#Simulated Building Experience

[virtualrealitynewstoday]

Cubitrix：將想像建築於虛擬世界

Cubitrix 由Cubitrix, Inc. 推出了這款集獨立製作、模擬與搶先體驗於一體的遊戲現已在STEAM上販售，讓玩家在一個無邊界的創造性空間中自由發揮。 進入 Cubitrix 的世界，你首先會遇到的是「設計你獨特的虛擬形象」的環節。在這裡，玩家可以從多樣的服裝和髮型中選擇，創建一個個性化的虛擬形象。這些形象不僅僅是玩家在虛擬世界中的代表，也是他們獨特個性的展現。 創建形象之後，玩家便可以開始他們的建築之旅。Cubitrix 提供了一系列的磚塊選項，透過直觀易用的磚塊平板菜單，玩家可以輕鬆選擇各種形狀和大小的磚塊來構建任何他們能想像出的結構。無論是精心設計的宏偉建築，還是簡單的小型結構，Cubitrix 都為玩家提供了一個有趣且直覺的平台來實現他們的創意。 此外，Cubitrix…

[quantomeno]

I was looking over the stardew valley wiki's page about the jojamart store and I noticed in the trivia it says there's no music in there, which I'd noticed before but didn't think much of

and although I can see the thematic reasons for the lack of sound, it's kind of funny because supermarkets are always playing the most obnoxious music or some song you've heard 100 times 10 years ago which has now faded from popularity. A completely silent store would actually be quite a relief

[fingertipsmp3]

You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me (the sims 1&2. And I’m talking to people who have only played ts4)

[fogaminghub]

🌍🌟 Launch into the captivating realm of the Empire of the Ants Game! Whether you're a seasoned strategist or a casual gamer, this game offers an incredible experience with endless possibilities. 🐜🎮 

Our latest blog post breaks down how to build your colony, conquer rivals, and master the art of resource management. Follow our step-by-step guide for success! 

[jellyloveru]

ough. little known book series. ough

[quietwingsinthesky]

honestly the only difference you need to know about mirror’s edge versus mirror’s edge: catalyst is that in order to play mirror’s edge, i have to dig out my xbox 360, cords and cables, hook it up, hit it a few times to get it running, and hope the disc still reads. and to play catalyst, i just pull it up on my ps4. and i still feel the urge to replay mirror’s edge a dozen times a year while i haven’t touched catalyst since i finished it.

[ozzgin]

What if the Yandere school has some sort of event where they interact with students of the darling school and just like how our reader is a darling in the Yandere school they find a student of the darling school is a Yandere

You're an oblivious Darling going to Yandere School, and now you're paired up with...a Yandere hiding among Darlings. The absurdity goes on. Content: gender neutral reader, yandere horde, parody

[Yandere School] | [Yandere School 2] | [More Yandere]

He could immediately tell. You were a sheep among the wolves, and he was a wolf in sheep's clothing. He followed your movements with a predatory gaze, planning his approach.

He'd applied to Darling Academy out of sheer greed, hoping to find his soulmate. He searched, and stalked, and hounded, all in vain. Hell, he even had to repeat a year; it took him an ungodly amount of willpower to pass the damn kidnapping course.

"You're not surprised to discover your captor", the teacher had shouted, exasperated. "Unless you show me genuine shock, I cannot give you a passing grade"

"You can see her from a damn mile", he argued angrily, pointing at his darling classmate. She was supposed to simulate an attack, and he was to play the role of a clueless, helpless victim. Ridiculous.

Who would've thought his one and only was hiding in a Yandere School, of all places? So unforeseen, so unexpected, that he could not believe it to be anything but a fateful encounter. He glanced one final time at the enormous banner hanging against the school building:

"Annual Study Partnership Event: Yandere School x Darling Academy"

"You must be (Y/N). We've been paired together for the week. I'm in your care!", he beams cheerfully.

Despite his annoyance with Darling Academy, it proved to be somewhat useful in the end. Not only did it guide him to you, but it also polished his acting skills to near perfection. The teacher's office was guarded viciously given the previous attempts of the yandere students to cheat the system and have you on their team. Who would ever suspect a Darling? He simply waltzed in, scribbled his name on the event sheet, and left.

"I wouldn't be too excited", you confess, a little dejected. "I'm not...uh...the best yandere out there."

He pretends to sneeze, hiding the grin spreading across his face. Sweet, innocent thing that you are. Oh, don't worry your pretty head. He'll take care of everything.

The annual event consists of a week-long competition. A yandere student is paired with a darling counterpart, and the teams compete against each other for various activities. It's a learning experience for everyone involved, meant to hone the skills of a yandere and prepare the darlings for their future encounters.

First activity: tying up your darling.

Your eyes light up. For once, it's something you're good at. You hurry back to your partner, carrying the box filled with bondage rope, and nod towards the young man.

"Leave this to me", you state solemnly.

The timer starts, and you begin tying the knots. The yandere observes your process, completely infatuated. Your focused expression is downright adorable. Now, he could let you have your moment of victory. On the other hand...can he really waste this chance?

His fingers discreetly mess with some of the rope lying around. A little nudge here, another loop here. You're too absorbed in your work to notice anything.

You hear the bell and huff, exhausted. You wipe your forehead. This is it, the final touch. You hold onto the rope, and pull with all your strength. Suddenly you're dragged forward by an unseen force, and your face slams into your teammate's broad chest. You've tied the two of you together, somehow.

The other yanderes watch the display with a grimace.

(Y/N) is good with rope. This shouldn't have happened, they all think in unison. They glare at the darling pressed against you. Something isn't right. Is that man truly a darling? He feels more like a fellow rival.

"I'm so sorry", you sniff, humiliated.

He strokes your hair affectionately, reassuring you. It happens. The rope must've been faulty. You did your best.

He feels a cold shiver and tilts his head towards the bystanders, then smiles. It seems he isn't the only one who has fallen for you. Though he didn't expect it to be the whole school. Alas, what's life without a little competition?

"Come on, (Y/N). Let's get ready for the next part. I have a feeling we'll win this one", he says, winking at you playfully.

This must be the best week of his life.

[solxamber]

Could you do adeuce & the overblot gang (separately) trying one of those period cramp simulators like in those videos?

Overblot Gang + Adeuce + Rollo trying period simulators!

part 2 with vice housewardens + Kalim

I found the idea funny and added Rollo for funsies, I hope you don't mind <3

Adeuce

Ace, being the daredevil he is, straps on the period cramp simulator first with a cocky grin. “How bad can it be?” he says, glancing at you like this is no big deal.

The moment you turn it on, though, his face transforms. “W-What the—” he gasps, doubling over like someone just punched him in the gut. “Okay, okay, this is—AHHH, NOPE, TURN IT OFF!” He’s flailing now, hands waving in panic as he tries to yank the device off, hopping around like a fish out of water.

Deuce, meanwhile, watches with wide eyes, realizing it’s his turn next. “Uh, maybe we shouldn’t—”

“Nah, nah, Deuce, you gotta try it,” Ace wheezes between pained groans. “It’s character building!”

Deuce, ever the trooper, reluctantly puts it on. At first, he’s stoic. “I can handle this. It’s just a simulation—OH MY SEVENS!” He crumples into a chair, gripping his stomach as though his life depends on it, tears actually forming in his eyes. “HOW DO PEOPLE LIVE LIKE THIS?!”

Ace, still recovering on the floor, gives him a thumbs up. “We’re never… talking back to anyone going through this… ever again.”

Riddle Rosehearts

Riddle approaches the simulator with the same seriousness he applies to everything else. “This is for educational purposes,” he declares, strapping it on confidently. “I’ll endure it to better understand—”

The moment it starts, his face turns a deep crimson—not from anger, but from sheer pain. His knees buckle, and he grips the nearest chair for dear life, a strained gasp escaping his lips. “T-This can’t be real,” he mutters through gritted teeth. “This is…an injustice to all rules of nature!”

