#i think I’m going to try doing some more pixel art in the future
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Saw you were thinking of doing more point and click adventure games and I have a few suggestions!
Primordia : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YvWQi_5fsw
Honestly I think it would be right up your alley.
On the more horror side
Excavation of Hob’s barrow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-1C_9RQJb8
Kathy Rain : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aW1YcrEc0M
A little more on the fantasy fanciful side
Beyond The Edge of Owlsgard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXeHb_dN9qo
Wytchwood : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufvmbqHVbLY
Though that one is a little closer to a crafting game.
Enjoy :D
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THANK YOU!
Sorry it took me awhile to read this submission. I’ve been adding a lot of Adventure Games to my “to play” list lately. Mainly cause of PushingupRoses and their new Podcast “Save Your Game” so I recommend giving that a listen if you’re up for any game recommendations, Modern or Old.
So I’ll go down this line and look at the trailers to see if I’m interested.
Primordia:
OH GOD! Primordia’s art style reminds me of like Dark Seed. Which is appropriate cus I think Geiger did the artwork on that game. (darkseed not this) but it also reminds me of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind with it’s art direction. I might just check it out for the Bug, Goth Steampunk style alone.
Excavation of Hob’s barrow:
I’ve heard of this game! It was actually brought up and Discussed in the “Save your Game” podcast and I looked up the art and thought about giving this one the old college try. I love me a good mystery and gothic horror intrigue. Definitely one to keep in mind.
Kathy Rain:
I actually did play this one! Well, I played it once, and it was the original, not the Directors Cut. I don’t know what changes the Directors Cut made, and since I only played it once, I don’t really remember a lot of the puzzles or how it concluded. But I loved the atmosphere and I just love that the 90s was so long ago, that modern Adventure Games can like use it for a retro setting now. I want to see a lot more games take place in the 90s. Like the 80s had their turn, and I love scifi and the future, but we just need more games set in that weird era of leaking out of the 80s and dissolving to grunge. I think a small town community in the 90s is a good setting for a game in general. I should give Kathy Rain another go, it’s still in my steam library untouched.
Beyond the Edge of Owlsguard:
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!! My little inner furry absolutely LOVES this. Like the juxtaposition of a somewhat realistic Pixel art background, blended in with the super cartoony look of Anthro animals just has me instantly hooked on the artstyle alone. Like it looks like one of the more sillier games in tone of Monkey Island or Sam and Max hit the Road and that is fine by me! The graphic interface is very old school and it seems to be very self aware of the adventure game genre. I don’t doubt things will get dark and serious by how they introduced the main threat but... Like I will probably just pick this up for the art style alone!
Wytchwood:
Ah this looks really interesting. It really reminds me of Cult of the lamb weirdly. With crafting and dungeon elements. I might give it a go, but it doesn’t capture my interest immediately like some others.
Also, I’ll drop a recommendation I’ve heard of:
Perfect Tides
The year is 2000. You’re a teenager. You only have online friends and you’re trying to navigate puberty and the world of sex. Some people might not like that kind of thing, especially if they cringe hard at second hand embarrassment, but from what I’ve heard, this whole thing is like a mix of “Night in the Woods” and “Watamote” more the later then the former. I heard that this game isn’t afraid to make it’s main character utterly unlikeable and it’s a real coming of age story. And like, what it’s like to be alone as a teenager only having online friends to seek companionship with. I honestly can’t wait to try out this one. It looks like an existential time and a half.
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bro grammarly literally has a built in thing now where you type in a prompt and it generates entire passages based on that i’m actually fucking sick. i’m also a visual artist and when i google very basic things to look for reference images FOR MY ART like upwards of 70% of it is ai generated bullshit it actually makes me want to kill myself
I know, it's really terrible. What I'm trying to find encouraging is how unified artists and writers are about how vehemently they all hate it, and in the case of generated writing how terrible that writing is. Hard to feel intimidated by something so bad it's not worth selling.
As for AI art--I'll be honest, I don't see the longevity. AI art cannot replace real artists, and I'm trying to be optimistic and envision a near future in which everyone sees just how little we can get from AI art. Because I think I can guess its use--companies will use AI to generate concept art and writing in order to cut costs for actual human creative work. But I think that that generated content will be so milquetoast that it cannot make a return on the investment put into it.
Think of all the amazing shows that are out right now, all the beautiful artwork and comics. The things that have a very purposeful style and tone, that speak to you in very personal ways. For me, it's The Bear and Succession--all elements of these shows, from the casting to the set design to the costuming to the dialogue and narrative, work together in ways that make the whole far more than the sum of their parts.
From what I've seen so far, AI can't do that. AI can identify basic narrative structure, can figure out how to replicate pixel and hue arrangement, but it can't make anything really meaningful. It can't identify shape languages and motifs that achieve emotional or didactic purpose. It can't speak to us in the ways we can speak to each other.
It also can't come up with anything new. AI only works when we give it something to regurgitate. There is no AI without real art and real writing. It can't produce anything original or interesting that someone else already came up with.
To offer you some practical help, I recommend SenshiStock and other stock artists for references, if it's poses you're looking for. You can also use model lookbooks or fashion ads, those can have some fun poses and perspectives. As for grammarly, there's not much you can do other than not use it.
And yeah, it's gonna be ass for a while. There's already a lot of human-made mediocre content out there that actually is making bank. But I want to have faith that our appetite for human connection will win out, and if not that, then at least we will eventually get so bored of AI's rehashed schlock that we'll go back to making stuff for each other again if only for the novelty.
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End of the Year 2022! Honorable video game mentions
Here is the honorable mentions for the video games of 2022. I’m separating them somewhat in the list, but you’ll find both the pre-2022 and the 2022 lists here. They’re all generally fine games, just I quit playing them for various reasons.
Pre-2022
HM: Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance
A fun little Action RPG, but also ball grindingly hard. Perhaps it's because I went with the Wizard character but this is astonishingly difficult. I'll probably go back and finish it.
HM: Divinity: Dragon Commander
I like this game even though I'm not particularly great at strategy games. I enjoy the story quite a bit, but I'm undecided if I'll go back to it.
HM: Undernauts
A good dungeon RPG but I sort of just fell off of it. I played it for twelve hours or so, but I just kind of moved on to other games. I love the art style.
HM: Shining Song Starnova
I got a few hours into the game when my computer decided I didn't make any progress into the story and deleted my save. Idol Manager made me think about giving this game a go.
HM: Daggerfall: Unity
I am trying desperately to figure out why people like the Elder Scrolls games so much. This one is pretty good, but I didn't play it for any great length of time.
HM: Elder Scrolls Battlespire
I decided I wanted to try an Elder Scrolls that is a more straight forward game compared to the more open world options. I didn't get far in it, but I do intend on giving it a more fair shake.
HM: Titan Quest
I wanted to play an Action RPG, and I was drawn to the more Greek inspired look than the typical dark fantasy games in the genre. Really I just want to play the expansion set in China.
HM: Torment: Tides of Numenera
I watched the opening movie and I thought it was pretty cool. Sadly I didn't play beyond the opening because I decided to play Pillars of Eternity and Tyranny instead.
HM: Open X-COM
I finally decided to take a real shot at trying to play "classic" X-COM, every other time I just sort of bounced off it. This time however I seemed to actually get a nice handle on how the game actually plays, so who knows maybe in the future I'll actually go through the entirety of original X-COM.
2022 Propa
HM: Evil West
Started this one just a smidge too late for it to be eligible for proper best of the year consideration. A fun hack and slash to be sure, kind of a cowboy pastiche of a Devil May Cry. It's a hoot.
HM: Steelrising
A soulsborne-esque yarn where you play as the robot bodyguard of Marie Antoinette during the robo-French Revolution. Sadly I didn't get particularly far before my attentions were drawn elsewhere.
HM: Conan Chop Chop
Decent little roguelite game.
HM: Card Shark
An interesting game with a unique selling point, being a game set in France's past and with the main gimmick being you're not trying to win the card games legitimately but by cheating better than your opponents. I should finish it some day.
HM: Pentiment
I love a good murder mystery. Sadly I had to let this one slide unplayed.
HM: Lunacid
You're spoiled for choice these days with Dark Souls derivatives, so it's nice to see someone go back and make a King's Field-like.
HM: River City Saga: Three Kingdoms
I enjoy beat-em ups and I thought a Kunio game set in the historical period of the Three Kingdoms sounds like a fun idea. I'm not sure I've played it enough to really pass judgment on it.
HM: Moonscars
One of approximately a hundred Soulsy Metroidvania dark fantasy games that came out this year. I liked what I played though.
HM: Tarnishing of Juxtia
See above, also it reminds me a lot of Blasphemous more than any other game.
HM: Souldiers
Unfortunately all these Metroidvania games came out too close in my mind so I kind of had to let some of them fall to the wayside.
HM: Weird West
Yeehaw.
HM: Salt and Sacrifice
I don't care for the character art, but the gameplay is generally solid. I don't know if I'd recommend it over any other of these Metroidvania types, but I thought it was pretty good from what I've played.
HM: Soulash
A fun pixel-graphics roguelike that I wish I spent more time with.
HM: The Last Hero of Nostalgaia
Allegedly a satire of Dark Souls and all those types, but I found it to just be a generally fun game to play. Maybe it really goes down hill, but from the demo I played it seemed pretty decent.
HM: Undecember
It's like if Diablo Immortal was a slightly better roguelite phone game. That sounds mean, but I actually quite like this.
HM: Thymesia
Bloodborne inspired game this time. Unfortunately I didn't play much of it because of all the other games vying for my attention.
HM: SD Gundam Battle Alliance
2022 was just positively cram packed with games that were generally pretty good and did what they set out to do quite well. This is a decent little Action RPG, and one day I hope to finish it.
HM: Valkyrie Elysium
One of the dozen or so games Square Enix released with practically no advertisement. I like what I’ve played so far, it just fell onto the back burner and out of my priorities list.
