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blueboxesandtrafficcones · 5 years

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Queen of Hearts - Chapter 7

Thirty-year-old Rose Tyler’s matchmaking business is doing very well indeed, bringing her clients such as celebrities, athletes, and the now-happily-married son of the mayor. All of which brings her to her newest client - one whose royal rank is a far cry above her own title as Queen of Hearts.

Ian, King of Gallifrey, calls off his wedding four weeks before the happy day as he realizes he can’t spend another minute of his life with his betrothed. The catch - he must take a wife before his Coronation, only a month away. In desperation, his sister and aunt conspire to find him is happy ever after - and it’s going to take a master matchmaker to do it.

Based on the Hallmark Movie ‘Royal Matchmaker’. Chapters will be posted every Sunday.

As always, beta’d by the wonderful @stupidsatsuma! @doctorroseprompts

Masterlist | AO3

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Sunday, April 7th

Sunday afternoon found Rose curled up in the library, reading through the second round of files Mel had produced to cull the herd further. With a warm throw across her lap and a tea service on the table in front of her, a roaring fire in the fireplace only a few feet away, she was particularly cosy and comfortable – or would be, if she could forget the enormity of the task in front of her.

“Made yourself at home, I see,” a voice drawled behind her, and she startled violently.

“Shit!” Just barely managing to not spill her cuppa, Rose twisted to see the King standing behind her, smirking with his arms crossed. “Your Majesty!” Fumbling into a half-standing position she attempted a curtsy, nearly falling over in the process. Embarrassed, she kept her head down, hoping he couldn't see the warmth blooming on her cheeks.

Thankfully he looked amused when she dared peek up from beneath her eyelashes, rather than cross. “Interesting reading?”

“Hopefully, your future wife is in one of these files,” she said, shifting on her feet.

“May I?” the King gestured towards the chair across from her, and she nodded, waiting until he sat to reclaim her own seat, doing her best not to fidget.

When he didn’t speak, she ventured, “Was there something I could help you with?”

“Can you tell me a bit more about your process?” He shifted slightly, just enough to telegraph that he was, possibly, as nervous and uncomfortable as she was.

“Of course!” she all but yelped, flushing again and tucking her hair behind her ears. “My assistant, Mel, has compiled a list of potential women for the position. As I get to know you we narrow that down until we have a manageable amount. From there we conduct Skype interviews, filtering down further until we have our top several candidates, who will come to Gallifrey to meet you. From there, it’s up to you, really, and chemistry.”

The King nodded, looking deep in thought, and Rose waited with bated breath. He seemed to be in a more introspective, considerate mood, and she hoped he might let something slip that would help. “What do you need from me?”

“Sir?”

“What do you need to know?” he clarified.

She’d answered this already, the first time they met, but she didn’t mind repeating it. “Anything that’s not available for public consumption. I don’t need to know anything about the publicity version of you – I can Google that. I’ve worked with many famous people, and they’re almost always different from how they are portrayed by the press.”

“I’m the king, I need to be what my people expect,” he said pointedly, but she refused to go on the defensive this time.

“That’s a role you play for ceremony and photo-ops and… fan encounters like at the fountain dedication. I need to know you. The real you. The one who wears rock’n’roll t-shirts and saves the world when no one’s looking.”

For a fraction of a moment his lips twitched, and she considered that a point in her favor, not that she was keeping score. “I’m not Superman.”

“Thank God, not sure you could pull off the tights,” she let slip out, before her eyes widened in horror. “Sorry!”

To her surprise, though, he let out a bark of laughter. “You’re probably right,” he agreed, chuckling, “though it might be worth trying to see the horrified look on my sister’s face.”

They laughed softly, and Rose let it trail off into silence.

“My life,” he started haltingly, “it’s… a different kind of normal. In these circumstances, one must learn to be guarded, and careful. I’ve been burned by putting my confidence in the wrong person one too many times. You can understand my hesitation with trusting a complete stranger.”

“Well, tell me more about yourself so we’re not strangers,” she teased. “Simple.”

“You first.”

Rose laughed, thought she cut herself off abruptly when he didn’t. “Seriously?”

His expression didn’t change, and she swallowed. “Okay. Uh, my dad died when I was a baby, so it was just me and mum. It wasn’t easy, but we made it work. I was working in a shop when I was nineteen and one night, a gas line took out the building. In desperation I took an immediate position as an assistant to the owner of a large matchmaking firm, learning the ropes on the fly and working my way up. After six years I struck out on my own, and it’s been an adventure.”

“It certainly sounds as such.”