By level three, he’s gasping for air, holding onto the table as if it’s his only lifeline. “TURN IT OFF! THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL!”

You switch it off, and Riddle stands there, disheveled and panting, brushing his hair back. “We shall… never speak of this again,” he declares, with his pride barely intact.

Leona Kingscholar

Leona sits back with a smug grin as you offer him the simulator. “Tch, weaklings. I’ve dealt with worse.” he says, lounging lazily as he straps it on. His confidence is off the charts—until you turn it on.

His ears immediately flatten, his eyes go wide, and his whole body tenses up. “The hell is this?!” he growls, clutching his stomach with one hand while the other grips the couch.

By level two, he’s sweating and lowkey whimpering. “Turn it off, turn it off right now.” His tail is thrashing, and there’s no trace of his former bravado. “Whoever made this… is a sadist.”

When you finally switch it off, he glares at you, still slumped on the couch, breathing heavily. “If you tell anyone about this, herbivore, I swear…”

Azul Ashengrotto

Azul, ever the schemer, thinks he’s prepared for anything. “This is merely an experiment,” he says, carefully adjusting his glasses as he straps the simulator on. “I’ll be able to handle it with ease.”

As soon as it starts, though, his confident smirk falters. His back stiffens, and he clutches the arms of his chair, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “Th-This is...more than I anticipated,” he gasps, his face pale as he tries to remain composed.

By the time you hit level three, Azul’s glasses are askew, and he’s gripping the edge of his desk like his life depends on it. “MAKE IT STOP! I’LL GIVE YOU ANYTHING! HALF-PRICE AT MONSTRO LOUNGE, JUST TURN IT OFF!”

Jamil Viper

Jamil raises an eyebrow at the challenge but doesn’t say no. “This is nothing,” he mumbles, strapping the device on like it’s a task on his daily to-do list. You turn it on, and for a few seconds, he seems unfazed. His poker face is strong.

But as the intensity increases, you see his eye twitch. Then, he’s hunched over, muttering a stream of complaints under his breath, his face contorted in a rare expression of suffering. “This… this is inhuman,” he grits out, shaking his head. “I could’ve been cooking, cleaning, or literally anything else.”

At level four, he’s pressing a hand against his stomach, sweating bullets. “How do people get anything done like this? Who’s responsible for this?!”

Vil Schoenheit

Vil, in true Vil fashion, approaches the whole thing with poise. “I can handle this,” he says, strapping the simulator on like it’s a designer belt. “How painful could it really—”

The second the simulator starts, his perfect posture falters, and he sits down immediately, eyes wide in disbelief. “Oh. My. Sevens. This is—”

By level three, he’s doubled over, one hand gripping his stomach and the other clutching his chest dramatically. “This is unbearable! This pain would ruin anyone’s complexion!”

His voice is full of horror as he waves a trembling hand. “Turn it off before it does permanent damage!”

Idia Shroud

Idia’s hair is already flickering with anxiety the moment you suggest he try the simulator. “Y-You’re joking, right? No way!” But you convince him, and he reluctantly straps it on “I’m going to die, I just know it.”

When you turn it on, his reaction is immediate. His hair flares bright neon pink, and he lets out the most dramatic yelp you’ve ever heard. “OH NO, THIS IS IT! THIS IS HOW I GO!” He’s rolling on the floor, clutching his stomach like he’s in the final boss battle of his life.

By level four, he’s practically pleading. “I surrender! I’m done! Game over! JUST TURN IT OFF!” His hair is flashing so brightly it could power a small city.

Malleus Draconia

Malleus approaches the simulator with a curious expression. “A device that mimics pain? Fascinating.” He straps it on with a regal air, as if this is just another strange mortal custom he’s willing to experience.

The moment it starts, though, he pauses. His eyes widen slightly, and he places a hand over his stomach. “This… is quite intense,” he admits, his voice calm but strained.

As the levels increase, his stoic expression falters, and he’s soon gripping the edge of the nearest surface. “Is this…what humans endure regularly?” he asks in disbelief. By the time it reaches full strength, he’s staring at you in awe. “You must be incredibly strong to endure this.”

The storm outside, coincidentally, seems to match his inner turmoil.

Rollo Flamme

Rollo looks at the period cramp simulator with his usual air of disdain. "I fail to see the point of this exercise," he says, folding his arms. But with a raised eyebrow from you, he sighs and reluctantly agrees. “Fine. If only to demonstrate that I can endure whatever nonsense you find amusing.”

He straps it on, looking every bit like he’s about to endure a great trial of fortitude. "Proceed," he says, as if commanding an army.

At level one, Rollo barely flinches. He keeps his usual stoic expression. "Is that all?" he asks, voice flat. But as you increase the intensity, his composure begins to crack. By level three, he’s shifting uncomfortably in his seat. His jaw tightens, but he's still maintaining his dignity—barely.

"Interesting... sensation," he mutters between clenched teeth, trying to keep his voice steady.

By level four, the calm façade is gone. Rollo’s knuckles are white from gripping the arms of the chair, and his expression is a mix of panic and fury. "This... device is an affront to decency!" he hisses, his face reddening. "Surely no one can focus through such—"

You take it up one more notch.

"TURN IT OFF THIS INSTANT!" Rollo practically yells, his voice cracking as he doubles over, utterly betrayed by his own pride. His normally regal posture is completely gone, replaced by a man clinging to survival.

When you finally switch off the simulator, he’s left panting and disheveled, glaring at you like you’ve committed a personal offense. "That... was barbaric," he wheezes, trying to regain his composure. “I’ll never question your complaints again. That was… inhumane.” He straightens his robes and avoids eye contact, the flush in his cheeks refusing to fade.

"Honestly," he mutters, still flustered, "what vile invention is this world coming to?"

Masterlist

[its-opheliasgarden]

rainy day ent. | build interlude

are you an aspiring tech guru with big ideas and maybe even bigger caffeine tolerance? then you've come to the right place. rainy day is the next-gen startup shaping the future of digital connection. from our sleek cloud service drizzle, to our flagship platform social bunny, and newly acquired cupid’s corner, our mission is single-minded: enhance your simulated experience (whatever that means—we're still workshopping it). whether you’re into algorithm-built love, monetized friendships, or a doomscrolling haven—find connection in the chaos. sound like your kind of storm? let’s form and storm together. ☁️

credits: you can find original shell on gallery (theinsims), which was renovated into a 'tech company' by clush2005, which i used as base.

nova post are coming soon! honestly i've been focused on building for the last two weeks and having fun building out the lore of the company since it's a 'big character' in the story. so far i've got dirk dreamer as ceo because yes, it's canon now...thinking there's some kind of big acquisition with cupid's corner that still underway...don't know if i'm committed to that storyline yet...

BUT fr i had so much fun getting inspo from tech/start up companies for interior design! i was able to stretch myself and not use too much cc. really like how it turned out so far...i even made my own cc recolors which turned out pretty good imo...so proud of the whiteboard marker on the glass windows <3

-d.

[nasa]

This photo contains both flight (flat in the foreground) and qualification assembly (upright in the background) versions of the Solar Array Sun Shield for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. These panels will both shade the mission’s instruments and power the observatory.

Double Vision: Why Do Spacecraft Have Twin Parts?

Seeing double? You’re looking at our Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s Solar Array Sun Shield laying flat in pieces in the foreground, and its test version connected and standing upright in the back. The Sun shield will do exactly what it sounds like –– shade the observatory –– and also collect sunlight for energy to power Roman.

These solar panels are twins, just like several of Roman’s other major components. Only one set will actually fly in space as part of the Roman spacecraft…so why do we need two?

Sometimes engineers do major tests to simulate launch and space conditions on a spare. That way, they don’t risk damaging the one that will go on the observatory. It also saves time because the team can do all the testing on the spare while building up the flight version. In the Sun shield’s case, that means fitting the flight version with solar cells and eventually getting the panels integrated onto the spacecraft.

