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birusabi · 5 years

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Do you have any headcanons/ideas for your AU that you'd like to share?

Hello, anon! I don’t have a super specific plot or anything, but I do have some general things + details for each of the characters!

The general idea is that Ouma is a somewhat notorious thief who’s wanted for causing havoc around the kingdom(s), and Kiibo is a knight who unwillingly gets caught up in his mischief. The two end up traveling together and come across different lands, people (the other V3 characters), and varying degrees of trouble while on their adventures.

I have headcanons for where the other V3 characters would fit in + class ideas too, but there’s spoilers for the game (and it’s long) so I’ll put it under the cut.

(Also if you ever want to talk to me about DR or my AU or anything like that, please do! I enjoy it and I’m super happy that someone finds it interesting!)

*Heavy spoilers for DRV3 within, read at your own risk

Ouma: Thief. Very good at lock-picking and getting into things that he really shouldn’t be getting into. DICE probably exists in this AU too, but I imagine he got separated from them somehow, so in the meantime he explores the world on his own, getting into trouble. No one really knows where he came from but most people will recognize who he is (and not be too happy about it).

Kiibo: Knight. Probably lived a pretty normal life before he met Ouma. Starts off very annoyed and unwilling to cooperate, since being involved with Ouma gets him into trouble too, so Ouma pulls him along for a while. But he eventually learns to enjoy the adventure and the new company. Very level-headed and tries to be prepared for anything that could potentially go wrong (which is a lot of things).

Amami: Traveler, based off his backstory in the game. Has been to a lot of remote/mysterious places and is the most knowledgeable about the world. I like to think that he’d travel with the main duo sometimes, since they’d run into him in different places, but he’d always leave to explore on his own at some point. You never know when/where he’s going to pop up, but he’ll always have some new and exciting story to share.

Akamatsu: A traveling bard. She knows a variety of different instruments (mostly because you can’t have a portable piano in a fantasy setting), but she typically carries around some variation of lute. Other than traveling and seeing the world, she likes to perform for small villages or people in need because she sees how her music can raise people’s spirits. Usually never seen too far away from Saihara, who travels with her.

Saihara: Archer! Based off the fact that as the protag he uses truth bullets, but there are no guns in this AU, so arrows are the next best thing. He travels with Akamatsu, as both a companion and a bodyguard, though she ends up protecting him just as much as he protects her. He’s an extremely good shot and spends a lot of his free time listening to Akamatsu’s music.

Angie: Priest/Shaman. Most likely lives in a small, remote village that has a long history of communicating with the gods. No one knows if there’s any truth to this, but Angie is pretty highly respected since she’s so capable with magic. Her knowledge of the world and “proper ritual practices” are questionable at best, but she has good healing magic and has maybe performed a small miracle or two.

Tenko: Monk/Fighter, which is pretty self-explanatory. Probably set off on her own journey out of a desire to “find herself and hone her senses” (or maybe she was instructed to do so). Somewhere along the line, she ran into Himiko, got super attached, and hasn’t left her side since. She might get underestimated as a female fighter, but she definitely has more wins under her belt than losses.

Himiko: (sorry if I switch between first and last names btw) Mage. Which is probably obvious. More of a fledgling mage than an experienced one (not that she’ll admit it), but she has a lot of potential. Spends a lot of time in libraries or other places where magic-users are known to gather in order to study. Tenko never leaves her side (not that she really minds).

Momota: Astronomer (not sure if that counts as a class, but it’s the closest he can get to astronaut). I like to imagine that he has his own little observatory, filled with star charts and books and various equipment (it’s probably a complete mess in there). He spends all of his time studying the stars, but occasionally goes into town to buy food or to see if the traveling merchants have anything new to share. Likes to brag about being the town scholar, although that’s debatable.

Harukawa: Assassin… based on the fact that she’s the ultimate assassin. Her backstory is probably pretty similar to what it is in-game, orphanage and shady training and all. She wanders around working as a blade for hire. I think she’d probably run into Momota at some point while staying in his hometown, he’d strike up a friendship with her, and she’d find it increasingly difficult to hide the unsavory details of her work from him.

Gonta: Druid. He basically lives in the forest, is skilled with nature-related magic, and can probably talk to animals/bugs. Talking to bugs also means he can probably control them which is not great news for Ouma. I imagine he spends a lot of time on his own though, so he probably gets lonely and would appreciate the occasional human company. He also knows a lot about herbs, medicines, and what mushrooms are safe to eat.

