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tev-the-random · 4 years

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What it Ursa took her children with her? - Pt.2

As we were saying:

Little over year has passed since the family arrived in Hira’a, and fateful news gets to them: Ozai remarried. His new wife is someone who is honoured to marry the Firelord and doesn’t mind the fact that his head is so deep up his own arse- anyway, and they are expecting a child, who is to be the Firelord’s legitimate heir.

Azula’s hopes and dreams are shattered. At age ten, she is quite literally being replaced in her beloved father’s life. It’s like she’s never even existed, and she can’t help but wonder what she did wrong.

Zuko is also upset, of course. All those years when Ozai told him he was unfit and worthless come flooding back. But somehow, he already expected things to turn out like this. Unlike Azula, he wasn’t so deeply feeding on hopes that things would go back to normal. He sees it more as a situation that was out of everyone’s control.

He convinces Azula it’s not her fault, and these kids will still be trying to understand and defend their father later down the road. There must be a reason for all of this, right? They start thinking of a reasonable scenario…

Ursa just feels sorry for the poor woman who has to deal with Ozai now.

So we get a timeskip: about three years came and went. Zuko and Azula – treated as kids and not as weapons – lead a peaceful and happy life whenever they’re not thinking of their father and everything they could be doing out there.

They have become known local troublemakers in their spare time. Kids know better than to challenge them, people know not to leave flammable goods out in the open – a strict policy regarding fireworks has been established after a chaotic incident – and failure to keep an eye on them this one time led to… well, let’s just say that the town is still unsure of whether or not they’re is being haunted by evil spirits.

They aren’t allowed anywhere near Forgetful Valley, but bold of you to assume they never tried. In-jokes arise.

‘No, I’m serious: that tree’s face looked exactly like yours, Zuzu. You really should befriend it,’ Azula mocks, remembering a particularly ugly tree they encountered in their adventure.

‘Sorry, I wasn’t looking at it. I was busy looking for whoever it was that asked you,’ Zuko retorts. ‘Since Forgetful Valley has all the kinds of crazy stuff.’

‘Maybe we should go back and look for your impulse control, then.’

‘None of you are going back in there,’ Ursa reprehends. ‘It was very irresponsible of you. Forgetful Valley is a dangerous place, you could have gotten hurt!’

‘Your mother is right, you know?’ Noren comments. ‘I’ve been to that jungle before, and it’s definitely not a playground. But I swear…’ He makes a dramatic pause. ‘I once saw Ursa’s sense of humour in there.’

The kids burst out laughing while Ursa sighs. ‘Since you can find such amazing things in the valley, dear, why don’t you go back there and find yourself actual funny jokes? I’m sure my sense of humour will be around the same corner.’

*More laughter*

(IDK, I write crappy comedy, ok?)

They still have a bit of a hard time making friends. I wouldn’t say they are shy, but they definitely have a talent to say the wrong things at the wrong times, and it’s hard to make deep connections. Sure, they would play with other kids from time to time, but in the end, Zuko and Azula are each other’s best friend.

They’ve cleared an area by the beach that any Hira’a resident knows to stay away from when they’re training.

Azula discovered a great passion for theatre. Not only are her acting skills fantastic, she also seems to be naturally aware of what makes a good scene. People say she’s Noren’s Little Assistant.

She hates being called Noren’s Little Assistant. She would much rather be called Ursa’s Little Star, because goddamn is she a good actress and she needs everyone to know that.

Zuko is more of a plant-lover guy. Unfortunately, he hasn’t inherited his grandmother’s green thumb, and despite Ursa’s best efforts to teach him, it seems like everything he touches dies.

He has grown to show a way with animals, however. Any variety of frogs and toads love him; lizards of all kinds are attracted to him like he’s a magnet; furry animals big and small adore him and any type of bird-like creature seems to think he is the best human being in existence. But his favourite animals are still the turtleducks.

Back in the palace, Iroh eventually learns of Ozai’s bullshit and how he got the throne in the first place. And you know what? The time has come for Iroh to draw a line in the sand. He confronts his little brother, who confronts him back by telling him that, should he try to tell anyone in the Fire Nation the truth – that Ozai was a top-grade traitor who actually had no right to the throne –, no one would believe him. Since his brother won’t be sensible, Iroh decides that’s it: he’s fucking out.

Now a fugitive from the Fire Nation, he somehow winds up owning a lovely traveling tea shop called the Jasmin Dragon. Most people don’t even suspect he is the fearful Dragon of the West, because he’s just so nice?

You can bet he serves blends of tea from all across the nations.

The tea shop is also a good cover up for his exchanges with the Order of the White Lotus. He gives and receives information, and does his best to help villages to either defend themselves or evacuate during Fire Nation attacks.

One day a member of the White Lotus travels to Hira’a for one reason or another and finds Zuko and Azula. This person then sends a letter to Iroh.

Iroh comes to Hira’a to visit the family. He’s glad to see they’re ok, even if he can’t stay for too long. But long enough for some Quality Time – these kids have grown so much!

Iroh doesn’t know of Ursa’s part in Azulon’s assassination, and only assumes she knew of Ozai’s plan. But now, it’s time that her children learned a couple of things, and he is willing to teach them, so that when the time arrives for them to meet their destiny, they should be able to choose wisely and face whatever comes their way. So he asks the children to accompany him in his travels.

Ursa doesn’t want to let them go. They’re children, they should be here living a peaceful life, not meeting some grand, dangerous destiny! What if something horrible happened to them?

Iroh understands the pain of losing a child. He doesn’t want to make Ursa spend her time worrying about losing two, so he respects her decision and soon leaves the town.

But the siblings are not about to just sit here when they know they’re destined for something greater. What incredible knowledge did their uncle hold? Did their father have something to do with this? They always knew there was more to their fate than just living in Hira’a for the rest of their lives, and this is their chance; it’s now or never.

Zuko and Azula are about to sneak out and follow Iroh when Noren spots them. But instead of trying to stop them – he is well aware that he can’t – he gives them two masks and some advice about never forgetting who they were.

Why yes, I am saying that they eventually take the masks and become partners in crime, Zuko as the Blue Spirit and Azula as the Red Spirit, because parallels.

They catch up with their uncle and adventures and shenanigans issue as Zuko, Azula and Iroh cross the Earth Kingdom.

Now imagine this trio: two of the most awkward firebending teenagers travelling with their old tea-loving uncle, who spits proverbs like he’s made of them. The possibilities for both hilarious and heart-warming moments are endless.

Iroh thinks himself a matchmaker. Whenever he thinks he sees some romance going on, he encourages his nephew or niece to make a move. His flaming cupid arrows do more damage than good, yet he only has good intentions at heart. Teens all around the kingdom encourage you to stop, sir.

Their new life is even more humbling than in Hira’a, since they are constantly travelling. But they manage, and they know their uncle is nothing but wise… even if Azula is still quite arrogant and manipulative, and Zuko is impatient and hot-headed, which can lead to a lot of conflict.

