things onto an empty table as she made her way to the end of game room. Ahead of her they sat, a massive map, a mess of cards and papers, and dice and miniature figurines taking up the entirety of the table.

“Hey boys,” she said casually, most of them turning to look at her.

“Oh, hey Sofia!” David answered, a notable chipperness in his voice.

David was one of three humans at the table, the others being Michael and Emanuel. The fourth member of the group was a koutu, one Sofia knew very well as Con. Though his true name was Conchobhar, enough of the company called him by the simpler nickname that he was now known by both.

The final man at the table was a saalik, one of the lizards from the desert kingdom across the seas. He was Bahim, one of the largest and most intimidating warriors in the whole company. His great size, plainly apparent strength, and frightening reptilian visage did little to show his true nature.

Emanuel smiled at her. “Hey, wanna join? We’re short a player!”

“Pona Federation’s still not taken,” Michael added, sounding a touch irritated.

“Uhh, actually I’d just like to watch, thanks,” Sofia answered, hands on her hips.

“Come on!” David said, trying to egg her on.

“We’d love if you joined us!” Conchobhar said cheerfully, clutching onto a slip of paper.

“Really, thanks but I don’t want to. I don’t even know what you’re playing.”

“We could teach you,” David said softly, a playful grin on his face.

“That’d take ages.” Michael’s voice was low and carried frustration in it. “This game’s already an hour in and we’ve barely done anything. Can we get a move on?”

“Hey...if she doesn’t want to play, we shouldn’t make her,” Bahim’s voice was quiet and meek, as it usually was. Quite a mismatch for the brutish-looking warrior.

“Tsk, whatever,” David said with a roll of his eyes, “If you say so…”

Sofia pulled a chair from another table and joined them, leaning over the massive map and piles of papers. “What in the world is this game, anyway? What needs THIS much work to play?”

“Deacan Kings!” Conchobhar said excitedly.

“Deacan Kings…?”

“You mean to tell me you’ve never played it?” Emmanuel asked, his tanned face staring at her in confusion.

She shook her head. “Never heard of it.”

“Wow…I thought everyone in the whole damn company played this at least once,” David mused.

“Not me. What IS it, anyway?”

“Deacan Kings is like playing history!” Conchobhar cried. “Err...well, like playing how history could have been, anyway. You pick a nation and try to manage your kingdom, and build up the administration, deal with court intrigue, and conduct politics with other plays, forge alliances, scheme, and try to conquer all of Deaco! It’s wonderful!”

Sofia crossed her arms and frowned. “Manage politics and administration? Sounds complicated.”

“Oh, it is!” Bahim said, a sort of shy happiness dancing on his face. “B-but it’s really fun! Once you learn everything, there’s just so much you can do! There’s so many different paths for you to take your nation! There’s dozens of laws you can change your stance on, and nation get their own bonuses, and your ruler gets personality traits that change things and limit what you can do, and how the game goes…” The large lizard stared off into the distance, lost in his joyful recollection of the rules like a child telling his parents about his favorite play.

“Hey, speaking of ruler traits…” David tapped the map. “Turn 20. Time for everyone to get one.”

The group all grabbed for a stack of notes in the corner, each taking one off the top one by one. As they looked at what trait their ruler now had, varying reactions came from all over the table.

“Oooh, I got workhorse!” Conchobhar said excitedly, “Yes!”

“Ah, whatever,” Michael said angrily, tossing his card to the table.

“What, what'd ya get?” David asked.

“Soft-hearted.”

“Hey, that’s not bad at all!” Conchobhar said, “That’s amazing for the endgame!”

“Yeah...for when you have a massive empire,” the irritated human said, “I’ve got two regions, man. TWO. All cause David’s mad that I’m better than him.”

“Aww, what are you talking about? I thought you were GOOD at this game!” David laughed mockingly.

“Literally no one plays the kobold tribes, you ass. They get annexed by turn three, tops.”

“Michael’s the best Deacan Kings player, basically ever,” Conchobhar explained to Sofia in a low whisper, “Whoops everyone here every time we play. David complained so now he’s handicapped.”

