#vg's whole plot is just like

[sunlight-shunlight]

me staring into the distance:

so the evanuris/blight situation is that: solas managed to, at the height of his power + with all his ancient elf besties helping, seal them into the black city and make the veil. and this took so much out of him that he was basically comatose for 5000 years. ok fine.

but then in vg, his initial plan was to put them in a different jail, while the veil is still up (despite that weakening all magic significantly and making it difficult to even access the black city). and then he wants to tear down the veil afterwards, presumably expecting to still be awake to do so. despite not having his original orb or his ancient elf besties anymore? so it doesn't particularly make sense in general. similar to how he described what he wanted to do with the orb, you'd expect him to take out the veil first and then reseal/move the jail?

(and then he wanted to put them into a Regret Prison when he is the ONLY one out of that entire situation who feels any regrets... 😭)

then his more ambiguous-sounding veil removal motives of being depressed about elves/spirits and unable to see the modern world as worthy of existence... become almost irrelevant. bc it's kind of necessary for him to Do Something? or else everyone fully dies of turbo blight when the archdemons die and the black city inevitably opens?

but then no one really mentions the looming catastrophe of the blight part, and they handwave it at the end, and all act like he's being very unreasonable. which he is! but only bc they made him dumber than a rock and weirdly inconsistent in his capabilities, not bc his motivations were actually proven to be wrong. aaaaa.

[kurczeno]

Veilguard ruins many things: the Crows (painfully inaccurate and yassified - they are not the good guys, bioware morons, read your own story), Isabela (idk, her redesign is absolutely horrible, i mean what is she wearing xd although costumes in general suck in VG), the Inquisitor (besides how the only romance that matters is the Solas one, if you go with Solavellan your Inky suddenly becomes the most pathetic simp? I mean, sure, you vowed to save Solas, but have some self respect girl, please), Dorian (requiescat in pace, dear), necromancy (I actually think the skeleton is cute, but it does kinda ruin the whole idea xd), Tevinter (ugh. just ugh.), the whole series (yes.)

but honestly? having a war in the south offscreen is just such a shitty move and it pisses me off just as much as the other things. Not only it seems more interesting than the actual plot (I could write like 10 more interesting games in DA lore than VG. Including Tevinter and the South.), although it's probably bcs the writing sucks, but also... we've spent the last 3 games in Southern Thedas. Players are kinda attached to these places and... people make fun about killing important characters off screen being lazy and this? this is the laziest, most lame shit ever.

people were annoyed when you killed WYNNE offscreen (and she was kinda dead already and not exactly the most popular, although i do love sassy mommy), this shit is 10 times worse

[basedonconjecture]

I think it’s less that Lucanis dislikes planning or does not plan (I think he quite likes having A Plan, actually, if only to riff off of and even if that plan js extremely simple a la stabbing a cloud) so much as he enjoys looking for and/or leaving himself room for improvisation. He is a professional who has been doing practically the same job for years. If you believe he’s been taking contracts since he was at least 18, and that he’s 35ish by the time of Veilguard, that’s nearly two decades of working as an assassin, with an unknown chunk of that time dedicated to specializing in mage-killing. Long enough to know even the most well-thought out plan will go awry in his line of work simply for who his targets often are. Long enough to have gained the level of experience necessary to be able to improvise as successfully as he does. It’s the difference between a professional athlete/musician/artist and a hall of famer. It’s the thing that sets him apart from any other Crow and makes his particular set of skills needed by the Veilguard team.

We know that he’s good at his job, enough to have a reputation outside of the Crows for his work, and part of that is, yes, presenting as bit of a wild card to would-be enemies so that he doesn’t become predictable. Which… does actually require a level of forethought to keep from unintentionally falling into the same patterns. We see in WMJ how much pre-planning went in to getting inside the party—unless you believe he just has enough latent knowledge of Vyrantium’s layout to be able to use the aqueducts or that all elves just inherently trust him with their secret passages or that he dragged Illario along with him and gave him access to the dossier he wrote on the target for no reason. Also, too, if you believe said dossier does not contain anything he would have had to spend time gathering and compiling and only info he got… passively? I guess??

Most of his behavior in Veilguard reads to me as someone who is internalizing enough failure to doubt all of his abilities and also is reacting to the reality they know too little about what they’re up against—improvisation is really all he’s able to do. Setting aside the fact that he’s not the boss of this job and consistently offers his thoughts during team meetings, the whole team is flying by the seat of their pants and relying on their skills to carry them through. This is reinforced over and over again as the plot progresses. More to the point, it’s consistently highlighting how high the stakes actually are and how skilled the team is that they’re able to keep adapting.

Idk it’s just more interesting to me that Lucanis seems to be someone who thinks in terms of variables (to say nothing of what the unpredictability of his childhood likely endowed him with irt how he approaches the world) and leans into his ability to pivot and adapt (which is not a skill many people have or understand irl tbh and it is a skill), not because of an allergy to planning or inability to stick to a plan, but because he does plan enough and is so confident in what he does that he intentionally leaves himself room to go off script when it becomes necessary— and for him it is a when, not an if. Something something his rebellions against Caterina. It makes his self-doubt in VG hit harder, tbh. The one thing he’s been raised to be good at and he’s failing at it. It’s gifted child burn out in extreme mode while he’s working under conditions he legitimately cannot plan for in the way he would any other contract. Which the team keeps having to remind him of.

It is additionally more interesting to me that Lucanis is someone who has earned his ability to improvise over some… natural ability at winging it and keep coming out alive bc idk assassin prodigy.

[csphire]

I think what really breaks the Solavellan romance in VG for me is how much closure for the Inquisitor is sidelined in favor of Solas's half of the relationship. I get it. Forgiveness is important and it's his lowest moment but after everything Lavellan as a character had to go through and experienced, everything the character canonically loses, there's something off about seeing it all kind of end with an anti-climactic "Lavellan joins him in fade prison so he doesn't have to be alone." It feels almost like she's his reward. I'm glad for some people they like the ending but, man, it just doesn't sit right with me. Who comforts Lavellan over her lost friends? Who is there for her while the blight destroys Southern Thedas? Who helped her adjust to life after the loss of her arm? And unlike with Solas, none of that was the result of her choices or due to mistakes she made. Idk maybe I'm just wildly off base but I feel like while at least some of the writing has compassion for Solas there is none that is tangibly afforded to the Inquisitor. It feels like compared to the Warden and Hawke at least, a Solas-manced Inquisitor gets such a lack of care. They do almost all of the giving and they lose so much but it's never really tangibly acknowledged within the VG romance. people like to say "just head-canon it" but why am I doing the writers job for them? They had this romance span two games and involve a major antagonist, there should have been a more thoughtful and nuanced ending for VG.

I agree, with all the build-up in Trespasser it felt set up for the Inquisitor to play a bigger part in DA4. And out of all of the companions, it also felt like Varric was the one who helped the most, for not just Lavellan but any Inquisitor, to pick up the pieces after Solas left. He gave them a Kirkwall title, and key to the city, and basically rolled out the red carpet to help them feel like they had a place to call home when they would inevitably leave Skyhold behind for good. I feel like he led the charge in tracking down Solas in what I've seen in the comics too. So his death is a gut punch to any Inquisitor but it's just brushed aside and minimized for the plot twist and so a Lavellan can choose to go with Solas into the Fade. Please keep in mind, one thing I've not gotten a clear answer on, as I've not made it so far into the game is, did Rook know Varric was dead when he encourages the Inqusitor to redeem Solas? But on another note, the Veilguard broke at least one rule when it came to party sizes so I don't understand why we could not have broken another rule and had two protagonists to control when it came to dialogue at least. And many of us would have loved to have seen our Inqusitor fighting again as a temporary companion too because so many in the past in FB groups would drop ableist comments on how the Inqusitor cannot fight anymore with just one hand. It sickens me BioWare seemed to double down on this. With all the tough things out there they have handled in the past to address racism, sexism, gay and trans rights they shy away from addressing ableism? Like with Neve if we told her to take it easy because she was hurt at the beginning she could have had a talk with Rook about coddling her because of her artificial leg. But that didn't happen or any comment made about it at all. On one hand, not addressing that injury and focusing on her character might be cathartic for someone in a similar situation in real life. But honestly, I feel like Neve missing a leg was just put there to silence any criticism of benching the Inquisitor and in your words turning a Lavellan into Solas's reward. But I have seen some comments here and there that Mike did not want a Lavellan happy ending to happen at all. And it was the writers who pushed for it to happen for the sake of the Solavellan fans. So I sit here with a lot of mixed feelings about the whole thing. Two of my favorite characters in the whole Dragon Age series and one of them murdered the other and it leaves such a bitter taste in my mouth. I don't think Solas should have been so much of an antagonist in Veilguard mainly because he was not in the Inquisition. For me, Solas felt so out of character in Veilguard. Plus what he did ruined any chance for my Lavellan to reconcile with him because he's now killed two of his friends one of them a mutual of our Inquistor's. For me at least one does not run off with someone who has a track record like that ten years after he dumped my ass. Plus giving Solas a second chance feels... dirty, like an insult to Varric's memory. That and Lavellan deserved better than to sacrifice her safety, comfort, and possibly even life for Solas at this point. And I hate how the writers and the whole game set things up that leaves me feeling like that.

[lurkiestvoid]

So I posted a copy of The Article the other day but deliberately didn't include any of my own thoughts; I just stumbled over it, saw it was paywalled, shared a ladder. But I do have thoughts and this is the post where I'm putting them and then I'm moving on (publicly at least; privately as always I reserve the right to rant in my shower) and continuing to enjoy my sandbox.

I have always been a huge fan of the whole DA+ME suite. I enjoyed Andromeda and Veilguard, not even to 'spite critics' or anything I just Enjoyed Playing Them. I found ways to connect to and play with the characters in my own way, with my own understanding of the lore and my own canon; I'm used to BW's canon Sacrificed Dalish Warden, for example, and not my surviving Paragon Brosca, and in my writing I like to play with the effects of that and other changes anyway (like making all my Wardens+both Hawkes+all Inqys bc extra timeline shenanigans + all my Rooks simulcast canon lol).

I just like these sandboxes. Call em a special interest or a hobby or whatever, but I've been playing with this sand since I first picked up DA2 at my wife's recommendation while I was postpartum 2013.

And I honestly, at first playthrough, did not like DA2. HOWEVER. On my begrudging later last-chance playthrough, I decided to maybe glance at walkthroughs now and then, just to make sure I wasn't fucking things up, and boy howdy, yeah, I'd fucked it.

Somehow I'd powered through just the main plot without much of the side quests, had my combat settings way too high for my comfort level, only skimmed a lot of actually important stuff (mostly from not getting References to DAO/lore so I just. Skipped a lot of dialogue and made random choices) and generally met my boss fights way too early, making them near impossible for my gear and level without a lot of angry grinding. And that ending was rough, everyone peaced out with a general attitude of 'meh' and I didn't even really understand why.

