June 20th - Osaka Day trip

Today was our last excursion, and it was to tour the city of Osaka. I feel like a good last excursion, and one of my favorite days. We took a nice long ish train ride i to osaka, sitting next to and across from my friends. One of the guys started a group listening session on Spotify and invited me and casey to join. It was fun getting to listen to everyones different music but it was very annoying when it would constantly kick me off the session without any notification. So it I’d just be listening to random music like a fool. After we stepped out of the station we all broke for lunch. Someone found this good curry place so we walked all the way there, but there were only 5 seats so Sebastian, Julie, Chelsea, girl sam, and Casey all got to have the apparent “best curry of their lives”, while the rest of is walked over to this Katsu place. Me, Eliza, and guy Sam all got chicken katsu and it was delicious. My favorite of the others I’ve tried so far, however the beef katsu was good too. We then took off towards the main attraction, the American core area. While I will say it didnt remond me much if America, it was actually really cool. It was a packed city with huge buildings with 3D signs and models all over them. There were gigantic moving crabs, a crazy chef, a suspicious spider man, a few dragons, sushi, and more. There were little food carts and restaurants, and you bet after our sad last “gatorup” and “okay thats it for today”, you bet me and Sam marched over to the strawberry car to get some snacks. I got a strawberry ice cream, and a strawberry mochi. All really good, the ice cream hit especially hard because it was so hot and sunny out. Then our little group decided it was time to go thrifting, which of course I was excited about.

We were walking over when me and sam literally just stepped foot i to a mcdonalds to throw something away and came back out and everyone was gone, like poof in thin air. Julie who was in front of us also lost them so us three got together and checked out Zara. Since I am a broke girly, I did not want to get anything at zara so I found the others at a thrift store chain called second street. We hit up all of them within a mile radius I would say. I found a few good things, but what I’m most proud of is helping nico, who did not have faith in the thrifting ways, find some cool pants. His luck just kept going up after that because he found other nice stuff too with some help from uncle sebastian. The group was deciding between going to the famous aquarium or to the team lab in Osaka. Vishnu, Sam, and Julie all decided to go to the aquarium, while the rest of us decided to keep shopping then go to team lab. I think everyone found at least one thing. It was looking a little bleak for Raj at first because he couldn’t find anything he liked enough, but low and behold at the last store we went to, there was a beautiful Dior sweater calling his name. We were happy with the outcome and then rushed to team lab. Team lab was very calming, and some of the exhibits were interactive. We decided that was a good end to the night so some of us went back ti the hotel and us others got food before heading back. With all the shopping I did since being here, I will definitely need to by an extra bag. Today was very bittersweet because thrifting is one of my favorite things to do and the fact that everyone came and had a good time made me really happy, but I just kept remembering how we wouldn’t be able to do this again and after today thats it. Im going to miss this, so called “weird but cool”, group of people. Ok sorry for the long post, if you’re still here reading this, I appreciate you. Ok done.

Academic Reflection

Soo urban planning? From the reading I gathered that Japan likes to tear down and rebuild their buildings instead of trying to preserve them. I think this is interesting because there are pros and cons, obviously tearing down and rebuilding is way more costly but in the end they are always updated and more money can potentially be made off it. For trying to preserve older buildings is just about the exact opposite. Its probably the cheaper option, but the buildings are usually not completely updated but they have a past and character.

Another thing that is different about Japan from the US is the individualization of the buildings. The streets are lined with buildings that look nothing alike. It gives the streets more life, I like that. This was definitely seen in Osaka with the crazy decorations and tall and short buildings, and so much life. I really enjoyed it here

Obiyuki Trope Madness 2021 Semifinal - Almost Kiss

“It’s a shame you cover them up,” he murmurs. “The freckles, I mean.”

She’s never- she’s never known a man to like the sight of them. Nor a woman. Not since she entered the Palace, at least. Her grandmother had called them stars when she was younger and hated them so, constellations to guide her husband home when the time came, but-

Her throat catches, struck mute, and she sways just a little bit closer.

- Ascend; Seraglio chapter (AO3)

Listen I have a *bias*, quite an obvious one, when it comes to this fanfic >:3 thanks to Joanna for letting me throw all my sketches and my complaints at her~

AnS (c) Akizuki Sorata

Art: Me

Tiratola, the Long-Tailed Terror!

Aliases: the Dragon of Etna, the Serpentine Savior, Our Lady of Flame

Date Discovered: May 20th, 1954

Place of Origin: Mt. Etna

Notable Stomping Grounds: Mt. Etna, Messina, Pisa, Stromboli Kaiju Reserve

Height: Generally holds head around 15 meters above the ground, but can rear up to tower at around 34 meters at her tallest.

Length: 115 meters

Biology:

A prehistoric varanid of enormous size from the same lineage that produced Kraydi, Tiratola brings to mind the dragons of yore, slinking and serpentine and adorned with a crown of fearsome crests and horns. Indeed, her Mediterranean location closely matches with depictions of dragons from the ancient Greeks and Romans, although her demeanor is hardly that of a rapacious devourer of maidens and hoarder of gold.

Rather than her jaws, Tiratola’s primary weapon of choice is her tail - even for a reptile, hers is incredibly long and dexterous, making up more than half of her total body length and as flexible and powerful as the body of any snake. With it, she can lash at targets several hundred feet away, coil and constrict her opponents, and even pick up and hurl objects as big as buildings or handle very small objects with the very tip of the tail like an elephant’s trunk. Indeed, her style of combat is very similar to that of the American kaiju Gorgolisk, preferring to coil and constrict her opponents with her powerful body.

As a kaiju, Tiratola also sports a fairly standard powerset:

Super strength

An enhanced healing factor

Immunity to radiation

She also has one more trick up her sleeve - like many other prehistoric varanids as well as Tyrantis himself, the Terror of Italia sports venom glands within her jaws that she can either ‘chew’ into her opponents or spray like a spitting cobra, and like Tyrantis, this venom has further honed into a flammable compound like something out of the pages of myth and legend.

Of course, comparing Tiratola’s fire spitting with Tyrantis’ flaming breath would be akin to comparing a firecracker with a flamethrower - rather than napalm-like torrents of ignited venom, the enormous reptile’s sprayed venom ignites into a cloud of scalding sparks and embers that explodes outwards in a shotgun-like blast with a loud crack and a blinding flash. While it’s not the best at actually damaging opponents, it still stings and burns quite painfully for targets, especially if hit in the eyes and other sensitive areas, and the sharp rapport of the venom combusting can cause a few seconds of disorientation. Injecting the stuff into the bodies of opponents, however, produces rather more grisly results as it reacts with oxygen in the bloodstream, causing the wounds inflicted by her teeth to burst open a few seconds after she lets go. To a kaiju’s durability and regeneration, it’s not nearly as harmful as it looks unless Tiratola injects a truly immense amount of venom or her opponent is considerably smaller than herself, but it’s still quite painful to experience.