Iroh teaches them both how to create and redirect lightning. Zuko is better at redirecting than Azula. Creating it, on the other hand, is a bit more complicated, and both of them get their fair share of explosions while learning. Neither of them really gets a hang of it – although Azula is better at it than Zuko, that’s not saying much – for they still have a lot of identity-related turmoil inside them that won’t let them grasp the energy.

Guess who else teaches them? Other members of the White Lotus. Both Zuko and Azula get some swordsmanship Skills™ from Piandao, some different (and somewhat unwillingly taught) firebending technics from Jeong-Jeong and a lot of things from Bumi, including but not limited to: creative thinking, the art of patience, strategic planning, dealing with pirates and a surprising amount of rocks-related knowledge.

Bumi adopted Zuko and Azula and gave himself the role of Second Uncle. You cannot convince me otherwise.

So one day, little over a year after the siblings joined Iroh, they wind up in a city where this big circus is performing. Uncle Iroh decides to take his niece and nephew to see it. And oh, aren’t they surprised by who they see performing?

Even though Ty Lee was essentially the only one between her sisters to befriend Azula – and consequentially, the only one to periodically spend time in the palace with her –, Zuko and Iroh still have a hard time distinguishing her from the six other girls who look exactly like her, uncertainly calling her all different names before Azula snaps ‘you idiots, that’s Ty Lee!’.

The acrobat is so glad to see her friend again, because damn: it’s been nearly four years since they last saw or even heard from each other! And Zuko, I thought you were dead? This is such a neat reunion, there’s so much for them to talk about! And sure, the circus has to leave soon and so do the siblings, but Ty Lee reassures them that, if they ever needed her, she wasn’t hard to find. This isn’t the last we’ll see of Ty Lee.

Azula doesn’t let it show, but she resents Ty Lee a little bit for choosing to abandon her noble life. She really wishes she could have had a choice.

Uncle Iroh tells the siblings stories about the war that would have some day mesmerized them. But now, his opinions about those events and what he did as a prince general have changed; that, along with what the family sees in their journey – all the horrors brought to innocent people – gives Zuko and Azula a new perspective on what they used to think was a greater good. It will still take a while for Azula to understand that no, these people are no lesser than her and for Zuko to understand why any of that matters.

Iroh eventually tells them the truth about Azulon’s death. Or at least, what he knows of it: their father killed Azulon, banished them, took the throne by force and planned to gain more power at the expense of everyone. This is a lot to take in, and the siblings don’t quite believe it.

After four years thinking about it, Zuko and Azula decided to take their mother’s early words – they went to Hira’a to be safe – and formulate what for them was a reasonable scenario. They believe that Ozai never actually wanted any of this to happen. The whole family had to have been in danger, be it due to some political, social or personal threat, and Ozai wanted to take it all by himself to protect them. So he sent his wife and children away, concocted a plan with Azulon to cover for them and, once Azulon died and left him the throne, remarried to keep appearances. To Zuko and Azula, this makes perfect sense. And they thoroughly convince themselves of that.

They initiate an argument, thinking that Iroh is jealous of Ozai.

Their uncle sees these children are starting to stray from their path, but he knows this is a necessary journey for them. They will never be able to deal with reality unless they face it.

The siblings leave Iroh, planning to head straight to the Fire Nation capital and find out what really happened. Maybe now that they are older, it would be a perfect time to come back home; they surely could defend themselves from any threats.

Of course, they’ll be very disappointed to know that Ozai was just a bitch and never actually cared for any of them.

I don’t have a full formed idea about how their reencounter with their father would go down, but I say Ozai would officially banish both his children from the Fire Nation for trying to cause a commotion – which could easily be perceived as a threat. Not only that, but Zuko and Azula are the children of a traitor; cue for Ozai revealing what happened that night four years ago, confirming that he was the one to kill Azulon with Ursa’s help.

I also think that, after that day, the Firelord would have discreetly helped spread rumours about Ursa that would drag her name through the mud in the Capital – was she cheating on Ozai? Was she selling Fire Nation information to the Earth Kingdom? Was she planning a coup against the Firelord? Her crimes change from mouth to mouth. In the end, no one would take Zuko or Azula back unless Ozai wanted it. But he doesn’t. Not now, at least…

But Ozai also decides to play with his options: he plants a seed of doubt in his children’s minds; should they prove themselves useful later on, it would only take pulling a few strings for them to come crawling back to him. So he tells them that they needed to prove themselves for everyone to see that they weren’t traitors like their mother. They needed to prove their worth so that he could accept them.

Ozai goes a step further with Azula and tells her that, before his demise, Firelord Azulon had a plan. A plan to bring her back and put her in the leading, prestigious role she was always meant to get. But they needed to wait for the right time. There is a right time, Princess Azula. Your hopes were right all along, they will come for you eventually if you prove yourself.

The siblings have a lot to think about while they’re leaving the Fire Nation. They idolized Ozai so much all these years. But the undeniable truth came crashing down on their heads, spoken by the man himself. What would they do now? They didn’t think it possible, but their harsh actions made things so much worse: they couldn’t come back to their mother, they didn’t have many hopes of running into Iroh again, they can’t even set foot in their homeland anymore; Zuko and Azula are all on their own.

Maybe it’s time to turn a new leaf. It starts with them being fairly neutral, not completely loyal to either the Fire Nation or to the rest of the world. During this period, they would argue a lot about what to do or where to go next, getting separated and going their own ways before destiny makes them stick together again, over and over.

They manage to get a few deals and own a few favours here and there, become known thieves as the Spirits, and maybe meet up with Ty Lee’s circus every now and again. Life is hard.

But there is one thing that is about to be a beacon in their darkness…

Time to catch up to the show. Oh, you thought I wouldn’t go there?

Part 3 coming right up!

(I know I said this would be a two-parter, but it got ridiculously long, so I split it again. Three-parter now.)

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writingonesdreams · 5 years

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11 questions tag game

I was tagged by @ren-c-leyn, thank you! This was probably a classic 11/11/11 tag game but since I have done the format already and I really like these questions, I'm tagging you for the same ones!

What’s your favourite genre to write in and why?

Character-driven fantasy or magic realism. Just to have magic part of the daily life of the characters - I love all the possibilities and I think a fanatsy plot is the most exciting, but also has my characters facing their inner struggles.

Plus for some reason I have been really drawn to post-apocalyptic setting and survival plots lately.

Do you think you have a style/voice that you use more often in your writing? When did you develop that style?

I like to write in first person with my constructions or expressions being a bit unusual at times - side effect of having English as my third language - but when it's not grammatically incorrect I think it's making my voice more distinguished and unique.

Do you play video games? What’s your favourite?

Nope I don't play any.

If you were going to do a WIP crossover, which OCs would be most interesting together? (If you’ve only got one WIP crossover with something else)

I imagine it would be a lot of fun for my OCs to crossover with anime like One Piece or Nana. How they would react to the canon characters and influence their stories..,

Do you prefer to plan WIPs in a document or through handwritten notes?