Anyways, second go-round with a Guide and it went so much smoother. And that's when I fell in love. DA2 is still my favorite. Grabbed DAO (only had Shale's DLC iirc), and then played them back to back in between similar reruns of Mass Effect until Inquisition released. Played those 4-5 times through by themselves, then started my rotations over with the newest additions. I did get to play Andromeda once on an old roomie's PS4, and had started my second run before we moved. I fully intend to add VG to my rotations after I've had my fill of it and feel like I really know it well, same as the last ones. I've read most of the books but I forget which ones, I need to do a few more rereads, and I've read An Amount of fanfic and have a massive to-read pile still. (I have, of course, played lots of other games and read lots of other things in between all this; it's been a long 12 years, I just enjoy reruns of fave media, like a palate cleanser)

All this to say: I love Veilguard, because it's Veilguard. And because it's unique in the way the other games were unique, and expansive the way the other games were expansive, and just for having yet another big new piece of the puzzle.

But I have and will continue to maintain (again, mostly privately hereafter except when I get a wild hair up my ass abt it and I can't promise I won't) that EA fucking murdered Dragon Age. No, not in the 'killed it's quality' way, this isn't a statement of quality but of intent.

EA kneecapped specifically the DA team at nearly every step of the process, and then put the Mass Effect team in charge and gave them whatever they wanted. The DA team was shut out of DA meetings. And funding. And time, and structure, and support, and resources. No backtracking allowed, this train only goes forward at top speed forever, line only go up. Limited platform release, ramp up the graphics make it neotech-accessible only. Make it multiplayer, no, wait, nevermind, just use what you have. Rework all the dialogue it's too unserious, oh your VAs' union on strike? Too bad just cut it anyway, we release next month.

The DA team, post-Inquisitorial success, was slowly beaten with hammers, and their project was handed over to a team that had no respect for the team NOR for the franchise itself, despite that team's last game having notoriously tanked???

And when a half-strangled labor of love, who was barely like three months old yet, didn't manage to still perform to exceedingly high expectations, EA took it out back and just fucking shot it.

The Storm/Executors would have made a bangin' cinquel wrap-up to a beloved series, and we could have partied hearty with the devs instead of their private, mournful, reminiscent sendoff; they deserved so much better. If the DA team had been treated like the ME team from the get-go, we could maybe have had something absolutely mindblowing in all directions.

I'm happy with what DA devs managed to get us, as I figured I would be. But I am both unsurprised and still deeply pissed that EA/BW treated the writers and devs the way they did, and I'm disappointed in how the ME team treated their peers.

Aaaaaand i'm going to bed. 💜 thanks for reading!

[perditus]

@crowcounted - 🕜🎮💡

munday questions // accepting

🕜 - How long have you been Rping for? Did you start on Tumblr?

Technically? Since middle school on neopets. It never really occurred to me what it was back then kind of. I even got banned on neopets for a little bit because I started some RP, went to bed, and woke up to “a forum post you started led to rule breaking” and I still to this day have no idea what happened. After that, I was doing some on IRCs but like. Single line stuff. Nothing big and serious. Tumblr I started much later on and specifically in the BNHA RPC. So technically 10+ years but only registered what it was for maybe 6? Give or take. 

🎮 - What's your favorite video game?

Mass Effect & Galaga. Yes I know I’m hugely into DA right now - ME is just a bit of a smoother experience? Sort of ? Gameplay wise anyways. Story wise I love both equally, just DA games tend to have a LOT of content that makes it harder to play casually. ME games have more linearism to them that I can progress pretty darn far in small bursts. Galaga is my favorite arcade game and I used to play it as a child a bunch. Excited to say I have it on my Xbox now too <3 💡 - Are there any plots/ideas you really want to write?

I have a lot of muses, so there’s a lot of things I’d love to explore. 

Ben Hassrath Taash for one. Thats sort of a new idea I’ve been toying with thats a little hard to implement since the Qun has a lot of very rigid framework to work within. Honestly the only reason it works is because, following the Antaam leaving, the remaining ones joined the Ben Hassrarth. If the entirety of the Antaam had left then Taash could only work as Antaam as opposed to Ben Hassrath. Since all Adaari go to the Antaam. 

Pre-veilguard Viago stuff. One, I have icons for it that I love so I’m a little eager to use them. Two, I think there’s a ton of plotting potential since Viago is 38 as of VG. So he’s still an adult in Inq / DA2 timelines and thus very capable of being anywhere he needs to be. Also because he wouldn’t be a Talon at that point - just a master assassin - so he can be literally anywhere. It also opens up some opportunity for pre-existing relationships prior to VG for OCs that I think would be neat. 

Anything Warden-y pre-vg for my wardens (alistair & antoine). I like the Wardens as a whole because they’re incredibly interesting. Also lots of places they can be since the Wardens kind of can go anywhere. I think Antoine has the most unique plot potential because he’s a dormant werewolf (that can be plotted into an active one for threads). Alistair also has some potential too but more normal warden stuff as opposed to the shit antoine gets up to lmao. 

[bunkernine]

hi pls ignore this if i have mistaken you for someone else and am making a fool out of myself but are you the person who wrote isosceles?? because that fic altered my brain on an abnormal and chemical level way back when and i just remembered it the other day and binged it all again and i feel like i remember there being a few other fics in that universe (one from travis’s pov iirc) and i wanted to know where they are. of course if you are not the person who wrote isosceles i am a fool and feel free to ignore this ❤️

I did, yeah.

I wrote it when i was 14 so at a certain point i didn't want to be associated with it because it didn't reflect me as much anymore. It was my big baby at the time!!! But i divorced from that a few years ago. As for the other universe fics, if i remember correctly: connor, drew, a vers where jason admits to liking him back (some point isos implied that jason DID like leo back but was too confused to do anything).... But i deleted those first because they just weren't as fun, and my own friend group was falling apart so it felt too close.

But yes, you have found me LOLOL. Isos is orphaned, but unfortunately the other fics are deleted fr. Sorry :( but thanks for enjoying it!!! 💖

(ramblings under the cut)

The reason why i didnt delete isos too was because so many people were saying what you are now. If i could, id rewrite it (both with style and plot differences) and do a whole new remastered version. Im not sure why i decided to write his senior year when i was a freshman/sophomore LOL so I always figured I would've came back to it when I was older.... Clearly I did not.

I WAS miserable in high school, at least socially. So Leo was a little TOO personal and it made me mad when i basically did what he did towards the end. I spent some time just doing some random apolleo fics. Capolleo series, so my name should've been capolleon by then? LOLOLOL i had been majorly influenced by some now-deleted fic which is why apollo is even there 💀 but now im apollos age in the fic and im like 'hmm. Yeah maybe not...'

Then there was a fic that was coming out towards the end of isos that i felt was copying me 😭😭😭 ← 14/15 yr old feelings. Who cares! But i would update and then they would update and i was so paranoid 😭😭😭 honestly, the vibe in general for valgrace in 2018 is much different than right now, and it was much more open and varied in topics. This is not to discredit the current valgrace leaders or whatever the fuck, but the vibe is just ... Pretty different.

But yeah. Im sort of using this ask as an excuse to talk about it, but isos was SO big and what i was known for within the small vg circle (outside of the text fic at the same time 💀) so i was constantly reminded of it. And dont get me wrong, i ADORED that fic when i was writing it. I was upset whenever my life was too messy for me to drop the chapter of the month. Double updates felt so ... Um. Mature and awesome, like i was a professional 💀 i wrote leo as bisexual but he had a pretty strong inclination to men because i was figuring I'm out that I wasn't bisexual but a lesbian, but I couldn't really articulate that, especially as I was dating a guy through that fic. That was some cute little endpoint i was gonna have but its reality frightened me so it was dropped... The complexities of piperleojason were insane to think about when i was like, crying at lunch in my bf's car 😭 When it was posting, i left some really crazy A/N's showing how volatile i was at the time, that i eventually deleted. But i was so proud of it and it was a comfort to write. I think the drafts were a lot more raw but people loved it anyway.

Anyway. It's been a while since I've been able to talk about this fic. People have left the most loving comments in the world and it connected with a lot of readers. Its also my only fic that had fanart and playlists and such made for it! I was so proud of that! I dont think people understand how incredible that is and it truly is the dream for fic writers!!! I have other fics that inspired ppl, but isos was the one ppl constantly flocked to or appreciated :)

I used to cry writing some parts of it and now it just feels like an old diary entry. I haven't read it in a while and thought about remaking it (probs... As college kids though) but haven't bothered. Technical-wise, theres so many things that are dropped or forgotten or are just clumsy but thats really just a maturity thing.

Anyway THANK YOU FOR ASKING!!!!!!!!! Ppl dont ask me about my fics like they used to which was the whole reason why i made this account :(((( among other things, lack of interactions in fandom have decreased so much :((((

Love love love uuuuuuuuu

[brain-rot-central]

Continued VG thoughts. Contains one spoiler at the end.

God the more I play this... Idk. I'm conflicted. I love that we're finally being told the actual story of the elves, because all we've had is the Chantry's version vs. what the Dalish believed. Also now that I'm thinking about it, the Chantry hasn't been mentioned once in the 3 hours I've been playing the game, which is. Odd... Given we're in northern Thedas and they have their own version of the Chantry but whatever, I digress.

I like the story. I dislike just about everything else.

It's not a bad game.

But it's a bad Dragon Age game.

It doesn't feel anything like a Dragon Age game. It has things and elements in name only. The feeling is... off. Rook comes out of nowhere and you recruit your companions and everyone is just best friends off the bat. There's literally no relationship building. You can't have conversations with them that leave them upset or net you disapproval (at least from my experience thus far).

There was also an entire monologue section for Rook where they get sentimental over objects placed around their room and it serves as a way for you to build the background story of your character... I guess? I don't know what the significance of that whole scene was but again it felt out of place and forced.

My fiancé is also playing through it and he summed up how I feel: "it's a good game if you forget you're playing Dragon Age."

The dialogue is mind-numbing and uninspiring. Things are too on the nose and the game holds your hand way too much. Imo it feels like a mess. It doesn't know if it wants to be a soft reboot or a finale of this arc of the DA lore, as it's trying to be both simultaneously. The reoccurring characters thus far know nothing about their backstories and it's very apparent. Your interactions with them are hollow and awkward; the only one who knows who they are is Solas. That's literally the only continuity that's carried over thus far.

Also, spoiler. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled about something.

Harding has magical abilities??? SHE'S A DWARF? THEY'RE LITERALLY IMMUNE TO LYRIUM. Her touching a LYRIUM DAGGER would NOT impact her the way it did? It just feels very forced for the sake of the plot. They basically just explain it as "yeah we know dwarves can't wield magic haha idk what's going on but I hope it's ok"

??????????

