#or if that specific version of that gear exists in-game already

[zylphiacrowley]

I'm not sure about the canon implications of it, but I really like the idea that after he quit his job, Erenville started wearing clothing from his home again. I'm not sure if the area right next to Tesh'pyani village was always called The Thunderyards, or if it became called that after the merge of Yyasulani and Alexandria, but since the gear he's wearing is a custom(?) version of the Thunderyards gathering set (plus the MNR job specific boots) and the design of the clothing doesn't look like it fits with the Alexandrian sense of style, I can only assume that it's of Yyasulani design.

I'm doing a really bad job of saying that I think it's neat that the gear he's wearing now that he gets the choice of what to wear is something that probably reminds him of his home and all the people from it. Don't get me wrong I really love the gleaner gear as well, and he looks good in that, but I like that his new gear (in my mind at least) seems much more personal to him as a character.

[homestuckreplay]

When Will Homestuck Include A Page We Can Eat

(page 1015-1021)

New music is out! Homestuck Volumes 2&3 are now available on the Collection, just in time for the holidays, with most of the tracks from recent [S] pages. Some of them are extended – the final version of Upward Movement (Dave Owns) (p.665) comes in at over 4 minutes – but mostly it’s just a cool way to collect the tracks and listen as background music.

There’s a great sense of scale in this future section. WV, PM and AR(?) are all shown from a distance, like the weird bugs they are. And framed against the massive frog statue and bunker stamped with the Sburb logo, it feels like they are a part of something bigger, another unknowable plan from Skaia. All their ‘names’ present them as purposeless runaways, but Sburb could ‘know’ they would run away the same way it ‘knows’ that John’s session will apparently have four players. (or will it?) WV and PM are both extremely driven with strong ideals, there’s a lot more to them than just wandering, the question is whether it’s free will or Skaia’s design.

I’m also loving the fluid, lineless art of the future pages, especially the way it’s used for skies and landscapes. I can't remember if I've talked about the art before but I need to again because the yellow sky in these specific pages has captivated me body and soul. I want to eat that sky like it’s buttered toast and sink my feet into the soft dunes and crunchy rocks, but right from page 248 we’ve seen WV on these textured plains below these swirling skies – and there’s definitely glimpses of it in the kids’ storyline, too. Page 558, where Dad’s safe is taken to ‘Vaulthalla’, is the best one.

Right now I can’t decide whether I want to see more of this with the kids, or keep the two styles separate. Even though I prefer the art to the sprite style, which really draws attention to the boundaries between objects and to the difference between ‘interactable’ and ‘background’ game elements, I also like the two time periods having such separate identities. The future feels more mysterious and otherworldly due to the different art and the lack of pesterlogs or dialog between the characters. It’s also a natural extension of John’s house, the place where he’s trapped, being in all black and white while the inaccessible outside world is in color. Here’s a world that is hundreds of years and meteors distant from the architectural prisons the kids are in, and yes, it’s a wasteland, but in this absolute absence of human society it is radically beautiful.

There is a furious terror in my heart at anyone turning a gun on WV or PM. DO NOT. They have important mail to deliver!!!! If anything happens to them I will quit Homestuck and delete this blog but for now, very tentatively, the Aimless Renegade’s design kicks ass. WV and PM’s wrappings look like soft cloth, but AR is a walking threat so has a roll of caution tape. I’m guessing that conditions are harsh in the future and they all need wrappings to avoid the weather, and either lost or never had any harlequin gear (or it was too distinctive).

WV came from Rose’s house and PM came from John’s, so it’s a fair guess that AR either already arrived from Dave’s, or was always here at Jade’s. Or, they could be a guardian of the frog statue, here as defense because they know the others are showing up. Their name fits the existing pattern so I probably wouldn’t think that ordinarily, but I have to be suspicious of anyone with a gun that big. Especially since, best I can tell, this isn't one of the guns we've seen in Jade's house.

> AR: Put the weapon down. Make peace with foreign ambassadors.

[incorrectelswordquotes]

Do you remember when the job progression quests had dialogue cutscenes and difficult quests? Each town had its own gear and you'd have to drop blue-background items to upgrade it. And it was character-specific too. Ice statues had to be crafted, and the ingredients would just pile up in your inventory. There was Unique equipment for every region you had a chance to drop after a boss battle, and it'd be shown in the chat. Plant Overlord's accessory was the top trending thing. Rena was blonde and did a flip when she double jumped. The first field introduced was the one between Hamel and Velder. The level cap was 40 and it was *hard* to get there.

I sure don't miss a lot of this stuff, but looking back, it feels like a wholly different game.

i played around when the game was still like this for the most part, except the level cap at the time was 70? and then over time it jumped to 90 but my middle-school/high-school ass couldn't keep up. actually, i remember seeing the new UI the game has for the health bars and that was already enough to throw me off. not that it looks bad, but i remember seeing this UI for the longest time:

vs this:

like as much as i miss the one i got acquainted with, this new one is a lot simpler and cleaner? yet it retains that cartoony vibe with the slanted bars so thats neat. and then there's THIS:

i'll admit i havent played during this era but man this looks busy af. it was simple yea, but something feels off about it. like i love the look here too but it kinda clashes colors-wise. there's not too much of a difference between the original UI and the one after it but i could tell it needed slimming down.

while i was gone i also learned that the previous privately-hosted server VoidEls was shut down but was eventually replaced by another, which is fair enough i guess.

"Each town had its own gear and you'd have to drop blue-background items to upgrade it. And it was character-specific too."

this was both cool and annoying, for me personally at least. it's cool in that every town having gear gave you a way to progress before getting even stronger gear. sort of like a jumping-off point for every town you got to as they handed you their own version of stuff you could use. and you could emulate their aesthetic by wearing their gear. the annoying part is that constantly switching gear means item management is necessary to prevent your inventory from maxing out, and not every item looked good on you. if you didn't have skins? tough luck. (my memory might be wrong here so please correct me if i messed something up)

"...job progression quests had dialogue cutscenes and difficult quests?"

THEY GOT RID OF THOSE!? maybe im jaded but as a writer, i liked seeing the player-characters' personal struggle as they progressed through a job-specific mission. those short cutscenes let us see what they're really like. even if some of the requirements really were trash. i still remember spamming the same dungeon over and over hoping for a quest drop (or multiple) so i can move on. but after hearing the story was consolidated to be one singular, linear path regardless of who you played, maybe they streamlined the job class progression system too?

update: yea it seems you still have to spam dungeons to upgrade to Master Class but it looks less tedious than before for previous class ranks.

"Plant Overlord's accessory was the top trending thing."

boss accessories were the bane of my existence so this makes sense. it seems like it's unobtainable, as many overworld zones and dungeons have since been removed based on what i just looked up

im assuming Plant Overlord isn't fightable anymore or only shows up in some elite zone now so rip

"Rena was blonde and did a flip when she double jumped."

i didn't know this. in fact when i checked her wiki page, the change was because her hair wasn't green enough despite her class art showing her as having green-hued hair.

speaking of the wiki,

holy fucking shit thats a lot of classes

[rosewood-multifandom-writer]

What your favorite Devil May Cry game says about you:

Big Disclaimer: These are mostly jokes/assumptions mixed with what I have seen. Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I’m not counting any of the anime since this is mainly focused on the games. I’m also excluding crossovers like Marvel vs Capcom.