#end of the year#honorable mentions#valkyrie elysium#sd gundam#weird west#baldur's gate#dark alliance#undernauts#shining song starnova#divinity#dragon commander#elder scrolls#daggerfall#battlespire#titan quest#torment#tides of numenera#x-com#XCOM#evil west#steelrising#conan chop chop#card shark#pentiment#lunacid#river city saga#moonscars#tarnishing of juxtia#souldiers
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Ok so in light of the Independent article (see my tag #fusebox layoffs for more info), I’ve been trying to piece together the sequence of events that lead to FB Going to Shit™.
All of the below is based on articles, tweets from the staff, and dates from screenshots. Especially with the Matchmaker stuff, I’m using the dates I personally accessed the stories- that might not be accurate to when they were actually released to an international audience, just when my phone updated the app. In hindsight, I’m not a great person to do this because I have a shit memory and don’t keep receipts, so if you have any corrections PLEASE lmk either in the dms or replies.
In sum, the timeline appears to be:
1. Key players left Fusebox in early 2020.
The one that people are probably most familiar with is David Gallopim, one of the artists who helped define the S2’s distinct style, leaving sometime before March 2020. He seemed to indicate that there was conflict over the new art style of S3, and released assets he’d designed of Harry in his own style (notably way prettier than Harry looks in-game).
But probably more important to the direction of the company, Michael Othen, one of the co-founders and former CEO, left in July of 2020 (I had thought it was earlier in the year but according to LinkedIn it was July). It’s much more unclear why he left, but it’s notable because he was a huge force in making the game inclusive of LGBTQ characters.
So all in all, not a great sign when employees who had a huge hand in creating the content and direction of a game that defined its success jump ship. Especially after the game was seemingly hitting its stride, with the host of Love Island (the TV show) doing a sponsored Let’s Play of S3 and projects in the works like Boat Party and CMM.
2. It seems like Fusebox‘s CEO/executives hired new management, either in 2020 or early 2021. Employees complain that the executives don’t understand what it takes to make a game and are pulling the studio in the wrong direction. It’s unclear if the newly hired execs had experience.
Wil Stephens, the CEO/founder, has been with FB since its inception but also appears to have only founded game distribution ventures and not worked in any development or employment capacity. If that’s the case, maybe the complaints about lack of experience/knowledge about the mechanics of making games work are about him. If not, then some of the newly hired execs would likely be to blame.
Paul Virapen, COO, was brought on in November of 2020. He’s worked with Disney’s gaming division, Big Pixel studios, Wooga. The quality of that experience is dubious since he headed up the ‘let’s make apps for Apple watches, it’ll be the next big thing’ department… Lol. Notably also, all of his roles had been in the executive/managerial realm, not the development teams, so the complains might have been about him. THIS IS SPECULATION, but I’m willing to bet that Virapen was a if not THE driving force in switching Fusebox’s focus entirely to matchmaker. All the studios he’s worked with have primarily produced and promoted Match 3 games, and he has a background working with big studios that produce games for large international audiences, not small studios making narrative games for limited audiences.
A new Manager of Finances, Ruth Erskine, was brought on in December of 2020
Rob Goddard, a new producer, was brought in January of 2021
Several key operations positions were filled by existing employees being promoted to management- 2 as far as I can tell. But as a whole it seems like December 2020 was a huge shift in leadership for the upper management while a lot of the other teams expanded but kept their old players as well.
3. At some point in late 2020- mid 2021, the executive team made the decision to switch LITG’s focus from a narrative pass-based game to a Match 3 incorporating romance narrative cut scenes. In early 2021, Fusebox teased more content to come while releasing S3 (seemingly referring to Matchmaker and not S4). In the interim between S3 endings and Boat Party’s release they put out an interview confirming the new game will be Match 3 but did seem to indicate that the plan at that time was for Matchmaker to be a side project with a different development team and not replace the main game. Notably, the LITG writers and artists were reassured that their roles will continue to exist (according to the independent article) as they’re working on S4.
3. In September of 2020, Matchmaker became briefly available in the US. That’s when I first downloaded it, at least. It would be added/removed from the google play store multiple times before having a unilateral release in July of 2021.
Throughout 2020, Matchmaker is available to Asian audiences solely with LITG S1 getting rolled out in incremental updates.
Eventually, Beanie Quinn is released (March 2021)
LA Noir is released (May 2021)
Seduction Games is released (late May or June 2021- I got the update and played it June 3rd, but hadn’t opened the app for a month or so. It might have come out before then, which is unfortunate for this timeline since it’s so inextricably linked to the open letter and layoff dates)
LITG S2 is released (only like 20 levels of it) the same month- June 19th for me. Notably, all of these stories are only released to an international audience, with the UK and USA still not having access to the app.
4. At the same time, Fusebox’s internal affairs are pretty quiet from 2020-2021, at least on social media.
S3 comes out in 2020, Boat Party comes out later in the year and finishes in 2021. Post S3 in October of 2021, a survey goes out gauging player interest in new art styles and representation, which was pretty in keeping with past actions and seemed promising for S4.
Boat Party features a promising cross promotion implementing irl brands into the game. It’s unclear if enough money was made from this on FB or the sponsor’s end to make that strategy viable, but that might’ve impacted management’s outlook for the profitability of LITG.
Fusebox teases more content for the summer on Instagram, and then follows up and confirms it’ll be a proper season.
5. More key players leave in early 2021
Ed Sibley is still listed as Narrative Direction on LinkedIn, but he’s not credited as a writer on Season 4 (he was on 3,2,and 1) and started work with NetSpeak games in May of 2021, so we can assume he left around then or at least transitioned away from Fusebox then.
Fred Francis, another writer who had been on the team since S1, turns in his resignation ‘weeks’ before the layoffs were announced in late June. So we can assume he made his exit sometime early June or late May.
6. Prior to the release of Seduction games in May/June, staff expressed concern about the biphobia in Seduction Games. No sources have given a specific time when this took place. They were reassured that the problem would be corrected prior to release, but then the story was released as is to an international audience in June. The article released by the Independent is unclear- there might have been discussion prior to the open letter where staff expressed concerns and then were reassured before the game going live. OR the open letter might have been the first expression of concern by the staff. I tend to think the former, and the open letter was a response to Matchmaker going live with Seduction Games anyways, but I have no proof for that. On May 24th, 31 employees sent an open letter of concern regarding the problematic content in Matchmaker. This letter isn’t public, so we don’t know the scope of the employees' concerns or who the employees were.
7. To resolve the situation, a meeting between the staff and at least the COO (likely more than just him though) was held sometime after May 24th. Allegedly, Virapen was disrespectful to the employees who had questions, refused to answer, and ended the meeting early before any resolution was had by closing his laptop and leaving the room. At least 4 HR complaints were made in the wake of that meeting, we do not know the nature of those complaints.
8. Some time mid-July (maybe July 26th? A writer tweeted about their job ending soon on that date), employees were made aware that the LITG app would move into ‘sunset mode’. It’s unclear what was communicated, but it seems as though S4 will be heavily delayed or cancelled altogether and no future seasons would be made. Writers begin to post about looking for work on Twitter
9. June 30th- The majority of Fusebox writing staff announce on twitter they’re out of work. In addition to the entire writing staff, unity engineers and producers are also let go.
10. July 5th - Fusebox executives respond to an article by MCVUK with a statement asserting they were “consulting with [their] employees on a proposed change to its business model” that would focus on producing Matchmaker content. They also expounded that the move was to secure “cash injections and and continued support from respected investors across the media and gaming industry”
11. July 6th- Fusebox announces that S4 will be delayed from the summer release date and that there is no fixed release date.
12. August 2nd- three jobs are posted to Fusebox’s careers page on their website, one being Head of Narrative Content. In the job listing, it specifies that they’ll be maintaining existing properties as well as new ones, and that because of the co-development model (re:fusebox outsourcing Matchmaker to another studio) the new Narrative Lead must collaborate with external content creators.
Hopefully posting this timeline gives players a better understanding of how radically Fusebox has changed in the course of 2021 (and how royally they screwed over the people who made LITG what it is). Again, please let me know if you have receipts showing dates are different or things to add.
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YELL 2 ME ABT SAKUATSU FIC RECS PLS
oh boy. oh boy do i have much to talk about
here’s a list of my sakuatsu must-reads under the cut! complete with links, word count, ratings, and occasional commentary because i’m incapable of shutting up. this isn’t in any particular order either
(keeping this sfw and organized into canonverse/AUs. a * means i am on my hands and knees begging for you to read this)
i’ll try to update this somewhat regularly :]
most recently updated august 25, 2020!
canonverse:
*your highs and lows (series) by astroeulogy
a post-time skip canonverse series born from these two questions:
1. what if sakusa kiyoomi, known too-blunt jerk, is equally straightforward about his soft, tender feelings?
2. what if miya atsumu, resident big fat jerk who doesn't care if his teammates hate him, is too emotionally stunted to notice when his one of his teammates actually likes him?
this is like the sakuatsu series but it’s blasphemous to not recommend. the first fic in the series is all that you were (4.6k, T). mind the ratings on a few of the fics, but my personal favorite is #3: a masterpiece of domesticity called you have tamed me (5.7k, T). these make me ACHE
*sakuatsu domesticity simulator by pseudoanalytics (T)
a vaguely interactive mixture of fic, art, and html, where you too can experience the inherent romance of a big fat jerk and a too-blunt jerk attempting intimacy
this fic...this fic...op is literally one of my favorite artists of all time but Did You Know that their writing is also off the charts. what a wonderful use of second person and the pacing is so good. too much skill in one person
*The MSBY Black Jackals Read Thirst Tweets by isaksara (11.4k, M)
Sakusa’s eyes are very dark naturally, sucking in all surrounding rays of light and crushing them in his pupils. For an athlete, he is rather pale. His lips look very pink in comparison. Atsumu is suddenly catastrophically aware that in this instance, ‘accent’ is a euphemism. “Good enough for your Olympic-size ego, Miya?”
(In which Atsumu realizes that he is attracted to Sakusa Kiyoomi in the most inconvenient way possible.)
i think this is the fic that got me into sakuatsu in the first place lol i was looking very specifically for msby socmed fics and now here we are. this fic is unbelievably funny
*liminal spaces by hhatsuna (25.9k, T)
Fuck you, Atsumu thinks, pointing at the pixelated Sakusa in the grainy team photo on his bedside table.