The King didn’t continue, and she raised an eyebrow. “Right, your turn,” she prompted.

He pursed his lips, leaning forward. “My mother died eight years ago, my father last year. Obviously. My childhood was difficult as well, though not in the same way as yours. Growing up in the spotlight can be painful – no one wants to read articles critiquing how their pubescent years are going. Not that they were terribly cruel, but any comment can be devastating. I shudder to think what it might have been like, in this era of social media.”

He paused, licking his lips, and refused to meet her eye when he continued. “My mother became sick when I was seventeen, and though she beat it in a year, it sparked a need in me to know more about medicine, to help heal others as she was healed. With her encouragement I studied medicine at Johns Hopkins, in the States. I wanted to be totally anonymous, which I achieved there, and in the process gained the freedom to discover myself and my passions.”

“That’s how I felt,” Rose murmured. “When I first got my own place, away from my mum, I felt like I really knew who I was for the first time. It wasn’t easy, and sometimes I called her and went ‘how do I…’ et cetera, but I’m glad I did it.”

“Did she do her damnedest to make you feel guilty for it?”

“Yes!”

They shared another soft laugh, and Rose grinned. “You should do that more.”

“What?”

“Laugh.” And smile, she thought, watching his eyes brighten. “It lights up your whole face.”

“As should you.” An almost embarrassed expression crossed his face then, and he stood, the mood shifting abruptly. “I’ve taken too much of your time on a Sunday. Please forgive me. Will I see you at dinner?”

Rose scrambled to her feet again, feeling whiplash from the sudden change. “Yes, of course. Really, though, you don’t have to go!”

“I’m afraid I must. Thank you for your time.”

Not waiting for her to curtsey, he practically ran away, and Rose stood watching the door for a long minute after he was gone.

What just happened?

Ian fled the library, feeling a little absurd at being driven from a room in his own home, but mostly overwhelmed at the level of intimacy they’d just shared.

He’d never told anyone why he’d pursued medicine. His family had certainly guessed along the way, but in twenty-three years he’d never actually said the words – until now.

What is she doing to me?

A dual cry of “Uncle Ian!” was the only warning he had before being tackled, his niece and nephew throwing themselves at his legs and nearly sending him flying onto his back.

He let out an undignified yelp, arms wind-milling in an effort to keep himself upright, not bothering to glare at his sister when she sniggered.

“Alright there?” she asked brightly, smirking, and he lowered his arms to cup the children’s heads, one in each palm.

Hampered by the little ears present, he resorted to sticking out his tongue and crossing his eyes. By now she’d well drilled him on behaving himself in front of them, wanting to show the twins a good sibling relationship.

Of course, it only made them drag each other harder when alone.

“Your face’ll freeze like that, and we’ll never find you a wife,” Donna warned, making him groan softly.

“You’re getting married?!” his niece gasped, pulling back to beam up at him, and he couldn’t help the softening of his heart at her wide, semi-toothless grin.

“Yes,” he told her, picking her up and settling her on his hip. “If that’s alright with you, Princess Sophia.”

The little girl gave him an even stare, tapping one tiny painted nail against her chin in thought. “Will she be my friend?”

“I hope so,” he answered truthfully, pressing his lips to the side of her head and inhaling. “I hope you both like her,” he directed downwards, where Sebastian was still pressed against his leg.

“Okay,” his nephew said, popping his thumb in his mouth. “Can we have biscuits?”

Ian threw his head back in laughter, the pressure in his chest releasing into a warm fondness for his family. “I’m sure we can find some.”

Cosy mood lost, it didn’t take Rose long to pack up her things and return to the suite only to find Mel standing at the corkboard.

“What’s wrong?” Rose asked, dropping the files she held on a chair and walking towards her.

Two dozen or so pictures covered the edges now, connected by string to pins marking their home country.

Mel grimaced, the normally bubbly girl looking tense. “I just got some bad news,” she worried her lower lip between her teeth. “Reinette is away travelling.”

“No!”

Jeanne Poisson, Reinette to her friends, was French nobility and their tentative top choice. “Can we-”

“I’m trying,” Mel promised, “but it’s up to chance now.”

Great.

An hour later Rose re-emerged from her bedroom with two distinct piles of folders.

“Success?” Mel asked hopefully, looking up from her laptop as Rose crossed to the corkboard, moving pictures around.

“From over a hundred potential candidates, we have narrowed it down to twenty in just under a week,” she said smugly, removing the photographs of the women she’d declared not right. “That alone is an achievement; excellent work, Mel.”

“Thank you.”

