#AC Unity story guide

[damez1979]

Arno TAKES DOWN Louis-Michel le Peletier in the Louvre!

[roppongi-division]

Hypnotic Summer (Sextet Squad Ver.)

[Ren:]

In the heart of summer's blaze, melodies rise, a story untold

Through the rhythm of the city, my legacy unfolds

[Max:]

Whispers of the forest, secrets in the light, a silhouette's quest

Chasing the echoes of a presence, in summer's warmth, I never rest

[Kaiji:]

In the glimmer of the spotlight, a mysterious allure behind the fame

A masquerade of glamour, where intentions remain pure and untamed

[Lovesick:]

From Kobe's vibrant streets, our unity resounds

Lovesick's rhythm, a symphony of summer's profound sounds

[Asato:]

In the summer's heat, a silent beat, melons rise to a strange feat

Fields whisper tales, in the sun's detail, where my stoic smile veils a trail

[Yano:]

Glass sculptures catch the summer's fire, reflecting dreams that never tire

Wherever the stars may conspire, in Toyama's embrace, I'll just fly higher!

[Kensaku:]

Summer's green, in lab serene, where life's elixirs are unseen

With a latte's flair, in the nature's care, my research dares

[ECO BooN:]

We're ECO BooN, summer's green in our monsoon

Under the same sun and moon, our lyrics bloom, a natural boon

[Sextet Squad:]

Oh! Yeah! Oh! Yeah! Oh! Yeah! Oh!

Quash the thoughts running through your mind

It's time for a burning hot show

We're survivors with a sudden burst of motivation

Fire that big flower into the starry sky

And let it bloom just like we planned

Those simpler days

Feel awfully precious now

Dance in the depths of disdain

But trying something new isn't so bad either

[Ace:]

BBQ's glow, football flies, beachside cheers

Summer's liberty, we conquer, with absolutely no frontiers

[Evelyn:]

Beach's calm, sun's embrace, with love, no stress

Okinawa's charm, in summer's dress, we impress!

[Rashaad:]

Bar's alive, cool sips 'neath neon's hum

Summer's patrons find solace, to Eagle's Nest, they come

[Liberty Guild:]

Red, white, and blue, our unity's song

In summer's embrace, Liberty Guild stands strong!

[Akihisa:]

Whiskey on ice, summer's vice, I watch over the crew

In Katsushika's haze, a father's gaze, guiding true

[Touya:]

School's chains break, mischief's wake, with friends I'm free

Summer's spree, we roam, we see, in wild glee!

[Rintaro:]

Summer's heat, I don't skip a beat, I do whatever the fuck I please

Fires catch with ease, in the scorch, that's where I find my peace

[Death Row Block:]

Katsushika's sun, our stories spun, in summer's flame

Death Row Block, we claim our name, in this heated game

[Sextet Squad:]

Oh! Yeah! Oh! Yeah! Oh! Yeah! Oh!

Quash the thoughts running through your mind

It's time for a burning hot show

We're survivors with a sudden burst of motivation

Fire that big flower into the starry sky

And let it bloom just like we planned

Those simpler days

Feel awfully precious now

Dance in the depths of disdain

Drowning in something new sounds nice

[Ryūnnosuke:]

In the dojo's silence, a tempest stirs, my spirit's alight

Summer's rhythm in my blood, a fire burning bright

[Kyō:]

The beach's heartbeat syncs with mine, a perfect harmony

Summer's sentinel, in the tropical symphony

[Naoki:]

In the embrace of the stage's glow, I weave summer's narrative

A tapestry of emotion, in each performance, I live

[Wild Shīnu:]

We are Wild Shīnu, with Naha's heart in our beat

In the summer's fervor, our fiery lyrics meet!

[Nellie:]

Summer's narrative, in my hands, stories weave and laughter lands

Journalist's ink, family's link, in the sun's narrative, we sync

[Eden:]

Guitar's hum, flirts come, in summer's beat, I strum

Stage's charm, arm in arm, in the heat, I spin yarn

[Kaede:]

Sun's caress, even 'zombies' confess, in the light, my tunes progress

Twilight's dance, a chance, in summer's song, I advance

[Trickstar:]

Hamamatsu's heat, in summer's feat, our lyrics meet

City's tale, in the sun's veil, we sail, in the summer gale

[Sextet Squad:]

Oh! Yeah! Oh! Yeah! Oh! Yeah! Oh!

Quash the thoughts running through your mind

It's time for a burning hot show

We're survivors with a sudden burst of motivation

Fire that big flower into the starry sky

And let it bloom just like we planned

Those simpler days

Feel awfully precious now

Dance in the depths of disdain

We don't mind trying something new

Oh! Ey! Oh! Oh! Ey! Oh!

Oh! Ey! Oh! Oh! Ey! Oh!

Who needs cheap tricks when you have Hypnosis Mics?

Everything's mixed and shaken in this special take

Who needs cheap tricks when you have Hypnosis Mics?

Everything's mixed and shaken in this special take

Quash the thoughts running through your mind

It's time for a burning hot show

We're survivors with a sudden burst of motivation

Fire that big flower into the starry sky

And let it bloom just like we planned

Those simpler days

Feel awfully precious now

Dance in the depths of disdain

But trying something new isn't so bad either

Ow!

@kobedivision @toyama-division @okinawa-division @katsushika-division @naha-division @hamamatsu-divison

[wasteland-soul-project]

Here's an insano list that will be continually updated so I have an online record of all that Im currently receptive to include. Consider this spoilers actually.

Greens got a spot on the timeline finalized.

White is sorted by era for workload

Agar.io, Saurian,Ancestors,Far Cry,Civ,History channel,The sumerian game,Hammurabi,Ass cred,Ryse son of rome,Ghost of Tsushima,evil dead,Kingdom come deliverance,western gun,Turok,Oregon trail,Samurai western,Call of Juarez,Red Dead Revolver,GUN,This land is my land,Bioshock Infinite,Valiant Hearts,Call of cthulhu,Sea wolf,Battlefield,Mafia, front line, endless war, the saboteur,Medal of honor,Call of Dutygenesisnoir,Capcom 1942,Commando,Castle wolfenstein?The incredibles,Cathode ray tube amusemen device,La Noire remember da whorient,Bertie the Brain,Nimrod,Destroy All humans,Christophers draughts,Fonzie road race,Atomic Heart,Tennis for two, gta,Spy hunter ,Spacewar!, xcom, metal gear, resident evil, 1967 world series, team fortress, afterburner, galaxy game, computer space, pong, silent hill, night driver, elevator action, E.T, space ace, uncharted, firewatch, jalopy, contra, gone home, portal, postal, prey, max Payne, illbleed, blood, FEAR, venture bros, manhunt, dead island, dead rising, kane and lynch , bully, cherry 2000, hell comes to frog town, burt reynolds flick, socom, saints row, mercenaries, half life,Alpha protocol,Outlast,Life is strange,Payday,Sleeping Dogs,Lollipop Chainsaw,Duck dynasty, hatred, tomb raider, Evil within,Dying light, edith finch, control, trad meme, alaskan road trucker, tume pilot, disco elysium, octodad, tacoma,Van Buren Tech Demo,Five lesbians eating quiche, thag cute radioactive couple,Fallout: Zero,System Shock,One man and a crate of puppets,Fallout: Frost,Wasteland,Fallout nevada,Atom RPG,Metro,Soma,Ashes twentysixty three,Fountain of Dreams ,Organ Trail,Employee of the month,Fallout 1.5 Resurrection,Squidward suicide,Stray,Horizon,Fallout Yesterday,Jazzpunk,xcom classic, breaking badFallout New Califnornia,Mad Max,Hwarts of Iron OWB, soace station 13,Storyteller,Fallout Lanius,Fallout nuka breakFallout 4 miami,All roads,Death Stranding,Morrowind,Outer Worlds

Fallout minecraft map,Fallout:Dust

Post war:Spongebob, 60 seconds, the story must be told, fallout revelation, starcraft, space quest, dead space, broken roads, breath of death, star heroine, mass effect

Prewar: 2050+, idealized-era retroscifi jetsons, overwatch, series of unfortunate events, deathloop, f zero x, afro samurai, thief reboot

Prewar 2025-50, dystopia class struggle sci fi deus ex, cyberpunk, mirrors edge, cruelty squad, final fantasy

Pre war (big mess of speculative future) home front,dishonored, naissancE, space station 13, crackdown, timesplitters, kentucky route zero, red faction, dreambreak, attack of the saucermen, metal slug

My lived yearss that one 4chan comic in france, plants vs zombies ,the boys, slender, sniper assassin, stalker, hitman, the quarry, pandemic 2, black watchmen, alien hominid, police quest, tony hawk, ape out, ace attorney, the beginners guide, arma, aemy of teo , chimamande adichi, crysis, just cause, just dance, prototype, skate, various sports, dangenrampa, true crime, post void, burger tycoon, dino crisis, the cat lady downfall devil went through here lorelei, science adventure, goldsrc counter strike, detectives united, deadly premonition, freedom fighters, eternal darkness, unboxing, that unity game abt the painting, subnautica, perfect dark, famicon wars, the darkness, captain underpants

1900s fnaf, calvin and hobbes, papers please, mother, zaxxon, heros journey, stalin vs martians, x files, tom clancy, spec ops, gorillaz, the sims, GI Joe, leisure suit larry, pathologic, cold war game, hammer and sickle, jurassic park, evil dead, james bond Tropico, sims city, ikari warriors, spy hunter, time crisis, alone in the dark, syphon filter, gabriek knight, arma cold war, chinua achebe, camara laye, persona, shenmu, yakuza, brothers in arms, company of heroes, punchout, operation flashpoint, professor layton, sniper ghost warrior, sniper elite, undying, stanley parable, hotline miam, war in the east, wings of orey, men of war, 9th company, red orchestra, iron front, death to spies, mother russia bleeds, roller coaster tycoon, counterspy, esrls day off , gaiden, shin megami, suda 57, fatal frame, gorogoa, hotel room dusk

1800s thief, amnesia, samurai champloo, jojo, dark pictures anthology, wadjet games multiverse, bloodborne

1500s sekiro

1400s Europa Universalis

1300s Demons souls classic

1100s lionheart

1000s crusader kings, chrono trigger

800s prince of persia

200 silk

100 romanc eof the three kingdoms, dynasty warriors

Ancient 0ad, pharoah, the scorpion king, sphynx and the cursed mummy, age if mythology, noahs ark, empire esrth, rise of nations, total war, tak and the power of juju, hades

Cavepeople: dawn of man, jawa mammoth, age of empires, tork, tail of the sun, echo secrets of the lost cavern,roots of patcha

Old af: jurassic the hunted, nanosaur, a prehistoric tale, id software timeline, AVP TIMELINE OLD AF, evo, evolution games of itnelligent ligr, lynn margulis, civ dinosaur war like cthulhu mythos, robert howard books, cthukhu saves, DC, Marvel

[daytour89]

Delhi Agra Jaipur 3 Days Golden Triangle tour by Day Tour Agra Company.