It’s easier than you’d think to ignore loving your teammate.
*Better For Us Both by abrandnewheart (15.7k, M)
Where “You already make me the happiest guy alive, babe," gives way to, “I’ve not been happy for a while now.”
Alternatively known as the ‘mug fic’.
yes this is a breakup fic. yes im going to recommend it anyway. breakup fics usually scare me a lot but this one is too good for me to not say anything about. nuanced and delicious. i look at the mug on my desk and feel pain
dog eat dog eat dog world by perennials (8.4k, T)
You are your first and only line of defense against the universe.
Koi no Yokan; 恋の予感 by ymra (15.3k, unrated)
Wherein Sakusa dreams of his future selves and discovers a little something along the way.
autumn ends, but we remain by wolfsbvne (5.3k, T)
atsumu stares at his ceiling at 2am. he stares until he can make out designs in his popcorn ceiling. a cat there, an onigiri here, and then something that suspiciously looks like a mop of hair, triangle eyebrows, and oh those two bumps are moles right above what atsumu just mapped out as an eye.
(or, atsumu is in kind of in love. sakusa is maybe in like.)
your fingertips, branding irons by Ceryna (5.8k, T)
Between the accidental touches he's reconciled, the deliberate ones he's endured, and, from those he's built years of trust with, obliged– Kiyoomi has never wanted to let someone indulge.
Never, until Atsumu.
take what’s yours and make it mine by claudusdiei (5.9k, T)
atsumu falls in love four times in his life
(or: in which atsumu gets his heart broken twice, has the self-awareness of a sober mule and really likes yellow tulips)
every action has an equal and opposite reaction by akanemnida (10.4k, T)
Miya Atsumu gets a modeling contract with Calvin Klein, which sets Kiyoomi's heart in motion.
(Or: Sakusa Kiyoomi realizes that the rules governing the universe are absolute rubbish at explaining matters of the heart.)
*where i want to be by tookumade (8.8k, G)
In the time they’ve been teammates at the MSBY Black Jackals, Sakusa has never been to Atsumu’s place, and Atsumu has only been to Sakusa’s a few times. There’s an unspoken understanding here: that Atsumu knows him well enough to know that nobody’s house or apartment would ever really meet his ridiculously high standards, and he is most comfortable in the home he’s made for himself.
That, and, Atsumu being over at Sakusa’s means that he has to host him and do the cleaning afterwards, while Atsumu can just flit off back to his own place. So. There’s that.
Tonight. Tonight is not business as usual. Tonight is not familiar.
*san'yō expressway, 6:17 pm by yamabato (8.1k, T)
Atsumu tilts his head to watch a slice of orange light bend over the impassive planes of Sakusa’s face. He is absolutely, ruthlessly beautiful. It makes Atsumu want to punch something—put his foot through the windshield—scream, maybe.
Kiss him again, maybe.
They have 344 kilometers to figure this one out.
parallax error: angle of inclination by min_mintobe (10.8k, T)
But now there's the one person Atsumu'd promised himself never to touch. His eyes leave Atsumu breathless with guilt at seventeen, and he spends the next six years safe in the satisfaction of making things right.
Feelings, of the physical kind, and one kiss.
ft. competitive spirit, childishness, and late night conversations.
Atsumu POV.
four leaf clover by vicari_us (5.9k, T)
Once, Ushijima claimed that they ‘got lucky’. If properly honed, their body types could become near invincible weapons.
However, unlike Ushijima, Kiyoomi’s weapon required a bit more care over the years to reach the condition it had become. He was born iron, not yet forged into steel.
Exploring what it might have taken to turn a genetic mistake into an athletic miracle.
*the 28 postcards you left me by wheelspokes (8.3k, T)
Atsumu takes texting your ex to a new level by sending Sakusa postcards in Animal Crossing instead.
such a unique premise & this is so beautifully structured. stunning flow and who knew animal crossing could convey so much longing...
AUs:
Pas De Deux by hhatsuna (dancer!sakusa au: 19.0k, T)
The mystery athlete gives Kiyoomi a once over in the mirror. “Yer pretty tall,” he observes, and the twang of an accent rasps low in his throat. His brazen eyes drift to Kiyoomi’s legs, and something like exhilaration glints gold in his gaze. “Good quads, too. Ya ever played volleyball?”
Ah. So it’s volleyball.
“I’m a dancer. Ballet and contemporary, mostly.”
*my love, take your time by bastigod (archaeologist!sakusa au: 9.0k, T)
There was something sublime about wandering around an empty museum. Nothing could compare to the sound of his shoes clacking against the marble floor, the morning sunlight gently streaming through the lofty windows and the peaceful solitude of ancient stone kings overseeing their silent kingdoms.
A day in the life of Doctor Kiyoomi Sakusa, Archaeologist.
i’ve literally been thinking about this fic every day since it came out. you will not find a story like this anywhere else, i guarantee you. what a clear labor of love this fic is it’s truly something so special
three roses and a smile by strawberrycitrus (surgeon!sakusa & microbiologist!atsumu au: 19.7k, T)
“I just got this job, I’m not givin’ it up for some moral boost ‘cause I actually need to pay my rent, ya insensitive -” Atsumu waves his hands around, trying and failing to come up with the right word to convey the amount of injustice that this gaunt motherfucker has brought into his relatively simple life thus far.
“If you can’t pay your rent, go get a job at the McDonald’s over by 8th Street,” Sakusa growls, “it’ll pay more than your researcher position.”
If you even attempt assault on a coworker, forget teaching about cells - you’ll fucking be in one, Atsumu.
*Dance of the Parallax by astroeulogy (ogre spirit!sakusa au: 6.7k, T)
For the last twenty years, Atsumu’s done all that he can to break his betrothal to the ogre spirit Sakusa. If he can just make it through one more night, he’ll be free.
honestly, just read everything by astroeulogy. i’m recommending this fic in particular because it has such an ethereal voice to it. magical
across oceans, across centuries by starstrikes (pacific rim au: 20.0k, T)
Six days ago, Osamu died and left Atsumu with this: Atsumu, you have to—
(Namikira rises with the tides and rips Osamu and Vulpis Empress away in one fell swoop. Six days later, Atsumu wakes up alone in a hospital bed and learns how to swim.)
you don’t actually need to know pacrim to appreciate this. a wonderful exploration of grief and recovery. also it’s exactly 20k words which is both satisfying and terrifying
*Notte Stellata by awkwardedgeworth (ice skating/dancing au: 20.8k, T)
"Your partner doesn't need to hold anyone's hand other than yours," Sakusa's father crouches, "And you can wear gloves."
Sakusa ponders. He hears the other skaters of rink two whiz past as they launch themselves into lifts.
"Alright," He looks up from the ice, not knowing how he'll dedicate the next couple of decades to this sport, this partnership, this boy.
what a stunning fic. a beautiful progression of sakusa & atsumu’s relationship, rife with references to real skating programs, beautifully written and structured. so full of longing i’m in mild physical pain
#if anyone else has recs feel free to drop them in the replies mwah#sakuatsu fic is SO high quality you can literally just look at the tag and blindly press and find something stunning#these are just my personal favorites#basically just my ao3 bookmarks and then some#sakuatsu#sakusa kiyoomi#miya atsumu#sakuatsu fic#haikyuu fic#ask#reynegades#thank you for asking.....ive been dying to make a fic rec post i just needed a push lol#fic
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This is my half of a collaboration I did with @ezlikessharks as a gift for our mutual friend @enbyjaywalker
You can find their half here
the fic is also on Ao3 here
I hope you like it!
Title: An Acceptable Proposal
Words: 2209
Warnings: None. Just self-indulgent fluff
Samuraishipping + background Oppositeshipping
“Zane! I need your assistance!” Pixel bursts into the room. He lets out an undignified squawking sound, dropping the dish he had been holding. Feeling just the tiniest bit guilty about that, she picks it up and hands it back to him.
“Pixal! You startled me! What can I do for you?” He pauses putting away the dishes to look at her.
“I am planning to propose to Nya when we go out tonight, remember? I need you to help me make sure all the preparations are in place.”
“Is tonight the night? Pixal that’s wonderful! It completely slipped my mind. How can I help?”
“I have a number of things that need to be confirmed and some things that need to be collected while Kai and I go to pick up the ring, along with a few other things,” Pixal hands him a list. “It would be very beneficial if you could meet us at the park when you are finished to help set things up.”
Zane takes the list, scanning the contents.
“This seems reasonable. I will get started on it just as soon as I am finished here. When should I plan to meet you?”
“Thank you so much! We will be there around 5pm or so. Jay should be meeting us there also. I have to leave around 5:30 to get ready to meet her, so the three of you will have to finish setting up without me. Can you make sure it’s all ready by the time we come through at 7:30?”
Zane salutes her “Your wish is my command.”
Pixal thanks him profusely once again before rushing off. Not a single moment to waste! Tonight had to be perfect.
“So tell me again why you need me here?” Kai asks as he pulls open the door to the jewelry store. Pixal steps inside, clutching the pick up slip for the ring tight to her chest.
“You’re the only other person who knows Nya as well as I do. I want you to do the final check on the ring to make sure it is something she will like. And I haven’t forgotten you telling me you wanted to do something similar for Zane in the near future. We can’t have that double wedding you and Nya are so heartset on if you don’t get a ring yourself.” She gives him a pointed look, and his face flushes a deep red.
“Touche,”
Kai wanders off to browse the cases, and Pixal makes her way up to the counter.
“Good afternoon! How can I help you today?” The clerk greets cheerfully.
“I have a pick up for Pixal Borg, please,” She hands the slip over. The clerk takes it, reading it carefully.
“Your timing is perfect Miss Borg! This shipment just came in yesterday. Give me a moment to get it ready.” He takes the receipt and hurries away, leaving Pixal to join Kai in his browsing. She finds him staring hard at one of the cases.
“Find something you like?” She inquires.
“Actually, I think so,” He points to a specific ring. “Do you think Zane would like something like that?”
The ring in question has a twisted silver band set with two sapphires, one pink and one blue. It’s beautiful, and simplistic in a way Zane would like.