Mosly in my Evernote notes on my phone. I later organise them in a word document and sometimes I brainstorm on paper. Phone is great for recording every random thought I have about the wip and then also having access to it both on my laptop and phone - a big advantage.

Do you multiple languages exist in your WIP? If so how do you address that in the story?

There are multiple languages in my wip and I have thought about ways how to adress them. There would probably be a language common for mages that is widespread in worlds where there is a high concentration of magic and the mages of the dimension travelling kind, but otherwise the languages are actually similar since those are parallel worlds...I’m not sure how big of a role that will play however. Either it will be mentioned in passing or it will shape the MC’s frustrations.

What’s your favourite animated film that’s not Disney or Pixar?

Howl's moving castle. Most Ghibli movies actually.

Do your real-life surroundings influence your WIP’s settings?

The place in my wip change a lot since there are many dimensions the characters visit, but a big part takes place in the city I go to university to. So I guess I use the surroundings that I’m comfortable with or that fascinate me in some way since a big part will also take place in a ruined world...

Which OCs would be most likely to break the fourth wall?

Anise tends to think too much, she would love to adress the audience with her inner monologues about other characters and the story's direction.

How do you work out your OCs’ personalities?

I daydream different scenarios and problems and see their reactions to them. Then I try to desribe and set the personality and tendencies more generally, make personality tests for my characters, write it down to see if it fits, then daydream some more...

Do you prefer worldbuilding or character building?

Character building. I love developing my characters and figuring out who they are and why.

What genre do you write?

Fantasy, romance, drama, coming of age, angst, hurt/comfort

Are you a planner, pantser, or planster?

I'm a planner all the way.

What is your approach to research?

I make a list of topics and elements that will influence my wip in a major way and then research them. I mostly read several articles, tropes about that theme, try to find or read a book or watch a movie from that enviroment to get a better picture. Often I come across new information that sparks some new inspiration and gets added to the outline or makes for a new sub-plot, when I like it enough.

What POV is your novel? Why are you writing it this way?

I write in first person. I always loved books in first person the most and I feel more connected to my MC this way. There is a lot of thinking and realizing going on that wouldn't be possible in such depth in third person.

Do you know how your story ends before you start writing?

I try not to. When I know the ending the story becomes boring quickly. I like to make outlines and plans for the chapters but I also like to get surprised as the story changes as I write. I know the general direction of the ending though.

When creating characters, what comes first: appearance, backstory, motivation, personality, something else?

Personality in how they act and talk and what they like to do. Then come motivations and interactions between each other showing how they are with people and what they hide from each other. Then comes the polishing of appearance. I have a general image of them when I start, but things like eye colour and hair styles tend to change a bit. I make up the backstory based on everything else I know about them, trying to find explanations and shaping memories that made them who they are.

What trope do you actually like?

The Evil teammate. This character that just seems too cruel and chaotic to be an ally but is actually incredibly skilled or genial in some way and in the end comes through for the others and cares about them in their own way.

How did you come up with your title?

When the worlds cross: It’s about mages travelling to different worlds. Plus it also hints at the meeting of different views and attitudes of the characters.

If your WIP had a theme song, what would it be?

Broken by Lovelytheband.

How has your MC developed, not within the plot, but since you first created them?

They don’t change all that much honestly. I love the change and internal arcs they will go through because of the plot, so changing that would make the story a lot different.

Your MC faces certain death. What are their last words?

Anise: “Death can’t be harder then life.”

Rhys: "Well, at least we had fun."

Cole: "I'm sure there are worse ways to die."

Oliver: "Just get it over with. I don't regret anything."

Tagging: @piratequeenofpixies @gottaenjoythelittlethingzz @madammuffins @shadowschild64 @imaghostwriter @visionofwriters @metaphors-and-melodrama @amaranthine-inscriptions @tenacious-scripturient @purpleshadows1989 @bookenders @pied-piper-of-hamlet @fourohfourlifenotfound @agentorange-writes @impossiblesnowflakes @starlitesymphony

#writeblr #tag game #tag games #11/11/11 tag #11 questions #11 questions tag game

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rpchive · 6 years

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Ninety Third Encounter-- Our Lives as Equals

this log’s a lot shorter compared to the last few

Firefly sits in her room, at her desk by herself; the dishes from her breakfast remaining off to the side of her desk. Most of the food has gone entirely untouched, and her drink never emptied. Letting out a sigh, she leans back in her chair and stares up at the ceiling for a moment. Someone knocks on the other side of her door, although the pattern isn't one that she recognizes. Pushing away from her desk, Firefly goes over and opens her door slightly. "...Something happening?" Daedalus stands on the other side of her door, looking somewhat exhausted and very much unsure of himself. "Nothing's burning, if that's what you mean." Firefly: Well, that's a relief. Eye of the storm, I'm sure, but it's nice while it lasts. Daedalus: Yeah, well, seems to be the pattern at least. Anyway, I, uh... I'm not sure how you're supposed to say this, so I'm just gonna throw some words out here I guess. Thanks for saving me from being skewered like a marshmallow until the end of time by that Oz freak. Firefly: ...I mean, he wouldn't have stopped; he was distracted; I only had one shot...it was the right thing, and the only thing to do; otherwise everybody would've just kept suffering until Collin was dead, and then who knows what that idiot would've done to everything. Daedalus: I'd rather not think about it, frankly. I already dealt with a computer with a god complex, I don't want to start moving on to people with one. Still, I am curious about something. Also, I know I'm still on thin ice here, but is the "cracked door" move really necessary? Visibly embarrassed, Firefly pulls her door open. "...I wasn't thinking about it." Daedalus: It's fine, I get it. I'd just rather not feel like the world's worst girl scout or something. Anyway, how did you get to Oz and I anyway? That city was a complete disaster, and it sounded like everyone else was trapped in their own little bubble or whatever to boot. Firefly: I don't really understand it myself...through the seams of their broken reality; something was...something saw me; nobody else was looking back, but when I looked at that person, I could tell they could see me too, so I tried to reach out to them. The seams got less chaotic, less random; the reality around me stopped distorting as much; for a moment, I was almost sure they were going to just pull me through, but they didn't. They flung me out of the seams, past everybody else, and told me I was "the only one who could stop this," so I did. Daedalus gives Firefly a look that is much similar to one he would give to someone who just grew two extra heads, and slowly nods once. "... Uh-huh." Firefly: ...Look, you asked for an answer, and I was honest; if you don't believe me, you said what you needed to. Daedalus: No no, I believe you, I just... didn't expect /that/ as an answer. Some mystery figure throwing you through all of that nonsense right to where you needed to be... Who the hell could do something like that? Firefly: I have no idea. Everyone else I saw just looked like a different version of myself... Daedalus: Impressive. The more detail you give, the more confused I get.

in those infinite realities, Firefly met one of the versions of herself that became a full god, and that’s who helped her stop Oz

Firefly: Believe me, I've spent every waking moment since we got back trying to figure out why that could've happened... Daedalus: Well, I suppose I should leave you to it. You seem like the type that's used to figuring out weird stuff like this. Firefly: It's about the only thing I can really do right now besides going back to my plants and waiting for the next disaster. Daedalus: Yeesh, keep up the sunshine and rainbows.