The woman nodded, now understanding why Michael seemed so annoyed. He was too good to play with, so they had given him a nation so outgunned it would be hopeless to win in most other players’ hands.

“Oh, and soft-hearted boosts happiness and lowers unrest in every region,” the birdman added, “Pretty amazing when you’ve got dozens of places to keep under control.”

The woman nodded, becoming more interested in the game. “I see…God, this is complicated. Interesting, though...”

“And yet here you are at turn 20. I don’t see what you’re complaining about…” David was grinning like mad.

“Cause you’re BAD,” Michael said, flashing a grin of his own, “Five thousand tribal warriors, and you just can’t stamp me out.”

“Tsk. You got lucky!”

“Nope. Learn about terrain and maybe your massive army could beat a couple of kobolds with sticks,” he shot back.

“I’m gonna kick your ass!” David shouted, “Just wait til ya-”

The man’s eyes went wide as he stared down at his card, his mouth freezing in place.

“Oooh, I think he got something good,” Emmanuel said, looking over at the other man.

“What? What did you get?” Conchobhar asked, trying to peek over his card.

“...GENIUS!” David announced triumphantly, “King Bohem is now a genius!”

“Horseshit,” Michael grumbled. The others all chattered in excitement as he tapped the table, deep in thought.

“That’s a good trait, I’m guessing.” Sofia said, the others turning to look at her.

“Are you kidding?! It’s the best trait in the whole game!” David answered, still ecstatic.

“It lowers civil unrest, boosts tax and trade revenue, increases your military command, gives a nationwide boost to prosperity, and makes you able to change laws three times as fast!” Conchobar explained giddily.

“I haven’t seen anyone get genius in a long time,” Emmanuel said quietly, “Speaking of which...I’ve got agriculturalist now.”

“Aww, come on!” Michael complained, “Did EVERYONE but me get a good trait?!”

“Soft-hearted’s a good trait, just-”

“Just not for the current situation, yeah yeah yeah,” the increasingly frustrated man cut Conchobhar off, “I know.”

“A true ruler serves the people,” the koutu said with a sly grin.

“Chieftain Stonebark giving his slaves hugs doesn’t really matter when they’re all about to die, does it?” Michael said with a roll of his eyes.

“...ah.” Bahim’s eyes rose from his card, a sullen expression on his muzzle. “Err...cheer up, Michael. Stonebark’s got it better than the Sultan.”

“Oh dear. Get one of the negative traits?” the man replied.

“Ahaha...you know how David got the best trait in the game?” the large lizard smiled sheepishly. “Err...Sultan Venhim is now...insane.”

There was a brief pause, the entire room bathed in oppressive silence for a moment...before everyone erupted into laughter.

Sofia watched them all lose it, confused by their reactions.

“O-oh, God!” David slapped his thigh. “Oh, WOW!”

“Rest in peace, Abinsil,” Emmanuel said, trying not to laugh.

“Oh dear...that just leaves the kobold tribes as allies to the Koutu Kingdom,” Conchobhar said with a notable amount of worry.

“Tsk...sounds like I might need to sail down there and take a few regions, Bahim,” Emmanuel said.

“W-what?! Aww, come on!”

“Hey, my back’s been against the wall this whole game! I’ve gotta do what I’ve gotta do,” the human answered back.

Michael’s anger seemed to have evaporated. “Huh. I guess things really could be worse…”

“Uhh...why are you all talking like he’s just out of the game?” Sofia asked, “Is it really that bad?”

“Yes, and he basically is,” Conchobhar answered.

“Insane makes you roll the dice at the start of every one of your turns,” Michael explained, “If you roll lower than 20, every one of your actions, changing laws, moving troops, diplomacy and troop movements...is decided randomly by rolling to see what happens.”

“Insane rulers basically flail about doing nothing until their entire nation is wiped out, since they can’t even move their troops to defend or attack anything,” Emmanuel added.

“That sounds...really, really dumb and unfair,” Sofia said, rubbing her chin.