Delhi Agra Jaipur 3 Days Golden Triangle Tour by Day Tour Agra Company

Are you ready for an unforgettable journey through India’s cultural, historical, and architectural heartland? The Delhi Agra Jaipur 3 Days Golden Triangle Tour by Day Tour Agra Company is your perfect opportunity to explore the essence of North India. With carefully crafted itineraries, luxury transport, expert guides, and comfortable stays, this tour blends history, heritage, and hospitality—creating a magical experience over three enriching days.

Day 1: Delhi Sightseeing – The City of Contrasts

Your adventure begins in Delhi, India’s vibrant capital, where ancient Mughal-era monuments stand side-by-side with colonial and modern architecture.

✅ Pick-up from Airport/Hotel Day Tour Agra Company ensures a hassle-free start with a comfortable private car and a professional driver-guide who meets you at your preferred location.

✅ Red Fort (Drive Past) – While entry isn’t included, a photo stop near this massive fort is a great way to start your day.

✅ Jama Masjid – One of the largest mosques in India, this architectural wonder was built by Shah Jahan.

✅ Rickshaw Ride in Chandni Chowk – Feel the pulse of Old Delhi as you ride through its narrow, bustling lanes.

✅ Raj Ghat – Pay tribute at the serene memorial of Mahatma Gandhi.

✅ India Gate & Parliament House (Photo Stops) – Drive past these iconic landmarks that represent British-era Delhi.

✅ Qutub Minar & Humayun’s Tomb – Both UNESCO sites are masterpieces of Indo-Islamic architecture.

✅ Lotus Temple (Bahá'í House of Worship) – Admire this modern symbol of unity in diversity.

📍 Overnight Stay in Delhi or Drive to Agra (optional)

Day 2: Agra – The City of Eternal Love

Early morning, you’ll head towards Agra via the Yamuna Expressway, reaching in time for a magical sunrise.

✅ Taj Mahal at Sunrise – No words can do justice to this moment. Watching the sun light up the marble dome is an unforgettable sight. Your expert guide shares the love story behind this wonder of the world.

✅ Breakfast at a 5-Star Hotel – Refresh and enjoy a lavish breakfast.

✅ Agra Fort – Explore this red sandstone marvel, home to emperors and their grand visions.

✅ Itimad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj) – Often missed by regular tourists, this hidden gem offers delicate beauty and peaceful surroundings.

🛣️ After sightseeing, drive to Jaipur, the Pink City (approx. 4–5 hours drive), stopping at Fatehpur Sikri en route if time permits.

📍 Overnight Stay in Jaipur

Day 3: Jaipur – The Pink Jewel of Rajasthan

Jaipur welcomes you with colors, culture, and Rajput grandeur.

✅ Amber Fort – Start your day with a visit to this majestic hilltop fort. Enjoy an elephant ride or jeep ride to the entrance.

✅ Jal Mahal (Water Palace) – Stop by this palace floating in the middle of Man Sagar Lake for some beautiful photos.

✅ City Palace – A blend of Mughal and Rajasthani design, the palace complex offers museums, courtyards, and royal residences.

✅ Jantar Mantar – This UNESCO site is a fascinating astronomical observatory.

✅ Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) – Capture Instagram-worthy shots of this honeycomb-like structure from the outside.

✅ Shopping in Jaipur – Explore local markets for handicrafts, textiles, gemstones, and traditional Rajasthani souvenirs.

🚗 By evening, drive back to Delhi and drop off at the airport or hotel, marking the end of a magical journey.

What’s Included in the Golden Triangle Tour?

Private AC vehicle with driver for the full tour

Hotel pick-up & drop-off

2 Nights’ Hotel Accommodation (if opted)

Monument entry tickets (optional all-inclusive package)

Licensed English-speaking guides in each city

Daily breakfast at hotel (if accommodation included)

Bottled water and Wi-Fi in the car

24x7 customer support from Day Tour Agra Company

Why Book with Day Tour Agra Company?

✅ Professionalism – On-time pickups, experienced guides, and safe driving

✅ Customization – Modify the itinerary based on your interests

✅ Comfort – Premium vehicles and hand-picked hotels

✅ Affordable Luxury – Value-packed itineraries without compromising on quality

✅ Local Insight – Real stories, hidden gems, and cultural tips

Tips for Travelers

Carry your valid ID proof for hotel check-ins and monument entry

Wear comfortable walking shoes and sunscreen

Pack light and carry a camera—you’ll want to capture everything

Learn a few Hindi phrases for fun interactions with locals

Respect local customs and dress modestly at temples and mosques

Final Thoughts

The Delhi Agra Jaipur 3 Days Golden Triangle Tour by Day Tour Agra Company is more than just a tour—it’s a deep dive into India’s soul. In just three days, you’ll explore the splendor of empires, the romance of the Taj Mahal, the colors of Jaipur, and the spirit of Delhi. With every turn, every monument, and every smile, you’ll take home not just photos—but unforgettable stories.

FAQs

1. Can this tour start in Jaipur or Agra instead of Delhi? Yes! The itinerary can be customized as per your preferred city of arrival.

2. Are monument entry tickets included? They are optional. You can choose an all-inclusive package or pay on the spot.

3. What type of vehicle is used? You’ll travel in a private, air-conditioned car—Sedan or SUV based on group size.

4. Is accommodation included? Yes, if you opt for the package with hotels. You can also book your own hotels if you prefer.

5. Can we extend the tour to include other cities like Varanasi or Ranthambore? Absolutely! The tour is fully customizable to add more days and destinations.

[seoprivatetourguide]

Golden triangle tour 3 days by Private Tour Guide India Company.

Golden Triangle Tour 3 Days by Private Tour Guide India Company

Looking for the ultimate India travel experience but short on time? The Golden Triangle Tour 3 Days by Private Tour Guide India Company gives you a royal taste of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur—three of India's most iconic cities—packed into one thrilling journey.

This tour is perfect for first-time visitors, travel enthusiasts, and even business travelers looking to make the most of a short stay in India. From majestic palaces and ancient forts to bustling markets and local food—you’ll witness it all with expert guides, comfortable rides, and curated moments.

Day 1: Explore the Heart of India – Delhi

🏙️ Pickup & Start Your Adventure

Your private car and experienced driver will pick you up from the airport or your hotel in Delhi. Let’s kick things off with a journey through Old and New Delhi, where the ancient meets the modern.

🕌 Top Attractions You’ll Visit:

Jama Masjid – One of the largest mosques in India

Rickshaw Ride in Chandni Chowk – Through narrow lanes of Old Delhi

Raj Ghat – The memorial of Mahatma Gandhi

India Gate – Iconic war memorial and photo stop

Presidential Palace & Parliament House – Drive-past of Lutyens’ Delhi

Qutub Minar – UNESCO World Heritage Site

Lotus Temple – Symbol of peace and unity

Humayun’s Tomb – Mughal marvel and architectural inspiration for the Taj

By evening, relax in your pre-booked hotel or head toward Agra for an overnight stay, depending on your preference.

Day 2: Agra – The City of Eternal Love

🌄 Sunrise Visit to the Taj Mahal

Your day begins with a breathtaking sunrise view of the Taj Mahal, bathed in soft morning light—an unforgettable sight and a highlight of the tour.

🏰 Other Key Sites:

Agra Fort – A massive red sandstone fort where emperors lived and ruled

Itmad-ud-Daulah (Baby Taj) – A beautiful marble tomb, often a hidden gem

Mehtab Bagh – Garden with a stunning rear view of the Taj Mahal (optional)

Enjoy a delicious local lunch, explore a few artisan workshops (like marble inlay or leather goods), then begin your drive to Jaipur, also known as the Pink City. Option for a quick stop at Fatehpur Sikri, the abandoned Mughal capital, en route.

Check in at your Jaipur hotel for a well-deserved rest.

Day 3: Jaipur – The Royal City of Rajasthan

🏯 Start with Amber Fort

After breakfast, explore the incredible Amber Fort, a hilltop palace with mirror-filled halls, courtyards, and royal stories that echo through its walls. Take a jeep ride up to the fort for ease and fun.

🏛️ City Sights Include:

Jal Mahal – The water palace floating in Man Sagar Lake

City Palace – A royal residence turned into a museum of art and armor

Jantar Mantar – Ancient observatory that still tells accurate time

Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) – Jaipur’s most famous façade with 953 windows

Enjoy lunch at a traditional Rajasthani restaurant and try classics like dal baati churma, ker sangri, or gatte ki sabzi.

If time permits, shop in the vibrant bazaars—Bapu Bazaar, Johari Bazaar—for textiles, jewelry, and souvenirs.

By evening, begin your return drive to Delhi or opt for a drop-off at Jaipur Airport (as per your travel plan).