History & Personality:

When the Superquake of ‘54 rocked the world, the actual tremors weren’t the only force behind the resulting destruction - tidal waves lashed the coasts, avalanches and rockslides buried towns, and a number of already-rumbling volcanoes were roused to erupt once more, pushing up not only molten material but all manner of strange new landforms forged from the Yamaneon tunnels beneath the earth. Home to several volcanoes as they are, Greece and Italy were particularly subject to this, disgorging an assortment of subterranean environments alongside quite a number of kaiju. Among them was the great reptile Tiratola - emerging from the volcanic aftermath of Mt. Etna, the serpentine saurian made herself known to the public at large when she swept through the outskirts of Messina and smothered a major fire when she settled herself on top of it for warmth, inadvertently saving much of the city from burning to the ground. In the aftermath of the fire, she would go on to save even more lives as she nosed around the rubble, unearthing nearly two dozen people that had been trapped beneath fallen debris.

Since her awakening, Tiratola has come to roam across Italy and Greece, frequently digging people out of rubble wherever she went and frequently engaging smaller mutants emerging from local Yamaneon tunnels as well as the occasional full-on kaiju - her most famous scuffles include preying upon a hoard of Paleozoic invertebrates that emerged from a Carboniferous swamp in the Greek Kassandra Peninsula and engaging a hulking one-eyed hominid kaiju that had been menacing the city of Taranto, dragging it down to its doom beneath the waves before it could do anything worse than superficial damage to buildings. Aside from an incident involving the Leaning Tower of Pisa, she’s been responsible for relatively little destruction, and has become somewhat of a local hero to the populace of the regions, something that Tiratola has come to notice.

Low to the ground as she is, the Whip-Tailed Terror is by her nature literally closer to human beings than many other kaiju, and is more aware of their activities as a result. She’s come to recognize how people react to her presence and realizes how easily she can reshape the tiny world that she now finds herself in. Were she a more malevolent sort, this awareness and her ability to easily wind through city streets could potentially make her an incredibly dangerous thrat to human beings, but the ultimate result of this is that Tiratola has come to realize that she quite enjoys the attention and praise she gets from acts of heroism. Being a reptile, she is by nature a very energy-efficient creature, conserving her strength when she does need to exert herself… but being a kaiju, acts of aid towards humans are trivially easy for her. A couple sweeps of her tail can smother a major fire beneath dirt and water and pulling people from danger can be easily accomplished by simply pushing her head into, say, a burning building and using her keen senses to locate survivors in the same way that modern varanids break into termite mounds and locate warm chambers to lay their eggs in or mother crocodiles dig out their young from nests. It costs little to the great reptile to lend her aid to others, and the reward for doing so is more than worth it - adoration and cheers whenever she enters a populated area, occasional offerings of fish and other treats, even occasional cleanings by teams of volunteers that scrub her down and aid in peeling off any lingering bits of unshed skin. The latter task has also provided another boon to the people of Greece and Italy - analysis of Tiratola’s shed skin has shed a lot of light on kaiju cellular biology, and the scales themselves are durable enough to be shaped and worked like metal or glass, fostering a small but lucrative industry of decorative items made from the kaiju’s scales.

However, there may also be another reason for her gentleness towards humans - while unearthing survivors from rubble, Tiratola frequently makes vocalizations not unlike those of crocodilian and alligator parents when unearthing their buried young, even scooping them up in her jaws in a similar fashion to carry them to safety. It may be that trapped survivors reminds the the whip-tailed dragon of her own offspring, buried in sand and soil - joint Reptodite-human expeditions into the collapsed tunnels where the kaiju emerged have even found the crystallized remains of ruined nests and cracked eggs, suggesting that she may have produced several clutches of offspring before via parthenogenesis in the same manner as some species of monitor lizard, although none seem to have survived. 

Behind the Scenes:

Behold, my entry to @tyrantisterror ’s ATOM Create a Kaiju Contest 3D, Tiratola! I’ve entered both of his previous contests, and I didn’t want to miss out here, although this is admittedly my first time posting one here to Tumblr; there’s a bunch of really creative kaiju already entered into the competition, and I highly recommend checking them out. My entry really isn’t the best by far (I wanted to make Tiratola a lot lengthier and more serpentine, but I didn’t have the space to do it, and I can’t really do detail work for shit), but I’m still reasonably happy with how my girl Tiratola came out!

Tiratola is meant to be an homage to that tried-and-true staple of the monster movie genre - movie companies from other countries trying to cash in on a trend! It’s how the world got creatures like Gorgo, Paleosaurus, and Reptilicus - creatures whose movies were far from the source material, but were packaged as being the same thing in their posters and translated titles overseas, leading to weirdness like Godzilla vs Mothra becoming ‘Watang and the Fabulous Kingdom of Monsters’ in its Italian release, the infamous cut of ‘The Volcano Monsters,’ and so on. As such, she takes the basic concept of Tyrantis - ‘giant green prehistoric reptilian monster with a long tail and horns that breathes fire’, and reconstructs it through that lens. To that end, she’s also somewhat based on slurpasaurs and on cheap rubber props, staples of Italian monster cinema.

Designwise, I based her quite heavily on, well, monitor lizards as well as the classic LEGO dragon model plus the movie poster design for Reptilicus - both are a nice combination of reptilian features that doesn’t really lend itself to any particular order, with Kraydi factoring in as another reference. Indeed, Tiratola’s meant to be a cousin to that kaiju, another of the varanid lizard lineage that would have lead to dragons and their kin in the Lost Epoch - she’s meant to be a bit farther down that evolutionary line than Kraydi is, but still not exactly a direct ancestor.

I was struggling to get a feel for Tiratola’s personality at first, but I managed to get something when I reread ATOM and the way that its reptilian stars think, plus some takes on protective dragons and why they defend humans so much smaller and weaker than they. A big part of this series is about how the kaiju are far more intelligent and empathetic than they let on - I thought it’d be neat to play off of that. While her motivations come from a very different place than they would in a human being or a similar creature, the end result is still the same: if it feels good to help others, and doing so is relatively easy, why not do so? I also added a good deal of Ogra and Reptisaurus as well - I figured it would be only fitting.

The thing about her visiting Pisa is a nod to Dinosaurs Attack, the card where the Rhedosaurus and Giant Behemoth teamed up to destroy the Leaning Tower, while her battle with the giant is taken from the battle between the dragon Taro and the Cyclops in The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad. The date of her discovery is also the date that Reptilicus was released in theaters, albeit moved back a few years.

Matt Giguere’s Top 10 Handheld Games of 2019

Handheld gaming is in a weird spot. Beyond the plethora of mobile devices running iOS or Android and the app store fronts they offer; the handheld market has now been distilled down to one major device in 2019. Lo and behold, Nintendo, once again sits alone on the hill. While the Switch has seen great gains in maintaining a constant flow of software on its platform, the vast majority of their releases are either mobile ports or older games from generations past. It is amazing on how much has been released so far, but what makes a handheld game a “handheld game” now anyway? When your choice can be a small bite sized game like BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! or a massive single player game like Tales of Vesperia, there really isn’t much of a difference what a handheld platform can offer compared to the home consoles for the types of games that can be played. As the Nintendo 3DS and Sony PlayStation Vita sunset into their legacy years, there seems to be a wider line on what can be considered a handheld game.

Nintendo did release a portable only version of the Switch this year, dubbed the SwitchLite. Considering that most of my playtime has been in handheld mode, I picked one up shortly after release. After a few months of playtesting, I think this will be my go-to system for the foreseeable future. I adore the form factor size. The original Switch still works great for quick pick up and play in my home, but I find the new model easier to hold in my hands and store away when I’m travelling. The dedicated directional pad, as opposed to separate buttons because of the nature of the detachable joy-cons, is a big selling point for the myriad of 2D platformers now on the system. I sometimes miss the “HD Rumble” feedback that had to be cut, but that is a small gripe. If you don’t care for playing games on the big screen in a higher resolution and varying framerate, I highly recommend picking this dedicated handheld up.

