#and to build this community with fun game streams and art studying streams!! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

captainmazzic · 5 years ago

Text

Happy Halloween.

So it’s about time I gave a real fucking update instead of just dicking around being cagey about shit. I’ve mentioned a new project repeatedly. So let’s sit down and actually talk about it, friends. Pull up a chair, grab yourself some hot cocoa and strap in. Welcome to Sarc’s emotional roller coaster.

Bear with me. This is hard to talk about for so many reasons, but mostly because I’ve been belittled and ridiculed so many times in my life for liking “cringy” things or wanting to do things that other people think are stupid or childish. I hear the voice of my father telling me to “make something of my life” and “don’t squander your talents”, I hear the voice of my mother telling me I have “so much potential” and “one day I hope you get some ambition”, I hear the voice of my ex telling me to “stop wasting time with stupid shit” and “nobody is interested in failures”. I hear old teachers telling me honor roll students should go to college and study high-demand majors and anything else would be lazy and detrimental and won’t contribute anything worthwhile to society.

It’s the same shit that prevented me for a long time from posting art online. From posting writing online. From making ocs and showing them to other people. And now it’s preventing me from starting this project, and I’m so, so tired of it.

My biggest fear right now is that once I start talking about this project I’ll lose this tiny little community of people vaguely interested in my stuff that have somehow stuck around. External validation and sharing the things I love are my primary motivations with everything I do online, and while screaming into the void is all well and good, I need feedback and interaction and community. I need it so, so badly. I wouldn’t post jack shit – ever – if I didn’t need that, to be honest.

So anyway.

When the pandemic kicked into high gear earlier this year I got laid off for a few months. It gave me a lot of time to think about who I am and where I wanted to be in life, what mattered to me, what dreams I still had and which ones had fallen by the wayside.

Some of them are huge – once upon a time I was very religious. I went through seminary, got my minister’s certification, and was slated to be an associate pastor in a mega-church and rake in a six-figure income within 3 years. But I lost my faith and couldn’t stand the idea of being disingenuous.

And there was also a time when I received a full-ride scholarship to a very prestigious university that would have spanned a 12-year program and resulted in me having several doctorates and masters degrees by the end of it, in the fields of geology, palaeontology, and cladistics. But the scholarship program that was supposed to sponsor me went bankrupt the very semester I was supposed to capitalize on it. I was still accepted into the school, but the $1.2 million price tag would have all been out of my own pocket. So obviously that didn’t happen.

Those were the “acceptable” dreams. Those were the ones that parents and teachers and the general outside world approved of and thought were worthy goals. But neither of them panned out, and all I have left are the cringy ones. Like homesteading and sustainable living (can’t start without land, can’t have land without money). Like making comic books and doing art commissions for a living (it has to be steady to support myself, and I’m far too slow an artist for things to be steady). And like… playing video games.

Ha.

What’s funny is I can already envision the eyerolls and hear the snorts of laughter. What kind of dream is that? Only a handful of famous youtubers and twitch celebrities play video games for a living, and breaking into a field like that is pretty much impossible unless you already have friends in famous places.

Yeah, but… it would be so much fun. Right?

It WOULD be fun. I don’t have to become a super popular celebrity for it to be fun, right?

I don’t have to make it my day job and rake in piles of cash for it to be fun, right?

… I don’t have to actually be successful for it to be fun… right?

… Right?

… I love video games.

I’ve loved them ever since I tried and failed so many times to win The Empire Strikes Back on Atari 2600. I’ve loved them ever since I played Mortal Kombat with my cousin in his basement with the sound down super low because it was ultra-violent and I would have been in so much trouble if mom caught me playing it. I’ve loved them ever since I tried and failed to finish Strife and Hexen and Heretic without the computer crashing and rebooting to DOS. I’ve loved them ever since I had to cheat-code my way through Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II just to get past the first boss fight but then no-clipped through the wall and died anyway. I still love that game.

But I stopped playing video games for a very long time. I was intimidated out of them by an ex and a somewhat toxic friend group who were Real Gamers™. I was brought to LAN parties but not allowed to play, because I slowed down the team and didn’t know the controls. I was banned from commenting on other people’s moves or cheering people on because it was distracting and I could cost them a win. I was even kicked out of their online D&D campaigns because I couldn’t be serious enough or roleplay well enough for their standards. Even if I was playing a game on my own, I couldn’t play with anyone else in the house because I’d be ridiculed for dying a lot, or for going the wrong way, or for picking the wrong game because only certain games are “good” and most of the ones I wanted to play were “stupid” or “trash” or a “waste of time”.

That kind of thing sits with me for a very, very long time. I didn’t really play games at all for over a decade. Even after I ended up on the opposite side of the country, with a new circle of friends, I couldn’t bring myself to play much of anything.

And then I had an extended visit with a friend of mine, and he introduced me to an early version of a ridiculous little game called Minecraft. My friend was an avid gamer but also a very kind one. In the ten years before this, I had told myself that I just preferred to watch other people play games instead of playing them myself (a lie. I mean, I absolutely adore watching other people play, but I also want to play too lol), my friend saw through that and very gently encouraged me to take a stab at playing Minecraft myself. He moved his laptop over to me, and I played a whole ten minutes with him watching before my nerves failed me and I promptly died. But miraculously it wasn’t a big deal to him. It was just a game. I might have cried in relief, I don’t remember.

After my visit I shelved playing video games for like another year, despite buying a whole mess of them because other friends online loved certain titles and wanted to talk about them with me. (I never played them, just bought them. I couldn’t even handle the thought of playing by myself in my own house). But for some reason I mentioned to my brother-in-law my old visit to my Minecraft-loving friend, and he just… up and bought the game for me. My brother-in-law is also an avid gamer with a lovely and patient disposition, and he suggested I just play in creative mode and build things to start. So I did that (behind a locked door in the RV that I lived in by myself, with the lights off and the sound down low) and Minecraft was my sole video game for another several years.

Then a couple years ago another friend of mine (hi Char) introduced me to Star Wars: The Old Republic, and I fell in love. It sparked a renewed interest in video games that I thought I would never really have the opportunity to satisfy, because games were still intimidating.

Let me clarify: I… SUCK. At video games. I’m terrible at them. Learning controls is a nightmare and a tunicate evolving its own brain would learn faster than me. If I’m aiming, I can’t hit the broad side of a barn. I have the direction sense of a whirligig beetle on the back of a drunk pigeon. I die fast and I die often. I can count the number of games I’ve actually finished on one hand. Even less if we don’t count the ones I had to use cheat codes to get through. But none of that diminishes my love of experiencing them, and over this whole pandemic and quarantine thing I’ve had a lot of time to unpack and mull over my thoughts and feelings and passions about them.

… I moved my RV to a new spot literally the day before the lockdown in my state first initiated. Before this I was in a spot that had no internet other than what reception I could get on my phone, with severely limited bandwidth and patchy, unreliable service. The new spot has a steady wi-fi connection, and while upload speed is utter shit, downloading and streaming video are just this side of manageable. So I spent the first three months of the quarantine lockdown doing pretty much nothing other than watching Jacksepticeye, CrankGameplays, and Markiplier play video games on YouTube. (I honestly had no idea before this that people even did let’s plays. My internet access/speed has been shit for so long I’m totally out of the loop).

It… for fear of sounding utterly stupid yet again, it inspired me.

Like. These people really love what they’re doing. They just. Play video games and have fun with it, and I mean yeah they make money hand-over-fist doing it but the main thing is they HAVE FUN doing it. They have fun! Playing video games! In front of people! It’s wild. And the thing that REALLY got me was… they have feedback on it too. They have a COMMUNITY. They have people they can talk to about it. They have people that they can play games WITH, even, who don’t yell at them or tell them they suck every five minutes or tell them they can’t play with them because they’re worthless as teammates. They can fuck up in a game and their friends are laughing along with them on Discord instead of screaming at them to get it right or get out. They can play games by themselves in their house and then upload videos on the internet and then they can talk to other people about it! They have fun! It’s awesome! They have fun!!

I just. It meant so much to me. It meant so much to me to see these videos of these three, and then another dozen or so that I’ve followed since, play all these games and have such a good time and also be such a positive and kind and encouraging source of energy.

I know all of this is not exactly about video games specifically. It’s about coming to terms with how I’ve been treated as a person and as a friend, about how other people respect someone’s interests and passions, about how it’s okay to share your interests with other people and it’s okay to like things that other people might not care about or think are important.

And I’m so, so tired of not doing the things I love because I’m afraid of what other people will think.

So I, uh. I invested all of the stimulus money I had into a new rig and equipment like a camera, lighting, acoustic panels, all that shit. I dug out all the games I bought but never played, I made accounts on all the big gaming services like Steam and Itch.io and GoG, and I made a YouTube channel. And I’m going to be making my own let’s plays. And it will suck, and it will be cringy and awkward and badly done, and it won’t make me money or be a valid career option or be anything but another very expensive hobby, but it will be mine, and it will be something I can share with people and (hopefully) have fun with, and it will (hopefully) be an avenue for some of this positive social interaction I’m craving.

I know YouTube can be toxic and super negative and full of trolls and cancel culture fanatics and people just waiting to find something to tear you down for, but like. Come on, y’all. I’m posting this on tumblr dot com. Toxic is everywhere anyway. I just want to try, you know?

I just want to love video games again.

Someone famous that I look up to so, so much told me – without knowing that I was even listening, without even knowing that I even exist – that if I enjoy doing something, to just go for it. To just jump in and do it, and if it works then it works, and if it doesn’t, what have I actually lost?

And I’m lucky enough to have four whole offline friends that I’ve mentioned this idea to, and each of them has said encouraging things like I’d have a good voice and face and style for making let’s plays. I honestly don’t know how true that part is, but on my good days I believe them. And they also said that I should go for it, to just try.

So that’s… that’s what I’m doing, I guess. I just want to try.

I know it’s not Star Wars fanart. I know it’s not Star Wars fanfiction. I know it’s not Star Wars meta or essays or ranting about the Sith and the Jedi and the Force. I know it’s not what y’all want from me. And that’s utterly terrifying. I’m bracing myself to be alone on the internet again, because I know that when I dive headfirst into this thing, it’ll eat away into the time that I normally might be spending doing writing or art, and it’s going to be something no one else wants to see and no one signed up for. And that’s partly why it’s taken me so very, very long to get started.

The other part is more physical. Of course as soon as I decide that I’m going to put my face on a camera is when my entire face goes to shit. I’m currently waiting on a potential diagnosis for mouth cancer, while already dealing with a severe jaw infection that’s causing my teeth and gums to rot inside my mouth. They already took part of my jaw, I’m missing teeth, others are turning black, if I open my mouth even just a little it is so obvious and I look like a very, very literal zombie. I have never been more grateful that masks are socially acceptable. I have a series of twelve appointments scheduled to treat this shit now that I have dental and health insurance (goodbye paycheque), and I might qualify for reconstruction surgery too. But that doesn’t really help how I look right now.

So I just can’t bring myself to start this project just yet. I’ve been sitting on it for months now with all the other pieces in place, but I just. Can’t. Start. It’s driving me crazy, because I want to start so badly. I feel like I’m wasting time. I feel like I’ve already wasted so much time, because I haven’t even done anything else in the meantime. I haven’t done hardly any art or fanfic, nothing. My anxiety is spiking so high right now because I have all these expectations of myself, but I can’t do anything about it. I’ve been told that I could just start without a camera or wear a mask on screen, and I’ve actually done some recording doing exactly that, but I just… can’t seem to make anything I want to finalize.

It’s also frustrating because I have no way of uploading anything at home. I’ll have to go over to my partner’s house which is nearly an hour’s drive away in order to get internet good enough to upload videos, which means that upload schedules are going to be shiiiiiit and that’s also frustrating.

But. But. BUT. I want to do this.