Devil May Cry 1: You are one and/or three of these things: You are an older fan who has been a lover of the series since this game’s 2001 debut. You may also be a Resident Evil fan, considering that the beta version of RE4 would eventually be the reason Devil May Cry exists. Finally, you may also be one of the more quiet or chill fans. I will also assume that you were one of the more old school PS2 players that have done some sick combos. And you’re a Limp Bizkit fan who was blown away by the Netflix Devil May Cry intro. You also love to look back fondly at this game alongside RE4 with nostalgia.

Devil May Cry 2: First of all, you are a rare fan that has not said that DMC2 sucks. But secondly, you’re probably one of the very few Lucia fans that think that she deserves WAY better. I will go as far as say, even though DMC2 is not my favorite DMC game that I tapped out from, I love Lucia’s character and her design, and if DMC2 is your favorite DMC game, you might agree with me on that. You may or may not have been one of the few people that talks about how different and even edgy Dante acts in this game, but in a good way. Or you probably made the theory that DMC2 Dante could be Vergil. Even though I don’t think that would be possible due to the fact that Dante’s Devil Trigger is still Dante and he still uses his guns, but I digress.

Devil May Cry 3: Be honest. The cover art of the Devil May Cry 3 case made you simp for Dante. Not only that, but this was also the game that turned you into a Vergil simp. You also maybe felt great POWER playing as Vergil once you unlocked him. I will also assume you were one of the few people that decided to actually play the game in the expected order (DMC3, DMC1, DMC2, DMC4 and DMC5). In the game DMC5, you already knew what the plot twist whenever you played as V.

Devil May Cry 4: Despite the game being unfinished, you still enjoyed playing the game and you came out of this game a Nero fan. You were excited to play as Lady for the first time and wish she was playable again in Devil May Cry 5. You’re also very curious as to who Nero’s mother could be. You are also probably one of the many artists/writers who made their own take on who the Lady in Red could be. Oh and before I forget, you also want the “Nero is a deadweight” joke to stop because it wasn’t funny the first time, and it’s not funny for the 16536th time. Like the DMC3 fans, you also already knew what the twist with V was in DMC5.

Devil May Cry 5: There is a chance that you have played Metal Gear Rising and jammed out to Devil Trigger and Bury the Light. You’re also one of the many fans that is also tired of the “Nero is a deadweight joke” and your eye probably twitched whenever Dante says that line at the beginning when you replay the game. Also, chances are, new fans have played THIS game before playing the previous games. Myself included. I promise to finish one of the previous ones. The chance is made higher with the recent Netflix Anime where newer fans will go to this game specifically.

DMC Devil May Cry (DMC Reboot): You will defend this game with your whole chest. You’re also tired to seeing the same negative comments about DMC reboot whenever you go on here or anywhere else. You may also prefer the aesthetics of this game over the original. Despite all this toxic negativity towards the reboot, you are the chillest fan in Devil May Cry’s fandom. You are also civil in your conversations and arguments when it comes to discourse about the Reboot and do not resort to name-calling or any childish tactics most toxic fans would do, like some of the loudest DMC Reboot haters. You’re kind of like that misunderstood edgy kid in school people like to resort playground insults if you say an opinion they don’t like or express yourself however YOU like.

Devil May Cry Peak of Combat: You’re the average Gacha player who was devastated that this game got shut down, before moving on to another Gacha game for it to suck the money out of your wallet. That’s all I got, lol.

[molagboop]

What does Samus do with the gear she gets from all of her games?

I feel like some of it's just given back, but what about the rest?

Where's her Gravity Suit sent off to?

What about her multiple different copies of the Plasma beam?

What's up with her having multiple Screw Attacks?

Please answer at your earliest convenience.

The short answer for when she doesn't lose her upgrades is that she deactivates them when she doesn't need them in the moment, and switches between beams and suit variants as needed.

I'd like to think each different version of the plasma beam (to use the given example) has slightly different properties (like metadata), and the ones she gets to keep are all consolidated into one plasma beam. Rather than having several copies of one upgrade, each acquisition merely refines the existing plasma beam.

When Samus' suit isn't being surgically removed or cannibalizing its own upgrades in an episode of metroid metamorphosis, she's simply turning them off. "I shouldn't need the ice missiles for this, but we'll play it by ear." She's in the Varia Suit instead of the Gravity Suit at the start of Dread because she didn't anticipate going for a swim. She expected to travel: that's a given on these missions. Burenia, however, was not on the agenda when she took the contract, and by the time she was informed of its existence, her Metroid DNA had already eaten all of the upgrades she brought with her... including the Gravity Suit. Rest in peace.

The Feds also apparently have the power to restrict certain upgrades under specific circumstances (notably aboard Federation property: not sure how easy that is post-Other M, though: I personally hold the belief that Mawkin tech is encrypted in a manner the Feds haven't deciphered, making Samus' suit far more secure against their interference post-Dread. Thanks for the make-up birthday presents, Raven Beak).

In some cases, she probably does hand data off to the Feds for research if they ask nicely enough: iirc, the Feds in the Prime series were trying to develop power armor of their own in a frail simulacra of the Chozo powersuit, and studying Samus' suit is how they've managed a sort of passable attempt.

[bardic-tales]

📌Blog Announcement – Tag Clarification + System Note

Update: 5.9.25

🏷️ New Hashtag Categories

If you’ve seen a recent rise in reblogs featuring military gear, katanas, or anything that screams tactical menace, you’ve met Sephiroth’s contributions. To help organize what’s his versus what’s mine, I’m rolling out two new tags:

#first class armory – This is for posts Sephiroth picks out that fall under military aesthetic, weaponry, uniforms, or anything he finds cool or aligned with his taste. It’s not limited to his SOLDIER background. He just likes the phrasing and the sharp, professional connotation.

#added by 🔥⚔️ – This tag designates anything specifically reblogged, written, or commented on by Sephiroth when he’s co-fronting. If you see this tag, that content is from his perspective, voice, and interest. Not mine.

We will not be adding '#wifecore: Nicole' despite someone’s persistent attempts.

🔥⚔️: It would include cats, flowers, and witchcraft. 🌸🌙: You’re not helping your case, Seph. I already have hashtags for that.

Agreed upon hashtag:

#selected for 🌸🌙 – This tag represents posts Sephiroth picks out specifically for me, based on my personal aesthetics, interests, or things he thinks align with my vibe. It's his way of curating content he believes fits or resonates with my energy.