What’s Included in the Tour:

🚗 Private AC car with chauffeur throughout the tour

🧑‍🏫 Professional local tour guides in each city

🏨 Hotel accommodations (optional or as per request)

🚿 Bottled water, fuel charges, parking, and toll taxes

🎟️ Monument entry tickets (optional inclusion)

📞 24/7 support and assistance during the trip

Why Choose Private Tour Guide India Company?

⭐ 1000+ Happy Travelers

🧭 100% Customizable Tours

🕰️ Timely pickups and professional coordination

🌎 Multilingual guides available

🧼 Clean, sanitized vehicles and reliable drivers

🧳 Hassle-free, all-inclusive travel experience

Customizations Available

Want a luxury hotel? Prefer a vegetarian-only food plan? Need an early airport drop? No problem. The Golden Triangle Tour 3 Days can be tailored exactly to fit your schedule, budget, and interests.

What to Bring

Valid ID/passport

Sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen

Camera or phone with plenty of storage

Comfortable walking shoes

Light luggage for easy travel

Best Time to Visit

The best months are October to March when the weather is pleasant. However, the tour runs year-round, with air-conditioned vehicles keeping you cool even in summer.

Conclusion: 3 Days, 3 Cities, Infinite Memories

The Golden Triangle Tour 3 Days by Private Tour Guide India Company is a deep dive into India’s past, culture, and diversity—all in just 72 hours. Perfectly paced, professionally guided, and completely private, this tour ensures you experience the magic of India with zero stress and maximum joy.

Whether it’s your first trip or your tenth, these three cities always offer something new. Ready to explore?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can the tour start from Jaipur instead of Delhi? Yes, the tour is fully customizable—you can start or end at any city.

2. Are accommodations included in the price? They can be included or left for you to book separately—your choice.

3. Is the tour suitable for senior citizens and children? Absolutely. The itinerary is flexible and senior-friendly.

4. What kind of car is provided? Sedans, SUVs, or luxury cars depending on your group size and preference.

5. Is it safe for solo travelers? Yes. Safety and comfort are top priorities, and solo travelers are very welcome.

[noisycowboyglitter]

The Demisexual Pride Flag: A Guide to Its Design and Meaning

The Demisexual Pride Flag represents individuals who identify as demisexual, a sexual orientation characterized by the experience of sexual attraction only after forming a strong emotional bond. The flag features four horizontal stripes: black, gray, white, and purple. The black stripe symbolizes asexuality, while the gray stripe represents the gray area between sexual and asexual orientations. The white

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stripe signifies sexual attraction, and the purple stripe embodies the community of demisexual individuals. This flag serves as a powerful symbol of visibility and acceptance for those who may feel misunderstood or overlooked within the broader LGBTQ+ spectrum. Celebrating Demisexual Pride fosters a sense of belonging and encourages open conversations about diverse sexual identities. By displaying this flag, individuals and communities advocate for recognition and respect, helping to create a world where all sexual orientations are honored and embraced.

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Funny LGBT Pride celebrates the vibrant and diverse community through humor and creativity, combining laughter with advocacy. This unique approach emphasizes the importance of joy and self-expression within the LGBTQ+ movement. Humorous elements often include witty slogans, playful designs, and lighthearted parodies that challenge stereotypes while promoting inclusivity. From colorful T-shirts featuring clever puns to pride parades filled with funny floats and costumes, the spirit of humor enhances the celebration of identity and acceptance.

Comedians and artists within the community often use satire and comedy to address serious issues, making them more approachable and engaging. Events like drag shows and stand-up performances showcase the talent and creativity of LGBTQ+ individuals, allowing them to share their stories in entertaining ways.

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Funny LGBT Pride also serves as a reminder that joy and laughter are essential parts of resilience, helping to foster a sense of belonging. By embracing humor, the community not only honors its history but also promotes unity, encouraging everyone to celebrate their identities with pride and a smile.

Demi Ace Asexual refers to individuals who identify as both demisexual and asexual. Demisexuality involves experiencing sexual attraction only after forming a deep emotional connection, while asexuality signifies a lack of sexual attraction to others. For those who identify as demi ace, sexual attraction may occur, but only in specific contexts where strong emotional bonds exist. This identity highlights the spectrum of sexual orientations, emphasizing that

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attraction can be nuanced and complex. Being demi ace can create a unique experience in relationships, as individuals navigate their needs for emotional intimacy alongside their asexuality. Understanding and acceptance of this identity promote greater visibility within the LGBTQ+ community, fostering discussions about the diversity of human experiences in love and attraction.

[maacsatara]

Creating Immersive Environments: Techniques for Game Designers

In the realm of game design, crafting immersive environments is paramount to drawing players into captivating virtual worlds. Aspiring game designers often receive comprehensive training in these techniques at renowned game design institutes in Pune, honing their skills to create captivating virtual worlds. A well-designed environment can evoke emotions, tell stories, and provide a sense of wonder. This article delves into the techniques game designers employ to create immersive environments that leave a lasting impact on players.

Visual Design:

Art Style: The visual style sets the tone and atmosphere of the environment. Whether it's a realistic, stylized, or abstract approach, the art style should be consistent and complement the game's theme and genre.

Level Design: Level design involves creating the layout and structure of the environment. This includes considering the placement of objects, pathways, landmarks, and areas of interest to guide the player's exploration and create a sense of discovery.

Detailing: Adding intricate details to the environment, such as textures, props, and environmental storytelling elements, can enhance immersion by making the world feel lived-in and believable.

Lighting: Lighting is a powerful tool for creating atmosphere and guiding the player's attention. Dynamic lighting can add drama and realism, while carefully placed light sources can highlight important areas or create a sense of mystery.

Sound Design:

Ambient Sounds: Background sounds, such as wind rustling through leaves, water trickling in a stream, or distant animal calls, can immerse players in the environment and make it feel alive.

Sound Effects: Sound effects associated with actions, interactions, and events within the environment provide feedback and enhance the sense of realism. Footsteps echoing in a cave, the clang of a sword hitting a shield, or the creak of a door opening all contribute to the immersive experience.

Music: Music can evoke emotions and set the mood for a scene or environment. A haunting melody can create a sense of suspense, while an upbeat track can inspire adventure.

Gameplay Integration:

Environmental Storytelling: Incorporating visual and auditory cues within the environment can tell a story about its history, inhabitants, or current events. This can be achieved through environmental details, graffiti, scattered objects, or even subtle sound effects.

Interactivity: Interactive elements within the environment, such as puzzles, hidden secrets, or dynamic events, can encourage exploration and reward curiosity.

Challenges and Obstacles: Incorporating challenges and obstacles that fit naturally within the environment can enhance engagement and provide a sense of accomplishment when overcome.

Technology and Tools:

Game Engines: Game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine provide powerful tools for creating and rendering immersive environments. They offer features like terrain generation, dynamic lighting, and physics simulations, making it easier for designers to realize their visions.

Procedural Generation: Procedural generation algorithms can be used to create vast and varied environments without the need for manual design of every detail. This can save time and resources while ensuring that the environment feels unique and expansive.

Virtual Reality (VR): VR technology offers the potential for unprecedented immersion by placing the player directly inside the game world. With the right design choices, VR can create a sense of presence and realism that is unmatched by traditional displays.

Challenges in Creating Immersive Environments:

Balancing Realism and Performance: Achieving a high level of visual fidelity and realism can be computationally demanding. Designers must carefully balance visual quality with performance to ensure smooth gameplay.

Technical Limitations: Hardware limitations can constrain the level of detail and complexity that can be achieved in an environment. Designers must find creative solutions to work within these limitations.

Maintaining Consistency: Ensuring that the environment feels cohesive and consistent throughout the game requires careful planning and attention to detail.

Creating immersive environments is a multifaceted endeavor that requires a blend of artistic vision, technical skill, and a deep understanding of player psychology. By utilizing a combination of visual design, sound design, gameplay integration, and cutting-edge technology, game designers can craft virtual worlds that captivate players and leave a lasting impression. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative and immersive environments in the future, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in interactive entertainment.

[chika-the-terrible]

HP x AC AU?

I know this has probably been done to death, but Harry being raised by people other than the Dursleys can always lead to some interesting takes, and here’s my contribution to that.

Do note that I haven’t played all of the AC games yet, certainly not Black Flag, Unity, or Rogue, so I apologize if some things are OOC for the Assassins. It’s also been a long while since I read the HP books or watched the movies, so sorry in advance if the information is inaccurate.

Working Title: With Accidents, You’ll Never Know What Could Happen

Main Idea: Basically, Harry is raised by the Assassins, but not just any Assassins. I’m thinking, maybe because of a Time Turner or a Piece of Eden or something, you have most of the main Assassins (Altaïr, Ezio, Connor, Edward, Arno, Jacob, and Evie) finding themselves in England in the 1980s. Huge differing team-up, but they’re all trying to survive in a time period they don’t understand and so try to make the best of it. And then they come across Harry, who is not being treated well by the Dursleys, and so they kinda just steal Harry and make him their own kid. After that, shenanigans ensue.

Here are some of my ideas, pre-Hogwarts:

Everyone kinda agrees that Jacob and Evie are the de facto guides, since they lived in the time period closest to the present and they lived in London, but they aren’t the ‘leaders.’ That job goes more to Ezio and Altaïr.

Their first priorities are to find a place to stay and get jobs. Once they have those covered, they can start figuring out what happened and how they can get back to their own times.

Altaïr, Ezio, and Arno know some English but not a lot, so it’s kinda up to Evie to help fill in the gaps, since I imagine she also studied languages with her assassin training and because it seems a little unlikely to me that the three knew a lot of English. My thought is that the Animus translated most of the language when playing as them, so they don’t actually know a lot. Until everyone can understand each other better, Evie helps act as translator and mediator.

While I haven’t had the chance to play Black Flag yet, I have a feeling that Edward and Jacob would immediately start butting heads because of their personalities and so a small rift might start between them. Also, Edward has no idea that Connor’s his grandson and Connor plans on keeping it that way until he knows Edward more so he can make the decision to trust him.

