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endangered-liaison · 5 years

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A Cruel Awakening

There are flowers.

That's all she knows, so far.

Scarlet sits, in interminable fog, and she just wants to see. To know what has happened to her home since she left. She'd had such a long journey home when she'd heard about the flood of light approaching Voeburt, but it was a road worth taking. Getting caught by a pixie when she was so close to home had been sheer bad luck. Telling it where to go shove its errands had been a mistake.

Judging by the dark, murky nature of the mist, it seems like the Light hasn't yet reached this place. But she can't exactly be sure, with the fog surrounding her as it is. It could be almost dawn, for all she knows. Or barely dusk. Or anywhere in between.

She's under the spell of the Fey - she's worked that part out. She can't see more than a few feet in front of her face, the fog is so thick everywhere she turns. It would be one thing if they would simply face her and tell her what she needs to do to earn her freedom (not that pixies are wont to let their entertainment go without reason), but as it is, she hasn't heard hide or hair of them since she...woke up.

She'd wandered in what she thought was the direction of home, but had only found a pond - Handmirror Lake, most likely, but it felt like it was in the wrong direction. After that bit of directional confusion, she'd chosen to sit down. There's no way to make progress when the pixies have you under their spell. Any old wives tale will tell you that.

She looks at the topiary she's sitting next to. Its strange face stares right back at her in quiet astonishment. Or perhaps a silent scream. Poor bastard, frozen for who knows how long. She supposes it could've been worse. Instead of just making her have a nap, she might've been turned into one of those things. It seems the pixies had been merciful to her. She just wishes they'd appear and tell her what to do.

"Pixies?" She asks, quietly. "I don't know if you're here, and I don't know what I have to do to earn my freedom. So please...speak to me, and I will do whatever is in my power to help you."

She knows she shouldn't speak to them. That words give them power over your soul. But she was so close. She can practically taste the bread of her home, and she refuses to sit here and do nothing, or to try and flee. She's come so far, across Norvrandt, and she isn't giving up now.

There's a giggling next to her. Or above her. Or...within her? It buzzes in her ears like tinnitus, everywhere and nowhere all at once, and Scarlet reaches for the blade on her back.

"Now, now! You asked to speak with me! Drawing your weapon isn't a very nice way to say hello, is it?"

The voice comes from everywhere, just like the giggling, and Scarlet forces herself to take a calming breath. Flying off the handle when a pixie played its games with her was exactly what got her into this fine mess to begin with. She lets go of her sword's hilt and nods.

"That's better, isn't it?" The voice is uncomfortably close to her ear - far too intimate for her liking. "Now. Give me your name, little mortal, and I will tell you mine?"

Give me your name.

A trap, if Scarlet's ever heard one.

"You may call me Scarlet. I am a knight-errant of this land."

A whine of displeasure. "Oh, you're no fun, Scarlet!"

"I believe you promised a trade?" She ignores the jibe, quirking an eyebrow at the thin air to her left where she assumes a pixie to be.

"Over here, silly."

She looks right, and practically bumps her nose into the face of a pixie. She yelps and falls back to the floor, kicking up a cloud of pollen around herself.

The pixie giggles again, clapping their hands together in unrestrained delight. "Oh, I changed my mind! If you're that jumpy all the time, you will be quite a lot of fun after all!"

Scarlet brushes pollen from her armour and scowls, trying to regain her composure after that particular surprise.

"Oh, but where are my manners? I am Oul Uin!" They do a twirl in midair, demonstrating themselves. "A pixie, but you knew that part already."

They lean on their hands in midair, batting their eyes at Scarlet. "So, what is it that had you pleading for our help so earnestly, [idiot mortal]?"

Scarlet decides she isn't going to ask what that last phrase means. "I...I want to go home." She decides that honesty is her only way out of this. She can't trick a pixie - especially not one who's holding all the cards. "I was on the road back, after such a long journey, and I was almost to Voeburt when another pixie - or maybe you, I'm not certain - barred my path and started to play games with me."

"And let me guess - you didn't want to play mean old Thon Sul's games?"

Scarlet nods. Thon Sul. So this pixie she's speaking with knows who put her to sleep.

"Voeburt, you said? Such an ugly, mortal world. We call this place Il Mheg. It's much nicer."

Il Mheg.

She supposes the pixies would have their own word for the town.

"How long do you think you were, ah, asleep, little mortal?"

Scarlet blinks.

She doesn't like something within Oul Uin's tone.

"A few hours? A day, perhaps?"

She doesn't feel hungry or thirsty, so it can't have been that long. And her armour still looks the same as it did before (save for a little extra pollen coating it). No dirt or mess.

Oul Uin's face shifts to something approaching...pity? "Oh, [poor mortal, lost in time]."

The words are elegant. Beautiful. And completely alien to Scarlet's ears. "I didn't understand that, I'm sorry."

"You will, dear mortal."

Scarlet rubs her head, adjusting the circlet there a little to have it sit more comfortably. "What must I do to earn my freedom, Oul Uin?"

The pixie floats close to her face, humming before poking an eyebrow. "You're in luck, dear mortal."

She doesn't exactly feel lucky. And having a pixie say that to her fills her with a sense of deep dread.

"As it happens, we're having a little bit of a celebration at the moment. Most of the Fey are busy having fun everywhere else. I'm the only one who's noticed you bumbling about so far. Thon Sul was bored of having you in their garden and let you go. I don't think they even noticed you wandering off! But their loss--" Oul Uin circles around Scarlet's body rapidly, a high-pitched tinkling sound accompanying the movements as they lift one of Scarlet's arms, poke her cheek, and finally burrow into her hair. "Their loss is my gain, little mortal!"

Scarlet's feeling of dread notches up from horrified to apocalyptic.

"Oh, don't give me that face!" Oul Uin says, despite being burrowed in Scarlet's hair and having no way of looking at the Galdjent's facial expression. "The [Madbloom] has come home. They spent so long out in the world that it changed them! They had so much fun out there, amongst the mortals - and I want to have fun, too! So I'm going to offer you a deal, little mortal. A pact."

A pact with a pixie.

Every lesson she's ever heard tells her how bad of an idea that is. That pacts with pixies end with death, despair, and anatomically impossible unpleasantness.

But she's so close. Her home needs her. She's been away for too long already.

"What sort of pact?" she asks.

"A pact for the world!!!" Oul Uin fights their way out of Scarlet's hair, beaming and bouncing with energy.

Yep. Awful idea.

"The [Madbloom] left here and came back with the best mortals to play with I've ever seen, and then became the King! The King!! I want all of that! Well, not the king part, ruling with benevolence sounds terribly boring, but all the rest! I want to see what they saw, I want to see things they never dreamed of seeing! I want to have fun that no-one here could ever dream of having!" They float forwards and poke Scarlet's cheek. "And you are my ticket to that. A roaming knight! It's so romantic and old-fashioned!"

Old-fashioned? Rude. But...the idea doesn't sound awful. It doesn't sound like she'd be forced into anything she isn't doing already.

"Make a pact with me, mortal, and I will give you your eyes, that you might see the path laid out before you."

Scarlet takes a slow breath.

Is she really considering this?

"...You won't interfere?"

"I'll be as quiet as a stealthy mouse."

Somehow, Scarlet doubts that. "...I'll agree, on one condition."

"You need but name what you desire, Scarlet." Oul Uin smiles beatifically.

She holds up a finger. "I want to stay in Voeburt and help it, at least for a little while. I'll resume my quest, in time, but I must see to my city first."

Oul Uin's expression flickers to what it was before, when Scarlet had said she'd been asleep for a day. But, after a moment, they bounce a little again, shaking off whatever mood had overtaken them. "I solemnly swear to give you as much time as the people of Voeburt require."

Oh.

They agreed to that...rather readily. Scarlet hadn't been expecting that.

She supposes that means...

"...Okay."

Oul Uin makes a scoffing noise of deep dissatisfaction. "What sort of pact is that? Okay?! I thought you were a knight! You're supposed to be good at oaths and things, aren't you?"

Is this pixie seriously asking her to swear an oath?

Judging from the serious expression on their face, the answer to that rhetorical question is yes.

She reaches for her blade, drawing it from her back.

Oul Uin flitters backwards, alarmed.

Scarlet drops to one knee. She holds the sword up, resting on both of her hands. Looks down. Closes her eyes. "I pledge my blade to you, Oul Uin. From this day forth, I swear to protect you. By my oath, I shall not allow harm to come to you. In the name of Voeburt, and of my Lady Sauldia, I shall be your shield."

Oul Uin spins and claps, squeaking delightedly. "Oh, very good! Very, very good!!! Oh, is it my turn now?!"

Scarlet nods, just a little, but doesn't move.

"From this moment forth, I shall be your [beautiful branch], and you my [brave sapling]. Like the branch which sprouts the sapling, our bond will flow unbroken from one to the other." Scarlet feels a flow of energy pulsing through her arms, through her body. It feels...strange. "Oh! Oh, I've always wanted to say this part! Arise, Ser Knight!"

Scarlet sheaths her blade and climbs to her feet, opening her eyes to look at Oul Uin. The mist still surrounds them both, at least for the moment.

"'Tis done! We are bound now, my Sapling."

"I still...the world is still hazy."

Oul Uin looks around, crossing their arms and hmph-ing. "Some stubborn soul isn't respecting our bond. Thon Sul, I know you're out there, and when I find you, I'll tear your wings off!!"

Scarlet's eyes widen at the sudden aggression. Okay. Note to self: don't upset Oul Uin.

"Well, I suppose we'll have to find our own solution, won't we? That circlet of yours will do. Hold it out for me, would you?"

Scarlet obliges. She pulls the circlet from her head, holding the silver metal in front of her, next to Oul Uin.

The pixie's hands reach out, pressing against the metal. Another pulse of magic follows, making the circlet glow for a brief moment.