I literally put my controller down after that and walked away lmao. I couldn't. You're gonna have THREE GAMES where it's HEAVILY reiterated that dwarves cannot wield magic; LITERALLY ALSO TELL YOU AT THE CC SCREEN THAT THEY CAN'T, but "oop this one can. Because plot."

It's bad writing. It's just. Idk. I'm upset lmao

I wanna like this game but I'm struggling, man. Really struggling.

[lyriumflames]

I wouldn't call this a vent but there's a specific perception of solas at the end of veilguard that keeps cropping up that I'm sure isn't the intended view (I'm on the solavellan side of things so maybe this isn't a general view but it's gaining traction)

So we see all the mythal stuff right? And I think people have really ran with that and the only way I can describe it is "poor spirit was controlled by toxic goddess, but is saved by his one true love"

Basically Gale's story but on a much grander scale

and it's like...that definitely isn't what the SOLE view was, surely??

I'm not saying it's wrong because she talks about forcing him into this world and twisting his spirit, but I feel like people aren't taking the whole story into account, and are instead using the entire situation to take blame off solas and put it on mythal

the whole point of veilguard is CHOICES, and showing his mistakes and how he's too prideful to accept them and keeps insisting just one more try and he can fix everything

it was the body, then the titans, then mythal joining the evanuris, then the blight, then her murder, THEN the veil. she got the ball rolling but he had many chances to...stop it rolling

not to mention! felassan! and varric! This man has now killed three of his closest friends to get where he is, how on earth can he stop now??

I know project joplin isn't canon but something that struck me is that in the history of things mythal is there but it's almost as if she's his sidekick, she's running around looking worried and he's got this stern expession over and over. I know there's cole's DAI comments about vallaslins but I can't help but think they made her more...influential in his decisions because they needed to compress the story for VG?

ALSO she's a spirit of benevolence? I feel like she's way more layered than people are thinking (though i think there's a lot of questions about the evanuris that are left up in the air)

And the initial plot is him being a leader of this huge army, not as a singular man on a mission, you see a lot more emotion from him in veilguard than it appears in the concept art (I might be talking out my ass but I do think they had to pivot from heartless leader to maniacal singular person, not saying that's a negative shift though)

idk

[vapehk1]

How Many Chemicals Are in Vapes? The Unseen Cocktail in Your E-Cigarette

Ah, vaping—a modern marvel that promises the joys of smoking without the ashtrays full of smelly butts. But wait, there's more to the story! Beneath that cloud of fragrant vapor lies a hidden world of chemicals. Yes, we're diving into the not-so-glamorous reality of what exactly you're inhaling with each puff of your beloved e-cigarette. So, how many chemicals are in vapes? Buckle up, dear reader, as we embark on a journey through the mysterious ingredients list of your favorite vape juice, with a side of humor to make the facts go down smoother than a hit of mango-flavored vape. The Basic Ingredients – Not So Basic After All The Big Four When you think of vape juice, four primary ingredients come to mind: propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), nicotine, and flavorings. Simple, right? Well, not quite. These elements are the tip of the iceberg. PG and VG are the vehicles that create that satisfying vapor, but they're far from inert. PG can cause allergic reactions in some users, and VG, while generally safe, is still a sugar alcohol—meaning it has a whole other set of interactions within the body. Nicotine – The Usual Suspect Ah, nicotine, the star of the show. It's what keeps you coming back for more. While nicotine itself is a known addictive substance, its presence in vape juice isn't as straightforward as it seems. Nicotine can exist in various forms, and the way it's processed and delivered through vaping can alter its effects and the level of addiction. Plus, the amount of nicotine can vary widely between products, making it a bit of a wild card in the chemical deck. Flavorings – A Chemical Wonderland The Flavor Parade Now, let's talk about the flavorings—the reason many turn to vaping in the first place. These flavorings, which make your vape taste like anything from crème brûlée to watermelon bubblegum, are composed of a myriad of chemicals. Each flavor might contain dozens of individual compounds, some of which are safe to eat but not necessarily safe to inhale. For example, diacetyl, a chemical used to create buttery flavors, has been linked to severe lung disease when inhaled. The Unknown Soldiers Then there are the chemicals we know less about. The vaping industry isn't as tightly regulated as traditional tobacco, so many of the flavor compounds haven’t been studied extensively for inhalation safety. This means every puff could be a chemistry experiment, with your lungs as the test subject. While some vapers might find this thrilling, it’s probably not the kind of excitement you’re looking for. The Hidden Additives – More Than Meets the Eye Solvents and Preservatives Besides the main ingredients and flavorings, there are often solvents and preservatives added to the mix. Solvents like ethanol and triacetin help dissolve and preserve the other components, ensuring a consistent flavor and experience. However, these solvents can also carry their own health risks, particularly when vaporized and inhaled. Sweeteners and Thickeners To make the vape juice more appealing, manufacturers often add sweeteners and thickeners. Compounds like sucralose and ethyl maltol give your vape that sugary kick, but they can break down into harmful substances when heated. Similarly, thickeners used to give the vapor a denser feel can also decompose into potentially toxic chemicals. The Chemical Reactions – The Plot Thickens The Heating Process One major aspect often overlooked is what happens when vape juice is heated. The heating process itself can cause the original chemicals to break down and form new, potentially more harmful compounds. For instance, heating propylene glycol and glycerin can produce formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, both of which are known carcinogens. Inhaling the Aftermath So, what does this all mean for the average vaper? Each puff might be delivering more than just a nicotine hit; it could be a cocktail of harmful chemicals. While vaping is often marketed as a safer alternative to smoking, the reality is that it's not without risks. The lack of long-term studies means we're still in the dark about the full impact of these chemicals on our health. Conclusion This article delves into the complex world of vape chemicals, revealing that the seemingly simple concoction of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, nicotine, and flavorings is just the beginning. While these primary ingredients form the base of vape juice, the addition of flavorings introduces a host of other chemicals, some of which, like diacetyl, pose serious health risks when inhaled. The article also highlights hidden additives such as solvents, preservatives, sweeteners, and thickeners that can decompose into harmful substances during the vaping process. Furthermore, the heating of these chemicals can produce new, potentially more dangerous compounds, raising concerns about the overall safety of vaping. Ultimately, the article underscores the need for awareness and caution, reminding vapers that their beloved habit involves a complex chemical cocktail with uncertain long-term health implications. FAQs 1. Is Vaping Healthier Than Smoking Cigarettes? While vaping is often marketed as a safer alternative to smoking, "safer" does not mean safe. Vaping can expose users to dangerous toxins, including heavy metals and chemicals known to cause cancer and other diseases. Many flavoring chemicals used in vape products are harmful when inhaled, even if they are considered safe for ingestion​. 2. What Chemicals Are Found in Vapes? Vapes and e-liquids can contain a variety of chemicals, some of which are quite alarming. Common ingredients include propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, but testing has also revealed the presence of acetone, used in nail polish remover, and acrolein, found in weed killer. Some of these chemicals are not listed on the packaging, making it difficult for consumers to know exactly what they are inhaling​. 3. Can Vaping Lead to Nicotine Addiction? Yes, vaping can lead to nicotine addiction, especially among youth. Nicotine is highly addictive, and many vapes contain nicotine even if they are labeled as nicotine-free. The nicotine salts used in products like Juul allow for higher levels of nicotine to be delivered more smoothly, increasing the risk of addiction​​. 4. Are There Long-Term Health Effects of Vaping? The long-term health effects of vaping are still being studied, but there is enough evidence to warrant caution. Vaping can lead to lung damage, and the inhalation of certain chemicals formed during the heating process, such as formaldehyde, poses additional risks. Therefore, it is recommended that non-smokers and young people avoid vaping altogether​. 5. Is Vaping Legal for Teens? In many places, including the U.S. and Canada, the legal age to purchase and use vaping products has been raised to 21. Despite these regulations, teens can still access these products through older peers or unenforced age restrictions at retail stores. It's crucial for parents and guardians to be vigilant and educate young people about the risks associated with vaping. Read the full article

[lurkiestvoid]

I'm like. 70 hours into VG, lvl 40, and I feel like either I've barely gotten through half the plot so far OR it's about to start goin really really fast now that I've knocked out a lot of side stuff/fetch quests. But there's still so much stuff that I do know of!! Feels like it's gonna be at LEAST another 60+ hours to finish.

I've managed to avoid some spoilers but not all, so I know, like, most of the Big Stuff That's Coming but not how nor when nor where lol

✅ Done:

- Met Hezenkoss, returned her hand lol

- Met Aelia and kicked her out of the Threads boss (and took the deal)

- retrieved all Solas' regrets (4 at once it was like a lil mini movie marathon lol)

- convinced the fragment of Mythal we're worthy

- Discovered the (first half at least) Gloom Howler's identity

- told Taash to get Harding cheese

- killed Zara

- met Cyrian and Anaris

- saved Minrathous this playthrough, romancing Neve

- met Valta

- survived Weisshaupt

- met the Inquisitor

- talked to Morrigan abt Mythal

- workshop level 8

❌ Still need to:

- finish clearing the Crossroads of Blight (I think I have like two revenants and maybe one champion left?)

- kill that fucking possessed dragon corpse in the necropolis

- finish the Gloom Howler/rescue the griffons with Davrin (??? I don't actually know how this one ends)

- I feel like there's more Harding stuff coming, haven't gotten to the Anger Part yet (???)

- Pretty sure there's more Bellara stuff (??? Cyrian?)

- More Neve romance (currently at 'longing glances' 💜)

- Finish Aelia??

- Finish Hezenkoss with Emmrich

- the Illario reveal with Lucanis, surely (???)

- Taash's mom (??? RIP?)

- get sucked into the fade prison and find out the Truth About Varric (RIP ;-; )

- kill both blighted dragons (I believe this next quest is that, 'Fire and Ice')

- finish upgrading all shops/raising all faction reputations (I think most are around lvl 5 right now)

- get sucked into Lucanis' mind prison nvm next run lol

- ???

- end game stuff ofc

I DO know the 'point of no return' quest is "When Plans Align," so whatever I still have unfinished by then I'll run around wrapping up first.

A note on fandom though: I think the 'i finished in <100hrs and this game sucks' haters just ... don't realize how much they skipped.

My very first playthrough of DA2 -- which was also my intro to the series and Bioware in general -- I also managed somehow to skip like the VAST majority of the non-main-plot game and finished it with lightning speed, and it was overall a ... very unsatisfactory experience. I literally did not realize how much I missed until I saw people discussing online shit I had NO IDEA was in the game at all, different outcomes, etc. so I went back and replayed and fell in love.