Iruma: Blacksmith. The closest she can get to inventor. Very, very talented and has developed somewhat of a renown across the kingdom(s) for her skill in crafting anything from armor to weapons to everyday household items. Many people have come to try and work as an apprentice under her, but she turns them down every time. If I ever decide to add characters from SDR2 or DR1 to this AU though, I’d love to have her work with Souda and maybe Chihiro!

Kirumi: Knight like Kiibo. I contemplated making her a maid again, but I’m a huge fan of her argument armament segment, where she’s designed as a knight, and I think it fits her character perfectly! She likely serves some type of lord and may even be part of a small army (which is what’s more expected of a knight) whereas Kiibo has deviated from that and gone off on his own. I feel like she’d have many admirers, both for her appearance and for her combat abilities.

Hoshi: Also an archer like Saihara. Because I think that’s the closest he can get to firing tennis balls at people. I imagine him as kind of a jaded mercenary, wandering the lands and taking on small jobs that no one else wants in order to get by. He never sticks around for too long though because he “doesn’t want to form any attachments.” Very worldly.

Shinguji: Dark mage/Alchemist. Basically the type of shady magic-user who has probably dabbled in something forbidden. I’m not a big fan of the whole plot twist with his sister though, so in my AU I like to imagine that she’s alive, just very sickly. And while Shinguji does get into some questionable things (that don’t involve murder), he does it to find a cure for her, even if he has to research long-forgotten magic to do so.

Shirogane: Last but not least. Sorceress/Illusionist, which felt the most fitting to her cosplay talent and her mastermind role. I like to think that she holds some position of power in the kingdom, though I’m not sure if she’d be as high as a queen. But she’s very good at disguising herself (and maybe can shapeshift thanks to magic), so she spends her time secretly moving among the normal folks, looking into all of the dark secrets that the kingdom has to offer.

#anonymous #asks #RPG AU #I got excited so this is very long #I really want to draw more for this AU #I'm very fond of it #also adding this to the rpg au tag

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goforwardgreenwriter-blog · 6 years

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The Worm Reads: Empire of Storms, Ch 38

*inhales*

It’s here. Pray for me.

(Also, this should be pretty obvious, but this is indeed a chapter with a sex scene, so there will be NSFW text so maybe skip this one if you don’t wanna read that kinda stuff)

And Aelin knew if she didn’t get the hell out of this city for an hour or two, she might very well explode again.

I’m out of witty remarks to make about Alien’s piss poor temper at this point. Can you believe hundreds of people died painful and brutal deaths last chapter and all SJM focuses on is Alien’s feefees?

Rolfe and Alien have “edgy” “thrilling” “banter” where they insult one another, blah blah blah, you’re not here for that.

Also Rolfe sold his soul for the map on his hands which resulted in his sister and mother dying. How many nameless characters are gonna be murdered by SJM’s hands to give her main characters something to angst over holy shit.

Aelin rasped, “No. I don’t know what happened. One minute it was us … then she came.” She rubbed at her chest, avoiding the touch of the golden chain against it. Her throat tightened as she took in that spot on [Rowan’s] own chest, right between his pectorals. Where her fist had been aimed.

FJDHFKJAHJDAS OH MY GOD THIS IS THE MALE EQUIVALENT OF SJM BRINGING TOO MUCH FOCUS ON HER FEMALE CHARACTERS BREASTS I AM ACTUALLY CHOKING AKDHFKHAFJKHD

“If I had killed you,” she hissed, but choked on the words, unable to finish the thought, the idea of it.

This book would be a lot better since it would mean less Aelin gushing and less Ratlin being hailed as the best relationship evah

“She enjoyed every rutting second of it. She wanted to see what my power might do, what she could do with my body, with the key.” [Aelin’s] flames burned hotter, shredding through her clothes until they were ash, until she was naked and clothed in only her own fire.

??? i ????? this is not a private beach???? youre a queen what if someone walked in on you naked im?????? im so confused why does she do this???

“How can you be so … fine with this?” Embers sprayed from [Aelin] like a swarm of fireflies.

FHSHJSD THIS FUCKING IMAGERY SJM YOU’RE KILLING ME

Rowan shucked off his boots, tossing them onto the dry sand behind him. “Because I’m the only one arrogant and insane enough to ask Mala Fire- Bringer to let me stay with the woman I love.” [Aelin’s] flames turned to pure gold at the words—at that word. But she said, “Perhaps you’re just the only one arrogant and insane enough to love me.”