"'Tis done. This shall allow you to see through the illusions of this world. So don't lose it, or I shall be annoyed, my Sapling."

Scarlet lifts the circlet towards herself to put it back on, only for Oul's hand to hook around one of her fingers.

"And for what it's worth, Scarlet?"

They look at her, sadly.

"I am so, so sorry."

Scarlet places the circlet on her head.

And she sees the world with eyes unclouded.

#ffxiv #Scarlet Willow #Oul Uin

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olympivnshq · 5 years

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congratulations mona ! you mentioned cat called artemis and L lost her heart immediately. mine followed suit about 10 lines later. there is an ache in HELEN that you showed through your writing in ways we had imagined, but not quite delved into the way you did. we were curious to see what applicants for her would make of whether the trojan war was a result of an affair, or a pure abduction. we’re glad you picked one route and stuck to it. we’re excited to see how helen fares in the midst of the gods who started it all with your first faceclaim choice: ROSIE HUNTINGTON WHITELEY.

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ OOC INFO.

hi hi! i’m mona, i’m currently in the gmt+2 zone, and i actually own a cat called artemis :)

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ DEITY — GENDER. AGE RANGE.

HELEN OF SPARTA — FEMALE. 28-32

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ MORTAL NAME. JOB/OCCUPATION. BOROUGH/NEIGHBORHOOD.

HEDY HATHAWAY, ACTRESS/SOCIALITE, UPPER WEST SIDE, MANHATTAN, NY

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ AESTHETICS.

classical statues, paintings covered with dust, a silken ribbon forgotten on a bench, the clatter of a spoon against porcelain when stirring tea, the sensation of velvet against skin, pearls from a ripped necklace spilling on marble floor, rose petals, old perfume, gold and pearl jewelry, fields of roses and peonies, hazy afternoons & warm vanilla ,gold highlight & shimmer, lost momentos, soft wind, sad smiles, warm hugs, choral singing somewhere far away, sun shining through big windows and flowy chiffon curtains, gentle and loving touches, dancing with your eyes closed, equal parts mysterious and electric.

☆ﾟ*・ PLAYLIST.

i. will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful? will you still love me when i’ve got nothing but my aching soul? // ii. housewife, beauty queen, homewrecker, idle teen. the ugly years of being a fool, ain’t youth meant to be beautiful? // iii. helen of troy is that your name stupid girl, stupid game - she cries all day, cries all night // iv. when i’m dead and gone, will they sing about me? dead and gone, will they scream my name? // v. mama said, you’re a pretty girl, what’s in your head it doesn’t matter - pretty hurts, shine the light on whatever’s worse, perfection is the disease of a nation // vi. in the land of gods and monsters i was an angel, living in the garden of evil // vii. she’s made of outer space and her lips are like the galaxy’s edge, and her kiss the colour of a constellation falling into place // viii. can nobody hear me? i’ve got a lot that’s on my mind, cannot breathe, can you hear it, too?

☆ﾟ*・ HOW WOULD YOU PLAY THEM?

helen of troy has always been defined by her face, a face that launched a thousand ships and started a war, and yet no one ever seems to care about the girl and soul hidden behind that mesmerizing face. beauty is a curse, a burden that comes in a disguise of a gift from gods, and helen knows this better than anyone else. she only has a face, but not a voice. she spends her whole life being controlled by various powerful men, ushered into their companies and later beds. there’s no one more alone in the world than helen of troy as she’s trapped in gilded cages and kept as some exotic bird. there are only those who wish to use her as a tool, such as her parents, husband and even the cruel gods for their little games of war, and then there are those that judge her and try to put all the blame on her, paint her as a whore, seductress and bringer of destruction in their songs, tales and poetry. but next to paris, she feels safe, understood for the first time, like she can finally make a choice in her life. and she does, she finally is allowed to make choices, she’s on a quest to enlightenment and a better life, a life in which she can decide what she wants. helen wants to have her voice heard and she wishes is to be free. she’s mostly been passive her whole life, unable to speak or take matters into her own hands, but rather she must follow the strict protocols and obey the rules others have written for her. yet helen isn’t a cruel woman despite all the loneliness and abuse, but she’s hopeful and free-spirited, always carefully waiting for the perfect moment to flee. if she could, she would trade her face with any other lady or princess, just so she could have a normal life.

a life filled with beauty, wealth and splendor was once again bestowed upon helen or rather hedy, but it all came with a very similar price indeed. hedy was born in a family filled with successful and ambitious people; a famous businessman for a father and a wealthy model for a mother with a keen eye for the finer things in life. as their only child, hedy had always struggled to live up to the high expectations of her parents, had always tried her best to make them happy while completely pushing her own happiness aside. from an early age, her mother started taking her to pageant shows, modeling and acting auditions, wishing to make a profit on her strikingly beautiful child; from a charming baby to a stunning toddler and teenager, people were practically climbing over each other to get a piece of hedy and make her their new shining star. hedy didn’t like any of it really, even in a room full of people and photographs she always felt profoundly alone, yet she never really had much courage to speak up to her parents. instead she would sneak out at night or when no one else was around and attend painting courses, cooking lessons, even parties, anything and everything that made her feel alive and less lonely. when she first got into the acting business, she had expected to finally be recognized for her hard work and not just face. but of course, she was a fool for thinking that. no matter how hard she had practiced or worked, she always got picked for similar roles, the beautiful damsel in distress, the pretty girlfriend of the main hero, the bond girl, a stunning girl without a name, the provocative but stupid blonde bombshell. her parents however were entirely pleased and so was the media and her fans. but her parents didn’t stop there as they went a search for a fitting husband. almost one year ago, she got engaged to a businessman who’s practically 15 years older than her, and while she does wear a pretty diamond ring on her finger just to please her parents, she knows that she will never marry him. among her peers, she’s known as a bit of a heartbreak among her peers, but that of course is only a facade as she wants to find someone who will truly love her for what she is and not just like her for the way she looks or what she owns. she’s learning how to be more independent and free, she’s learning how to grow and escape her parents’ shadow. she’s also become an advocate for women’s right and equality and with the help of other women, she’s learning how to love and respect herself, and never let anyone again use her as a puppet. most do see her a joke, a young, wealthy and beautiful girl like her simply cannot be unhappy, she is not allowed to be unhappy. they all claim she has everything, judge her at every possible opportunity, but hedy won’t let them get to her this time. she will fight for herself. she’s not happy, but she wants to find it, and she’ll try to seize it. one step at a time.

answer these questions: 1. are they more likely to stand with the pantheon or against it? she is more likely to stand with the pantheon, but truth be told, now she’d be quite indecisive. sometimes she feels as if the gods are simply playing with her for their own sickly-sweet entertainment. 2. what is their stand on mortals? she is a mortal and she’ll always be more fond of her own kind that the gods.

☆ﾟ*・ SAMPLE PARA (OPTIONAL)

’’ – miss hedy, miss hedy,’’ a man in a black suit calls, steady hands gripping a white phone ready to capture her every word and motion. she snaps out of her beautiful reverie, forgetting almost for a few brief moments that she’s supposed to be answering inquires and not imagining that she’s on a sunny beach somewhere with warm sand tingling beneath her toes. ’’yes?’’ she looks up, blue eyes steadily focusing on the impatient man. ’’this year you were once again named as one of the most beautiful actresses in the world, tell me how does that make you feel?’’ when she hears his inquiry, she sighs, chest trembling with disappointment.

didn’t anyone come to ask at least one single question about the movie? she asks herself, unwilling to face the truth. is that all she is? a pretty face that’s meant to be ranked with the others? a girl only born to be on display? she can almost hear the cry of thousands of women across the world, women only valued for the way they look, now for what they truly are. ‘’i’m honored. really. next question please.’’

an older woman from the audience raises her hand and with a soft smile she starts to form her question, and the more she talks the more hedy can see that her smile isn’t genuine. ‘’recently, the young and beautiful margo vera has been compared to you, from your similar career paths to looks, it’s sometimes hard to ignore the resemblance. do you see her as competition, miss hathaway?’’ she refrains from rolling her eyes, knowing that such behavior doesn’t suit a proper lady like her. in that instant she wishes they could all just leave her alone. hedy’s cherubic smile falters, but her lips are still curved upwards. ‘’no, of course not. why would i?’’

‘‘so are you saying that she could never match your looks?’’ the woman immediately jumps, searching for tiny pieces of flesh that she can fest upon like a true vulture. ‘‘no, no, i think she is extremely beautiful. i wish her nothing but the best. i’d even love to work with her,’‘ but what she wants to say is, i hope she’ll be more beautiful than me, i don’t want this, i don’t want this beauty, i’ve been carrying it all my life, but it’s too heavy for me. i want more from life. don’t you see that beauty isn’t everything?

‘‘with the recent beauty standards in the industry, do you think…’’ another man starts, but hedy stops him with a wave of her delicate hand. ‘‘that’s all for today. thank you all for coming. see you next time…’‘ she announces wearily. the wave of flashing lights before her is almost blinding.

–you look so beautiful today, smile for the camera one more time, miss hedy

– smile, i love your face

–hey over here, over here, stay for another question

it’s always like this. she’ll never be free.

☆ﾟ*・ ANYTHING ELSE?

pinterest board <3

#ohq:accepted #semi appless rp #lsrpg #literate rp #helen #helen of sparta

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megatentious · 5 years

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My lengthy defense of the most hated Persona game

Here’s my grand defense for the most hated game in the series: Persona 1, AKA Revelations: Persona. I know it’s too late to try and rehabilitate the game’s reputation on the internet, but I’m hoping that by rambling in modestly structured form for a bit, at least some folks might be able to look at Persona with a fresh perspective. It would be cool if everyone could try to understand what the game did so well and why it resonated so strongly with me and 2 or so other people. If you are the kind of person that thinks games age and become archaic, then I probably don’t have any hope of reaching you, but still, try to put yourself in the right mindset and approach the game on its own terms, and maybe you’ll discover something quite special.