He glances past her for a moment and seems to notice something before looking back at her. "And uh, I might not know much about bugs, but I think you might need to eat a little more than just that." Firefly: ...Listen, this is a little much for me to deal with out of nowhere, okay? I'll eat when I'm ready... Daedalus: If you say so. Just be careful or we'll have to start sending Fawkes to babysit you. Firefly: Ugh, don't even joke about that. Daedalus grins and starts walking back to his room, musing loudly to himself as he goes. "Might need to start a meal schedule, and- ooh, maybe even a baby monitor in case something goes wrong. I should get a notepad..." Rolling her eyes, Firefly closes the door behind him. In Collin and Jay's room, Jay's shards have barely begun to conjoin naturally, only a few of them have reformed into larger chunks that remain apart from the rest of their whole. Zenith is still sleeping in a beanbag chair across the room. Collin has started a quiet game of shaping a small rock in his hands into various shapes and designs using his magic while he sits on the bed, lost in thought. Every once in a while he glances over at Jay's shards to see how they're doing before returning to his hands. Jays shards remain unchanging, retaining their semi-chunky state. Collin sighs and sets the rock, currently twisted in a spiral shape, down on the bedside table. He quietly gets up off the bed and makes his way out of the room before heading down the hall toward the kitchen. Silky and Karumet are there, though Silky currently has a stack of pancakes several feet tall in front of her. Karumet, on the other hand, only has a cup of coffee and an empty plate. Collin: Mornin'. Breakfast still open, I take it? Karumet: The ship makes whatever you want whenever; but Silky's made it her personal mission to eat as much of anything she can get her hands on suddenly.

Through a mouthful of pancakes, Silky sobs out a response: "'Ou would doo 'f 'ou shaw whad I did!"

Collin: Uh... do you need to talk about it? I don't want you to choke on something over it. Drinking syrup out of the bottle, Silky slams it on the table. "What's there to talk about?! All that stuff was out of our reach anyway; who even cares?!"

that sounds like it would just straight up feel bad

Karumet: Apparently you do.

Silky: What the hell would you even know about family?! You don't even have one!

Karumet: Maybe not, but at least I'm not eating my feelings.

Silky: Who cares about that?! I'm never gonna be on another stage; this figure is a waste! My career is in shambles; my family name was ruined; my life is over!!

Silky goes back to sobbing into her pancakes. Collin: Okay, okay, let's take a step back here you two.

Collin pulls up a chair to the table and sits between them. "I'll admit, I don't really know what was going on for the most part during all of that, but... are you sure everything you saw was a real thing? I mean, from what I've heard it sounds like Oz made a literal nightmare realm for everyone. Maybe he just played into everyone's fears to get the biggest reaction." Karumet: There were legitimately infinite branches of possibilities laid out around us; each one containing at least one difference from the last. We all saw things that could've been; things we couldn't have; things that can be; things that might still be possible...but it was almost impossible to distinguish the differences between those subtler realities. Absolutely none of them were within our reach; it was impossible for us to see more than the glimpses, and yet, even just those small windows seem to have made big impacts.

Silky: It wasn't even just one or two; there were hundreds of realities like that! Absolutely thousands of realities where Atlas never ruined anything; where my dad was alive; where everything was just fine; it's not fair!

Karumet: And? What good does it do being upset over what you could've had or done differently when those things aren't changed so practically now? Collin: I... I get it, I think. It sucks to have all of the "what-if" scenarios thrown out in front of you like that, but think about it for a second. Will giving up on what you have now bring about anything you saw? Is getting lost in a whirlwind of nightmares and daydreams the best way forward? Yes, you've lost a lot already, but will giving up on even more actually help you? Silky stares quietly at her pancakes for a minute and sighs as she sets her fork down.

"...Maybe not, but it's...hard not to get upset seeing stuff like that. It's something I don't want to talk about." Collin: I'm not saying it's wrong to be upset about it, I just... hate seeing you take it out on yourself like that. Silky: ...I guess I understand. I just...XL was having the same problem; her dad and sister were still alive like that, and even if she couldn't be with them, she didn't want to stop seeing them; she didn't want to stop falling. Now that it's all over, she's kind of left wondering why she's still...doing this. The war's over; and we won; but...

Karumet: ...But there's still more to fight; still people losing more than you have; still people that need help. That's why you're still doing this...

Silky: ...Yeah. Collin seems to stare through the table for a moment before he speaks, although his volume almost sounds as though he were trying to talk to himself. "I always get such a weird feeling when I hear you guys talk about your families, honestly." Karumet: ...It's probably because they're the only ones with families to talk about.

since s1 Jay was dressed in all black does that mean that everybody else on the IT is technically a Robin

Silky: ...That's kind of why we try not to bring it up in front of everybody... Collin: Well, no, it's not like jealousy or anything like that. In fact, I always feel bad about what you guys lost more than anything else. I guess it's more that I just... have trouble trying to relate, I think. I mean, I technically had parents, but one turned me into a science experiment and the other trapped me in a maze of tests for a couple of years, and I don't even really know them for anything other than that. In a way, I both did and didn't have a biological family, and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it. The only family I really know is here, with you guys. Silky: ...I...guess I understand. I don't think any of us ever really stop feeling mad about what happened to you, either. Or, well, not always mad as much as upset that they were just kinda...always like that for you? But that just means we'll have to be the better family, huh?

Karumet: Yeah, well, great job, you almost got him killed by a ghost yesterday.

Silky: Th-that wasn't my fault! Collin: Hey, at least Silky never put me on a narrow walkway with turrets on either side and tiny, spaced out walls to hide behind. Once she does /that/, I might get upset. Karumet: Your family was clearly a bunch of lunatics. Probably for the best you barely knew either of them. Collin: I don't know if she was always that way. Like I said, I don't really remember much before waking up in the testing track. Regardless, I'm just glad to be done with the place. Karumet: ...Speaking of morally curious women, where'd your demon girlfriend slink off to? I haven't seen her since yesterday... Collin: Okay, she's not my girlfriend. But to answer your question, I'm actually not sure. She was hiding in Zenith's shadow yesterday, but I haven't really heard from her since then. Karumet: Well, whatever she is, I'm sure she's doing something else ridiculous somewhere. You should probably try to find her; she looked like she actually listened to you. Collin: Sorta, I guess? I'm not sure why, honestly. Anyway, I'll go take a look around. Talk to you guys later.