Once the board was arranged to her satisfaction, they both stood back to stare at it. “Right. Next is Skype interviews – I know it’s short notice, but schedule as many as you can for tomorrow. ‘Mrs. Right’ needs to be here no later than two weeks from today, ideally sooner.”

A knock on the door made them turn, only to see Princess Donna letting herself in. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“Of course not Your Highness, please, come in.” Rose hurried around the desk to clear one of the chairs, though the Princess remained standing. “How can we help you?”

“I wanted to check on your progress, and see if I could be of any assistance.”

Rose and Mel exchanged glances. “Things are going well,” Rose said brightly, hiding her hands behind her back and picking at her nails. “We’ve narrowed the list to twenty, whom we expect to interview over Skype tomorrow. After that our top choices will come to the palace for in-person interviews. The final round is to interview them myself, then introduce them to the King. If all goes according to plan, your future Queen will be here in the next ten days.”

The Princess smiled, features relaxing. “Wonderful. Can I see your top candidate, please?”

Rose grimaced, hesitating only a moment before passing her a file. “Technically, this is the top match. Only we just learned earlier today that she is travelling, and we’re working on getting in touch with her.”

“French?” The Princess wrinkled her nose, and Rose hid a smile at the honest reaction.

“Yes. But as you can see, she’s a strong match to the King.”

She nodded slowly, flipping through the file before returning to the picture and staring. “Well, you are the expert, so I will take your word for it. Just… whatever it takes.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Thank you.”

Rose and Mel curtseyed together as the Princess left, before straightening up and staring at each other again.

“Now what?” Mel asked, and Rose’s teeth caught her bottom lip, worrying at it.

“Whatever it takes, I suppose.”

#bbatcfic #doctorroseprompts #ficandchips #Doctor Who #12xRose #12th Doctor #Rose Tyler #AU #Queen of Hearts #royalty AU

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fanatic1997 · 6 years

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Mutant (1)

Summary: You’re a new recruit for the Avengers and Mr. Stark sends you out on your first mission. Peter doesn’t like the idea of you going alone and when your missions turns out to be a trap he completely loses it and gives in to his growing feelings for you.

Pairings: Peter Parker x Reader

Word Count: 1576

Warnings: None

Part: 1

This was requested by @dying-wishes. Thanks for such an awesome request! I’m so sorry its taking me this long to post.

REQUESTS ARE OPEN

Part 1:

You felt the air rush out of your lungs as you were slammed hard onto the ground. You groaned.

You deserved that. Smart mouthing Romanoff was not a good idea.

“Should we try that again,” Natasha looked down at you. You could see the faintest of smirks turning up the corner of her lips.

You rolled over onto your stomach and got up slowly, your back protested at every movement.

You said nothing but you got back up and retook your stance. Natasha’s smirk turned in a small smile.

You could see Peter’s shocked expression out of your peripheral vision. His wide eyes were almost comical.

Peter didn’t say anything but his thoughts flashed through his mind quickly. He desperately wanted to ask if you were alright but he didn’t want to say anything in fear of Natasha’s wrath.

“I don’t think I can do that.” Peter stated lamely. You couldn’t help but laugh at his awkward expression. He looked so innocent.

Tony had asked Natasha to show you and Peter some self defense moves. Peter had acted completely awkward about placing his hands on your hips to re-enact some of the moves. He also had apologized profusely whenever he had practiced some of the more aggressive ones on you.

“Peter, your opponent is not going to care about taking you down. You can’t hesitate out on the field,” Natasha scolded.

“How about y/n practices on me first,” Peter said quietly. You could tell Peter was uncomfortable with this move. His thoughts made that clear.

Natasha rolled her eyes but gestured for Peter to step up to replace her spot.

“Alright, put your hands on Peter’s chest” Nat stated. You did as you were told, feeling yourself turn a bit pink when you heard Peter’s thoughts run a mile a minute about your hands on his chest. You had no doubt in your mind that this was the first time any girl had done it.

You weren’t complaining though; his chest was definitely toned.

“Alright, place one leg between his.” Natasha commanded. You enjoyed the small pink orbs that appeared on Peter’s cheeks. Unfortunately, his mind had gone completely blank when you did as you were told and you weren’t able to read his thoughts.

He definitely had been practicing with Wanda to be able to shut you out like that.

“And push,” Nat said loudly. You pushed hard.

You didn’t know how it happened but somehow you were pulled down along with Peter.

You heard Peter “ooof” when his back hit the mat but he quickly wrapped his arms around you when you landed on his chest to try to cushion some of your fall.

Luckily Peter hadn’t landed on your leg, even though it was still between his two thighs. That would have been a nasty break.