Our Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope's primary structure (also called the spacecraft bus) moves into the big clean room at our Goddard Space Flight Center (top). While engineers integrate other components onto the spacecraft bus in the clean room, the engineering test unit (also called the structural verification unit) undergoes testing in the centrifuge at Goddard. The centrifuge spins space hardware to ensure it will hold up against the forces of launch.

Engineers at our Goddard Space Flight Center recently tested the Solar Array Sun Shield qualification assembly in a thermal vacuum chamber, which simulates the hot and cold temperatures and low-pressure environment that the panels will experience in space. And since the panels will be stowed for launch, the team practiced deploying them in space-like conditions. They passed all the tests with flying colors!

The qualification panels will soon pass the testing baton to the flight version. After the flight Solar Array Sun Shield is installed on the Roman spacecraft, the whole spacecraft will go through lots of testing to ensure it will hold up during launch and perform as expected in space.

For more information about the Roman Space Telescope, visit: www.nasa.gov/roman. You can also virtually tour an interactive version of the telescope here.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[inbabylontheywept]

Babylon's 6 D&D Tips

I DM’d D&D for ten years. I started in middle school, and I kept it up until my sophomore year of college. This is my mini-guide for what the game is, what it isn’t, and how to play it well. So. From the top.

Tip 1: Don't make your main storyline time dependent. 

D&D is an amazing open-world experience. You can pick at any detail. Nothing is a non-interactable part of the scenery. If there’s a sewer manhole, you can lift it up and climb down. If there’s a house, you can look inside and rob it. If there’s an NPC that you meet at the market, you can follow them home and see their whole life. Their parents, or their partner, their trade - all of it. It will be made up on the fly by some sort of reasonably skilled improv speaker, but it will also exist after that. That’s how the world is built. That’s the secret sauce that makes D&D beautiful.

If your plotline is too urgent, it kills those opportunities. The worst example of this that I have isn’t even from D&D, but FO4. The game is clearly built around exploration and adventure. The plot is built around rescuing your kidnapped baby. There’s a lot of tension between those goals. The plot does not work with the game mechanics, and it's really, really, jarring.

Be wary of doing that. It's surprisingly easy.

Tip 2: Don't set up giant, epic, fantasy battles between multiple armies. 

D&D is not a very good epic-battle simulator. There are games that have streamlined combat mechanics to allow for whole armies to fight, but D&D is very detail oriented, and trying to control too many people at once makes combat slow to a crawl. That very creative DM who can tell you every detail of an NPC’s life is also just not very good at multitasking. 

If you really, really want to - fine. But you should be ignoring standard mechanics when you do so. Move to a “cinematic mode” and just go by vibes. And generally, take a moment to “get” the game before modifying it. If the kind of plot you really want is urgent, and involves epic scale armies, maybe look into different RPG systems. D&D specializes in exploration and small, focused parties. Using it for things outside of that is kind of like hitting nails with a wrench. 

Tip 3: Don't prepare your plot like it's a book. Kill your lore codex. 

D&D is a collaborative storytelling adventure. That's the secret sauce. Writing out codexes and trying to crystallize the world before you start playing ruins the collaborative element. It’s genuinely better if you build as you go. It lets your players give input. And it saves you a lot of time. Why bother trying to write up who the Mayor of Snoresville is if there’s a good chance your party never even talks to him?  

(I would also apply this to writing in general. If you want to write all of your world's lore before starting your book, you'll never start your book. And you'll go crazy. Fear the lore codex.)

Tip 4: Prepare your combats and your NPCS rigorously, but generically. 

This ties in to Tip 3. If you spend a lot of time preparing the lore of the Bandit Leader of Redgrove, things like his family history, or his trauma, or his deep-down character motivations, and then the party never goes to Redgrove, it all goes to waste. D&D evolves rapidly and chaotically, so building things in a modular, reusable way really pays off. 

So. I tend to have two big pools for my NPC work. One is a character sheet pool. I keep it small and focused. I can generalize most melee classes ahead of time, so I can have an Archer, a Brawler, a Tank, and some Generalist Infantry. That’s like, 80% of your martial enemies, done. Spellcasters are a bigger pain in the ass, but a few pre-mades thrown into a campaign pays off if you know your themes. If you’re dealing with a death cult, make some death clerics. A dragon will probably have sorcerer acolytes. 

My second pool is a pool of character mannerisms. Some should absolutely be practiced ahead of time. Figure out what mannerisms make your villain really pop. And if the party skips that villain, just move those mannerisms to some new guy down the line and you’ll still be fine. Nothing wasted. A lot of the mannerisms are going to be picked with no heads up when the party does something weird, like following a random merchant around for a few days just to see how they live. You can get through almost all of those extremely well with just variations on the 4 humors, the 3 socioeconomic classes, and regional dialects.

Tip 5: Give your players permission to inject themselves into the world. 

It is common for people to over-formalize the rules and responsibilities of “being a player” vs. “being a DM.” I think the most common way to phrase it is something like “The Players are in charge of their characters and their backstories, the DM is responsible for the worlds and its NPCs, and both need to stay in their lanes.”

It’s isn't just better to mix it, it's necessary.

Failing to share these roles forces the world to exist in a crystallized state before the campaign even starts - at least if you want to integrate backstories into the plot. Groups that fail to do this can often feel like the characters were born the day the campaign began, and did nothing interesting beforehand. 

So, for DMs: Don’t be afraid of trying to inject NPCs and details of this world into your player's past. Imagine that your party rogue goes into a town and finds a fence for selling some stolen trinkets. Maybe, have the fence recognize the rogue. “Gods of fire, it’s McClellan. I haven’t thought about you since the candy-rat incident. You took a real beating making sure I got away that day. Glad to finally have a chance to pay you back!” 

Now, the rogue still has a choice here. They can say something like “Ah, this guy is mistaking me for someone else, but I can roll with it to get a better deal.” It’s their character, and their choice. But they can also go, hey, I do know this guy. I was apparently part of something called “The candy-rat incident.” I can decide how I know this guy, and where, and for how long, and what that incident was. That’s not less control - that’s more! 

And for players: Don’t be afraid of injecting your past into the world. Maybe you’re a fighter in a wartorn setting and you run into a group of deserters robbing refugees by the roadside. The DM has clearly planned this as some vindication, some enemies you get to thrash without feeling bad. But you have different plans. You take your helmet off, and you look the deserter’s leader in the face, and you say “Jack, you saved my life back on Stone Ridge. You were a good man once. You could be one again. Ride with us.” 

Now that's powerful stuff. Do you even know what Stone Ridge is? Hell no. Are you gonna? Hell yeah. And what you just did was way better than the DMs plan of bonking bad guys to feel good. You changed the writing of the world, commandeered an NPC, and made the whole encounter far more interesting.  

Tip 6: Ignore all portrayals of D&D in the media. 

The best players that I get are people with no experience with D&D of any kind. The second best are those that are willing to drop their preconceptions at the door and just play. The worst are people that have seen D&D portrayed somewhere and are insistent on imitating the portrayal. The exact nature of the failure varies - at worst, they’ve seen some kind of tongue-in-cheek parody, like order of the stick, and then hyperfocused on all the worst parodied aspects as the whole point of the game. D&D is not about outsmarting the mechanics (which is trivially easy, and largely pointless - it just makes your own storytelling less fun), nor is about turning everything into shallow tropes about Horny Bards and Dumb Fighters and Insufferable Paladins. At best, they’ll have seen some kind of ultra-cinematic example of D&D played on a podcast, where the DM has a theatre degree and ever party member is a professional actor. Those people are nice, but they often have unrealistic expectations.

[neeeooon]

video game lover !