“That would be a good choice. Though I think Zane would be happy with just about anything you chose for him.” She offers. It was true. Zane loved him so much it wouldn’t take any real effort on Kai’s part to impress him. Kai could propose with a ring of paperclips and the nindroid would be overjoyed.
Pixal doesn’t get to hear Kai’s thoughts on things though, as the clerk calls her back over.
“Here you are! One custom engagement ring, ready to go!” He hands the box over to her. Hesitantly, Pixal opens it. This will be her first time seeing the final product in real life. Inside sits one of the most stunning pieces of jewelry she has ever seen. Nya’s phoenix symbol is carved into it, set with a sapphire eye. The carving is flanked on either side by two small diamonds. Without a word, she shows the contents to Kai. He lets out a low whistle.
“She’s gonna love that, Pix.”
The approval helps to relieve a little of the worried knot that was forming in her stomach. That was a relief. She turns back to the clerk, and Kai wanders back over to the ring from earlier.
“Can I set up a payment plan for the remainder that I still owe on it?”
“Sure thing! I’ll just need some information from you first…”
Once that is sorted out, she collects Kai and they head out. She doesn’t miss the fact that he is now clutching a little pick-up slip of his own. Seems Nya was going to get her double wedding afterall...
The jewelry store had taken longer than she was anticipating, so by the time she and Kai finished up with the rest of the things on their list they were running a little behind. When they finally reach the park, Pixal only has a few minutes before she has to leave. Zane is already there, and so is Jay.
“Pixal! Kai! Over here!” Zane calls out. Once they are a little closer, he continues. “I was able to complete everything on your list. The photographer is confirmed, I got the approval from the city to change the lights in the fountain and hang the lights in the trees, and I dropped your dress for tonight off at home for you. Did you get the ring?”
“Yes, and Kai has the rest of the lights. I appreciate your help in all of this. I wish I could stay, but I really have to be going if I want to be on time.”
“Yes. Go, go. I can handle directing these two here,” Zane makes a shooing motion with his hand. “You go have fun and I promise things will be ready for you when you return.”
Pixal shouts more thank-yous at them as she walks away. She would be eternally grateful, as this was not something she would have been able to do on her own. The only things left to do now were get herself ready, meet Nya, and then...ask her the big question. Simple enough. She could do this.
Maybe asking Nya to meet her at the restaurant was a bad idea. Originally Pixal was thinking it would give her extra time to compose herself, but honestly? It was just making things worse. It didn’t help that she had gotten there early, and that Nya was now running late. What if something had happened to her on the way here? What if there had been an emergency team summons and Pixal had somehow missed it? How long should she sit here by herself? Maybe she should call Nya? Just to make sure she was okay?
Just as that thought occurs to her, the door chimes. It wasn’t the first time it had happened since she’d gotten here, but she whips around to see who it is regardless. A visible weight lifts off her shoulders when she sees that this time, it is Nya. The host leads her over to the table, and Pixal is able to get a good look at her.
It’s a good thing Pixal doesn’t need to breathe.
“I’m so sorry I’m late! Cole took me to a painting workshop today and it ran over. I didn’t want to show up in paint clothes so I ran home first.” She gasps. She must have walked because she doesn’t have that windblown look that comes from riding her motorcycle. She has on a midnight blue tunic dress, paired with dark leggings and a sparkly belt. Instead of her usual ponytail, her hair is pulled into a low braid across her shoulders.
“Nya, you look positively radiant.”
“Thank you. You look pretty good yourself. The butterfly clip is a nice touch,” She winks as she sits down. “This place is pretty fancy. What’s the special occasion?”
Pixal’s brain momentarily stutters, trying to come up with a reasonable answer. She reaches a hand into her dress pocket, clutching the ring box.
“Do I need a special occasion to be able to treat my partner to a night out?” She questions. Nya laughs.
“No, I guess not. I just wanted to make sure I hadn’t forgotten something.”
“Well in that case, don’t worry. There is no special significance to tonight you should be aware of,” Pixal smiles softly. At least not any that Nya was aware of. “So tell me about your day. You mentioned Cole took you to an art class?”
“Yeah! I wasn’t expecting that at all but it was actually really fun…” Nya starts rambling about her day. Pixal listens intently, focusing all attention on Nya. The way her eyes light up when she gets excited was always enchanting. First Master, she was so in love.
The rest of their evening at the restaurant passes without incident. They talk about how busy they’ve been lately, about all the upgrades Pixal is planning to do to her samurai X mech, and about how nice it was to be able to finally have a night to themselves. Nothing out of the ordinary for them, other than the massive ball of nerves that was weighing heavily in her stomach.
It only got worse as they settled the bill and left.
“So do you have anything else fun planned for tonight?”
“I was hoping you would accompany me on a walk through the park?” Pixal offers an arm out to her. Nya takes it, linking them together.
“Of course! I would love too. Lead the way.” She gives Pixal a peck on the cheek for good measure.
Making their way to the park, she hopes against all hope that the three she had left behind had been successful in getting things ready. The park soon comes into view, and she breathes a miniscule sigh of relief when she can make out the lights glittering in the distance against the setting sun.
“Hey, what’s that over there?” Nya asks, pointing.
“Would you like to go and take a look?” Nya nods, and Pixal leads her in that direction. Even though she had planned this whole thing out, she is taken by surprise at just how good things had turned out. Delicate lights are strung through the trees, warm and inviting. The fountain in the center of the plaza she’d picked was lit up with soft blues and purples. She can’t identify where it was coming from, but someone was playing soft music. That was a nice touch. She was forever going to be in Zane’s debt for making sure things went off without a hitch.
“This is beautiful!” Nya whispers, releasing Pixal’s arm. She steps forward, taking it all in. The way Nya looks around in wonder makes her think that all the work that went into planning was worth it. “But what’s it for?”
Taking a deep breath, Pixal fishes the ring out of her pocket. This was it.
“Well, my dear...this is all for you.”
“All for me? What do you mean by that-” she turns around in confusion. Pixal takes that moment to drop to one knee, and Nya’s eyes go wide.
“Nya, you are my everything. You’ve done so much for me. You helped build me a body, gave me freedom. You gave up your mantle as Samurai X to me when you didn’t even know who I was. You taught me what it really means to love, and I love you with every fiber of my being. Every moment I spend with you feels like an eternity. There isn’t a single other person I could imagine spending my life with. So, would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
She opens the box, heart thundering in her chest. Nya’s mouth is open in a gasp. With one shaky hand, she reaches out and takes the ring. The sapphire eye of the phoenix symbol engraved on it glints in the light as she studies it.
“Oh Pixal…” Her eyes fill tears, and she launches herself at Pixal.
The heavy weight that had been following her all was lifted as she welcomed Nya with open arms. She had no words to describe the pure elation that was filling her. In one swift move, she bends down and catches Nya’s lips in a fierce kiss. Nya kisses back just as fiercely. When they part, they both collapse into a fit of giggles.
“I take it that you find my proposal acceptable then?” She whispers.
“Yes. Yes I do.” Nya whispers back, pressing their foreheads together. She is grinning wildly, and her eyes shone. Pixal imagines she looks much the same.
“I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you so much.”
“However much you love me, I love you more.”
Pixal pulls her into another kiss, this one softer. As long as she had Nya by her side, the two of them would be unstoppable.
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My Manhwa List (2020) Part 6
sHi! How arth thou? I’m back to give you another list of recommendation!
Beware of the Villainess
Description:
Sit back and take in this romantic tale of an angelic heroine and her devoted suitors as they vie for the depths of her love... or not. This story’s about to go through some edits! After an accident, a modern-day college student awakens as the story’s villainess, Melissa Foddebrat. She’s far from anyone’s favorite, but she IS the daughter of the duke. Determined to live it up, this new Melissa is doing things her way — antiquated society, be damned! All idiots, prepare to step aside or perish!
WHY YOU SHOULD READ:
- plot = 4.5/5
- art = 4.5/5
- C O M E D I C G O L D
- their meme-able face are so funny lmao
- ml is so cute & soft & deserves everything in the world
- mc is such a bad-ass like?? she’s so cool & she doesnt deserve to be treated less by that stupid prince ok
- she is beauty, she is grace, she is the queen!
- all i do is fangirl over the mc basically
- isekai
- i love her dynamic with her bro cause honestly same that’s how my sibs and are act sometimes lmao
- her maid is so cool
- a bad-ass with a heart
- ml has this past and secret and i’m living for it
- a gem basically
- overall verdict, a highly recommended manhwa that will make you all sort of emotions. one of the best manhwas released this 2020 ok i said what i said
I Became the Villain's Mother
Description:
Summoned into her favorite novel as the infamous Duchess Roselia Chade, Haena is bathed in riches, power, and a family of her own. Life couldn’t be better, save for the small detail that her beloved stepson, Einspanner Chade, is also the evil mastermind destined to kill her. At this point in the story Ein is still just an adorable child yet to reach his cruel awakening, and so Roselia is determined to stop him from becoming a ruthless killer. But with the duke getting in her way and trying to poison his own son, safely raising a child that was primed for villainy may prove harder than she originally thought. The survival of both mother and child depends on whether Roselia can successfully rewrite their tragic ending!
WHY YOU SHOULD READ:
- plot = 5/5 ok i’m loving it already despite the few chaps released
- art = 3/5
- IM LOVING THE TWIST
- this is an all out war between father & son ok
- ain is so cute like??
- i s e k a i
- ain is such a bad ass cute little devil
- i know i know i’m collecting so many isekai-ish manhwas bcoz why not
- i love the mc so much shes so adorable and her previous job is awesome (i know you dont care but i wanted to be a daycare teacher too when i was a kid so yay)
- she’s such an awesome mom like??
- the dad... the dad is idk but he’s a terrible dad for me (right now)
- ^ why is this like a discouragement comment like idek what i’m thinking yet i’m not gonna delete it
- i love that this is mostly a son-mom manhwa bcoz it’s such a breath of fresh air and not to mention almost all dad-daughters manhwa are hurting me
- i’m here for the mom and son interactions basically
- overall verdict, a highly recommended manhwas for our souls!