Admittedly, a lot on my best of 2019 list are games that can be enjoyed on the big screen, especially with the convenience of the Switch’s hardware. Of the games I played this year, I think this smattering represents a healthy dose of what managed to present a case that gaming on the go is still well alive and ever changing.

Top 10 of 2019 or the Hollow Knight Memorial List*

*Sometimes when making a top list our favorite thing came out in a different year or is so clearly ahead it is a lock of number 1 across every critic. This year Hollow Knight from Team Cherry captivated me like nothing else that released this year. Alas, this game came out in 2017. So instead of placing it on my official list for 2019, it takes the honor of being my list’s name. This Metroidvania style exploration platformer is full of surprises, sometimes subverting my expectations when I thought there wasn’t anything left to uncover. If you have a Switch, I highly recommend checking out one of my favorite games in the genre since Metroid: Fusion.

10. My Friend Pedro (Switch, Xbox One, PC)

An action, score-based shooter that I’ve had my eye on for years since seeing the gif put out by publisher Devolver Digital and developer Dead Toast Entertainment. The nature of this very tricky to pull off and even harder to master game lies in its focus on style. Moving across short levels on a 2-D plane, you must, roll, spin, flip, kick, skate, and, of course, kill combo as many enemies to place a high score and a top rank. While there is a story to keep the drive of the game moving forward, I wouldn’t say that should be the guiding factor to check this out. Rather, I found the quick get up and quick play of a level or two perfect for on the go gaming. Once the controls click, this game really delivers on its promised “Bananas” style.

9. Untitled Goose Game (Switch, Xbox One, PS4, PC)

“What if Hitman, but a Goose?” is probably the most quoted pitch heard for this small, but very charming game by developer House House. In it you play as, well, a goose who terrorizes a small town from every front. From untying shoes so people trip to locking helpless victims in garages, no one is safe from this feathered menace! Okay, so the Hitman comparison is apt, minus the extreme brutality, for this sandbox-lite adventure. The best I can compare it to is an interactive toy; one that is unique in how the player can approach a situation and explore the possibilities of what can and will happen within the rules of the program. It might not have the deep experimentation of a larger game of its kind, but I found its calm and lighthearted nature makes this a very stress-free experience, especially when you are the one dealing out all the harassment.

8. SteamWorld Quest (Switch, PC)

I don’t normally go for card-based RPGs, but when Image & Form provide a new adventure in the SteamWorld universe, I had to check it out. This might be the one that changed my mind, because after several turns, I was hooked. The adventure itself keeps things relatively jovial with plenty of jokes and wit to keep the story moving forward. It can be easy to stick to one group of characters, a limit of three per battle, but I find more enjoyment in the battle system when different combinations are put into play. The battle system also provides linked combos that offer bonuses and stringing cards together in a row also adds more to the strategy. Building a potent strategy is where I found the most engagement in this RPG, and all the trappings around the edges made this one stand out in my mind. A good starting point in the genre for those curious.

7. Baba Is You (Switch, PC)

A tough logic puzzler I think goes the extra mile with its charm and style. You play as Baba. Or, rather, Baba is you, or a wall, or section of water, or a skull, or... well you get the point. The goal in each stage is to reach the “Win.” What is the “Win?” Most of the time it is a flag, but really it can be anything. Using a simple push function mechanic that many top-down puzzlers have used before, the twist comes in that you can have these sentence blocks to push around and affect the game’s logic. For example, if the winning object is out of reach by a wall that forces you stop (“Wall is Stop”) you can push one of the sentence blocks away so you can pass through the wall. Even making a sentence to “You is Win” will also result in a victory. The difficulty can be a bit stiff, but I would often find myself just thinking about a stuck puzzle while out and about and think of the solution as a sort of epiphany. Even when getting stuck on a tricky brain teaser, the game offers multiple paths so you can keep progressing through. Certainly, Baba Is You has been on my mind since first playing it.

6. What The Golf? (Apple Arcade, PC, Switch TBD)

If Desert Golf is the pinnacle zen of the golf sport genre, What The Golf? embodies its “party mindset.” Yes, it is golf, and yet, it becomes something more than just golf. Sometimes you will find yourself having to hop across a very familiar level. Other times you will have to coordinate trick shots while being an exploding barrel. And sometimes, there’s just good old-fashioned bowling. What The Golf? will keep you on your toes, especially if you are fond of video games released prior to this. I won’t spoil some of the surprises in store, but some of them had me in stitches from laughing so hard. It would be nice to fully outright buy this game on the iOS App Store, but for now, a subscription to Apple Arcade is the only way to play this on the go.

5. Sayonara Wild Hearts (Switch, Apple Arcade, PS4, PC)

Another Apple Arcade exclusive for mobile (you can also buy it on the Switch at this time), this one showcasing music and style. If there is one thing that counts in making an impression on me, it’s presentation. Sayonara Wild Hearts is described as a pop album video game; one you experience as much as you listen to. The format seems simple at first. Guide your character along the track and collect different items for points to rank a high score while also dodging obstacles. Soon though, things start to mix up as fast as the soundtrack’s BPMs start to pump up. While the touch controls are adequate, I think for certain spots, a physical controller would have been nice. However, there are movements that are far easier to pull off using a touch interface, such as time hits reminiscent of music games like Elite Beat Agents. This gem of a game needs to be experienced at least once, not only for the wonderful soundtrack, composed by Daniel Olsen and Jonathan Eng and featuring Linnea Olsson on vocals, but also to see the twists and turns the game takes. This little game surprised the hell out of me, and I think it will be one that I will revisit again based on its production.

4. Ape Out (Switch, PC)

Sometimes we all need to get out. Especially when you are an ape stuck in a cage. That’s the conceit of the top-down, twin stick, hyper violent, and super stylized game, Ape Out. There is one goal: Be the ape and get the hell out! The concept is very rudimentary which I feel allows the game to shine. You will have to run, dodge, grab and toss enemies to reach the exit while the only advantage is being able to take three hits before going down. Enemies have guns that the player can’t use in the typical way. Instead, grabbing a foe allows one immediate shot to be fired from the grappled target. Used strategically, it can get you out of a lot of close calls. Other enemies can have bombs or body armor to keep this from being too repetitive and thanks to the game’s art style, they all look distinct so there’s no confusion on who you are fighting. Levels are procedurally generated as well, so even thinking on memorizing enemy patterns doesn’t always work. The fluorescent color palette and very minimalist style, like that of a Saul Bass movie poster, highlights the chaos and violence without making it too gross or unappealing. Even the soundtrack is minimalistic, utilizing only jazz percussion that plays out dynamically as the action plays out in real time. A feast for the eyes and a challenge on the thumbs.