With that, Collin pushes himself away from the table and leaves the kitchen. He starts making his way through the IT, checking the music rooms and the other shared spaces to try and find her. Azreldeh does not seem to be in any open areas that Collin goes through, however, Zenith does wind up running into Collin on his way back.

Zenith: I-!! When I woke up, Jay was...Jay's back! Collin: Wait, what?

Rather than waiting for a response, he quickly ducks past him and darts down the hall for their room. Azreldeh is idly floating in the room beside Jay, who's currently balled up on the bed holding where his injured arm should be.

Azreldeh: ...Yeah, no, that's definitely not normal; I should probably go get your bug friend... Collin: What's wrong? What's not normal? Azreldeh: Oh, when did you get here? Uhh, his arm's totally black and hard, apparently. That doesn't happen normally, does it? Collin: N-No, not at all. Should I go get Firefly, or...? Azreldeh: Uhh, I guess? Unless that really mean kleivenn chick knows about this. Collin: I don't know, I never know when this is kleivenn stuff or something else. Look, I'll... I'll be right back.

He hurries back out of the room and down to Firefly's door, which he hurriedly knocks on. Firefly answers her door yet again. "Look, if you're here to make more baby jokes or something-- oh, Collin."

Collin: Huh? Baby j- Uh, n-nevermind, look, Jay came back but his arm's all wrong. Can you see if you can help? Firefly: ...His arm? That's weird...uhh, sure; I'll be there in a sec; just let me look for something first. In the meantime, you should probably see if it's hurting him or something; I'd like to know if we're dealing with a curse or another ghost before I start dragging more weird artifacts out of drawers. Collin: Right, sorry...

He hurries back to their room and stops next to Jay, hesitant to touch him. "You, uh... Your arm, is it hurting? alienrabitt: N-no, I just...I can't move it or anything while it's like this. I don't know what's wrong; this hasn't happened before...ugh, but...I really don't care about this. Collin: ... Huh? What do you mean "you don't care"? alienrabitt: ...Collin, do you remember what I told you the wish I made when I became a hermes was about? Collin: Oh, you remember- Uh, yeah, but... What does that have to do with this? I mean, I'm okay, so...? alienrabitt: ...I...guess it doesn't have anything to do with this, but...when Oz decided to pull whatever big stunt of his he messed up, when he tried to kill you...my wish hadn't changed. Even though I was technically part of Demo, what he was doing, it wasn't just pulling you apart...but...I couldn't do anything about it...I couldn't even get through to everybody else...I was just dying by myself in the middle of absolutely nothing. I...I don't care what the hell this is about; I just...

cannocal reminder in case anyone missed that Oz was so stupid he almost killed himself as soon as he became a god

Collin: Oh God Jay, I... I'm so sorry.

He kneels down next to the bed and puts a hand on his shoulder. alienrabitt: ...I'm glad you're okay. Is everyone else? I...don't really know what happened... Collin: Yeah, everyone's still recovering from all of that, but they're okay. Oz got charbroiled, so don't worry about him either. alienrabitt: ...And Demo? Collin: She's alive. I think she might still be recovering in XL's room. She was pretty upset about the whole thing, for obvious reasons. alienrabitt: ...But she's okay? That's such a relief; I figured since she took me in that maybe...but you're okay, so she's probably fine too...

Firefly finally shows up in the room, Zenith following worriedly behind her.

Firefly: So, what's the verdict? Collin: It's not hurting him, at least. Sounds like he can't move it or anything though. Crouching down beside Jay, Firefly pulls on a pair of metallic goggles with tinted lenses that seem to flicker slightly. "Hmm, you're right; more than anything, it just looks like a mess of conflicting sources of magic...Azreldeh, you helped him, didn't you?"

Azreldeh: Y-you could've just looked at my horns to figure that out!

Firefly: Yeah, well, even if you're trying to help, you're still a demon...but your magic isn't even what's causing this; more than anything, it looks like it's because of Zenith and Demo. They're both so unstable that the arm can't stay in any one state; but constantly shifting would leave Jay at a disadvantage; so it tried to compromise; but...this doesn't really help either. Collin: Wait, what? I thought Demo and Zenith weren't connected with him anymore, at least not when it comes to his power or whatever you want to call it. Firefly: They aren't right now; but since he just got done with sharing a body with both of them; and since Oz was straining it pretty hard; and since he was trying to force Demo to make Jay a part of them, Jay must've been trying not to do that, which means taking in all that chaotic mess that Oz was using to make everything so...wrong.

alright, key point for later, limbs/things like this come from taking in absurd amounts of unstable/chaotic magic

Collin: ... Yeah, I guess that'd do it, huh. What should we do about it though? Firefly: Taking this stuff in is really ill-advised; if this is what it's doing to Jay's arm, there's no telling what it'd do to a person like you. Fortunately it doesn't seem to be enough to make a serious impact on Jay; it wasn't even enough to give him a physical form; so for now, all we can really do is watch and make sure it doesn't get worse, which it shouldn't unless somebody feeds into it.

and Firefly even points out that the magic itself has a chance to do something much, much worse. but Jay only took in a small amount...

She glances over to Azreldeh. "...So you better keep your hands to yourself."

Azreldeh: Well, I won't touch him, but you can't tell me not to touch anybody...

Firefly: Y-you know what I mean!! Don't try to flirt with me! Collin: Good grief... I just wish I could do something. Not having an arm is going to suck... Firefly: I'm sure once whatever this is works its way out, Jay will be fine again. Collin: I sure hope so. We've had enough emergencies thanks to Oz already. Zenith: Uhh, Demo really sounded like she wanted to talk to you when you got up, but...if you don't want to-

alienrabitt: No, I do. We probably need to after...all that... Collin: Do you need help getting up? alienrabitt: Believe it or not, no; even before now, my arm couldn't really hold up my own weight, so I'm kind of used to...not using it for that.

Despite this statement, it does seem to take him a little more effort than usual to get upright and off the bed. Collin: Alright, just... let me know if you need help. Let's go see if Demo is still in XL's room. Upon arriving in XL's room, the group finds that Demo has actually left. Collin: Well, at least she can move again. I guess she'll be in her room then? XL: She didn't tell me she was gonna talk to anybody, so I'd call that a safe bet. Collin: Alright, thanks XL. I guess we'll try there then. The group tries Demo's room. Though it takes some time for her to answer the door, she manages to do so, even if she leans against the doorframe the entire time. Visibly tired, she won't meet anyone's eyes, not even Jay's. "...So you woke up."

alienrabitt: Demo, why're you hiding your room again? I already know what's in it...

Demo: It's not exactly a public gallery...but you didn't come here to judge my interior design skills, did you? alienrabitt: ...I-...when Oz made you-...Demo; I know how you really feel about me. I know about everything; I know you didn't mean to hurt everybody like that; I know you didn't want to kill Collin...but...

Demo: ...Yeah, you know about what everybody else does at this point, and I know you're late to the party.

alienrabitt: ...That's...why didn't you tell me about how you felt about me? Not...not Tori, me.