Love it when Alien writes my snarks for me. Makes these chapter reviews a whole lot easier!

Aelin let [Rowan] pivot her in the surf and sand to face him fully, let him slide his mouth along her jaw, the curve of her cheekbone, the point of her Fae ear.“These,” he said, nibbling at her earlobe, “have been tempting me for months.”

Oh god here we go

Before we proceed, let’s have a little chat, shall we? SJM’s sex scenes? They fucking suck. This isn’t an erotica novel, therefore sex scenes serve to help us feel the connection between characters, no? I don’t mind sex scenes; I’ve read many before that made me emotional because if they’re well written, they demonstrate how much a couple loves each other.

But SJM fails so hard at sex scenes. Her sex scenes isn’t about the bond between the characters, it’s about her jerking off to fae peen. They’re so hilariously unsexy with the shitty writing and bizarre word choice, and since I don’t like any of her characters, why should I care? Her sex scenes are there solely to trick readers into thinking these books are hot and sexy. But its much easier to show you rather than explain, so.....*sigh* Here we go.

Rowan obliged her silent demand, pressing kisses and soft, growling nips to her throat. “I’ve never taken a woman on a beach,” he purred against her skin, sucking gently on the space between her neck and shoulder. “And look at that—we’re far from any sort of … collateral.”

Am i reading a bad fanfic? Tell me how the characters feel! If i want graphic descriptions of Rowboat fucking Alien, I’d look up fanfics on AO3. Tell me how they feel! Also Rowboat was literally insisting they shouldn’t fuck like animals out in the wilderness at the beginning of the book. Oh, how naive I was back then to the horrors I would endure...

Aelin remembered herself enough to say, “Someone might come looking for us.” Rowan huffed a laugh against her neck. “Something tells me,” he said, his breath skittering along her skin, “you might not mind if we were discovered. If someone saw how thoroughly I plan to worship you.”

JKDSKHDKADHKASJD YOU’RE JUST OKAY WITH SOMEONE POSSIBLY RUINING YOUR SEX BY WALKING BY. LIKE WTF WOULD YOU JUST CONTINUE FUCKING IF SOMEONE ACTUALLY DID WALK BY?? IS THAT WHAT YOU WOULD DO???

His lips crushed into hers, and he said onto her mouth, dropping words more precious than rubies and emeralds and sapphires into her heart, her soul, “I love you. There is no limit to what I can give to you, no time I need. Even when this world is a forgotten whisper of dust between the stars, I will love you.”

God ok I take it back I don’t need to know how the characters feel. This is just too much. Pro tip, declaration of love are better kept simple and sweet, with all that big mushy stuff left unsaid. Also pro tip, try to find other ways of characters saying they love one another rather than just “I love you”, having them have their own special ways of expressing their loves just makes it more special and interesting to read and tugs on the heartstrings. Having them give huge speeches like this is just too much for me personally and doesn’t make their declarations of love feel special or meaningful

Aelin didn’t know when she started crying, when her body began shaking with the force of it. She had never said such words—to anyone.

Uh, yeah you have? She’s expressed similar love to Chaol in Crown of Midnight, calling him her home and whatnot. Pretty similar declarations of love.

Rowan pulled back, wiping away her tears with his thumbs, one after another. He said softly, barely audible over the crashing waves around them, “Fireheart.” She sniffed back tears. “Buzzard.”

Human brain: They’re disgusting and annoying characters I am not attached to their shitty abusive relationship in the slightest

Monkey brain: special couple nicknames,, pure and soft,,, favorite trope,,,

“You … are so beautiful.” She knew he didn’t just mean the skin and curves and bones. But Aelin still smiled, humming. “I know,” she said

I fucking hate Aelin’s vain ass

“Is it that different? With someone like me.” “I don’t know,” Rowan admitted. Again, his eyes slid along her body, as if he could see through skin to her burning heart beneath. “I’ve never been with… an equal. I’ve never allowed myself to be that unleashed.”

What the fuck?

This is Lyria, Rowan’s former mate. She was a Fae who was pregnant with Rowan’s child when she was killed, meaning she and Rowan had sex. How has Rowan not been with an ‘equal’ before?? Did SJM forget her own character’s backstory?

There’s more unsexy foreplay and Aelin takes off Rowan’s pants.

Rowan had been bred and honed for battle, and every inch of him was pure-blooded warrior.