3. Katana Zero (Switch, PC)

Taking a page from one hit kill action games like Hotline Miami, Katana Zero plays out at first like a typical note from the genre, right down to its ‘80s aesthetic. You clear room after room of enemies, slashing with your katana, wall jumping to high points, and focusing time to slow down and either dodge or reflect projectiles. A lot of this game is a throwback thanks to its choice of graphics, 2D platforming and story points from movies like Drive and Leon: The Professional. It is thanks to the presentation that makes this game shine for me. The story, music, graphics and gameplay presentation are what makes Katana Zero so high on my list. Clearing rooms is fast paced and quick, with messing up only taking several seconds to get back into the fray. While the loop of the game can get a bit repetitive, there are plenty of surprises that change up the standard formula of the game as you progress. The story does a nice job of not only driving things forward, but also tying in gameplay concepts into the narrative. The music is a healthy blend of synthwave and some very heavy and experimental electronic tunes (one that I’ve had on repeat most of the year). The overall games is fairly short and ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but there are speedrunning modes and secrets to uncover from replaying. Katana Zero stands as one of the best independent games this year.

2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch)

There was a time when Fire Emblem was on the ropes, becoming a lagging franchise that was not connecting with strategy enthusiasts on the home consoles. Then in 2013, things changed with the release of Fire Emblem: Awakening on the 3DS. Nintendo and Intelligent Systems had intended that game to be the last in the series. Instead, we got another 3 (and 1/2) games released on the 3DS this past decade. Now it’s time to pass the torch onto the Switch and boy did they deliver on a packed adventure! Instead of just following one or two paths like most FE campaigns, Three Houses offer up to four different story playthroughs that each roughly takes about 50 hours or more to complete. There is also a vast amount of customization thanks to the setting being centered around a military school and teaching classes. If you love watching meters and bars fill up, there are tons of those to be had in Three Houses. Even though not every aspect is well thought out (the amiibo gazebo comes to mind, even though it is the best named mechanic), the cast of characters and support conversations (all fully voice acted) provide some rich storytelling from a character development standpoint. Do check out this game as it is one of the best in the series.

1. Tetris 99 (Switch)

“Where are we dropping, Blocks?” In a personal first for me, a multiplayer game has taken my number one spot. Tetris 99 is just that. Tetris. However, it’s you versus 98 other players in a battle royal style completion. Released as a free download to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, it now has multiple versions that can be bought as well. Thanks to constant updates and weekend tournaments, the online community is still strong, so finding matches is quick and painless. Playing against such a wide number of challengers turns the typical Tetris strategy on its head. Racking up combos instead of quickly clearing lines, for example, is one way to secure victory, but leaving too many gaps and holes can prove disastrous if you suddenly become the target of a handful of players. Even though I have yet to secure a 1st place finish, the nature of Tetris keeps me coming back for more. Whether it’s facing against bots, friends, marathoning solo or playing the featured battle royal, this is a fun version of Tetris to be had.

DEATH BATTLE Review: Optimus Prime vs. Gundam

Giant Robots. Y’know what?- I dig giant robots.

Anyone remember that?- god, it feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen a good giant robot battle show.

The second time that either combatants’ franchises are entering the arena. With the last time a transformer being used was back when Starscream fought against Rainbow Dash, and the last time someone that piloted a Gundam was when Zechs Merquise fought Tommy Oliver, this is bound to be a fun matchup.

During the introduction, they mention that the Transformers were originally Japanese toys, meaning that this isn’t an East vs. West battle. It’s more like… East vs. Adopted East.

Optimus Prime′s Preview.

So, Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots.

I think most people who grew up in that time period knows who this guy is. 

(Yeesh, with experience like that, Amuro is going to need a crapton of firepower to get past that).

We get a history on the Autobot Decepticon War, and how the ‘Cons are basically a bunch of people who love military dictatorships. And how they gunned down a guy named Orion Pax. And as Boomstick said, Robot Gandalf rebuilt Orion into the much more iconic Optimus Prime.

And we get to see his Vehicle Mode get a card too! After all, Optimus is in fact a

Robot in disguise.

So that.

And a nice little notecard tells us what happens to the trailer when Optimus transforms.

(The question has finally been answered!)

And for those of you wondering what’s up with that Action Master and Powermaster stuff that’s under his Transformations tab, here’s what’s up (more or less):

(Man, this got really complicated).

Regardless, they go on to explain a lot of Optimus’ feats and stats. Like his arsenal of weapons…

Oh, and the Matrix is given it’s own explanation. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get it’s own page, but what’s there to know?- It’s a piece of Robot God.

And it appears that Optimus has a sense of honor. Which could lead to a weakness, as he does not like sacrificing others.

(But desecrating their bodies?- That’s nothing).

Optimus’ feats gives him a massive edge too. Overall, it just feels like there’s a lot going for Robot Jesus.

And you know that scene in the original movie where Optimus is all “One shall stand. One shall fall.”?- That’s the end quote. And I gotta say:

That makes me want to DARE! Dare to believe we can survive! DARE! Dare to keep all my dreams alive!

………

Optimus is a badass, and that was another movie reference.

Amuro Ray′s Preview.

If they were trying to get people invested in the Gundam series, then I’d say that they did a pretty good job. After all, it’s a show that uses giant robots to fight Nazis. Who doesn’t like seeing Nazis getting their asses kicked?

But… If they were trying to simplify things, then they didn’t do that great of a job.

(This is an average of at least 4 models per medium).

But thankfully, they are only covering the OG Gundam, and any model that it could scale to.

(I think the size advantage is what prompts people to think that Gundam would win).

Regardless, Amuro Ray’s backstory is… actually quite intense. He’s a civilian who got drafted into a war?- That’s rough. Almost as rough as being a civilian who got gunned down and turned into a commander- Oh!- Another Optimus comparison.

Amuro gets his own page, and he has an… interesting set of codenames. Going over his own skills is also impressive too.

He gets a system that’s similar to the Epyon, only significantly less intense and PTSD-inducing.

The arsenal is also impressive. Especially the Beam Rifle. Like Boomstick said, it’s like a hundred tanks in the form of a single pistol. Unfortunately, like a pistol, the Beam Rifle has limited Ammo. So Amuro might want to be careful when using it.

(Here’s hoping that Amuro doesn’t have to use this feature).

And Amuro’s psychic powers are given a rundown. and given that so far we’ve seen a radioactive spiderbite, a floating head in a tube granting teenagers their abilities, and special fruit giving people powers, I have to agree that the reasons behind why Newtypes have theirs is really really dumb. Couldn’t have been cosmic radiation, I guess.

But that last part is really really funny.

I want to know who was behind this, because I want to give them props.

Amuro’s Newtype powers would certainly close any speed gap, similar to Naruto’s sage powers or Kenshiro’s Toki.

And the feats are a sight to behold. Though, when comparing it to the stuff Optimus has blown up or survived… It’s not looking good for Amuro.

Especially since the suit has no real defenses against intense heat, outside of a one-time use shield.

I have no real way of judging the end line. It doesn’t feel as impressive as Optimus’.

The Battle Itself.

Since Torrian is moving over to RoosterTeeth to do Gen:Lock, this battle is primarily being animated by Kristina and several other animators. Optimus will be voiced by Richard Barcenas, while Gundam RX-78-2′s pilot Amuro Ray will be voiced by David Matranga. Sayla Mass will be voiced by Lindsay Jones (Watch your cheese puffs, Amuro). Audio led by Chris Kokkinos and Music by Therewolf, and is called Wings of Iron.

So, the battle starts with Amuro breaking into the Ark (because the Transformers series is known for their subtlety (Optimus constantly dying and coming back to life, and the ARK?- Seriously? How about they add some more bible references while they’re at it?)), and Optimus attacks Amuro.