Demo looks past Jay for a minute. "...That. Isn't a conversation for an audience."

She looks back at him. "...Look, just...don't sweat it; especially when you blatantly have bigger problems going on. I'm just glad I didn't mess you up too." Collin: Uh, if you two need to talk some more, we can just leave. It's not a big deal, really. Demo: ...Nah, you can come talk to me when everybody's less...shaken and stirred. I'm pretty patient, trust me. Just...figure out what the hell's up with yourself first; we can get back to me. Collin: Me? I'm fine, it's Jay's arm that's paying the price for Oz's stunt right now. Demo: Believe me, I'm...well aware.

Firefly: Did something happen to you to?

Demo: I'm sorry; did I ask for paparazzi once Jay woke up? No? Just for him? Take a hike, Flick; this is an A B conversation. Collin: Jesus, right back at it aren't you? Demo: Look, there's only so many people I wanna talk to right now, and she's about the last one I wanna see. Collin: Alright, well try this instead: Zenith, Firefly, can you let us talk this out for a little while? Zenith: Uhh...yeah, I can do that...

Firefly: ...I...sure.

Firefly leaves, glancing back at Demo a few times. Zenith, on the other hand, just leaves without any hassle. Demo looks relieved to have both of them out of her presence.

Demo: ...To answer her question; yes, I didn't get out of that without repercussions either.

Stepping aside, Demo allows the pair into her proper room again. After stepping inside, Collin turns back to face Demo. "What happened to you? You look normal, at least." Demo is very careful all the way back to her chair, sitting down about as quickly and unceremoniously as possible. "Yeah, well, hell works in mysterious ways, pal."

Collin: Uh... Is something wrong with your legs, or...? Demo: You are absolutely correct; how observant of you. Can't really blame you for not noticing before; I do kinda wear clothes that actually cover most of me; hell, even Silky didn't notice when she carried me off because she was in her armor; but once she put me down and XL saw...

alienrabitt: Your whole body was like my arm?

Demo: For the most part. I told them not to tell anybody; didn't want to freak anyone out, especially when we didn't know what it was or even why it was happening. By this morning, most of it was totally gone, so I just left without a warning. I'm sure XL's about as steamed as she can get, but whatever.

...while Demo took enough to change 80% of her body

that’s something to keep in mind for later, but I’m saying this more for myself at this point

Collin: Well, at least it got better? Hopefully it'll be the same case for Jay too. Demo: Oh, I'm sure it will be. He'll be fine regardless; it doesn't hurt at all; it's just really annoying. Turns out kleivenn aren't supposed to take in magic so strong it can snap reality over its knee; go figure.

alienrabitt: ...So, you-

Demo: Me, me, me; you're sounding pretty obsessed finally, huh? I'll cut to the chase; I wasn't really sure back then. I couldn't tell you apart; and that ruined everything about my perception; even when I came back, I only ever thought of you as this one thing, when you were something totally different the whole time. I was so obsessed with the frame, I never even bothered to look at the damn painting. But you? You're the real big picture. 'Course, now that I'm seeing you like that, I've got no damn idea what that means for me, or even if I care about that. That whole other half thing...I don't want you to be a part of me. You are my other half, yeah, but we work better like this.

alienrabitt: That's...I'm uhh, not sure how to take all that? This is seriously what was eating you up while I was gone?

Demo: Wh-- of course not; I thought you were dead! I shattered you and took you in; all you and your boyfriend's stupid magic paralyzed me from the neck down for a day straight; do you think during that whole time all I was thinking about was "golly, I sure am one lucky gal to be besties with my brother?!"

alienrabitt: W-well, I'm not dead, so...! Don't worry about it!

Demo: God, you really are just one dense motherfucker sometimes... Collin: Jay, it's not just the fact that you almost died, it's the fact that it happened because Demo wasn't seeing you for who you really are. alienrabitt: ...Okay, I...think I get it. Sorry, getting shattered like that is giving me a little bit of a hard time. Azreldeh couldn't totally fix me; she just kinda gave me enough magic to be here.

Demo: ...Ugh, you're making me feel guilty just looking at you. Just...you get the point; please leave. Collin: Alright, we'll get out of your hair. You gonna be alright by yourself? Demo: I'm...getting by. Don't worry about it. Nydins'll probably be in here soon enough anyway... Collin: Fair enough. We'll leave you to it then.

alright, next time we...go back to the Starbound universe, but not really for War Reasons?

#[S4]

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doocare · 4 years

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How Police Dogs get training for Several Activities?

Dogs can be more than becoming a faithful fur buddy. They surprise us by being productive and doing new things every day. While dogs are great emotional supporters, we can also rely on them as our strong security canines. Well, who does not know about the police dogs and their grand valor stories? Those dogs never fail to make their owners feel protected, energized, and loved at the same time. The secret behind the strength of police dogs and things like how they are trained must excite many dog owners who want to train and groom their fur babies in such a disciplined way. So, let’s talk about certain skilled dogs, their innate qualities, and training capabilities for various activities.

The particular dog breeds such as German Shepherds or the Belgian Malinois are genetically wired for protection and detection tasks while Labrador, Beagles and Bloodhounds are naturally talented for tasks such as searching for certain goods. Last, there are the Dutch shepherds that are utilized for search and rescue.

Look at some activities they are given training for:

Police patrolling dogs

These dogs work as additional units on the roads in many aspects of routine police life, from finding suspects from protecting their officers and catching criminals. These police dogs assist officers in maintaining order and go beyond their duty in the work they are assigned to. They are trained to chase criminal suspects and hold them while the officer arrives.

Drug or substance detection

The trained dogs can easily detect any illegal substance that may be present in a product or material; meaning they get narcotic scent training. Their training is tough and requires a powerful ability to distinguish unique kinds of drugs while not getting confused, even if another smell takes over.

Bomb tracking

Some dogs get specialized training in recognizing bombs or explosives. They train the brave dogs not only in detecting the explosive weapons or material but also respond carefully and safely let their partner officer know about the location of explosives.

Training a dog is not a simple task, so it is not advisable to scold them even if they are doing it wrong. We can make the training method simple by rewarding them with prizes or treats for their correct guesses and completion of tasks. They train police dogs with positive reinforcement and it is the thing you need to know if you want a happy and well-adjusted dog, with some other necessary actions in training like:

Obedience and consistency

Police dogs are constantly rewarded for their hard work and their training always emphasizes safety, control, and efficiency. They can learn obedience and how to keep focused on distracting situations. Decent obedience training is critical and the puppy must be able to sit, stay, come and go as per instructions while both being on-leash and off-leash.

Watch for evaluations

As the police dogs do, your fur friend (if possible) must be able to perform under stress, even in loud chaotic environments and sometimes with minimum guidance. In this way, their training involves the activities that are done over and repeatedly to test.

Keep things fun

Training should be a pleasant time for the dogs while not enhancing the pressure on them. When you train your dog positively, it can lead to your dog performing exceptionally well. They do well when the rewards are so great.