“Yeah, but it makes civil unrest skyrocket too.” Conchobhar flashed a scrap of paper with lists of names and traits. “If they survive long enough there should be a civil war, and since the player usually can’t respond in any way they’re beaten and overthrown quickly...not that anyone should TRY to keep an insane king in power! Once they roll for their new monarch they can start playing again.”

“Ugh...PLEASE don’t invade me,” Bahim whined, “I don’t wanna get kicked out now!”

“I don’t know…” David gave the lizard a predatory grin. “You’ve been developing your regions SO well. They’re so rich…”

“Aww, come on! Don’t! Pleeeaaase?”

“Hmm...I’ll send you a marriage proposal!” Conchobhar announced, “Then we can form an alliance and I’ll take the heat off of you!”

“R-really?! Wow, thanks!”

“Don’t thank him yet, your loony king still has to roll to accept,” Michael noted.

“I’ll just keep trying til we succeed!” the koutu said happily, “Then I can deploy in your regions!”

“Hey, now everyone’s in a coalition against me!” David cried, “No fair!”

“Hey, you’re the one who picked the overpowered nation,” Michael said with a grin, “It’s only natural.”

“Bah! I’ll just deploy dragons against you all!”

“Once my capital gets to the next prosperity level I can summon dragons too,” Michael said, “You’d better watch out…”

“Argh! I won’t let you live that long! I’m attacking you!”

Michael shifted miniatures as David did the same, the two of them moving their “soldiers” into lines across their borders.

“Better hope that this doesn’t end up like the last assault…” the kobold player said with a grin.

“Whatever!” is all David, the Geralthin player managed in response, grabbing a sheet of paper. “Pah...forty to one, you see that?! You’re hopelessly outnumbered.”

“Than it’s an even game.”

Sofia leaned back as she watched them all go, everyone shouting encouragements and playful insults as the two players prepared for battle.

Perhaps I should learn how to play, too…

Tag list: @thereisnothingwrongwithbeingmad, @lady-redshield-writes, @paper-shield-and-wooden-sword, @sheralynnramsey, @tawnywrites, @writer-on-time, @oceanwriter, @zwergis-spilledink, @fluffpiggy, @elliewritesfantasy, @homesteadhorner, @laurenwastestimewriting, @elaynab-writing, @the-ichor-of-ruination, @disheveledcorvid-deactivated201, @reya-writes, @bexminx

5 notes · View notes

udonthreens · 6 years

Note

What are your thoughts on Steins;Gate

MANY, DANDY

YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW

HECK OK FINE I’LL TYPE SOME OUT,,

1) vn vs anime:the vn goes into more detail than the anime but as a result its a much bigger time investment. the anime is shorter, but that detail is lost.

i can’t speak entirely on this,, because a) i haven’t finished the original vn entirely (i got one ending) and b) s;g0′s anime has only just begun,, but as someone who watched the original anime first and then played the vn, it was an upgrade.

it takes a lot longer if you listen to the vn’s voice acting in it’s entirety (which i did bcs the voices big sexy) and it took a while to get through.... hence i,,, still haven’t finished it,, but the jokes they had to cut from the vn? the detail they went into with the science? seeing more of okabes thoughts? an upgrade. for sure.

now with zero,, ... i’d watched the original anime. i’d played the original vn. i loved them both. i had the oppourtunity to buy that game on release date, so of course i did. i wasn’t gonna wait,, nearly a year and a half for the anime to come out. i didn’t even know when it was gonna be back then!

so, as a result, i went into zero having 100%’d the vn (although i dont remember most of it). i went in with a reverse perspective,, nd the anime is a downgrade in terms of story. they have no choice but to cut stuff out,, a. heck. how long did it take me... 30 hour-50hour vn has to be compressed into an 8 hour anime. they have to cut stuff, or let the whole thing be massively rushed.

so im glad they cut stuff! you watch the anime bcs it takes less time, bcs u see them move,, you see them animated. but im inevitably gonna be comparing it to what was in the vn,, from the first episode alone,, the vn went into more detail.

i appreciate the scenes... well. scene, that the anime has added so far,, how they portrayed and added to what was in the vn whilst staying true to it,, but just because the first episode went well,, doesn’t guarantee the rest will.

s;g0 is less linear than the original vn, which makes adapting it harder. the original anime just adapted the true ending, cutting out the other ones. in s;g0, you have to get the previous endings to get the true one. i guess you could say it made better use of its vn format, but as a result, made it harder to adapt into an anime.

so even if they do manage to adapt it well,, i’m sure there’s gonna be a lot more they have to cut. and i’m worried that they’ll change things drastically in order to restructure it into a linear story.