The people that are determined to hate this game are just gonna do that. The people who've never played Bioware games before and accidentally skipped a LOT of shit, may or may not give it a replay and take their time, but the ones who don't do that while still hating on it just literally do not know what they're talking about.

The rest of them, I'm skeptical whether or not they've ever been fans here to begin with but also whether they're even familiar with RPGs as a (digital) genre; the little complaints like 'omg we just did x/had y scene and I went to visit this character and they didn't even address it/they're still commenting on something else' as an example, is just ... typical video game shit?? 'but Morrigan was so anti-Flemeth how did she ever accept Mythal!!!' she literally explains it. In detail. If you explore that whole conversation tree.

Anyways idk what anyone says I'm having a fuckin blast I love these games.

[mask-of-prime]

VG: Controlled Burn

Many years ago, during Mufasa and Scar's respective reigns... Vague pictures were coming back. There was a slash across the face, a crash, a loud snap. Times changed. The cackling of hundreds of hyenas as they took more than their share of kill. Separated from his family. That dark era under an irresponsible lion's rule had changed the mind of the ungulate forever... ____

Present day, one quiet morning... At Ndefu Grove, a certain fierce lioness stood atop a knoll as she conversed with her brother's summoned spirit. She summoned him not for advice from him, but an important lesson for both of them. Something she recently came around to learning.

Vitani looked on at the hazy air that continued to creep up the trees. Not a single galago in sight, as they'd evacuated from the inhospitable air quality.

"I think I see what you meant about being careful about the Roar, Nuka."

The fire-ghost surveyed the area along with his living sister. He saw the damage done to Ndefu Grove. Not all of it was ash, but the burned area still stuck out, telling a story.

"But... I don't think I need to be careful for the reason you think. I had to defend myself. Kiume was a threat."

"But, you still --"

"The Lions of the Past aren't displeased with me for using the Roar on another lion. I get that we're biased about our own kind, Nuka, I really do. But I learned, here, that the other animals matter just as much..."

Nuka looked skyward in deep thought. He must have misunderstood the voices of the past. They never really did tell him what exactly Vitani did wrong with the Roar, he just filled it in with whatever made the most sense.

"I need to approach things with more thought. I can't keep relying on the Fire Roar." she looked up at him, "No offense."

The spirit listened to an influx of whispers. He eventually looked down at Vitani, and smiled.

"None taken. You're really growing, Vitani. Those lion heads up there really like that."

Vitani softly smiled back, it vanished as her ears picked up on a voice that called to her from a distance.

"Think our time's up." Nuka rose, "Till ya need me again!"

POOF!

"Vitani!" the dark lion bounded through the knolls.

"...Kovu?" Vitani turned around, "What is it?"

When Kovu arrived, he had just missed Vitani talking to Nuka. One brother came so close to meeting the other for the first time in well over a year...

"Prey takeover at Pride Rock..." he panted, "Lion Guard trapped... Rogues are back..."

"The prey animals and the Rogue Trio?"

Vitani looked grim. No wonder things had gotten so quiet. Less prey animals than usual, no occasional complaints from the Pridelanders, and no recent plots from the Rogue Trio. Until now... They'd all had something to do with each other this whole time, and they chose Kupatana as their big day... ____

Near Pride Rock...

The royal pride had heard the army of herbivores approaching from miles away as hooved animals stomped the ground to sound the drums of war. The lions had spent the time they had bracing for battle, protecting themselves and each other as much as they could before more reinforcements could arrive.

"We're almost there, my bretheren!" shouted Ngurumo, "Sharpen your horns! Ready your hooves! Get your torches!"

The select army of ungulates and all other kinds of loyal followers did as told. Antelopes and buffalos stuck their horns out like spears, equines kicked and stomped their hooves, and other animals capable of holding objects -- including Karani the secretary bird -- ignited their torches.

"What's this, I see? A band of traitors?" Ngurumo chuckled, "Led by some of my favorite animals, of course! The biggest traitors of all; my former friend, my lifelong rival, and the local predator-lover, Ma Tembo! Funny, how all the enemies in my life have come together to conspire against me!"

"My friend, this senseless violence must stop." Nyumbu bleated.

"We're not friends anymore, you frail geezer!" the rhino smacked the elderly wildebeest away.

The elephant matriarch stepped in front of the antelope to protect him.

"Your extremist ways are unnaceptable!" she held up her trunk, "You are hurting your brothers and sisters in the Circle of Life on the day of Kupatana!"

Ngurumo smiled disgustingly, "You know, Ma Tembo, I almost considered you as a more fit leader of the Pridelands -- until you brought that stupid, woke lion-and-elephant-reenactment play back to Mizimu Grove!"

"It's called. The Ukumbusho." the matriarch's voice grew deep and firm, "It's a generations-long tradition, and if you know where us elephants' traditions come from, it's from impeccable memory of every moment of our lives since we arrived in this world. The elephants were there, that fateful day, when Askari's Lion Guard made peace with us all."

Zito spoke up, "Don't you remember what happened a few months ago? The Lion Guard ruined this year's Ukumbusho! Lions have no respect for our tradition!"

"Wow..." Ngurumo gawked, "Of course Zira's old faction of lions would do something like that! You're a real poor judge of character, telling me about that 'Circle of Life', which I'm sure is made up by these lions! So, don't you, of all animals, tell me what I can't do on a holiday!"

He then pointed to his blinded eye and broken horn, "Is this what you call the Circle of Life?! I've told everyone time and time again how predators ruined my face!"

"You got that from me."

Everyone gasped. Ngurumo swiftly turned to the voice. He saw Mbeya wearing an uncharacteristic glare.

"Don't you remember? Our faceoff at the Tamasha? You challenged me for leadership over the crash." Mbeya then chuckled and hooted, "...and boy, did you bring a whole new meaning to 'crash'! Heh-heh... I was so agile in my day, and my eyesight was pretty good for a rhino, too! Hoh, you smacked right into a big tree after I cut your eye!"

Several confused herd animals echanged looks. Ngurumo turned red with rage and humiliation, but he quickly simmered down and regained his composure. His face returned to a pale grey as a konniving smile formed. He eased the crowd with deceitful charisma.

"Now, we have this old fart spreading lies about me." the scarred rhino chuckled, "Typical of a predator-lover to be so willing to twist the words of a pure herbivore to silence the truth. I'm surprised none of you have been eaten, yet."

His calm demeanor switched back to zealous rage.

"If you want to die for your lion friends, then, so be it! Let's see how well you fight in fire!" he rose his hoof, "NOW!"

The animals wielding torches dropped said burning sticks onto the dry ground, setting it ablaze.

"CHAAARRRGE!" Whinnies, bleats, and the trumpeting of elephant trunks filled the sky.

The coup had officially begun, and the royal pride had nowhere to safely escape it. ____

Kovu led his sister to where the rest of the Guard members were. Vitani had to reunite with them to overpower the Rogues with their combined strength.

Happening upon where the other members had been, the siblings took on fighting stances. Kovu was ready to tear them apart for terrorizing the Pridelands and for personally threatening Kiara and her family, meanwhile, Vitani just wanted to tear them apart because she hated everything about them the moment she'd first seen them.

Speaking of which, Vitani almost didn't recognize Kiume. His mane -- something he'd taken much manly pride in -- had been completely singed off my Vitani's last attack. All that was left was fuzzy hairs that were burnt and melted at the tips. The short hair on his neck almost looked like Vitani's very own, in a way.

Stopping in her tracks, Vitani's paws skidded across the dirt, creating a cloud of dust. The Lion Guard turned to the sound.

"Guys!" the Fiercest called to them, "They're working with Ngurumo!"

Kasi gasped, "What?"

"They're here as a distraction! Ngurumo is leading a coup to Pride Rock right now!

"Well, this 'distraction' will be the only level you reach before you get to them, little girl." Kiume spoke up, ready to pounce.

Vitani stared daggers into Kiume. Her tail twitched.

"Kovu, get back." she said, not even glancing behind her.

The dark lion did as told. Vitani really didn't feel like risking abusing the Roar, but she took a deep breath, anyway. Locked and loaded.

WOOOOOOOO! The ground shook all around the lions. The Rogues in particular had collapsed, holding their heads and groaning.

Vitani blinked. She, along with Kovu and the Guard, slowly glanced way up at the source of the noise. Lo and behold, it was Kelele, standing atop the rock formation. After a moment of awkward silence, the wolf shrugged.

"Well, they were bothering me too." she said, recalling her own misogyny and unwanted verbal harassment she'd faced sharing the lands with these same rogues.

Kasi smiled at Kelele. She was astounded to find that she really could trust Kelele and find an ally in her. Vitani caught the Fastest's smile, and the two lions exchanged looks.

"There's something you haven't told me, isn't there?" Vitani arched a brow. She wasn't at all angry, just somewhat amused.

Before Kasi could think to respond, Kelele leapt down from the rock.

"Vitani, please... I'm not a threat to the Pridelands. I just wanted to meet the Roar-Wielder, and learn everything I could about you, so I've observed from afar. That's why I stayed in these lands. Because I knew our journey wasn't over, yet. I'm an ally..."

The Fiercest glanced back. The rogues were still down, disoriented and perplexed by the strange power they'd encountered in that moment. The lioness then approached the wolf closer.

"Alright, Kelele, if you're really the ally you claim to be," a smile creeped up Vitani's face, "then I need you to do this one thing for us..."

With a flick of an ear from Vitani, a command universally understood by all former Outsiders since Zira's leadership, the two biggest brutes of the Lion Guard, Imara and Shabaha, obeyed the order and approached the Ethiopian Wolf.

Moments Later... "ARE YOU LIONS CRAZY?! PUT ME DOWN!" Kelele screamed.

"That wouldn't be a very good idea." Vitani deadpanned.

Kelele was being dangled over a Lake Matope full of crocodiles, held by the scruff by Imara's jaws. She was getting what was hers after her attempt to kidnap and alternatively threaten the life of a certain wild dog pup.

"I REALLY AM YOUR ALLY! I'M SORRY ABOUT SAUTI! THAT 'SIKIO'-THING WAS JUST A MYTH! JUST ASK THAT OLD MONKEY! PLEASE!" the wolf screamed, legs kicking.

Imara lowered Kelele closer to the water. Eager reptilian eyes watched her every move. Some couldn't wait any longer, and gave a few threatening snaps of their jaws at her. That sadistic Bravest Lion Guard member's cackles added to the terrifying symphony.

The wolf curled her lower body up as much as she could, tail tucked between her legs. She made a high-pitched whine characteristic of the canine family. What more did these lions want?

"...I forgive ya." Vitani smiled, "Alright, that's a wrap, everyone!"

Kelele blinked, "W-Wait, what --"

The wolf felt herself being gently put down, away from the crocodiles. Speaking of which, she watched Vitani thank the leader, Makuu, for being in on the act.