Summing up

At the end of the day, your dog even with a heroic badge is your companion in need. They need lots of time, attention, and love; they in return, offer a lifetime of loyalty. There are several specialized needs for certain dogs that make them suitable for what scenarios they will face. The dogs must be trained in such a way they are kept hygienic and clean by training them with proper food habits, waste elimination manners, etc. We at Doo Care provide

dog poop removal

services to take extra precautionary care of your fur buddy while maintaining their hygiene and comfort. Even the strongest dogs need affection, sympathy, and health care.

Original Source: http://doocare.com/how-police-dogs-get-training-for-several-activities/

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morshtalon · 5 years

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Majin Tensei

(Part 6 of the MegaTen thing)

Welp, Majin Tensei was a thing, wasn't it? Not a lot of people have played it, almost no one remembers it, there isn't a page on it on tvtropes, and the SMT wiki itself just has a few short articles here and there, but it sure did exist! It even spawned a sequel that, to my knowledge, gathered a bit more notoriety.

But why is it that the game flew under the radar like that? Well... Probably because the fan translation patch only came out in 2018, but I feel a little more comfort knowing about the game's obscurity, even compared to other titles in early SMT history, and imagining it to be the byproduct of the effect the game's quality had on the few people that actually did play it.

I say that, of course, because Majin Tensei was quite a miserable experience for me. It's a tactical RPG spinoff that translates series conventions into a strategy game format (Yes, another spinoff, but at this point I'd like to think MegaTen is kind of an all-encompassing thing with no true mainline games and spinoffs, just a whole bunch of products with baseline thematic/gameplay similarities organized under different banners representing closer similarities). Now, I have no problem with tactical RPGs at all, and some of the most fun I had back in 2017-2018 was when I started to work through the Fire Emblem series, but playing tames like Majin Tensei really helps one visualize exactly how all the elements piece themselves together to create a stimulating sRPG experience in a Fire Emblem title, and when these elements are not well-balanced, sometimes even at a level that you wouldn't realize at first, much frustration can ensue.

Naturally, the reason I say that is because Majin Tensei takes a lot of inspiration from Fire Emblem. The maps are similarly structured top-down boards, there's different types of terrain affecting movement one way or the other, there's a bunch of "classes" (a nice opportunity to make the demon races a little more distinguishable from each other), the attacks consist of the attacker striking then the opponent countering, your units are blue while enemies are red, and in general it just seems to operate through the same rough guidelines as an FE title

However, just as much as it takes mechanics from FE, it also changes around a lot of other stuff and introduces quite a few quirks that help distinguish it and make it a unique (said in a not particularly favorable or unfavorable way) experience. Let's make a rundown and compare them to how it would be in Fire Emblem!

Stats work much more like they do in MegaTen. On level-ups, you can select which stat you wish to increase; HP goes up to 999 instead of the mid-to-high double digits; levels go up to 99 instead of 20 or so; demons don't level up, but they can sort of pseudo-level up and acquire skills which can be passed on to demons made with them through fusion (I realize now, I think this is where the skill inheritance comes from. Huh...) and it plays a lot more like a translated regular RPG than something specifically tailored for the format it's using. I don't think I need to point out the likelihood of something that borrows mechanics from a different subgenre being better than something that was originally crafted for use in an sRPG (it's pretty minimal), but regardless, the point is, the attack/damage formulas and correlations of Majin Tensei are very difficult to pin down. In an RPG, it's completely fine to play around with unpredictability, but in a tactical game, you need to give the player agency and control over the game's minutiae to better allow them to piece a plan together. In Fire Emblem, the numbers are very low, and formulas are simplistic enough that the player can do some basic math and map out a course of action several moves in advance. Not so much here, as the eluding nature of the relations between strength, defense and damage means that you'll be going into most fights guesstimating what their result will be. That being as it is, the game's design isn't too concerned about tightly creating stages and enemies to take advantage of the player's exposure to this degree of information, and most maps feel much less involved than anything an FE title can offer. I'm not saying Fire Emblem is perfect or anything, but it does provide good insight into how to approach the RPG elements of something like this, while Majin Tensei, aiming to simulate the inner workings of more normal franchise titles, sacrifices immersion and makes a lot of maps dull because of that.

Oh, and rest assured, there's no shortage of them. While most FE titles hover around 25 maps, Majin Tensei has a staggering 59 scenarios, some of which far bigger and more filled with enemies than an average level in FE. I'm not exactly sure how long the game is, because it doesn't keep track of playtime, but it felt like an eternity. I was hoping the game would end at scenario 25, because it seems like it's at a point where it reasonably could stop the plot, but nope, it only stops after more than double that amount.

But if you thought only some vague notion of stat design is what made me deem the stages uninteresting, boy, you've got another thing coming. First of all, there's only one set of tracks (player phase, enemy phase, neutral phase) through the entire game, with the rare exception of boss maps, which use a single track that's shared between all of them (for all phases), and the final boss which also gets a unique track of its own. For comparison, Mystery of the Emblem has 3 sets of tracks and 24 stages, and Genealogy of the Holy War, though it is 2 years younger, has a unique set of tracks for every one of its 12 chapters. I will say, the music in Majin Tensei is quite good. It has a nice collection of samples, some enjoyable, prominent basslines, and encapsulates the chaotic setting and tone quite beautifully without having to resort to power rock stuff like SMT 1 did (I like the music in SMT 1, by the way, I just think the soundtrack here is a bit more matured). I actually think the tracks themselves are superior to the ones in all Fire Emblem titles for the Super Famicom. But man, listening to Flame Up Fragment's intro for several turns through 52 or so stages really starts to get under my skin.

Secondly, many stages are wide open fields, and the game tends to make enemies haul ass towards you whenever it can. This means that, optimally, you're just gonna bunch up somewhere narrow and relatively safe-ish and wait for the main wave of enemies to come toward you instead of doing anything yourself. Later maps have generators that basically serve the same function reinforcements do in FE, so you're gonna have to move to block the generators at some point. It can't help but feel arbitrary, though. You're not moving because you have to, or because enemies are trying to lure you to then, or because of a natural reason like that. You're moving because the game put some generator on the opposite end of the board, and even though the enemies the generator produces are hilariously underpowered compared to you, the stage requires you to defeat all enemies, and before you can kill a wave of generator guys, another one is produced, so you have no choice but to block it. I realized through Majin Tensei that destroy all enemies is a very risky thing to make your baseline objective for scenarios. It's kind of like if you were forced to kill reinforcements on a Fire Emblem map.