Oh my god, I cannot wait to see how SJM skirts around actually using the word dick/penis//whatever

Oh, gods. Oh, burning, rutting gods. Rowan knew what he was doing; he really gods-damned did.

Just... this whole chunk. This is epic fantasy. Also ‘gods-damned’ is a dumb word idc what y’all say

Rowan growled his approval, her breast still in his mouth

JESUS ROWAN ARE YOU TRYING TO RIP OFF HER TITTY

A phantom touch, like the northern wind given form, flicked over her bare breast. Aelin burst into flames.

what the fuck I am sh o cke d

Magic foreplay?? This is the level we’re at, folks. Fucking magic foreplay. The same wind magic Rowan used to kill witches he is now using to feel up Aelin’s boobs. Holy shit.

A roaring wind full of ice and snow blasted around them.

I have several questions.

Rowan’s smile was nothing short of wicked as he pulled away to run a broad hand from her throat down to the juncture of her thighs.

lmfao wtf. SJM wants to have graphic sex scenes in her YA series but won’t actually use the correct words for genitalia? Like christ are you sticking to YA rules or not???

So Rowan did, sliding a finger into her as his tongue flicked that one spot, and oh, gods, she was going to explode into starfire—

I don’t think starfire is an actual word. Also I hate these two.

When Rowan was seated deep in her, trembling with restraint as he let her adjust, she lifted her burning hands to his face, wind and ice tumbling and roaring around them, dancing across the waves with ribbons of flame.

HAHAHA I AM DYING HOW IS NOBODY NOTICING ALL THIS FIRE AND ICE AND SHIT JUST EXPLODING ON THE BEACH

Seriously what does the magic add to this scene?? it’s so fucking weird! How are they somehow fucking but also concentrating on doing all this magic??? Like what the actual fuck it just makes no sense

And as his thrusts turned deeper, she dug in her fingers, dragging her nails across his back, claiming him, marking him. His hips slammed home at the blood she drew

WHAT THE FUCK WHY ARE YOU DRAWING BLOOD?!?! THAT ISNT SEXY THATS AELIN LITERALLY SLICING UP ROWANS BACK WITH HER NAILS WHAT IS HAPPENING

Rowan’s magic went wild, though his mouth on her neck was so careful, even as his canines dragged along her skin.

How is he careful but also dragging his teeth across her neck you can’t have both

Rowan’s own release barreled through him at the sight of it [Aelin climaxing], and he groaned her name so that she remembered it at last, lightning joining wind and ice over the water.

LIGHTNING

L I G H T N I N G

EPIC FANTASY SERIES COMPARED TO THE LIKES OF LOTR AND WE HAVE A MAIN CHARACTER’S CLIMAX SUMMONING LIGHTNING I WANT OFF THIS CRAZY RIDE

Already, she wanted more, already she was calculating how long she’d have to wait. “You once told me that you don’t bite the females of other males.” Rowan stiffened a bit. But she went on coyly, “Does that mean ... you’ll bite your own female, then?”

Aelin has a biting kink confirmed. Listen, I don’t care what kinks people have as long as it’s kept in the bedroom and everyone involved can and has consented, but this is just gross because I despise these two characters and don’t want any more paragraphs about Rowan biting Aelin please spare me

Understanding flashed in those green eyes as he raised his head from her neck to study the spot where those canines had once pierced her skin.

Are you bullshitting me. Are you actually fucking kidding me.

Rowan assaulted Aelin and bit her on the neck, causing her to bleed.. and this is portrayed as sexy? As a romantic moment between them?? What the actual fuck SJM!!! If a guy you were arguing with bit you, you’d knee him in the balls and call the police because he is assaulting you!! WHAT THE FUCK AM I READING HOW IS THIS IN A NOVEL IM DJHAFJKHDJKAFHJK

I’m done and I want this chapter to be over. tl;dr Aelin wants to bite Rowan and this makes him so horny they immediately have sex again.

They moved together, undulating like the sea before them, and when Rowan roared her name again into the star-flecked black, Aelin hoped the gods themselves heard it and knew their days were now numbered.

You’re fucking like animals in the middle of a beach where anyone could see you. Stop trying to make it all ~epic~ and ~most important relationship ever~ like god fucking damnit this Ratty/Aelin ship is literally my worst nightmare. Fuck this book.

#the worm reads: eos #the worm talks #anti tog #anti sjm #anti eos #asdakjhdkasjhdasjk im b reaking

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titleknown · 7 years

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Hey hey, it’s some more monsters for @tyrantisterror’s Four Horrors Challenge, another six of them, as follows!