3 | hiori the mouse boy

cw. cussing

“that looks like a block of cheese,” you scoffed into your mic as you stared at hiori’s minecraft house. since the last game you played together was about fighting, something hiori had a lot of game experience in, you decided to pick a game more catered toward your experience. since it would take too long to teach hiori the sims 4 controls, you settled for the next best building simulator: minecraft. “why would you build with the sponge block?”

hiori’s character’s head craned between you and his house. “cause i like it? i think it looks pretty good.”

you snickered and glanced back at your chat, which was moving much quicker than usual since you were streaming live with hiori yo.

chat: y/n girl just let him do it.. we all know who the winner’s gonna be

chat: spawn a creeper next to his house… it’s for the best :)

chat: WDYMMM THE SPONGE HOUSE LOOKS SO CUTE

chat: i love hiori but….. he is not winning this round </3

chat: hiori mouse boy confirmed?? 🤔💭

“my chat is calling you mouse boy,” you read before turning back toward your own house.

“my chat is telling me to burn your house down,” hiori said back, a bit too quickly for your liking.

your jaw clenched, grip tightening around your house as you moved your character into a defensive stance. “don’t you dare.”

hiori’s character didn’t move, nor did he speak into his mic, but you feel the evil grin on his face. it burned your skin and made you grimace. “leave my house alone, hiori yo!”

you made him promise (he had to swear to your chat) not to touch your house, especially when you finished first. with your free time, despite being in creative mode, you decided to explore the map on your own.

chat: are u sure we can trust him around our house alone?

chat gifted 10 subs: GET HIM A PET SHEEP AND THEN EAT IT

you thanked your chat for the subs, apologized for not complying with their request, and continued wandering while talking to your screen. “can i trust him? no. but i know some of you are disloyal and watch both streams. you’ll warn me if he gets too close.”

chat: yes ma’am 🫡

chat: let’s kiss

chat: okay jokes aside hiori’s kinda hot right

“oh my gosh!” you cried when you stumbled across a little white bunny rabbit. its red eyes were trained on your character as you crouched and pulled a carrot from your inventory. “i’m gonna keep you.”

the rabbit got close enough for you to put a lead on it, keeping the carrot in your character’s left hand so the bunny wouldn’t freak out. “i’m gonna name you hina, and you will be mine. chat, isn’t it so cute!?”

chat: um

chat: girl

chat: y/n…….

chat: YOURE IN LOVEEEE

chat: UGH SHIPPING THEM SO HARD

chat: what if she kills it yall 💀

“what’s wrong with the name hina?” you asked, confusion seeping into your voice as you read through your chat.

chat: DID SHE JUST SAY HIORI

chat: please don’t name the bunny hiori then call it cute wtf 😭😭😭

your brows furrowed in confusion as your chat suddenly picked up speed. reading a few messages, you shook your head. “what are you guys talking about? i said hina.”

chat: NO YOU DIDNT

chat: SOMEONE CLIP IT

chat: y/n babe i can’t defend u :(

chat: hioyn is real guys

chat: you literally said hiori

your jaw dropped. someone sent a clip in your discord, and sure enough, the words that came out of your mouth were: “i’m gonna name you hiori, and you will be mine. chat, isn’t it so cute!?”

slapping the side of your face, you stared bug-eyed at the screen. “guys, oh no. he’s infected me. he’s in my brain! do you not see how evil he is?!”

chat: mouth says evil but heart says pretty

chat: says the same person who can’t insult him without complimenting his beautiful blue eyes 🥰🩵

“you all hate me, i swear,” you grumbled before returning to your house with hina.

masterlist // previous (ch 2) // next (ch 4)

notes -> trying the tags thing out! hopefully this works :’)

tags -> @lovingmayday @hioriyolover @mymeloreo @l1f3isf00d @bigclownshoes @x3nafix @luvsymai @s4turnx1 @ravenbc @ohagiyoo @miss-aesthetic-13 @academiq @practicoi @n0tbelle @sevarchive @inojinieeee @narcjsistx @ihsoti @pixelpancakes @ume356 @blu3-l0v3r @mivqko @n0ah-hal00 @starlvcied @kyaanii @ro4love @heididaily104 @idexmids @jimabbenamara @kuronarnze @demiitria @pctterheadd @kaz-0e @sapphireluv @kim1chii @90s-belladonna @literallyushiwaka @itz-phantomz @tired-child00 @realrintaro @5-laska @akis-crazy-world @sagging-saging @minlahzz @sickly-cute @risagichi @shaeies @sasukevrz @milkbugzz @dontmindtheevie

© neeeooon, 2025

[just-ornstein]

[JK]  My first job was as an Assistant Producer for a video game company called Interplay in Irvine, CA. I had recently graduated from Boston University's School of Fine Arts with an MFA in Directing (I started out as a theatre nerd), but also had some limited coding experience and a passion for computers. It didn't look like I'd be able to make a living directing plays, so I decided to combine entertainment and technology (before it was cool!) and pitched myself to Brian Fargo, Interplay's CEO. He gave me my first break. I packed up and moved out west, and I've been producing games ever since.

[JK] I loved my time at EA. I was there for almost a full decade, and learned a tremendous amount about game-making, and met the most talented and driven people, who I remain in touch with today. EA gave me many opportunities, and never stopped betting on me. I worked on The Sims for nearly 5 years, and then afterwards, I worked on console action games as part of the Visceral studio. I was the Creative Director for the 2007 game "The Simpsons", and was the Executive Producer and Creative Director for the 2009 game "Dante's Inferno".

[JK] I haven't played in a long while, but I do recall that after the game shipped, my wife and I played the retail version for some time -- we created ourselves, and experimented with having a baby ahead of the actual birth of our son (in 2007). Even though I'd been part of the development team, and understood deeply how the simulation worked, I was still continually surprised at how "real" our Sims felt, and how accurate their responses were to having a baby in the house. It really felt like "us"!

Now for some of the development and lore related questions:

[JK] So I ended up in the incredibly fortunate position of creating the shipping neighborhoods for The Sims 2, and recruiting a few teammates to help me as we went along. 

Around the same time, we started using the Buy/Build tools to make houses we could save, and also bring them into each new build of the game (correcting for any bugs and incompatibilities). With the import tool, we could load Sims into these houses. In time, this "vanguard QA" process turned into a creative endeavor to define the "saved state" of the neighborhoods we would actually end up shipping with the game.

On playtesting & the leftover sims data on various lots:

Basically, we were in the late stages of development, and the Save Game functionality wasn't quite working. In order to test the game properly, you really needed to have a lot of assets, and a lot of Sims with histories (as if you'd been playing them for weeks) to test out everything the game had to offer. So I started defining a set of characters in a spreadsheet, with all their tuning variables, and worked with engineering to create an importer, so that with each new build, I could essentially "load" a kind of massive saved game, and quickly start playing and testing. 

It was fairly organic, and as the game's functionality improved, so did our starter houses and families. 

The thought process behind the creation of the iconic three neighborhoods:

I would not say it was particularly planned out ahead of time. We knew we needed a few saved houses to ship with the game; Sims 1, after all, had the Goth house, and Bob Newbie's house. But there wasn't necessarily a clear direction for what the neighborhood would be for Sims 2. We needed the game to be far enough along, so that the neighborhood could be a proper showcase for all the features in the game. With each new feature that turned alpha, I had a new tool in my toolbox, and I could expand the houses and families I was working on. Once we had the multi-neighborhood functionality, I decided we would not just have 1 starter neighborhood, but 3. With the Aging feature, Memories, a few wacky objects, plus a huge catalog of architectural and decorative content, I felt we had enough material for 3 truly distinct neighborhoods. And we added a couple of people to what became the "Neighborhood Team" around that time.

Later, when we created Strangetown, and eventually Veronaville, I believe we went back and changed Pleasantville to Pleasantview... because I liked the alliteration of "Verona-Ville", and there was no sense in having two "villes". (To this day, by the way, I still don't know whether to capitalize the "V" -- this was hotly debated at the time!)