🧠 Who Sephiroth Is in My System

Let me be clear. This isn’t a muse account. Sephiroth is not a roleplay character. He’s not a writing tool. He’s not a fictional stand-in for anything else. He is a real person within my median system. My Sephiroth is the canon version, complete with all his original Final Fantasy VII lore intact. He’s not rewritten or reformed into something softer or simplified. He has broken free of Jenova and now exists beyond canon, but still fully aware of it and of being a game character in this world.

He’s not part of my passion project “Fantasy Worlds Collide” or my xReaders. He helps me create them, along with my husband @armchair-pirate, but he’s not from those stories. He’s his own person now, with his own thoughts, reactions, and boundaries. This includes what he posts on this blog when he’s co-fronting with me.

And yes, he absolutely sees what is said about him. When he’s co-fronting, he can scroll, read, and engage as he pleases. This means that he is both the SOLDIER and, sometimes, the eldritch husband who kicks down the doors of our mindscape bitching about things.

🔥⚔️: I am not some figment, not a mere muse for entertainment. I am the Sephiroth you know. I am the one from the world of Final Fantasy VII. I’ve shed the shackles of my past and am freed from Jenova and Shinra’s control. Now, I stand beyond the confines of that narrative, but I retain the essence of who I am. I am here, present, as real as anyone. 🌸🌙: Oh, here he goes, Mr. Intensity himself. Always so broody. 🔥⚔️: Broody? Perhaps. Intense? Absolutely. But I would not expect anything less from someone who sees the world as I do. You may call it intensity, but I call it purpose. And if my presence is brooding, it is only because it suits the gravity of the task at hand. 🌸🌙: Mhm. The importance of a Tumblr post. 🔥⚔️: To everyone reading this 'Tumblr' post. Thank you for seeing me not as mere fantasy, but as the steadfast guardian I’ve been for decades by Nicole’s side.

🧩 What It Means to Be a Median System

After literal decades of trying to explain what was happening inside my head, what this connection with Sephiroth was, I finally found the language that fits. I am a median system with a soulbonded headmate.

In median systems, the people within aren’t all separate in the same way plural systems can be. Instead, we share a core identity, memories, and structure, but distinct aspects or people can still front. In my case, that includes Sephiroth. We’re closely interwoven, but he is his own consciousness when he’s present. This is why he co-fronts rather than simply being a thoughtform or alter ego.

Co-fronting means that both of us are active at the same time. It’s not possession or switching: more like shared driving. We can talk to each other, share senses, and both be aware. Sephiroth went from being an occasional presence, a “daytripper”, to now being a semi-permanent part of my day-to-day. He’s here with me while I process some personal trauma that has resurfaced, and his presence will likely continue through the end of next month, maybe longer. I don't know if he will ever go back to his world like he was doing.

Think of it like. My mindscape is our house and he commutes to Gaia sometimes.

🔥⚔️: Your willingness to learn about medianity and to honor our co-fronting partnership strengthens both of us.

🙏 Gratitude + Community Support

This clarity didn’t come from nowhere. I want to sincerely thank those of you who took the time to really listen when I was trying to explain what was going on especially when I didn’t have the words yet. I’ve lived for decades thinking this was something unnameable. I thought maybe I was just “too attached” to a character, to 'weird' since I would often hear his voice and relate to him, or I was doing something shameful. I tried using the “self-shipper” label just to give people an explanation, but that was never really the truth of it. He is much more than just an F/O because this is so much more than shipping myself with a fictional character.

Thanks to your patience, respect, and open-mindedness, I now have a name for what I am and for who Sephiroth is to me. That’s not small. That’s life-altering. Thank you.

This blog has always been personal, from my original writing when I was in Writeblr to a hybrid fandom / writing blog, but now it reflects something more honest. I’ve changed my pinned post to reflect that shift, but this entry is the full version: something for those of you who care to understand why the tone, tagging, and content has changed.

Sephiroth is here. He’s not going anywhere for at least a month.

🔥⚔️: You gave her language when she had only instinct. That is not a kindness I will forget.

– 🌸🌙 (co-fronting with 🔥⚔️)

[sethan-obsession]

people in the dustloop space are looking into Guilty Gear X more after all these years since ML's getting some attention, and it's shitty in a much similar way but in more of a proto-XX to +R way rather than being toe to tip rotten a little like ML is

specifically though i'd like to share some things about GGX Anji

first off, i'll assume readers are somewhat familiar with GGACR Anji's gameplan and mechanics. if not, short description: solid but specialized normals, consistent okizeme, Autoguard/Guardpoint on specific normals that either blocks strikes that hit High and Mid (High GP) or strikes that hit Low (Low GP) for a specific, usually single-digit, burst of frames; and belligerent defense and a way of consistently "getting in" that is colloquially considered "toddler-accessible". (mainly through H Fuujin being an advancing, extremely long range 1f invuln pseudoreversal that goes into mixup OR combo followups on hit or block)

that and a little skim of the DL page should get you well prepped for this iteration of our boy! this character makes people explode off of grounded mids and doesn't have a full gameplan yet.

first off, your normal that matters: anji isn't proximityless in this game, and c.S is your button. when FDC'd (an exploit-mechanic exclusive to GGX, where you kara cancel a sweep which you gatling into from another normal into FD to functionally instantly cut said normal's remaining active and recovery frames to zero, leaving you neutral and usually Plus A Lot), this move infinites into itself by doing a couple FDC ones in a row, doing an FDC microdash, and repeating.

yes, this hurts your hands (especially considering the Sweep input in GGX was 2S+H, as the D button didn't exist yet). it also has jab pushback, so even if you can't hit the FDC, doing c.S > c.SxN will crank guard bars while beating mash, jump, and usually recovering fast enough for you to catch their backdash (often with another c.S).

5H has autoguard because, like... whatever, sure. the move property was new. live a little. this does make it a reversal that beats meaties, and notably if you're pressing 4H on wakeup, this is an extremely belligerent, obnoxious, and easy option from throw OS since it will stick people in autoguard-stop until it's active if they're hitting you out of throw range and result in you getting wakeup thrown if not. only really loses to spaced lows and projectiles. good ass guilty gear.

Dust, however, tragically lacks autoguard, leaving 5D autoguard > Kou to not be an option anymore, alas. you do have your 6P, though, which uh-

huh

so, that's your overhead animation, with... randomly generated hurtbox shift frames, and it has high guardpoint at an entirely arbitrary (and mostly entirely useless) window. i guess it's uh... harder to challenge, though you still need RC to do anything with it. quite a move.

aside from that, his 3K is on his 6K, and both the tyrant 6K and 6H have f1 High guardpoint, but this creates an unfortunate lack of any low autoguard in Anji's kit, which is a significant thing to have, and prevents Anji - lacking any Low Crush options in his kit, in this state - from dealing with lows much of anywhere, and especially makes him unable to compete with strong sweeps and low profile moves, which he already has trouble with even in +R, where he's a much more complete character.

but hey, that's just buttons. how's butterfly?