And partway into the fight, we find out why Optimus attacked: He mistook Amuro for a Decepticon. Makes sense. Amuro mistook Optimus for an enemy robot suit. So there’s a good reason for each of them to be fighting each other- They mistook the opponent for an enemy.

The battle starts in space, where both of them are firing at each other, and using their melee weapons against the other. With Amuro using his totally-not-a-lightsaber beam sword against Optimus, and Prime using his energy axe right back.

Amuro is constantly using his Newtype powers to keep up with Optimus, as he does claim that Optimus holds the speed advantage.

And we get this beautiful clash between the two combatants. It gives me goosebumps.

It helps that the music, Wings of Iron, give the battle a very 80s vibe. It really helps the overall fight sequence and makes it feel like a clash between icons.

Plus, Prime constantly transforming throughout the battle just reeks of fanservice. But, in the good way. It’s not often that the Transformers use their vehicle modes when combating an opponent, and it’s just really nice to see it in action.

Optimus even cuts through Amuro’s shield in the battle, and renders Amuro defenseless.

And the battle finds its way to earth (because what battle in space doesn’t find its way to earth?), and the battle rages on.

And if you’re worried about Torrian’s absence will mean no flips, then don’t worry! They have flips.

(Ahh, flips. It doesn’t feel like a 3D DEATH BATTLE without ‘em).

And after a brutal clash (And a good ol’ Optimus one liner), we get to the final clash.

Finishing blow in

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

Well, Amuro… Just tell Death that Optimus sent you. Those two are basically drinking buddies, so Death should have a a beer that he’d be willing to share with you.

Verdict + Explanation.

So, Optimus held the experience advantage, obviously. But, there were many other advantages. And Optimus’s stats are just…

GodDAMN! That is just… Absurd. And they go out of their way to disprove the Refinery feat being an outlier, by referencing the cartoon, and another bot of similar power.

And as for being able to fire into space from the ground…

There’s a notecard for that too. It looks like Optimus Just had the Touch! He had the power!

YEAH!

Overall impression.

For this being a few new animators first time being the primary animator on this project, I originally felt the need to go easy when it came to the animation. Turns out, I didn’t need to. The animation is really solid, and it feels like two robots battling it out instead of just two humans with CGI robots over their bodies.

The music is really awesome, and the explanations that they give for their math feel really solid. I was prepared for Optimus to lose, and to have to make a morbid joke about it, but it actually feels like there was some awesome math behind it all.

The rundowns are fun to watch and listen to, and as a person who can’t really hate Rodimus, I have to commemorate them for not making a cheap shot at the guy (I blame Hasbro for Optimus’ death, not Hot Rod).

Solid animation, plus awesome music, add in a fun rundown, and a pinch of awesome statistics, and you get a good rating of 9.2/10.

Next Time…

This battle is a long time coming. And with the new media surrounding the two, I’d say the way the battle’s going to be portrayed will be really great.

(Ignore Optimus’ hand please).

Because it’s going to be live action!

Is there a fight that you want me to review? - Send an ask/request, and I’ll look into it!

Do you want to read my fanfic based around DEATH BATTLE itself? click here!

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next time for…

Blüdhaven Bird vs. The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

The Glow

Rumor has it that the Purple Eye Gem still remains at the Ruins of Vivtear. A small gem the size of a robin’s egg that empowers the beholder to see great distances. Damek and Zander, like many before them, came to the ruins in search of the precious gem. Historical scrolls claim the gem glows on a new moon at the darkest of night. Perhaps this will help them locate it among the rubble.

They arrive at dusk and setup camp among the ruins. Zander spars with a fractured column while Damek peacefully watches while contemplating how the gem has avoided discovery for decades. Maybe it isn’t here and this is a waste of time. Weary after the hike, Damek sits down with his back against a pillar and continues to watch Zander. His eyelids become heavy and he drifts off to sleep.

Damek abruptly awakens, gasping. He looks around for Zander. Unable to see him, he mumbles “Zander?” It is pitch dark and only coals remain of the campfire. Damek stands and gingerly begins to move around the ruins. He passes on using a torch for fear the light would hide the gem’s glow. “Zander?” he calls again more clearly. Damek continues searching through the silence.

Miraculously, Damek sees a faint purple glow emanating from a crack in a column. He stumbles forward with excitement. “Zander! I’ve found it. Come quick!” he shouts. Damek tilts his head and peers into the crack. The crack is just large enough for him to slide his fingers in and touch the stone. His middle finger makes the first contact.

Damek’s mind bends and his eyes snap fully open. His spine arches back and his head flings backward. His mouth opens to scream but his body becomes paralyzed while his finger remains touching the gem. His eyes don’t see the stars above. His vision is replaced with a spiraling, purple cloud. He loses his grip on reality and his mind descends into the unknown, taking his body along with him.

The trees, bushes, ruins and stone floors are models designed by Printable Scenery. We are a licensed Printable Scenery printer.

Visit our listings below to order a 3D print.