Marked By King Bs
Description:
High school is hard enough without a target on your back, but that’s exactly the situation Annie finds herself in when she crosses a group of the most popular kids in school. Marked by the king bee himself, the notorious Ashton Griffin, Annie becomes his newest fixation--and he is determined to make her life miserable. Now at his beck and call, Annie must stay on Ashton’s good side to maintain her peaceful life and avoid becoming a social pariah. As she navigates her way through alienating social cliques, persistent old crushes, and the hot upstairs neighbor who never puts a shirt on, Annie will soon learn that there’s more to being popular than meets the eye. She just wanted to live a normal life, but maybe there’s no escaping these king bees. An official comic adaptation based on the hit dating-sim game.
I AM TARGETED BY THEM!!!
WHY YOU SHOULD READ:
- plot = 3/5
- ngl but i can already feel the slight cliche-ness of this story and yet i’m still here forgive me this is a guilty pleasure manhwa
- art = 4/5
- i love the mc (yes, that quickly)
- dark haired boyo is mine ok??
- kinda funny
- i miss the school life setting so hihihi
- verdict, a cute and good read!
Pixel of Life
Description:
After finding out her boyfriend has been cheating with her boss, Hana loses her menial desk job of 5 years. Countless rejections later, she finally lands an interview at a small art gallery. Hana jumps at the chance to leave the drama of the past few months behind. But her high school friend (and worst enemy) Jiyeon is the gallery owner? Their most peculiar romance is about to begin… or not?!
WHY YOU SHOULD READ:
- o m g
- plot =4/5 this deserves more read tbh
- art = 4/5
- i’m starting to relate to mc since i started working cause #adultingsucks
- one of my dream jobs huhuhu
- i so love the twist
- the s i b l i n g s
- i wanna know what happens next!!!
- s u s p e n s e
- mix with mystery and spinkle with secrets and viola i present to you: the pixel of life
- verdict, a super good read!
The Antagonist’s Pet
Description:
Blessed with the face of an angel, young Sasha Tartt knows a life-altering secret: in this romance novel where she’s just a side character, she’s the only one who knows the true ending! When the antagonist of the story takes a particular liking to her, she must make a decision: help the clever and beautiful Rebecca find a happy ending, or side with the sweet-natured protagonist to ensure her own survival? On top of that, Sasha has to juggle the affections of her bespectacled love interest and tame a dragon boy! Can Sasha learn new tricks to win the hearts of these main characters? Based on the hit novel.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ:
- plot = 4/5 so few chaps yet so good
- art = 3/5
- i so love that she acts dumb when she’s not cause i love scheming characters
- W O M E N E M P O W E R M E N T
- who run the world? girls!
- i love that she loves the villain cause girl same
- idec whether there’s an ml or not cause we stay for their future bond
- she is beauty, she is grace, she’s the villainess pet
- ^ it sounds better in my head
- verdict, a refreshing manhwa that will leave you wanting for moreee!
#The Pet of The Villainess#beware of the villainess#pixel of life#i become the villain's mother#when you're been targetted by the bully#manhwa#manhwa recommendation#marked by king bs#The Antagonist’s Pet#reynlist#reyn.manhwarecs
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I’m doing this for fun simply because I'm rewatching them all so,
Here's my personal ranking for Every Gorillaz Music video, based both on song and the video itself:
(This is going to be a long post)
PHASE ONE:
Tomorrow Comes Today: 7/10. I love this song and the video fits its vibe, but its still pretty simplistic and not a whole lot of actual animation and no story, so it gets points off for that.
Clint Eastwood: 10/10. I love this one honestly. Its still so charming after all this time and showcases the band well for their early days. Love the more moody tone of it, and I always love seeing the band actually play instruments in their videos too. Bonus points for Murdoc's laugh opening this one because I love that.
Rock The House: 9/10. Pure fun. I don't have a lot of commentary for it, I just think its fun and I love the song itself too. One point off for Murdoc thrusting his hips too many times for my eyes tho.
19-2000: 10/10. This one was the first Gorillaz video that I saw and it really is just a nice non plot connected video. The 3D animation still manages to hold up because of its mix with 2D animation in my opinion and I enjoy it.
Rockit: 5/10. I like the song but the video is kinda meh.
PHASE ONE MV'S OVERALL: Overall I like phase one and I miss Del. Bring him back.
PHASE TWO:
Dirty Harry: 8/10. 2D is just vibing so hard in this video and I'm living for it. That’s all that matters. (Side note but I love the version of this video they did for the BRIT's as well.)
DARE: 10/10. Noodles time to shine, a perfect song, what more could you ask for?? (Also love the bit with Murdoc at the end of course.)
Feel Good Inc: 10/10. This one is obvious if you know me at all. Murdoc playing his bass is what sells this one for me cause I enjoy the animation. The songs amazing and one I find comforting to listen to, and the mood of the video fits it perfectly. Theres some really fun shots with lighting while 2D is standing at the window too in the tower in here that I've always liked.
El Mañana: 6/10. I love this song but it makes me sad and so does the video.
PHASE TWO MV'S OVERALL: Phase One is iconic for its art style and for being The Beginning, but Phase Two is my favorite of the two for its art. I love how these videos are animated, and even if Demon Dayz is my least favorite album, the songs in these videos are all very good. Pretty solid as a whole all things considered.
PHASE THREE:
Stylo: 10/10 LISTEN, I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HATE THE CGI, BUT I LOVE IT. It’s so expressive, this song is one of my absolute faves, I’m sorry to be such a Murdoc liker but hes so much fun in this video and so expressive and it starts the story off for Plastic Beach. I love it so much.
On Melancholy Hill: 7/10. It’s not a bad video, and I love the song a lot, but...not a lot actually happens in the video aside from the bits with Noodle. Bonus points however go to just how seamlessly it puts 2D and 3D animation together, and for how cute 2D looks this whole video.
Rhinestone Eyes: 9/10. WOULD BE A 10/10 IF WE’D GOTTEN OFFICIAL ANIMATION FOR IT ;-; (The fan animated video for it tho is Very very good and i applaud that whole team.) Amazing song, this video has the most story packed into it so far from all the other videos and it’s memorable from its storyboards for that alone.
Doncamatic: 10/10 Listen...Listen I know its a one off and it doesn't really have anything in it but I’m obsessed because its one of my favorite Gorillaz songs tbh and I love Daley’s outfit in it so it gets a full pass from it.
PHASE THREE MV’S OVERALL: I love every video this phase tbh, none of them are bad. All of them are fun,and even if Melancholy Hill is a little slow, it’s still enjoyable. I love this phase because they all connect and I know I’m not the only one who feels that way either.
PHASE FOUR:
Hallelujah Money: 7/10. It’s not at all bad, but I’m as not fond of this song, and the video itself is much too trippy for me. Still has its own merits tho that I won’t knock it for even if it’s not my personal taste.
Saturn Barz: 10/10. Everything about this video is amazing. Character designs and as a comeback for the bands animated counterparts, it was perfect. I loved hearing them actually speak again too it made the whole thing so fun. The song is fuckin awesome and it fits the vibe of the whole video. Bonus points for the more lineless animation style they gave everyone in this video, it was a really neat change from past phases. My one complaint is again stop making me see so much naked Murdoc, I may like him but not like that.
Sleeping Powder: 6/10. I am so split when it comes to the mo cap models. This songs good but the video is again too trippy for me.
Strobalite: 9/10. Would have been 10/10 if Russel got to dance with 2D and Noodle, but other than that its pretty damn good. The mo cap looks way less awkward in here, particularly Murdoc and Russel. Also hilarious that Murdoc made a deal with the devil, and the guy who played him is actually his voice actor irl. This songs too much fun to vibe to as well.
PHASE FOUR MV’S OVERALL: Not much for story, but makes up for it in updated art and great music again. Solid overall yet again. I like it.
PHASE FIVE:
Humility: 20/10. Literally every single person I know who’s seen this video loved it. The animation is Beautiful, the song is so fuckin catchy, Jack Black is in it! What more do you want!! (The only thing I could have asked for was to see more of Ace but that’s its only flaw.)
Tranz: 9/10. I love this song so much but this video is Again just a little too trippy for me. However, we get to see Ace just jamming out in this video and I’ll take the trippiness just for that.
PHASE FIVE MV’S OVERALL: I was surprised there wasn't at least one more video for this phase honestly? I feel like Kansas or Souk Eye would have made for great videos for this phase. That aside tho, both the videos it does have are a lot of fun. My literal only complaint is that I wanted to see more of Ace. Bring him back in the future.
PHASE SIX:
Momentary Bliss: 8/10. This songs fine, but what sells it for me is the video is more slice of life/a day in the life of the studio. I’m always a fan of those moments. Bonus points goes to Murdoc trying to fuckin poison Jamie and it backfiring on him.
Désolé: 10/10: ooooh this song is so beautiful...I love it so much. 2D Noodle and Russel got to have such a fun time in this video and they deserve it. And poor Murdoc, having his little sad times by his asshole self. I love him but I think he deserved it. The others needed a good break from the bullshit and I’m glad they got it.
Aries: 6/10. Video itself is kinda boring, but the song is nice. Murdoc deserved to be left behind in Désolé after what he tried to pull here.
Friday the 13th: 3/10. I don’t care for this video and I really don’t care for the song. Not much else to say.
PAC-MAN: 6/10. Video’s fine, I like some of the little details in it, but it’s nothing special. The song itself is nice tho, super calming, I like it.
Strange Timez: 20/20 MY GOD I LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH...VISUALS ARE SO FUN, I LOVE ROBERT SMITH SO I LOVE HIM IN HERE, ITS JUST A GOOD TIME ALL AROUND!
The Pink Phantom: 5/10 I just don’t really care for this song?? I like Elton John but I couldn’t get myself to like this one no matter how many times I’ve listened. 2D got to be happy in this video tho so I’ll give it a pass.
The Valley of the Pagans: 6/10. This song fuckin slaps but the video feels like a boring redo of 19-2000 except for it’s ending. It gets points for giving everyone Plastic Beach feelings at the end and hyping up the video after it.