“Are you ok?” Peter asked worriedly. You laughed, pushing yourself off his chest but Peter’s arms only tightened around you as he started to look you over quickly for injuries. Leave it to Peter to worry about you when he had just taken two blows.

“Again, but make sure you move your leg out of the way after you push” Natasha said irritated.

You were saved from hurting Peter a second time by Tony. He walked into the gym slowly, observing the way Peter flushed as you finally got off him and the two of you stood quickly.

“I thought you were showing them defensive moves Romanoff, not the birds and the bees” Tony smirked.

You felt yourself flush and you were too distracted by your own embarrassment to try to read Peter’s mind, but you were sure he was as equally embarrassed.

“Y/n, come with me to the meeting room.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. Tony nodded at you, confirming your thoughts.

You couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on your face. You had been training for over a year now and Tony had held off on giving you a mission even though all the other Avenger operatives had received their first ops within a few months of training.

You knew that Tony was only protecting you but it definitely sucked seeing the other operatives go out on the field while you had to keep training and were only allowed on small surveillance ops.

You followed Tony to the meeting room eagerly. You didn’t notice Peter following the two of you, nor did you see him frown when you entered the meeting room where Cap was already waiting.

“Friday, pull up the file on Strucker,” Tony announced and Friday quickly displayed the multiple pages Tony had compiled on the ex Hydra scientist.

“As you guys know, Baron Strucker is rotting in a cell only God knows where but unfortunately for us, some of his understudies escaped arrest with some of his research during the raid in Sikovia. When we rescued you, y/n last year, from that facility in Queens, we realized that Strucker’s circle of scientists are still at large and are now operating here in New York. We have strong evidence that there is another operating facility in Brooklyn where terminally ill patients are volunteering for experimentation.” Tony continued reading the specs of the operation but your mind was reeling after he mentioned Baron Strucker.

You didn’t know how to feel but your eagerness at getting your first real mission, not just some surveillance op, had vanished. You now understood why you were the person for the job. You knew the operation intimately.

Anybody else would have been surprised that Strucker’s followers had volunteers for his research. You weren’t. You knew what it felt like to have your days numbered.

“So why me? Wanda would be a better choice” you mumbled quietly.

Steve’s eyes softened slightly and he reached out to place a hand on your shoulder. “You’ve come a long way y/n. You’re the best one for the job.”

“What the Capsicle is saying is that we think you are ready and what’s better than kicking the ass of your worst enemy. Wanda and Natasha have kept me up to speed on your progress. They think you’re ready and I trust them. Don’t disappoint me.” Tony stated. Your eyes widened a little, feeling the pressure of the team on your shoulders for the first time.

You slowly took the folder Tony held out to you. The folder was a briefing of the exact details of the mission.

“Mr. Stark, don’t you think y/n is going to need back up” Peter said, finally making his presence known. You turned to stare at Peter but he ignored the glare you sent him.

Tony shook his head, quickly denying Peter the opportunity to tag along on your mission.

Peter’s face fell, but determination was etched onto his features. “That’s not fair Mr. Stark, I’ve been here just as long as y/n has and I still haven’t gotten my first official Avengers mission! I feel like I should be part of this mission, Mr. Stark,” he protested.

Steve said nothing, he just raised his hands in surrender. He didn’t want to be the one to deny Peter, especially when he had seen the way Peter had calmed you down when your powers had gotten out of control during your first surveillance op.

You watched, Peter trail behind Tony out of the meeting room, waving his hands back and forth at the unfairness of the situation. He huffed when Tony explained that he needed an operative that could camouflage into a crowd and Peter had enough on his plate patrolling Queens.

“Mr. Stark, I can be sneaky, I can blend in” he said, still trailing behind Tony. You laughed, amused at his obvious jealousy.

“I doubt a spider mask can blend in in a crowd,” Tony said.

“Why can’t Wanda go instead; she can read minds too” Peter huffed.

You guys had made your way to the living area and you sat down, opening up the file in your hands. You did your best to try to ignore Peter’s protests.

“After the Wakanda incident Wanda is easily recognizable and I can’t risk that” Mr. Stark walked off, heading toward his lab all the while ignoring the rest of Peter’s protests.

“You shouldn’t have agreed y/n, what if it’s too much?” Peter said walking over to you. You shrugged, you were now trying hard not to be offended by Peter.

You knew Peter was just watching out for you, but honestly, you felt a bit insulted. It was no secret that you had trouble controlling your powers sometimes, but you had come a long way. Well at least you thought so. You saw snip bits of a vision of a future Peter nagging Tony in his lab later and you sighed, frustrated at his antics.