Gnarly Trees - Full Set

Ancient Ruins

Grotto Floors

It's been said that beauty is an eye of the beholder. I found that phrase to be true for me for many reasons, even to the point that it can change the course in your life. I've been sitting on posting this recreation on explaining what's my purpose on recreating her, and why this model in particular is so important to me. Maybe this anecdotal back story might help explain a few things about me and why I created the type of artwork that I do or use to. I kind of hold off explaining myself when it come to talking about her because it is so personal to me, and posting something like this on the internet is not really recommended because there are people that will want to use stuff like this just to hurt someone else just for enjoyment. But I believe I'm mature enough to handle something like that when that time comes. Lady Keiko Matsui is the third model of my original three OC Models, but she is the first model I've created when I started doing 3d modeling. Like Tara Strong, Keiko is based off of a real person. She's a jazz musician that was not only one of the first artists that influence me on the type of music that I listen to when I was a child, she is also the one that greatly influence my perception of beauty which will eventually lead me to study more about the Japanese Culture, especially studying the traditional Ukiyoe-e artwork, the Bijin-ga (Beautiful Women.) So needless to say, Keiko is the Essential Beauty that I based my most of my style of artwork, and even inspired the Alias I use to this day. Back when I was young, Internet sites like Pandora and I heart radio didn't exist yet. Many of us would have to listen to new music from F.M. Radio, which means I have to grow up listening to mostly R&B, Hip-Hop, and Gospel music, all of them is basically annoys me to no end (Hip-hop and Gospel more so now.) At the time there were a smooth jazz station that was available in my city in which I started to listening to as an alternative. I love the soft claiming sounds that the music make, and it was the type of music that I genuinely love to listen to. During that time I began to recognize the artists in that genre and their unique style when it comes to that music, one of them was an Asian Pianist that splices a western Jazz music with her tradition eastern style music. That type of style interested me so much I wanted to listen to more of her music. The only group that I know of how did something similar to that Pianist did was a Asian American Jazz group called Hiroshima. But it wasn't just her music that fascinated me. Her elegance and beauty was just as interesting to me as her music. It was a new type of feeling for me, exotic and yet a little embarrassing and I didn't know how I to deal with it. From that day on I took more interest to Asian culture (Japan in particular,) while simultaneously started to lose interest towards the Culture I grew up in. I've never had such an influence that was able distinguish myself from the world that I didn't have choice but to lived in. Unfortunately that recognition made me made the odd one out of my community. Nonetheless, I always wanted to find a way to express how I feel deep with in. It doesn't matter how I was going to do it, I wanted to found a way to share that passion that lay dominated in my heart for so many years. That feeling that I had what eventually motivated me to take up 3D Modeling. When my professor introduce me to a Program called Poser, that was the opportunity I longed for to finally let my vision come to life. I study long and hard so I can create not only my version of Bijin-ga but, to create Keiko as a 3D idol. I was determined to create every music she made in to an artwork, after I listen to it. That went on for several years. But as time went on I find myself not really doing stuff like that and eventually move on to another Sub Culture that also influence and inspired me. While I haven't made any Keiko artwork exclusively for several years, her influence still affects my style of both Eastern and Western art to this day. I even kept one of her daughter as a mascot when I comes to this artwork. Thinking about all of this, it may not of been the healthiest way to channel this emotion, I had to make some decisions on my life that I end up regretting later. But I never regretted discovering Keiko, and learning something about myself that I may never come to terms otherwise. I don't really get to think about something about my life to often, but when it comes to remodeling my first figure, I can't help but to reflect on why I've done what I did. Why I pushed so hard to express my passion to the world rather if anyone likes it or not, my ability to learn and to build a more powerful computer just to create even more beautiful works of art, and why I'm still starving to do so to this day. I'm not going to lie, I haven't been feeling as passionate as I use to back then, I feel I did as much as can with this art style. It's been years since I heard anything about Keiko, and the only thing that keep me going was the Graphic Novel I'm working on. Times change and People move on, that's just natural, which makes this more so important to me that I recreate this model as a reminder of why I'm still doing this. I remember a quote from Keiko long ago of what motivated her to continue to produce music. She does it because she loves how she inspire those who listens to it. If music can change someone for the better then it's all worth it. I feel the same way about my own artwork, I wanted to have that type of impact with my talent as she does with her, and this is a reminder of that. This time this is not just a test render on Lady Keiko, but a homage of the Bijin that change my life and my prospective on what's Beauty means to me. Here's a nice background music to listen to: I'm glad that you feel this way Lunar Eclipse Theme Song: Moonbathing The Lunar Eclipse in Tapastic The Lunar Eclipse Act II Hit me up on Twitter: @AxelDoi and Tumblr: Ask the Equestrians for updates or you want to chat. I'm trying to more active there you know. ACT I ACT II Software used: Daz Studio 4.9 Pro, Face Den Artist Pro, Adobe Photoshop CC 2017, Iray, Poser Pro 2014 Patreon

Clear Sky, 24°C

2 Chome-4-8 Ōmiya, Chūō-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka-ken 810-0013, Japan

Day 12 Universal Studios Japan - Osaka Maddy and Ville had decided to head to Kobe for the day, however Vicki had been most insistent that I visited USJ as their Halloween celebration was on and they have a zombie takeover of the whole park when night falls. With that in mind I had decided to head there on my own - however Naoko luckily managed to get the day off work so I had a friend with me, which made the day even better. Strangely, in Japan, at all convenience stores, you are able to buy tickets for the local attractions, so to avoid queues we managed to do this in the morning before catching a couple of trains over to USJ. Even before you make it into the park-proper the surrounding areas are all set up like an American-style city, surrounding you with Hollywood style restaurants and shops including Hard Rock Cafe. We headed into the park and I was not expecting it to be so immersive - the closest experience I can compare it to in the UK is Boomtown - with all the different areas built up perfectly to match their themes. A true 'theme' park. First up we headed to Jurassic Park for the Flying Dinosaur. This is a rollercoaster that is similar to 'Air' in Alton Towers in that you're lifted up so you are facing the floor, 'flying' round the track head first. It's also the only roller coaster I've ever been on with a full forward loop. Really good fun, and an amazing view of the park and surrounding areas. Onward to the Jurassic Park ride - I didn't realise that this was a water ride until we were nearly on the ride. It's a boat tour of Jurassic Park, complete with theme music and giant animatronic dinosaurs. Starts off pretty tame going past herbivores and such, before a fork in the road where a 'malfunction' occurs, taking you into an unauthorised area filled with carnivores jumping out at you from the dark recesses of the generator area, culminating with a giant T-Rex jumping out at you from above before a steep drop into the water below. How could we have made the same mistake as at Fuji-Q and gotten soaked feet (and everything else!) once again at the start of the day? Thankfully at this point the sun came out, and we dried off pretty quickly! Space Fantasy was an inside ride where you queued in a space port before being whisked round a track on a spinning space ship with amazing space visuals throughout. Next up was Hollywood Dream - a long rollercoaster with a personal soundsystem in every seat that you can choose the track on, with favourites such as Justin Timberlake and Pitbull... I stuck with the J-Pop they select for you! No loops, but a fun ride none-the-less, that covers half of the park - again with great views. We chilled in the park area for a bit and took in the views over the lake in the middle of the park - once again beautiful!📷 The Chucky horror maze was pretty scary, with Chucky staring at you menacingly and jumping out at every corner. Creepy and shocking in equal measures. Spiderman was another inside rollercoaster, however this one was in '4D'. You queue through the offices of the Daily Bugle, with J Jonah Jameson greeting you at every turn through smart quips on posters all throughout - most of them threatening you with being fired. The ride itself had you put on 3D glasses and travel through New York whilst Spiderman fought villains from the sewers to the rooftops, often with you being attacked with flames (shot with heat cannons), sprayed with water (self explanatory), or electrocuted (vibrating chairs). It ended with a huge drop off a building before inevitably being caught by Spiderman whilst he simultaneously tied up all the villains. A really novel experience being part 4D movie, part rollercoaster and part flight sim. We checked out the parade next, which included dancing Minions and Persian Dancers, amongst other things. We entered the Cyberdyne Systems offices next where we were taken on a tour by a presumably insane and fairly demanding Japanese woman who I'm sure from the reaction of the crowd (and my own intuition) was making loads of hilarious jokes - unfortunately I couldn't understand a thing and it was too fast paced for Naoko to translate for me. We were led into a demo of the new Terminator models. This was hacked by John and Sarah Connor (I presume) who then intruded on the demo. The T2000 then attacked and killed the Japanese lady and before long a Japanese Arnie had somehow appeared on a motorbike to save the day! This was also in 4D and I must admit I did struggle a bit with this as it was quite a long show and fully in Japanese. Still good fun, but frustrating as I think it would've been a real highlight as the acting throughout seemed stellar - I just couldn't understand it. Next we entered The Maze 3 - A Nightmare On Elm Street branded horror maze. This one we were split into groups and all forced to march through the Freddie themed maze slowly all holding onto a short rope. Whilst being fully immersive and a great representation of the series I didn't find this one quite as scary as the first, although there was one jump scare which got me - badly! Finally 6PM was nearing, so we chilled until the main event of the day... Zombies! As darkness fell the whole park was invaded by multiple kinds of zombies running round in packs. From chainsaw zombies, to mental patients, to twisted kids, big fatties 📷 and zombie midgets we were harassed and harangued by hordes of the undead and (badly) protected by SWAT teams whose idea of saving us seemed to be putting us into more precarious positions than before. There were multiple mobs of zombies throughout the park with set pieces such as: -A human being attacked on the bonnet of a car by a group of zombies led by a midget (all the while being attacked by zombies from behind as we crowded around to watch). -SWAT team leading park guests onto a bus before the bus was raided by zombies. -SWAT team leading guests (including us!) into a cage for 'protection' only for zombies to break down the door and chase us all out. -A zombie flash dance led by a hench tribally tattooed zombie. -A zombie woman locked in a cage with other zombies joining her before they started feasting on something out of sight at the front of the cage... When we approached we were sprayed with blood (water!). -A little girl zombie stood on a podium maniacally laughing with a teddy bear. All in all there must've been around 20 types of different zombies, each with their own personalities, looks and sounds. Amazing immersion and acting. What an experience! Thanks Vicki for convincing me that I had to go. Taking respite from the Zombies we headed to The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter. After a short walk through the grounds of Hogwarts, including a quick pass by of the Weasley's abandoned car, we were into a real-life Hogsmeade. It was absolutely incredible, with all the shops represented well, such as Zonko's Joke Shop, Honeydukes, The Hog's Head, .Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, Dervish and Bangs and so on. Again the immersion and style was spot on with Hogwarts Castle illuminated in the background. I was shocked to realise that we could walk all the way up to Hogwarts 📷 and inside it. Truly a sight to behold at night! Inside the castle we passed through all the sights including a classroom (unsure which), Dumbledore's office (complete with Dumbledore hologram), The Great Hall and up the staircase - complete with unsettling pictures where some would occaisionally subtly move, some would speak to you and even the ones that didn't had eyes that seemed trained on you at all times - I can't stress how cool this was as they appeared to be real paintings but were animated in a such a convincing way that you still thought them to be paintings despite the animation. Next up was The Forbidden Journey - another 4D rollercoaster in the same vein as Spiderman, however this one was half animation, half real models and took us all around the grounds of Hogwarts including The Chamber of Secrets, The Triwizard Tournament and a game of Quidditch. No sign of He Who Must Not Be Named, but plenty of Dementors causing all sorts of mischief before being Expecto Patronum'd away by Harry, just before he caught the Golden Snitch. I'm really running out of superlatives to describe how awesome this was! As we came out of Hogwarts suddenly the castle was illuminated by a blueish light. Harry, Ron and Hermione appeared as did another student - unsure which due to the half English, half Japanese dialogue. Suddenly there were Dementors flying all over the castle, before one attacked the nameless student on the roof with the Dementor's kiss. Many Patronuses were cast before they all joined as one to finally get rid of the Dementors for good. The nameless student was somehow alright as well - not sure how they got away with that one! A quick trip to look over Hogwarts Lake (again, amazing view of the castle), before we headed through the zombie horde once again to ride the Flying Dinosaur one last time before leaving the park We ended up grabbing Takoyaki for dinner📷 , this time with many different toppings - I somehow managed to eat 16 this time, quite a feat! Naoko also showed me the correct way to use chopsticks (post included picture) finally! We hopped on the train back and said our goodbyes - hopefully we'll meet again one day!