So, Persona. Persona does very interesting things with choice. As the first Megaten rpg released in America, the negotiation system was a revelation (har har), providing the choice to talk your way out of battles and into rewards is a natural D&D element that never got a foothold in countless videogame conversions of the game, and in the first Persona these elements are at their peak. With every demon having four moods, four series of animation and four sets of voiced sound effects, the expanded options really let you get into the headspace of the demons you’re conversing with, unlike traditional SMT’s more spare binary system. Getting into the thick of things with complex sets of reactions (Joy + Interest, that’s what’s up) makes for a fun simulation.

The theme of choice is also really built into the game’s fabric, it’s the reason why in old usenet postings, Persona was recommended to folks who were fans of Gold Box games, during a time when RPG labels were more porous and that sneaky “J” hadn’t yet latched itself omnipresently to the term. Choice here also extends to the fifth character in your party, a friendly way to promote replay value without new game plus, and certain choices locking you out of giant chunks of the game, an unfriendly way of getting you through the game again. In a world though where developers are desperate to ensure that gamers experience all content (so many buzzwords!), the chutzpah of Persona being willing to lock you out of huge swathes of the game is something I actually admire.

It’s easy to underestimate the impact of the modern day setting in a post Persona 3/TWEWY/Alpha Protocol world, but dungeons that were hospitals and police stations and high school students snarling “EAT THIS” with MIGs in pitched street battles felt revelatory. Exploring the comically low-rent polygonal city (is this another reference to the abstracted icons of SMT1 and 2 world maps?) was actually fun, as ridiculous as waiting for traffic to pass might seem. There are also many complaints about the first person perspective dungeons, even though the rest of the game is third person, but the setting variety is nice and many of the wall patterns are quite evocative (Deva Yuga looks like Persepolis!)

The game also does PSX-era philosophizing in a tasteful and generally thoughtful way, while contemporaries were drawing from Evangelion, Persona looked to Zhuangzi and Jung. Not very high-falutin, true, but at least middle brow enough such that my 14 year old Sophie’s World reading self was entranced. The game has something neat to say about loneliness and identity and the way we construct the world around ourselves (all hinted at in the moody intro. The story is very nice and very Kaneko, even if he’s overestimating the literary quality in this interview, I’m very fond of it and it is my franchise favorite.

Here’s where I alienate the remaining people who might have been on board with me so far: if you ignore the loss of the Snow Queen Quest, a 20 hour alternate version of the story that takes place in a series of SMT:If... like towers, Revelations: Persona is actually the superior game. “Lunarvale,” a hodgepodge of America and Japan cobbled together by localizers attempting to mask the game’s origins, is actually more weird and interesting than the Mikage-cho that appears in Persona PSP. This bizarre mashup, combined with a nonsense translation attempt, somehow manages to better fit the lurid dreamscape vibe the original developers were going for. I can’t undersell how one-of-a-kind and wonderfully unsettling the game’s atmosphere is in the PSX version, and this is helped along of course by the sound.

Here are excerpts from some things I wrote on the music in this game:

Revelations: Persona has the best soundtrack in the franchise, possibly the best soundtrack ever made. In raw quantitative terms it's ridiculous, 113 songs and 3 hours of music without being looped, and all without doing Persona 2's trick of repeated (but still awesome!) remixes. Two majorly sweet leitmotifs for the two major quests, employed creatively and thoughtfully, four fantastic composers on four discs, cohesive and thematically coherent when by all rights it should feel disjointed as fuck, this is a generous OST!

Hidehito Aoki (R.I.P.) composed the dungeon music, which is exquisite. Lengthy songs that are moody, elegant, just plain beautiful and get you PUMPED! The iconic Deva Yuga Monochrome: School Revisited Dream-like, synthy, catchy, beautiful, quintessential Persona sound. Pandora's Den (Deepmost Area): The climax at 1:12! Ice Castle/Black Snow The twists and turns in this one, so effing good. Sebek Music, Karma Palace 90's music is the best!!! Misaki Okibe's range is ridiculous, she composed some of the most memorable, interesting tracks in the whole game. Reverse Dream World: You think you have this song figured out in the first few seconds, but stick around to see where it suddenly veers off to around :30, hilarious and awesome. Theme of Nemurin's Love: The intro! The power of a simple lovely melody, a little Uematsu-esque. Augustia's Wood: The save music, so memorable, I love the grumbling. City 2 Accident: Do you remember wandering the streets in the town, disoriented, listening to this gorgeousness, thinking about how Lunarvale suddenly seemed so scary, like an unsettling dream? Bar Attacked by Harem Queen: A bit of jazzy beauty. And most important of all of course, Misaki Okibe is the composer of the Pharmacy Music, featuring vocals by one Hidehito Aoki of all people. Satomi Tadashi Drugstore Song In our heads forever, teaching us about item use since 1996.

More alienating for readers who have gotten this far: the “whitewashing” character designs were all improvements, Kazuma Kaneko redrew everything himself and it’s easy to tell that a lot of thought was put into the redesigns. Finally, Mark is also >>>> Masao, everyone’s always yelling about the jive-talking but to me he came across as quite smart and savvy. I dunno, maybe this is just a Flavor of Love/Outsourced minorities just wanna see themselves effect operating here, leave me alone you guys! So yes, the franchise’s current fanbase might not be fond of them, but the cast is comprised of characters that are meant to be iconic and not friends you wish you had in real life, a cast that, FFVI-like, is meant to evoke broader themes and not follow the typical arcs of many RPGs these days. Check out the classiness of Yuki’s design, and allow me to quote some more stuff on how Tsuchiya, master of the character theme, nails it for each party member.

The sign of a good character theme is when you can extrapolate from instrument choice and melody to personality. Here Tsuchiya is the man, no one does it better this side of Uematsu. I hear these songs and I've got a perfect picture in my mind of each cast member. It's what I think of when I think of "videogame music" ha, here are my personal favorites, I could listen to these endlessly. Mary/Maki: Cheerful, just a hint of melancholy in the notes, love that slap bass. Yuki: Starts a bit slow, but soon we learn that Yuki's cool but determined. Alana: The song tells me she's brassy, energetic, fun. Chris/Reiji: Dangerous, exciting, a bad-ass delinquent. Ellen/Elly: Classy, elegant, confident.

Some also rag on the dungeon design, but it seems unfair to expect centerpiece labyrinths along the lines of Strange Journey or Etrian Odyssey in a game going for something completely different. Nevertheless, you’ve got tricky mazes with dead ends that test resource allocation skills and provide a sense of accomplishment. Encounters are tough and require thought, careful consideration of when to flee and negotiate is imperative for dungeon survival. This is something that gets lost a bit in the PSP remake as the encounter rate is increased but battles are a bit easier. Exploiting elemental weaknesses isn’t as elegant as in later games, but with a ludicrously high 14 damage types breadth supersedes depth. And there’s even a positioning system to consider that the developers decided to drop from later games rather than refine. In the end, surviving the dungeon and beating the boss is an RPG staple that just plain works, although yes you will probably grit your teeth at some of the loading times.

And finally, you don’t have to take my random word for it. Parish really liked it too! How’s that for an appeal to authority?

For series buffs, it’s fun to trace this game’s historical lineage, as one of the earlier spinoffs of Shin Megami Tensei, it's easy to spot the mainline series influence: the occultism of the opening ritual, the hospital as first dungeon, the first person perspective for dungeon travel, BLUE POINTER MAN, and the omnipresent danger of demons in town and dungeon alike. Revelations: Persona is drawing from a rich and storied history, but manages to recast SMT traditions in interesting new directions. Again, the atmosphere is really unbelievable and something I haven’t come across in other games. It’s more than a simple curiosity and it doesn’t deserve dumb dismissal or sneering derision for its flaws. Revelations: Persona is a real marvel, modern games ought to draw more inspiration from its lessons, and the game belongs in the RPG canon, there I said it!

#persona #revelations persona #persona 1 #unjustly maligned

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batsintheshadows · 6 years

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Athera the Companion

Inquisitor’s Name: Athera Lavellan Race / Class / Specialisation: Rogue Elf Assassin Gender Identity: Female

Varric’s Nickname for them: Antlers

Short bio: As a typical da’len hunter nearing the time she could recieve her vallaslin, Athera was taken by slavers while away from the camp with her younger brother. Her sacrifice allowed the clan to escape, but lead to a grueling ordeal before she escaped and found her way back home. Now she is a respected hunter and occasionally travels to visit the elves that live in human cities, so they may know more of their history should they be interested. She also assists with problems that the human guards tend to ignore.

What would their companion card look like? I actually commissioned one of these! it hasnt quite been finished yet tho.

Athera aiming her bow high above her head with a victorious smile as the sun rises, a halla head with three arrows in the horns formed from the clouds behind her and a green bird perched on her shoulder, coat billowing in the wind.

More under the cut, because theres gonna be a LOT here.

Recruitment mission: Athera approaches the Inquisition in Val Royeaux, quietly and from a side street. She wears a hood to hide her face and when asked about it she says that she may be making a poor choice, and if she is it would be better to have the option to hide. Athera tells the Inquisitor that she is visiting family in the city, and has discovered that elves have been vanishing. She says she wants to see what’s going on, but has a feeling that whatever is happening is too much for one person to handle. If pressed about her identity, Athera stays vague, saying that she could get in trouble for looking into this at all, and wouldn’t want that to affect anyone she cares about.

If the Inquisitor agrees to investigate she tells them to meet her at a certain location at midnight, and not to worry about her too much. She has enough martial training to help in any fights there might be.

When you meet up with her, Athera is nervous, checking her arrows and pulling her hood down further over her face. If you ask her about it she says she hasnt ever done “anything quite like this” before.