I want to do this so badly. I want to share let’s plays and experience a love of video games with other people. I want to actually play games with other people too. I also just acquired a piano keyboard, and I want to play again on the regular because I miss it so much. I used to play piano for hours every single day, it’s so relaxing and fun, maybe I can post that too. Maybe I can post let’s draws or something, where I ask y’all what to draw and then make a video of me drawing it while bullshitting to the camera I don’t know it sounds like fun. Maybe I can post videos of my cooking because the shit I make seems to be everyone’s favourite thing on instagram, and maybe I can take my camera with me when I go to the ocean or hike up into the middle of nowhere in the mountains and film how beautiful everything is up there. Or maybe I can do none of that and just focus on one thing, I honestly have no idea what I’m doing or how to do it, but I just… I want to try. I just want to try.

I don’t know where any of this is going anymore. I’m sorry I haven’t responded to messages, or opened up commissions. I’m sorry that this isn’t what y’all wanted. I’m still going to continue drawing and writing, I’m still going to be around, I’m not going anywhere, but I have no idea how prolific I’m going to be and I have no idea even when I’ll start uploading videos, to be honest. But I just. I’m just gonna try. It might still take me a while but I’m gonna try. Wish me luck. I love y’all.

#long post #psa #sarc speaks #sarc speaks a LOT #3k words worth of a LOT #I'm so sorry #OTL

45 notes · View notes

bimbostudies · 5 years ago

Photo

hi everyone! here is a list of resources to help keep you sane with everything that’s going on. right now, it’s really important to take care of each other, so below you’ll find ways to spend your time that are productive and fun. i know it’s a privilege to be bored, as many are worried about their basic needs, so i’ve included a list of places to donate in this masterpost if you have the means and a list of resources to help with locating and accessing basic needs.

i hope this helps and please feel free to add your own!

basic needs resources (us primarily):

covidconnected.net (california)

covid19 mutual aid fund (masterlist of american mutual aid funds)

emergency resources for students

student mutual aid network

list of mutual aid directives

find your local food bank

homeless shelter directory

if you’re a university student, i’d recommend checking with your university’s basic needs center and seeing what resources they have available. many have systems similar to food stamps, emergency housing, etc. available

general resources:

i feel bad worksheet by me (note: i’m not a mental health professional; these are just things that help me)

u.s. suicide prevention/distress hotline

the trevor project, a hotline for queer youth in the united states

how to ask for an extension

soothe yourself masterpost

put your thoughts here

head to toe self care

how to survive bad days

social:

apps: house party, zoom (free through many universities and schools right now)

netflix party - watch movies with friends

letters:

prompts if you aren’t sure where to begin

little things to add to letters

play 800+ board games online for free

play cards against humanity and other card games with friends for free

things to do over a video call to make things less lonely:

study together! this is great as a standing appointment with your friends/family/SO because you can work together but it’s not a ton of work

watch movies: use an extension like netflix party to do this

play games like those linked above

start a book club and discuss the reading together every week/every few days/whenever you have time

invent a game to play with your friends

get dressed up and have a fancy dinner party together

a drinking game (if you are of legal age)

cook the same meal

learn a language together and practice with each other

writing buddies/art buddies: keep each other accountable for the goals you set

workout buddies: do the same home workout together

make playlists for your friends

food:

dress up instant ramen

19 pasta dishes to help you eat your way through your panic stock

mug recipes

more mug recipes

easy beginner bread recipe

free recipes in general

50 smoothie recipes

easy meal prep recipes

more meal prep recipes

recipes that use canned and frozen foods

study snacks by @areistotle

infused waters by @girl-studying-blog

cheap and delicious recipes by @kimberlystudies

also would recommend if you’re ordering food in please order from local businesses!

home workouts:

2 week get shredded challenge by chloe ting (no equipment!)

superhero workouts

30 days of yoga

song workouts!

beginner ballet workouts

best dance/movement workouts

productivity advice/challenges:

2020 quarantine challenge by @myhoneststudyblr

tips for working from home by @eunoiamaybe

managing energy by @eintsein

studying during quarantine by @cottagestudie

studying with a computer by @vanesastudies

being productive at home by @smartspo

essentials for a study space by @terhangus

eliminating procrastination and distraction by @simply-study

surviving online classes 101 by @starryeize

having discipline by @lovelybluepanda

how to study when you don’t want to by @cals-desk

sticking to your plans by @study-sprout

tips for online classes by @emmastudies

self studying by @areistotle

crafts to try/projects to start/ways to keep busy:

nanowrimo - write a novel in a month

watch all the marvel movies

start a garden

make a seed starter out of newspaper

11 craft ideas

move around all the furniture in your room!

32 crafts

home decor crafts

spring clean!

build a rube goldberg machine

100 things to do while stuck inside

21 crafts for when you’re quarantined

21 home improvement projects

20 easy crafts

start a bullet journal/junk journal/dream journal/just in general start journalling

dye your hair (please be careful and do research on the products you are using)

listen to a podcast - these are free on spotify, youtube, and the podcasts app!

free streaming services rn

help transcribe anti-slavery documents for this historical archive

transcribe other documents for the library of congress

latimes guide to the internet

start a dungeons and dragons game

habits to build:

enforce your time limits on your phone

go for a walk everyday (if this is allowed)

workout every day

stay organized

eat three meals per day

drink 8 cups of water per day

wake up early/go to sleep early

read every day

free learning resources:

mit

harvard

khanacademy

scribd made all its ebooks free

duolingo

learn graphic design

here’s a masterpost completely dedicated to learning things for free by @girl-havoced

language learning resources masterpost by @wonderful-language-sounds

masterpost of coding websites by @code-bug

free online courses masterpost by @studyllaire-blog

places to donate if you’re able:

covid-19 mutual aid funds: before i jump into orgs, i want to mention mutual aid funds, which are community-driven initiatives in places where the government response hasn’t been enough for many people, like the united states. consider donating directly to your community

similarly, local food banks and homeless shelters may be needing extra support right now in your area; consider looking into those as places to donate

here’s a guide on starting a mutual aid network in your neighborhood

it’s going down: organizing communities for community care initiatives

covid-19 financial solidarity resource sheet - directly help immunocompromised people or those who have lost their jobs due to covid-19

major orgs:

find your local foodbank (again, but this time, donate to it)

project c.u.r.e.

direct relief

alight - help refugees

actionaid usa

prevent child abuse

help the most marginalized:

immigrant workers: we count, donate your stimulus check, immigrant worker safety net fund

incarcerated people: national bail out, freedom for immigrants

indigenous americans: partnership with native americans, flicker fund, decolonizing wealth fund

workers: support for workers, above and beyond solidarity fund, donate personal protective equipment, feed care workers,

restaurant workers: one fair wage, rwcf

homeless people: coalition for the homeless

artists: foundation for the contemporary arts, artist relief

medical debt relief: healthwell foundation, ripmedicaldebt

another thing you can do! if you’re able to, consider fostering a pet from a local animal shelter (not a pet store) and caring for them during quarantine

positivity:

@archivesoflove this is kind of a self promo bc i run this blog but it’s just a hub of nice stories, sweet poems, kind works of art, etc.

some good news, by john krasinski

who’s the cutest?

how to fall back in love with life

good news network

little things that help moods

infinite jukebox

giant panda cam

#*#mine #masterpost #covid19 #coronavirus #studyblr #online learning #studying #school #university #college #uniblr #notes

44 notes · View notes

stars-and-branches · 5 years ago

Text

Fun stuff to do while self-isolating

Websites:

1. Flight Rising - A cute dragon breeding browser game, good for 15-30 minutes of entertainment.

2. Kiss Anime, Kiss Cartoon, Kiss Comics - Free anime, cartoons and comics available for binging. USE AD BLOCK and antivirus when browsing through these websites, otherwise, pop-ups and ads will be unbearable. No links provided because these websites change domains and URLs often.

3. TV Tropes - I can get lost on this website for hours reading about the tropes and plot points my favorite media use. I recommend this especially for writers or people interested in fiction.

4. Bored Button - Randomly sends you to interactive websites, great for relieving a couple of minutes or to laugh at something silly, like a website that allows you to slap Captain Kirk.

5. Archive of Our Own and Fanfiction.net - These are the giants of the fanfiction writing community and are home to a vast collection of stories about your favorite characters.

6. Goodreads - This is a good place to go to find book recommendations, make lists of what you want to read, and keep track of reading goals.

Youtube Channels:

1. Jessica Kellgren-Fozard - A 50s aesthetic combined with educational videos about disability. Jessica has a lovely personality and has served as a well-loved voice of the spoonie community.

2. Acoustic Trench - Videos of Acoustic music featuring a golden retriever, what’s not to like?

3. Rare Earth - This channel explores the lesser-known stories of people all around the world.

4. Simone Giertz - She builds robots that don’t work and has a lovely personality!

5. Mike Boyd - He constantly works on learning new skills and uploads his journey on his channel.

6. ElleOfTheMills - Elle Mills makes vlogs about her life. The videos are so high quality that watching them is like watching a movie.

7. Crash Course - They don’t need an introduction but this channel is good to watch while in isolation, both to learn something new and for students to keep up with their studies.

Videogames:

1. Stardew Valley - This is probably one of my favorite games. You get to run a small farm, befriend the townsfolk, and explore the many secrets in the game. Relationships in this game are lgbtq+ friendly! This game is available on most platforms and is relatively inexpensive at $10.

2. Outer Worlds - This game is brought to you by the studio that made Fallout: New Vegas. This game is beautiful and has a complex interesting storyline. All of the companion characters are well written and likable (One of which is an ace lesbian!). This game is available on the PC, Playstation, and X Box. It’s more expensive than the previous game on this list but it more than deserves the triple-A price tag of $59.99

3. Night in the Woods - This game is much more story-based than the other games on this list. The plot is wonderful and grapples with issues of mental illness and young adulthood. The price sits somewhere in the middle of #1 and #2 in this list at $19.99 and is available on PC, Mac, Linux, and Playstation 4.

4. Undertale - This is one of those games that needs no introduction. It’s a quirky pixel RPG with moral choices that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Undertale costs around $10 and is available on the Nintendo Switch, PC, and Playstation 4

5. Runescape - This is one of the oldest MMORPGs out on the market and is free to play. Runescape has an engaging crafting system and a wide variety of fun quests. While it is free to play Runescape suffers from some pay to win elements. This game is available on the PC and is in the early access phases of becoming a mobile app.

6. Albion Online - Albion Online is a large MMORPG with its strengths in its large scale PvP battles, combat system, and crafting system. This game is free to play with an optional subscription.

Mobile Apps:

1. Amino - This is a lesser-known social media app home to thousands of online communities. Fandoms, hobbies, roleplaying, and various other interests dominate the content here.

2. Animal Crossing Pocket Camp - This is a small, cutesy animal crossing game, enough to tide everyone over until new horizons releases on the 20th.

3. The Arcana - A tarot themed dating sim! Lgbtq+ friendly and filled with beautiful art. The characters are well written and the plot is filled with intrigue.

Podcasts:

1. Welcome to Night Vale - I can’t say too much about this one without spoiling it, this podcast is best listened to without knowing what to expect.

2. The Adventure Zone - A D&D podcast hosted by the Mcelroys, full of witty characters and funny moments.

3. Duolingo - Available in Spanish and French these podcasts are perfect for practicing your target language without leaving home.

Activities:

1. Bake

2. Start a project you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t had the time to do.

3. Draw, paint, etc.

4. Start a diy craft

5. Cook

6. Do some spring cleaning!

7. Read

8. Go on social media

9. Binge shows/movies on your streaming service of choice.

10. Start a garden

11. Pick and press flowers

12. Spend time with your pets (if you have any)

13. Call/text loved ones.

14. Color in an adult coloring book.

15. Pick up a new hobby.

16. Journal

Feel free to comment/reblog with more suggestions!