Pleasantview:

Anyway, to answer your question, we of course started with Pleasantview. As I recall, we were not quite committed to multiple neighborhoods at first, and I think it was called Pleasantville initially, which was kind of a nod to Simsville... but without calling it Simsville, which was a little too on the nose. (There had also been an ill-fated game in development at Maxis at the time, called SimsVille, which was cancelled.) It's been suggested that Pleasantville referred to the movie, but I don't think I ever saw that movie, and we just felt that Pleasantville kind of captured the feeling of the game, and the relaxing, simple, idyllic world of the Sims.

Pleasantview started as a place to capture the aging feature, which was all new to The Sims 2. We knew we had toddlers, teens, and elders to play with, so we started making families that reflected the various stages of family life: the single mom with 3 young kids, the parents with two teens, the old rich guy with two young gold-diggers, etc. We also had a much greater variety of ethnicity to play with than Sims 1, and we had all new variables like sexual orientation and memories. All these things made for rich fodder for a great diversity of families. Then, once we had family trees, and tombstones that carried the actual data for the dead Sims, the doors really blew open. We started asking ourselves, "What if Bella and Mortimer Goth could be characters in Sims 2, but aged 25 years? And what if Cassandra is grown up? And what if Bella is actually missing, and that could be a fun mystery hanging over the whole game?" And then finally the "Big Life Moments" went into the game -- like weddings and birthdays -- and we could sort of tee these up in the Save Game, so that they would happen within the first few minutes of playing the families. This served both as a tutorial for the features, but also a great story-telling device.

Anyway, it all just flowed from there, as we started creating connections between families, relationships, histories, family trees, and stories that we could weave into the game, using only the simulation features that were available to us. It was a really fun and creative time, and we wrote all of the lore of Sims 2 within a couple of months, and then just brought it to life in the game.

Strangetown:

Strangetown was kind of a no-brainer. We needed an alternate neighborhood for all the paranormal stuff the Sims was known for: alien abduction, male pregnancy, science experiments, ghosts, etc. We had the desert terrain, which created a nice contrast to the lush Pleasantville, and gave it an obvious Area 51 vibe.

The fact that Veronaville is the oldest file probably reflects the fact that it was finished first, not that it was started first. That's my guess anyway. It was the simplest neighborhood, in many ways, and didn't have as much complexity in terms of features like staged big life moments, getting the abduction timing right, the alien DNA thing (which I think was somewhat buggy up until the end), etc.  So it's possible that we simply had Veronaville "in the can", while we put the last polish on Pleasantville (which was the first and most important neighborhood, in terms of making a good impression) and Strangeville (which was tricky technically).

Veronaville:

But my personal favorite was Veronaville. We had this cool Tudor style collection in the Build mode catalog, and I wanted to ship some houses that showed off those assets. We also had the teen thing going on in the aging game, plus a lot of romance features, as well as enemies. I have always been a Shakespeare buff since graduate school, so putting all that together, I got the idea that our third neighborhood should be a modern-day telling of the Romeo and Juliet story. It was Montys and Capps (instead of Montagues and Capulets), and it just kind of wrote itself. We had fun creating the past family trees, where everyone had died young because they kept killing each other off in the ongoing vendetta.

[JK] You know, I have never seen The Lone Gunmen, and I don't remember making any kind of direct references with the Strangetown Sims, other than the general Area 51 theme, as you point out. Charles London helped out a lot with naming Sims, and I'm pretty sure we owe "Vidcund" and "Lazlo" to him ... though many team members pitched in creatively. He may have had something in mind, but for me, I largely went off of very generic and stereotypical ideas when crafting these neighborhoods. I kind of wanted them to be almost "groaners" ... they were meant to be tropes in every sense of the word. And then we snuck in some easter eggs. But largely, we were trying to create a completely original lore.

[JK] Well, I think we kind of pushed it with The Sims 2, to be honest, and I remember getting a little blow-back about Bunny Broke, for example. Bunny Broke was the original name for Brandi Broke. Not everyone found that funny, as I recall, and I can understand that. It must have been changed before we shipped.

We also almost shipped the first outwardly gay Sims in those neighborhoods, which was bold for EA back in 2004. My recollection was that we had set up the Dreamers to be gay (Dirk and Darren), but I'm looking back now and see that's not the case. So I'm either remembering incorrectly (probably) or something changed during development.

In general we just did things that we found funny and clever, and we just pulled from all the tropes of American life.

[JK] The alien abduction started in Sims 1, with a telescope object that was introduced in the "Livin' Large" expansion pack. That's when some of the wackier ideas got introduced into the Sims lore. That pack shipped just before I joined Maxis in 2001; when I got there, the team had shipped "House Party" and was underway on "Hot Date". So I couldn't tell you how the original idea came about, but The Sims had this 50's Americana vibe from the beginning, and UFOs kind of played right into that. So the alien abduction telescope was a no-brainer to bring back in Sims 2. The male pregnancy was a new twist on the Sims 1 telescope thing. It must have been that the new version (Sims 2) gave us the tech and flexibility to have male Sims become pregnant, so while this was turned "off" for the core game, we decided to take advantage of this and make a storyline out of it. I think this really grew out of the fact that we had aliens, and alien DNA, and so it was not complicated to pre-bake a baby that would come out as an alien when born. The idea of a bunch of guys living together, and then one gets abducted, impregnated, and then gives birth to an alien baby ... I mean, I think we just all thought that was hilarious, in a sit-com kind of way. Not sure there was much more to it than that. Everything usually came from the designers discovering ways to tweak and play with the tech, to get to funny outcomes.

[JK] Possibly we were just testing the functionality of the Wants/Fears and Memories systems throughout development, and some stuff got left over.

[JK] I can't remember, but that sounds like something we would have done! I'm pretty sure we laid the groundwork for more stories that we ended up delivering :) But The Sims 2 was a great foundation for a lot of continued lore that followed.

--

I once again want to thank Jonathan Knight for granting me this opportunity and taking the time from his busy schedule to answer my questions.

[ild-rllrcstr]

The Second Seat part 1

Lando Norris X You (female driver) / slight angst / 2.5K

part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5

Summary You worked your way up to Formula One, contracted with McLaren, defying all odds. You play the team game: humble, strategic, and willing to follow orders, even if it means sacrificing podiums so Lando Norris can be the world champion. Every lap you sacrifice, every time you hold back, the world starts to doubt your talent. Lando sees it all. So he makes a choice: to give you the race, the recognition you deserve, and maybe his heart. You came for the drive, but you stayed for something more.

Warnings None A/N Thank you all for liking my work! I don't know how much parts this is going to be, I'm kind of going with the flow, there’s not yet a lot in part 1 but I promise it’s building the plot up! Let me know how you guys like it!

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The headline of you signing a contract with McLaren shocked everyone who watches F1. For most people paying attention, you are talented and often seen as a black horse rising from nowhere, winning karting competitions, all the way to champion of the F1 Academy in a very short time.

Two years ago when you won your first F1 academy champion, some media asked you about the possibility of you competing in F1, your respond were simply humble:

“I think if the door is finally open to us, there are also many my fellow Academy drivers that have more experiences and deserve to compete in F1.”

Turns out, you were more ready than anyone thought.

The year after that, you were signed for a year of testing during F1’s qualifying while still competing in the Academy. It had people making assumptions, but most media took it as a non-serious opportunity for you.

Being a female driver, you don’t really get to be taken as seriously as the male drivers. There were female drivers in the F1 history, but not in the modern era of F1. The doors existed but were never really considered.

You spent the year in the shadows of simulators and data sheets, growing into the shape of something undeniable. Quietly, relentlessly, you were preparing to become.

And McLaren noticed.

While other drivers posted ski trip selfies and yacht photos, you were at HQ, bent over telemetry graphs, simulator feedback, and car fittings with the engineers. You started to feel that the McLaren team wasn’t just trying to plug you into a role. It feels like they were building space around you. Not just putting you into a dubbed car of the main pilot.