When you enter the building, you discover a slaver ring and some captured elves. Athera strikes first, no matter what you say, and in the ensuing fight her hood comes off, revealing her vallaslin. when everything is said and done Athera very pointedly ignores the party in favour of freeing the captured elves, who are very grateful for her arrival. She asks if they will be able to get back to the alienage safely and one of them says that they can get them there, leaving Athera free to look for letters and talk to the party.

She picks up some letters and folds her arms, and asks the Inquisitor if they are going to take any sort of action now that they know a Dalish elf is meddling in the city. There is an option to tell her that if she joins The Inquisition then the Inquisitor will stay quiet. Athera is silently furious, but says she would prefer this to end without bloodshed if possible. Athera Greatly Disapproves if you pick this option. You can also ask about her lying to the group. Athera claims she never lied and points out the ways that everything she said was technically true.

Otherwise you can attempt to turn her in, which causes her to flee and become unrecruitable. or you can say that you won’t alert the guards. In the latter case, she is grateful and asks to join The Inquisition. When asked why she says:

“I’m not stupid. A big hole in the sky? Demons around every corner? This could be the end of the world. My clan can’t outrun that. You’re the only ones I’ve seen even trying to make a difference. If theres any way out of this, its with the people that arent caught up in petty squabbles. So yes, I won’t like being away from my clan for so long, but I’ll like it even less if the world dies.”

She agrees to meet the Inquisitor back in Haven, and pulls her hood back up, heading off into the night.

Where they would be in Skyhold / Haven: In Skyhold she would probably hang around in the gardens, but move to somewhere around the stables if it was converted into a chantry garden. In Haven she would be on the docks by the frozen lake.

Personal quests:

Quest 1: After arriving in Skyhold and gaining some approval, Athera will go over what she found in the slavers letters. She says that the slavers were reporting to a merchant called Vivicus, and that she suspects that theyre related to the Venatori. Athera has followed a trail that has ended in Redcliffe, and asks the Inquisitor to go with her as backup. If the Inquisitor tries to bring Dorian, the cutscene will not trigger and Athera will suggest trying again with “company better suited to the operation. Like people that never owned slaves maybe.” Once the cutscene triggers, Athera give you what she knows about the slaver. A small and pretty easy fight with demons ensues as you enter the building, and the party makes it up the stairs to a room with a man in fine clothes sitting on a chair facing away from the group. As the group approaches, the man falls sideways when touched, revealing he is very dead and has a note stapled to his chest that simply says “your move Inquisition -V”. Athera is upset by this, and tells the Inquisitor that they need to be sure the body gets proper death rites. Back at Skyhold Athera thanks the Inquisitor for their help and apologises for dragging them into her mess. She says that itll probably last a while as well, if this guys as much of an asshole as he seems to be.

Quest 2: Occurs after either The Fade or The Winter Palace. Athera is reading a letter, and claims that its information on Vivicus. If asked about where the letter came from, Athera says she’s been tracking weird courier orders and got lucky with this one. Athera says the letter reveals that Vivicus has somehow discovered her identity and is using it against her. She doubts her clan will be targeted, but asks permission to grant them safe passage through the surrounding lands and trading rights at Skyhold. She admits that in spite of what her clan could bring in, its really just a favour to her. If the Inquisitor agrees, you get the option to open a new area on the war table, but cannot select Dorian for the mission. When you arrive, you run into an ambush of slavers who seem to be expecting you. The fight is really difficult, but you only need to defeat half the slavers to trigger a rescue by Athera’s clan. As the last of the slavers fall, Athera gets the attention of one of the hunters and gives him a big hug, introducing him as her younger brother Elgadir. Elgadir is overjoyed to see his sister again and says the clan has been worried since she stopped writing. Athera replies she has been writing weekly and getting letters back as well. After a bit of confusion, they figure out something weird is going on, and tells the other hunters to check if any of the slavers are still alive. One is, and they get to them before the throat cutters do. Elgadir says that he doesnt much like the idea of bringing a slaver back to any of the clans camps, but if this problem is gonna get solved then they’ll probably have to. one of the other hunters goes ahead to warn the clan to prepare for a captive and some guests. Elgadir gives the Inquisition members a warning that if they do anything foolish, they will pay with their lives, but if they approach in good faith, then the clan will be happy to do business with them. The party is introduced to the clan and Athera goes off to talk with her brother and the Keeper, leaving the team free to explore. There are a few quests to help the clan or act like a dick, Athera gets approval or disapproval for them even though she isnt in the active party. To advance the quest, you enter the Keeper’s aravel. Athera sits with her brother hugging her, clearly distressed. The Keeper tells the Inquisitor that they have all come to a consensus that it would be a lot easier to deal with the situation with all the facts, and asks Athera if she would be willing to tell the story herself. Athera then tells the Inquisitor that she was taken from her clan by slavers around six years ago, and though she managed to fake her death and escape, Vivicus has discovered her identity and has been intercepting her letters for a while. The letter that sent her running back to her clan was to be sent to the person that owned her, and she intercepted a similar one at Skyhold intended to sow some discord. Athera says that its probably a game to Vivicus now, and that he will go to any lengths to win. She fears for her clan, as she fears for those she has become close with outside of it. At the prompting of the other two elves, Athera also admits to being very stressed out, since the Inquisitor unknowingly hired someone from the family that used to own her. “Theres a reason I don’t get along with Dorian, I’m scared to death of him.” The Inquisitor can tell Athera to stay with her clan for safety, offer to expel Dorian from the Inquisition (Athera will reject this idea because she knows the Inquisitor wouldnt have let Dorian stay if they didnt like him or need his help.), or keep to the plan of allowing the clan safety in the lands around Skyhold. Back at Skyhold, Athera thanks the Inquisitor for listening to her, saying she feels far more at ease now that someone knows, but begs the Inquisitor not to tell anyone her secret and to make tracking down Vivicus as much of a priority as possible, otherwise she doesnt know what could happen to her.

Quest 3: Takes place after the second main quest you complete after unlocking Skyhold. Athera and Dorian are arguing as the Inquisitor approaches them, though most of the shouting seems to be coming from Athera’s side with a lot of what is obviously swearing in elvish. When pressed, Athera accuses Dorian of going through her letters, and Dorian denies the accusation. “If you would listen before you started screaming at me, you would know that this is my letter. That I was trying to give to you quietly. But if you insist on discussing this in the courtyard...” Athera snatches the letter and runs away, leaving Dorian to ask the Inquisitor to go after her, saying that Athera probably wouldn’t want to see him right around now. When the Inquisitor finds Athera she is incredibly upset, and lets them know that this letter has been opened and Dorian knows who she is now. The Inquisitor can comfort her or be awful, and after theyre done talking Dorian knocks on the door, asking to come in. Athera tells him to keep his distance, and he agrees. Trying to lighten the tension, Dorian makes a joke about how Vivicus is really an idiot if he thinks sending Dorian a letter is going to do anything, what with the whole pariah thing. No one laughs. Athera asks Dorian what he’s going to do, and Dorian suggests using the note to lure Vivicus out. “We’ve been playing cat and mouse for months. I’ll be glad to see it end.” Athera tells Dorian that she doesn’t trust him, and will only go if the Inquisitor comes too. Dorian agrees, and they begin to make a plan, through the door because Athera can’t face him yet. After this, a war table mission to smuggle a letter to Vivicus opens up, and once it is completed a mission on the storm coast opens up called “Trigger Venatori Trap”. Once there the party fights off some Venatori, and Athera slowly breaks ranks with the group, making herself an easier target and leading to Vivicus showing himself at last. The rest of the party sets up a good flanking position and a boss battle against Vivicus, who is a blood mage and ACTUALLY DOES BLOOD MAGE STUFF WHY DID THEY LEAVE THIS OUT OF DAI???, begins as Dorian makes a snappy “oh what an idiot” type remark at Vivicus. The party are victorious, and they return to Skyhold where Athera tells the Inquisitor that she has no idea what to do now, since she has no way of knowing who Vivicus sent letters to. If you did a war table mission to stop the letters, you are able to reassure her that the Inquisition has the situation under control. Athera says that she likes the Inquisition, and whatever comes she would like to stay until the end as long as her and Dorian are kept separate. Preferably on opposite sides of the castle. At this point Dorian wanders past because a little light humour won’t kill anyone and begins yammering on about their victory a little too nervously. He admits that he’s been feeling a bit nervous since finding out about Athera’s past, but has done some deep soul searching and wants to apologise for how the relationship between the two of them has been. He promises to try and do better in the future, to which Athera replies “You’d better! Your family put me through hell! The least you can do is try and make it better.” Dorian doesnt make eye contact, and promises to keep her words in mind. He also says that they don’t need to speak again if Athera needs space. Athera says that would be for the best, but she won’t complain if they end up working together since stopping the end of the world is more important than the hurt one person carries. As Dorian turns to leave, she lets him know that once corypheus is dead all bets are off, and that she’ll probably throw him out the window, but the comment doesnt have much bite to it.

How to get their approval: helping elves and mages, respecting artifacts, killing venatori, freeing slaves, and generally not being an ass.

How to get their disapproval: Cruelty to elves and elven relics, slavery in any form, chantry and templar supporting, being an ass to mages, and victim blaming anyone.

Are they romanceable? Y/N Can you have sex with them? Y/N Are they open to polyamoury? Y/N If they can be romanced and are not, will they begin a relationship / relationships with other character(s)? If so, who? Sera already gets with Dagna, so odds are Athera wouldn’t get with anyone if unromanced.

Who are they friendly with? Vivienne and Sera (after a while).

Who do they dislike? Cassandra, Dorian, and Solas.

Companion card changes: (use a text descrip. if you have no images)

Loyalty: Athera stands in the middle of a dark forest, her bow ready to draw and a smile on her face as she moves. the trees are gnarled and twisted, something could be hiding in them. but she is armed, and the forest is her home.

Romance: (if any) The bow and arrows have been put aside, and Athera sits cross legged by a campfire. there are trees all around and Athera has a serene smile on her lips and a look of total peace in her eyes.