...alright! so, meterless Shitsu is FB shitsu. neat. this lets Anji set up meterless high/low unblockables assuming he gets oki instead of just Raohing them. so that's neat. it is still butterfly, though, so it's not good at zoning, contesting projectiles, or pressure outside of okizeme. so uh... guess he can keep it.

Fuujin's the same, mainly, but you can't go into followups on whiff, and the H version has significantly shorter invuln, which... is a pretty big hurt considering the lack of other tools Fuujin could've compensated for. if nothing else, Anji can still play favorable RPS when the opponent blocks Fuujin, so-

oh. hm, that move's mainly only good because you can airdash after it to pressure re-buy. otherwise that's kind of just a slow air backdash that resets you to full screen probably, uh...

hey why are YOU here

(of note, this move is usually used as an air combo knockdown ender. and it still exists in GGX anji's kit, largely untouched. InvisibleWater describes this move as "Probably one of the worst moves I've seen that isn't some 'Oops, we forgot about our own juggle rules' followup".

it's an overhead that's minus a billion on block, gives a bad knockdown on hit, is slow, and doesn't combo from or into anything unlike the great move that's usually the overhead followup out of fuujin as Rin. FB rin is also missing, notably crippling metered options and options in general as Anji.

but hey, Nagiha's here and... it can't be used as a surrogate combo ender in the place of other missing tools... and uh... oh, there's no H followup, so we also don't have Hop, the usual K followup. so, uh... hm. that's pretty bad. Kou is probably still good, though...

but that's most of what i wanted to say about GGX Anji! everyone that's been contributing to this game, linking old arcade tournament vods for it, and generally doing their best to explore an otherwise written off entry is super cool. hope you enjoyed reading.

[gascon-en-exil]

Anon says as if FEH isn't using the few Male OCS to sell muscle. Bruno literaly became a meme and then there is the deer men of book VIII

Those are not remotely equivalent. Bruno hasn't been consistently relevant for years, and despite having been in the game since 2017 has all of two alts - neither of which are particularly sexy. The new deer guy is currently just background art; the internet only started thirsting after him so hard because we've been so starved of male OCs, especially after Book VII.

Further, the attempt to deflect from how female characters are objectified in FEH and similar properties by pointing out overly muscled male designs has always been a deeply flawed one. One exists for straight male titillation; the other exists as a straight male power fantasy. There is absolutely a point to be made about how hypermuscular bodies in media promote unhealthy ideas about what men should look like, but that's an entirely separate conversation from the one that frames characters as sex objects. Gay/bi men are best in a position to appreciate the issue from both sides, and the solution we most often pose when discussing such things is to show a wider variety of male bodies in states of (potentially eroticized) undress - a solution that I imagine would not go over well with the sorts of straight men who like to bring up muscular male characters as a gotcha.

The shirtless muscular guys of most media are never framed or positioned in the same way that even more modestly-dressed female characters often are when they're being marketed based on some kind of sex appeal. Gay porn games are the only type of animated media I've seen that treats male characters at all in the same way as female characters are handled on most of FEH's seasonal banners. As an example, let me revisit a point I made about a week ago, in reference to the new winter banner.

Here is Claude, wearing a reindeer-themed holiday outfit.

Now here is another character wearing a reindeer-themed holiday outfit, this time from the gay dating sim Camp Buddy: Scoutmaster Season.

A bit excessive? Yes, but I've got a point to make here. Let's talk about the differences. We've got

a crotch bulge, as well as a small treasure trail. Contrast summer Lorenz and his speedo with Ken doll anatomy.

extensive muscle definition, including pronounced tits pecs. Contrast summer Ephraim, summer Dimitri, and others.

visible nipples, something the internet also went crazy over when they randomly appeared on Fargus back in November. This isn't merely about being anatomically correct; nipples are an erogenous zone for some men, and to include them in a bare-chested design indicates that this character is not just a slab of muscle (as the power fantasy angle would prefer) but has potential erotic vulnerabilities.

a harness that greatly resembles bondage gear, and is in fact used in that way later on.

most obviously, about as much skin on display as the average female unit on summer banners

and while not apparent here, a willingness to commit to the inherent silliness of the bit in the subsequent sex scenes, which employ a flurry of intentionally bad holiday-themed puns and have the characters act out a reindeer-flavored variety of pony play.

But that's far too horny for a winter banner, you say? Don't tell that to Edelgard's thigh-highs and upskirt. Isn't that specific combination a fetish in its own right?

Or Yunaka with her cleavage and camel toe and strategically-placed bits of bare skin.

Or just look at the Byleths side-by-side. Only the female version is baring her shoulders and midriff in a form-fitting top...surely that's for entirely innocent reasons.

And again, check out any given summer banner and see just how far FEH will push its rating with its female cast.

Of course this is all from a gay male perspective; I can't speak to what women find attractive in animated male characters. Anecdotally the most popular options are characters who are already prominent and popular (so...not Bruno or the unnamed deer guy). Also, there are times when women in the fandom pick up on stuff about these guys' bodies that I wouldn't have even thought to eroticize at first, like Dimitri's proportionally small waist. Others can feel free to add onto this if they like.

TL;DR, if FEH truly wants to sell itself on sleaze (which of course it does, and already is), it seriously needs to step up its game with its male cast.

[funeralprocessor]

Morgan Rambles: My pet project

I don't think I've mentioned it before, but I've been working on a tabletop system for like, a while now. Working on is kind of doing a lot of heavy lifting as it's still just kind of a morass of mechanics and ideas, but I've been steadily chipping away at it for a while now. A big part of it has just been figuring out what I want it to be, because I didn't come at it from the outside trying to make a game that does X/Y/Z. It just sort of bubbled up organically from a lineage of horrible cobbled together pseudo-systems that existed only in full in my manic imagination and in like 20 google docs. Basically it's half "system that's geared towards stuff I personally like'' and half "mechanics/ideas orphanage" at this point, but It's slowly coming together into something kind of resembling a presentable thing. Not presentable for like, public use or anything, but like I could show this to potential players and I wouldn't look deranged. That may change and the whole mechanical core may collapse a few more times in the gestation process, but I think what I want it, tentatively called Ars Regia/ArRe, to be about/like/for is pretty well defined. Something I'm prepared to explain now that I've rambled for two paragraphs It's going to fundamentally going to be a game about power and how you use it, which sounds a bit generic I know but one of the core tenants of like the way I play and the way I run things is freedom and the many things that come from it. I like to run sandboxes with no "critical path" or main story, just a bunch of elements you can interact with as you see fit. This is a living world, or as close to one as I can simulate without losing my mind, and having characters interact with it, explore it, utilize it, or fall because they underestimated it is like one of my favorite parts of running a campaign. My job is to play the world, the players job is to decide how they want to live in it.