“Peter, Steve thinks I’m ready, Mr. Stark thinks I’m ready and I think I’m ready. It’s only you that doesn’t believe in me.” You stalked off to your room after seeing Peter’s eyes widen.

“I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. . . I’m sorry y/n” You could hear Peter repeat his apologies all the way into your room at the tower.

You ignored Peter’s thoughts the rest of the day. He had decided to sit outside your bedroom door, profusely apologizing to you in his thoughts but you ignored him. Instead, you busied yourself reading through the documents in the folder Tony had given you. Your mission was set for tomorrow.

@hbmoore1986 @mac-demarco1 @heyjess-marie @kat-rivalle

#peter parker #peter parker x reader #peter parker x you #peter parker x y/n #tony stark #captain america #steve rogers #iron man #avengers #spiderman #spider-man: homecoming #peter parker imagine #tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #tom holland #tom holland imagine #tom holland x y/n #ifinity war

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cyanesports-blog · 7 years

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So you wanna start learning SC2 multiplayer? Here’s a guide of resources/communities that can help with that!

StarCraft 2 is free to play! And apparently you, the reader, want not only to play the greatest game in the world, but also to play with the goal of improving your skill, learning the game, and being the best Terran/Protoss/Zerg you can be!

This is a guide of just a few of the resources available to players looking to learn SC2. There’s a ton of information out there waiting for you, and this list is a compilation of some of the very best! No shade towards anyone/thing not included here though, its impossible to fit everything in!

Remember guys, this is a video game and its supposed to be fun! Don’t get too caught up in soulless grind. Take a break if you’re not having fun! Improve and play at your own pace!

First off, the forums! /r/starcraft and http://teamliquid.net are the largest gathering points of SC2 fans.

/r/StarCraft is the largest community of SC2 fans these days. Last time I checked while the traffic was still public for subreddits, it was netting around 30k unique visitors per day (summer 2017). If you have any questions, a thread on screddit will provide someone with an answer for you! For race specific questions and discussion, check reddit.com/r/allthingszerg, reddit.com /r/allthingsprotoss, and reddit.com /r/allthingsterran.

TeamLiquid.net is much more of a ‘classical’ type of forum if that’s what you’re into. Its undoutbably the most historic StarCraft website that you’ll find, dating back to the early 2000s. And yeah, to all the League/CS/OW/etcetc fans coming into SC2 for the first time, TL.net is indeed how the esports team started up ;) For strategy reading, check the SC2 strat board located here http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/sc2-strategy/

If you’re more of a 4chan type, there is a SC2 general on /vg/. /scv/, as it is sometimes called, was one of the first video game generals, dating back to the days before /vg/ existed and was hosted on /v/. Unlike the other generals on /vg/, /scv/ does not have a masterpost OP with important links and pastebins. In fact much of the time chatter in /scv/ is shitting on SC2 or going completely off topic. Its a community that I would call ‘prickly’ to put it very mildly. But hey, some people like the image boards so its worth mentioning at least. They do have a pastebin guide that someone will post if you ask for it, but I believe its rarely updated.

If you're looking for guides in video form, I can think of nobody better than PiG! A former pro player turned content creator and premier level commentator, PiG is a Grandmaster level Zerg player, but he’s more than capable of developing content for any race! He produces some of the best guides that SC2 has ever seen with the PiG daily. He also makes some more lighthearted, fun, community driven content as well (check out his ICYFAR series)!

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/user/PiGstarcraft

https://twitter.com/x5_PiG

https://www.twitch.tv/x5_pig

Maynarde is another Aussie WCS caster who frequently streams gameplay with a focus on learning. Rather than teaching though, Maynarde wants to learn himself and encourages you to learn along with him. He’ll do a GREAT job pointing out exactly where something went wrong in a game or where it went right. His stream is a great great learning tool. He focuses not on wins, but on improving in particular areas of play, ie not becoming supply blocked, proper scouting, keeping resources low and spending high. End result is much stronger overall skill level :D He’s a terran main but he’s not against playing as another of the two races in the spirit of learning and education!

Links:

https://twitter.com/MaynardeSC2

https://www.twitch.tv/maynarde

youtube

Gemini is a Grandmaster league Protoss and dank memer who works quite hard to produce top quality Protoss guides! A mod of /r/allthingsprotoss, he’s become a great resource for build orders and gameplay guides if you’re looking to improve your use of space lasers! He streams frequently, and has recently partnered with TL, Overwolf, and Spawning tool to deliver all the Protoss build order guides you could possibly need!