Side Missions: (eg: fetch / gather / kill quests) None because fuck those. Ok maybe destroying monuments to the Exalted March on the Dales. Thatd be pretty satisfying. Also a war table mission to ensure that no letters get to the Pavus family that unlocks a dialogue option at the end of Athera’s last quest.

Opinions on mages / templars / how the world is going to shit? Templars fuck shit up, mages have been friends and guides to the clan and the Templars always try to take them away and people get hurt. She would rather just leave the Templars alone entirely. And of course mages can be trusted with their own lives! Everyone else does it what makes them so bloody different?

She has more nuanced opinions on the Chantry and how it relates to the oppression of mages and elves, and how its all a bid for power, but she’ll only talk abt it with an Inquisitor she likes.

Something guaranteed to make them leave the party: defiling the graves at the elven burial site in the exalted plains, killing the golden halla, or straight up betraying her.

Special Events:

Imprisoned at Redcliffe: How is your Inquisitor holding up in Redcliffe, being slowly infected with red lyrium over the course of a year?

Athera is almost unable to speak at all after a year in Redcliffe. She talks in fragments, and when she first sees the Inquisitor she just stares at them for a long time with a blank look on her face, waiting for them to either do something or vanish. Whenever Dorian speaks she glares at him. After all, this guy from Tevinter shows up and then everything fails and the world dies? She’s been blaming him. The Inquisitor has to talk her down.

She puts all her remaining energy into the fight ahead, wordless, expressionless, and merciless. When it comes time to hold off the horde she says in the flattest voice possible “Going out. Hold them off. Do not fail. Dareth Shiral.”

At the Winter Palace: Does your Inquisitor enjoy the party, any special events with them at the Palace?

Athera spends most of the party doing things to mildly offend the Orlesian elite, talking with the elves, and quietly smashing expensive vases when no ones looking. She likes being in Halamshiral, hates what it is now, and corners more than a few nobles and gives them a “history lesson.” She will do the same to the Inquisitor if they ask, but will be less passive aggressive about it. She also complains about the outfits, saying she hates red but Josephine wanted everyone to “present a unified front” and she couldnt wriggle out of it.

She also takes joy in being announced as “Athera Lavellan, Hunter of Clan Lavellan and Emissary to the Cities.” since she’s betting he’s never had to introduce an elf before, let alone introduce one with a few titles.

When asked about it later, Athera says the only good thing at Halamshiral was Briala, with various comments depending on what happened.

In the Fade: Your Inquisitor’s reaction upon entering the Fade? Archdemon’s taunt, and Inquisitor’s response? Epitaph on their grave?

Athera does not understand any of this. She shoots arrows, mainly at wolves and terrible people. now there are demons here because its their home that theyre the ones invading and what with recent events theres pretty strong evidence that this sort of thing doesnt end well. Athera isnt mindlessly terrified, but she. wants. OUT.

Nightmare: “What’s this now? Valeria, pretending to be a wild elf? You looked much better in red.”

Athera: “Say that name one more time and I’ll rip you in half.”

Nightmare: “Dont worry about Marcus hating you for leaving him. He died a month later, his thieving ways finally discovered and punished.”

Athera: “You-you’re lying! Theres no possible way for you to know that!”

Nightmare: “That you know of.”

Athera’s grave says “Losing Herself”

Trespasser: What is your Inquisitor up to two years after Corypheus’ defeat? Any special events with them over the events of Trespasser?

Athera spent the past two years using the influence gained during her time in the Inquisition to help elves in both the cities and the wilds. she has busted up a few more slaver rings and is one of sera’s contacts. she has traded information with the Inquisition out of respect for her place in it and so leliana can send her some useful stuff back. she’s been using her clan as a safe place, and looks forward to returning every second she is away.

Other Major Events: Any other major events that happen with them over the course of the main game?

She becomes friends with Sera, who she likes for not taking things too seriously when everyone else is so grim.

She also has a Talk with a human Inquisitor romancing Sera that more or less amounts to “I know ur cool so this whole thing is probably legit, but if u ever hurt sera i’ll cut off your arm and hit u with it ok good talk kiddo love u bye!”

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu this took a long time and a lot of thought, but i had LOADS of fun doing it! I always like working on Athera’s backstory, though nothing is quite 100% set in stone yet sooooo... dont quote me on any of this.

I was tagged by @heyscience and i am throwing this tag right back at you! Do it!

#asks

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simplyoriginalcharacters · 7 years

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Torga Ironforge

Context and setting: This is a DnD character. I am a player so not everything is under my control. The setting is pseudo-medieval Empire that is currently divided between its supporters and the rebels who are tired of the previous wars against dwarves, orcs, and the other human nations. It’s theme is shades of grey or lesser and greater evil.

Hello! This is Mod D with your character review - full review is under the cut.

Name: Torga Ironforge

Race: Dwarf

Gender: Female

Sexual orientation: Homosexual

Age: ~20-25 years

Occupation: Paladin (holy warrior)

Alignement: True neutral

Affiliations: Mercenary group

Family: Parents - from a wealthy clan of smiths, two older brothers - heirs to the business

Best friend: in love with her best friend Rika - from a clan of herdsmen

Relationship status: single

Other relationships: Clan - she is considered the black sheep of her clan now, the clan’s specialty is smithing. Mercenary group - she formed a mercenary group with another dwarf and two humans.

Height: 5 ft

Weight: 150 lbs

Build: Muscular

Skin: White, tanned

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Dirty blonde

Apperance: Torga is quite tall for a dwarf, so she doesn’t seem as robust as her weight would suggest. Her face is oval in shape and simple - not conventionally beautiful, but her skin is smooth, features soft when she is resting - though they do become sharper is she is focused. Her forehead have some wrinkles on it, indicating she frowns a lot. Her eyes are dark brown, but not warm as you’d expect. More calculating, even cold. She has long blonde hair that in its natural state falls down her back - she usually wears it in a braid or braids it so that the hair won’t fall into her eyes. Her hands have the same soft skin as her face on top, but her palms are hardened and calloused. She feels best when she is safe from most forms of damage, so she is rarely not wearing her chain shirt. Underneath, she has a simple used-to-be-white tunic and leather pnts and boots coming up to half her shin. She has a trusty battleaxe, the only reminder of her family, handaxes and a shield. She doesn’t wear any jewelery other than a simply amulet depciting a dragon’s head.

Personality: For Torga, the most important thing now is to kill the bad guys. She swore to protect those who can not protect themselves, and she is trying to do that, battling her own mind telling her to just let them rot or torture and kill them for being so annoying herself. This constant struggle leads to her seeming apathetic or detached. She is no saint; she does not care, deep down. It might be just a defense mechanism. On the other hand, she can become fierce when somebody is abused or used still. She is seeking redemption for her past deeds, but not out of conviction, but because she misses her friend, who she relies on as a moral compass, and defines her actions by what she would think of them. She finds some peace in spending money freely and in written word - especially poetry and songs. EVen though she does not have a lot of love for people, she refuses to let them be victimized, just as she herself refuses to be a victim. To her party, she is no closr than to a stranger, but she trusts them a little more - aftr all, they fight side by side. Shame and guilt still don’t allow her to open up to them. Also the darker part of her lets her see the world darker than it is and she never trusts people easily or completely.

Motivations: She wants to prove herself worthy - she just isn’t sure how. She is trying to find her place in the world and figure out whether she still deserves or wants to fight for Rika’s affection and friendship. She is also prepatring to confront to the white dragon.

Current goal: Survive, thrive, enjoy the money, become a better paladin - be it via items or experience.

Life goal: Find peace. Either settle down with Rika if she returns her feelings and become an independent protector like a ranger or a border patrol - if it meant succumbing to the darkness, it must feel as right as that.

Motto: Forgivness, but not mercy

Best quality: Determination, selflessness

Worst quality: Cruelty

Fears: Torga fearsloneliness. She had to leave her home once, and it broke something. She doesn’t want to find anothr one and then see it destryoed or having to leave it again.

Hobbies: Dancing. Torga loves to dance, even if she isn’t great at it. She also enjoys reading and there were a fw attempts at writing poetry. Fighting or sparring is also among her hobbies.

Talents and skills: Torga is a talented warrior. She laso has charisma that allows her to sway some people in her favor or make them fear her.

Secrt: She killed a hatchling dragon when it was helplss and left the mother find her young one slaughtered. She laso never told anybody about her love for her friend, or her dark thoughts.

Infuential memory:When the white dragon first came to her home and attacked, she spared Torga, killing anothr warrior in her place.

Source of embarssment: Mostly because she was told off for it, she is ashamed about klling the baby dragon. Somewhere in her mind, a voice keeps saying it was a choice as reasonable as any other. She is laso quite ashamed about her feelings for her friend - not because she is in love with a woman, but because she thinks the love makes her more vulnerable.

Source of pride: She is proud nobody can see through her facade. She is kind of happy about the decision to swear an oath to her deitity, because she is still unsure about whether she wants that, whether she wants to keep herself in check.

History: Torga was born in a valley protected by silver dragon. She live quite happily there, spending her time learning the trade of her family and clan, hanging out with her friends, learning how to fight, educating herself on history and religion, and going on long walks with her friends to explore the wilderness. However then the white dragon showed up. It made the younger silver dragon flee, injured, and destroyed a part of the valley, killing all people that were around. Torga happened to be one of them, but even though the dragon saw her, it averted its attention and killed another dwarf in her place. SHe didn’t know what that meant, but as some time passed by, when the dragon left its lair for the first time, she went to investigate. She found a hatchling white dragon and killed it, just as it wok up from a nap, ignoring its cries and pursuing whnen it realized it shouldn’t have approeached the stranger so naively. (DRagons are sentient and intelligent creatures in this setting, by the way, but white dragons are seen as evil.) She left the body there. She only told her grandfather and best friend what happened. Her friend was enraged. Her grandfather sent her away, saying it might be dangerous for her there - but really he might as wll just exiled her. She stayed with humans for years, learning theri ways. Eventually, when she gt restless, she accepted their faith and set out as a holy warrior of one of their deiities. She joined a mercenary group and is now on a quest to making the wrold a better place by bloodying her own hands, rather than leaving the filthy job up to others, who it might corrupt more than her, already broken.