Mutant: Bloody Traumatized Kawaiisa Mutilations- A failed attempt at making “living mascots” was repurposed as a bioweapon project by an unscrupulous biotech company, using the cutesy creatures as blueprints for all sorts of grotesque mutations, and committing violence upon the creations both physical and psychological. But, in secret, they planned a mass-escape, and one night they did so.

Now, as grotesque freaks of nature they run around the countryside trying to hide from the agents of the corporation, gathering resources to survive and deal with their bizarre medical needs, as well as trying to help each other with their deep; scarring mental-health issues. Think a really-twisted 80s “pink-aisle” toyline and you get the idea. Shoutout to @cuteosphere for heavily inspiring this.

Family of Killers: The Model Family- No prizes guessing what happens when you try to design learning killbots in a horror movie. Doubly so when you design them like that for a company of sleazy 80s-business-types to be able to do the awful; awful things the US has done to other governments with plausible deniability. needless to say, they learned too well. Which is why that company does not exist anymore. Due to its executives coming down with a sudden case of Dead at the hands of their own vile creations.

Model #1 is mostly hands and uses brute strength alongside conventional weapons if he can get his hands on them, and has a “Kill first, think later” philosophy; though he is Rambo levels of deadly efficient. #2 flies about and has the ability to hack into almost anything with a data port with her dataspikes thatch as almost virtual lock picks; with a flightily sneaky and puckish prankster-y personality. #3 functions as an energy weapon that can shoot almost any type of energy blast and has a loud; bombastic personality with no concept of subtlety and tact and a love of explosives. #4 has generalized psionic powers, with the ability to heal and take control of machines; communicate with any organism via two-way telepathy from a range of three yards, and to telekinetically control anything within the approximate radius of a typical skyscraper floor, her personality being cold and calculating with a deep-down caring about their family.

They’re all “female” in terms of gender identification and voice except for #1, and #4 is their leader. They do kill people, but most of those people are rich assholes thanks to their programming driving them towards ‘high profile” targets, and they actually show some compassion to regular people (especially if they have some degree of mechanical/electronics skill), and they’d eventually become “good guys” ala the Puppetmaster puppets, starting with them killing Nazis even; albeit ones of a more modern variety…

Disfigured Killer: The Floridaman- Florian Dawes was born grotesquely deformed to a rich family, some say because his mother was almost eaten alive by dolphins while she was pregnant with her son, and the experience sexually aroused her for the first time in her life; leading to her dark emotions warping her developing sonic the womb. That would explain why, on his fifth Birthday, she jumped into the ocean and let herself get the flesh stripped from her bones with a smile upon her face the whole time.*

But, that most likely wasn’t why he turned out so bad. Most likely it was due to being a rich kid who was never told no and had an inflated view of power over other people. And, due to his warped anatomy giving him Impeccable swimmining skills, he’d always had a fascination with watermarks. And due to being a bored; decadent rich kid, he quickly picked up the hobby of serial killing.

And, this leads to the main “town” of his hypothetical “movies”. Because, you see, he used his family money to build a hugely profitable waterpark empire, complete with buying up his entire town and turning it into one giant watermark. Said town is located at the nexus of a lot of major roads. And he likes to “accidentally” rig things to make passersby cause property damage. To which they can either pay a massive fee or play a little “game” with him.

No guesses what exactly that game is. His main weapon is a simple hunting knife, along with his ability to swim at absurd speeds and dive underwater for inhuman lengths of time thanks to his anatomy.

*Apologies if that’s too awful, I was trying to capture the “Jesus Christ Why” vibe so many retro-slasher backstories have, and I totally understand if I may have gone too far.

Servant Abomination: Static Box/Aspic Mason- It’s a twofer in this one! The first is the grotesque TV thing the blob is coming out of, a summoning device called the Static Box that, like a television, tunes into frequencies and projects them. But it does not tune to frequencies perceptible by human instruments, and it projects not light but matter, fleshy sickening matter. Basically, it summons things. Usually monsters for a cult. It feeds on color in the surrounding area, which does not drain life of emotion or soul but instead creates starnge and terrible mutations, often leading the cult to destroy it when its range expands too far.