The Lost Chord: 20/20. Y’all knew this was coming. This was something I’d BEEN hoping for story wise and I finally got it. Was it maybe a little rushed? Yes. But GOD it was such a nice thing to see them say “hey we’ve wrapped up this part of the story for good and want everyone to move on from it, so we’ve given it a properly acknowledged final send off.” And tangibly seeing everyone's emotions laid out about the island and their times there was very nice. And I know Jamie and Damon have stated Murdoc is irredeemable, blah blah yes I know hes an asshole still, but I WILL think about Murdoc in this video and how he seemed actually regretful and what that means to me and the fact that it was no one else but 2D himself being the one to reach out to Murdoc in the end to save him until my dying breath, thank you very much. And this song?? Fuckin beautiful, it had those Plastic Beach vibes again and felt good for it’s send off song, I love it.
PHASE SIX MV’S OVERALL: I may be a little split on some of them and on Song Machine as a whole, but tbh I love the phase six art style so much and most times the videos were pretty good. Bringing back PB in the end was something I always wanted too so it really does get bonus points from me for that. I’m 50/50 on them overall. The great ones are great, and the meh ones are just kinda boring, so it evens out in the end.
STAND ALONE VIDEOS MENTION:
Do Ya Thing: 10/10. I’ve said before I love the 3D animation and the slice of life stuff, so this one’s obviously a favorite, and you really cant go wrong with an Andre 3000 feature either.
Superfast Jellyfish: 3/10. This song is kinda fun but I don’t give a single shit about the music video.
Garage Palace: 8/10. Very fun pixel visuals for a change along with a killer song, super enjoyable.
So what’s my final verdict on Gorillaz and their long music video history?
Honestly for a group thats been going as long as they have, I dont think they have too many misses in their catalog. The ones that aren’t as fun are just kinda there, but the videos that really stand out stand out far above the ones that don’t hit the mark as well and in the end it all feels like a good balance. No band has a perfect video every time, but the ones that Gorillaz did well they did amazing on and I enjoy it immensely when that happens.
Sidenotes after watching all of those:
For the love of god please put Russel in the videos more, please, he deserves it and I would love to see him more.
On that note, BRING DEL BACK WITH HIM TOO!!
And speaking of characters to bring back, I want Ace to come back and join Murdoc sometimes, even if its only once or twice more, I need to see them interact PLEASE.
Last note but Jamie, please, I’m begging, show less of mostly naked or fully naked of Murdoc in future videos, we’ve had our fill by now.
#can you tell im hyperfixating again??? anyways#kief rambles about gorillaz#gorillaz#this was fun but good lord
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2020 Fanworks Highlights
Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!
Tagged by: @dragonidpyrus12 TYSM <3
Tagging: @kuriboh-i-choose-you & Anyone who still hasn’t done this! Just say I tagged you! :)
Here’s a summary I did in the past~
1. The 4th blue-eyes white dragon
This is my post with the largest number of notes on it! I honestly didn’t expect it’d blow up this way, it came out very late into 2020 but damn it quickly became one of my favorite pieces I’ve produced. I feel like it was a nice way, to close such a shitty year man. I should definetely invest and consider doing more collages, like this in the future. It was also a nice little way to revisit pixel-art, which I hadn’t done since 2018!
2. Artober 2020 Day 5: Decay
Day 6′s entry may have garnered a lot more attention, than this one. But IDK man, I still like this one a lot more. Looking back on this piece, I feel like I could have added more details to it- but at the same time. I had so much fun inking and just, going so out of my usual stuff for this one.
3. 6 fanarts challenge
This is a special piece for me, because it was around this time I was starting to recover the confidence on my work after I went through a long time without drawing due to many things last year. It felt nice drawing some of my favorite characters, like this.
4. You’ll become the next pharaoh
This is another personal favorite of mine, simply because I always wanted to do something that involved my drawings in combination WITH collages. In college I used to do those all the time, in fact- I kinda of became known for them within my classmates. So I’ve been meaning to try this, in a long time. I don’t think this is my best work, in fact- I feel like the 4th bewd is a lot better than this one BY MILES in comparison. But y’know, this was my first time & I got to do something with some personal HCs/thoughts I had involving priest Seto.
Runner-ups:
5. AoE 2 cavalry
It’s 2020, and I’m suddenly invested in a game that was made in the late 90′s. This is another personal favorite of mine, not because of skills & other reasons. Rather, AoE 2 is very nostalgic to me, it was my childhood and it brought me back some comforting personal memories. Now this is what I call a personal project. This was also my very first time working with watercolors, so there was that.
6. Rivalshippingweek 2020 Day 3: Game night
This was WACKY to work on, I hONESTLY I didn’t expect I’d be doing something like this in the middle of a shipping art event. I want to make more stuff like this in the future.
7. Gym leader Morty
This piece was meant to be posted on my birthday, in order to celebrate the fact my favorite character from pokemon had been just released onto masters. This was also my last pokemon related piece, before I took my massive break from the franchise due to feeling burned out from it.
8. Yami!Seto AU
This is how I enter a new fandom. What’s up fuckers. I had recently met & began talking to @obsessedwithyugioh, and MAN what a way to get into this fandom. I’m so happy people seemed to have liked this AU’s idea. And I’m especially happy, I had the fortune of meeting & befriending Mew. On top of having such a blast while discussing this story (nothing like doing a whole ass overhaul of the OG serie).
#[ rambles ]#[ dash games ]#dragonidpyrus12#long post#cries in the clUB bc Im so happy with the majority of things I've put out last year#despite everything...
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I Played Every Food Game in the Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid
In light of increased violence by the Israeli military against Palestinian civilians, several game developers have to come together to create the Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid. And with over 1,000 games (available at https://itch.io/b/902/indie-bundle-for-palestinian-aid until Friday for just $5, of which all profits go towards the United Nations Relief and Works Agency), it’s no surprise that there would be a handful of food-related games. So let’s take a look at them.
I did, however, omit a few. There were a couple of food-related text-based RPGs, which is ultimately not a medium that I’m familiar enough with to feel like I could talk about and do it justice (and also most of them required at least 2 players). “Breakfast Cult,” ended up being more about cult stuff than breakfast stuff, which was disappointing (for the purposes of this, anyway). A couple, upon extracting the .zip files, seemed to be files of all Unity assets and no actual game, and eventually I kinda stopped caring. Sorry if I missed any otherwise, I did my best to gleam through the over 1,000 titles in this bundle.
Ace Baker
You’re presented with a list of ingredients with names that don’t resemble any food known to man, and it’s up to you to throw things together in combinations that will result in something that resembles a baked good before your partner comes home from work. There are icons next to each item, which vaguely suggest what it is, but the whole point is to sort of work it out yourself. I was just barely able to get a Perfect Cake before running out of ingredients, after countless Acceptable and Dubious attempts.
The UI was simple but effective, and I was almost a little sad that the list of fake applications off to the side couldn’t actually be accessed. Most of the dialogue (which is very slim, and basically bookends the game) with your partner, Nora, would be clunky if it wasn’t so tongue-in-cheek about how Cyberpunk-y it’s trying to be. The repeated use of “shiny” immediately brings to mind that one Spongebob episode where everything in the future is chrome. The fact that the player character and their partner are both asexual (yes, that kind of “Ace” Baker) doesn’t seem to have much to do with anything at first, but it’s worth mentioning that this game was originally developed for an asexual game jam, so think of it as a game that started off as being about an asexual person and then they added the baking afterwards, rather than the other way around (And even then, who cares? If you’ve got something against asexual people, get outta here.)
My only real critique is that after a while, the music loop stopped, forcing me to sit in silence as I studied my baking grimoire. But again, this was a little game hashed together for a game jam, that, if for some reason you didn’t want to get the bundle, is actually free on itch.io, so can you really complain?
Hot Pot Panic
What a classic conundrum: you’re at a hot pot restaurant with a friend, and, despite being all-you-can-eat, you have to control your appetite to avoid weirding out your friend. There’s basically two mechanics you need to keep track of: cooking the food in the hot pot, and managing the conversation with your friend. You click on the raw ingredients to put them in the pot, then wait until the sprites turn a golden hue and you start to hear a sizzling audio cue to eat them. Meanwhile, you have to make small talk with your friend, and pay just enough attention to be able to choose the correct multiple choice response to any question or open-ended statement she ends her side of the conversation with. But you have to be careful not to burn your food, however, because that won’t count towards filling your stomach, which you have to do before you run out of conversation topics. The whole thing is a delicate balancing act. I have to admit I failed at first because for some reason it didn’t dawn on me that you could cook more than one thing at a time?
The pixel art sprite work works very well; the foods are instantly recognizable and I could really feel the judging glare coming from behind the friend’s thick glasses. The background music perfectly matches the atmosphere, and, as already mentioned, other sound design elements like the sizzling cues from perfectly cooked meat prove to be vital to juggling the different elements of gameplay. All in all, a neat little game that perfectly encompasses the feeling of anxiety that comes with wanting to not embarrass yourself in public when all you really want to do is eat.
Putahe ng Ina Mo: Sinigang Edition
Ok, I’m gonna try to be nice to this one. On one hand, I love the aesthetic it’s got going on. Upon opening the game, you can tell from the background music, which I can only describe as “whimsical mad scientist,” as well as a stream of emojis flying past, that this game is supposed to be very goofy. Unlike other games on this list which were more point-and-click, the ingredients for your sinigang (a Filipino tamarind stew) can be picked up and thrown about as you wish. The fact that the art style is very realistic makes this that much funnier.
However, upon opening, the window forces a specific resolution that just would not work with my monitor. This may seem like a minor problem, as I was still more-or-less able to access all the ingredients, but imagine the mental state I was in: I’m already confused, and then the second I clamp the lid on the pot, everything goes up in smoke! How the fuck did I burn water? I ended up also watching a playthrough on YouTube, and they also, no matter what, burned the sinigang. Considering the name of the game translates roughly to “Your Mother’s Cooking,” maybe the idea is that no matter what, you’re never going to make it as well as mom. Or, considering my mom’s cooking, maybe it’s the opposite of that.
A weird, goofy little game that just didn’t seem to like my computer.