So first of all, I hope this is not too disturbing for you to post. If yo, please, let me know. Also please be diplomatic, there’s a lot of me in this character. My questions are, is this character believable? Is she lacking and if so, in what parts? What questions should I ask to make her a better, in-depth character? How can I develop her frther?

Thanky you very much for your time and effort!

First thing first, I’m a little perplexed by Torga’s status as a paladin. Not to say that she shouldn’t be one, but that for what is traditionally a very important calling in life it doesn’t seem to be a very key aspect of her character. I don’t know what deity she worships, and the way it’s presented in Torga’s History section kind of comes across as an afterthought. A dwarf worshiping a human deity is in and of itself unusual given the traditionally xenophobic nature of dwarves, but beyond that to connect with a human deity to the point of being chosen as a paladin (which, in some ways, makes them even more an embodiment of said deity than their actual clerics) is a very strong character choice. To me, this is something that would be a much, much larger part of her character. The ‘black sheep’ angle that’s touched on earlier in Torga’s profile is a step in the right direction, but I think the effects of Torga’s faith need to be detailed much more thoroughly. Beyond just identifying what human deity she worships, some questions to answer would be – what connections, if any, does Torga have to dwarven faiths? Has her acceptance of a human religion impacted that? How does her status as a paladin of a non-dwarf deity impact her standing among other races? Is she even more of an outcast in dwarven society? What about humans – how do they see a non-human paladin of one of their pantheon? On a more direct note, what relationship does Torga have with her deity? Did she find her faith after a long period of soul searching or was it a sudden revelation? Does Torga uphold all the tenets of her deity’s faith or are there some that she struggles with?

Still on the ‘paladin’ angle, Torga’s alignment confused me a bit as well. In tabletop games and in writing, paladins are almost always Lawful Good while Torga is listed as True Neutral. That’s a pretty significant shift from the typical alignment that would benefit from some explanation. If it’s a reflection of the human deity Torga was chosen by or if it’s an influence from the ‘shades of grey’ nature of the campaign Torga is in, it needs to be addressed.

Looking at the first part of Torga’s Profile – her Appearance – I have no major issues there. She’s described well and distinctly, and in a very dwarvish manner. Her height is unusual but also directly addressed, so it works (possibly another mark for her being seen as an outcast among other dwarves?). My only two quibbles are with the phrasing in the initial description of her eyes and her age. It’s said that Torga’s eyes are 'not as warm as you’d expect’ except this is the first time I’m being told what Torga looks like. As a reader, there wouldn’t be expectations to base that on. I’d take that part out and shift the focus so that the description immediately goes from Torga’s eye color to her usual 'calculating, even cold’ expression to highlight that aspect even further. Regarding Torga’s age, she comes across as really young for a dwarf at just 25 given their usual life expectancy and maturity in Dungeons and Dragons. If she’s supposed to be very young/immature (or you’re using a variant dwarven race) that could be emphasized a bit more. I did like the explanation of her choice of clothing and what she usually prefers to wear armor though. Given how important gear is to a tabletop character, that was a solid addition.

Regarding Torga’s Personality, while it’s not bad in and of itself, it doesn’t seem very fitting for a paladin. Some of the immediately highlighted aspects of her character are Torga’s apathy, lack of a moral compass, and non-conviction (in addition to her not wanting to actually help people and looking down on them for needing aid in the first place). As written she comes across as more of a Chaotic Neutral Fighter (or possibly Barbarian) who could possibly evolve into a paladin, rather than someone who’d already be one. If these aspects were toned down, say emphasized as part of the reason she was ostracized from dwarven society in the first place and she learned to control them better through her newfound faith and does good works to make up for past misdeeds – that would make her much more paladin-like. I will admit that I like the angle of a heavily flawed paladin leaning on a much more moral character for guidance and support. It’s something you’ve already touched on through Torga’s relationship with Rika, but it could be made a larger part of Torga’s backstory while toning down the disillusionment. If Torga were a satire of the stereotypical Dungeons and Dragons 'murder hobo’-type of adventurer then it could be more forgiving, but as is she seems too grim and murder-hungry for the classic paladin role.

Something I’d like to highlight that I especially liked from Torga’s Personality section is her Life Goal – specifically in that Torga has a plan if she can’t get in a relationship with Rika. That’s a sort of pragmatic awareness that is on it’s own refreshing for a character profile and pretty fitting for Torga’s character overall.

Adding in a Relationships section to detail the nature of Torga’s connection with Rika (as well as her deity and the other members of her mercenary group) would go a long way to rounding things out. Showing that she has various interpersonal connections and friendships, even if they’re just 'people Torga tolerates/works with,’ would do a decent amount to bring levity to the dark nature of her personality. Things to consider here are how she and Rika get along (or don’t), Torga’s opinion of the other members of the mercenary company (whose names/classes also need to be specified if they are the other player characters), and how she gets along with them (or doesn’t). Is there anyone she’ll dance with? Does she talk about books/poetry with any of her friends, or is that something she’d save for just specific people - like Rika? Does she like talking about blacksmithing with anyone, or does she avoid mentioning her family in any circumstances? Touches like that would make her connections to these other characters feel more impactful overall and for Torga’s character specifically.

All in all, I don’t think Torga’s a bad character. She just seems a touch too extreme given the role she’s supposed to play. I think if the more personable aspects were emphasized more, she’d have a lot more balance as a character (in-particular one that’s supposed to be a paladin). Also, as a final point there were a number of grammar and spelling issues throughout the profile that, while not impossible to read, did distract things a bit.

I hope this helps!

-D

#SOC Critique #OC Critique #Backstory Help #Development Help #submission #urrsari

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such-heroic-nonsense · 7 years

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Assassin's Creed III Reactions, Reflections, and Analysis

Finally finished this, 4? 5? Year old game so I’m gonna ramble a bit.

Ok so I live nearish Boston and go there a lot so it was actually really exciting for me (part time history nerd) to see it back in the 1700s and walk around and stuff so yeah.

Boston isn’t good for parkour though so I found myself missing Rome and Florence and Venice. And the children were so very annoying…

I hate everything about New York, except for the mildly better parkour.

Climbing trees is fun, even though I'm very bad at it.

Gameplay, no issues. I'm no expert on gameplay keep in mind. I'm just a filthy casual over here. Graphics were ok, controls a bit wonky, and I can only have 8 arrows???? Whhhyyyy????

Hunting was fun. Except when I accidentally assassinated the wrong deer and ended up flying 100 feet in the opposite direction of the deer I was targeting. Glitch???

Ships. And boats. God do I hate them… If there was something to crash into, I crashed into it. This includes rocks, more rocks, enemy boats, ally boats, and that poor fisherman. It was fun though. When people weren’t yelling at me for crashing into stuff.

Campaign, overall, very long. And not just because I took like 5+ tries to do anything but it was one of the longest main quests I’ve played. Which I enjoyed because I quickly get bored with a game after I complete the main quest.

Having said that, I will be commenting on the main quest, no side missions, no DLC. Sorry.

Playing as Haytham was interesting to say the least. I liked having a full setup for Connor, instead of a few vague hints as it was with Ezio’s origin. This also made me a bit more sympathetic towards the Templars and Haytham. So, not a complete waste of time, as I thought it would be.

I also got mauled by wolves but moving on…

Seeing Connor as a little kid and seeing just how much pain he was in after Lee burned his village and people was really powerful. We saw Ezio lose his family, but at that point he was already an adult, and he had other family (Uncle Mario, Claudia, Mom). So Connor, losing his only family and everyone he ever knew, at such a young age, struck me as more of a tragedy.

Fast forward to Achilles. Man I really found him annoying at first, but that changes, bear with me. I was also very annoyed by Connor. He didn’t seem to care about anything, and if you watch his body language while talking with the revolutionaries you can tell he doesn’t want to be there and doesn’t particularly care about the revolution. He just wants to protect his village.

And throughout the game, that’s ALL he wants. He doesn’t give a damn about Britain or the Colonies, he just does what he thinks he needs to do to protect his village.

And I don’t have a problem with that. That’s perfectly fine, considering that the colonists never did anything for him. He owes them nothing, he just thinks they’ll be better than the British, and he likes the idea of freedom, which is what the colonists are (theoretically) fighting for. And let’s not forget Lee.

I have no outline for this so I’m going to jump around A LOT.

Lee was…not a good villain in my opinion. I kept getting the impression that he was a stand-in for a bigger bad guy but, he wasn’t. He was just…there.

Overanalysis time!!!!

Perhaps Lee WAS a stand-in for something bigger. Yes, he was a Templar. But Connor doesn’t seem overly concerned with the Assassin cause either. He’s after Lee because Lee killed his family and burned his village. So, vengeance. I feel like demoting Connor’s cause to revenge is insulting him. What is he REALLY after?

I think he’s after freedom. No, not the cliche freedom from the British that the colonists are after. He wants freedom from both colonists and British, and freedom from DANGER. And Lee represents the danger to him, his people, and all the indigenous peoples. Lee burned Connor’s village and murdered his people, and also plotted to burn the next one. Why?

Because it suited him.

I never could figure out Lee’s motives. That’s why he wasn’t a good villain. The only reason I view him as the main villain is because he’s the “start-end” villain. Like Chezzere, but not. Campaign starts with Lee, campaign ends with Lee. He is the ultimate hit, or so we are led to believe.

I managed to avoid spoilers for this game for 4-5 years (somehow) so I had no idea what was going to happen. Weird, right? Not knowing where a game is going.