OH and one more thing i remembered,, the s;g0 vn used sprites from the original. which,, would’ve been fine if they weren’t so blatantly different. i suspect ep1 used a scene from the original anime as well,, although i’m not sure... it was only a quick flashback anyway. but the same thing arises,, not only the outfits are different, but the characters themselves are drawn differently as well. okabe is the biggest example of this.

2) dubs vs subs

i don’t personally like dubs for several reasons. i prefer subs bcs of the voice acting, nd the fact its the original audio. and bcs im a weeb. but i’m glad they exist, bcs it makes anime available to a wider audience.

the s;g dub put me off mainly bcs of the way the names were pronounced. especially bcs, being #SubMasterRace, i watched the sub first, and inevitably ended up comparing the two. ive seen a little more of the dub now though,, so i’ll speak on it a little here.

whilst i enjoy the way the script has been rewritten, the voices in the dub portray the characters differently. kurisu nd okabe stand out the most (so far)-- in the sub, okabe is this over dramatic chuuni boy, but in the dub, he’s more serious. more articulate. he comes across as a dashing eccentric professor, instead of a chuuni mad scientist.

kurisu is,, well. less tsundere, basically. she comes across as someone who’s just annoyed/rude/standoffish in general, as opposed to being annoyed at okabe’s own rude demeanor. all tsun and no dere. more arrogant. she comes across as more reserved in the sub,, she gets snappy when she’s been riled up. she gets embarrassed nd blushu blushu sometimes.

the rest of the characters are portrayed differently as well but this is something id wanna look into more once id seen.. well, heard more of the dub. also im tired. too tired to reread this. my arms hurt. if this is confusing in some parts im sorry.

#steins;gate #steins;gate0 #answered #dandelionfluph

5 notes · View notes

auburnfamilynews · 4 years

Link

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

And how that applies to Auburn.

I. Thou shalt determine thine own Rivalry Hierarchy, and abide by it wholly.

This is important for any fan to define for themselves, and it’s perfectly acceptable to have it be different than other fans of your team. Were you born in Oklahoma and hate the Sooners, even though you moved away and went to Auburn? Perfectly fine. You should take care to incorporate your team’s standard rivals, though. No Rivalry Hierarchy is complete for an Auburn fan without at least Alabama and Georgia.

Personally, my hierarchy is as follows:

1. Georgia

2. Alabama

3. LSU/Florida

4. The rest of the SEC, including the office of the SEC.

II. Thou shalt have only one “primary rival”.

Inevitably, there will come a day when the two teams you hate most face off. It might even be for the conference or national title. This is when your pre-established Rivalry Hierarchy comes in handy. For me, January 8th, 2018 was a positive night, because despite the number two team in my hierarchy winning a title, the number one team was utterly embarrassed. For those of you who chose to abstain from the game in its entirety, you possibly missed out on one of the best moments of schadenfreude you’ll ever get.

Pick which team you love to hate the most, and be content with it.

III. Thou shalt not support an in-state rival “for the sake of the state”.

Don’t support Alabama just because you want to keep success in the state. Their success on the field in no way correlates to Auburn’s. That’s not to say it’s strictly forbidden to show any support for our blood brothers off I-20 (familial ties to a player, namely), but “it makes Alabama look better!” is an excuse used all too often. You just look like you’re hedging your fandom.