"I don't understand..." the canine was stunned.

"We were never really gonna kill you." Vitani smiled, "Not our way. Not anymore..."

The Lion Guard chuckled at the dark humor of totally psyching Kelele out. Now, that never left the way of the former Outsiders.

Their brief moment of making light of the situation was interrupted when a heavily-beaten Kiume limped his way behind the Lion Guard's backs.

"Um, excuse me? Don't we have a fight to fini --"

WHACK! With quick reflexes, Kovu knocked Kiume out cold with a backhand. ____

In the meantime, as Ma Tembo's extended herd pushed Ngurumo's army back from raiding Pride Rock, the lions sought refuge in an area of the said landmark that had been unaffected by fire. They were all huddled together.

"Where's Kovu? Shouldn't he be back with the Lion Guard by now?"

Kiara was not easily prone to panicking, but Kovu was the love of her life, and the two were practically inseparable since their engagement.

"I'm sure he's okay, sweetie..." Nala gently headbutted her daughter, "They'll make it."

"How are they gonna get through the firewall?!" Tiifu cried, equally anxious.

"Shhh, they'll find a way..." Nala brought Tiifu close.

SNAP!

A burning tree trunk fell in front of them. They had no time to wait for the Lion Guard any longer. They had to move.

"We've got to find a way out of here!" Simba used a commanding voice, "We can put as much fire out as we can, ourselves! Come on!"

With feline agility, the pride dodged burning objects as they prepared to swipe moist dirt over the fire.

Just then, Kovu and the Lion Guard made it to Pride Rock. They were devastated to see the lands glowing hot with fire.

Vitani's eyes followed the height of the smoke clouds until she could see daylight peeking through. There, she saw a lone, white cloud.

Suddenly... a voice she heard from the past echoed in her mind...

"You see that little cloud? Try roaring at it..."

Vitani's predecessor, Kion, did as told, and he'd turned the innocent, small cloud into a large, thundering raincloud. It had been the first time she'd seen the Roar up close. She'd herd it many times from a distance from her termite mound home far back of the Outlands. But, now, she knew what it was. However, the discovery of this power, and her mother's knowledge of what it was capable of, had raised many questions from the young lioness for years to come...

Vitani was not going to fight fire with fire. She would not blindly charge head-first into battle like that of Ngurumo, but instead show that she and the other predators were capable of civil negotiation. Her eyes gleamed as she felt power rise within her...

In the midst of the calamity of the battling herd animals, Ngurumo spotted the royals making their getaway. The rhino crouched low and slowly approached, grinning wide as his plan to attack formed in his head. He felt the hunted becoming the hunter, and the hunter becoming the hunted. He chuckled. Such an ironic twist...

ROOOOAAAAARRR!! Everyone turned to the loud cry of the Leader of the Lion Guard. Above them was a growing, darkening cloud that poured rain over the selected area. The firewall had been extinguished, allowing the Guard's entry into the battlegrounds.

As Ngurumo was distracted in his astoundment over Vitani's newly-discovered power, the pride cornered by the rhino slipped away, with Kovu reuniting with Kiara.

The rhino watched Vitani emerge from the smoke. A furious glare from under her drooping, wet tuft.

"Ah, Vitani. What a surprise." Ngurumo looked around, "Are you here to attack me and claim more land as yours, as lions do?"

“No. No we’re not. We’re just here to repair a strained relationship between us Pridelanders,” Vitani smiled, “As lions do.”

“LIES!” Ngurumo roared, “You just wanna keep these lands under a dictatorship! All of you lions are born evil, none of you deserve ANY place to live in this world!”

The rhino shoved Vitani hoof-to-chest with full force. Her Guard quickly gathered around her and prepared to fight, if things needed to get that way.

The rhino chuckled, "How quick to react your little friends are. If it's not about your tyranny you're known for, you lions are also known for following every little order someone gives you, even if it doesn't benefit you in the end..."

"I KNEW IT!"

Everyone turned to the voice and gasped. It was Kiume. He and the rest of the Rogue Trio caught up with the Lion Guard after following their trail.

"Your plans were never really about us getting the Pridelands to ourselves, were they? For a long time, I had a hunch it wasn't about us anymore. I was right!" the maneless lion growled, "and now we all know why..."

The crowd of herd animals muttered amongst themselves, shocked beyond belief.

Prodded with piercing questions from his fellow herbivore followers, Ngurumo became overwhelmed.

"No... T-That lion doesn't know what he's talking about!" he sputtered, "He's crazy! I-I don't know him!"

"How long have you been making deals with them?!" yelled a gazelle buck.

"What else are you keeping from us?!" whinnied a zebra mare.

On cue, as always, Uongo swooped in, and promptly answered the latter question:

"Such easy animals to please. Anything works on them!" sampled the bird, in the rhino's voice.

Appalled cries filled the savannah.

"NO! He totally took that out of context! He's cherrypicking what I said!" Ngurumo stomped a hoof.

"Well, how long has he been doing that?!" sneered Zito.

Furious cries escaped the herbivores' mouths. They wondered how much information from this rhino had been skewed from reality for the sake of his own personal gain. 

"Excuse me..."

Everyone went quiet as they turned to Thurston, one of many indoctrinated ungulates.

"Since tickbirds eat bugs, does that make them predators, too?"

The herbivores yelled more grievances about their tickbirds.

"Wha -- No!" Ngurumo sputtered again, "Ticks aren't animals! They're BUGS!"

"My tickbird cut me all over!" a heavily-scarred buffalo bull cried.

"Mine took milk from my calf!" bleated a springbok doe.

"You ingrates and your COMPLAINTS!" the rhino stomped again, "I saved all these nice tickbirds for you, led a battle for your freedom, and THIS is how you repay me?! You ALL belong to the lions! I hope every last one of you is EATEN by those monsters! Especially YOU, Uongo!"

The crowd backed Ngurumo to the edge of the cliff behind Pride Rock. The once dry ravine he stood on the edge of couldn't hold the rainwater that suddenly filled it.

Helpless, the rhino turned to the remaining lions of the Trio, Mrembo and Jeuri.

"You two! Help me! DO SOMETHING!"

The two lions hesitated, torn on who they felt led by, and if they even needed a leader anymore. They didn't like how Kiume had treated them lately, but now, they felt double-crossed by their bigger boss. They looked at each other before scowling at the rhino. They promptly sent a hollow, burned tree falling towards the direction of Ngurumo's head.

CRASH! The rhino rose to his feet. Everyone gasped.

A branch on the fallen tree had impaled his only usable eye. He was now fully blind.

Taking advantage of the rhino's blindness, an enraged Kiume charged, and pushed the rhino over the cliff. The lion quickly found himself being blocked by none other than his own fellow coalition. The two lions stopped him before he could go anywhere near the Lion Guardas they rushed over to the edge of the cliff.

They could see that the pachyderm had landed in a curved ledge on the cliffside that safely cupped him from falling down the ravine. But time was ticking...

"Ngurumo!" Vitani called.

Ngurumo tried to climb back up, but the motion made him slip back. There was luckily sloped ground under the ledge that he could put his hindlegs on, but his forelegs just barely held him up onto the ledge.

He knew he was teetering on the brink of life and death at that moment.

The rain fell hard. Gambling with the idea of giving Ngurumo one last chance, the Lion Guard rushed to help. The Strongest was the first to reach down, having the best chance at pulling the gargantuan pachyderm up -- eventually with combined strength of the rest of the Guard, of course.

The rhino hollered and roared in distress. He found himself once again at the mercy of the Lion Guard, like how they'd all first met. He was not going to face that humilitation again...

"Ngurumo, take Imara's paw! NOW!" Vitani roared through the pouring rain.

"Why should I trust you? You KILLER!" the rhino blindly swung his hoof in protest, "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"A hoofed animal wouldn't be able to help you with something like this. Predator and prey need each other in the Circle of Life, Ngurumo!" Vitani tried desperately to persuade him.

"NO!! I don't trust a single one of you monsters! ANY of you monsters! Paw or hoof!" he slammed his own hooves down, "'Circle of Life', NOTHIN'! It's just a corrupt belief -- You're all CORRUPTED! ALL OF -- H-Huuhh?!" "NO!" Imara grunted.

The ground that the rhino barely held onto became slick from the rain. That last slam sent him slipping down the soil-turned-mud.

"NOOOOOOO!!!" Landing hard at the bottom of the ravine, the heavy pachyderm had taken mortal damage falling from the great height.

"The Pridelands will fall... no matter what... but it won't be from me..." he croaked as he gave a weak smile, for the last time.

Ngurumo's grinning mug was abruptly masked by the gush of water that overtook the once empty ravine. He would be carried off by the powerful water, his eventual whereabouts ever-changing for the rest of time...

Imara backed away from the ledge, feeling the mud run from under her paws. It didn't take her focus away from how perturbed she was.

"At least he didn't get eaten like he always feared..." Shabaha remarked absentmindedly.

"Yeah..." Vitani's voice trailed, still staring down at the rapidly rushing water.

"Let me help you!" "No... never!" Vitani shut her eyes. Whether the predator-prey civil war be handled with compassion or murderous rampage, Ngurumo needed to die. He was too far gone, and therefore nothing but a threat to the Circle of Life. This wasn't the first time circumstances had to be this exact same way, and the Fiercest knew it too well...

Suddenly, Fukiza the cobra emerged from the crowd from under their hooves. She'd been hiding underground for a majority of the time until the commotion brought her outside. Only until now could she safely track down her friends.

"Lion Guard! Are you okay?" she slithered their direction, slipping between the paws of the Rogues.

Tazama smiled at the sight of her old friend. It was the first time she'd truly seen her with healed eyes. She was such a beautiful monocled cobra. However, the Keenest of Sight wasn't the only one seeing Fukiza for the first time...

"SNAAAAAAKE!" screamed Kiume, "Guys, run! Get it away from me!"

Mrembo and Jeuri didn't budge, instead opting for an exchange of disappointed looks at each other. This was it, this was the tipping point for them. They officially found Kiume to be a pathetic boss all around.

"Wow, I am so glad I'm over that whole cobra superstition." grumbled Vitani as she rolled her eyes. She couldn't be more disappointed in this lion.

Kiume pushed Jeuri and Mrembo away with full force, fueled by fear. However, before the maneless lion could make his escape, he was suddenly subdued by a pair of lance-like horns. Quickly turning the other way, he tried to run through Mrembo and Jeuri again, but they'd once again caught him mid-run.

"HeyheyHEY! What are you DOING?!" he yelled, furious at the sudden mutiny.

"Kiume..." said a voice. It was the King.

The herds of prey animals backed away to make room for their much more respected leader. The antelopes trapping the lions with their horns stood still, making sure said felines were contained.