Links:

https://twitter.com/GGemini19

https://www.twitch.tv/geminisc2

youtube

Many streamers/content creators will be happy to help if you show up in the comments/chat with a specific question :D

If you want websites that can help you with builds, I know of two race specific ones for you to try out. https://terrancraft.com/ and https://sc2swarm.com/ are two cool websites that host lots of build orders and tips for Terran and Zerg respectively. If anyone is aware of a similar site for Protoss, let me know and I’ll edit it in!

If you’re interested in replay analysis, there are two major options for you. The websites http://sc2replaystats.com/ and http://lotv.spawningtool.com/ will allow you to upload your SC2 replay files and provide in depth analysis of things like APM, time supply blocked, overall build orders, I’d recommend checking each one out for yourself and deciding which site you prefer!

If you want to test your skills in a real esports tournament setting, there are a few options that you can take advantage of. For players of all levels, there's a super cool in game feature where once every few hours you can participate in an automated tournament vs players of a similar skill level. Its a great system, I recommend checking it out.

There are also a few community caster groups who put off Bronze/Silver/Gold and Platinum/Diamond tournies too!

Kuro, a wonderfully passionate member of the SC2 community, hosts a masterlist of ongoing amateur tournaments that you could partake in! Link: http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/User:(16thSq)_Kuro/Amateur_Tournaments

If you just want to feel like an esports star and have your games cast without having to play in a tournament, try submitting your favourite replay on https://www.reddit.com/r/castit/! People post replays that they hope to have cast there. Others who are hoping to hone their SC2 casting skills (or just have some fun) will go to /r/castit for replay files to use! Pretty self-explanatory really! Having your game cast can also result in someone knowledgeable pointing out some of your short comings/mistakes from the replay, another useful learning tool!

Consider watching some pro player streams as well. Seeing the game at the highest current skill level can introduce you to new strategies, new mechanical skills that you should develop, and so much more. Also consider watching lower league play. Avoid backseat gaming, but thinking to yourself what the gold league streamer could be doing differently/better may be a helpful exercise if you can take that analysis back to your own play!

There are SO many resources out there, it’d be impossible to list them all! This is just a very short listicle compared to everything available to you. Beyond improving in gameplay, hopefully you’ll also be sucked into the esports scene, maybe you’ll try co-op, maybe the single player lore will grab you, or maybe you’re interested in art and you’ll start following some of the incredible artists who are in the scene! There’s so so much SC2 content for you to consume, I hope that my little guide can help you start your journey on the right foot!

If there's anything else, feel free to hit me up! I'm always happy to help bring someone in to SC2! I’m an esports journalist/content creator and SC2 is my primary scene right now. I hope you’ll consider following me on the social media listed below! Thanks so much for reading my lengthy guide!

GLHF in your SC2 experience, and welcome to the best game in the world!

You can follow me at:

https://twitter.com/CyanEsports

https://www.patreon.com/CyanEsports

https://youtube.com/CyanEsports

https://twitch.tv/CyanEsports

https://cyanesports.tumblr.com/

https://www.facebook.com/lllCyanlll

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williamsjoan · 5 years

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DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Ben Walker’s Top 10

As 2018 comes to a close, DualShockers and our staff are reflecting on this year’s batch of games and what were their personal highlights within the last year. Unlike the official Game of the Year 2018 awards for DualShockers, there are little-to-no-rules on our individual Top 10 posts. For instance, any game — not just 2018 releases — can be considered.

2018. Seriously, what a year for gaming. I can’t remember the last time I actually had this many games to juggle into the top 3. When Sony blew their load at E3 2016, it was one of their best conferences and, incidentally, most of those games released this year, like God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man. I didn’t jump on the Nintendo Switch hype until August of this year, and honestly, I’ve barely used it because of all the other titles shining instead.

I don’t usually compile lists in my head of ten games because only a select few titles really keep my enthusiasm by the end of the year. However, when thinking about my backlog and the games that did come out this year, it reignited a spark in me that felt these games needed recognizing. Here are my Top 10 games for 2018:

10. Far Cry 5

Far Cry 5 ranks at the beginning of my list for Game of the Year and it barely made it onto here. Let me tell you a story of how I even came to purchase this title. I’m a bad spender – give me money, it’s gone in a week or two. I had money around the time that Far Cry 5 was about to release and I thought “meh, why not” and pre-ordered the game. It’s a bad habit; help me. In doing so, I jumped blindly into a series which I had never really touched other than playing Far Cry 4 and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon at a friend’s house in the previous years.