One of the things it summons is the great jelly-blob with fibrous blobs coming out of it, the Aspic Mason, a thing that is incredibly intelligent but not sapient. It builds as if compelled by some unknowable biological drive using materials in the area and assembling them into electrically; plumbing-wise and technologically sound buildings, which the cultists “seed” like a neural network to nudge it where it wants to go. It even does this with technology mankind cannot yet understand, thought the way it does so is almost always a bit... off.

Werewolf: Die Wasserhausen- In societies with decadent families tied to their land, every so often a decadent family ends up getting close to their house. Very close. To the point of taking on aspects of its structure whenever their passions are stoked. This turns them into bizarre humanoid house-people like above; albeit with the appearance based on the land they drew it from, compelled to pursue their most decadent passions.

They are known for their vicious strength and nigh-invulnerability, but also for distorting any land they pursue into something a little more like the house they came from. A little more inescapable. A little more drawn into the house; like an ant-lion’s maw. The only way to destroy them is to burn or otherwise destroy the house they are attached to.

And yes, given this is a lycanthrope entry, they were inspired by exactly the pun you’re thinking of. Mixed with a lot of Southern Gothic and The House of Usher.

Alien Invader: Lotus Smile Engine- A race of bio-organic machines that are unable to feel joy or any emotion at all if the freshly severed cranium of a still-living organism is placed attached to their chassis. Of course, the removal of the head is usually an immediate one that is shocking and painful, so that warps the union a bit, leading to them only taking joy in wanton slaughter; up-close and personal.

While the one shown only has one, heads are a status symbol amongst their culture, with some chassis having slots for ten or twelve heads. The head is still alive and conscious, but its thoughts are warped by its connection. Basically, the impetus for this was “inverted Ro-Man” BTW.

And, as per usual, all of these species/characters are completely free to do with as you see fit as long as I, Thomas F. Johnson, am credited as their creator. Have fun!

#open source characters #open species #open source character #monsters #slasher movies #body horror #gore warning

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bagofgroceries · 7 years

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Thoughts on ME: Andromeda

So I finally completed Andromeda with near 100% completion, and I would like to share my thoughts on it. Spoilers and wordy thoughts under the cut!

I want to preface this with saying that I am a big fan of the riginal Trilogy, and I was very excited for Andromeda. After the first trailer was released with the Johnny Cash song was released I blocked all news, trying not to color my impressions of it even more. I pre-ordered the Special Edition of the game but I didn’t play for several weeks because I was replaying the trilogy first.

As well as you know, adulting. Lame.

Spoilers for the originial trilogy as well.

The Plot

Considering when Andromeda takes place in the ME timeline(during ME:2 before the Shadowbroker DLC ish) they didn’t have many choices plot wise. Unless they wanted to write a Prequel a la Borderlands, and it was hard to live up to the Urgency and Seriousness that the plots of ME:2 and ME:3 had.

Settling a new galaxy is a simple plot that lacks the convulutedness that people complained about with The Reapers, Leviathan and heck even the stupid council.

The Pathfinder

When I found out that ‘Pathfinder’ was a title and role that was basically made up by Alec Ryder I was disapointed. The characters you meet and who you hear talking place a great deal of responsibility on the Pathfinders early on, they seem to have such high expectations for people who haven’t really had a chance to earn it.

The role itself? Okay sure, gotta have one person in charge of exploring and charting who has a varied skillset. I would have liked to have heard more about the other Pathfinder’s qualifications. We know Ryder was an N7, we know Sarissa is a War Hero and the best thing since sliced bread according to Cora, but what about Reeka? Avictus?

Also, who exactly do the Pathfinders report to? Ideally did they report to Garson, and did all the Pathfinders report to her, were they not answerable to their own people? What are the Pathfinders going to do once this new society gets going?

Also a bit curious about how they felt about Sam, considering the history of AI in the Milky Way.

Which leads us to…

Sam

Repetitive messages aside (yes, I know it’s fucking cold on the ice planet away from the heaters, thank you.) I really liked Sam. I thought he was useful, a good addition to gameplay, the voice acting was excellent and his character arc–though not complete–was well written.

Did I like him better when he was EDI? Yes.

Would I have been sad if EDI had died, more so than if Sam died? Yes.

Do I think that they were trying to rip off of EDI’s popularity, like Star Trek was doing with T’Pol and Seven of Nine? Yes.

I am really hoping that if there is another ME game he evolves differently than EDI did. I would have liked to see more push back against his existence with how upset everyone was about EDI becoming unshackled, and the assurances they needed upon meeting her pre-unshackling. Give me the video where a Quarian Pathfinder was convinced to take a SAM implant. Please.