Simba gave a stern scowl, "As punishment for your repeated attempts to overthrow my pride, you will remain where someone can keep an eye on you..."

Suddenly, the other two lions felt their own shoulders being grabbed by the Lion Guard. All three male lions were under arrest.

"...The same goes for you two." Simba continued, "Unless any of you can prove to me that you are no threat to my family, or the Pridelands, you will be watched closely, and punished harshly."

As the former Rogue Trio was being escorted away by the Guard and the pair of loyal antelopes, Vitani scampered over to Simba's side. She still wasn't quite over the shock of Ngurumo's demise. She had a violent upbringing and a tough nature, but she still couldn't handle death well.

Simba could see the somber fear in Vitani's eyes. He, too, has had to let animals die, particularly for any reason that they presented themselves as a threat to his life or his kingdom. Though, he still couldn't forget how he felt the very first time he did it.

"Vitani, sometimes... it's the best thing you could do in a situation like this." the King then smiled cordially, "You did good. Trust me."

The Fiercest cracked an uncertain smile. She was still very shaken, but greatly appreciated Simba.

Simba wasn't praising his daughter-in-law, but was actually comforting her as much as he could. He made a subtle gesture that commanded her to join the rest of her Guard in keeping the rogues restrained as they arrested them.

The crowd of herd animals muttered amongst themselves, some even bowed to their King and his pride before going their separate ways. Every animal retreated to their assigned place in the Pridelands.

As they all departed from the ravine, the rainclouds continued to break away, revealing a golden sky as the sun was on its way down. ____

Aftermath... Days passed. After a long process of easing leftover doubts from the herds and careful scrutiny of the disbanded Rogue Trio, the Pridelands felt as it once did before -- akin to the time before Vitani's predecessor Kion had left for the Tree of Life.

Some former followers of Ngurumo had been allowed back into divided herds. Some entire herds, such as Thurston's zeal, were quick to reform due to their naivete and tendency to go with the flow. Some solitary animals kept to themselves. They still had leftover beliefs and conspiracies, but they didn't have power like their deceased leader, so they were harmless.

Speaking of solitary animals, Kelele still remained near the Pridelands to further her friendship with the Guard, especially Kasi and Vitani. She would return to her homeland someday, but not until after she was ready.

As for the rogues, all three lions answered honestly as they'd been interrogated by the Lion Guard for several hours. Kiume's interrogation had earned him a lifetime of imprisonment deep in a heavily-guarded part of the Outlands, on account of premeditated attempts to overthrow the royal pride, and that any attempts to escape would be punishable by death -- which would be left at the discretion of the Outlanders, as part of Simba's decree.

Though Mrembo and Jeuri were accomplices in countless incidents with Kiume, they were found to be harmless without the influence of their former leader, Kiume. They chose not to be residents of the Pridelands, as they preferred to take a more nomadic life. Jeuri became a close friend of Tazama, and both aforementioned lions bonded over their similar interests, while Mrembo chilled with whoever was interested in his food snob-related ramblings, as Vitani could see from the hill she perched on.

The Fiercest breathed a deep, fresh breath of air. A huge weight had been taken off her shoulders. She and her Guard worked hard to earn the Pridelanders' trust, and outdid themselves by making a huge impact on everyone; the Pridelanders learned to trust in the former Outsiders to redeem themselves, and the Lion Guard learned that the non-lion animals were much more than they appeared.

Trust and balance had been restored in the Circle of Life... ____

That night... Rain poured heavily over the Pridelands, which carried on for the next few days. The rivers overflowing with rainwater rushed fairly rapidly for themselves. The sudden change of weather and strange behavior of the water had followed the day Vitani had controlled the sky with her Roar. Kion never used the clouds to put out fires, and for good reason. His successor to the Roar would soon find out why, among other things...

____ ((Author's Note: We've reached the Season 2 Finale! From the way I worded it, that's right, Vitani's Guard's adventures are not over yet. Ngurumo may have died, but that's only the beginning of the storm...

Also, it's been exactly one year and one day since I decided to start releasing Vitani's Guard art as a serialized, continuous story, which is why I chose today to release this season finale.

Fun Facts:

Since I've been basing the Rogue Trio off of alpha male dudebros, when trying to think of Kiume's defeat, I had to think of common fates that those influencers are met with. Alpha male influencers are often met with arrests/jail/prison and a subsequent loss of fans, so I decided imprisonment for life followed by a loss of respect from former followers was fitting for Kiume.

Vitani's "I forgive ya" at the Lake Matope hazing scene was a reference to Makuu's very same line during Ono's apology scene in the episode "Let Sleeping Crocs Lie". I'm still very much dying on that hill that Vitani idolizes tf out of Makuu and likes to unknowingly quote him word-for-word at times, like she did with the "Mashindano" line. (Also, though Shabaha's facing yet another situation where someone's being dangled over a float of crocodiles, she's fine, because one, it's not her, and two, this was actually partially her idea lol)

Ngurumo's "they're not animals, they're bugs!" line is total BS, like everything else he says. Bugs are part of the animal kingdom. Bugs are tiny, multiple-legged invertibrates, unlike the more "conventional" animals people think of, but that doesn't make them not animals. Certainly not plants or fungi lol.

After doing some research on differences between black rhinos and white rhinos, I realize now that I've been giving Ngurumo the back shape of a white rhino, and the hooked upper lip of a black rhino, which likely means he's a hybrid of the two. On a semi-relevant note, I noticed Kifaru, the rhino with the poorest eyesight in Mbeya's crash, is modeled after a white rhino, while the rest are modeled after black rhinos. I like to think that Kifaru was a newcomer to Mbeya's crash, blindly wandering there and not noticing they were a completely different species from him.

There was going to be panels depicting a maneless Kiume as well as Kelele fighting alongside Vitani's Guard, but the composition was hard to figure out and there were too many characters. I'll probably draw the maneless Kiume in some other non-story art so you could see what he looks like.

Can't wait to come back to VG and other art with a fresh start! School and possible work may interfere with my activity, just letting everyone know))

[thatoneguy031]

I've heard that people are making pinned posts, so I thought I might as well do it, too.

Heya. Y'all can call me Guy, and I'm the head honcho for this(more or less) ask blog, and I think there's a few things you should know about me:

-I'm currently in my junior year of high school, and posts happen... basically, whenever I feel like it. If I don't get to an ask immediately, don't take it personally; I'm just a bit busy with other things.

-I'm bisexual, with a heavy, heavy male lean. I'm single too, but I'm not really taking any suggestions at this point. It'd be unfair for someone to show me their face and not have me show them mine. He/Him pronouns, too.

-This is also a Pokemon IRL blog. I only evolved recently, and I'm still getting used to being a Samurott. I'm currently learning about how to battle and act... y'know, like a Samurott. What does that mean, I don't know. But I'm trying my best!

-I like making stories. Like, a lot of stories. I have tons of characters, all of which are all available for asks.

-I'm a really dedicated memer. If it isn't about anything regarding plot development, don't expect it to be taken very seriously.

-I am a huge anime and VG fan. Current playthroughs/playlist of games(Reminder, I only have a Switch): The World Ends With You(Final Remix, the Switch release) Pokemon Scarlet Hollow Knight(I'm lost, please help) Rivals of Aether(Orcane main, Forsburn and Eliana secondaries) Super Smash Brothers Ultimate(I change mains every other week, honestly) Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 4(Kakashi, Obito and Minato main) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe(I'm a Dry Bones main, who would've thunk?) Brawlhalla(I'm a Mako main, and Ragnir and Onyx secondaries) Pokemon Unite(I main Alolan Ninetails, but I've been dabbling in Garchomp due to personal reasons you'll see in later posts) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild(I'm lost, help me)

That's about it for me. I don't really involve myself in any political conversations, and I begin to feel uncomfortable when I have to talk about those kinds of topics with people. But, for those who want to know: Pro LGBTQ-whatever, obviously, but I don't pay attention to current events too much. I'm also not racist, if that had to be said.

If you're into the whole p3do or zoo thing, please leave. You genuinely need help, like, now. Oh, and bigots, racists, homophobes and all that jazz can get the boot, too. And I'll slam the door on your fingers on the way out.

I'd prefer if NSFW accounts didn't pay mind to this blog, as I'm trying to make sure that anyone can enjoy this place safely. I'm just want to make sure this place isn't the next Twitter.

As for my ask thingie, the reason why I even made this thing in the first place:

There are some obvious rules here that the public have to follow:

-No NSFW asks. A majority of my characters are children(About the same age as me), and I don't feel right putting them in such risque situations.

-If a character chooses not to answer a specific question. They might have some personal demons they need to fight before bringing up the topic, or they just might... not want to answer directly.

-I'm occasionally gonna be busy making updates to a character's story before I get to questions, so as mentioned before, answers won't be given out in a timely manner. I apologize in advance if there's any delays.

Here's some ask hints, I guess(Color-coded to associate the characters with the stories)*:

-Delta: Ask him about how he feels about Hertz or his living situation

-Hertz: Ask about his "academic" "performance", or why he decided to take Delta under his wing to begin with

-Jason: Ask him about his past experiences with Pokemon or something about Jayden, or something about his friends

-Jayden: Basically the same thing, or something about being the older sister of the family, or how she feels about Cheren and Bianca

-Cheren and Bianca: How they met Jason or Jayden in the first place

-Chris, or any member of his team(Stephanie, Wave, Lucas and David), for that matter: Try to get them to talk about their background or early childhoods

Smudge, Charles and/or Katie: Their hobbies, how they feel about each other, or how college is treating them

Trevor: His music career, and/or how he got into the music bandwagon in the first place, how his current job is going and stuff

Bryant: How he met Trevor, why they're friends, or their general connection

*Obviously, you can ask them anything, but these are some good starts if you don't know what to ask them.

Also, don't be afraid to ask me any questions, either, I won't bite. I'm just a dude tryin' to develop some social circles. Ask me about anything, really. Heck, you can even send anon asks, if you're too shy to show your face(Don't worry about it, I do the same thing all the time). If anything, I'd love to get some kind of advice with how to deal with evolution and all that stuff.

That aside, there are going to be tags on this post that can help you filter what and who you want to talk to, for both your sake and mine.

Now, without further ado...

Welcome to the show!

And I hope you enjoy your time here!

[vg-sanctuary]

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling

Moonsprout Games - Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC - 2019

I don't like the core gameplay of 99% of all RPGs, but the ones I do like have been some of my favorite games I've ever played. case in point, Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling, a modern interpretation of the classic Paper Mario formula and an ideal example of indie developers adding to the legacy of a cult classic. its main feature is turn-based combat with action commands, like old Paper Mario or the Mario & Luigi series, and strategy in its intentional design and small health and damage numbers that goes way beyond "spam damage and heal every third turn, use mana items as needed". (in case you want to be 100% blind for your playthrough, past the Keep Reading link are some very minor spoilers: an item a specific cook can make after a side quest, some basic enemies, environments that are about halfway through the game, and the names of some medals.)