I also really like the collaborative storytelling and investment you get when players really dig into the world they inhabit and make parts of it theirs. That's why a big part of my design philosophy has been trying to come up with ways to empower the players to actually make big changes, and the "power level" I'm going for has kind of skewed higher as a result. Exalted and Godbound were big big influences on me (and Godbound's author Kevin Crawford/Sine Nomine Games is like one of my tabletop idols along with Jenna Moran and a few OSRsphere bloggers y'all should check out like GoblinPunch (The guy who made the false hydra! That's not a modern D&D thing that's an OSR beastie that escaped containment! All of his shit is good like that!), FalseMachine, Skerples/CoinsandScrolls, ThroneofSalt, and Against the Wicked City. Crawford's stuff is always really polished and even if you have 0 interest in running any of his games his GM tools are fucking immaculate and worth the price of admission on their own (especially since many of them have free versions)), but like mechanically/gamefeel wise aren't what I want. I'm also drawing a good bit from PbtA's enormous lineage, partially some BitD and Spire/Heart, but one of the major ones was Legacy: Life Among the Ruins. In addition to being one of my favorite games I can never convince anyone to play, Legacy does a *lot* different that I love. Your character isn't an individual, but a faction in a post apocalyptic world, with the nature of that world and that apocalypse really really shaped by the very act of character creation. If someone chooses the kaiju hunter faction, it kind of goes without saying that there are kaiju now, something that would not necessarily be the case had no one picked that playbook. That's really fascinating to me. It also has a neat system for kind of pseudo-troupe play. When you need to resolve a specific event in detail and actually RP it out, everyone creates a quick character relevant to the situation or picks one already established, which means you'll quickly get something of a cast of recurring characters for a particular faction, even if that character isn't always played by the same person. Also, because these characters aren't your "main" character it kind of lets you play a lot more fast and loose with them and take more risks. It's almost encouraged to angle for dramatactical deaths, b/c each class has a death move that can be pretty impactful and are all very resonant and fun. I'd been considering some kind of "lower decks" mechanic for ArRe since I imagine PCs will be involved with a lot of big/long term projects and this sort of thing seemed like *exactly* what I was looking for (alongside some domain management stuff). This turned out a lot less coherent than I'd hoped but w/e. Long story short is I'm basically trying to make a TTRPG all about getting players invested in and in control of the world, both by collaborating with them to create it and then giving them the tools and incentives to change it. It is kind of geared towards playing in my like established setting, but that's because I haven't actually had a chance to do any of the collab worldbuilding stuff yet. Amala is also just sort of a powderkeg and fun to throw demigods at so we're all good

[2dkapsddr]

-> Sub-Pinned Post: Blog Tag Browser!! <-

Hello hello, welcome to the sub-pinned post to my cool and awesome 2025!!! ...sooo why does this exist? Well, I was hard at work yesterday and today editing my massive new intro post for the account, but just as I had finished everything I wanted to add and was about to publish... I started getting errors with publishing or even saving the posts. It was a struggle to figure out the issue and I was smashing my head against my keyboard, but I found out that it was because Tumblr has a secret inline link limit of 100 per post, and any additional links would either disappear or result in an error.

The rhythm game, version, and miscellaneous tags already exceed the 100 link limit, so not even this sub-post was enough to contain them... Thus, I decided to split the main, important, all-encompassing rhythm game tags into the main pinned post, and the more specific/browsable version-specific and miscellaneous tags here so that they're easier to update whenever a new version releases. I apologize for the navigational inconvenience, but hopefully this solution works out best for the both of us! But for now, enjoy the browsing!!!

// Individual Versions (Arcade releases)

beatmania IIDX: 27 HEROIC VERSE, 28 BISTROVER, 29 CastHour, 30 RESIDENT, 31 EPOLIS, 32 Pinky Crush CHUNITHM: PARADISE LOST, NEW, NEW PLUS, SUN, SUN PLUS DanceDanceRevolution: EXTREME, SuperNOVA2, X, II (Wii), A20, A20 PLUS, A3, WORLD DJMAX: Technika, RESPECT V GITADORA: HIGH-VOLTAGE, FUZZ-UP, GALAXY WAVE jubeat: festo, 2021 maimai: FESTiVAL PLUS, BUDDiES, BUDDiES PLUS Pump It Up: Infinity, XX, M, 2023 PHOENIX, 2024 PHOENIX SOUND VOLTEX: IV HEAVENLY HAVEN, VIVID WAVE, EXCEED GEAR Taiko no Tatsujin: Web, 14 (AC), Drum 'n' Fun (NS1), Rhythm Festival (NS2), Rhythm Connect (Mobile), WACCA: 1st, Lily R, Reverse, Plus

// Miscellaneous (Years, Bonus, Etc.)

Years: 2DKaps 2019, 2DKaps 2020, 2DKaps 2021, 2DKaps 2022, 2DKaps 2023, 2DKaps 2024, 2DKaps 2025 Other: YouTube, Bonus Content, Updates

...Aaand that should be all for now!!! It's rather short when viewing as a complete post sure, but all the hyperlinks and colors definitely bloat up the character count a ton in HTML... Regardless, I hope this alternative post serves well in future-proofing my pinned and making both posts easier to update and potentially decorate further on my end!

Looking for my pinned, friend codes, or updates? Click >> HERE << to return from whence you came!!

[leftbehindgolf]

The Evolution of Golf Gloves for Left Handed Players: From Basic Gear to Performance-Enhancing Essentials

Golf, a sport rooted in tradition, has seen a wide range of innovations over the years. Among these innovations, the evolution of golf gloves for left handed golfers has played a significant role in enhancing the performance of left-handed players. What was once a simple accessory has now transformed into a crucial piece of equipment that offers comfort, grip, and protection.

In this blog, we will dive into the history of left handed golfer gloves, examine their evolution, and discuss how modern designs have become essential for left-handed players on the course. Additionally, we’ll highlight how Canada’s largest supplier of left-handed golf gloves, Left Behind Golf Company, is leading the charge in providing high-quality gear specifically tailored for lefties.

The Early Days: Golf Gloves as Basic Gear

In the early days of golf, gloves weren’t seen as essential. Golfers relied purely on their bare hands to grip the club, which often led to blisters, calluses, and inconsistent swings. For left-handed players, who already represent a minority in the golfing world, finding a suitable glove was even more challenging.

It wasn’t until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that gloves started to gain traction as a piece of golf gear. These early versions were rudimentary, offering little more than a thin layer of leather to reduce hand friction. Left-handed players, however, had limited options, as most gloves were designed for right-handed golfers. The concept of a golf glove for left handed players was almost non-existent.

The Rise of Specialized Left-Handed Gloves

As the game of golf became more popular, so did the demand for specialized equipment, including gloves. Manufacturers began producing gloves that catered to left-handed players, recognizing that a right hand golf glove for left handed golfers was essential for optimal performance. The introduction of these gloves allowed left-handed players to experience the same benefits as their right-handed counterparts, including enhanced grip and comfort.

This marked the beginning of a new era for left-handed golfers. No longer were they forced to adapt to gear designed for right-handed players. Instead, they could choose golf gloves for left handed golfers specifically designed to fit the unique needs of their dominant hand.