It’s after they’ve had a chance to settle in and get jobs that they come across Harry. Harry’s either been left behind or they see the Dursleys not treating Harry right and so they step in. It’s immediately understood between all of them that they can’t return Harry to the Dursleys and so they make up a new identity for him, making him Jacob’s son to make it more believable.

Everyone takes turns caring for Harry. Some feel more awkward about it than others, but they all enjoy Harry’s presence. And since there’s seven of them, each one takes a day to care for Harry and try to teach him their own things. For example, Edward tries to teach Harry about being a pirate and ships and tells him stories, and Ezio teaches Harry some Italian and talks way too much about Leonardo da Vinci.

Over the years, Harry learns a lot from the Assassins. He learns their  languages and histories before he enters primary school, among other things, and most of the Assassins just want to keep him innocent from their actual profession. Unsurprisingly, it’s Altaïr who first advocates against this, but not because it’s how he was raised. He understands that, while the world is different, it’s still plenty dangerous, so Harry should be prepared. Connor agrees with this and Ezio is soon swayed to their side because he can also see the benefits. Jacob and Evie are vehemently against it because of their own upbringing as Assassins and they don’t want Harry to go through the same thing. Not sure what sides Arno and Edward would be on, but the issue leaves the group divided until the magical world makes itself known. It especially becomes a non-issue once they learn how big of a target Harry has on his back.

Harry’s powers do spark up sometimes while he grows up with the Assassins but it’s never anything big, so they don’t make too much of a fuss over it. It’s only after they get the owl letter and someone comes to see them that they see that the Precursors weren’t the only strangers in the world.

[cosmiciaria]

Assasin’s Creed III Remaster review - Spoilers! - Long post!

I wanted to keep this spoiler free, but as this game is such a narrative experience, I don't think I'll be able to. I'll try to keep them at minimum, but be warned: there are major spoilers ahead. By the way, this game is almost a decade old, so y'all had plenty of time to get spoiled beforehand. And if you're reading this, it's because you like this game and you probably know how it ends.

Review under the cut because this is way too long. 

As always, I express my feelings and impressions regarding my experience with a game – I write it because I like writing reviews instead of, I don't know, recording a video for YouTube. I'm not a YouTuber and I feel safer behind a keyboard where people don't point out about my weird accent (the accent every Hispanic person has when they speak English). Since the pandemic started, I found refuge and comfort in AC games, with Syndicate being my first contact with the franchise, and Unity solidifying my love for it. I found strength and weaknesses in all the installments I've played, which are almost all of them by now (excluding the first AC with Altaïr, the new saga with Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla, and Rogue). I've also platinumed three of those games I've played, and I'm on my way to platinum this one, so I think I can speak from a deep fan standpoint by now.

Since Syndicate, I studied from up close each of the protagonists of the mainline games. I felt drawn to Arno because he looked like one of my oc's (and his girlfriend looked like my oc's girlfriend as well); I wanted to learn about Ezio because he's a fan favorite; I wasn't at all impressed by Edward but ended up growing fond of him; I respect Altaïr for what he means to the Brotherhood; but I can safely say, that I haven't felt as attracted to a main AC protagonist as I felt with Connor.

From the moment I knew he was a native American (such a bold choice, it seemed for me) I felt instant attraction – but not the, idk, physical (he's a cutie I give it to you), but because of what he could bring about as a main character. A perspective we don't usually get to see, and personally, as I'm not American, a point of view to educate me on a different side of history. I wanted to see what they could do with him as the star of the game, I wanted to play with him and understand how someone like him could rise up and become a protagonist of such a well known and beloved saga of games. I applaud this decision from Ubisoft, whether they did it because they wanted to look progressive or not, I don't care, I'll always cherish that the protagonist of a famous videogame is a Mohawk. And with the American Revolution as the main stage, no less. Such an important scenario to strengthen the virtue of independence, patriotism and love for a country, going hand in hand with a character that represents America even more than the Founding Fathers.

(Also I'm a Hamilton Fan Trademark so I couldn't stop singing random parts of songs while playing this game, it was a nightmare every time Lafayette appeared on screen because I JUST HAD TO start mumbling Guns and Ships)

I lunged blindly into this game – I'd only spoiled myself the very ending because I played Black Flag before – so imagine my surprise when I first saw Haytham, Connor's father, as the main protagonist.

So here's the deal. Let's clear this out of the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed the game. It was what I expected and more.

But.

Yes, there's always a but in AC games, you know the drill.

As I kept playing with Haytham, charming though he was, I kept thinking to myself "ok but when does Connor come into play". I also already knew Haytham was a Templar, so the end of the first few sequences didn't catch me by surprise – actually, what caught me by surprise was that there was no mention of Assassins or Templars during the "prologue" with Haytham, instead you're left to believe they're all Assassins until he prays to the Father of Understanding and you realize with a gasp "oH NoO!".

You play with Haytham the first three sequences. One of these have the most memories out all of the sequences more or less. This whole thing can take up to three to five hours depending on how much time you wish to put into exploring or completing the optional objectives. And still no signs of Connor.

Connor does come eventually – as a child – by sequence 4. It's not until the end of sequence 5 that you get to play as (almost) adult Assassin Connor, so maybe five or six or even seven hours into the game and you're barely starting.

I know what they did here. I understand. And this is what I meant when I said they were going for a 'narrative experience'. To make you play as Haytham before, to lure you into a false sense of safety believing he was an Assassin working for a just cause, to make you feel invested in his relationship with Ziio – only to discover he's one of the bad guys, that will eventually give birth to our true hero of the game – it sediments everything perfectly. It tells you everything you need to know to understand these characters and their motivations. I can see where they're going and some of it can be quite predictable, but it was done right. On the narrative aspect at least.

I got used to Haytham by the time we switch to Connor, we're used to his cloak and his three pointed hat – his accent, his sassiness, his everything. You grow fond of him and you think, hey, maybe it isn't so bad to not play as Connor, I can roll with this – until the sudden change happens. The game completed its purpose: let you know and care for Haytham, only to strip him away from your hands and bring you the real protagonist with an interesting background that didn't need to be told, but it was instead shown to us players. What a better way to tell a story.

But the problem is – most of Haytham's memories are fillers. For starters, the very first memory where you appear in the opera house (similar to that one at the end of Black Flag… mmm) serves as a tutorial for climbing and killing with the hidden blade. Then the whole memory on the ship to Boston – completely expendable and removable, the story doesn't suffer from it. All the memories used with Haytham as tutorials – how to shield from an open line of fire, how to use ranged weapons, how to sneak and find stores and viewpoints, how to use horses and walk on snow, fricking Ben Franklin – everything, everything could've blended in better. You could still tell the story you wanted in only one sequence playing with Haytham, and end it the way it does end in sequence 3, without avoiding any important detail to frame Connor's backstory as well – but instead, this part with Haytham does feel like it overstays its welcome, and by the end you're just hoping it ends soon, it drags on for too long, and there's no real sense of thread pulling the strings together here, everything just kind of 'happens'.

But the never-ending prologue doesn't end there (badam tum tsss), because Connor still isn't an Assassin. Connor is not Connor actually, as I had been led to believe prior to playing this game: his real name is Ratonhnhaké:ton, which I wish it was used more often than it was. Ratonhnhaké:ton is like four or five years old when you first play with him, and his village is assaulted by what we assume are Charles Lee's men, a Templar and companion to Haytham. Ratonhnhaké:ton swears revenge upon these putrid British invaders and he grows up resenting the death of his mother, who died in the fire provoked by these Templars.

Not even knowing what a Templar or an Assassin is, Ratonhnhaké:ton is sent by one of "the spirit guides" (actually, Juno, one of the Precursor people) to seek the Brotherhood. When he's around 14, he sets out of his village into the wide world and finds Achilles, who will become his Assassin mentor – that is, after completing a set of tasks that yet again seem to go on forever. Ratonhnhaké:ton turns into Connor to cover his true origins, a name I thought it was random, but by the end I realized how wrong I was.

It isn't until Connor turns 17 that he becomes a fully-fledged Assassin – and you might think, well, Ezio became an Assassin at the same age – yes, but it didn't take him five sequences to reach there. I can't believe I'm defending Ezio.

It's not that I didn't enjoy playing as Connor when he was a kid, no, and I also don't think that part of the game should be skipped since it shows his people, family and friends – maybe comprised, yes, into only one sequence – the real problem here is the fact that first you need to play what could be considered the longest prologue ever, even longer than Kingdom Hearts 2's one, and you're teased with grasping the real protagonist but no, because there's still more 'prologue' to cover with Connor's rise to the Brotherhood. The real, real story, begins in sequence 6, and even then you still have a lot of tutorials to listen from the NPC on duty.

And if you do the maths – you're halfway through the game – halfway! – and you're just starting. The game has twelve sequences and the meat of the plot is on the last six. Then, why did I play all the previous parts?

For the 'narrative experience' thing I talked about. They wanted to lay the groundwork for a better, compelling storytelling, and I can appreciate it, but not when it hinders the pace of the game this way.

That is, certainly, my biggest issue with the game. The pace. If you're going to give me such a slow start, introducing characters non-stop, and only give me resolutions, discoveries and action packed sequences on the later half, then the story isn't balanced at all – I understand that at some points you need to slow down and sink in what's going on; you can't also introduce ten characters in one cutscene because that's just bad story telling – but the memories of this game are clearly not well organized and weren't thought with the player in mind, but rather with the story in mind. To think that the first mission you do as a full Assassin is to receive more and more tutorials on how the fast travel points work and how you can lower your notoriety (as far as gameplay goes in this mission, it's only walking around at a slug's pace to follow the NPC giving you instructions) it does feel like a slap in the face after all the things and hours and effort you put into it to finally reaching this point (which, I remind you, it's by sequence six!).