“wow, vg-sanctuary posting about a game that's not even two years old at time of writing? and it's an RPG? are you not a retro/legacy blog anymore? who are you and what have you done with the writer?” I still am a retro/legacy blog, mostly, just this time I thought I'd share something that its developers still get money from, and whose developers aren't mega corporations. and I just beat it, enjoyed it, and really felt like writing about it because it still doesn't have the popularity it deserves even after that puppet guy on YouTube talked about it. not that this post is going to reach any significant number of people, but still. I'll write about some more indie games sometime in the future. (and indeed I am writing about another RPG and you better believe it has a lot to talk about.)

anyway, Bug Fables starts with a brash little bee called Vi and a polite and honorable beetle named Kabbu wandering into an explorer's guild and not having a partner to join the guild with. they reluctantly decide they're going to fight together because companionship is a requirement for this guild, foiling off each other and sometimes off their third friend Leif, a blue moth they find in a cave, for the whole game. every character has a distinct personality and all the party members get some valuable character development through a side quest, which I really liked, but I'm no connoisseur of RPG stories. while I'm on story, people that come here looking for a well-made world will get what they want from the many optional lore books hidden around the world.

the plot becomes more complex and compelling as the game continues, though it generally lets gameplay take the spotlight. which is great, because the gameplay is also mostly great. about a third of it is doing puzzles on the overworld using the abilities of each character to move forward a la the Mario & Luigi series. they generally make use of whatever your newest overworld ability is, and some areas early on have inaccessible things you have to come back to, sort of like a Metroidvania except it isn't required to do this for progression. some puzzles take longer they could because they involve using Kabbu's horn to repeatedly fling an ice block many times over a distance. it's never egregious, but it could have been faster if the guy would use his arms. this is a minor caveat and not a majority of the game.

a lot of people probably don't know how the combat for this or Paper Mario works, and it's really important to Bug Fables, so I'll explain that here. it's turn based, which is typical, but basic attacks and skills need you to time a button press to do as much damage as possible. you can also time a button press when an enemy attacks to take less damage. Paper Mario and Bug Fables also both have medals instead of other equipment that give characters higher max HP or a new skill, for example. you have limited medal points and stronger medals require more points.

this is going to sound like a lot, but any RPG's combat will sound like a lot if you try to detail it in a single paragraph. the game introduces these things slower than I am here. in Bug Fables specifically, the character standing in the front of the group does one extra damage but is more likely to be attacked, and you can pass turns from one character to another in exchange for that character dealing one less damage (which is a lot because basic attacks only deal two damage by default). certain enemies can only be hit by certain attacks; some enemies fly, so Kabbu can't hit them until Vi knocks them down with her beemerang. not a typo, beemerang. and many of Bug Fables' status effects have upsides -- being paralyzed reduces damage taken everything by one, poison has many medals that make it a good thing, and being asleep heals the sleeping character every turn. there are others that are straight up bad things, though, and usually don't come until later. all of this adds up to even small encounters having strategic depth, which is great, and if you don't feel like small encounters you can just avoid them. skills that would typically be relegated to one character, like healing and support skills all going to one, are instead split between party members to make decisions more difficult in a good way. there's also a lovely medal that instantly kills any enemy the game deems too easy for you, sort of like in Earthbound.

I figure I spent more time doing housekeeping like cooking (simple A+B=C or A-becomes-B crafting), buying items, and arranging medals in Bug Fables than in any other RPG, which is because it was designed that way. by the way, cooking recipes start hidden, but a foodie at each restaurant will share some strong ones for free, which is a big help early on. anyone who's played The World Ends with You (i.e. me) will be spoiled by its excellent quality of life: no consumable items and you instantly heal to full after every encounter. it makes items seem like a ridiculous formality that RPGs only still have because they've had them for years, but in Bug Fables any item that isn't simple healing -- a lot of them aren't simple healing -- has great strategic use, and the exact way you spend your medal points can determine whether you win or lose any fight, especially bosses. for example, one character having one extra damage for two turns when they typically only do two is pretty important, especially when they use an attack that does multiple hits, and having it in item form saves valuable medal points and skill points. part of that time was kind of a waste, though, because I generally had one set of medals I use for multiple enemies and one I use for single enemies like bosses. being able to save loadouts would have helped a lot. I would like to compliment Bug Fables on allowing you to restart any boss with different medals without having to repeat cutscenes, and commend it for letting you do-over your level up bonuses late in the game when it starts to matter.

it's not like spending a lot of time on strategizing before fights is strictly mandatory. I was mostly playing on hard mode where enemies have more health and more difficult attacks, and mostly with a medal called Hard Hits that makes all enemies deal one extra damage in exchange for extra money after each fight. it can be less difficult if you'd like, but it's never mindless; even if you're doing a strategy that manages 20 or 30 damage (again, a lot in this game) in a single turn, it takes effort to choose your medals to do so much damage and actually play the strategy out in combat. the combat strategy is the best part of Bug Fables, and it makes each fight almost like a puzzle. I've typed some form of "strategy" six times so far, which is fair because it's the best part of Bug Fables. don't let it put you off, though, it's RPG combat strategy, not chess-like or RTS or something, so if you've enjoyed any other turn-based RPG it should be easy to get used to.

it's also worth mentioning the ample side content. each chapter of the game unlocks a handful of side quests, some about trading, some about combat, and almost as many bonus bosses as main bosses. you're allowed to fight them fairly early on, and a few become available after the final boss that are actually a bit harder than it in classic Paper Mario fashion. basically, if you like Bug Fables, there's a lot of it to play. there's even a trading card minigame because of course there is. it's fairly fleshed out, too, and unlike the one in Chocobo Tales the animations between turns don't take six years. the reward for the whole card side quest isn't something that's important for combat, so you can skip it if you don't like it; I didn't especially like it so I think that was a great decision on the developers' part.

rewards for some of the other side content, though, are so good it's kind of a wonder they can be completely skipped. it doesn't make the game harder to not have those skills or medals, but they are some of the best in the game and undeniably really useful. they make great side quest rewards in that sense, but it's important to know for the people that usually wouldn't do side content. I don't know if that's a common kind of player, but just in case. (this game's 100% achievement has been earned by a sky-high 5.9% of players on Steam. usually it's more like 2% or less. the point is none of the extra content is overly obtuse.)

I will complain about the forced stealth sections though. and be astounded that they fixed the main issue with them in the last stealth section. these are minor caveats and take well under an hour total unless you're really, really, really bad at sneaking, but they bothered me when I got to them. I mean, I understand why they're in the game, I understand why Zelda has them, but I didn't really like them. the main issue for all but the last stealth section is that there's no vision cone or other indication that "if you stand here they will see you" or even an opportunity to recover from mistakes which are incredibly important for playable stealth. the last stealth section does have a vision cone and does have an opportunity to recover from mistakes, which is a great step up. I would like to use even more italics to remind you that these sections total less than an hour of gameplay. Zelda: Breath of the Wild's forced-ish stealth was much worse than this.

I don't know where else to put it, so I'll add here that the soundtrack is great and the graphics are perfectly Gamecube-y and the sprites capture the cuteness of Paper Mario really well, even though they're, you know, bugs. each environment is distinct and themed well, and each one’s music matches well. I really wish I knew how to talk about music because there are a lot of different songs in this game that work well for what they go with. boss music sounds intense and boss-y and appropriate for each boss you're fighting, the not-music hits just right, and everything else feels good. some songs use Nintendo 64 MIDI instruments, which I loved. and the bee boss music has a synth that sounds like bees buzzing.

anyone that likes RPGs -- and even some people that don't -- will probably enjoy the story and strategy that make up the excellent Bug Fables. it goes beyond being a homage to Paper Mario and becomes its own thing entirely, though its roots are obvious from the art style. not that this takes away from it -- Paper Mario is a great legacy, and this manages to be even better. for all its little bad things there are a dozen great ones. I admit I haven't played the classic Paper Mario games, but this made me want more -- I guess I'll have to go back while I hope for Moonsprout Games to continue forward.

[peachhoneii]

On the topic of sexism in DuckTales and female characters/their legacies being dependent/derivative of male characters. What do you think of the reboot’s pattern of female characters needing their male partners to be considered good? Goldie and Gandra's character arcs both revolve around the influence of their male partners to turn to the good side and this would likely continue with Morgana and maybe Red Feathers Galore had they been featured characters.

I don’t know how I feel exactly. I do believe the female characters written in the show were written well but not used in the best way sometimes. Not inherently sexist or anything like that but more...they could’ve done more.

Goldie. Goldie in the comics was a morally ambiguous very greedy and selfish woman who went through an unseen character growth following Scrooge leaving the Klondike. When we see her, she’s older and wiser. She raised orphans. She did that with and without Scrooge’s help.

What I appreciate about the show is that we see her character arc. She has a solid character arc, but it’s disappointing how neglected her character is. We didn’t get a chance for her to integrate into the family. That bummed me out.

Gandra. Gandra wasn’t originally an anti-hero. She just liked Fenton. Like with Fenton, it is interesting to give him a Black Cat to his Spider-Man who ultimately stays good. It was the easiest way to incorporate her into the main plot since the show was more plot driven than episodic.

For both, they always had good in them. They just needed someone to help them remember that about themselves.

Della and Daisy are different. Della is the mom and sister and an independent character who has ties to no man or romantic interest. Daisy, unfortunately, is designated to Donald’s girlfriend. We don’t know much about her beyond her job and relationship with Donald.

Morgana, I actually relate to her a lot. Student loans suck. Femme fatales are fun to write, and when your main character is a “hero” it’s fun to put in that extra drama in. Red Feathers Galore is a VG character, so who knows if she even exists.

Y’know? I would love to watch a whole duckverse show that isn’t focused on any legacy characters. After the reboot, a new show is set in that world and stars an entirely original cast.

[suffering-and-happy-about-it]

Nicole’s rambling: The Watch Dogs Problem

Hey, welcome to my TedX talk about one of the most ambitious games Ubisoft had ever released... And which, for most of the parts, flopped majestically - yet still has players who love it. One such player am I as well. (And I’m not coming back to the game because Raymond Kenney is my first VG crush, shut the hell up.)

I won't be dipping into the side activities (digital trips) and online mode, because I never clicked with it and I don't know much about these parts. And I don't wanna throw shit at the game because of something I don't know a single thing about. Here are my three biggest negatives in the game and the three biggest positives you should play it for.

Also: remember, this is my opinion and my opinion only. It's sure biased, non-professional, but I've played WD more than five times. FIVE. So it's not just blatant nitpicking, because, in its core, WD Is a game I love dearly.