Some said it’s a good image for the team, to be a pioneer, some took it as a big joke. But no matter what people said, you are here where you are. It has always been what you truly believed in. You saw the opportunity, thought it was the right thing to do, and you went with it.

At first, Lando was as curious as the public, but the more he saw you doing your work, the more his convinced about the team’s decision.

The first time you crossed paths more in private, he had popped into the sim room after a debrief. You were midway through another long test.

“Didn’t know vampires were on the team now,” he said, sipping whatever he was drinking. “Do you ever leave this building?”

You barely looked up. “Only to get blood. Want to offer yours so I don’t have to go through the effort of hunting?”

He chuckled. “Bit aggressive. You’ll fit in just fine.”

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The season kicked off with the showcase night. That was the first time you officially attended a McLaren public appearance since the news of your contract. You were presented at the table of the McLaren team. All eyes were on you, but you came prepared with a lot of PR training ahead of the event. 

The night started with a red carpet, and you were dressed elegantly by your stylist. The goal is to strike a good image from day one.

Close to the end of the night, the McLaren team was under the spotlight, the media buzzed as you stepped into your race suit, white with subtle papaya-orange details, tailored perfectly.

You walked in front of the McLaren car with Lando. In contrast to you, he’s a natural, completely used to the crowds and how the media works in the world of F1. He quickly gave you an encouraging smile, making sure you were okay before the host came down with the CEO of McLaren, beginning with the interview. 

“Earlier, when you were at the table, I thought we were at the Met Gala, the dress was absolutely fabulous,” the host joked. “Y/N, our very special rookie and the first female driver to compete in F1 this century, how does it feel to be in orange tonight?”

The whole room was silent, focusing on you.

You smirked, microphone in hand. “Thankfully, the suit’s mostly white. I’ve heard orange doesn’t go too well with my skintone .” You joked and hinted a bit at the criticisms you received since you signed with McLaren.

Lando let out a soft laugh beside you, and you felt the tension ease in your spine.

“Seriously though,” you continued, “I’m grateful for the team. We’ve been working very hard through the off-season to get me prepared, and I know there’s pressure, but I’m here to race. And hopefully,” your voice warmed with defiance, “not be the only woman on this stage for long.”

 As the interview wrapped and you walked down beside Lando toward the car, he leaned in just enough to whisper, “You crushed that. They didn’t see the fangs.”

“Only the smile,” you replied, walking with your head high.

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You didn’t have much time to breathe after the showcase, because you hopped right on the plane the next day for the pre-season testing in Sahkir. 

The attention only got more intense on you once you were in Sakhir, as the three days of testing, the world will see you properly driving in your own F1 car as an F1 driver. 

You and Lando now shared track time, garage chatter, and endless data runs. The engineers called you “the sponge,” absorbing feedback faster than they could give it. Every day you arrived early, and most nights, you stayed late.

Your performance did not go unnoticed during the testing, as you were able to do pretty much the same number of laps during the testing as the other driver. You tried to test as many settings as possible, and the media responded quite positively to everyone’s relief.

“You make the rest of us look bad,” Lando joked one afternoon, catching you alone in the sim room again.

You shrugged, not breaking focus. “Then drive faster.”

He smirked but stayed. “You know... people keep asking me what it’s like having a female teammate.”

You paused. “And what do you say?”

“I say ‘teammate,’ full stop.” He gave a half-smile.

You didn’t say anything, but you didn’t need to. He got it.

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Australia quickly came. 

Qualifying P9 wasn’t just a success, it was a statement. The paddock had to take you seriously now. Although some media still whispered: lucky run, soft tires, media hype. But you knew better. 

On Sunday, you crossed the finish line in P5. Hands still tight on the wheel, your heart pounding not from nerves, but from the surrealness of it all. The first race. Your first race in F1. Call it a miracle, but you finished in the points, not just scraping by, but holding strong, making moves when they mattered, staying clean when it counted.

The radio cracked with cheers. Your race engineer's voice came through, shaky with excitement:

“That’s a P5, Y/N! Amazing work. We did it. You did it.”

You laughed, really laughed, for the first time all weekend.

“We did it, thank you! It was amazing,” you echoed, eyes flicking up at the fireworks bursting over the circuit.

And somewhere ahead of you, Lando crossed in P1.

You stumbled back into the paddock, soaked in sweat, aching and wired. Physically, you are still adapting to the intensity of F1. The rush of the race still buzzed in your blood, but your eyes were still scanning your own performance lap by lap in your head. The cheers for McLaren echoed around the garages, louder than usual.

When Lando finished his podium and press conference, he found you behind the McLaren motorhome, still holding his celebratory champagne bottle, mostly empty.

“Hey,” he said, pulling you in for a quick, sweaty hug. “P5 on your debut. That’s massive.”

You smiled, brushing a few damp strands of hair back. “And congrats to you for the huge win!”

There wasn’t a trace of rivalry in the air, just mutual respect. You didn’t feel the pressure to match him, not yet. You knew your place in the team. Second seat, rookie, still learning. But even so, standing there beside a race winner in the same suit, there was pride. Not ego, just quiet pride. You belonged here.

“I’m just happy to have finished clean,” you admitted. “No contact, no chaos. I did everything we planned.”

“And more,” he said, nudging your shoulder. “You held off Carlos and Fernando for half the race. That’s not beginner stuff.”

You shrugged. “I still have a lot to learn. You made it look too easy out there.”

Lando smiled. “It wasn’t. But that’s the difference, you’ll get there. And trust me, it’s nice having a teammate who’s not trying to stab me in the back every session.”

You laughed. “Not yet.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Noted.”

There was a shared pause then, both of you looking out at the chaos of the post-race celebrations, team members hugging, photographers shouting, the McLaren orange shining under the spotlights.

“Come on. Let’s go get some food. You’re no good to us if you pass out from adrenaline.”

You followed him inside, a strange warmth blooming in your chest. Not pride. Not relief.

You didn’t feel the need to be first today. Today was about arrival. Not proving you were the best, just proving you were meant to be here.

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The little honeymoon feeling did not last long. Round 8, Monaco, where everyone’s busy partying, enjoying the luxurious and exciting vibe of the city. You are pacing in your driver’s room with telemetry sheets in your hands. Your heart is heavy. 

A week ago, Imola was tough. You tried to gain more pace and positions, but the instructions you were receiving made you felt like they were just to ensure Lando’s pole-winning. Way earlier pit stops, being the rear gunner blocking the others behind, testing the setup and having the better result for Lando. 

You know you are the second driver, but sometimes you are starting to feel like you are not being able to do your best because of it. Some strategies made you feel like you could’ve finished better to gain more points, but it’s always a priority to get Lando on the podium. 

So many times, you almost broke down in your driver’s room or when you got back to the hotel.

One thing you are good at is putting on a smile for the team and for the media. You are getting really good at the whole PR thing, perhaps it has something to do with you being praised as an extraordinary actress when you did theatre class back when you were very young. Deep down, you know it’s not good for you, and sooner or later, you need to deal with that properly. 

Before you know it, you’re on the track, 35 laps out of 78, rain is pouring over Monte Carlo, and the pit stop has been seen more in action due to the weather. Lando is still running P2, where he started, right behind Lewis. You are in P5, a position you earned yesterday in qualifying. You’re running on the fresh, wet tires, gaining in speed, while behind you, a line of eager drivers are gaining in fast, waiting for any gap to pass you. You’re pushing more to gain more distance and hopefully catch up with Hadjar, who is one second in front of you. 

But your engineer’s voice came like the thunder of the rain,

“Y/N, we’re switching to plan C.”

“I’m not far from Hadjar, I think there’ll be an opportunity soon.”

“Y/N, need to switch to plan C now, Lando’s boxing.” 

Lando’s boxing, of course, that’s why they are pulling plan C, they need you to stall the others to create a bigger gap, for him not to lose too much position for boxing.