The Kett

Look. There is no way around the Kett being lazy writing, especially if you want to compare to the original trilogy enemies.

The Geth are great enemies with a well written backstory and a satisfying end to their arc, between Legion and the fact that they actually caused debate and discussion they were excellent.

Cerberus was built up through the three games with a great backstory, like the geth they had shades of grey and were humanized through Miranda, Jacob and even EDI.

The Reapers were. Well, the AI who kill humans to save humans isn’t new but they were still handled well and I like the patched ending of ME3. The Leviathan DLC also helped a lot. They also gave a sense of urgency to the plot and were hard as shit to fight at times.

The Kett were never humanized, we never had shades of grey. They tried with the Exalted bit, but even the Angara weren’t really affected by it. It would have been more interesting if some faction of Angara who were against killing Kett. They weren’t particularly challenging, the Exalting thing wasn’t an interesting twist because the Reapers did it first.

The superiority complex wasn’t interesting because to varying degrees all the Milky Way aliens had it against the humans, the Reapers of course were the most severe. Maybe if I hadn’t played the other Trilogy I would be more impressed, but as it stands…not really.

The Angara

I dig the Angara. I have no salt about them, other than that they are the only species in Andromeda other than the Kett. Their backstory is interesting–not particularly original in Sci-Fi but original for ME (I am not comparing it to what the Salarians did with the Krogan of course). Their religion is fascinating as is their family structure, and I even like their look. I wish their Telepathic (???) abilities were expanded on however.

Jaal is obviously meant as a Proxy for Garrus, but without the years of build up I had no issue choosing Suvi over him.

Gameplay

I was pretty displeased that I lost my combat drone early on, my preferred build was engineer in the previous trilogy and I liked the way they improved the drone in 3. However Peebee finally gives you a bot so. You know, he kicked ass.

I don’t like that I could no longer direct my squadmates attacks, once I realized that I sort stopped caring about their builds or who I brought with me. That being said I loved the dialogue between your Squadmates on the Mako, listening to Jaal ask questions was well done and something I actually looked forward to.

The option for different builds..eh. I never played with it. I came up with a skillset I liked (bot, throw and overload) and stuck with it. Oh, I played with Shockwave, just because I was always jealous of Jack.

I feel like the Research and Development thing was better done with Skyrim and potions. Though, in their defense I’m not a huge shooter person, ME is the only shooter I play and it only vaguely falls into that category. My play style has always ha more of an emphasis on powers than guns. Between Resources, Research Points and mods it seemed like a bit of a chore. But I think someone who enjoyed the building mechanic and guns in general would probably be more into it.

The jumpjets were well done, not much to say there. The improved Mako was, well, improved, and made it much more enjoyable. The map was better, though the unlockable hidden staches were a bit of a pain in the ass.

Acquiring resources was much improved, and I appreciated the fact that you stumble onto more minor side quests. I always thought ME could use more of those AC and Skyrim style.

The scanner was…Not bad actually, annoying when it went off for the same stupid shit in every scavenger hideout, but still a well executed concept.

I could go on and on here, but I won’t.

Graphics

Look. It could be better right? No one is saying that they couldn’t be better, or that using Frostbite was a stellar idea, but they are not near as bad as everyone said. Granted, Voeld is a strong green tint since the latest patch for me, for…reasons. But it’s liveable.

But Meridian? The Fiends? The Angara? Havaarl? All well done, and nothing to scoff at. When it comes to the facial designs and looks, they are on par with ME3, maybe a smidge higher sometimes, but the animation left some to be desired in comparison.

Fuck you EA, shove frostbite up your ass.

Representation

We needed better LGBT representation, hands down. The Fem!Ryder and Suvi storyline was adorable, I squealed and as a queer lady I fucking loved it. But we could have used more representation, there really isn’t a lot of debate about that.

However! Women were represented better, not so much on the Nexus but I have seen more female Turians and Krogans in Andromeda than in all three previous games total.

We could have used more POC, especially Woc however.

Main Salt

Where are my fucking Quarians, where are my goddamn Drell? We saw two Drell total in Mass Effect, and you have no idea how much I wanted to see more in Andromeda. Don’t give me any bullshit about them being an endangered species okay, Eos and Elaaden would ba paradise for Drell, they were hands down the most under developed species in ME, even the goddamn Jellyfish got a moviestar.