It's at this point where I can't blame people for not following through with this game. I have plenty of friends who abandoned it even before reaching this part. And I found myself having trouble to return to it: I only wanted to go back to it because I knew I had to like Connor, I knew he wouldn't disappoint me as a character.

Boy, was I RIGHT!

Now, to be honest, I may be biased, like I said: I was instantly attracted to Connor due to his backstory and I wished to see what he could bring to the table. And I have to say, he didn't disappoint me at all.

Maybe you know or maybe you don't, but up until this point, my fave Assassin was Arno: he showed weaknesses and he suffered the consequences of his actions, to the point of no return, that rendered him vulnerable and a mere human being. And I love me a good vulnerable character who knows their limits and strives to get out of that pit. I love me a good, compelling character that has growth and agency and isn't made of cardboard or has a one-dimensional personality. And Connor delivered on this front.

Connor might very well be my new fave Assassin. I'm sorry, Arno. I still love you babe. But Connor… I never found myself rooting for a character more than I did with him. I wanted him to succeed, I wanted his people to be saved, I wanted to see his ideals become a reality – and he's got so much agency, he's a storm when he comes into a scene, his naivety mixed with the brutality of his killings, the simplicity of his reasonings – he's an idealist, and he fights for it, whether we like it or not, and that devotion to his own creed is at least respectable, let alone admirable. He's never downplayed for his upbringing or his ethnicity, he works among the most notorious people as if he was another one of them, he's well respected in his community, he shows kindness and always offers a helping hand to those in need, but never doubts to plunge his blade into this opponent's throats, fearlessly, he doesn't mind telling George Friking Washington to shut the hell up and not follow him because he'll kill him (there's such a pleasure in a native reprimanding enslaver Washington) – he's, simply put, a great hero.

I've seen many complain that he's boring, or that the actor who played him, Noah Watts, delivered lines in an emotionless way – the only thing that could make him 'boring' is the fact that he's not a lady's man like Ezio was, and to my eyes that's a plus. He speaks slowly and modulates well in English because that's not his mother tongue, and I can appreciate when a company puts these little details, like his way of speaking changing throughout the game as he gained more confidence with this new language he was learning to use. As non-English native speaker, I certainly can commune with the feeling of adapting my tongue and my brain to a new language, and I also know that I speak weirdly to those who are native, maybe I don't have the same intonations, and maybe I sound emotionless as well, who knows, but I can't think of a better portrayal of a non-English character speaking English in videogames than this one. They remained faithful to his culture, and even though I noticed Noah didn't speak Mohawk as fluently as English, I can still feel pleased with the fact that Connor speaks in his mother tongue in all of the scenes he interacts with Mohawks (that's something they did better here than in Unity, where not a single character has even a French accent. I switched the language spoken to French in my subsequent playthroughs, much to my disappointment, because I really liked the Canadian actors). I know subtitles may seem threatening to some, but I wish they did this more often: deliver more lines in the original language of each of the protagonists. It shows care and respect. And I think this game excels at respect.

So, yes, I liked Ratonhnhaké:ton, as you can see. Maybe a lot. Too much.

I also really, really enjoyed his relationship with Haytham.

When Haytham appears back in to the fray it's when the plot picks up. Their interactions are gold: I love the rivalry, I love that Haytham is constantly testing his son, and I love the tiny bits that may show or make us believe that Haytham has a soft spot for him – I love that we never truly know what's going on through Haytham's mind, why does he do the things he does – but what I enjoyed the most about these two fighting together is the fact that they represent opposing forces, a clash of interest, and they bring back the concept of the blurred line between the Templars and the Assassins, their different methods. Haytham represents the collectiveness of the Templars, through him we learn of what they truly uphold as right and just, and behind some of his reasonings you can see sense and understanding – you comprehend his goals, you get to know your enemy, your antagonist, which is something, for instance, the Ezio trilogy lacks (because Templars bad bad pium pium die Templar bad guy) and Unity and Rogue tried to do but ultimately ended wasting its potential. I never understood Templars more than I did through Haytham, and sometimes I found myself nodding at some of his statement, like 'hey… huh… he's not that wrong about this…'. But still, we're led to believe that the good guys, the Assassins, are never wrong, so we pull through with Connor – only to realize that yes, Haytham was right in many aspects, and yes, Haytham has lied to us and he needs to be stopped.

It's here when my love for Connor reached its ultimate stage: when he denies both his father (Templars) and Washington (for whom the Assassins were working). It's here where you see the true agency of this character. It's not black or white, as Ezio's games were; it's not that he was expelled against his will from the Brotherhood like in Unity; it's not that because of a clash of interest now he resorted to the Templars, like in Rogue; no, it's the philosophy of the very first AC game with Altaïr: Templars and Assassins are one and the same, they only differ in their methods, and when Connor comes to this realization, his struggle is visible and he puts his people first. Like always.

He remains true to his personality. He's grown, he's seen the truth, but he must make a decision. And after all, we're here because we want to see him protect his people. That's his real main driving force and we root for him because of it.

Now, I've spoken a lot about our main character. But, what about the secondary ones?

Achilles, Connor's mentor, hides more than he's willing to share – but slowly his backstory unfolds. In his homestead, Davenport, you're able to build a community with different townsfolk that you can invite to live with you through special sidequests, which combine plot and gameplay seamlessly. Through the homestead missions, you get to know Achilles and the other inhabitants and you see them thrive and grow into a tight-knit community close as family. I daresay that these missions were my favorite out of the whole game, and seeing the town grow not only in NPC's walking around but also in sounds, steps, people working and laughing and dogs barking and kids playing, gave me all the fuzzy and cozy feelings of a warm blanket in winter. Most of Connor's innocence and kindness is shown through these missions, and there are also some really good jewels hidden there, like the quest that asks you to guide the pigs back inside – damn. This game gave me very good laughs.

On a gameplay level, this game is light years away from its predecessors – the parkour alone has been revamped and revitalized, making it more fluid. Free running now isn't a chore anymore. Now you can hunt, which is a great part of Connor's backstory and culture, so it's good to see they blend gameplay with plot like this. There's a crafting system that took me ages to understand, but thankfully I got the hang of it. The combat is pretty much the same (counter kills always for the win) and the difficulty remains quite easy, as the games that came before. I wasn't looking for a challenge so I'm fine with it. Now, if you're looking for a challenge… the optional objectives got it covered for you. Because, good lord, they made these stupid main missions so much unnecessarily HARDER and IMPOSSIBLE to complete without having three or four ragequits and sometimes you have to restart up to ten times. To be honest, I never found myself more enraged with the optional objectives than I was with these missions, and I thought Unity's optional constraints were stupid ass complicated, I was wrong. This game. Must be. The most. Annoying. Piece of videogame. To platinum.

Apart from the 'oh I want to die optional objectives' thing, you have naval missions – which, yes, you guessed it, take place on a ship – I guess they were testing the mechanics for a (not so far away) future pirate game, because I can see the seeds of what later Black Flag came to be. It's serviceable and it fulfills its purpose, but as I don't like ships much, I left it on hold for the endgame. 

If you don’t dig the naval missions nor the main missions, there’s plenty to do in this game: you have the aforementioned homstead missions, the club challenges (which can take... quite a while), the underground fast travel points (a nice change of pace, though you can easily grow tired of them), the liberation missions, which will see you help liberate a city from Templar control and recruiting a new Assassin apprentice, much like in Brotherhood and Revelations; taking Forts, hunting like there’s no tomorrow, courier, delivering items and message delivery missions, a ton of collectibles, etc, etc. 

You might realize I stopped talking about the plot by the time I reached sequence 6 – yes, it's because I'm a little upset with it.

I said that we're here because we want to see Connor protect his people and triumph against the Templars. Yes. We receive that, yes. Amidst. A thousand. History. Lessons.

In my Ezio's Collection review, I complained that in Revelations we were shoved history in the face – I hadn't still finished AC3, because then I would've mentioned something about it. Connor comes across all the important figures of the American Revolution in such a contrived way – he acts as a guardian angel of this revolution, aiding each of the emblematic characters that took part in. I can roll with it in my suspension of disbelief (how come this one person was present at every major event, you know), what I can't roll with is the fact that he was present at the Declaration of Independence – this is some Ken Follett level of bs of probability of something happening to a character. Besides, it's always latent though never truly explicitly addressed, but Connor's skintone was something that should've deterred him from even speaking to someone like Washington – let alone, be present at the moment they signed the Declaration. He does mention at some point that freedom and this new nation was only for white men, and that he acknowledged that slaves deserved as much freedom as everyone else was fighting for; I'm glad he addressed the elephant in the room, though I'm also glad they didn't make the whole thing about it, because normalizing a character like this as a main protagonist was the main idea, I think, when they chose a Mohawk to represent the American Revolution. Still, that someone like him was able to achieve all he achieved in a plot like this, it only means he has some kind of Main Protagonist Shield, otherwise I doubt this could've served as a realistic story for anyone else in the same situation as him. It's, uh, a little hard to believe, that's all. Whereas I can see Arno existing within the historical frame of the French Revolution, without being the one that let the guillotine fall on King Louis' head, this one was a little more far-fetched.

I haven't touched upon the Desmond part – the present day of this game is more, uh… present than ever. And I loved it! I loved it because it delved deep into the Precursor's lore, and also it fleshed out Desmond's relationship with his father, and we actually do shit with Desmond – though that part of the Brazilian stadium, huh, for a company that paid too much attention and consulted with experts on the Mohawks, they clearly left Brazil out of their investigations. I forgive them, they tried.

The music… didn't have as much personality as other installments, it was kind of there, and right now I can't evoke a single theme except for the main menu one, so there you go, it's quite forgettable for my taste, sadly.

I forgot to mention that: this game looks gorgeous. I played the Remastered version of the game, and sometimes it looked like it was done for the PS4 instead of being a remaster (it does look better than Black Flag which came afterwards!). Lighting is magical, the trees breathe life into the screen, the water effects are crystal and realistic; many times I felt like was horse-riding in a Last of Us game (yes, I just compared Ubisoft to Naughty Dog, don't hit me). Davenport Homestead is my favorite location, now more than ever, because it's not only beautiful, but it also means home.

This game accompanied me in a very important moment of my life: I sprained my ankle and I spent a week in bed recovering, while also pondering about my job and the prospects of my future; I took many decisions while playing regarding what I want for my life. I cried at the end because I realized I had become too attached to the characters and because I was so sad to see Connor keep losing things. It all comes full circle by the end. It's a very mature ending, maybe a little unfulfilling, but reality is often disappointing and not everything needs a happily ever after.

All in all, my major complaint goes to the structure of the game and the poor organization they gave to it (AND THE OPTIONAL OBJECTIVES DAAJKSDAD). But Connor as a character in itself made it all worthwhile for me. And I'll always cherish him. I know he won't resonate with everyone, but he resonated with me.

[liskantope]

A personal look back on my summer 2020

My fall semester has already been going on for a little while, but in the past week the weather has suddenly switched from hot to autumny and now it feels like the summer was a period which is truly over and which I can look back upon as (unsurprisingly) one of the most singular summers of my life.

I consider myself to be excellent at autobiographical memory, probably in the 90th percentile or so, at least when it comes to being able to recall the year or month (or sometimes week) that particular events of my life occurred.  I attribute this to often being able to connect various things that were going on in different areas of my life at the same time (rather like separate arcs in a television episode) in ways that allow me to anchor any particular memory to the time it occurred.  Sometimes there are particular time periods where the "plot arcs" of my life somehow seem to fit together really well in a united larger story or a      single flavor, whereas looking back at other periods I can with some effort remember various arcs but it's hard to hunt them out and put them together, as though they were part of a poorly-written TV episode which doesn't have any particular unity.

Summers for me have always stood apart from the years they were in (with the slight exception of the summers I spent abroad doing my first postdoc which had so little structure that my general routine was the same all year round).  This summer I often looked back at the summer of 2010 (the last divisible-by-ten year), which was an example of the former: somehow all the separate arcs going on in my life at the time -- my studying and research (sadly, this was the most recent summer when I actually felt good about how studying/research was going!), stuff that was going on in my immediate family, progress in my social life, my first forays into doing local gigs as part of a band, the weather, my      apartment/roommate situation, shows I was watching, and personal internal struggles I was facing -- feel like they were all nuances of the same flavor.  (This was back in the days that I had cable and it so happened that Curb Your Enthusiasm was on the TV Guide Channel and I was introduced to it and watched it a lot just that summer; for years afterwards the theme tune immediately brought back the emotions that came with the flavor of summer 2010.  Semi-coincidentally I've been watching a lot of Curb clips on YouTube since I noticed them appearing early this past summer.)

The following summer, summer of 2011, is an example of the latter kind of time period in my memory: I'm able to remember a bunch of separate things that went on, including a visit to Switzerland, some of the research I was trying to do, my living situation (and anticipation of a move and the shift in my social life it would bring), my discovery of the local Unitarian Universalist fellowship and being a regular attendant there the entire summer, some particular online interests, and the unpleasant bike accident I had, but it takes some effort to recall that this was all happening in the same three months.  (One thing I do distinctly remember about my living situation is that my one roommate spent most of the summer out of town and that, in anticipation of my next roommate who I knew traveled less and would be much more social, I was telling myself, "Enjoy this level of privacy now because chances are you'll never have it again." I was absolutely right in my prediction that there would be much less solitude and privacy with the next roommate who I remained living with for several years, but I sort of assumed that after that I would have found some kind of a partner to be with all the time, and... oh the irony as I sit here, still continuously partner-free, after another day of the far more intense privacy and solitude of the past six months!)

This past summer, the summer of 2020, is very, very clearly bound to become a longer-term memory of the former kind: its extreme flavor is unmistakable.  As is probably the case for most of us, my experience of summer 2020 has been shaped almost entirely shaped by the pandemic we're still in the midst of.  For me this has meant constantly being home alone (although I settled pretty soon on into a pattern of going on daily bike rides and weekly supermarket trips plus a number of other types of errands.  Also, a caveat to the rest of this paragraph is that my parents visited one weekend and that provided an exception to some of the otherwise constant conditions below.)  I became uncharacteristically super introverted and very intent on making as much research progress as possible in the absence of teaching duties. None of this has been too unpleasant, but there has been a complete and utter lack of any form of fun, both in traveling (this may hold the record of the only summer where I stayed in the same 6-mile radius the entire time) and in social events.  The one positively pleasant thing in my life this summer was discovering the most beautiful area for cycling in any place I've lived, as well as a handful of late-evening warm-summer-night walks.  The extreme degree of loneliness and the necessity of self-discipline to keep my wheels turning has been smothering, and actually I think I dealt with it much better than I would ever have imagined I could if someone had told me this was coming a year ago.

I'd say my summer was a personal success in that way and in most other ways apart from the main concrete objective of completing a research preprint, which failed quite badly and is putting my career aspirations in a very precarious place (it would have been nice to get some heavier blogging done as well).  One could say that this was a less important goal than that of not letting my mental health spiral, though, and I did succeed quite well at the latter.  (In fact, I was doing much worse in January and February than I was when the pandemic hit.)  I'm upset that my goals seem to take me much longer than I feel they should but am glad that this doesn't seem to be due to an inability to sit down and focus on the work, as was the case with research during some summers of grad school.

Part of the flavor of summer 2020 that will live on in my memory has to do with my being home alone so much of the time, never having to get near other people, in an apartment that I kept hot, that, let's just say it took me a ridiculously long time to accumulate each laundry load and there were often T-shirts draped over my sofa to be reused for an hour or two at a time over multiple days.

While I'm continuing on this gratuitously self-absorbed vein, as I've noted that I love keeping track of personal "endurance" records, I've (again unsurprisingly, because of the situation) made a bunch of them which I'll finish by taking note of here:

Longest time without stepping out of the front door: I actually was careful to make sure I never stayed entirely inside for two days in a row, but it finally happened the weekend before last (after a late Friday night walk in my complex where I may or may not have gotten back inside by midnight).  I believe it was 61 hours, or very nearly 61 hours, without exiting my apartment. This may be a lifelong record; the only other event that compares was a 2-3-day period in March 2011 when I was very feverishly ill in the wake of a snowstorm, and I don't recall how far beyond 48 hours I stayed in.

Longest time without going into my office (or even onto my campus) in over a decade of having an office: from April 2nd to August 11th.  Hardly a unique one here, but I never thought I could have handled only having my home to work in for over four months.

Longest time not going near any public transportation whatsoever, since high school: Sunday March 8th (or just after midnight on March 9th, a bus ride as the final leg of the journey home from my last trip of any sort) to 26 Sundays later on September 6th because of having to leave my bike in the shop.

Longest stretch of time not withdrawing cash or paying for something in cash: since sometime in early March and counting.  The only times I've touched the cash in my wallet at all during all of this time was on two occasions when I gave a bill to someone in need.

Longest time since age 19 not touching a drop of alcohol: since April 11th (at a virtual birthday party of a friend) and continuing.  This smashes a record from last fall of something like 54 days.

Longest time with the thermostat completely off (no use of heat or AC): from one of the last days of March to, I think, June 4th. This was nothing to do with the pandemic (in fact, it makes the pandemic situation slightly more remarkable since I've had to be home for a lot more of the time); the spring where I am was just particularly pleasant.

Longest time not shaving my facial hair: 32 days in the late summer, breaking a record from earlier in the summer of exactly a month.

There are probably other even sillier ones, such as the fact that I’m pretty sure I didn’t put on shoes from sometime at the start of June to a few days ago. You’d also think I’d break an endurance record for not uttering a spoken word to anyone, but I haven’t kept track of that.

Let’s hope future intervals in my life are much less extreme and record-breaking; that’s the gist of what I wish for everyone right now.

[jennaschererwrites]

Inside the Groundbreaking Queer Reboot of ‘She-Ra’ | Rolling Stone

We’re all shaped by the myths we grow up with, whether it’s the stories we learn from holy books or Saturday morning cartoons. Kids who see themselves as the hero learn to center themselves in their own life stories. Kids who see their experiences relegated to the sidelines, or not represented at all, come away with a very different lesson — one that can take years to unlearn.

Which is exactly what makes a show like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power so vital. Since its premiere in 2018, Noelle Stevenson’s reboot of the cult Eighties cartoon has joined a revolution in the world of children’s animation, combining classic genre storytelling with diverse representation and a progressive worldview (see also: Nickelodeon’s The Legend of Korra, Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time and Steven Universe). In its fifth and final season, which dropped on Netflix last month, She-Ra rounded out its 52-episode run by centering a queer romance — specifically, between its hero, Adora, and her best frenemy Catra — and positing that such a love can, quite literally, save the world.

“I knew from the start that it wasn’t going to be easy,” says Stevenson, speaking via phone from Los Angeles. “Because this is She-Ra. To have the culmination of her arc be this lesbian love plot is a big deal! And I understood that. But I also felt that it was really important.”

The original She-Ra: Princess of Power was a 1985 Filmation spin-off of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, which itself was based on a line of Mattel action figures. Set on the planet of Etheria, She-Ra follows a band of magical princesses in their rebellion against the Evil Horde, a totalitarian sci-fi regime bent on global domination. Adora is an ex-Horde soldier who joins the rebellion after she gains the ability to transform into She-Ra, a superpowered Chosen One with glowing blue eyes, a mystical sword, and a very cool outfit.

In 2015, when Stevenson, then 23, found out that DreamWorks Animation was looking for someone to pitch a new take on She-Ra, she jumped at the chance. She was already an Eisner Award-winning cartoonist and writer who had made a name for herself with works like her web comic-turned-graphic novel Nimona and the Boom! Studios series Lumberjanes.

“The world [of She-Ra] is so incredibly vibrant, and has so many powerful female characters. It’s this world that has all my interests rolled into one: It’s got the flying ponies and superpowers and all of these things that, immediately, I was like, ‘I want to do this. I want to be the one to do this,’” she says.

While Stevenson’s reimagination of the world of Etheria pays tribute to its predecessor, it includes some key differences. The reboot transforms the musclebound, scantily-clad grownups of the original series into awkward teens in much more practical (but still very sparkly) clothing. In addition to embracing a diversity of races, genders, and body types, the She-Ra reboot fleshes out the characters and their backstories, giving them fully-fledged arcs and complicating the good/evil binary of the original. The princesses of the rebellion aren’t simply heroic, and the soldiers of the Horde aren’t simply villains; everyone’s just a human being (or scorpion person or alien clone or flying horse, as the case may be) trying to make their way in a world that doesn’t offer easy solutions. It’s also, incidentally, really funny.

For Stevenson, it was crucial that the characters felt three-dimensional, and that it was their choices that guided the direction of the storytelling. “The characters all began with a deep personal flaw, and the process of making the show was kind of giving them the room to process those flaws. But we wanted it to feel organic. We wanted the characters to feel like real people that we knew,” she explains.

From the start, She-Ra’s most compelling tension was always between Adora (Aimee Carrero) and Catra (AJ Michalka), Adora’s childhood best friend who becomes her bitterest rival after Adora leaves the Horde to join the rebellion. In the show’s first four seasons, the two continually fight and reconcile and break apart again, their obsession with each other marking them as something more than frenemies.

“It’s a dynamic that I find really interesting: the attraction and the tension between the villain and the hero, especially when they know each other better than anyone. They love each other, but there’s something between them that cannot be overcome,” Stevenson says.

Stevenson always knew that she wanted the relationship between Catra and Adora to be a romantic one; but she had to walk a fine line, because she didn’t know if the studio would give her the go-ahead to put an explicitly lesbian love story front and center. At first, as in Steven Universe, Rebecca Sugar’s radically progressive series that aired its final episodes earlier this year, she steeped the world of the She-Ra reboot in queerness. The show features multiple side characters in same-sex relationships, characters who flout traditional gender roles, and even a nonbinary character (Double Trouble, voiced by transgender writer and activist Jacob Tobia).

Still, Stevenson, herself a gay woman, wanted young viewers to be able to see a queer relationship that wasn’t just incidental, but central to the plot of the entire series. “I’ve loved these stories my entire life, you know? I was a huge Star Wars and Lord of the Rings fan as a kid. But there weren’t a lot of characters that I felt personally represented by,” she says. “We love what makes these stories classic, but we’ve seen them all culminate in the same kind of romance so many times: The hero gets the girl, he gets the kiss, and then he saves the world. And it’s not just [swapping] the man and the woman for two women. You have to actually approach it from a standpoint of: How do you make these stories, at their roots, queer?

“So that’s what I was trying to do — for little queer kids to see that this is normal, that these are stories that can happen and that exist, and that can center them and make them feel seen and understood.”

Whether or not Adora and Catra’s romance would become canonical was in the hands of the studio, and it was a risk Stevenson couldn’t be sure it would be willing to take. So the show played a long game — hinting at a romantic dynamic between the two without making it explicit, for fear of disappointing fans in the end if they weren’t able to deliver. Fortunately, a groundswell of viewer support for a potential relationship between the characters — a phenomenon known in the fan community as “shipping” — allowed Stevenson to make a case to the studio for supporting the story she wanted to tell with She-Ra.

“Just as I had hoped, people started picking up on this tension and getting really passionate about it,” she says. “It was immediately one of the strongest fandom ships right out of the gate. And that was when I finally showed my hand and was like, ‘Look. We’ve got a bunch of people who, just off Season One, are really, really excited about the gay representation in this show. I have been planning for this. And here’s how it needs to end, and not just because I want a moment that everyone’s gonna talk about. It’s the logical conclusion of both their character arcs. They need each other.’”

Finally, after years of hedging their bets, Stevenson and her collaborators got the go-ahead from DreamWorks. “I really wanted it to be so central to the plot that if at any point they were like, ‘Oh, we changed our minds, we want to take it out again,’ they wouldn’t be able to, because it would be so baked in,” she explains. “The temperature is not always right, and depending on what’s happening in the world, not everyone wants to be the studio that sticks their neck out and makes a statement like this. You will get a flat ‘no’ sometimes. But if you bide your time, or you come at it from another angle, that can change. You just have to keep pushing.”

Feedback for the conclusion of She-Ra has been overwhelmingly positive both from critics and fans. Viewer support has been pouring out in the form of social media posts, YouTube reaction videos, and fan art and fan fiction. Stevenson, who first made a name for herself online with Lord of the Rings and Avengers fan art, has been blown away by the support from She-Ra lovers. “That’s how you know that you’re successful at what you set out to do — if people are getting inspired by the stories that you’re telling. I think that that’s the beauty of fan work, is that it’s an evolution of the genre. We take that inspiration and create something new all the time.”

Unfettered by restrictions, the final season of She-Ra is a tightly plotted, character-driven masterwork, featuring a slow-burn redemption arc, a harrowing villain, and a timely message about the power of love and unity against the forces of repression and tyranny. It’s a show about becoming kinder and more open in the face of unrelenting darkness, about banding together to prepare for the worst, but always hoping for the best in spite of overwhelming odds.

Stevenson says that she and her team began work on She-Ra in the aftermath of the 2016 election. “The veil was ripped off, and we had to reckon with a world that we hadn’t expected. And that theme of relying on each other and being stronger together became so much more relevant,” she recalls. “I remember writing one script after a particularly bad news day where it just felt like nothing was ever going to be OK again. It’s an episode where Adora realizes that there are supposed to be stars in the sky, and there aren’t any more stars. And as Aimee [Carrero] was recording the lines, she was crying, and we were crying, because we were all experiencing this together — the idea that things were changing in maybe irreparable ways.”

The refrain of She-Ra’s catchy-as-hell power-pop theme song is “We must be strong, and we must be brave.” According to Stevenson, that’s easier said than done; but the whole point of the series is that you have to try anyway. It’s a message that rings especially true at this moment in our world when it seems like everything is spinning out of control, and it’s all too easy to feel helpless.

“It always comes back to this — when you realize that there’s a great evil or a great darkness that won’t just go away from one fight,” Stevenson says. “It boils up, and it can be pushed back down, but it’s something that we’ll probably have to be fighting for the rest of our lives. That’s really hard to do, and it makes you really tired sometimes, and it can be really scary. But when you are surrounded by the people that you love, and when you have that love for the people around you, then that strength is possible.”

[damez1979]

Assassin’s Creed Unity Walkthrough - Le Roi Est Mort | Arno vs. Roi des Thunes | Dame Z Gaming

[adorians-unite]

“Assassin’s Creed Unity” Fan Tour of Paris: Explore Paris as a Fan of AC Unity

This series of posts will cover locations around Paris and surrounding areas significant to “Assassin’s Creed Unity”. All locations covered in this series are accessible in the game. Descriptions of each location will cover both real-world historical and in-game contexts, and may contain story spoilers.

Access the Fan Guide: | PDF | Google Slides | Google Maps | Index |

Château de Versailles “Memories of Versailles”; “High Society”; “Bottom of the Barrel”

HISTORY: 

The Palace of Versailles did not start off as a palace, but rather a hunting lodge that was built by King Louis XIII in 1623. His heir, King Louis XIV, famously known as "The Sun King", expanded the hunting lodge from 1661–1678 and converted it into his seat of power. Versailles became the royal center of governance until King Louis XVI and his Queen Marie Antoinette were forced to move to Paris in 1789, during the events of the French Revolution.

IN AC UNITY: 

The Palace of Versailles is where Arno's story begins. 8 year-old Arno visits the Château with his father, Charles Dorian, who is tragically murdered there by the Master Templar, Shay Cormac (Sequence 01, Memory 01: “Memories of Versailles”). It is an event that haunts Arno for the rest of his life, but his tragedies in the Château de Versailles do not end there, when 13 years later, it also becomes the site of the murder of his guardian and father-figure, François de la Serre (Sequence 01, Memory 03: “High Society”).

Arno revisits the Château years later, after being excommunicated from the Assassin Brotherhood, to retrieve his stolen pocket-watch from a gang of raiders (Sequence 11, Memory 1: “Bottom of the Barrel”).

HELPFUL INFO:

Palace of Versailles Official Website

Palace of Versailles Ticket Entries & Prices

Palace of Versailles Opening Hours

Walkthrough: “Memories of Versailles”

Walkthrough: “High Society”

Walkthrough: “Bottom of the Barrel”

[jacob-mydear]

Hey! Just wondered if you're ok seeing as you haven't posted in a long while?

Hi! Thank you for the ask, Anon! 😊 Since Tumblr doesn’t show timestamps on asks I’m not exactly sure when this was posted, but I’m sure it must have been quite some time ago. I’m really sorry for the delayed response.

I have been taking a pretty long hiatus from Tumblr for slightly more than a year now, and I’m grateful (and a bit embarrassed) that people actually noticed. 😅  

Thank you for remembering me and checking up on me~ I am sorry I kind of disappeared last year. There are a few reasons behind it (which, if you are interested, I’ll be getting into shortly 😆), and also a few more reasons on why I’ve just as abruptly decided to reappear.

Earlier in March last year, I switched jobs. The role I moved to (and still in right now) gives me considerably less leisure time than my previous company. But it’s my first step into the video games industry, and I believed it would bring me closer to my goal of a career in developing video game narratives. But the irony about working in the games industry is that you hardly have time to play games anymore – I typically work 11-12 hours a day (13-16 hours in some cases, and that one crazy crunch time before a major deadline where my team and I stayed overnight, only leaving for home at 9am the next morning), which means I hardly have any time to manage a Tumblr blog at the frequency I did before. I threw myself into my work, leaving little time and energy for hobbies.

The second reason why I was avoiding Tumblr was because, at the time, I wanted to avoid AC Odyssey story spoilers. 😅 To this date, I still have not yet played Odyssey – however, I have been already considerably spoiled on the story, so there’s no real reason for me to avoid Tumblr any more. I will eventually get around to playing Odyssey though – I have it purchased and it’s sitting quietly in my Steam library, until I find the heart to decide which game to uninstall to make space for it. But to be perfectly honest, with my current work commitments, it might be later rather than sooner.

But despite not having played Odyssey yet, I never really stopped being in love with Assassin’s Creed. And late last year, they announced the Assassin’s Creed Symphony Orchestra tour, and I knew I had to try my best to catch a performance. It would be expensive, since none of the locations came anywhere close to my region, but attending a live symphony performance of Assassin’s Creed music has been on my Bucket List since I got into these games. The music of Assassin’s Creed has accompanied and empowered me through work and leisure, and my dream of listening to these tracks performed live was finally in my reach.

I chose the June 29th Paris performance date, because it was also in my Bucket List to visit Paris, and see for myself the city that I had only explored virtually through AC Unity. My only regret was that I couldn’t properly visit Notre-Dame Cathedral due to the fire that ravaged it in April earlier this year – but I suppose that just gives me a reason to visit Paris again one day, when Notre-Dame is rebuilt and reopened.

So in June this year, I flew 16 hours to Paris to fulfill two of my Bucket List goals. And to summarize, it was an adventure that rekindled my love for Assassin’s Creed. The Symphony performance gave me the same feels like I had just finished playing each game. My heart soared for my boy Connor Kenway during the AC III suite, and I was nearly brought to tears when they performed “The Parting Glass” from AC IV Black Flag. Like being plunged into the Animus, all my feelings and memories of playing these games came rushing back at me in stunning clarity. 😄 And I can tell you, there is nothing quite like listening to the AC Unity main theme performed live in the heart of Paris itself.

When I got back home from Paris, I wanted to share my experience and knowledge in exploring the real-life locations of Paris with the AC fanbase, in case any more Unity fans decide to make this same “fan pilgrimage”. It took me a while, but I eventually put together a fan guide to the real-life locations in Paris significant to AC Unity, and shared it on the Assassin’s Creed subreddit. It was met with quite a good response – I know virtual points on the Internet don’t really matter, but it was the first time I had received a Reddit Gold award (and not one, but two! 😄), and that mattered a lot to me.

To my surprise, I woke up one morning a few days later to discover the official Assassin’s Creed Twitter actually Tweeted about my fan guide! 😱 Again, these may just be small things, but it made me so happy my hands were shaking as I read the Tweet. My soul had left my body and joined my illustrious ancestors in the Animus, haha~ 😂

I know this was just meant to be a simple reply to an ask, and I don’t think Anon was really asking for my life story, but what I really wanted to say through this was: Assassin’s Creed remains one of my favourite and most rewarding fandoms. I love these characters, I love these stories, I love exploring these amazing game worlds and getting into the lore, I love connecting with passionate fans all over the world. As cheesy as it sounds, I’m really proud to be part of the Assassin Brotherhood (and occasionally the Templar Order! 😂), and I don’t think I ever will truly leave.

I’ll probably be paying more attention to this blog from now on, but probably not at the same frequency I did two years ago. I’m still in the middle of pursuing my goals, but my recent experiences reminded what fueled those goals in the first place, and I’m not planning on forgetting it anytime soon.

To those of you who are still following this blog, thank you for sticking around. 😁 ~@jacob-mydear

[wazafam]

What’s changed in the beautifully buggy world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla since patch 1.1.1? The 12th mainline title in Ubisoft’s popular Assassin’s Creed series, AC Valhalla released on November 10, 2020, and quickly earned a top spot among its brethren by posting the highest first-week sales of any Assassin's Creed game. Unfortunately, the game’s debut was marred by glitches and bugs, but Assassin's Creed Valhalla update 1.1.1's patch notes address many of these.

Glitchy Assassin's Creed games are nothing new. Every title in the series has suffered from bugs to varying degrees, especially at launch. For example, when Assassin’s Creed Unity released in 2014, the game initially had so many malfunctions that Ubisoft publicly apologized and offered free DLC as compensation. And to be fair, this is far from a Ubisoft-only problem. Just look at the notoriously buggy release of Cyberpunk 2077.

Related: When Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Next DLC Is Coming

Although Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has been well-received overall by gamers and critics, the amount of bugs has been a real problem. Some of them are silly, like the "drunk bug," which causes protagonist Eivor to stay sloshed when players reload a save after participating in the drinking minigame at Valhalla's Yule Festival. Other bugs are game-breaking, such as when key NPCs refuse to appear during story quests, thus rendering progress impossible.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla patch 1.1.1, released on January 14, addresses a multitude of these issues, as well as improving basic functionality with regards to performance and stability. In a Reddit post revealing the full Assassin’s Creed Valhalla update 1.1.1 patch notes, Ubisoft broke down the more than 100 bug fixes into eight categories, including fixes for everything from misplaced objects to looping audio. It’s a decently chunky patch (ranging from 2GB on the PlayStation 5 to 7.5GB on the Xbox Series X|S), but considering it contains so many fixes, the size is certainly understandable.

Besides the expected amendments to clipping, textures, and missing NPCs, other noteworthy corrections included in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla's 1.1.1 update are improvements to color blind and subtitle options, as well as a little help for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s notorious monster children, whose faces would distort in photo mode. In-game support for Ubisoft Connect achievements has also finally been added. Considering Ubisoft now forces players to create a Ubisoft Connect account, locking them out of the game unless they have one, this lack of in-game support was fairly conspicuous.

Bugs have long been a point of ongoing debate for gamers. Some say that glitches are inevitable, especially in games as large as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and that developers shouldn’t be expected to make a perfect game. Others argue money-minded publishers push out unfinished titles without regard for player experience and then rely on patches to complete the game. Both sides of the debate have merit, which is why the discussion will not likely end any time soon. Regardless of where they fall on the issue, those experiencing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla bugs should now be seeing significant improvements to their gameplay experience.

Next: Assassin's Creed Would Benefit From Ghost of Tsushima's Guiding Wind

Source: Ubisoft/Reddit

Assassin's Creed Valhalla 1.1.1 Patch Notes - What's Changed & Fixed from https://ift.tt/2LEXUaH

[maacsatara]

Creating Immersive Environments: Techniques for Game Designers

In the realm of game design, crafting immersive environments is paramount to drawing players into captivating virtual worlds. Aspiring game designers often receive comprehensive training in these techniques at renowned game design institutes in Pune, honing their skills to create captivating virtual worlds. A well-designed environment can evoke emotions, tell stories, and provide a sense of wonder. This article delves into the techniques game designers employ to create immersive environments that leave a lasting impact on players.

Visual Design:

Art Style: The visual style sets the tone and atmosphere of the environment. Whether it's a realistic, stylized, or abstract approach, the art style should be consistent and complement the game's theme and genre.

Level Design: Level design involves creating the layout and structure of the environment. This includes considering the placement of objects, pathways, landmarks, and areas of interest to guide the player's exploration and create a sense of discovery.

Detailing: Adding intricate details to the environment, such as textures, props, and environmental storytelling elements, can enhance immersion by making the world feel lived-in and believable.

Lighting: Lighting is a powerful tool for creating atmosphere and guiding the player's attention. Dynamic lighting can add drama and realism, while carefully placed light sources can highlight important areas or create a sense of mystery.

Sound Design:

Ambient Sounds: Background sounds, such as wind rustling through leaves, water trickling in a stream, or distant animal calls, can immerse players in the environment and make it feel alive.

Sound Effects: Sound effects associated with actions, interactions, and events within the environment provide feedback and enhance the sense of realism. Footsteps echoing in a cave, the clang of a sword hitting a shield, or the creak of a door opening all contribute to the immersive experience.

Music: Music can evoke emotions and set the mood for a scene or environment. A haunting melody can create a sense of suspense, while an upbeat track can inspire adventure.

Gameplay Integration:

Environmental Storytelling: Incorporating visual and auditory cues within the environment can tell a story about its history, inhabitants, or current events. This can be achieved through environmental details, graffiti, scattered objects, or even subtle sound effects.

Interactivity: Interactive elements within the environment, such as puzzles, hidden secrets, or dynamic events, can encourage exploration and reward curiosity.

Challenges and Obstacles: Incorporating challenges and obstacles that fit naturally within the environment can enhance engagement and provide a sense of accomplishment when overcome.

Technology and Tools:

Game Engines: Game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine provide powerful tools for creating and rendering immersive environments. They offer features like terrain generation, dynamic lighting, and physics simulations, making it easier for designers to realize their visions.

Procedural Generation: Procedural generation algorithms can be used to create vast and varied environments without the need for manual design of every detail. This can save time and resources while ensuring that the environment feels unique and expansive.

Virtual Reality (VR): VR technology offers the potential for unprecedented immersion by placing the player directly inside the game world. With the right design choices, VR can create a sense of presence and realism that is unmatched by traditional displays.

Challenges in Creating Immersive Environments:

Balancing Realism and Performance: Achieving a high level of visual fidelity and realism can be computationally demanding. Designers must carefully balance visual quality with performance to ensure smooth gameplay.

Technical Limitations: Hardware limitations can constrain the level of detail and complexity that can be achieved in an environment. Designers must find creative solutions to work within these limitations.

Maintaining Consistency: Ensuring that the environment feels cohesive and consistent throughout the game requires careful planning and attention to detail.

Creating immersive environments is a multifaceted endeavor that requires a blend of artistic vision, technical skill, and a deep understanding of player psychology. By utilizing a combination of visual design, sound design, gameplay integration, and cutting-edge technology, game designers can craft virtual worlds that captivate players and leave a lasting impression. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative and immersive environments in the future, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in interactive entertainment.