Needless to say, Far Cry 5 was a huge change from its predecessors – and I’m not sure I liked it. At the start of the game, it’s quite fun when you begin to learn about the cult and story of the world you’ve been dropped into. It had great potential from the get-go, with a cool concept. However, Ubisoft wasn’t the best at executing that later on down the line.

I’ll be honest – I didn’t finish the game because I lost motivation to do so. Either way, a game has its faults but can also be quite fun. I did have a bit of a blast in co-op free roam and running around this unique open world. As is with Far Cry games, I loved the times where wild animals would appear out of nowhere and help me attack NPCs. I adored Boomer and all of the other companions, but that’s about it.

Check out the DualShockers review of Far Cry 5.

9. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Okay, this was a huge change for Call of Duty, at least in the sense that they barely changed any features from previous games. Black Ops 4 removed single-player, one of the series’ best elements, and replaced it with Blackout – an awful attempt at battle royale. That said, the multiplayer is surprisingly fun with its new additions such as manually-regenerating health, specialist-based combat, improved mobility and controls, and the change in game-modes.

It’s nice to see a Call of Duty game be fun again, and actually feel somewhat balanced. Blackout is another story – that mode absolutely sucks. Zombies becomes more and more complicated every year, so much so that I don’t feel like it’s a “casual mode” anymore. All I want is for me and my friends to jump into zombies and see how long we last, but the maps are too convoluted and you have to do a crap ton of objectives just to unlock the better weapons. I want Zombies from the original Black Ops back.

Either way, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (or IIII if you want to be difficult) takes players on a good journey into the lands of playing online. In short, we don’t care if you want to play a story – fight these kids instead. At least they actually made it fun unlike Fallout 76.

Check out the DualShockers review of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

8. Deltarune

This incredibly good spin-off to my personal Game of the Year from 2015, Undertale, is just part one of a possible series, and I’m super excited. We’re finally into that part of the list where I stop half-criticizing games and instead showcase how bloody good some of them are. Deltarune was a fantastic revisit to the world of Undertale with vital mechanic changes, a unique story, and an all-new cast of characters mixed with reused ones.

Lancer’s design is hilarious; I love the thought of a chubby spade who rides a bicycle. I won’t reveal any of the plot details, because if you’ve played Undertale but not Deltarune you have to go jump into it right now. It’s a blast, and you should be playing it. If not, go play Undertale then this game. I’ll be waiting. I’d put this game as number 1 if so many amazing AAA games didn’t exist. Let’s get into those now.

7. Fortnite

Image by @ikcatcher

Yes, Fortnite is on my Top 10 list. No, I have no regrets. I’m putting it on this list less because of it being a good game (it’s pretty good, to be honest) but more because of the game’s significance this year and the impact it made on my life. I played Fortnite on the day they released the Battle Royale mode last year, purely because consoles (at the time) didn’t have a battle royale game due to PUBG being on PC originally. I found that it was decent, but never would I have imagined the absolute influence it would gain.

Aside from becoming the most popular video game on the planet, Fortnite actually helped me expand on my career this year. I started off the year at various other outlets before eventually branching out into writing about Fortnite. Writing about this game actually allowed me to open up my experiences in games writing, and I actually ended up here at DualShockers because of it. I’m happy at the journey this game allowed me to take, and the memories I’ll have because of it. As much as it can suck sometimes waking up early in the morning to write about patch notes, it gives me the motivation to keep going and not just lay in bed all day. Thank you, Fortnite. You can suck it if you blindly hate this game. That’s my two cents.

6. Detroit: Become Human

“Oh no,” you say: we’re entering Sony territory – and with a bang, as one of the most gorgeous games of this year is Detroit: Become Human. Detroit was a huge step forward from the previous titles from Quantic Dream and David Cage, and a game where choices actually changed the story. From the days of Telltale Games and Life is Strange emerges a game where the choices you make surprisingly matter, and the game lets you view what could’ve happened instead. I loved when I checked the choice map at the end of a scene and realized everything that mattered. Except for saving that goldfish at the start – that made no difference whatsoever.

That’s also not to mention how absolutely mind-bogglingly gorgeous this game is. The photorealistic visuals are mind-blowing when accompanied by those motion-capture performances of a lifetime. The star-studded cast of Bryan Dechart, Clancy Brown, Valorie Curry, Jesse Williams, and more perfectly brings each and every character to life to tell an enriched story of a very possible near-future. It’s a visually-appealing masterpiece.

Check out the DualShockers review of Detroit: Become Human.