1 note · View note

cosplayinamerica · 7 years ago

Photo

Star Guardian Urgot is the one skin concept that I have been dying to see come to life since the Star Guardians first arrived in League of Legends. Urgot is notorious for being this grotesque, unpopular character in League -- both in lore and in gameplay. The thought that Urgot could become a Star Guardian-- a beautiful, graceful, magical defender against darkness -- was so absurd that Riot Games swore it would never be a thing beyond community memes. I disagree completely! Urgot is a half machine, barely alive monstrosity, but he is still very much HUMAN. If the First Star called upon Urgot to wield the powers of a Star Guardian, I am confident he would accept. The human nature of Urgot would desire strength, confidence, power, beauty, all the things that becoming a Star Guardian entails. I can't stand the idea that Urgot will never be a Star Guardian because Riot decided he can't become one. If he is human, he has dreams. If he dreams of becoming a Star Guardian, I would hate to be the one to tell him that he can't!

I started designing the skin myself by trying to picture what Urgot's Star Guardian skin would look/feel like if Riot were to sit down and ACTUALLY make it happen. Most of the memes depict SG Urgot being drenched in pink, ruffles, bows, etc. But I wanted to find a 100% believable spot for this skin within the Star Guardian universe. I studied the visual language of official Star Guardian skins for months to guide his armor design choices and primary color palette. There were no Guardians with a yellow-ish, acid green color scheme, which fits Urgot's aesthetic and lore perfectly.(I did throw a little pink into the armor as a nod to the memes though :D) I got to have extra fun with the design because I did a female version, which gave the baldy badass Urgot an excuse to rock a skirt and some epic pigtails.

Star Guardian Urgot is constructed almost entirely out of EVA foam, Wonderflex and PVC pipe. Due to its size, I needed to prioritize lightweight materials. I struggled to find a solution to turn my two legs into his six! My solution was constructing a "skirt" out of sturdy ABS and aluminum for the legs to attach to. Again, because of the size, I needed to make sure everything could break down as small as possible. I made so many trips to Home Depot looking for bolts and PVC joints, the employees know me by name now. I also incorporated my favorite part of costuming: LEDS!!!!! Star Guardians should shine brighter than all others, so there are 254 animated LEDs on Stargot, and over 9000 rhinestones!

Because this design came 100% from my heart and imagination, I was TERRIFIED to bring Urgot to Anime Expo. After obsessing over the costume for years, I felt like I was about to share a very intimate part of my soul with people who either wouldn't get it or would flat out reject it. I am very shy about sharing my work with others, and overall really bad at social media, so I was floored at how many people ran up to me at the con to say they had been following Urgot's progress on Facebook and Instagram. I even had one person approach me and ask me if I was THE Leah Stevo, because he was a huge fan! That was MINDBLOWING. People actually were liking my crazy costume idea!!

It turns out that not only did AX attendees ABSOLUTELY LOVE the build, but Riot loved it as well! More than anyone else, Rioters were so supportive and just plain excited to see the build in person, because apparently they had all been following my progress forever. Thank you Riot <3

I also was interviewed by Anime Expo for the AX Live stream on Twitch, and I was shocked when my friend pointed out that the interview with Star Guardian Urgot had more views on Twitch than any of AX's official guests and programming. Holy crap!

A couple standout moments from AX: I am proud to say that after years of trying, I finally constructed a costume that was dubbed a Fire Hazard by AX Staff. The crowd around Urgot was so huge that I had to be moved repeatedly to not impede traffic. I also remember a very, VERY heated argument on Friday that took place behind me, where two friends were arguing about whether Urgot was a character from World of Warcraft or a Pokemon. I feel bad that I was not able to intervene because I'm fairly certain that friendship ended over it. Sorry guys.

Before I discovered the art of costuming, my life was paralyzed by severe social anxiety and depression. I literally could not bear to leave my house, even to check the mail. Video games became my most beloved hobby and pretty much the only way I was able to make friends. I loved these games so much that I wanted nothing more than to experience them on a corporeal level, and discovered that cosplay and propmaking was something that fused ALL of my passions together! Developing the skills to fabricate and design armor slowly but surely built up my self confidence, and from the second I finally set foot in a convention covered head to toe in yoga mats the community has embraced me, lifted me up, and become my family. Because of cosplay, I discovered my worth as a person, found my calling and for the first time I can look at myself in the mirror and feel incredibly proud of who I am. I'm THE Leah Stevo! WOO!

As cosplayers, we have the power to express passion for our fandoms that screens and pages cannot. Cosplay is not only a way to faithfully recreate characters that we love, it is the PERFECT medium for making your original ideas for those characters come to life! Do not let yourself be fooled by the idea that you have to be a certain gender, skin color, or body type to do these characters justice. I am an average girl with only two legs and I think I made a great Urgot. I know it sounds so cliche but I cannot stress enough that the only person who has any right to say how you cosplay is you.

--- Leah Stevo

Photo : https://www.instagram.com/jprizick/

#league of legends #Urgot #cosplay

200 notes · View notes

katesturtlestories · 6 years ago

Text

World Building #1

Note: this is not intended as a how to guide, this is simply my process (so far), but it may help you with your own projects.

Whenever I start a world building project, I always start with a basic map first. There’s no right or wrong way to start, this is just how I do mine. It makes it much easier for me to figure out how everything works together (weather, environment, currents, travel, mountain ranges etc) when I have a basic idea of how the land looks. The following example is my current project and subject to many changes as things evolve.

I’m not going to go into how I figure out shapes and all that, it’s not particularly interesting, but importantly (for me), I line in where the equator and tropics would be. From this, we can see where things would logically sit, and I need my world to be logical, let’s blame my years of geographical and geological studies. These areas are the hottest and wettest parts of this world and where you’ll find monsoons and rainforests. Knowing where the rainforests are is a particularly important thing for me with the story involved with this project. I may expand on this in a later post.

Next thing I do is I make lists of things that I would like to figure out about my world. I normally start with the environment, but all I’ve figured out so far is rainforest, and only on the southern continent where the story will be set; that’s all I really need right now. I already have a story idea, and I want to move forward with the people, culture, customs, religion etc. I can figure the rest out later. Without further ado, here is my list of things to consider and build on.

Note: there is a lot of crossover between these sections, I’ve tried to keep to the main subject at hand with the questions asked so it’s not quite as confusing.

Culture

naming conventions (for both people and places) - how do the names work? are children named after their fathers or mothers? other family members? the alignment of the stars? a physical characteristic?

societal structure including hierarchy of class systems and distinctions between them - how different is a poor person from a rich person?

government type and structure - this will have it’s own section further down

housing (architecture, building materials etc) - where and how does this society live? family groups/tribes/cities?

celebrations - which events are celebrated and how (eg births, deaths & marriages)?

festivals and rituals

music, dance & art - what kind of music is listened to? do they dance? what kind of artwork exists in this world/society? are there paintings/sculptures/poetry/songs/musical instruments?

cultural relations - how does this culture think of itself in relation to other cultures? are they better than the next country/town over? are they proud of their achievements or jealous of those of others?

marriage/partnerships - do people get married? is there a ritual involved?

gender roles and sexuality - are there distinctions between genders? will one be shunned from society for not fitting the social norm?

clothing - what do people wear? what is their clothing made of? does it reflect their job or class?

jobs and employment - which jobs are required for this society to function? which are the best and worst jobs?

monetary system/trade - does this society have money? how much is it worth? is it a bartering society? both?

education - are there schools? are there class requirements to attend? how much do they learn? is this a literate society? what is the age range of students?

games, sports and recreation - what do people do for fun? what games do they play? how do children entertain themselves? is there a professional sports league?

food - what food do they eat? are they a predominantly vegetarian society? are they cannibals? do they only eat fish every second weekday? what is the standard fare? are meals eaten in public? with family only?

communal projects - when a house or temple needs to be built, does the community come together? are there monuments? who builds these things? who is in charge of organising them?

military/police force - are there either in this society? is it voluntary? is there a draft? how exactly do they use/abuse their power within this society?

Religion

importance - how important is religion to this society? to what extent does the population share beliefs?

origin story - is there one? how does this society believe the world/universe/god/s came to be?

end of times - what does society believe will happen? is there fire? does the sun explode? a meteor land on a god’s head who then takes his rage out on the planet? does society even care or think about it? will it really happen?

mythology - what are the myths prevalent in this society? do they have any religious beliefs at all?

deity - which god/s does this society worship/believe in?

astrology - do the stars have any power over events in this world? does society believe they do?

afterlife - is there an afterlife? what does this society believe happens when they die? is there a heaven/hell? are there any funerary rites/rituals? do they bury, burn or send their dead off to sea? are there cemeteries?

soul - what does society think the soul is? do they even think about these things? do they believe in soul damage? do their actions affect their souls? are souls reincarnated?

temples/places of worship - how big/important are they? are they any at all? is religion practiced in the privacy of one’s own home? is it compulsory to attend services? are there certain trees which are revered? which gods do they worship? does each deity have their own separate place of worship?

hierarchy - who is running the temples or places of worship? who maintains the properties? how important are priests or their equivalent? who are they in charge of?

festivals - are there any religious festivals practiced in this society? what are the rules? is there a costume or dress-code?

religious texts - is there a bible/koran/book of the dead-type volume? how available is it? does every follower have a copy? do they only know the parts that have been read to them?

prophesies - is there a person who has visions? are they seen as a madman, prophet, or just gifted? do these prophesies come true? are they believed to come true? are they written down, inscribed on temple walls or just passed on through word of mouth?

food - is there any religious influence on what food is forbidden or encouraged? what are the restrictions? when can certain foods be eaten?

magic - is there any magic that is received only from a deity? what kind of magic do deities have? what kind of magic do/can they bestow on their subjects?

Science, Magic & Technology

technology - what kind of technology is available to this society? do they have electricity? is everything steam/wind/water/kinetic powered? does magic make the world go round? are there machines? what are they capable of?

astronomy - does society think their planet is the centre of the universe? what do they know about the stars? do they believe the stars are souls of the dead? the gods looking down on them? do they have telescopes?

calendars/clocks - how is time measured? is it just a block of seasons? do they measure days/weeks/months? do they measure years scientifically through various measures such as astronomy or just at the end of each winter/summer? do they have clocks? sundials? does magic tell them how much time has passed? do the gods?

medicine - what medicine is available? which diseases can be cured and which are incurable? or is it just magic? are doctors/healers trained on the job or in a university-type situation? do they serve an apprenticeship to someone experienced? are there hospitals or medicine women? both?

healthcare (tying back into medicine) - is there a healthcare system? do people pay for healing? are the poor excluded from it? are there doctors/healers who work on a pro bono system? is it free for anyone to receive healthcare?

writing - does this society have a written language? is it hard to learn? how many people are able to read/write? is their written language different from their spoken language? ie English scholars who wrote in Latin.

messages/communication - how are messages transmitted between two people with distance between them? do they write letters? use a mirror? carrier pigeons? is there a postal service? are messages written on paper/slate/stone/leaves? what do they use to write letters with? do they simply send messages via telepathy?

metals - which metals are available? what are these metals used for? how skilled are the metal workers? where is this material mined from? does it just lie on the ground around the place? is it only found in streams on a sunny day? how is this metal transported from it’s resting place to the smithy? who mines it? are there surveyors? do you need to be specially trained to find/work it?

weapons - are weapons commonplace? what kind of weapons are available? how expensive are they? are they only available to the military or the wealthy?

paper - is it available? how common is it? is some other substance used for writing? is it a different colour? is it only available to the wealthy?

glass - is it available? is it common/luxury? is it only available to the wealthy? is it used in windows? are there skilled glaziers? can you see through it? is it full of bubbles?

architecture - what do the buildings look like? do people live in houses/tents/communal spaces? do they have flat/pointed roofs? do they have chimneys? fireplaces? stairs/ladders? are the windows arrow slits? do houses have inside bathrooms? plumbing? how much space is between buildings? how tall are they? do people have separate bedrooms? is one house a series of separate buildings/tents? how is a city/community laid out?

transportation - is there a public transportation system? are there taxis? does everyone have a horse/car/bike/donkey? how are the roads? is it safe to travel alone? is it possible to travel far? are there ships/planes?

Agriculture

produce - what can grow in this world? can it grow all year round? or is it a season-specific plant? is it easy to grow? does it require constant rain? is there a specific fruit/vegetable in high demand?

animals - which animals are farmed on this world? do they provide a variety of resources? ie eggs, meat, leather, fur , labour etc.

fishing - how common is fishing? is it the main source of food? what can be done with fish? what kind of food can be prepared? is this area known for good fishing? are they small/big fish?

farming - how common is farming? is it the main source of food? how big are farms? can a farmer have many different types of produce and animals or just a few? how many farmers are specialised in a specific plant/animal? ie grapes for wine

foraging - what can be foraged? mushrooms/berries/coconuts? does everyone have to forage? how far away from their homes do the have to go to do so?

hunting - is society allowed to hunt the local wildlife or is it prohibited? is it sport for the wealthy? which animals are nearby? do they make good eating? are they only hunted on special occasions? during a specific season?

preservation - which kinds of food can be preserved? are there any highly desired preserved goods? what are the problems that can arise from food preservation?

food stores - which food is able to be stored? can meat be cured? where is food stored? does food need to be stored at all? are there any bugs/beetles/mice that can ruin food stores?

grains - which kinds of grains are available? what can be made from these grains? bread/beer/rice?

irrigation - what kinds of irrigation practices are available? do farmers rely on rainfall/flooding to survive? do they build canals? a sprinkler system?

manufacturing - what kind of products are able to be manufactured from the goods provided from the agriculture industry? do farmers/fisherman/foragers/hunters manufacture their own goods or pass on the raw materials?

trade - does a farmer trade or sell his goods? where do they go to do so? do the buyers come to them? is there a marketplace? how does the farmer transport their goods? horse and cart/train/truck/goat/magic carpet?

Government

government type - democracy, theocracy, monarchy, theocratic monarchy, republic, autocracy etc

succession - how is a new leader chosen? are they voted in? selected from a lottery at random?

hierarchy - who has more power? who is second in command? how equal are the advisors? is the king only a figurehead? are the nobility able to influence government decisions? if society objects to a decision/law made, are they able to petition it effectively?

laws - what are the laws of the land? what is the worst possible crime someone could commit? what can they get away with?

legal system - how does someone refute a claim against them? are there lawyers? is there a courthouse? do they have to petition the king? who makes the final decision? judge/king/priest/god/public?

criminal punishment - what punishments can be expected for those proven guilty of their crimes? prison/death/excommunication/a fine/banishment?

taxes - how much does each person pay in tax? how is this amount decided? who collects the taxes? can the tax be paid in goods? does it have to be paid in goods/money? can someone get an extension/exemption from payment if they don’t have enough?

distribution - how are city funds distributed? are they distributed at all? what percentage of taxes go back into repairing the roads and erecting new town halls/temples?

This is far from a complete list, there are countless things I’ve missed and a hundred questions I haven’t asked, but this is basically how I do it. I find the things that need to be known and then ask questions. And this, my friend, is how I world build.

If there’s interest, I may do a series of posts of my actual answers to these questions, they’ll be much more bite-sized though, I promise.

#current project #world building june #wbj 2019 #world building #lists #maps

1 note · View note

bewareofthorns · 6 years ago

Text

jeepers! meet rowan ‘ro’ sharpe, tenant of room 3b, college student tentatively majoring in history and wholesome all-american boy learning to stand on his own. this is legiterally the worst ™ intro, but it is also everything i applied with!

· ☆ ⤻ logan shroyer. meet ro sharpe. he is/are a 20 year old history student, who’s been residing in apartment #3b for a year. usually , you can catch him on the subway listening to a whiter shade of pale by procol harum and their roommates insist that he reminds them of rumpled sheets, sunlight streaming through a half-opened window and tangled earbuds. the libra has been described as candid & guarded but since he’s known as the all-american, i guess we’ll just have to wait and see .

a brief intro

think basic white boy. now more basic. even more basic. if ur at fuccboi, ur going in the wrong direction.

he is absolutely the kid in high school that you wanted to hate, but that you couldn’t. his parents raised him right and that frustrates others around him to no end.

he’s as american as apple pie and just as sweet. if you met him in his native environment, he’d probably be somewhere in between a state fair and a football game. picture like any movie where the underdog leads his team to state. that was him in senior year.

he had a mom and stepdad and two little siblings that he left behind in ohio. (and sometimes, though he hates to admit it because it sounds like something a coward would say, he wishes he had never really left them.)

the world is bigger than he thought it was. and there’s times when he’s in the apartment and people are walking by that he can’t help but be a little afraid.

on social media, if you scroll back in time, before the apartment, all his posts before got is pictures of these two little kids and like football cleats and like terrible shaky videos of performances he did with the awful band that he made with his friends. he never thought he was going to go to new york city for college. he never thought- that this would be his life.

the drama that goes on, the messiness of the rest of the people who live in the apartment—as much as he never expected it to be, this is a vibrance that sucks him in, that has a hold on him that he can’t really explain. there’s a joy to it, of course, an intenseness that he can’t deny.

just a fish out of water here in the city. part of him wants to go back to when he just had one girlfriend for like four years and they were going to go to college together and get married and he was going to be an actuary or a tax auditor or something. part of him still believes that he will–

but he also knows. he loves this life. he’ll never be able to go back.

I”M LITERALLY CRYING I LVE HTIS BEAUTIFUL WHITE BOY. HE LIVES SUCH A GOOD & WHOLESOME LIFE. I BET HIS MOM WENT ON HIS FIRST DATE WITH HIM WHEN HE WAS 14 AND, WHEN HE WAS 7. HE WALKED AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND GAVE EVERYONE THEIR MAIL FROM THEIR MAILBOXES EVENTHO THAT’S A FELONY. HE JUST WAS A GOOD WHOLESOME KID.

1. His mom and his bio dad never got married and, while his dad did his best to be around while he was really young, his job eventually took him away to nyc and both of them agreed it would be best if he didn’t look back.

2. though he remembers missing his biological father terribly at first, he was young enough that it hardly mattered. within the next few years, his mother got married, ro was adopted by his stepfather, and he would get two new half-siblings.

a. by the end of the first year of the marriage, ro had already taken to calling his stepfather ‘dad’. after all, it was his stepfather who took him out to backyard and taught him to play catch. it was his stepfather who helped him with his math homework and bought him christmas gifts. it was his stepfather who was there. and to ro, that was all that mattered.

3. he never once thought his childhood was missing anything. he took bass guitar and swimming lessons; he played on the local baseball team and, then, after deciding it wasn’t for him, joined the football team. he had a good group of friends and even did fairly well in school.

4. it wasn’t until he got into high school that things started to fray at the edges. after pulling a prank at school and getting into trouble, his stepfather sat him down and asked if he were acting out bc he missed his real father. he hadn’t been– at least, he hadn’t thought he was, but, when the gate was opened, he admitted that he wanted to at least meet the man who he had so few memories of.

5. so he did. and it went okay. There were no hard feelings. They agreed to keep meeting up.

6. ro was lucky, though. as he was forced to navigate through this complicated relationship with his father, he was able to escape the perils that usually plague teens in high school.

a. he was smart enough to talk with the academically-inclined and creative enough to hang around the arts kids, but his true saving grace was his position on the football team. he was good at it— enough that by his junior year, he had gotten an offer to join the reserve team for his dream school. it was a good scholarship and it also allowed him to pursue the degree that he was interested in (econ and math).

7. but despite accepting the offer almost immediately— he never ended up actually enrolling. Because he had also secretly applied to a nyc college to spend more time with his bio dad who lived in the region. And when he got accepted, he just knew-

a. i don’t think he understood what he was getting into. the college he is going to has technically a better reputation than the state school he had originally wanted, but he just wanted– to know his dad better. to have a real relationship with his dad before it was too late.

b. it weighs heavy on his mind that he threw away the larger college scholarship, the chance to be with his friends, the football offer — all just to spend some time in nyc for the more frequent opportunity to he feels guilty, as if him just being here is some kind of betrayal to the family that raised him.

8. lastly, ro absolutely calls his mom and stepfather every week, but still finds himself struggling to hold a conversation with his father. They don’t meet up as often as he thought they would. School takes up too much time for him. And his father is always working. And though his father is the one paying for his rent and also a chunk of his tuition, he still longs for a better connection.

9. he’s really just a small town boy from ohio and here, where it seems like everyone parties and engages in a rock star lifestyle, he’s incredibly out of his depth. he’s sweet and he’s young and he’s responsible. he’s not here to spiral out of control or be number one he’s just here to learn what it means to be a student. And also… if he can, someone’s son.

fun facts

he skateboards. everywhere.

he doesn’t drink coffee.

he stopped drinking soda when he turned 17 for a dare and never picked it up again.

he knows how to knit.

he’s a hardcore romantic. his mom took two tries to get it right, but she got it right.

Did he have a high school gf that lasted for almost the full four years? You betcha. Did they break up because he went to NYC? You got it. Is he heartbroken over it and trying to fill the void? Done and done.

In the apartment, he’s definitely trying to be the voice of reason. That’s not to say he can’t get down with the best of them, but he’s also always trying to get things under control.

Since he’s 20, that also means—he’s not very good at standing his ground.

WANTED CONNECTIONS are fckn everything.

exes, crushes, fwb, mentors, enemies (petty or deep-rooted... but i dare u to hate him). my literal fave r weird shared communal space plots.

someone who will buy him contraband since he’s underage !! he swears he’s responsible

someone who he gives life advice to (in all of his iDiot 20 yo boy brain glory)

someone who gives HIM life advice to counsel him through being an idiot 20 yo boy

someone who he caught doing something outlawed in the building

smoking? parking your bike in behind the potted plants? look we all know ur growing something behind the succulents but i don’t want to know okay.

I was sticking my head out the window and you were draining water onto the pavement. Dude I see you. My god. We all have sinks.

our mail keeps getting switched up ?? look ??? idk ???

We do our laundry at the same time every week and there’s just NOT ENOUGH MACHINES and its super weird bc like. we never talk elsewhere about it. but every week we show up with full baskets at the SAME TIME

I know you keep ur door unlocked and so like. we’re friends. you won’t mind if I just pop in to use ur dish soap. i like ran out.

KEEP UR NOISE LEVEL DOWN U HEATHEN. IM STUDYING. are u singing? is that a cat’s yowl? are u… Look IF YOU DON’T i’ll put a hole thru ur door.

#twelve.intro

5 notes · View notes

recentanimenews · 3 years ago

Text

Crunchyroll Expo 2022 Welcomes Back Vampy Bit Me and Other Fan-Favorite Guests

Crunchyroll Expo is getting ready to return later this year, and with it comes another amazing slate of guests. A handful of fan-favorites will be making a comeback for Crunchyroll Expo 2022, including Vampy Bit Me, Mario Bueno and Zeno Robinson.

This year's event goes down August 5-7 both in person and online, so read on for more about the latest batch of guest announcements while we wait for the fun to begin.

Vampy Bit Me

Linda Le is a cosplayer originally from a small town in Oklahoma, now residing in California. She loves building Gunpla, streaming on Twitch and creating new art work. She has traveled all around the World promoting cosplay and Gunpla. Currently Vampy is a Host for Bandai Namco Collectables Hobby as well as the Social & Community Manager for the new Bandai Namco FPS title GUNDAM EVOLUTION. She loves meeting passionate people in all different walks of life and loves to keep up the positivity in the hobby & gaming industry.

Mario Bueno

Mario is a content creator specializing in nerd culture, and the founder of NYC-based production outlet Digital Era Entertainment.

He’s appeared in such capacities as an on-camera host for Anime News Network's 2007-2008 news videos and Frederator Network's "The Leaderboard" YouTube Channel. He has also spent over a decade as a professional emcee for everything from cosplay contests to wrestling-style presentations like Kaiju Big Battel (2017-2018).

Outside of Digital Era Entertainment streams/projects (such as DEE's upcoming pro wrestling-themed visual novel "Kokoro no Pro"), he can be heard as a narrator for projects such as the audiobook for Lyndsey Luther's novel "Greencloak" and film-centric YouTube channel Screen Rant.

Zeno Robinson

Zeno Robinson is an actor residing in Los Angeles, California. Zeno began his acting journey in middle school, and after taking a program called All About Kids, signed with CESD Talent. He would gain his professional voiceover start soon after as Alan Albright in Ben 10 Alien Force at 14 years old, and has since studied under industry pioneers such as Charlie Adler, Tony Gonzales, Kris Zimmerman, Phil Lamarr, Ginny McSwain, and Tony Oliver. Zeno can now be heard as Remy in Big City Greens, Hawks in My Hero Academia, Cyborg in Young Justice, and The Green Poncho in Craig of the Creek.

Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to Crunchyroll Expo 2022, which will be held at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center and online from August 5-7!

By: Guest Author

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

1 note · View note

uwosis22 · 4 years ago

Text

Lepasa

Release: NFT Game Ready Next Generation of 3D Art that can be used in any animation, game or video project.

Freelancing is a mythological virtual life conceptualized by a team of artists and engineered by blockchain enthusiasts. Its vision is to build an ecosystem that allows users to create, experience, and monetize their content and apps. Every creativity on Lepasa is an NFT token (ERC-721) and is always owned by its holder on the Ethereum blockchain, giving them complete control over wherever and for whatever they want to use it.Unlike other virtual properties, Lepasa is not controlled by a centralized organization. There is no single authority with the power to change the rules of the software, content, token economy, or prevent others from accessing it.NFT — The Latest Blockchain Madness! 📷Gamers have been trading virtual currencies and assets for years, from Fortnight cosmetic character skins to World of Warcraft gold. But in traditional games, you don't really own anything in cyberspace because the economy exists exclusively in closed markets. NFT creates opportunities for all types of creators (visual arts, game designers, musicians, etc.) and opens up new revenue streams. Part of what makes them so attractive is the variety of assets they can represent: virtual collectibles, game items, digital artwork, event tickets, real estate, identity documents, certifications, and more. The NFT market is exploding right now, as early adopters and Cryptocurrency enthusiasts are trying to cash in on the trend. Lepasa Foundation: Switzerland was one of the first countries to introduce a legal framework for cryptocurrencies and blockchain projects. By introducing less complex digital concepts in the form of NFT & DeFi solutions, the ecosystem built in the crypto valley will facilitate the mass adoption of blockchain & cryptocurrencies. Lepasa Foundation will ensure decentralization of project authority & governance & ultimately lay the foundation stone for a larger audience to adapt cryptocurrency & take advantage of its enormous possibilities. We are willing to establish the Lepasa Foundation under Swiss law. We are building an ecosystem that will unite all those who believe in innovation to join the Crypto & NFT revolution. The world is moving to witness an unprecedented speed. With Freelancing, you can experience all possible opportunities and fun. Tourist: Virtual Tourism is something that has a strong future. When artists around the world can inhabit their imaginations on the Lapasa platform, it brings the possibility even for school students and researchers to visit Lepasa for study, training and adventure.Electronic commerce: Online shopping on website and mobile is well established to the core of every corner around the world, It is likely that the large number of freelancers can inspire global sellers to sell real goods to users through their virtual store on the platform. Other virtual world games have witnessed this.Ikhtisar NFT Non-Fungible Tokens are a new and exciting product in the luxury market. As the crypto community is blessed in terms of scrutiny, But the current offerings are not mature enough to monetize the market.NFT is still in its early stages in many aspects. And there are many strong use cases for potential businesses in the current situation viz.A. You B. Virtual Land C. Games D. Animation Collection These four categories are rated the most promising as NFT and in the future Lepasa will serve them all.$LEPA TOKEN FOR ECOSYSTEM Legendary Lepasa is created exclusively for the Lepasa community and can only be obtained with a $ LEPA token.High Liquidity: The $LEPA token provides sufficient liquidity to project to exchange between NFT and tokens Hyper Deflation: Each swap burns $LEPA tokens, which ensures continuous scarcity. Staking: Hold $LEPA tokens and stake for rewards. Crosschain: Access $LEPA on multiple public blockchains. TOKENOMIC It is important for you to know the token economy and how we will use the funds.Total Supply: 100 M Initial Circulation Supply: Less than 10% List Price: $0.15 Public Sale: $0.10 Token Distribution Everything you want to know about Free Token Distribution.1% Public sale

- Price: $0.10 List Price - $0.15 Strategic & Private Distribution - 10% will be given on listing, Then daily vesting for 365 days. Basic Recommendation - After 1 year, daily vesting for 365 days. Marketing & Business Development - 10% awarded on listing, Then given daily for 365 days. Liquidity - 10% of the total supply is allocated for liquidity. Team - After 1 year, daily vesting for 365 days. Advisor - After 1 year, daily vesting for 365 days. Use of Funds This is how the funds will be used.40% of the funds will be used to support development. Marketing actions such as market entry strategies will reach 20% of the total funds raised. Law and Accounting will represent 10% of the total funds raised. 30% of the funds will be used to provide liquidity to the exchange. That's all I can say in this article. If you need accurate and reliable information, you can visit their official link, which I have provided below:Website: https://www.lepasa.com/ WhitePaper: https://www.lepasa.com/assets/docs/whitepaper.pdf Twitter: https://twitter.com/lepasaorg Telegram: https: // t . me/lepasa_discuss Medium: https://lepasa.medium.com/by; Njombangg link :: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=3198658

0 notes

wazafam · 4 years ago

Link

Netflix confirmed 27 movies are releasing in 2021, and here's every one of them. Hosted by three Red Notice stars - Ryan Reynolds, Gad Gadot, and Dwayne Johnson - Netflix's 2021 Film Preview video packs in a lot of information for curious streamers, which may feel both exciting and slightly overwhelming.

Netflix's preview video doesn't include all of their upcoming 2021 movies, but rather a select group of films across various genres - including their biggest releases. The sneak peek reveals that new movies will be released once per week throughout the year, which means that just over half are included in the clip. Several celebrities make brief appearances to hype up their upcoming projects, and Red Notice unsurprisingly receives the most attention during the the Netflix 2021 Film Preview.

Related: Every New Movie Releasing On Netflix In 2021

With the streaming wars being more intense than ever, Netflix wisely enlisted some big names for their 2021 Film Preview. But while the star power and assortment of clips are indeed impressive, there's little information provided about details that audiences may be curious about.

Directed by Mikael Håfström, Outside the Wire follows a drone pilot named Harp (Damson Idris; Snowfall) who works in a militarized zone for android officer Leo (Anthony Mackie; the MCU's Falcon). Together, they seek out a device that could end the world. Outside the Wire co-stars Pilou Asbæk (Game of Thrones) and Emily Beecham (Hail, Caesar!). Netflix's 2021 trailer features an aerial shot, along with Mackie's character doing a somersault and pointing his weapon. Outside the Wire released on January 15, 2021.

As the latest feature from acclaimed filmmaker Ramin Bahrani (Chop Shop), The White Tiger follows a poor man named Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav; Leila) who becomes a wealthy entrepreneur in India. The crime drama (release date TBA) co-stars Priyanka Chopra (Quantico) and Rajkummar Rao (Shahid), and is based on Aravind Adiga's eponymous 2008 novel. The Netflix trailer features a close-up of Gourav, along with Chopra and Rao's characters embracing. The White Tiger releases on January 22, 2021.

Starring John David Washington (Tenet) and Zendaya (Dune) as the respective title characters, Malcolm & Marie follows a couple who celebrate their impending professional success but then argue about their relationship. The black-and-white drama was written and directed by Sam Levinson, with the Netflix trailer featuring close-ups of the primary leads. Malcolm & Marie will release on February 5, 2021.

In the third and final To All the Boys movie, Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor) finishes high school and imagines a possible life with Peter (Noah Centineo). Janel Parrish and Madeleine Arthur reprise their roles in the latest adaptation of Jenny Han's novel series. The first image in the Netflix teaser (above) shows Lara Jean with a content grin, while the second reveals that she's reacting to Peter - perhaps a "grand gesture" that's typical of rom-com films. To All The Boys: Always and Forever is scheduled to release on February 12.

Based on the eponymous 2009 book by author Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrator Tom Lichtenheld, Yes Day follows a couple who allows their children to set the family rules for 24 hours. In the Netflix teaser clip, Edgar Ramírez (Carlos) and Jennifer Garner (Alias) have fun with their children in Los Angeles. Yes Day co-stars Jenna Ortega (Iron Man 3) and Nat Faxon (The Way Way Back). Netflix will release Yes Day on March 21, 2021.

Directed by Zack Snyder, Army of the Dead centers on a group of mercenaries who attempt to pull a heist during a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas. The main cast includes Dave Bautista (the MCU's Drax), Ella Purnell (Sweetbitter), and Ana de la Reguera (Eastbound & Down). In the teaser, Netflix shows an aerial helicopter shot, an image of Bautista's character entering a room full of money, and visuals of the main characters engaging in battle. Army of the Dead will release in summer 2021.

Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers) stars in an animated comedy about deadly Australian creatures who plan to escape from a zoo and relocate. The Netflix teaser includes a brief landscape shot and a character close-up (above). Back to the Outback co-stars Rachel House (Thor: Ragnorok) and Eric Bana (Star Trek).

In Bad Trip, Eric André (The Eric André Show) and Lil Rel Howery (Get Out) star as friends who travel cross-country to New York City. In the Netflix teaser, the main protagonists laugh together on the hood of a vehicle (above). Netflix hasn't announced a release date for Bad Trip.

Related: Best Netflix Original Horror Movies & TV Shows Of 2020

Set in 1980s New Jersey and directed by Andrew Dosunmu (Mother of George), Beauty follows the titular character (Gracie Marie Bradley; The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders) who is on the verge of becoming a musical sensation. Written by Lena Waithe (Ready Player One), Beauty includes supporting performances from Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) and Sharon Stone (Casino). The preview clip includes a stylized character close-up (above), along with a complementary second shot of the two characters from a different angle. Beauty doesn't yet have an official release date.

Bruised takes place in the world of mixed martial arts and marks the directorial debut of Halle Berry (Monster's Ball), who stars as a disgraced fighter named Jackie Justice. The Netflix preview shows Jackie walking through an arena, presumably before a big match, and the second visual shows her being hit by real-life UFC star Valentina Shevchenko. Bruised doesn't have an official release date yet.

Written and directed by Adam McKay (The Big Short), Don't Look Up stars Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant) and Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) as astronauts who try to convince the public that a meteorite will soon destroy the Earth. The Netflix comedy features a star-studded supporting cast, including Timothée Chalamet (Dune), Chris Evans (the MCU's Captain America), Cate Blanchett (The Lord of the Rings), Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada), and Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street). The Netflix trailer includes six shots of DiCaprio and Lawrence preparing to depart from an airplane, with both characters appearing visibly nervous. Don't Look Up doesn't have an official release date.

A Brazilian film, Double Dad stars Maisa Silva (Carrossel) as an 18-year-old girl who flees from her hippie commune. The family comedy was directed by Cris D'Amato, who is best known for helming S.O.S.: Women to the Sea and S.O.S.: Women to the Sea 2. In the Netflix clip, Silva's character rides her bike and then smiles in a close-up visual (above). Double Dad is "Coming Soon."

Based on George Saunders' eponymous short story, Escape from Spiderhead follows convicts who participate in a drug experiment program to shorten their sentences. Chris Hemsworth (the MCU's Thor), Miles Teller (Whiplash), and Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country) star as the primary leads, and the film was directed by Joseph Kosinski (Oblivion, Top Gun: Maverick). The Netflix preview shows Hemsworth transporting Teller's character to an unknown destination. Escape from Spiderhead doesn't have an official release date.

Fear Street marks the first film of a trilogy based on R.L. Stine's eponymous book series. Set in 1994, the horror movie follows various teenagers in Shadyside, Ohio who believe that their bizarre experiences are intertwined, with Gillian Jacobs (Community) headlining the main cast. The Fear Street teaser includes a close-up of a scared female character, which is followed by a close-up of a masked character (above). A release date hasn't been announced.

Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan (The Huntsman: Winter's War), Kate follows a woman who gets poisoned and subsequently targets her enemies over the course of 24 hours. Meanwhile, she forms a bond with the daughter of a past victim. Kate stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Birds of Prey), Michiel Huisman (Game of Thrones), and Woody Harrelson (True Detective). The teaser images shows close-ups of Harrelson (above) and Winstead, along with an overhead street shot. Kate will release sometime in 2021.

Related: Every Upcoming Sci-Fi Movie In 2021

Set in Harlem, Monster follows a 17-year-old named Steve Harmon (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.; Luce) who gets charged with murder. The character study co-stars Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls), who appears with Harrison Jr. in the Netflix teaser. A premiere date hasn't been announced.

Directed by Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation), Moxie follows 16-year-old Vivian (Hadley Robinson), who publishes an underground zine called Moxie to expose the questionable behavior of classmates. The protagonist then inadvertently creates a revolution, which was partially inspired by her mother, who is portrayed by Poehler (above in a close-up from the teaser). Moxie co-stars Josephine Langford (After) and will release on March 3. The teaser clip also includes a wide shot of teenagers leaving a building.

In Night Teeth, a chauffeur picks up two mysterious women in Los Angeles and becomes immersed in a dangerous underworld. The Adam Randall thriller stars Alexander Ludwig (Vikings) and Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria), along with Lucy Fry (Bright) and Debby Ryan (Insatiable) - both of whom appear in the above trailer visual. Night Teeth will release sometime in 2021.

Directed by the French filmmaker Alexandre Aja (High Tension), O2 stars Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds) as a woman who wakes up in a cryogenic chamber with no memories. The thriller co-stars Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace), and was written by Christie LeBlanc. Netflix's teaser includes a visual of Laurent's character who seems to be just waking up. O2 doesn't have a release date yet.

In Red Notice, Dwayne Johnson (Jumanji) stars as an Interpol agent who tracks an art thief. Written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber (Skyscraper), the Netflix blockbuster co-stars Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman). Netflix's 2021 movie teaser includes various close-ups of Johnson, and shows Reynolds walking through a private plane. Gadot also displays her combat skills, and there's a comedic moment between the two male leads during a fight sequence. A final explosion visual teases the scope of production. Netflix hasn't announced a premiere date for Red Notice.

Sweet Girl stars Jason Momoa (Aquaman) as a man who seeks vengeance for the murder of his wife and attempts to protect his daughter, portrayed by Isabela Merced (Sicario: Day of the Soldado). The Netflix action film marks the feature directorial debut of Brian Andrew Mendoza, who previously produced the Momoa films Road to Paloma, Frontier, and Maven. The teaser clips show Momoa's character frantically running and later battling with someone. Also, Merced's character appears with a bruised eye (above). A release date hasn't been announced for Sweet Girl.

The Harder They Fall follows a man who seeks justice for the murder of his parents. Directed and co-written by Jeymes Samuel (They Die by Dawn), the Netflix western stars Idris Elba (Luther), Regina King (Watchmen), Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2), LaKeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You), and Jonathan Majors (Lovecraft Country). In the first shot, King, Elba and Stanfield seem ready for a street confrontation, while the second shot shows an intimate chat between King and Majors. In the third and final shot (above), Majors and Beetz fire at unknown enemies. A premiere date hasn't been set for The Harder They Fall.

Related: The Best TV Shows Of 2020

In The Kissing Booth 3, Elle (Joey King; The Act) begins a new journey in college and must deal with the consequences of leaving someone behind. Vince Marcello directs the third franchise installment, which co-stars Joel Courtney as Lee Flynn and Taylor Zakhar Perez as Marco Peña. In the Netflix teaser, a wide coastline shot teases the "journey" premise, and the second clip show Elle embracing her long-time pal Lee. In the third and final clip (above), Elle and Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi; Euphoria) have some fun in the sun, with Chloe Winthrop (Maisie Richardson-Sellers) right behind them. Netflix hasn't set an official premiere date for The Kissing Booth 3.

The Last Mercenary stars iconic action star Jean-Claude Van Damme (Bloodsport) as a former secret service agent whose estranged son is falsely accused of drug trafficking by the French government. Directed by David Charhon, the Netflix film co-stars Eric Judor (Platane) and Miou-Miou (The Science of Sleep). The Last Mercenary teaser shows a stretched-out character (above), and also someone being smashed into a mirror. Netflix hasn't announced a release date yet.

Based on A.J. Finn's 2018 novel, The Woman in the Window stars Amy Adams (Arrival) as an agoraphobic character who spies on her neighbors in New York City. The Netflix thriller was directed by Joe Wright (Darkest Hour), and co-stars the aforementioned Anthony Mackie, Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour), Julianne Moore (Magnolia), Bryan Tyree Henry (Atlanta), and Fred Hechinger (News of the World). In the Netflix teaser, three consecutive shots show Amy witnessing some type of crime, and then taking a picture. The Woman In The Window doesn't yet have an official release date.

Related: Why Hillbilly Elegy's Reviews Are So Brutal

Starring Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) and Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures), Thunder Force follows two childhood best friends who gain superhero powers and protect their city. The Netflix comedy film was written and directed by McCarthy's husband and long-time collaborator, Ben Falcone. In the teaser clip, the main characters Lydia (McCarthy) and Emily (Spencer) share a knowing grin, and the second shot shows the former displaying her strength by throwing a vehicle, which is followed by the focal duo reacting to the moment. Thunder Force is "Coming Soon," per Netflix.

Directed by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tick, Tick... Boom! takes place in 1990 and follows an aspiring theater composer named Jon (Andrew Garfield; The Amazing Spider-Man) who seeks his big break. Tick, Tick... Boom! is based on Jonathan Larson's musical, and features supporting performances from Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical), Bradley Whitford (Get Out), and Alexandra Shipp (X-Men). In the teaser, a wide shot shows Jon at a piano in an empty building, while the second features a close-up of Garfield's character trying to avoid a library crowd. Tick, Tick... Boom! doesn't have an official premiere date.

Next: Every New Show Releasing On Netflix In 2021

All 27 2021 Netflix Movies Explained | Screen Rant from https://ift.tt/3oIedBU

#Blogger

0 notes

davewakeman · 5 years ago

Text

Talking Tickets 17 January 2020...See You In NYC!

Hey Everybody!

Thanks for reading!

First off, in the end, we had over 700 entrants into the giveaway for the pass to INTIX and the winner is: Dominik Schreyer.

To quote Dominik, “Wow! That’s so cool—I never won anything!”

Now you’ve won! Congratulations!

Unfortunately, Dominik can’t make it because he has to speak ESSMA in Budapest on 22 January. He will be talking about empty seats and no shows at stadiums.

But I’ll find a way to make it up to Dominik when I’m Paris in the spring.

As for me, I’ll be in NYC all week meeting with folks in tickets, marketing, and money! If you are in the City next week and want to get together, let me know…I will be at INTIX, but I will have some downtime as well.

At INTIX, you’ll find me at the Booking Protect Booth, 522, right next to the food and beverage. Simon has pulled together a game of “high and low” for the occasion.

You’ll also be able to find me at Booth 230 with my friends, Einar and Martin, from Activity Stream.

I’m leading two panels:

Tuesday, 21 January: “Discount? Or, Don’t Discount?” with Martin from Activity Stream. We also added my good friends, Angela Higgins from TPC Australia and Gabe Johnson from Roundabout, so it isn’t just a 90-minute rant from me about why discounts are stupid.

Thursday, 22 January: “Service is the Best Form of Marketing” with Simon Mabbfrom Booking Protect, Guislaine Bulman from Ticketpro, and Frederic Auoadfrom Stay 22. Spoiler: service is essential to your ultimate success.

To the tickets!

—————————————————————————————————

1. Broadway brings in new and more diverse crowds!

I love Broadway and I’ve been struggling to find really good theatre stories to share in the newsletter lately. So I was ecstatic to see the Broadway League release its latest demographic study this week!

Great news! 14.8 million folks attended a Broadway production last season! 2.8 million were international and 3.8 were non-white, all highs!

Amazing!

This tells us a couple of great things:

* Broadway is healthy!

* We need to continue to focus on developing and promoting Broadway globally because, despite a certain amount of political uncertainty and unrest, NYC and Broadway still bring people into the United States.

* The theatre can appeal to folks of any background and this is a prime reason that we need to find ways to expose more and more folks to theatre and the arts.

2. The wildfires in Australia are likely to have a negative impact on the live entertainment business:

If you’ve never been to Australia, you are totally missing out! It is a magical place!

That’s what makes the situation with the wildfires so heart-wrenching.

Mark Ritson wrote about the tourism and marketing implications that the fires could have on Australia for MarketingWeek.com this week.

And, the live entertainment business is dealing with this as well as the Australian Open has had to put procedures in place due to health concerns, the AFL is renewing the Origin match to support relief efforts, and folks around the country are raising money and offering assistance.

For all of us, it is easy to see the situation in Australia in isolation, but it highlights the growing need to have contingency plans in place for weather-related events as we continue to see changing weather patterns.

3 steps any of us promoting or producing events can take immediately include:

1. Thinking about how we are going to deal with customer issues related to being unable to get to or attend an event in the case of catastrophic weather conditions. Refund protection and refund policies to start, but also cancellations and safety are all going to be important.

2. Look at scheduling. Weather and climate conditions are likely to change the way that we schedule and plan our events and our lives. What does this mean to all of us?

3. How do we fit into the efforts to fight these tragedies, support these communities, and give back? I’m a believer that no matter what we do, we are part of the larger community and that if one person or organization is suffering, to an extent, we are all suffering.

To that point, I’ve been encouraging folks that want to offer assistance to donate to the Red Cross of Australia!

3. Soccer, or as I like to call it, football, continues to grow all over the world:

Y’all know I love Spurs, for better or worse.

Due to this love of the Premier League, I spend a lot more time paying attention to the global football business than I might have in the past.

And, there is a lot to notice.

La Liga is seeing growth in attendance…which means we are going to need to pay attention to what they are doing because most of the stories we see in the States are about declining attendance.

To boot, the French soccer leagues are also seeing growth.

And, City is taking over the globe with teams all over the place!

While the entire picture isn’t completely like a rocket straight up, I think we can learn a few things from the growth of soccer around the globe:

1. Soccer clubs around the globe have done a great job building communities and monetizing their global fan bases. Check out the One Hotspur Club. Or, Man City’s Cityzens.

2. They emphasize attendance. I’ve mentioned the book, The Club, before and Richard Scudamore’s point that an empty stadium is a bad soundstage for a TV production. This is worth keeping in mind.

There’s a lot more that we can learn from the growth and continued growth of futbol!

4. Marketing effectiveness in tickets, arts, sports, and entertainment needs to be platform-agnostic and focused on what folks actually want and use:

Drew McManus writes up a piece about a study that asked folks how they read his orchestra business blog, expecting that most people were going through and reading the web version.

Wrong!

This idea has come up in a couple of places this week because I chatted with David Fowler for a podcast coming up in a week or so on sports marketing and I have a podcast conversation with Ryan Wallman about his new book, Delusions of Brandeur, where we talked about needing to do research at the start of the project to ensure you are using the right channel to communicate with your audience.

This is important to remember because many of us get infatuated with one particular channel or idea.

In reality, combining marketing modalities improves response. In reality, we aren’t our market and what we assume is conventional wisdom often isn’t.

My challenge to all of us is to take a step back and ask the question: “What if this isn’t true?” And think through the implications.

I’m betting it will change your thinking on the topic.

5. Details of Live Nation’s renewed consent decree are made public:

I’ve said in the past that it seems a little ridiculous to expect anyone to not try and leverage the entirety of their business assets to win business.

That’s kind of the way I feel about the consent decree and Live Nation.

If the government doesn’t want a company to control all aspects of the live entertainment experience, we have antitrust laws and regulations or they can put provisions in the agreement that they can punish if the deal is broken.

I am a little surprised that the deal wasn’t altered or strengthed more in light of the allegations and findings, but in the States we have been taking a pretty lax position on antitrust and competition law for several decades now.

What does all this mean?

I’m not sure.

I don’t see anything in the decree that would stop future investigations or that points to there not being other investigations ongoing.

But, when you look at the state of play with government regulation, it is fairly consistent with what has been happening across industries for the last 10-15 years.

—————————————————————————————————————- What I’m Up To:

I’m going to be in NYC this week from the 20-23. If you are at INTIX, make sure we say, “hello”, or, if you aren’t let me know if you are around and we can grab a cup of coffee or a drink.

On Monday afternoon, from 5PM-6PM, I’ll be at Faces and Names at 159 W. 54th Street having a delicious beverage or two. I’m sure I will have a few friends with me, so swing by.

I’ve been updating my blog daily this year, having set myself the goal of writing up one thing a day to ensure that I keep the writing habit. Some ticket related, but a lot of strategy and marketing as well. Including a piece about customer experience based on a great white paper, Simon Mabb sent me on customer service.

You’ll want to check out my podcast with Ryan Wallman. Ryan is one of the best advertisers in the world, he wrote a book last year, and he’s a hell of a lot of fun to hang out with.

Please follow and like us:

Talking Tickets 17 January 2020…See You In NYC! was originally published on Wakeman Consulting Group

#AFL #Australian Open #INTIX #INTIX 2020 #marketing #nyc #sports business #tickets

0 notes

mortiel · 8 years ago

Photo

Mass Effect Andromeda Post-Mortem Disquisition

Preface

Recently, I had this impulse that it was about time I sat down and put my thoughts on Mass Effect Andromeda to "paper" in a more coherent manner than previous comments, and in a conclusive way that gives everyone the explanation behind my decisions that they deserve.

This turned out to be an amazingly horrible idea. I'm overly verbose at my most concise of times, and this was a very complicated matter. Needless to say, these penned thoughts now rival the Encyclopedia Britannica in length. Seriously, if you all make it through this in one sitting without falling asleep, you deserve a bloody cookie or something.

Now, as many have noticed, my build guides and live streams for the game have stopped. My future content planned for map guides and strategies have also been canceled.

The reasoning? As a pro-consumer advocate, I cannot justify continuing to make content that supports a game that I personally would not recommend anyone buy. Each build guide, live stream, or other content I make for this game perpetuates the idea that I support the game and that you should buy it. Such is no longer the case. This decision unfortunately took much longer than it should have, as I spent literally months in a state of cognitive dissonance.

So now here we are. To keep things orderly, this will be broken down into a clear format: Opening, Single Player, Multiplayer, Community, and Summary. Mostly so I don't get lost and start wandering around a supermarket in my underwear like a dementia patient.

So, without further distraction, allow me to present my disquisition on Mass Effect Andromeda:

Opening

Mass Effect Andromeda has been a game of unparalleled and divisive controversy. Even the months leading up to launch, there were lines of people in camps looking for both ways to love and hate the game. It was abundantly clear this game had a lot of passionate people anticipating its launch.

Unfortunately, the game made a really poor first impression on people due to issues that were anywhere from aesthetic like facial animations to tedious like stellar flight animations to game-breaking like multiplayer server outages. First impressions are everything, and the game's first impression was reason why the game was received so poorly.

After most of those issues started clearing up so did the criticisms. It was then that one started to get a clearer understanding of what Andromeda did well and not-so-well outside of fixable bugs.

Single Player

The gameplay of Andromeda was, for the most part, a vast improvement over previous games. Before launch, I was vocally concerned about the "sticky-cover" being introduced, especially after playing Ghost Recon Wildlands that has a horrible sticky-cover system. I can happily admit my concerns proved to be unfounded. The game is generally fun to play... Be it driving in the Nomad or in combat.

The worlds were also quite well made, for the most part. The first planet I'm pretty sure had colour-swapped art assets ripped from Inquisition's Breach. Or was it actually the Breach?

[#SharedUniverseConfirmed]

Otherwise, the game looked great. Harvarl was honestly my favourite as far as design goes, but that's not shocking considering is was much smaller than the other planet maps. Smaller maps mean level designers can get more detail in the same timeframe as larger maps with only a small impact on game performance.

Unfortunately, that's where most of my praise ends. See, Andromeda is, as is BioWare's forte, an RPG. It's not an action-adventure game that is focused primarily on action and environmental storytelling. It has a very clear narrative. The problem is that the narrative is largely re-using most of the story elements from Mass Effect 2 while poorly trying to copy the companions from Mass Effect 1.

Why is copying ME2a problem? Wasn't that one of the best titles in the franchise? ME2 was the second story in a trilogy. That kind of story presumes the player already is entrenched in the current environment... Lore, protagonists, antagonists. You should already have your "compass" in the story, but that's not very easy when everything is new.

The examples of this start early with the death of Alec Ryder in the very beginning. The player has no real emotional connection with Alec, so an extremely influential character had no more weight than a red-shirt like Jenkins from ME1. The way I equate that is to imagine if ME2 were the first ME game you played... Shepard dying 15 minutes in would really mean nothing to you as the player. You have no attachment to him by 15 minutes in… Unless, of course, you just spent the entirety of another game playing as him and cultivating relationships with him and the crew.

And then we get the poorly copied companions. In ME1, you have 2 permanent human companions (after Eden Prime) with Ashley and Kaiden. Both fit on the crew because they are assigned to the Normandy by the Alliance military. Personality-wise, you had the Kaiden the emotionally conservative and Ashley the emotionally radical. You other companions: Liara, Garrus, Tali, Wrex... You were able to experience the motivation of why they joined you first-hand:

Liara was a scientist specialising in Protheans, and you needed her help to better understand the Prothean Beacon and information it gave you. Socially, she was nerdy and socially awkward in a "quirky cute" way, making her more endearing to some.

Garrus was a C-Sec officer convinced Saren was bad and determined to prove it even without the Council's approval, and Shepard was in a unique position to facilitate that. Socially, his strong convictions and aspirations to bring justice make him a strong moral compass for some.

Tali found evidence of a bigger plot behind Saren, and, having some insight into Geth enemy you were facing, was ideal for the mission. Socially, Tali's soft-spoken idealism act to brighten the mood of the story.

Wrex claims to "just want in on the action" after you help him take down Fist, but deeper inspection finds that he admires Shepard and sees him displaying attributes he thought of as what a Krogan should be.

Compare that to Andromeda: Two humans, male and female, assigned to the mission with Cora and Liam. Inverse the genders of the ME1 humans, where Cora is the emotionally conservative one and Liam is the emotionally radical. And by “radical" I mean immature. Seriously, he's like a bloody preteen. Sadly there is no Virmire on which to leave Liam.

As far as the aliens go:

Peebee joined because you're investigating Remnant vaults and she is somehow an "expert" on "RemTech", despite only studying it for a few months by herself. It's trying to match to Liara, except Liara had been studying Protheans for decades with teams of researchers. Peebee has the same “nerdy and socially awkward" trait found in Liara, again trying to get that "quirky cute" vibe.

Drack joins because... He likes killing Kett, I guess? It's essentially distilling Wrex into "just a thug" and trying to copy that. Unfortunately, whereas Wrex peels personality layer back like a turtle-shaped onion, Drack never really evolves and grows as a character. You just find out his organs are failing because he's so badass.

Vetra joins because she can help you with "stuff" and serves as a sort of quartermaster for a ship of maybe a dozen people. Despite the fact that her apparent talents in wheeling-and-dealing would be better served to both Tempest and Nexus if she were on the latter not the former. Makes perfect sense if you don't think about it. However, BioWare determined we "need" a Garrus on the crew. Except Garrus was so much more complex even just within the story of ME1. Vetra sadly will never match Garrus' reach and flexibility.

Jaal was the only exception here. Superficially, he's a copy of Javik from ME3 in his archetype, true, but he at least felt like he had a reason for being on the ship: A liaison/ambassador to the Angarans. Surprisingly, his character also has actual depth and dimension, albeit at times he felt like the “man-meat" in a Harlequin romance novel... Surprised he was missing full head of long flowing hair and wasn't introduced to us by galloping a horse down a beach at sunset whilst shirtless. He's the Fabio trope in an alien body, but that makes him interesting nonetheless, even if only comically so.

Why am I focused on the companions so much? Because that has been one of the foundational pillars of BioWare storytelling… From HK-47 to Kang the Mad to Mordin Solus, BioWare has defined themselves by crafting memorable and endearing companions. Mass Effect 3 was all the more memorable because you got to experience the effects of the Reaper War on each of the people you had befriended along the way. BioWare felt as though it lost touch with that cornerstone by recycling character archetypes from Mass Effect 1.

BioWare has not been as solid with major narrative writing of late, however. Case in point, Andromeda’s was seemingly copied directly from Mass Effect 2. Archon is a generic bad guy. You could insert Coryfish or Harbinger-Possessed Collector#212 instead and I'd be unable to tell the difference. His motivation is ripped straight from ME2... I was honestly waiting for him to announce that he was the Harbinger of our perfection at several points. This is honestly the gravest problem to me... So few stories nowadays can give us a compelling antagonist. No one ever makes the bad guy relatable anymore. Saren, despite his reasoning being warped by Indoctrination, thought he was SAVING everyone. Loghain was convinced that fighting Darkspawn would leave Ferelden open to attack from Orlais, which he judged to be the worse of two evils. Eredin's home world was on the brink of annihilation. You hate all of those antagonists because they all did something you find reprehensible as the player, but all of them have motivations that at least you could find understandable albeit going about things the wrong way.

And then we had the conversations. BioWare got rid of the really thematically weak binary morality system… And replaced it with something worse. They tried to copy Dragon Age 2's"mood" choices, where you'd be given choices that would fit a certain personality style you could use to better role-play your character. Which would have been fantastic, albeit I can't imagine why anyone would choose anything other than Snarky.

Unfortunately, the writing team appeared to have not really fleshed that out since you are rarely given a full gamut of choices. Most times you are given the choice between “logical" and "emotional" responses and that's it. Even then, there were times when those two options were the exact same line! This was naturally compounded with the long-standing problem with "summarized conversation wheels" where what the summary of a choice sounds like it means and what your character says are often two completely different things.

The combination of all those things made the main story feel like fan-fiction, not BioWare's famous storytelling.

Then we get the side quests. The MMO fetch quests forced into the game as filler because BioWare had to shoehorn in the "open world" gimmick into a game that really did not need it. It is content padding... It fills the world with “stuff" and keeps the player in the game for longer. Worse yet, larger side-quest arcs were left unfinished. Those both are design choices based on deliberate tactic used to maintain market demand for DLC. I know a lot of people are still angry about not getting any single player DLC, but the truth is that many games are releasing nowadays as DLC-selling frameworks rather than actual full-featured titles, and that's horrible for consumers. This was no exception.

Overall, the sheer lack of creativity in the single player story really lend credence to the rumours of project leadership woes during the process of creating this game. This feels like a game made in eighteen months, not five years.

Multiplayer

Then we go on to the multiplayer. Before the game launched, I had a lot of concerns about the multiplayer when coming from Dragon Age Inquisition that had extremely flawed design choices. Many of the developers/producers were actually very forthcoming with assuaging my concerns. There would be no promotion system that allowed player stratification and the RNG loot table would be more akin to ME3'smultiplayer where you gain items from packs until they reach Rank X and they are removed from the drop table. Seemed great.

My first complaint from the beginning was that the multiplayer character skill points were now tied into the RNG drop table… Whereas ME3 awarded you appearance options for repeated drops of the same character, MEA also added skill points every other drop, meaning you now had to get a character dropped to Rank X before you could use them to their fullest. Furthermore, whereas previously each class had a linked XP pool for all the characters of that class, Andromeda separated them all out. Both were done to extend playtime in order to increase potential microtransaction sales.

The second complaint I had was that powers, weapons and combos all felt grossly underpowered. An often-quoted statistic in games difficulty balance is “time to kill", or TTK. As the name implies, this is the time it would realistically take a player to kill an enemy. The TTK on average in Andromeda was nearly 70% longer than ME3's multiplayer. It didn't make the game more difficult, just more tedious. Enemies taking too long to kill are often called “bullet sponges", and are generally not liked in games primarily because it's a done to make the enemy more difficult, which it does not do.

Then, once the game officially launched (I was playing the multiplayer before launch), the multiplayer matchmaking servers would experience frequent disconnections and almost daily outages. That meant that the times when you could even get into the multiplayer mode, chances of finishing a match would extremely small.

Needless to say, I did my due diligence and carefully outlined these problems to BioWare.

The server issues were a high priority and fixed within the first week or two. Then BioWare started giving new content and balance changes for multiplayer. Fortunately, the feedback that I and many others had given to BioWare helped them to better balance the damage output of players, leading to a more enjoyable experience. My other feedback was ignored, which I waved off because I suspected there wasn’t much to be done about some of the more deeply engrained design problems.

However, ME3veterans would quickly notice that new content delivered was considerably less substantial than what ME3 received. Whereas ME3 received tons of new characters, weapons, and maps in bulk drops every month or two, Andromeda saw a trickle of content… A new character here; A new weapon there… Maybe a map once and a while. The amount and variety of content delivered to the multiplayer was next to nothing, which not how you keep people playing a horde-mode multiplayer bordering on being completely forgettable.

Then Patch 1.09happened. For those not acquainted with this horrendous excuse for profiteering, BioWare released its largest content drop to date… Which saw very little actual new content. Instead they doubled the amount of drops you could get for a single character (from Rank X to Rank XX) and quadrupled the amount of weapons drops in a similar fashion… Now, each weapon had three variants that would start dropping once that weapon was Rank X, each themselves dropping up to Rank X. The three variants, or "augmentations", each had a generic added effect that was the same for each gun. BioWare called it “extending the progression" for the multiplayer.

Now, why was that a big deal? It means you have more to work toward, right? Unfortunately, that's not actually it. See, as I said, all the loot is based on RNG lootboxes. YouPlay some matches, buy some "packs" (lootboxes) and get random items as a reward. There are different grades of lootboxes that offer differing rarities of items. Simple, right? Well, sure, until you start looking at the numbers.

During the same time period (March-September), BioWare has released 28 new weapons and characters in ME3MP compared to 13 new weapons and characters to MEAMP. You'd think that would mean there’d be less “grind” to MEAMP, but unfortunately, this is where things get unsettling:

For those 28 new weapons and characters, it totaled 172 drops one would need to get to max your manifest. With the 13 new weapons and characters in MEAMP, it totals 540 drops to max. This is due to the “S” variants of common weapons, the additional character ranks, and weapons augmentation that pad drops without actually adding anything new. MEAMP has added more than three times as many RNG drops while adding less than half of the new content. And those numbers are only for new content… If I factored in what was available at launch, the difference would be even more insane.

Sounds a bit shady, right? That’s because it is. More drops means more “grind”. More “grind” makes microtransactions look more appealing. I’ve written out thoughts before on how delicate balancing the “grind” of free-to-play games is, where you have to respect the time of the free player while still encouraging microtransaction sales. This is an example of an unbalanced system, mostly because it relies on RNG lootboxes. If you think all I’ve said sounds malevolent now, just wait.

See, this RNG lootbox system is employed by a lot of games, most of which are free to play. It relies on manipulating the player into falling for a mixture of the Gambler's Fallacy and the Sunk-Cost Fallacy.

The former is when a person assumes the statistical probability of past events affect the outcome of statistic events in the future. For example: Losing thousands at roulette is acceptable because it means I’m about to win big on the next spin.

The latter plays off the fallacious logic that the more time/money/effort you spend on something the more indebted to that something you become. For example: Losing thousands at a craps table means I have to keep playing until I win because otherwise all I’ve spent up to now was wasted.

The comparison to gambling is deliberate.

The RNG lootbox system is frankly a manipulative and unethical business practice. Even if the game is rated M, children and young adults still play these games where their minds are still not fully developed, and companies like BioWare are legally allowed to effectively get them addicted to gambling with this system. Most governments don't see this as gambling because the reward has no material value. You know what country has actually taken a stand against this? China. China is the country forward-thinking enough to realise how bad this practice is and have classified it as gambling. "China" and “forward-thinking" are not two words you often hear in the same sentence in the Western World.

I understand BioWare is a business and wants to make money. That's quite fine. Instead, they could employ more ethical microtransactions like those employed by Digital Extremes in Warframe: If I want to unlock a specific character or weapon, I can buy that outright for real money. The cost should be dependent on the difficulty to obtain. To acquire them for free, I have to earn them from more time consuming tasks like playing a specific map, against a specific enemy type, or both. Of course, in order to maximize revenue from the more ethical business model, BioWare would have to commit to releasing a considerably greater amount of new content for the multiplayer than what Andromeda has.

To be completely honest, given the level of separation ME multiplayer has from its single player even in the development cycle and that they are targeted at two separate audiences, I've honestly been suggesting that BioWare should consider spinning it into a standalone free to play title. I think the same should happen to DA multiplayer as well. Then it can see a small team of continuing support with new characters, weapons, maps, and balance changes. All funded by those new, more ethical microtransactions I suggested. But I digress.

Community

Now this is where things get unpleasant. Andromeda itself, despite my criticism, is an overall above average game in its current state. It is not terrible, but also not very good. This is why I used to not recommend purchasing it unless you got it on sale for at least 50% off. That's what I felt the game is worth.

However, what turned that recommendation from "Get It On Sale" to "Avoid Like The Plague" is the community.

While many, if not most, of the community around BioWare games are amiable enough and just enjoy the games, there is a sinister fanaticism that lurks in the dark places of the community. This fringe fanaticism either fervently hates or passionately loves the game, and harbors and intense level of bigotry.

Months before Andromeda was released, videos were being made openly calling for a boycott of BioWare games due to the political ideologies of individuals working (at that time) for BioWare, while others were praising BioWare for those same ideologies. Both positions were a Fallacy of Composition… Assuming that something true of one part of a body must also be true of the whole body.

If only that were the end of it. As launch got closer, so did the intensity of turning any developer interviews or updates into some kind of political clash. In all fairness, this was not exclusive to Andromeda… In fact, I could posit that it might just be a reflection of the then-current state of modern society. Regardless, Andromeda was controversial without ever having posed a single controversial position.

Then BioWare made a mistake. It gave out press copies of Andromeda to review outlets and "influencers”, the latter of which I will be discussing more in a moment. However, while reviewers were under an embargo that prevented them from releasing their review until the day before the game was released, BioWare allowed “influencers" and people that subscribe to EA/Origin Access to play and stream the game for 10 hours one week before release.

By the time professional reviews came out… Which were generally positive… There was so much confusion already permeating the internet. Clear, concise, and fair-minded criticism was drown in a sea of angry denouncement and cult-like devotion.

After a few scathing criticisms and popular memes arising due to issues in the game, a few of BioWare's loyal influencers" set about attempting to counter much of the criticism leveled at the game either by justifying mistakes and design choices or by outright attempting to discredit critics themselves.

Let's take Mass Effect Follower (now known as BioWare Follower), for example. He made a video titled Addressing the Criticism in Mass Effect Andromeda where he attempts to simultaneously justify the existence of bugs in the game while discrediting those that was put forward with comments like:

"Now, the reviews are people's opinions and nothing but that. [...] That should not deter you from trying out the game and seeing if you enjoy it yourself. Some people are not a fan of RPGs or open-world games and from there they're not going to like Mass Effect Andromeda and therefore they're going to write negative things about the game. Plus, as many of you know from being on the internet, some people just like to cause negative feedback. [...] They just want to say bad things about a game just to fuel hate. [...] Try to ignore them if you can."

Yup, he just tells people to ignore all negative reviews, because they either don't like RPGs/open-world games or they are just trying to promote hate. Or like this:

"All the story missions I've played have all felt well written and set up. The side missions I've done are widely varying in what you have to do and they feel like they have a meaning. The random characters I come across feel alive and like they have a purpose for being there."

Which feels like a legitimate public statement written by BioWare themselves. This first point made there I've already outlined my heavily diverging viewpoint, and the second two points are outright falsehoods. Essentially the video asks people to ignore negative criticisms of the game and just buy it based on his questionable claims on quality. Then, for all the bugs, hope that the game would be fixed and hope that the story would get better based on nonexistent future content.

On a small level, I pity channels like BWFollower. Once a channel becomes a certain size, it becomes beholden to the content it makes. When that content relies on an amicable relationship with a corporate AAA developer, a channel might feel pressured to make content that portrays work of that corporate AAA developer in a favorable light or risk being black-listed by that developer. It's an unenviable position, but it's entirely self-imposed.

This kind of content is what's known as subversive advertising, and it's not always done knowingly. BWFollower may not have realized that he was manipulating people into making a purchase that they may not have wanted. Nonetheless, it does not change the effect it had. When you are a public figure... One that a major AAA game developer would consider to be an "influencer", you have a responsibility and a trust... One which BWFollower completely failed. It is about the most anti-consumer reaction to a game possible because it crippled the ability for consumers to get fair and honest information before making a purchase.

Not everyone has money to waste on a game they won't enjoy, and so-called "trusted" voices countering healthy consumer feedback undermines the trust consumers have in those of us that with any measure of public responsibility. This utter deception perpetrated by several similar such "influencers" was, without a doubt, one of the most pivotal elements leading to the consumer backlash against Andromeda. The Streisand Effect, they call it.

Summary

Overall, I think Andromeda was indicative of the overall state of BioWare during the development of Inquisition and Andromeda... Including the upcoming Anthem. They were creatively rudderless, sailing whatever way the wind was blowing, denoting a lack of proper creative leadership and overall project vision.

Now, that may have changed. BW Montreal was merged into EA Motive and Aaron Flynn was replaced by Casey Hudson as GM of BioWare (essentially their top spot in the company). The only beacon of hope that Anthem won't turn out to be as bland as Inquisition/Andromeda is that Drew Karpyshyn (the main reason BioWare games are popular) is the lead writer on the project.

As I write this, the multiplayer is still currently receiving updates but the single player support was ended a few weeks ago. I imagine that Andromeda's multiplayer will continue receiving updates for months to come as they continue to unethically on money out of players through manipulative microtransactions that really should be legally classified as gambling.

Going forward from here, there are several lessons and opportunities for BioWare. They have already made changes to their organisation that may see their content improve. However, I will not presume that. Time will reveal what, if any, effect those changes create.

The lesson I have learned is that corporate greed inevitably diseases creativity. Not only has this experience made me extremely distrustful of BioWare, but AAA game development as a whole, which is honestly for the best. Businesses should not be entitled to your patronage. They should earn it. Something which BioWare has seemingly forgotten.

In writing this, however, the most unexpected realization result from the release of the latest entry of BioWare's most popular franchise: Where their path forward became much less certain to many fans, mine became clear. More information on that will be coming soon.

That, in its totality, is my post-mortem of Mass Effect Andromeda. Feel free to share your thoughts on the game and stayed tuned for some new things coming soon.

Once again, this is Angelus de Mortiel, signing off.

3 notes · View notes