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Game Dev Update | 4.28.17

“You ate the last Twinkie...” - Master Dwarf Thisguy ^

We’ve waited to show more than a glimpse of the dwarven race on Embermark until our own hammers were pounding out the mass of loot we’ve promised in Dev Updates past. Now that the promised loot train is rolling, it’s time to really take a look at our stout, grumpy friends. 

Last update, we covered the beginning of our game mode experimentation, world map navigation, a Legendary sword and the ability to view your Battle History. This time, its about content and gameplay. Read on to check out our new icon system, new battle environments, new loot, an upcoming AMA, your chance to help design an item that ends up in the game and what we’re learning about battle mechanics. 

Oh, and dwarves.

DWARVES

Whether they’re holed up in the caverns and carved-out tunnels of Siege or feverishly rebuilding the once-great Anglon, dwarves in Embermark are a force to be reckoned with. Here’s an Elite version of our angry fellow from above:  

We started the dwarf-creation process exploring what we wanted the basic proportions, faces and gear types to be, as well as where they reside in Embermark and what their background is. As you can see below, Beardbo Grumperson IV there on the far right is a look we’ve stuck with through the representation of our Elite fellow above. 

There are a few geographic locations where the dwarves in Embermark tend to be found (though they travel and team up a bit more than dwarves in many other settings), and as mentioned before, the region of Siege is one of them. They’ve gone underground for the past several hundred years as Embermark was overrun and a terrible place to live, but a few ancient entrances to their underground lairs are still visible on the world map:

3D design proceeded much as all the humanoid races we’re developing have-- from the base player model, with some changes that led into a distinctly dwarven look:

And unless the dwarf in question has been beaten in battle to a humiliating degree lately, he/she usually has some manner of facial style going on:

We couldn’t resist this one:

And this one, with a better look at some of the tattoo designs we’re playing with:

I’ve mentioned the history and background of the wolves in Embermark before (despite my bold-face lie about there being no rats, bats, wolves or skeletons in this game). They’re a mean and cunning lot, with far more organization to a “pack” than typical. 

Well, this gives you a clue about how dwarves on the continent feel about them:

Depending on the proportions of our humanoid NPCs, we’re making versions of all their gear to also fit the player, for extra tasty drops.

ICONS

When you have a lot of lootses in a RPG, someone has to make the icons. And usually, artists hate doing it cuz there’s so many and it takes so long and it’s not sexy.

WRONG.

With Exiles, it is sexy (and so are you).  We’ve had the same placeholder sword/boot/pants icons in just about every screenshot you’ve seen up till now (like here and here). No more!

Because we aren’t satisfied with that (and hate sleep), we created a new icon creation pipeline that takes EACH design for a piece of loot and creates an icon for it. So for every item you get, you’ll see a Tier 3 (that’s the highest) image of that item over a rarity color (either nothing, blue, purple, gold, or green) to give your loadout that extra oomph you’ve been looking for. 

GAME MODE EXPERIMENTS

As fast as the content train is moving, the mechanics train is hurtling along just as fast. Now that we have most of the Abilities, Stats and Talents working for the Warrior and Mage classes, we’re diving into what will make the moment-to-moment gameplay the most strategic, satisfying... and visceral! To that end, we have our 4-Ability loadout that we’ve talked a lot about, but last week, we got a second mode of combat going-- The Deck. 

With The Deck, the rules of the game are still the same:

 WEGO-style turn-based with initiative determining order of ability execution 

Abilities combine with Gear & Talents to create effects on either character

First character to die (there’s no fainting in Exiles) loses

However, instead of a 4-Ability Set, you now choose 8. 4 are chosen for you randomly at the beginning of a Battle and the others are in queue. As you use Abilities, they cycle back into the deck and the next Ability in the deck becomes available (see the smaller “coming” Ability represented below-- that is WIP as is everything in these Updates, and it will get a proper UI representation if it ends up being something we support).

Initial testing has proven fun and maddening-- my main Mage “MoarMagicks”still can’t consistently beat SingmeAsong’s main Warrior “Jackal,” despite my clearly superior strategies and build-- and we have some work to do on what the mode does to overall balance. But it’s promising, and we’re excited to show it to you if it ends up passing muster. 

AMA

We’re getting ready to do another AMA! If you’ve got burning questions about Exiles, from features to rules to lore to whatever, join the crew and the community for an evening of anything goes-- even making fun of the devs-- we can take it. Submit questions/discussions now on the Reddit thread, and we’ll have some answers ready. And you can win stuff! We’ll be doing some good old-fashioned rolling (of virtual dice) for in-game prizes (loot table is forthcoming, and will be published on the AMA thread in the forums).