@march-moon​, here you go! :)

Let’s sort out the negatives first so we can later praise the game for what it did well:

1. Predictable and dull AI of enemies (aka going John Wick mode).

Sure, the variety of said enemies is impressive, but... When you get a grenade launcher and some good shotgun, which you can do in the first hour of gameplay if you already know your way with the ctOS bank account system (LOOP IS WHERE THE MONEY'S AT), you're more or less untouchable for the rest of the game. Most conveniently, you're starting with a silenced gun and when you know around your way with the stealth system and focus, which slows time big time for those who might not know, you can clear out Rossi Fremont under two minutes. Why? Because the AI is just dumb and stupid most of the time.

Like, sure, the big-armed guys can be a pain in the ass for the first few encounters, but when you realize all you have to do is throw two grenades at them and fire as many bullets as you have at your disposal, they are dead immediately. And the same goes for the car chases. Until you unlock the almighty power of raising the bridges and blowing up the steampipes, these are just pain in the ass.

The first few ctOS scans and police chases, as well as the enemy chases, are fun. But when ctOS finds you after ten minutes of driving around like a mad man to dodge the shit, sending you off on a ten-minutes lasting chase which simply repeats itself. Let alone that you kill half of the city's population because you fuck up to turn your car.  

To close this point, it gets repetitive, especially with the gang hideouts fuckery.

2. Ubisoft lying not only about the game features, but also about the overall graphics.

This point kinda explains itself, doesn't it? It's a known fact that studios have tendencies to change their games/movies for marketing purposes - for example, Disney and Infinity War or Naughty Dog's 'The Last of Us (Part 2)'. But this being a usual marketing tactic doesn't mean that the consumer should keep their mouth shut when they don't agree with it.

Most noticeable Watch Dogs' fuck-up was an overall graphic downgrade, which, sure, is completely understandable when you have such a huge open-world game, but... Ubisoft showed you a potato mash and all you got was the potato (The biggest point that is made fun of are the trees - those who played the games know what I'm talking about.). 

Also, the enhanced graphics ARE coded in the game, but are not used due to something signed off as ‘playable compatibility’ as far as I can understand, so??

But... They did lie about the in-game features too. They promised a lot more than they delivered, like the bounty hunts and stuff... Where did that go, Ubisoft?

3. The side missions and the story.

Don't take it as such... In my opinion, some of the side missions are fun - at the start. We've talked about gang hideouts, but you have fixer-car-related gigs as well and the first ten of them is very immersive since you don't already know which type of the mission you're up to. Will you be pressured by the time limit? Will you have to race through the city in a car that you can't destroy too much, otherwise it can't be sold on the black market? Will you be a decoy for some other bad people doing bad things? But when you get through this phase... It's the same game system again and again, for 46 times, I think? And the villain convoys... Well. These are fun and refreshing each time, I have to say.

Every time, you can choose a different tactic to toy around with - will you catch up with the baddies sooner, turning this mission into an intense, tight chase experience? Or will you wait for them further on the road, toying around with explosives and guns? Sometimes, they slip past you, which leads to a chase around the city, sometimes you blow up all of the cars perfectly on time, A+. But... You mastered 1/3 types of side mission content.

As for the story, it's not the worst, but it isn't something super-memorable, lifechanging. I am not talking about the idea behind the story (the utopia of having the whole city lead by a system, which enables the corporation to control people's lives without them even knowing), I am talking about the Damien-Aiden-Lena revenge story. It's your daily revenge plot based on Aiden's niece dying in a car crashed after the car being shot at because of a failed job.

The first story mission is mind-blowing. You're thrown into the game and the first thing you have to do is to infiltrate a whole-ass stadium, which feels good, not gonna lie. And the 'prison-break sequence' is also memorable as well. But other than that, it gets real repetitive real fast. 'Follow this person', 'hack this thingy', 'kill this guy', 'tilly that person' and so on is present in every act of the story, which makes things kinda come across as boring after some time. It is what it is.

There are exciting in-game moments, like when Defalt is introduced to the bunch and hacks into the Bunker base, stealing all of your data. But sadly, these story masterpieces tend to be overlooked and not acted on, which takes off some of the immersion potentials. (I know that Defalt's story was saved for the DLC, so it's not the best proof.)

! BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE STORY DOESN'T HAVE GOOD BEATS !

Now, the well-made things for which you should DEFINITELY play this game:

1. Chicago being a videogame city that is alive and the 'collectibles' are extra fun.

Okay, okay, let me explain. Sure, Watch Dogs' Chicago isn't the best area ever constructed in an open-world game. But... The city feels alive, it is changing around you, it never stops. You can find people making out, talking bad about their friend who is not there, you can look into their day-to-day life via something called 'privacy invasion', where you just hack into a camera and... You hear mommy calming down her kid who is crying, you can watch two girls playing Wii, presumably, and many other every day encounters.

NPCs are answering to you being into the city - asking questions on the range from 'Is that the guy from the news?' to straightaway call the cops because you are a mass murderer probably. When you stand in the middle of a road, they honk at you; when you accidentally bump into them, they call you names. It's amazing... And profiling them is even more fun. You can find profiles ranging from 'author of poetry' to 'clinically confirmed pyromaniac' and 'searches for 'feet' on the internet'. This shit is just ridiculous.

But... It's the smallest details you'll fall in love with. You can get on the "L" and it takes you on a ride. You can ride in it for the whole day, or you can get off on the next stop. When you're in the Wards or near Rossi Fremont, you can find dudes just listening to rap, chatting. Some guys force flyers into other people's hands. You can have coffee. The rain somehow feels real, and the nighttime just steals your breath away - and so do the sunsets. There's a part of the city called 'Hobotown', where the local hobos live, there are secret poker tournaments.

Chicago in Watch Dogs is a city with so many minor details that you cant find each of them in one gameplay. In each gameplay, you'll find something new, something that just makes you chuckle - but it's so thoughtful of the developers to even put it in their game. These small details are the ones that make you feel as if you were inside the game, convincing you that the Chicago you're looking at is, indeed, alive.

Then, there are the 'collectibles'. I didn't know how to call it other than that, so bear with me for a minute. There are minor 'side-missions' - for example, you're going after a killer, who is leaving you audios on the places he left one of his victims. There are QR coded which unlock audios that talk about the DedSec hacktivists. In the small 'hack 5 routers in a time limit' quests, you are unlocking one of the Blume's employees audios (Angela Balik's), talking about the files Raymond Kenney had hidden in the code back in the day, talking about the uprising of the Bellwether 'crime' prediction system.

The collectibles aren't everyone's thing, of course, and it won't take any of the Chicago experience when you don't listen to the voicemails or if you simply don't collect them. But, they can immerse you in the game world even more. And to be honest, this is one of the few games that had my ass shook about collecting the additional thingies.

2. The character cast.

Let's be honest, Aiden Pearce on his own isn't the best protagonist in the world. Don't get me bad, I like this game a lot, but he can come across as boring at times. And that's exactly when the character cast comes in to balance Aiden's character. Most of the cast has some sort of an attribute which compels to Aiden's personality very well, completes him in some way.

You have Raymond Kenney, who is a paranoid, rowdy, alcoholic genius who helped with creating ctOS - but has remorse about his history, because he caused the Northeast blackout 2003, killing eleven people. Which can show Aiden how bad can the power over the ctOS system be.

There's Jordi Chin, a prestigious assassin/fixer, who uses the game's darkest humor. Every fucking second Jordi is on screen, it's captivating, immersive and you'll find yourself chuckling at Jordi's jokes, which are definitely out of place. But he still keeps reminding you that he's in for the money, which, in the end, turns against Aiden in a way.

Clara Lille, otherwise known as BadBoy17, is a hacktivist working for the rebellious DedSec who are rebelling against Blume, the company behind ctOS. She seems to be innocent of the violence of getting revenge, but later in the game, Aiden discovers how deeply she was invested in the whole story about Lena.

Each of the characters has a personal connection to Aiden, widening his personality in various ways. Which is funny to watch throughout the story - and there's a ton of other characters I didn't even get into, like Lucky Quinn, Nicky, Jackson, Bed Bug... The characters are simply terrific.

3. The overall soundtrack.

Hear me out, this point is kinda tricky, yeah? I am not talking about the official soundtrack. The radio has some blasts I fell in love throughout playing the game - whether it introduced me to song 'Ms. Crumby' by the Audition, or made me fall in love with the Vampire Weekend, Kid Cudi, or The Vindictives. Yet, in the case of the radio, I tend to sort out a playlist consisting of 4-6 songs (YES? YOU CAN MAKE PLAYLIST INSIDE THE GAME???) which I play on repeat throughout the game.

There's also this masterful thing about the soundtrack sometimes 'forcing' itself into your gameplay, maybe more like 'self-inserting' into the game if you will. The two most memorable encounters of this are when: a) when you're helping Ray Kenney leave the junkyard and Pawnee behind and the 'ring ding piety pow' hardcore metal song plays throughout the final encounter (Jesus Built My Hotrod by Ministry) and b) when you enter Rossi Fremont, the whole time you're going through the building, the rap/hip-hop is playing, making you feel gangsta. (I think it's a song by Wu-Tang Clan, not sure tho).

But... Then it hits you. The in-game hidden soundtrack that sadly wasn't released. At least not officially. It has a reason, worry not - this in-game soundtrack reacts to the player's progress throughout the missions, so it basically plays on a loop. Which is understandable.

The most standing out instance I can talk about is when you enter the small island where the old Blume secret place is hidden on. You and Clara are on a mission searching for legendary sacred place (at least for the hackers) called 'The Bunker'. And my friends... This is when it hits you. The soundtrack feels familiar even when you're playing the game for the first time. This piece just hits differently than any other soundtrack I've heard. Not even Time by Hanz Zimmer has this effect on me, and I LOVE the Inception.

And there's more - the piece of the soundtrack which plays when you're going after Jackson is probably another great example.

BONUS ROUND: 4. The Bad Blood (DLC)

Okay, this had a lot to do with my love for Raymond Kenney and I am not worried to say it out loud. But this DLC is truly a DLC. It only uses the WD world, which was set up in the OG game, as its base - but it isn't its main focus at all. This DLC introduces us to new characters as well as to some we knew already we knew.

In the OG game, Tobias is the mad hobo who sells us cool thingies to play with - and in they managed to show Tobias' full potential, showing us how smart and hilarious, as well as paranoid, this guy is in reality. It deepened Ray's character, revealed Defalt's motivations and the history that tied both of them to the Northeast blackout.

There are also new areas to explore, new things to play with and even if the DLC doesn't do anything too revolutionary with the game's world, it's the best DLC I've played. And I may have enjoyed it more than Aiden's story. But again, I'm pro-Kenney biased, so that's kinda expected of me, ain't it?

PS: I hate Sitara or whatever her name is.