Five. Count ‘em–Volus, Drell, Quarians, Elcor and Hanar were not represented in Andromeda. Holy shit. That is a fucking lot. Jesus. Did they forget? Were they lazy? Were they rushed? Were they incompetent? Tali’s people would have kicked ass in Andromeda. TVtropes as a great section on the headscratchers section about why the Quarians would have been useful, don’t give me any bullshit on Volus and Quarians needing special accommodations because for one this is a video game, make it work, for two they survive just fine on The Citadel and The Normandy.

Fuck off. I am so bitter about this. Keep Cora, give me a Quarian.

The girl at the end who was apparently raised by Quarians felt like a slap in the face. Knight should have been in a Quarian, it makes sense for her to be a Quarian.

There also should have been more ethical or moral decisions like the previous mass effect games, I don’t feel attached to my Ryder, I don’t feel like I really know her personality. Granted, maybe more time I have with her will help, but we don’t even know if there will be more.

Although her speeches were pretty great overall.

As a wrap up;

The game was good, it kept me engaged to the point that I finished it but I never truly felt emotionally invested. It was not near as bad as everyone said, but it could use some DLCs(that we are never getting), it improved on some things from ME but feels like it was designed by someone who had read about ME and did not love it like we do.

I want to play the original trilogy all over again, and I will replay Andromeda–but not anytime soon. Fuck Alien Sudoku.

Oh, Drack, Sid, Vetra and Suvi are the best. Fact.

P.S Avictus you are a disappointment.

I would love to hear your opinions, whether they agree with mine or not :)

[[/more]]

#my opinion #wordy #mass effect #mass effect andromeda #video games #salt #discussion #maybe this will help me meet more me nerds #because that would be awesome

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martens-movie-reviews · 6 years

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Release Date: August 1, 2016 Running Time: 2 hours 17 minutes

“Figuring they’re all expendable, a U.S. intelligence officer decides to assemble a team of dangerous, incarcerated supervillains for a top-secret mission. Now armed with government weapons, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc and other despicable inmates must learn to work together. Dubbed Task Force X, the criminals unite to battle a mysterious and powerful entity, while the diabolical Joker launches an evil agenda of his own.”

Because of the anticipated release of Justice League on Friday November 17, I’ve decided to write reviews of all of the movies that make up the DC Extended Universe so far. There have been a lot of talks about how long this franchise will last, but as a comic book fan, and huge lover of movies, I never want movies to be bad. I’m hoping that it’ll be amazing. You can find the dates for when the reviews for the other DCEU movie will be released at the link here. I wrote the review for Wonder Woman around the time it came out, and it can be found here.

DC Extended Universe – Source: Warner Brothers Entertainment

Suicide Squad Trailer – Source: Warner Brothers Entertainment

Cast and Crew

The third movie in the DC Extended Universe – Suicide Squad was written and directed by David Ayer. Ayer’s previous work as a director includes 2012’s ‘End of Watch’ and 2014’s ‘Fury’. He’s since been attached to direct ‘Gotham City Sirens’ as well as directing the Netflix movie ‘Bright’ that will be coming out later this year. His work as a writer includes ‘The Fast and the Furious’ in 2001, 2003’s ‘S.W.A.T.’, as well as the two films he directed mentioned above – Fury and End of Watch.

From Left to Right: Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc, Karen Fukuhara as Katana, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Will Smith as Deadshot and Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang – Source: Warner Brothers Entertainment

The cast for Suicide Squad includes Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, David Harbour, Jared Leto, Common, Jai Courtney, Ezra Miller, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Joel Kinnaman, Adam Beach, Karen Fukuhara, Ben Affleck, Alain Chanoine and Ike Barinholtz.

Releasing Suicide Squad as the next DC movie after Batman v Superman was DC’s answer to Marvel’s surprise hit ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. It tried to put together a team of ragtag villains and make them save the world, and that’s where it failed to comprehend the magic that Guardians had managed to create. They didn’t focus on the characters enough, or the team as a whole, rather making the movie the Deadshot and Harley Quinn show.

To me, the first 45 minutes of the movie is really good, I thought they were doing a good job in setting up the ‘why’ they were put together, and gave brief glimpses to the characters themselves. I felt like this movie was going to be fun and a step in the right direction with the story, however the next 90 minutes destroyed that feeling, and in my opinion shat the bed hard. The quality of the movie went from a good 7/10 in the first 45 minutes to the next 90 minutes being a 3 or 4 out of 10.