So head over to the Discord channel on MAY 9 at 5:30 PM Central Time and get the inside scoop on all things Exiles.

WE HAVE AN ANDROID BUILD

“WHAT?!”

Yes. MANY of our early testing sign-ups have Android devices, and I have some good news for them-- we have an early Android build! Now, before any shenanigans break out, you should know that it’s rough, new and not as far along as the iOS build. But it lives, and you Android users will be kicking arses before too long right beside your iOS brethren.

VANISIR 

Along the southwest of Embermark is a region called Vanisir, a mostly arid-- but critical-- piece of land, given its major port, resources and the presence of a manageable Breach. We’re rolling out Battle environments for each of our starting world zones, and Vanisir’s first can be seen here, with an unfortunate player sizing up the enemy that I can’t stop showing to you-- the overly intelligent and vicious WOLF. 

“Hey, didn’t I just see you atop some dwarven shoulder armor?”

THE PLAYER CREATED GEAR CONTEST (PCGC)

Players have been guiding us every step of the way toward Embermark and it’s time for them to get a piece of loot or two (or more) in the game. All of the rules surrounding battle and loot haven’t been revealed, but those of you following the development of the game probably have an idea or two rolling around in your heads about a piece of equipment that would do X, Y, or Z.

So the 1st Exiles Player Created Gear Contest (PCGC) is on! Check this thread in the forums for all the details and how to submit your idea. One lucky (and clever, and creative) winner will get their piece of loot in the game (and get a copy of it themselves) and many will win prizes based on the criteria you see in the official thread!

LOOT UPDATE

The loot train continues, and our artists are feverishly designing, modeling texturing and lootzing armor weapons and even rings now (rings are just icons, so they won’t show up on your person, but whatevs). 

Armor for the Warrior is getting the color-tell treatment, as we showed for the Mage armor earlier. You’ll see it throughout the system as you start to play, and it’s turning out to be both useful and sometimes hilarious, depending on the how close your gear build preferences are to your color preferences (did someone say transmog? *whistles as he walks away). 

Behold the Axe of Cleaving (your head from your body)!

You will see this spear put to good use by our draconian friend below.

I’m not even sure what to say here other than I wouldn’t want it connecting with any part of me...

We continue to design various silhouettes for shields, for those sword-and-board enthusiasts out there...

And here’s one more! (this one’s a stock broadsword, but I still lurve it)

MILITARY

Last couple of Updates, we’ve been showing off a race of baddies that will hound and hinder you throughout your journey to be among the Marked. Their political and military machinations threaten to overrun the entirety of Embermark.

They also look like dragons, have wings and are awesome. Now we’ve got them animating in the engine and will be playable in short order. Like the dwarf above, we created their gear with an eye towards dropping it for you to use in your own loadouts.

(Alas, I had to fool with this one quite a bit to get it under Tumblr’s 2 MB GIF limit, so if you want a higher quality look at this attack, it’s here)

REMEMBER

We’ll keep sharing details as we head into testing (remember to PM TheWizard on the Exiles forums if you want in on closed testing & beta later), and you can count on early impressions from the testers throughout our various channels.

If you haven’t already, follow along with the Exiles development on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And if you haven’t, I’ll find you. And SMITE you.

GET IN ON THE CHATTER

If you want to hear about the game, ask questions or connect with others who are helping the development team think about features, design and narrative, hop into the Discord Channel for live chat and say hi– it’s a friendly lot with plenty of daily shenanigans (there’s even a Shenaniganizer).

THE BONUS

I leave this here without comment.

3D Printing

So, yeah. 3D Printing. It’s not normally something I really think about, since it always seemed like the kind of thing that was still in development, given that it seemed too “advanced” to be completely true. I mean, just imagine, technology that can just print you what you need? Come on. It’s probably still being fine-tuned or… something.

Well, lo and behold, I was wrong! Like I am about so many things. Anyways, 3D Printing has come a long way since it was first brought up as an idea, and at this point in time 3D printers are actually quite capable of printing various complex things like a flute, a camera lens, a fully functioning acoustic guitar, a loom (those complicated things they used way back when to weave things), medical models, a case for your iPhone, a hanging light…

…And a fully functioning gun. Did I forget to mention that? That seems like something that would be important to know.

Oh do you think I’m joking? I’m really not. Sometime before, when 3D Printing was still relatively new, some guns could already be made – it’s just that they broke after the first few shots were fired. Now they don’t! Technology evolves so fast.

But I’m sure you get what I’m talking about, right? Sure, 3D Printing is useful and all since it allows us to more easily and conveniently create the things we need without having to go out all that much. That’s really not in question. But what price does that accessibility and convenience come at?

Since I already mentioned it, let’s start with the whole “YOU CAN PRINT GUNS NOW, CONGRATION” thing. Gun control is already a massive issue in the United States, and you’re really going to make it so people can just MAKE their own guns if they have 3D Printers? What’s that going to do in relation to gun-related violence? Let me make clear that we’re not talking just handguns here, though those are already pretty goddamn dangerous on their own.

https://www.cnet.com/news/the-3d-printed-gun-controversy-everything-you-need-to-know/

While the article that I’ve linked above does make the point that one can’t “just” print the guns themselves, the fact remains that with some blueprints or basic knowledge one can just buy the parts they need to complete said firearm. Not to mention that while expensive, you can also still print the metal parts that you need.

Like… dude, I’ve only got 1000 words max on this article. Guns aren’t even the only issue 3D printing brings along with it. They are, however, probably the most worrying. Just think; these blueprints are online. If I were so inclined, I could probably get them pretty easily off the internet off several sites from a google search or three. All I’d need then is a 3D Printer and the needed materials. Isn’t that… kind of scary? That that kind of danger is made so much harder to properly manage because of how technology enables it?

What do 3D Printers mean for socio-economic concerns? Because like I said, 3D Printers are VERY flexible. They can make a lot! So many things, in fact, that they might start putting manufacturing companies out of business.

Maybe not food companies (yet) but things like, say, medical equipment, molding, maybe even toy companies? What happens to them when everyone can just make their own thing if they have a blueprint for it?

One could make the argument that they would also employ the use of 3D Printers, but then what happens to the people who work there? Do they just go their own merry way? Good luck, hope you find a job that gives you an adequate, livable wage when your skillset has been negated by 3D Printers?

I guess I’d like to close this post by saying that all the things 3D Printers can do are definitely pretty cool… but maybe we should be more cautious about what this kind of tech will do to our society as a whole. Stuff like 3D Printers might seem like there are mostly just positives, but let’s all look a little deeper to see what kind of negatives there are, yes?

If it helps, call it being realistic instead of pessimistic.

Sources, for anyone who might want to read the same things I did:

http://www.koreascience.or.kr/article/JAKO201524848647901.page

https://www.cnet.com/news/the-3d-printed-gun-controversy-everything-you-need-to-know/

https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/3d-printings/

https://gizmodo.com/the-3d-printed-gun-threat-is-getting-weird-and-scary-1835694478

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/3d-printed-guns-blueprints

Let’s hope I didn’t get put on some government watchlist for specifically googling about 3D Printing guns…