IV. Thou shalt not support an in-conference rival “for the sake of the conference”.

This is the same argument as above. Who cares if the SEC looks better because LSU won a title? Or because UGA thumped Baylor in a bowl game? Nobody at those schools (or the conference office) gives a rats ass if Auburn is doing well. Again, you’re just hedging.

And please, I beg you, kill the SEC chant.

V. Thou shalt have bragging rights based on the last outcome of competition.

VI. Remember rivalry week, to keep it pure.

Rivalry week is one of the best weeks of the year for college sports fans. Since rivals are usually geographic neighbors, large portions of the fan base are usually friends, school mates, coworkers, and family. This is especially true for Auburn, sandwiched between our two biggest rivals. While we spend all year coexisting, rivalry week is the time to dive in. Wear your orange and blue. Work that extra joke in. Take Friday afternoon off to set up the tailgate (before the Iron Bowl, everyone else is probably exhausted from Black Friday and Thanksgiving leftovers anyways). And on Saturday, celebrate not just after a victory, but all day long.

VII. Thou shalt not tweet at rival players.

There is absolutely nothing you can say on Twitter to an absolute stranger that will make this okay. If you feel the urge, take a breath, and just delete the tweet.

This also goes for recruits committed to your rival, and just recruits in general.

IIX. Thou shalt not wear garments in support of thy rival, unless involved in the terms of a wager.

This should be a simple one. If you’re an Auburn fan, don’t wear Georgia or Alabama gear. I don’t care if your firstborn is graduating from there, or if you’re in town to see a game with a friend. Go neutral if you can’t get away with orange and blue.

The only acceptable scenario is if you lose a bet, a la Jalen Hurts.

IX. Thou shalt not great supporters of thine rival with hate, but thou shall consider a rival fanbase to be a monolith.

At the end of the day, this is football. Usually, we can use it as a means of escaping the troubles of our day to life, to fellowship with friends and family, and honestly, a good enough reason to drink. Whether it’s a stranger at the store or your brother (who is totally the black sheep in the family, by the way), give rival fans the benefit of the doubt. Share a laugh with them, invite them to your tailgate, break down the tribalism that is plaguing our country these days.

But also, Georgia fans are classless rednecks who bark at people because… well, I don’t really know why. Those poor, unfortunate souls.

X. Honor thy history, and disparage the history of thy rivals.

Rivalries are nothing without decades worth of epic wins, bitter losses, and over the top trashtalking. It’s important to build the lore of a rivalry, such that younger generations continue to trumpet the triumphs of your team over the enemy. Despite being born in 1995, I feel like I’ve seen Bo Over the Top...

https://auburntigers.com/news/2013/11/28/Iron_Bowl_plays_to_remember_No_2_Bo_over_the_top.aspx

Punt Bama Punt...

and Nix to Sanders...

Nix to Sanders 1993 Iron Bowl

Fan Favorite 4th Down Fireworks Our countdown of the fan favorite 4th down plays continues with #3. After Stan White leaves the game with an injury, back-up quarterback Patrick Nix comes off the bench to throw a touchdown pass to Frank Sanders on 4th and long. This score proves to be the turning point in the 1993 Iron Bowl which gives Auburn an undefeated season at 11-0. For more great plays like this, download our app: get.auburnvault.com #4thdownFireworks Auburn University Auburn Football Auburn Tigers

Posted by The Auburn Vault on Sunday, July 2, 2017

a thousand times over. And that last play wasn’t even on television! Build up your triumphs. Remind everyone about Go Crazy Cadillac...

Cam flashing that smile...

the Kick Six...

and Swag Surfing.

Auburn student section’s Swag Surf, complete with vibrating camera. pic.twitter.com/mcsxsPPXVB

— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) November 25, 2017

But most importantly, you should remember that Georgia hasn’t won a national title in 40 years. That’s going on 14,426 days now. Shame.

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2020/7/1/21310352/the-ten-commandments-of-rivalries-auburn-alabama-georgia-lsu-florida-sec-rivalry-hierarchy

#IFTTT #Blogger #auburn #auburn fast #wareagle #AuburnFamilyNews #war eagle #sec #football news #aubu

0 notes