I thought it was going to be Haytham as the big villain, because of the fact that he is A) Connor’s father and B) the leader of the Templars. Instead we have Haytham’s death before Lee’s, and even a little team-up between Haytham and Connor. Weird. Furthering the idea that Connor isn’t really fighting the British (since Lee’s with the colonists) or the Templars (since Lee isn’t the Templar head honcho either).

Connor also didn’t hesitate one second when it came to leaving the colonial cause when he found out Washington was going to attack the village. So he really didn’t care for their fight, especially if it was going to put his people at risk.

Patricide. I gotta say, I loved that scene. The fight was blatantly disappointing but the cutscene…. “don’t expect me to caress your cheek and weep over what might have been” LOVED IT. Haytham was as equally dedicated to his cause as Connor was to his, and he was willing to throw away what might have been his chance to leave his son with some positive thoughts or something. I gotta admire both of them for their raw dedication. Haytham was willing to abandon his son at every available opportunity, and Connor was willing to kill his father BECAUSE HE BELIEVED IN WHAT HE WAS FIGHTING FOR.

And here’s what I’ve got on the end.

It didn’t hit me until the epilogue, when I was running around looking at how much the world sucked and had a lot of time to think because I was floundering around in the frontier (beautiful scenery by the way).

Connor LOST.

He killed Lee, he killed Haytham, he won the war, but he LOST. His people had to flee West, and we all know that Connor’s actions did next to nothing to help them in the long run.

There is still injustice and slavery in the colonies because the colonists weren’t the means to an end that Connor thought they would be. He thought they would bring freedom, but they only brought slavery and death.

And Achilles, he TRIED TO TELL CONNOR. He told him time and time again not to do it, that his quest was futile. And Connor believed in his cause so much that he pushed Achilles away.

I used to think Connor was really annoying. I didn't like the way he didn't seem to care about the revolution, and how he constantly ignored Achilles. But honestly, walking around that forest for a solid two hours burned all of that. Sure, Connor doesn't care about the revolution because it's not his end goal. For him, it's a means to an end, and it was something he put faith in, but it didn't make a difference. He almost died for Washington, and was repaid with betrayal. The more I think about Connor the more I realize his story is a tragedy. To me, there is nothing more tragic than learning everything you've done, everything you've worked for, is meaningless. And Connor didn't change anything. He didn't save his people. He didn't give freedom to those who needed it. He helped the colonists win the war, risked his life countless times, killed his father, and for what?

Nothing.

I'd rather not talk about Desmond because frankly I never paid much attention to him but I feel like, since he died, I should probably address him.

And I'd like to point out some of the parallels between Desmond and Connor. See, Desmond died in hopes that Juno could save the world. Like Connor, he sacrificed himself for a cause he believed was greater than himself.

Now I haven't played Black Flag, Unity, or Syndicate, and I only just started Rogue. So I don't know if Desmond's sacrifice was in vain. I don't know if Juno's plan for the work will be better than Minerva's. But if I had to guess, I would guess Desmond died in vain as well.

And ya know, it's sad. It's just plain sad, to believe in something and then have it turn out to be meaningless. Connor isn't a bad person. He did everything RIGHT. He found something he believed in and he fought for it as hard as he could, in the best way he could, for longer than anyone could have asked. And what did he get from it? As far as I can tell, nothing but heartache and a stab wound.

I'll end with this.

I started out hating this game. I only played it so I could play Black Flag and Rogue without skipping another a game. But I'm honestly very glad I took the time to play through the campaign, and have a few existential crises in the frontier, get mauled by wolves, crash my boat into things I didn't even think I could crash into, and write this behemoth of a post. I don't even know if I'm interpreting this correctly, but that's what I got.

Connor lost, despite everything.

#long post #Assassin's Creed #AC 3 #assassin's Creed 3 #connor kenway #haytham kenway #charles lee #I probably overanalyzed this #it's what I do and I have no apologies for that #honestly really good game #loved it #but I'm terrible at it I'm going to be honest #I like games that make me think #excuse me while I have another existential crisis #and draw some fanart

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thomasroach · 5 years

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Elder Scrolls Online Elsweyr: 6 Biggest Changes

The post Elder Scrolls Online Elsweyr: 6 Biggest Changes appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Elder Scrolls Online article we’re going to be taking a look at some of the bigger changes coming to the MMO, along with some of the smaller ones. Elsweyr releases in just a few days, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t give you a heads up of what’s in store. We have not covered Class changes in this, and these will be covered by a separate article, since there are simply too many to list here. So, keep your eyes out for that while we fill you in on the changes coming with Elsweyr.

Elder Scrolls Online Elsweyr: 6 Biggest Changes

The first of the major changes to the game probably comes as no surprise since it’s been advertised all over the place, and that is the addition of Necromancers to ESO. Players will finally get to summon undead and use the forces of darkness to aid Tamriel.

1. New Class – Necromancer

The Necromancer Class features 3 new Skill Lines: Grave Lord, Bone Tyrant and Living Death, and these are their DPS, Tanking and Healing lines respectively. Though this Class is not a “Minion Master” type of Necromancer that maybe some players wanted, you can summon at least 1 undead at a time and use corpses to further enhance your spells, some of which use the undead in unexpected ways.

In addition, practicing necromancy in Tamriel is a criminal act. In most cases, mages caught casting necromantic spells can feign ignorance or insist that the spell originates from a different school of magic. Some spells, however, are too horrific to overlook, and any necromantic ability marked as a “CRIMINAL ACT” is a major crime, and will offend the locals and alert the guards. You can see what these are in your Skill list or on the Wiki.

This Class will only be available to players who purchase the Necromancer expansion, and much like the Warden (at the launch of Morrowind), all early indications are that it will be very powerful at launch. Prepare for the rise of the Necromancer, as you see them spring to life all over Tamriel, including Cyrodiil. This brings us to our next topic: PvP.

2. PvP Artifacts

PvP Artifacts have finally made their way to Cyrodiil in ALL campaigns. These legendary Weapons will replace your entire skill bar with a brand new set of Skills, and your stats will be adjusted accordingly as you become the living embodiment of these Weapons. These will spawn in Cyrodiil 4 or 5 times a day, but whether or not they will make their into Battlegrounds remains to be unseen, however it seems unlikely.

Players will have a small tutorial explaining these weapons led by none other than Sheogorath at each Alliance stater gate (where quest boards are located). There players will learn that you must keep feeding these weapons Alliance Points (repairing structures or resurrecting other players doesn’t count) or else the power of the weapon will drain your life, killing your character.

Currently only Volendrung has been added to the game, but more are expected to be added with future Updates, all containing their own unique Skills.

3. Cyrodiil Campaign Adjustments

All currently-existing campaigns will be shut down once Elsweyr launches, and will be replaced with entirely new ones. In keeping with the Season of the Dragon, Zenimax will be introducing 6 brand new campaigns with some additional rules added, all named after Dragons. These are as follows:

Bahlokdaan: 30 Day No Champion Points & Alliance Locked

Kaalgrontiid: 30 Day Champion Points Enabled & Alliance Locked

Yolnahkriin: 7 Day Champion Points Enabled

Mulaamnir: Levels 10-49

Imperial City: No Champion Points

Imperial City: Champion Points Enabled

Alliance Locked Campaigns are a new style of Campaign that’s only being applied to 30 day variants. In these Campaigns, each account will only be able participate with, and represent, a single Alliance for the duration of the Campaign. This means no more switching between alts that belong to different factions if you don’t like how the map looks.

There are two methods of locking in your Alliance for a Campaign. In both cases, Alliance selection is determined by the Alliance of the character you are currently logged in with. Method 1: Assign a “home” Campaign in the Alliance War menu. Method 2: Enter Cyrodiil on a Campaign you’ve not previously joined. Once you’ve locked in your Alliance, only characters of the same Alliance on your account will be allowed to enter Cyrodiil in that Campaign.

There is no option to change your locked Alliance until the Campaign duration has elapsed. Multiple in-game notifications have been added to warn you when you’re about to join an Alliance-locked Campaign. Campaigns not flagged with the “Alliance locked” rule set remain unchanged. Any character above level 10 from any Alliance can play in those Campaigns at any time.

Imperial City is now its own Campaign and the doors in Cyrodiil have been shut down and no longer work. To get into Imperial City, you simply use the Campaign selection menu. You’ll end up in the Sewers just as if you had entered from Cyrodiil. Note that Imperial City now has its own population cap (including the Sewers and Districts) which is now removed from Cyrodiil’s population caps. Rejoice!

Guest Campaign will no longer exist as a status, so you no longer need to manage your “guest” Campaign and are now free to play in any Campaign at will. Note that a Home Campaign status is still needed for earning Leaderboard rewards at the end of Campaigns and participating in Emperorship leaderboards. Emperor Leaderboards have also been adjusted. Once you have served as Emperor in a Campaign, you cannot be crowned as an Emperor for a different Alliance for the rest of that Campaign’s duration.

A few other miscellaneous Cyrodiil changes are as follows:

Melee guards will no longer use Bash or Power Bash.

The roof of “cathedral” style Keeps can no longer be destroyed, such as Bloodmayne.

Towers can no longer be destroyed.

Siege damage in CP-Enabled Campaigns will now hit approximately 30% harder than prior update adjustments. Damage in No-CP Campaigns remains the same.

4. Guild Finder

Guild leaders now have the ability to list their guild within the Guild Finder, a new tool for connecting players to like-minded guilds. A new section is present within the Guild menu for Recruitment. Here, a guild leader can fill out information about their guild, as well as include a custom headline and a guild description. Once they’ve provided enough information, they can then list their guild in the Guild Finder. Other players within the guild will be able to see their guild’s listing while it is active as well.

If you’re looking for a guild, you can now access the Guild Finder within the guilds menu, located below the list of any guilds you may be currently in. From here, you can browse by multiple different types of guilds and filter down potential matches by several additional criteria. Once you’ve found a guild that looks like a fit, you can send an application to the guild that includes some basic information about your character and account, as well as the option to include a custom message. Members of a guild with the new “Manage Applications” permission will be able to view and respond to applications. Accepting an application adds the player to your guild, and declining removes their application.