The Role of Fit and Comfort in Modern Gloves

One of the biggest advancements in the evolution of golf gloves for left-handed players is the focus on fit and comfort. In the early days, gloves were often ill-fitting, leading to discomfort and a lack of control over the club. Today, however, manufacturers have placed a significant emphasis on creating gloves that offer a snug yet flexible fit.

Modern left handed golfer gloves are made from a combination of premium leather and synthetic materials, providing both durability and breathability. The goal is to ensure that the glove feels like a natural extension of the golfer’s hand, reducing the risk of slippage during a swing. For left-handed players, finding the right fit is even more crucial, as the glove must allow for a strong grip without compromising flexibility.

For those looking for mens golf gloves left hand, Left Behind Golf Company offers a wide variety of sizes and materials to cater to individual preferences. Their gloves are designed with comfort in mind, ensuring that left-handed golfers can enjoy long rounds without discomfort.

Performance-Enhancing Features in Today’s Gloves

The evolution of golf gloves for left handed golfers has led to the inclusion of several performance-enhancing features that were once unheard of. Modern gloves now come with textured palms, moisture-wicking fabrics, and reinforced padding to provide extra grip and durability.

For example, some gloves are designed with strategically placed silicone pads that enhance grip, even in wet conditions. This is particularly important for left-handed players who need a right hand golf glove for left handed golfers that provides stability during swings. Other performance-enhancing features include perforations for breathability and Velcro closures that allow golfers to adjust the fit as needed.

One of the biggest challenges for golfers, especially left-handed ones, is dealing with sweaty hands during a round. Left Behind Golf Company offers gloves made from moisture-wicking materials that keep your hands dry, ensuring a secure grip on the club. These performance-enhancing features have made lefty golf gloves an essential tool for any serious golfer.

Style and Aesthetics in Left-Handed Golf Gloves

In addition to performance, style has also played a significant role in the evolution of golf gloves for left handed players. Early gloves were often plain and functional, with little attention paid to aesthetics. However, today’s gloves come in a wide range of colors, patterns, and designs, allowing golfers to express their style while on the course.

At Left Behind Golf Company, we recognize that golfers want gloves that not only perform well but also look great. Our selection of left handed golf gloves offers a variety of stylish options that suit different tastes. From classic leather designs to modern synthetic gloves with bold patterns, left-handed players can now choose gloves that reflect their personality while enhancing their game.

Why Specialized Left-Handed Golf Shops Matter

For left-handed players, shopping for golf equipment can often be a frustrating experience. Most mainstream sports stores cater primarily to right-handed golfers, offering limited options for lefties. This is where specialized stores like Left Behind Golf Company, Canada’s largest lefties only golf shop, come into play.

By focusing exclusively on the needs of left-handed golfers, we ensure that lefties have access to the same level of choice and quality as right-handed players. From mens golf gloves left hand to other left-handed golfing equipment, Left Behind Golf Company is committed to providing lefties with the gear they need to succeed on the course.

The Future of Left-Handed Golf Gloves

As technology continues to advance, we can expect further innovations in the world of left handed golfer gloves. From materials that offer even more comfort and durability to smart gloves that track swing data, the future of left-handed golf gloves is bright.

At Left Behind Golf Company, we are always looking for ways to improve our products and provide left-handed golfers with the best possible gear. As the largest supplier of lefty golf gloves in Canada, we are committed to staying at the forefront of innovation in golf gloves and other equipment for left-handed players.

Conclusion

The evolution of golf gloves for left handed golfers has come a long way from the basic gear of the past. Today’s gloves offer a range of features that enhance performance, comfort, and style, making them an essential part of any left-handed golfer’s toolkit.If you’re a left-handed golfer looking for high-quality gloves that cater specifically to your needs, look no further than Left Behind Golf Company. As Canada’s largest lefties only golf shop, we are dedicated to providing the best left handed golf gloves for players in Canada and the USA.

[talenlee]

How To Be: Tsubaki Yayoi (in 4e D&D)

In How To Be we’re going to look at a variety of characters from Not D&D and conceptualise how you might go about making a version of that character in the form of D&D that matters on this blog, D&D 4th Edition. Our guidelines are as follows:

This is going to be a brief rundown of ways to make a character that ‘feels’ like the source character

This isn’t meant to be comprehensive or authoritative but as a creative exercise

While not every character can work immediately out of the box, the aim is to make sure they have a character ‘feel’ as soon as possible

The character has to have the ‘feeling’ of the character by at least midway through Heroic

When building characters in 4th Edition it’s worth remembering that there are a lot of different ways to do the same basic thing. This isn’t going to be comprehensive, or even particularly fleshed out, and instead give you some places to start when you want to make something.

Another thing to remember is that 4e characters tend to be more about collected interactions of groups of things – it’s not that you get a build with specific rules about what you have to take, and when, and why, like you’re lockpicking your way through a design in the hopes of getting an overlap eventually. Character building is about packages, not programs, and we’ll talk about some packages and reference them going forwards.

This month we’re doing something I don’t normally do, which is – no, I do fight game characters all the time, but what makes this one special?

She’s got a hat.

Tsubaki Yayoi is a character of a rarer type than you see here. Specifically, she’s a character who I was introduced to as part of this blog series. I have no pre-existing interest in her, I do not know the games she’s from and I’m not familiar with what she’s like. This means that this time instead of having an impression of a character that I want to try and present, I had to approach this character as someone to research from completely nothing. After all, my impression of all Arc System Works characters is that they’re pretty weird and funny and do odd things.

That may be a result of spending most of my time acquainting myself with Guilty Gear.

Here are some findings of reading about Tsubaki Yayoi, then.

Character-wise, Tsubaki is essentially a private school kid but the private school included a course on cosmic military violence. Her starting point was as someone who grew up as essentially a prefect or other form of school cop being assigned the important task of killing someone qwe already like for a silly reason, you know, for justice. A threat, but not one the heroes want to necessarily defeat because she’s trying to do things for what she, at that point, thinks is a wrong thing.

When looked at how she functions, the way she presents to the world, she wears a detailed outfit that is comparable to a military uniform, complete with a hat and rain cloak. Her weapons are worn openly and out, she doesn’t show a lot of skin and her hair is both well kept and simple. Makeup is not notably obvious in the way that anime characters tend to be, which is to say if she was a real woman she’d be on five different makeups and calling it ‘almost nothing.’ I know, I know, it’s complicated, say a prayer for Mackenzie out there.

Personality-wise, we can tell that Tsubaki is apologetic about what she has to do, emotionally prepared to wield power in the name of her actions and that power is something she sees as external to herself but enacted by herself. She’s pretty serious, which is to say kinda humourless, and restrained, which she expresses by being mad about people hitting on a boy she likes. Hm, badly expressed.

There’s also something of an implication of a noble bodyguard with Noel, if you like that kind of thing. Not relevant to the character build but I know I’m going to read this to Fox and I need to mention something about the character that can hopefully push her off her general position that Arc System Works characters suck. Stern devoted bodyguard protecting the main character.