Plan C wasn’t even discussed in the pre-racing brief, but it’s the given instruction, the team strategy, so you gripped harder onto the wheel and executed. You adjusted your brake balance, slowing just enough, delicately, subtly, but it hurts so much to see Hadjar distance away from that one-second gap. 

Monaco doesn’t need aggressive defending. One car slightly off pace is enough to create a train. Stroll and Albon got visibly frustrated, their own races slipping into chaos as you executed the perfect plan C in McLaren’s strategy book. As Lewis boxed, Lando took the clean air and managed to come out of the pit before Lewis could pass him the lap after.

By the time you had to pit again in lap 50, the drivers behind overtook your position, leaving you coming back out and finishing Monaco in P9. 

Lando finished P1, for him, it was champagne and headlines. 

For you? P9, two points and one short official quote.

“It was a team race today, I just followed the instructions, they see the race with a bigger picture, I can’t from down there.”

The media speculated. Some praised your composed attitude and tactical skill, being calm about the situation, while some other drivers might’ve refused or snapped emotionally. Some questioned the fairness of the strategy at McLaren and whether it’s wise to sacrifice you for Lando to be the champion. 

After the debrief, you quickly congratulated Lando and retired early to your hotel room while Lando was swarmed by the media and people wanting to celebrate with him. He only got a chance to quickly thank you, but you only smiled, a fake smile, too good of a fake smile, people might think you do not care about your own scoring this year. You were always expressing your gratitude to be in F1, but people think you're happy enough to just be here.

It was 10 P.M., the party of the night had just begun, but you’re not at all in the mood. You just wanted to sulk by yourself in your hardly lit hotel room.

The ringing of the hotel telephone took you by surprise. 

“Miss Y/F/N, Mr. Norris requests to visit,” you sighed quietly, but agreed. 

Hung up, you quickly dressed up a little, keeping up with the image. The knocking soon arrived at the door. You turned on the dim light near the entrance and opened the door. 

“Hey, are you not coming?” Lando grinned softly at you, he’s all dressed up, obviously, he’s prepared for a big party.

“Where to?” you pulled a nice smile asking, knowing the answer, pretending to be oblivious. 

“My party. Can’t party without my Plan C savoir.” He grinned even bigger, thinking about his win.

You couldn’t help but the corner of your smile crooked, and your smile faded a bit. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m a bit tired, I don’t want to poop the party. Probably need some rest tonight.”

“Ah,” Lando’s smile faded a bit, his eyebrows frowned a bit, and worry crept into his mind. But before he can continue, Carlos called and says they need him down in the club now. 

“Go, have fun, don’t worry.” You took the chance of the call to pull back that energetic smile of yours, assuring the champion to go and have fun.

The hotel room was closed behind, you leaned to the door and slid down, tears streaming down your cheeks, you have your hand on ur mouth, muffling the sobbing, there’s no one in your room but you still unconsciously try to hide your crying.

On the other side of the door, Lando stood there staring at your closed door. He frowned. But the impatient Carlos kept ringing.

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[ranchstoryblog]

PRESS RELEASE: Adventure, Romance, and Village Building Begin in Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma on May 30 on Nintendo Switch™ and PC, Welcoming Players to an Eastern Land of Adventure and Dragons

XSEED/Marvelous USA:

Marvelous USA Releases Gameplay Video Showcasing Guardians of Azuma’s

Action Combat, Relationship System, and Seasonal Village Life; Announces Jan. 22 Livestream Showcasing Additional Details and Special Guests

TORRANCE, Calif. — Jan. 16, 2025 — Marvelous USA announced today that Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma will launch globally on the Nintendo Switch™ system and Windows PC via Steam on May 30, 2025. The latest entry in the popular action-RPG and life-simulation series introduces players to the Eastern territory of Azuma, a land of Japanese-inspired visuals and unique twists on familiar gameplay elements from the Rune Factory franchise. Alongside the reveal of the release date, Marvelous USA announced an upcoming livestream that will happen on Jan. 22 at 8AM PT/11AM ET on their YouTube channel, where the company will be revealing additional information and showcasing further looks into the land of Azuma. Host Ovilee May will be joined by voice actors Brandon McInnis (Subaru) and Suzie Yeung (Kaguya), who will discuss their roles and provide additional commentary alongside new reveals.

Ravaged by the effects of the Celestial Collapse and the cessation of power provided by the runes, the eastern lands of Azuma are a shadow of their prosperous past. Weakened by corruptive forces, the gods of nature retreated from the world, leaving mountains to crumble and fields to wither. The people of Azuma seek aid against a blight that has swept these once-bountiful lands. One young hero enters into a contract with a dragon and sets out on a journey. “Accept the might of the Earth Dancer. Use this power to save the land.”

Guardians of Azuma takes players on an all-new adventure in the never-before-seen country of Azuma. Here, players will assume the role of an Earth Dancer destined to return hope—and life—to the once-thriving land. Choose from one of two protagonists whose fates are closely tied together, and experience reimagined and expanded Rune Factory gameplay; as an Earth Dancer, players will farm with grace, restore and build entire villages, and fight with new weapons like the Bow and Talismans. Azuma is a vast world to explore with majestic villages to uncover, each taking inspiration from Japanese culture and each with a seasonal theme. In addition to exploration, combat, and village-building, players will also cultivate relationships with the locals, recruiting them to your side in battle or to help manage the villages. Wield sacred treasures of the gods and the Earth Dancer’s power of dance to purify the land and return Azuma to its former glory. The adventure of a new world awaits.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Key Features:

Bold New Abilities and Weapons: As an Earth Dancer, use the power of dance, sacred treasures, and fresh weapons like the Bow and Talismans to purify the land, farm, and undo the Blight’s damage.

It Takes a Village: Don’t just mind the farm—rebuild entire villages! Construct and place buildings strategically to entice people to return to the villages and contribute. Revive the gods to bring vitality and valuable resources back to the plagued lands.

Your Fantasy Japanese Life: Experience beautiful Japanese-inspired character designs and aesthetics—from festivals to events to monsters. Explore Azuma’s natural landscapes and its seasonal-themed locales steeped in tradition.

Classic Romance and Relationships: Choose between male and female protagonists, then befriend or romance any of the eligible candidates—god and mortal alike—in fully voiced scenarios. Recruit these new friends to aid in dynamic battles, too!

Pre-orders for the Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma “Earth Dancer Edition” on Nintendo Switch™ are now available via the Marvelous USA Online Store and at participating retailers for an MSRP of $99.99. This stunning collection comes in a custom outer box featuring awe-inspiring art of a battle high above Azuma, and includes a physical copy of the game, an original soundtrack CD, an art book, an Azuma-inspired folding fan, a plush Woolby keychain, and the “Earth Dancer DLC Pack,” which includes the “Seasons of Love Bundle,” the “Festive Attire and Dark Woolby Bundle,” the “Rune Factory 4 Outfit Bundle,” and the Useful Item Bundle. The standard edition of the game is also available to pre-order for an MSRP of $59.99.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma will also be available digitally on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch and Windows PC via Steam. Details on SKUs and pricing will be available at a later date.

Developed by Marvelous and published in the Americas by Marvelous USA, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is scheduled for release globally on the Nintendo Switch™ and Windows PC via Steam on May 30, 2025. The title will be published in Japan by Marvelous Inc. and in Europe by Marvelous Europe. More information can be found on the official website, https://na.runefactory.com/azuma/, and on X @RuneFactory. This title has been rated “T for Teen” by the ESRB.

Information about Marvelous USA’s products can be found at www.marvelous-usa.com. Fans can also check out the latest videos from the Marvelous family of titles on YouTube and get updates by following on Facebook, X, Instagram, and Bluesky.

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Marvelous Europe:

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London, U.K. — 16 January 2025 — Marvelous Europe announced today that Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma will launch globally on the Nintendo Switch™ system and Windows PC via Steam on May 30, 2025.