Sangwish
This is 100% in the vein of all those weird 2010s “[Mundane Thing] Simulator” games that were all the rage for a while. No instructions, no objectives, just a pile of food for you to play with. My immediate reaction was, for some reason, to grill the mysterious meat slices, but it turns out the stove there is just set dressing. Giving up on such pointless gourmand pretenses, I decided to just make the biggest sandwich I could. Eventually, there was so much on the sandwich that the bottom slice of bread started vibrating slightly, because physics. Then I tried to put my knife in the sandwich, but the vibrations knocked it to the floor, never to be seen again. Then I decided to throw all of my bread and most of the ingredients on the floor, never to be seen again. Here is my end sandwich.
Easily one of the sandwich simulators I’ve played all day.
Terroir
Much like a wine with a good terroir, this is by far the most complex game on this list (muffled snooty wine snob chuckles in the distance). The end goal is clear: grow grapes, make wine. But, as you can imagine, you are completely at the mercy of the elements. The ideal time to harvest your grapes is when they are at a ripeness of 4-6 out of 10. However, the randomly-generated months gave me month after month of cloudy and rainy weather, not allowing my grapes to get the sunlight they needed to get their ripeness above a 1. The only time my grapes ever hit a 6 was out of harvesting season, and by the time I was allowed to harvest, they had somehow dropped back down to a 1. And as you can imagine, a bunch of 1-star grapes will only make 1-star wine. The fact that I almost immediately got root rot didn’t help any, either. And because I tried to expand too quickly, buying an extra plot of land when I couldn’t even afford the grapes to grow there, I was thousands of dollars in the red within 3 years.
Is that a dig against the game? No. It’s frustrating, but in that way that games with a learning curve often are. The tile-based design is pleasant to look at, although much of the UI can be a little confusing to look at at first. And, of course, most of the “gameplay” is sitting and waiting for the wine critics to tell you what a bad job you did. Some of the few management choices you can make seem to not have much of an impact (my first wine wasn’t acidic enough, so I added pressed juice to my second batch that brought the acidity up to a 9, but then the mere act of bottling the wine brought the acidity down to a 4 somehow). It’s an interesting concept for a game that I assume I’m just not getting, but might give another chance at some point in the future.
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Looking at Specialist Pathways to see what ones i would like to take further
Game Development (Blueprints / Scripting / Code): At first I thought that this would be my top choice before looking into all the other choices as to me it seemed the most useful and needed thing for any game to be made and it also seemed pretty interesting to me as there was so much to learn and figure out. but after doing it with most of my games it is still enjoyable but for the longer term i don't know how much excitement and joy I would get out of doing this as i could see it getting either repetitive or annoying when things don't go the way you want
Level design: Level design is another option I wouldn't mind taking further as I see it as something fun to do as creating a world in which a player can explore sounds great as i feel like I'm really dragging the player from reality into this world that I have created. This field would also give me a chance to show of my creative side as there are many different ways levels can be represented.
Gameplay Mechanics: Looking further into gameplay mechanics this is a field that I didn't really think about at first but after looking into it I found it really interesting as it seemed like a really fun concept of figuring out how the games mechanics could look and play out inside of the game. The idea of this is really appealing to me and would be 1 of the option I wouldn't mind taking further as I feel it would be fun and keep me interested and intrigued during a project.
Asset Creation 2D: I have done alot of 2d asset creation during my first year on my games design course and i can say I really did enjoy some parts of its creation mostly on the pixel art side because of how beginner friendly i found it and as it was the style we used for 1 of our first projects. I am glad to have the skill of simple 2d asset creation but overall i think that its not a path i would like to take further as I personally don't see myself skilled enough at 2d asset creation.
Asset Creation 3D: 3d asset creation is something I have done the bare minimum on and is very daunting to me as it seems like a very complicated process that i cannot really understand so far. However this year we will be focusing more on 3d types of stuff so i would like to see how it is done and from there decide if it would be something to take further. To be honest it sounds very interesting and im very exited to learn 3d stuff.
Texturing and Materials: As for Texturing and Materials I cant say its something I'm really interested in as i dont find adding minor details to certain objects and items to make them look more realistic as in rust or wear and tear. Saying this I wouldn't mind trying it just for the experience to see if my first opinions on this path are wrong.
Sound: For Sound I actually find it very intriguing as i feel like creating background music to fight music to background effect sounds would be really fun and always something new sadly i have had no experience in this field at all so I would know where to start but i would like to try as I can really appreciate some music from certain games as it has made the game very memorable.
Animation: Personally I am not really a fan of animation from the get go as doing in in my college course was never really a fun task and always seemed like a chore and something i just wanted to get done quick. on top of the im not really skilled in animation either making most of my efforts janky leaving me not that happy with the results so i don't think i will be taking this pathway leading forward.
Narrative and Scripts: For narration and scrips I personally haven't ever tried making dialog for games and deciding how a story should go but i think trying it would an good thing so that if needed i could the skills learned in a future project however overall I wouldn't choose this as something i would like to go specifically into as it doesn't really stand out to me.
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The big Conscript accessibility + options update!
Hello everyone, hope you are all doing well. I’ve been hard at work getting a new demo revision ready for mid-October.
MAIN MENU
Here’s a look at the initial main menu for Conscript. I find it quite atmospheric and have found myself just keeping it on in the background while I work. The last menu for the previous demo was quite rushed so I’m happy with how this one has turned out.
ACCESSIBILITY
Recently, the topic of accessibility has been on my mind. As a developer it’s easy to find yourself resisting against a player’s ability to alter your “vision” of the game. I can understand this sentiment - as I’m somebody who holds my project VERY close to my heart. This topic was inspired by a conversation on the Conscript Discord where I was asked how accessible the game would be. My immediate internal reaction to any questions relating to adding a new unplanned feature is generally “isn’t my damn Trello board already big enough??”
After some reflection and research however, this is a silly way to look at things. Yes, any new feature takes hours or even days to implement - but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing. For example, as a developer I end up putting in many extra days and weeks trying to get the game on different online storefronts or even other consoles, all in hopes of trying to expose the game to more people but I would never question this time as anything but time well spent.
Accessibility is the same thing really. There are extra hours of work I can put in to ensure that MORE people can be exposed to the game and enjoy it. So that’s what I’ve been doing, even if it has meant putting extra work hours in every day for the past few weeks.
PAUSE
First, you can now visit the options menu at any time without having to go through the inventory. A tiny change, but it was requested quite a few times.
VISUAL OPTIONS
Something I wanted to solve was text readability. There are now a variety of settings to adjust different properties of the text in-game.
You can now choose between HD and pixelated fonts. Even though low-res pixel font is coherent with the general art style, it is not the most legible typeface to read. Now you can have the option to “HD-ify” the font, which makes for greater readability.
For those with dyslexia who may have trouble discerning between serif style characters, you can now opt for a simple sans-serif font style. This can also be toggled between HD or pixelated.
Text colour can also be changed between white, yellow, green, red or blue.
This is applied to all standard text throughout the game!
And finally, the background opacity of the standard textbox can be customised from 0 to 100. If you are struggling to discern between the text and background it may be easier to have this on 100 so the text stands more.
I feel like all these extra little options will solve the text readability issue for the majority of players. Any colour specific elements will also have non-colour related visual indicators. They are small changes but hopefully go a long way for some.
There are also some extra little visual accessibility options for those who may have trouble focusing on certain elements of the game’s artstyle. You can now zoom the camera in up close to our protagonist, and also alter cursor, crosshair and interaction icon properties such as size and colour. HUD opacity can also be lowered, but it is set to 100 by default.
The screen blood that appears when you take damage can also be turned off now, as can any bright flashes in the game for those who are photosensitive or epileptic. For those who don’t enjoy screenshake, that can be turned off too.
It hasn’t been implemented yet, but I am working on having brightness and contrast settings too in the future. Even though the game won’t feature much voice acting, I am going to work on having subtitles available not just for voices but also for any kind of hard-to-read environmental text.
AUDIO OPTIONS
Nothing too fancy, but you can now adjust SFX, music and master volume all independently. This required a rework of the audio system so it was actually quite challenging, but happy to have it completed and working.
BLOOD TOGGLE
Blood and gore effects can now be toned down substantially, although it will be left on by default. The reason I decided to include this is because there may be some who are more interested in exploring the history of Conscript without the intense and bloody combat . In my opinion, Conscript is equal parts a history game and a survival horror game, so there will be cross pollination between those two demographics. Most of you will probably leave this on but it’s nice to have it there anyway.
DIFFICULTY MODES
During the Kickstarter campaign, we reached the stretch goal for two difficulty modes but I am going to include some extra ones in the final game. There will now be six difficulty modes in total.
Training (Assist Mode)
This mode will feature checkpoints, increased health capacity and player damage will be increased.
Recruit / Soldier / Veteran
These three will be the standard easy/normal/hard sort of thing from every other game in existence. Enemy damage and item quantity variables will be the main differences between these modes.
War Hero
This will feature more “realistic” elements from modes like Resident Evil Remake’s “Real Survival” difficulty. Item boxes will be unlinked from each other and limited saves will be mandatory. It will contain the same gameplay modifiers as Veteran mode.
Grognard (French for “old soldier”)
This ultimate challenge will include all the features of War Hero mode but with PERMADEATH. Yep, you heard right.
LIMITED SAVE TOGGLE
Limited saving has always been controversial. The reason I opted for this old-school survival horror mechanic is because it introduces a risk/reward style of gameplay where players generally try and squeeze in one extra “task” before the next save, leading to extra hard decisions being made during gameplay. Understandably, not everyone wants to deal with this though. Despite this being the intended way to play, it will an optional toggle at the start of any Conscript playthrough. Note that on the very hardest difficulties it will be mandatory however.
Here’s a look at the game parameter screen before you start a new save:
You will also have the ability to toggle off Kickstarter backer easter eggs if you so wish.
CONTROL SETTINGS
Any action that requires you to hold a button - such as aiming and running - can now be toggled with one button press instead.
Also, I’m going to implement both a quick melee and quick heal feature so that you don’t have to go into the inventory just to break some barrels or use a healing item.
You can also turn off mouse support to play the game with a keyboard only.
CONTROLLER REMAPPING
Full control remapping is now available for both keyboard and gamepad control schemes. This was a complicated and time consuming thing for me to implement but I’m glad to finally have it available.