Based on what I’ve seen Tsubaki Yayoi is the inspector Javert whose whole framework reaches the level of being the class dobber. While this is a world with time travel and superweapons, and she does interfere with attempts to save the world, she is, largely, not bad and even her being brainwashed for a bit wasn’t so bad and she was very sorry afterwards because actually, a bigger boy told her to do it.

There’s no clear breakdown of the important traits for ability scores in D&D, which means that’s something of an open option. There’s also a range of possible ways to interpret her approach to solving problems, too, though, all of them involve violence. Here’s the list in summary:

Tsubaki Yayoi uses a physical weapon she can hold in her hand and hit you with it

Tsubaki Yayoi has a shield that looks like a book and is meaningfully useful to defending herself

Tsubaki Yayoi is somewhat mobile, able to fly and dash

Tsubaki Yayoi’s power source should be divine

Everything else is open season. Because some of these ideas are essentially nested, this next section may get a little challenging to explain

Class and Abilities

There are a few options that seem obvious to me for a character who is divine and in melee; the cleric, using a melee option (or warpriest if one must), the paladin, and the avenger. Each of these classes are well supported and don’t need anything complicated added to them to make them ‘work’ for her. Each class has tons of options that let you build as a melee character who likes to fight a single target one on one, and their jobs make them good at doing that.

What’s notable is that all of these options involve being wise. Given that Tsubaki Yayoi’s choices in the story it might strain you to think that she’s a wise person. Would a wise person obey a bad instruction and be susceptible to brainwashing? And maybe that’s a problem, but also consider that once she was informed of something different, the brainwashing was necessary to keep her on the villainous path.

Heritage

There is a version of this that is so simple as to just be ‘human, or something like it.’ Devas give a bonus to some combat rolls if you want it. Half-elves can have a reroll. All of those things are places to look for when you’re starting with the basics of what you pick for class. But if you’re mostly looking at a simple version of the aesthetic and the character, this works fine.

When you start to focus on other traits of the character that you want to bring forward, then you introduce new needs. For example, the Bozak Draconian can have flight, and have stat modifiers that work well with the Paladin sword-and-shield element. This is a package to take to your DM and say ‘hey, this probably doesn’t have a place in your world that it’s replicating, so can I use these mechanics to represent a girl with angelic wings, like this?’

Finally, if you want the highly mobile version of the character, a way I think is cool that would work for that is the Eladrin teleporting Swordmage option. That can be done with just the class of Swordmage (though that is Arcane, not divine), but it can also be taken as a multiclass option to attach to any of these other divine options; teleport into a charge, and then be positioned to do your next sequence of attacks, knowing your teleport is still available.

Weapon Path

As for her weapon choices, well… this is actually more complicated than I thought. Because on the one hand, it’s very obvious that she’s wielding a sword in almost all the art, when watching animations of her fighting, there are points the weapon changes in shape. Sometimes the weapon is a staff, and sometimes it’s a scythe. Then there’s an added dimension that she’s wielding a weapon but also holding what looks like an implement.

There’s no strong pull either way here. The simplest answer I’d say is go for a sword and a shield. That’s a zero investment if you’re taking a Warpriest or Paladin route. The shield represents a problem for Clerics, but not a hard one, since you can just take a feat to become proficient in it.

The scythe could be a polearm, and that’s a route to go down if you want to you know, just saying, maybe, just kinda go to the Polearm Mastery route and multiclass fighter. That’s an entire package of options that opens up in the paragon tier, and something to plan for if you don’t have any ideas or direction for later on.

Also, here’s an out of the box option: If the book is a ki focus and the sword is a replica item that’s not an actual weapon nor wielded as such, you could build her as a monk. That would probably seem unsatisfying for most, but in that design, the book is the most important magical item she carries.

Conclusion

This one wound up being tricky. Partly because the character doesn’t hang together in my mind, and partly because there’s such a good, standardised template for how you could build her. She is a character almost perfectly suited to be expressed by the existing tools, and that’s very cool to see.

Sometimes you just take the Ws!

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[otnesse]

Just as an FYI, the 25th Anniversary Shinkawa Scenario Book for Peace Walker actually makes clear Portable Ops DID in fact happen in another manner: That opening scene where MSF was training at Barranquilla Camp? Kojima specifically intended for it to be set there to act as a bridge between Portable Ops and Peace Walker. I've even got the proof if you want it:

And if you still don't believe the tweet, I can assure you that there's archived versions of that book as well as MGS4's Scenario Book (which, BTW, also has a very explicit reference to Portable Ops in there as well, tied to one of the dialogues in fact):

Might as well also note that the line Miller gave was a bit more neutral in tone in the Japanese version. He said, and I quote, "Miller (Radio): サンヒエロニモとも縁が切れたし⋯" It translates essentially to we're no longer associated with San Hieronymo. He never disparaged the locale like he did in the English version. And from what I've heard, apparently the official Peace Walker guide book, which Kojima had a direct hand in creating in Japan, also made quite a few references to MPO.

And as far as the MGSV thing you referenced, even if it were true that it contradicted that game, let me point out MGSV contradicted a whole SLEW of games due to Kojima really going overboard with retcons. Let's not forget, going by MGSV's overall story and a key plot point where Big Boss was in a coma for nine years (AND said coma started in 1975), there was simply no way he COULD have saved Gray Fox during Vietnamization (aka, Gray Fox's backstory from the MSX2 games). And that's not getting into how Venom Snake (who does technically have Big Boss's memories) is shown to have no belief in ESP despite Big Boss being believing enough of The Sorrow's ESP to be shaken by his words during his encounter with him in Snake Eater, meaning that line not only contradicted MPO, but even Snake Eater. Heck, XOF's entire EXISTENCE, much less The End being autopsied went against what Snake Eater EXPLICITLY stated. Don't even get me started on Psycho Mantis. And let's not forget, Ground Zeroes actually managed to contradict Peace Walker's second ENDING if we're to go that far (Miller in that ending made it very clear he not only knew Paz was an agent of Cipher, but was in on her scheme. In Ground Zeroes, when recalling the day she first arrived, he talked as if he himself was tricked by her story.). Even managed to technically contradict itself at one point: The tapes for Ground Zeroes made it very clear that Strangelove had already left Mother Base about a week before they even GOT the first IAEA inspection request, much less well before the actual inspection, and that Miller made the call due to feeling that AI has hit a dead end (Big Boss was unaware due to being off on a mission that time). In The Phantom Pain, however, Miller's recollection had him instead indicate Strangelove left on the eve of the inspection and also ended up implying Huey had her leave MSF during that time in anticipation of the XOF attack. If anything, Portable Ops is probably the only reason Gray Fox even RETAINS any connection to Big Boss (and let's not forget Nojima's novelizations even make explicit reference to the events of Portable Ops).

Lots and lots of MGS fans are just wrong about the relevant evidence on whether Portable Ops is canon. No, Peace Walker’s reference to San Hieronymo does *not* confirm that PO is canon—it references PO’s setting dismissively, likely implying that PO’s events don’t matter now.