Alongside the reveal of the release date, Marvelous Europe announced an upcoming livestream that will happen on 22 January at 16:00 GMT/ 17:00 CEST on their YouTube channel, where the company will be revealing additional information and showcasing further looks into the land of Azuma. Host Ovilee May will be joined by voice actors Brandon McInnis (Subaru) and Suzie Yeung (Kaguya), who will discuss their roles and provide additional commentary alongside new reveals. 

The latest entry in the popular action-RPG and life-simulation series introduces players to the Eastern territory of Azuma, a land of Japanese-inspired visuals and unique twists on familiar gameplay elements from the Rune Factory franchise. 

Ravaged by the effects of the Celestial Collapse and the cessation of power provided by the runes, the eastern lands of Azuma are a shadow of their prosperous past. Weakened by corruptive forces, the gods of nature retreated from the world, leaving mountains to crumble and fields to wither. The people of Azuma seek aid against a blight that has swept these once-bountiful lands. One young hero enters into a contract with a dragon and sets out on a journey. “Accept the might of the Earth Dancer. Use this power to save the land.”

Guardians of Azuma takes players on an all-new adventure in the never-before-seen country of Azuma. Here, players will assume the role of an Earth Dancer destined to return hope—and life—to the once-thriving land. Choose from one of two protagonists whose fates are closely tied together, and experience reimagined and expanded Rune Factory gameplay; as an Earth Dancer, players will farm with grace, restore and build entire villages, and fight with new weapons like the Bow and Talismans. Azuma is a vast world to explore with majestic villages to uncover, each taking inspiration from Japanese culture and each with a seasonal theme. In addition to exploration, combat, and village-building, players will also cultivate relationships with the locals, recruiting them to your side in battle or to help manage the villages. Wield sacred treasures of the gods and the Earth Dancer’s power of dance to purify the land and return Azuma to its former glory. The adventure of a new world awaits.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Key Features:

Bold New Abilities and Weapons: As an Earth Dancer, use the power of dance, sacred treasures, and fresh weapons like the Bow and Talismans to purify the land, farm, and undo the Blight’s damage.

It Takes a Village: Don’t just mind the farm—rebuild entire villages! Construct and place buildings strategically to entice people to return to the villages and contribute. Revive the gods to bring vitality and valuable resources back to the plagued lands.

Your Fantasy Japanese Life: Experience beautiful Japanese-inspired character designs and aesthetics—from festivals to events to monsters. Explore Azuma’s natural landscapes and its seasonal-themed locales steeped in tradition.

Classic Romance and Relationships: Choose between male and female protagonists, then befriend or romance any of the eligible candidates—god and mortal alike—in fully voiced scenarios. Recruit these new friends to aid in dynamic battles, too!

Pre-orders for the Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma  Limited Edition are now available at participating retailers via the Marvelous Europe website for an RRP of €99.99. This stunning collection comes in a custom outer box and includes a physical copy of the game, an original soundtrack CD, an art book, an Azuma-inspired folding fan, the “Seasons of Love” DLC bundle, additional DLC costumes for your protagonists and their divine sidekick Woolby, and a plush Woolby keychain. The standard edition of the game is also available to pre-order for an RRP of €59.99. Details on digital editions will be announced later.

Developed by Marvelous and published in Europe and Australia by Marvelous Europe, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is scheduled for release on the Nintendo Switch™ and Windows PC via Steam on 30 May, 2025. The title will be published in Japan by Marvelous Inc. and in the Americas by Marvelous USA. More information can be found on the official website, https://marvelousgames.com/games/rune-factory-guardians-of-azuma, and on X @RuneFactory.

For more information regarding Marvelous Europe, please visit the official website, or follow @MarvelousEurope on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube.

[cameronsbabydoll]

hitler is kinda iconic ngl like we need to bring him back fr

i’m sure your some pathetic fucking loser but i feel the need to educate some of you guys.

here are some stories / stuff from the concentration camps i think you should read before saying shit like this

“Prisoners worked 10 hours a day in inhumane conditions, and it was usually heavy work. In the Husum Aussenkommando, for instance, they dug anti-tank ditches in heavy, sodden marshland. Others worked in weapon factories, mines, shipyards, building sites or on the railways. Numerous statements describe their ‘almost complet”

“Thygesen recalled: ‘once, I found a dog’s tooth in a sausage’. He said the soup was made of water and waste meat (‘udder, lungs, horse muzzle’) and turnips”

“Looked after by French doctors Prof Gabriel Florence and Dr René Quenouille and Dutch orderlies Dirk Deutekom and Anton Hölzel, the children were subjected to abject experiments in a barrack called ‘Sonderabteilung Heißmeyer’ (Heissmeyer Special Unit). Heissmeyer cut small incisions under their arms and rubbed TB in. He also used lung probes to inject the disease more deeply. Florence tried to kill off the TB bacilli by boiling them before the children were injected, but they all fell ill”

“Heissmeyer had regular X-rays performed to monitor the progress of the disease, and had their armpit lymph nodes surgically removed for examination”

“Hitler planned to collect thousands of Jewish artifacts and build a "museum of an extinct race" when the war was over”

“Nazi doctor Josef Mengele (known as the Angel of Death) did numerous "operations" on these children. In one of them, he tried to create siamese twins by sewing two children together”

“Mengele injected adrenaline into children's eyes in an attempt to change eye color and to study environmental influences”

“A third group, primarily twin children, who would serve as involuntary guinea pigs for his spurious and ghastly human experiments, were delivered to well-supplied barracks where Mengele conducted grisly and often fatal surgical experiments in a pseudoscientific quest to uncover the secrets of genetics”

“One witness described how Josef Mengele ripped an infant from its mother`s womb, then hurled it into an oven because it wasn`t a twin as he had hoped. A third witness recounted how Mengele kept hundreds of human eyes pinned to his lab wall ''like a collection of butterflies”.

“He performed experiments such as unnecessary amputation of limbs. He intentionally infected a twin with typhus or another disease and transfused the blood of the infected twin into the other. Many of his subjects died while undergoing these procedures. After an experiment was complete, the twins were sometimes killed and their bodies dissected. Miklós Nyiszli, a prisoner doctor at Auschwitz, recalled one occasion where Mengele personally killed fourteen twins in one night through a chloroform injection to the heart. If one twin died of disease, Mengele killed the other so that comparative reports could be prepared after death.”

“Although gynecology was not his specialty, Mengele conducted experiments on pregnant women. He had them infected with typhoid in order to determine whether their children would be born with the infection too.”

2. Freezing Experiments (Dachau)

Aimed at helping German pilots survive crashes into cold water.

Victims (mostly political prisoners) were immersed in ice water for hours or left naked outdoors in sub-zero temperatures.

Some were revived by hot water, boiling baths, or even body heat from women, others died slowly from hypothermia.

Many suffered permanent injury or death, and survivors were often re-experimented on.

3. Mustard Gas and Chemical Burns (Auschwitz, Ravensbrück)

Victims were deliberately burned with mustard gas or other chemicals to test treatments.

Wounds were deliberately infected with bacteria, dirt, or glass shards to simulate battlefield injuries.

Survivors often suffered from chronic pain, disfigurement, and lifelong disability.

4. Sterilization and Reproductive Experiments

Nazis wanted to eliminate those they deemed “unfit” from the gene pool.

Forced sterilizations were conducted through radiation, surgery, and chemical injections — often without anesthesia.

Gypsy women were especially targeted. Many were mutilated or killed.

5. High-Altitude Experiments

Victims were placed in low-pressure chambers to simulate high altitudes.

They suffered convulsions, brain damage, and death from lack of oxygen.

The Nazis claimed these were to help Luftwaffe pilots — but they were entirely unethical and deadly.

6. Pharmaceutical Testing

Drugs and poisons were tested on unwilling subjects.

Victims were deliberately infected with typhus, malaria, tuberculosis, etc.

Some were injected with poison and then dissected while alive to study effects.

I have the papers of my great grandfather stories: