#Fullbright

[mrporg]

I've always been fascinated by fictional corporations and companies in books, tv and video games. I don't know why, probably because they lend credibility to their respective universes and help anchor the characters in a world that is believable.

Today's corporation is Venturis Corporation, from Tacoma by Fullbright.

As often in video games, this corporation is not the center point but we hear about it throughout the story. They own the Lunar Transfer Station Tacoma, which is a cargo transfer space station between the Earth and and the Moon. The game plays fully on Tacoma.

But in-game, they are more well known for being one of the pioneers of AI. Of course, this story was much more science-fictiony when it came out in 2018. Now in 2024, it's all a bit too real with companies like OpenAI...

Thankfully however, we still get to enjoy our science-fiction, because these AIs, created and owned by Venturis are not bullsh*tting engines (looking at you ChatGPT), but rather what we today call "AGI" (Artificial General Intelligence), which are much more what we imagine an AI should be: an artificial sentient being.

The AI in charge of Tacoma is called ODIN and is one of the central characters of the game. It interacts with the crew of the station throughout the story and we get to see its personality and learn more about it and its capabilities.

Venturis owns ODIN and that's a big theme in the game. But the company also develops access to space for humans and builds space habitats. Notably, you learn that they own the following locations:

Venturis Zenith Lunar Resort

Venturis Belt

Il Ridotto Orbital Caison

Fountain of Paradise Spaceport

We don't hear a lot about most of these locations, except for their purpose and that they are all managed by their own AI.

However, there's one exception. During the game, you do learn quite a lot about Venturis Belt, through personal logs, conversations and ads.

Imagine, a city in space. Hundreds of fully-automated interlinked "bungalows" encircling Earth.

"Fully-automated" is in bold above, because it's important, you'll see.

Except, the belt was never built, and it costs the Venturis Corporation dearly.

Something called the "Human Oversight Accord" was passed and the project cancelled. The accord is celebrated yearly as "Obsolescence Day", the day humans came together and decided to put a stop to full automation driven by AI, which would have made human orbital workers "obsolete".

Now, depending on how you look at it, it's either a good a bad thing.

No more jobs for humans, that sounds like a late-stage capitalism nightmare. No job = no money = no prospect = well, we all know how it goes...

Or, if you're a real optimist, it can sound like a socialist utopia, where humans would have been freed from useless work and have more time to develop to hobbies, arts, friends... you name it (Star Trek anyone?). The reasoning being more automation = less toil and also = more free time = possibly more happiness?

The interpretation is left an exercise to the player/reader.

Regardless, Venturis' plans for mass automation and removing humans from the equation didn't pan out and their project failed. It is not the only "defeat" the corporation will have to face, but I don't want to spoil the game too much for you. If you want to know the rest, I guess you will have to go and play it ;)

Credit: all the images are the property of Fullbright

[satoshi-mochida]

Open Roads releases today for the PS4/5, Xbox One/Series, Switch and Steam.

[canonqueercharacters]

The canon queer character of the day is:

Samantha "Sam" Greenbriar from Gone Home, who is a lesbian.

[peaxhypup]

I think it's funny that Fullbright is always in a power pose

[gamesline]

This week on the pod: John and Scott are Talkin' TOTK. Plus: Endless Monday: Dreams and Deadlines, Banjo-Kazooie, Hollow Knight: Silksong gets delayed, Under Night In-Birth... 2???, the Asus ROG Ally, Open Roads splits from Fullbright, games for moms, and SO much more! https://gamesline.net/the-gamesline-podcast-ep-3-talkin-totk/

[lordakiyama]

Kinda trippy, if I'm being honest. Interesting game, nonetheless. Kinda wished for more.

Link to Video: https://youtu.be/c3D47Dpwd7M

[enfinizatics]

crying bc of the little invisible queer ppl in my computer!!!!!

[windsoflimbo]

We played through Tacoma last night and that game is fucking evergreen

[hyolks]

salvation

[pauladrawsnstuff]

This one was super weird to draw considering the content of Dual Destinies doesn't match the vibes of TGAMM at all. You know, moreso than usual.

[hellertears]

whole ass...renaissance painting....who is this artist...i almost had a stroke

[mrporg]

Lonnie and Sam

Another day, another #Fullbright character, this time from Gone Home.

You never meet Lonnie. Heck, you never interact with her at all. You just read about her in your your sister's, Sam, diary (with her permission!), from which the entries are distilled throughout the game. And all the while, you are trying to piece together what the hell happened back home while you were away and why everyone has disappeared.

But wow, you should hear Sam speak about Lonnie!

=== SPOILERS below - Diary entries ===

"You know that feeling where the first moment you see someone, it's like they have a big gold star around them, and you have to get to know them? Well, there's this girl. I think she's a senior; [...]

She's always drawing in this notebook, looking so intense. I had no idea how I would ever, like, have an excuse to talk to her... "

---

"It's weird hanging out with girls. Daniel was around ever since I was little, and other girls... I dunno. But being around Lonnie is, like, instantly just right. [...] I dunno, I finally found someone I feel normal around."

---

"Lonnie brought her hair dye over today. She said, "I need to fix these roots. Think you could help?" Dyeing hair is weirdly intimate. I don't know if I've touched someone else's scalp before. That's pretty intimate, right? It felt intimate.

We looked in the mirror together after and I expected her to say something about how it looked crappy, or good or whatever. But that's when she said, "You're so beautiful." And she was looking at me. Right in that moment, I wanted to say... something. But I waited, and the moment was gone."

---

"At Todd's brother's place after the show, there was only a futon to sleep on, so Lonnie and I shared it. The lights went out... I was turned toward her... my eyes started to adjust, and then I could see she was looking at me, too. In the dark, she smiled. My heart was beating so fast. I rolled over, I felt so... I don't know, nervous? After a minute she put her arm around me, and was so close, and whispered in my ear, "I really like you." I just nodded my head and I really hope she could tell. I really hope... that she meant what I think she did. I've felt like a shook-up can of soda ever since. I hope we have a chance to talk before I explode."

===

Now of course, it's not that simple, because that wouldn't make a good story I suppose. But enough spoilers, go play the game if you want to know the rest ;)

[satoshi-mochida]

Open Roads adds Switch version, launches in February 2024

Gematu Source

Open Roads will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam in February 2024, publisher Annapurna Interactive and developer Fullbright announced. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass. The Switch version is newly announced.

Here is an overview of the game, via Annapurna Interactive:

About

One fine fall day, Tess Devine and her mother, Opal, discover a cache of old notes and letters carefully stashed away in the attic of their house. Hints of deep-rooted family secrets, decades-old burglaries, a lost treasure somewhere near the Canadian border… What they uncover suggests a much darker mystery, best left well enough alone. But that’s not going to happen. In Open Roads, Tess and Opal embark on a road trip adventure to explore a series of long-abandoned family properties, unearthing the past. They’ll search the ruins of these places that hold buried memories, things Opal has tried for years to forget. And in this search, they’ll discover not just the truth they’ve been seeking, but each other.

Key Features

Experience the story of Open Roads as 16-year-old Tess Devine, on a road trip with her mother to discover what has been left behind in evocative places forgotten to time.

Bask in classic road trip vibes as you chill in the car en route to your next destination, fiddling with the radio and chatting with your mom.

A groundbreaking art style melds detailed first-person environments with beautifully hand-animated characters, bringing the adventure to life.

A unique and engaging interactive dialogue system moves the narrative along, exposing character flaws, secrets, and buried truths.

A mother-daughter road trip adventure from Fullbright, the award-winning creators of acclaimed story games Gone Home and Tacoma.

Watch a new trailer below.

Release Window Trailer

[nay-lon]

Merry Apollo Justice trilogy!

[bag-chips]

It’s taken a long while, but it’s finally done! Special interests have collided to bring you: Phoniex Wright: Ace-A-Pony! Time lines are all over the place but ah well! Keep reading for some random headcanons in no particular order! (spoilers for the whole series!)

- Phoniex doesn’t really like flying, as he’s severely acrophobic. Amazingly, he did not break his wings when falling from the bridge, but he has chronic pain in his back and both wings as a result. Even more of a reason not to fly

- Kristoph poses as a blank flank, but an actuality possesses a rather grim cutie mark. He hides it with a concealment spell. However, the truth is revealed by Apollo in the last case of AA4. He is proud of his traditional unicorn heritage. His motives for his crimes are uncertain, with some theorising a desire for greater magical power, or even alicorn ascension. But who knows, maybe he did it for fun.

- General MLP headcanon - all ponies have hearts on the bottom of hooves. Kristoph has a broken heart on his front left hoof

- The Phantom is changeling, and kidnapped the real Fullbright. The true Bobby is eventually rescued after the events of AA5 and tries to recover from his ordeal

- Nahyuta is an alicorn, but was originally a pegasus. He was always planned to ascend to Alicorn status, but the process was done early than originally planned following the actions of his father. It was basically a desperate plea to seperate him further from his father’s image and closer to the Sigatar family

- The Fey Clan are mostly earth ponies, but all the most powerful of them are unicorns. Pearl is the first unicorn born in many generations - one of the reasons why her mother does what she can to get her to the top.

- The Gramaryes are a proud family of traditional unicorns, and are powerful magic users. Apollo is an earth pony like his father, but still posses quite powerful magic

- The Von Karmas are a proud line of pegasi that look down on unicorns and earth ponies. Its rumoured that Manfred wished for alicorn ascension, but no one knows. What was known was that the family hated Edgeworth and his traditional unicorn heritage

- Edgeworth struggles with his identity and heritage. Due to being brought up by pegasi, he knows very little about magical practice, and what he does comes exclusively from studying

- General couple stuff now! Edgeworth and Phoniex are married. Apollo and Klavier are dating long distance with Apollo working in Khura’in. Franziska and Maya are engaged. Athena and Junie are dating.

- Blackquill and Bobby’s relationship is.. complicated. Blackquill and the Phantom were in a relationship of some kind, but after he is unmasked and the original Fullbright is found, Blackquill has a bit of a fucking breakdown fkdjhfkjdh. He and Nahyuta see each other for a while but that doesn’t work out. Him and the real Bobby are helping each other come to terms with what the Phantom did to them

[stankworth]

Perch...