Hang on a second… did the inventory just change?
BAG STYLES
By far the biggest feature in Conscript history....
This was a fun little extra I decided to make when I was testing out the flexibility of the new options menu. Admittedly it has nothing to do with accessibility, but it is related to the options menu! You can now change the colour of the inventory background. You will be spending a lot of time there so I figured it would be cool to give some small level of customization... there may even be some extra unlockable styles in the full game! Any ideas for patterns or designs?
So that’s what I’ve been working on the past two weeks! What do you think? I know menu heavy things aren't exactly the most marketable features, but I felt it was important to share. Are there any other reasonably in-scope accessibility options you all would like to see?
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What is Punk Rapunzel dot Tumblr dot com?
About
Hi, welcome to my little chunk of Hell <3 You can call me AVA. I've been on tumblr since at least 2013, and have been privy to its terrible ups and downs. I saw the Mishapocalypse, DashCon, the Skeleton Wars, the great Oncelering, and even was witness to the rise, and shameful fall, of John Green. Somehow, this has yet to kill me.
In tumblr's most recent eras, we've been seeing a new dawn of internet historians setting up their shops here, such as @heritageposts, @bad1dimagines, and many more dutiful, long suffering folks archiving the horrible history of our favorite internet cesspool. Recently, a YouTuber called izzzyzzz uploaded a video called "The Rise and Fall Of 'Common White Girl" (which I highly recommend) about a time period around 2010-2012, when being 'basic' was as much of an identity as being alternative.
In it, she featured images of infamous Rapunzel edits. I think there's something weirdly, grimly fantastic about this former phenomenon. Almost gruesome. I'd like to take the time to archive the absolute slew of these, oftentimes highly pixelated, poorly edited photos, give them proper names, and address the environment that bore them.
FAQ
Q: What is the purpose of this blog?
A: I think this is a really fascinating era of internet history. It took the internet by storm on websites dominated by tweens, typically from the ages of 11-15 (at the oldest), here included. It is, first of all, a huge creative undertaking these fans were taking on, churning out not just countless works of art of varying skill levels, but also fic, headcanons, video edits, and using these platforms and shared interest in punk/modern/hipster edits of Rapunzel (and other 3D cartoon characters) to build entire communities and lasting friendships. I want to dissect the culture of both this movement, and the surrounding world that created it, and find out why it existed. I want to represent it fully, but also fairly, and am hoping to find former fans to interview!
Q: Why do you think this happened?
A: My current theory, which was initially proposed by izzzyzzz, and supported by friend of the blog @the-shark-is-a-mammal is that 'rebel disney' has a lot to do with young teens worrying their interests are too immature, and feeling that by edgy-fying it, it will make their peers, parents, or maybe even themselves embrace it as more 'adultlike.' Also, if you're young, maybe making your favorite Disney characters feel alternative is a safe way to express rebellion or fashion choices you don't feel comfortable enough to preform. I additionally believe that there is some kind of insecurity wrapped up in all this. Maybe not for everyone, but it is why I'm choosing to showcase the 'hybrids' on this blog, as it seems that using conventionally attractive princesses to live vicariously through may be a form of coping.
Q: The waht
A: Hybrids. It's when you take the face of a cartoon character, and photoshop it onto a human's body. I hope that helps :)
Q: This is clearly deeper than just 'punk Rapunzels.' What else is in store?
I'd like to cover the Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragon craze. I do think this is when rebel disney became something else entirely. I hope to reflect this transformation on my blog, and it is kind of reflected in my queue. Though initially teens were just making Disney characters edgier, and projecting on them, which eventually led to the hybrids, something changed between 2010 and 2012. At this point Tangled (2010), Brave (2012), How to Train Your Dragon (2010), and Rise of the Guardians (2012) were all out, and the now high school age fans who watched Tangled and HTTYD initially and now loved the two new editions, wanted these characters they'd fallen in love with to all hang out.
The nature of the fandom went from edits to hypotheticals, and also took on different tones. Punk Rapunzel wasn't just a cool image anymore, she was basically your cool wattpad OC you could ship with Emo Jack Frost, or Nerd Hiccup, or Jock Merida. These characters took on a life of their own, as a sort of friend group you could insert yourself in, and it changed a lot of what became of these communities, and made them grow exponentially.
Q: Is this long-ass post going to be pinned forever?
A: Nope! As I make this blog presentable, each section of this will be put into a mobile accessible separate tab! So don't worry, this monstrosity is only temporary.
Schedule
Everyday, you will be getting two edited photos. Typically, Rapunzel is the main focus, as she is the most plentiful princess to find edits of, but certain days I will try feature more obscure materials. Currently, Saturdays will showcase Frozen and Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragon content, Mondays showcase classic Disney characters like Snow White/Cinderella/Sleeping Beauty/Ariel, though I am still trying to work out orders and maximum efficiency, as a new blog.
I am just now beginning to roll out the hybrids.
I will soon be eagerly discussing the history of this trend, as well as running hypothesis on how and why this happened.
In the near future, I will be covering linked events, such as the aforementioned Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons, Elsa Frost, the various AUs and theories, and more after I gather some sources!
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Dark Deity Chapters 1-5 Thoughts
Bought Dark Deity last night and played the first 5 chapters before I looked up and realized it was 2:30 AM lol. Available on Steam and on sale for like ~$20ish, so definitely worth checking out if you like tactical RPGs. I’ll put some general thoughts here and then some more specific ones under the keep reading to keep this post from getting to big. I think for the price it’s at, the game is well-polished and fun! Sometimes the sentence structure/flavor of the exposition text is a bit basic, but I just remind myself it’s not fair to compare it to a AAA game.
I’m not sure if it’s because I was using an Xbox controller or what, but I noticed the game glitching out several times when I was trying to use the button to hop between units on the battle map. Unplugging my controller did not help, so I am tentatively assuming it’s a game problem. Another couple nitpicks I have is the text size being on the small size and the lack of variety with the loading screens.
The text size is a complaint I have with most games in the genre; it’s just more noticeable with DD because I have to play it on the computer/HDMI it to my TV rather than on the Switch or DS I can hold inches from my face. The loading screens, I just wish they had more than the king on the throne, the world?, and the first four characters training to cut between for loading screens. The King one is especially weird because it was used in the opening exposition dump, so seeing it over and over when the King doesn’t show up again until post chapter 5 just didn’t jive with me. Obviously I’m not expecting visually impressive loading screens, but just the character sprites or game tips would’ve worked fine for extra variety (or a black loading screen with the logo. The load times aren’t that long).
More detailed thoughts below, since I might talk about things that could be “spoilery” for people who want to go in blind as possible.
First of all, I’d just like to put my prediction out there that I think the King killed his own dad. I base this on nothing but vibes.
Art and Character Designs:
I love the character portraits and the pixel sprits they use during gameplay/combat. Very cute and reminds me of older FE games. The HP bars being little potion bottles is also very charming. I loathe how plasticky FE 3H looks, so it warms my heart to play a game in the same genre that doesn’t look like that. Also hot take, but I really do prefer the limited voice acting to every line being voiced. It’s a little disappointing that the combat animations for weapons don’t change when you select a different weapon, but every one of your units has a unique battle sprite and getting promoted changes their look. Enemy sprites, for the most part, are the same character (generic guy), but that’s fine.
Characters and Supports:
I don’t have too much to say about characters right now except that I like them. Too early to tell if there’s any shipping material, but I like each character as an individual and I find all their designs to be pleasing. I’ve started unlocking supports (I have most of my characters’ current support logs filled to C), and it seems like some of them might only unlock after a certain chapter, because I see an ! for Irving and Elias, but smashing the A button doesn’t let me see anything. Also wanted to say thank GOD for useful archer characters. Been burned by fucking FE:SD Gordin and FE:RD Edward just sucking monkey butt after their intro chapter, and I’m very pleased Garrick and Sophia are tactically useful. I haven’t had any deadweight characters yet, I’m happy to report, though it is only 5 chapters in.
Difficulty:
I appreciate that they have three different difficulty options, and looking over all the menus, there looks to be a lot of potential replayability because they allow you to randomize items, recruitment, and weapons iirc. I chose the middle difficulty, and thus far it’s been smooth sailing without being a cakewalk. Can confirm, because I am a hasty person in tactical RPGs, that when your units are defeated, they do not die; they merely lose a random stat point. I lost both my mages during chapter 4 lol. Another thing I noticed is that there really isn’t a tutorial and the game doesn’t necessarily “pause” to explain mechanics to you. This game is definitely for people who like FE or other tactical RPGs, but even so, I think for most if it you don’t really need a tutorial. I just wish it was more clear in the beginning how the different weapons work (there is no weapon durability, from what I can tell, bless) and the different types of classes/damage types. For example, I promoted Elias during chapter 5, and based on my choice (there are 4 promotion options), he went from being a spear user to using axes, but I don’t fully understand how much that really matters.
Chapter 5:
This gets a special section because it’s most fresh in my mind and I wanted to chitchat about it. The gemstones are obviously going to be important later, but a henchman of a presumable Future Big Bad pretending to look for it for his father and then three Mysterious Ladies also looking for it and that leading to a big battle is kind of funny. Worse reasons to have a battle, and also Brooke is hot, so welcome to the team. I had assumed that the three ladies you were asked to promote wouldn’t be permanent members of your party, so while I stand by my promotion choices, I still wish I had known you’d be keeping Brooke beforehand. The map design of chapter 5 is... interesting. It took me a bit to figure out what the fuck I was looking at, and that the colored circle things were portals I and the enemy could use to make it further on the map. The map design did make it very easy for Garrick and Sophia to do some impressive chip damage, though.
So far, the map objectives have had a nice variety, as had the layout of the maps. I wish it was easier to tell which unit is the commander/boss you must beat, and it was easier to look at your units’ skills while at camp. I have no idea what button it could be, because I’ve tried them all. I do appreciate there is a zoom-in and zoom-out feature on the battle map, however. I like how the weapon system works and it was fairly intuitive to figure out how to forge/strengthen weapons. I do like feeling like a genius/sense of discovery from figuring out a game’s mechanics, but they could’ve fleshed out the tips section a bit further all the same.
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