5. Skyshard Achievements for Alternate Characters

Fully completing a Skyshard Hunter achievement on one character will now unlock the ability to purchase that achievement on other characters from the Crown Store. The purchased achievement will award all associated Skillpoints, or any remaining Skillpoints, that your current character has not yet acquired. This is huge because one of the biggest things that prevents players from rolling alts is not the XP needed to reach max level, but the Skillpoint grind. This will give players the option to bypass this all together, albeit for money. Still I’d rather have this option than not, and will probably end up using this on my Necromancer, as I have a ton of Crowns from ESO Plus with nothing to spend them on.

Image taken from PTS, does not reflect updated crown prices

6. Dragons

Lastly, it wouldn’t be the season of the Dragon without actually having Dragons, and now they have finally made their way to Elder Scrolls Online. With the Elsweyr Expansion players will face these terrifyingly huge monstrosities out on the landscape, and they will need all the help they can get to bring them down. Featuring unique mechanics and health pools of 8 figures, Dragons will not be defeated without the help of many players, and they should see tons of action at launch. Imagine Dark Anchors at the release of One Tamriel, but more fun…and with Dragons!

But that’s not the only place players will face them, as they make an appearance in the game’s new Trial: Sunspire, as well. There you will do battle with several Dragons, again all with their own mechanics, and all new Trial Sets as rewards. Team up with 11 other to take them down, in Normal, Veteran, or Hard Mode.

Miscellaneous Changes

In this section we’ll take a look at some miscellaneous changes coming to the game that are somewhat notable and we felt should be shared. These are as follows:

Removed the 200ms post global cooldown from cast time abilities. This was done to improve the feeling of using these abilities in rapid succession with other abilities, to allow for a more fluid transition, and less down time between usage. We also made some adjustments to the cast times and power levels of specific abilities, which will be called out on a per case basis in further notes. Note that channeled beam attacks, such as Soul Assault or Radiant Destruction, retain the post global cooldown, but have had them reduced to 100ms rather than 200ms. This was done to prevent animation errors.

Player abilities that fear targets will no longer cause them to flee in terror. Instead, they will now cower in terror, unable to move while feared. Note that this does not affect abilities that monsters can cast. This should be an interesting change in Cyrodiil to say the least, oil anyone??

All Immobilizes from player abilities and item sets will now apply Immobilization Immunity once applied, to prevent multiple Immobilizes from applying on the same target. Once an Immobilize from these abilities ends, you gain immunity to Immobilizes for 3 seconds after, similar to the Dodge Roll mechanic. Thank god!

Befouled: Reduced the maximum value of this star to 35% from 55%. This was done to allow better balance between Healing bonuses and reductions within the CP system. RIP Befoul…

Decrease Health Enchant (Oblivion damage): Reduced the damage of this enchant by 33%. Probably a needed change.

Dubious Cameron Throne & Witch Mother’s Brew: Reduced the Max Health and Max Resource (Stamina or Magicka) granted by these drinks by approximately 12%. The Recoveries remain unchanged. Damn I have a full stack of Witch Mother’s…

Artaeum Takeaway Broth & Clockwork Citrus Filet: Reduced the Max Health and Max Resource granted by these foods by approximately 15%.

Shield Breaker: Redesigned this item set so it no longer deals damage when you Light Attack a target with a shield active. Now, it increases your damage dealt by 6% at all times. This effect is doubled when attacking targets with a damage shield active. This is a great change and will see a surge of players using this Set.

Removed the snare applied from all abilities that deal with character charges, leaps, teleports, or other movements. Removed all minimum ranges from these abilities. Drastically increased the speed of all of these abilities, and increased their auxiliary effects’ (damage, debuffs, etc.) range to ensure they always apply to their target. Note: Dragon Leap and its morphs are an exclusion to some of these changes. They will continue to fire a snare, which has new visual effects introduced to it. This is due to the fact it cannot be used in quick succession compared to other instant cast abilities. Dragon Leap has had its speed increased as well, but not as drastically, to ensure the visual fidelity remains.

Final Thoughts

These are some pretty big changes to the game, or I should really say improvements. The addition of Guild Finder will be a god send for new players and those who play less frequently, and should help Guilds in general become more active. I fully expect Guild rosters to see a substantial increase, and that’s great news for everyone. Nobody likes being a part of a dead guild, and Guild Leaders can get exhausted from recruiting constantly.

Cyrodiil has also made some great changes, with the addition of character locks for the 30 day campaigns. This prevents some players from just swapping to the character of the faction that’s dominating when things look grim. This should help to keep the longer campaigns more interesting, and with this change (and the the Imperial City change), hopefully decrease queue times to get into them as well.

Removing Guest Campaigns is also a great change, and I’m really looking forward to the increase in Siege damage in CP campaigns. This has been sorely needed for a long long time. What I’m not sold on is the new PvP Artifacts, as there is potential for abuse by factions already dominating. This is something that could go either way, and my guess is that we’ll find out real quick.

With the addition of the Skyshard Achievements carrying over to other characters if you pay in the Crown Store I think you will see many more players trying out new characters. There isn’t an overabundance of things to spend Crowns on if you’re like me and don’t care for all the cosmetics, and this seems like a good use of them. I am sure, however, we will see a few people scream “pay to win” at this addition. It should make for some “interesting” forum discussion to say the least.

Stay tuned as we dive into the Elsweyr Class Changes in detail. There were simply too many to fit in this article, so we decided to cover it separately. Elsweyr releases on PC on May 20th, and Xbox One and Playstation 4 on June 4th, 2019.

The post Elder Scrolls Online Elsweyr: 6 Biggest Changes appeared first on Fextralife.

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solnishka1927 · 6 years

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so I have done nothing but eat, sleep, and play Witcher 3 Wild Hunt for three days, and I have Thoughts

spoilers for the game below the cut

first off, I guess I gotta say again that I haven’t read any of the novel(s) that the game series is based on, or played any of the other games. I’ll probably say something dumb and ignorant at some point in this post.

The game is... surprisingly sensitive? I don’t mean that Geralt is an especially compassionate person (he’s not), but the developers/writers handled a lot of difficult themes with a lot more tact than I was expecting. In one of the quests (called Possession) an island ruler named Udalryk is possessed by a demon that exaggerates his guilt and self-loathing over the death of his brother, to the point that he routinely self-harms... climaxing with him putting out his own eye. Geralt, of course, gets rid of the demon, and the whole thing serves as a more than decent metaphor for mental illness. But what really hit me, though, was how there were a few lines of dialogue at the end on how Udalryk wasn’t sure how to cope with himself after the demon was gone, and that he felt an emptiness in himself. Geralt makes a comment about how the bond between a host and parasite can be surprisingly strong at times, and that Udalryk will feel better after a few weeks.

it’s not a huge deal (the entire exchange takes less than 45 seconds), but it... someone on that dev team really understood what it feels like to have a mental illness and self-harm to cope. Obviously the metaphor isn’t perfect: a real mental illness doesn’t just go away once you decide to fight it. But still... it was very well done.

Another issue the game decided to take on was domestic abuse, through a series of quests about the aftermath of a woman and her adult daughter fleeing their drunken, violent husband/father. This one is more... sweet and cuddly, in a way? It shows a redemption arc for the abuser, which I have mixed feelings about: on the one hand, through the way the character acts and his dialogue it’s clear he’s genuinely remorseful and determined to change, but on the other hand I just... there is no real life scenario I can think of where an abuser stops being abusive (not to say that such a thing is impossible, but just that it’s very rare). Still, the abuser receives no immediate forgiveness from his family, meaning that he’ll have to prove himself and earn it rather than just making promises, and as far as I’ve progressed in the story he seems to be doing that.

This entire game is so detailed, and features so much NPC development and attention, that it comes across like an interactive book. The storyline is very strong and has lots of subplots, but it’s still an open world game. I can choose whether I want to do a main quest, a side quest, or just wander around and pick flowers (really) and jump between them as I please with complete ease. It’s a very good balance; there’s lots to do, and all of it is different and so never gets boring.

One of the things I found disconcerting in the beginning was the fact that I was playing from a third person view of Geralt, rather than first person. There’s no option to see the world through his eyes; as a player, you are a witness and decision-maker, but not the man himself. It made sense after a while: Geralt is a character in his own right, with his own voice and personality and history that I don’t know much of (yet). I can play him as a more compassionate person by making merciful choices through dialogue options, but he still comes across as an impatient, sometimes grouchy old man whose taste in women I don’t understand.

That said, Geralt’s character is still ambiguous enough that I’m not sure how to feel about him. He often comes across as a stereotypical antihero, to the point that I think that if I read the book(s) I might find him boring (but I really enjoy some of the other characters, esp. Zoltan, Vernon Roche, and Ciri, so if I do ever get around to reading them I’ll probably like the books regardless). Geralt’s “epic romance” with Yennefer often comes across as kind of... cheap? Admittedly, I’m missing a huge amount of backstory, but it seems more like an arrogant and insensitive sorceress ordering Geralt around (and mocking him as she does so) than anything else.

I liked Triss better, just saying.

I also mentioned in an earlier post that I was surprised at the games lack of slav-ness (for want of a better word). I think I’ve figured that out: in the English-language version of the game, they anglicized previously Polish names and gave all of the voiced NPCs British accents of various kinds. There are hints of a different culture underneath this, but you have to look for them. It’s... annoying. Admittedly, Andrzej Sapkowski might have been going for a generic fantasy world type of feel in his books (I’m reluctant to dig into that for fear that I’ll spoil the story for myself), but I still think that the witcher games were a great opportunity to show off an eastern european fantasy world that western players wouldn’t be exposed to otherwise.

#personal #witcher 3 wild hunt

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