5. Tetris Effect

Tetris Effect is a gem of an experience. With incredible, entrancing visuals that make you feel like you’re in either the next Star Wars combined with a mixture of audio that flies around your brain and sucks you into the dreamscape, Tetris Effect is a masterpiece. Each movement subtly synchronizes itself with the music playing in the background, with the BPM adapting to your placements and rotations. For something as simple as Tetris, this game really puts an Effect on you.

It’s also extremely difficult. As someone who had never played video games would say, it’s the Dark Souls of puzzle games. I should probably change the difficulty, to be honest. Either way, I’m having a blast with this game; I wouldn’t even call it a game – but an auditory and visual experience. Go play it.

Check out the DualShockers review of Tetris Effect.

4. A Way Out

A Way Out was such a good game, and a refreshing take on the co-op genre. I absolutely adore co-operative games, especially those in which me and a single friend can complete a campaign. This game from Hazelight Studios was an absolute blast of a time, with minigames in-between story elements such as Connect Four or Baseball being such a nice way to take a break from the story and just have fun. Me and my co-operative partner beat the game in a single sitting with how much we adored it.

I think I’ll forever keep coming back to A Way Out with new friends just to see their reactions to each element of this short, but sweet experience. The fact that it is developed for couch co-op but also allows anyone with a copy to invite their friend to play for free is something I absolutely admire, and Josef Fares’ dream came together extremely well. The game sold well, which I love, and I hope to see more out of this genre of video games. What a title.

Check out the DualShockers review of A Way Out.

3. Marvel’s Spider-Man

Marvel’s Spider-Man is the best superhero video game of all time. Sorry to the Batman: Arkham games, I love you – but this game is just so good. I’m kinda sad that it got snubbed at this year’s The Game Awards ceremony, losing to the next two games on my list (spoiler alert)…and also got snubbed at our own Awards ceremony. Boy, oh boy, this game got pushed under the rug.

The combat is magnificent when combined with all of the different variations of movements that the player can create; it is an utterly satisfying experience, one in which I keep coming back to. It’s rare that an open world game can keep my attention for so long (I have the attention span of a fetus), and Marvel’s Spider-Man achieves that magnificently. Well played, Insomniac Games.

Check out the DualShockers review of Marvel’s Spider-Man.

2. God of War

God of War is a masterpiece; a project with the absolute intent of demolishing any of its competition Kratos-style. The game was my first foray into the God of War series, and playing the original remastered trilogy makes me just wanna go back to the new one. It’s such a damn good game that if I went into everything amazing about it, then this article would never be finished.

The gameplay, the story, the music, the tone, the setting, the atmosphere, and everything – just everything about God of War is an absolute delight. My issue is that the game ended way too early. I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment. Bring it, Sony Santa Monica.

Check out the DualShockers review of God of War.

1. Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 brings something new to the table; not in the sense of just being a fresh take on the open-world genre, but being a revolutionary landmark in the history of video games. Ever since the release of the original Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar Games has worked tirelessly on this project – controversially so, after the senior writers stated that they worked 100-hour weeks.

If you’re reading through each and every staff member’s Game of the Year lists, it’s pretty likely that most, if not almost all of them will include both God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2 at the forefront (assuming they played them). I’m falling straight into that trend – but you have to admit that there is an astonishing reason behind it. Both of these games are absolute masterworks, built detail-by-detail in order to transcend the normal experience of an open world game.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a thrill to play, and quite frankly is one of the greatest video games ever made.

Check out the DualShockers review of Red Dead Redemption 2.

Check out the other DualShockers’ staff Top 10 lists and our official Game of the Year Awards:

December 17: DualShockers Game of the Year Awards 2018 December 18: Lou Contaldi, Editor in Chief // Logan Moore, Reviews Editor December 19: Ryan Meitzler, Features Editor // Tomas Franzese, News Editor December 20: Scott Meaney, Community Director December 21: Reinhold Hoffmann, Community Manager // Ben Bayliss, Staff Writer December 22: Ben Walker, Staff Writer // Chris Compendio, Staff Writer December 23: Eoghan Murphy, Staff Writer // Grant Huff, Staff Writer December 26: Iyane Agossah, Staff Writer // Jordan Boyd, Staff Writer December 27: Max Roberts, Staff Writer // Michael Ruiz, Staff Writer December 28: Noah Buttner, Staff Writer // Rachael Fiddis, Staff Writer December 29: Steven Santana, Staff Writer // Tanner Pierce, Staff Writer December 30: Travis Verbil, Staff Writer // Zack Potter, Staff Writer

The post DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Ben Walker’s Top 10 by Ben Walker appeared first on DualShockers.

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