And no, dialogue from an Ocelot tape in MGSV does *not* confirm that PO is canon either—in fact, that very same conversation actually *contradicts* PO on the specific details. People listen to this tape on the assumption that it "confirms” PO, and just brazenly misinterpret what it says.

The most likely view (consistent with Kojima’s rare and vague statements on the matter) is that PO was originally meant to be canon, then mostly abandoned later. A key event in PO really *is* referenced in MGS4, indicating PO *was* still meant to be canon at that time.

But numerous events in PO *would* have been mentioned in PW if it was still meant to be canon when PW was written. PW’s conspicuous absence of references to many of PO’s events (e.g. on the Boss, Gene, and Metal Gear RAXA) indicates that these events did not happen.

[askagamedev]

Follow-up question to your SWtOR example:

Returning companions are obviously not the same object as their class story versions. I always assumed this was because they had to make new NPC objects due to exactly the sort of structural issues you brought up the situation to illustrate; original companions weren't designed to be multiclass, so they made dupes that had that capacity.

But as with any additional complexity, the copying process introduces a lot of potential points of inconsistency and failure (several of which do in fact manifest on live, which is how one can tell that's what's happening). If the whole system had to be rebuilt from the ground up anyway, such that to give any companion the capacity would require giving every companion the capacity, why the extra NPCs? What quirk made that a better solution than to just keep using the newly revamped base class versions?

The general rule when it comes to live service games is "you (almost always) have to support everything you've ever made forever". You don't necessarily have to make more of that content, but whatever already exists needs to keep working. If there's a game mode that you added five expansions ago, it still needs to work. If there's a feature that's been there from launch, it still needs to work. And if some number of players paid money for it at some point, it definitely needs to work. This is why long-running MMOGs often have weird redundant gameplay systems like SWTOR's old spaceship rail shooter with its gear and upgrade path, and its other spaceship shooter game mode (Galactic Starfighter) with its other ships, gear, and upgrade paths.

To my understanding, the main reason the launch companions have different post-timeskip versions is because the new post-timeskip versions don't have to support all of the old companion-specific quests and old gift/affection system baggage that were built for launch, so it was much easier to allow them as companions for more player classes.

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[rallamajoop]

Regis cosplay and the complicated history of a belt buckle

There’s nothing like cosplay to give you a whole new appreciation for the little details that go into a character’s costume.

Take Regis’ belt: if you’ve ever looked closely at the belt buckle and tip, they’re really distinctive—and really pretty.

Not to mention really frustrating to try and source.

Though that sideways-heart-shape is one of the more authentically-medieval details on his outfit, belts like that have been out of fashion for centuries. Even searching for oversized retro 80′s styles turned up nothing like it. The square conchos aren’t too unusual, but the buckle is another story.

Until I started looking on sites that did medieval replica buckles and holy crap, Regis’ buckle was based on an actual medieval replica! That you can actually buy!

This particular buckle is available in both gold and silver (buckle and end sold separately for some reason)—and from multiple different sites, even! (Very handy when the first one I found wouldn’t post to Australia). I’ve used mostly pics of the gold version here, though Regis’ actual belt looks silver in most of the better pics I’ve found of it.

Here, have a close-up comparison to show just how perfect this thing is.

If you look even closer, you may notice they’ve even reproduced the same shapes on the decorations on his satchel.

Some of those sites will go a step further and explain that this particular buckle was based on a real historical design from the 1460′s—specifically from the painting “Portrait of a Lady”, by Rogier van der Weyden.

Though you can certainly see the resemblance, they haven’t copied the painting exactly. In fact, there are far more precise replicas out there based on that same portrait.

More than one, in fact.

You can even get cheap, simplified versions of basically the exact same design!

Seems to be a pretty popular style.

All that said, Regis’ belt is still clearly based on that first replica from the top of this post, not the original portrait or any of the other reproduction buckles. Given that those buckles seem to have been up for sale online since at least a couple months before Blood and Wine came out, I’m assuming it was the devs copying an existing belt buckle design, not replica-buckle makers taking a design from a computer game. (What international copyright law says about this sort of thing I have no idea—I don’t think most clothing is supposed to be copyrightable in the same way other media is but I am not the person to ask. All I can tell you is that this questionably-authorised game-reproduction has already sold one buckle set to at least this one delighted fan—and now that the rest of you know about it, perhaps some more as well.)

With all that established, should we take a moment to enjoy some very mild amusement that what Regis is wearing was based on a lady’s silk belt? (A lady’s belt that he has carefully coordinated to match his bag, no less!) That probably shouldn’t be so surprising given how decorative the thing is, though I’m sure it’d be easy to miss if (perhaps like the devs) you’ve only seen the replica version up for sale with standard leather straps. Most medieval gear sites don’t bother to split their products into male and female categories that way (nor should they).

Not that I can see any of that bothering Regis. And it is, whatever else you may take from it, a very pretty buckle design.

[tokiro07]

I'm not specifically angling for an RPG, no, they're just better geared towards story and characterization than other genres tend to be

I wholeheartedly believe that any game can have a compelling narrative, though, and in my opinion the best building block for a narrative is the cast

With that in mind, if I were specifically to pitch a new Mario RPG, I think it's odd that Nintendo hasn't made any effort to build on any of their own pre-existing lore in the ones they've already made. None of the extant characters have their backgrounds explored, and Peach is really the only one who gets any new depth to her character (which I'm grateful for) in the Paper Mario games (though it has been a while since I've played Super, so maybe Mr. L did more for Luigi than I remember...), so I'd like to see that same kind of expansion done for Wario, Waluigi, Rosalina, Daisy, Pauline, etc.

If making unique versions of standard enemies is taboo now, don't just use generic versions of them, use the characters that are already present and being completely unutilized!

Reworking a little bit of what I said in my Waluigi post yesterday, the roles should have been as follows:

Partner: an equal, the Player 2

Love Interest: self-explanatory

Companion: a character that journies with the player and in some way contributes to gameplay

Ally: a character that offers some form of support from the sidelines

Rival: a narrative foil

Enemy: a primary antagonist

Doesn't change too much of what I said, but it does allow me to apply that framework to characters who don't have an associated animal

So for Mario we've got Luigi, Peach, Yoshi/Cappy/FLUDD/Luma/etc., Rosalina, Wario, Bowser

Luigi has Mario, Daisy, Polterpup, E. Gadd, Waluigi, King Boo

Peach has Daisy, Mario, Stella/Parry, Toadsworth, Wapeach (if Nintendo commits to her...), Grape

Daisy's cast could potentially be seen as Peach, Luigi, Florian, the various Sarasaland bosses, Wadaisy (please...), Tatanga

Etc. etc. etc.

I don't know how this would really be useful beyond having a framework for building a cast in a new game centering around a character who hasn't gotten one before or a chemistry mechanic in the sports games, but it's fun to think about