Point is, there's a lot of waiting involved, way more than in FE, so you'd at least expect them to include ways to expedite the process, right? Well, if there are any, I sure haven't found them, and you can bet your ass I tried, a lot. There's no way to speed up or skip enemy phases, and scenarios can have up to a maximum of 30 enemies in them. Furthermore, the AI takes a fraction of a second to decide where each enemy will move to, and that fraction of a second adds up pretty fast. There's a scenario late in the game that I swear was designed to annoy the player into ultimate frustration. Throughout the map, there are 30 level 3 kobolds spread out randomly. However, there are generators at key points, and whenever you kill a kobold, the generators immediately spawn another one until there's 30 in the map once again. Since at that point you are omnipotently stronger than this type of enemy, you're not really gonna bother summoning a lot of your demons, because it's just gonna be a waste of money and magnetite, so you just choose 3 of the good ones and leave it at that. So, each turn, the AI takes upwards of 2 and a half minutes to move all its units, then you move yours closer to the generators for five seconds, rinse and repeat. Heaven forbid you actually get surrounded by a bunch of them, because the combat "animations" (really just a barely animating sprite of the target getting struck by a generic RPG slash effect) also can't be skipped. It got to a point where I was so bored and frustrated, I did something I've never done before in any game in my life: I used emulator tools to fast-forward through enemy phases. Being a borderline OCD player who abhors the use of tools and even sometimes forgoes using mechanics in remakes that didn't exist in the original versions of the games, you can see how miserable I was.

I guess I should take some time to say, the artwork in the animations is very detailed and big compared to other games so far in the franchise. The demons look pretty good, but I feel like sometimes they're drawn a little weird, like Orthrus having some weird proportions and Maya looking unintentionally hilarious. There's also very rampant palette swapping, to the point where it can sometimes kill the excitement of seeing a new demon on the map because you know they're gonna look the same as 3 others. The most egregious example I could find was Empousa looking the same as Abaddon, of all things, which I found extremely odd when you compare it to any other game in the series. Some of the fairies and catwomen look really sexy, drawn with no clothes, and have a flirtatious personality, but I can't see anything other than a group of middle aged japanese men getting all hot and bothered writing the lines for these demons.

Overall, the game is, again, pretty easy. Not because of anything the player will feel is their own credit, but because periodically, neutral demons will show up. While enemies have a variable chance of even beginning conversation with you (from 0% to 80% depending on the phase of the moon, which changes at the beginning of each player phase), these demons will pretty much always talk to you (the game says 80%, but I never had it fail) and have no level restrictions to enter your party, unlike demons you can make through fusion and enemies you can convert. Most of the time, these neutral demons are massively overpowered, far stronger than anything else you'll have for several maps, and when you do get to the maps that have similar enemies, your own troops will all be at the maximum pseudo-level, so they'll still curbstomp the enemies into oblivion. Only at the tail end of the story do you ever have to really start taking relationships between demon races seriously into account and use your minions cleverly, but still, all you have to do is watch the effectiveness indicator at the bottom left. If you still find it too challenging, you can save at the beginning of every turn, which... Never really goes well for these types of games in terns of presenting the player with a reasonable, well put together challenge. Since you can fix mistakes at a moment's notice by save scumming, being careful is hardly ever necessary, and since demons aren't unique, there's nothing preventing you from sacrificing a few for the greater good, so it's very, very rare that you'll have to use your brain much. This is a strategy game, and you can just blast through most things!

The only stage I found truly challenging was scenario 45, I believe. It's actually the same premise as the kobold level from earlier, except when you kill an enemy (and you will, because they suicide on you), the generators, which are far out of the way and are only accessible by flying units, replace them with level 50 leviathans instead. The whole level turns into a race as you have to use your fliers to quickly cover the generators while trying your best to delay the onslaught of leviathans as much as possible, then carefully manipulate positioning and backup troops to minimize the damage that the leviathans that inevitably start pouring out after a while deal to you. It's a rage-inducing level at first glance, but it was pretty much the only time Majin Tensei actually delivered a well thought-out stage that has its concept introduced earlier then turns it into a game of using your units for purposes that require out-of-the-box thinking (like using your fairies as meat shields because they can't kill level 3 enemies in one hit). I would have appreciated the game so much more if it were just 18 or so stages of clever stuff like this. It would have been harder, sure, but damn man, this genre is basically made to offer a more thinking experience for the player, and Majin Tensei does have a lot of mechanical complexity with all the correlations between things, so why does it only use it in extremely rare occasions like this?

As it stands though, Majin Tensei was loathsome to me. All the things I appreciate about it are for the vast majority of the game in service of a dull, neutered tactical experience that offers little over passively going through the motions 59 times in a row until you get to the end. There's a plot, but it's hardly even worth talking about. It's a spinoff, so the game feels it can just do the same shit over again, and it's basically one long trek through Tokyo, then the underworld, then it ends. There's nothing stimulating about it other than some questions the demons ask the hero pertaining to the reasons why he's fighting or something, but it's so underdeveloped, nothing substantial comes from it. There are multiple endings, but it has nothing to do with law or chaos, it's just standard good/normal/bad endings. Maybe the good one offers some more closure, but it's still an overly simple plot spread as thin as possible among the game's sheer bloated girth. It's exhausting just to think about it.

Given that, this game is a 2.9 out of 10 for me. Yeah, that's pretty low, and I considered giving it a higher score based on its sort of complex mechanics and enjoyable interactions, but while playing I felt nothing but boredom and irritation, and while it felt like an eternity had passed while I was playing it, now that it's over, it feels like it came and went in a nanosecond. I'm actually starting to think it was just some weird fever dream I had, and thinking about it definitely brings me images of being sick, so take that for what it's worth.

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symbianosgames · 7 years

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The Silver Case is the first game Grasshopper Manufacture ever made. Before Killer 7, before No More Heroes, before Let it Die, The Silver Case showed what GHM would become. A studio where story and visual flair were paramount.

It's an adventure game, in the visual novel style of classics like Snatcher, but with a more realistic setting, posed as a hard boiled crime story. It was originally released on the PlayStation in 1999, only in Japan, the only original Grasshopper Manufacture game with that distinction. That's why the recent PC port, called The Silver Case HD Remaster, is exciting – it brings the entire original Grasshopper catalog into English.

To dig into what makes this game special, we spoke with some of the developers of the game, original and new, discussing character design, story, and the port itself.

What influenced your design style here?

Takashi Miyamoto: The story is set in 1999, but there was an inclusion of near future aspects which came from the writings of William Gibson. Additionally, numerous films have also influenced the design.

Which films? How did they influence the design?

TM: What I remembered from your question is Metropolis, Gattaca, Heat, or Seven. But these answers don't mean I was influenced regarding the character design, it's more like the overall image including the background or scenes.

Of course all those films, since my childhood, are accumulated into my core, but I really don't think I got any direct influence about the character design from them, at least that's what I remember.

However, Suda told me that Morikawa and Kotobuki could look like characters appearing in the Japanese television series Taiyo ni hoero. I didn't search for the actual photos or videos, so still everything is made from my imagination.

Why do you think there's a more western style prominent in detective style visual novels?

TM: Perhaps it would be in the interest or longing to the culture totally different from our own. Also, it might be difficult to make up something new from the cities you've grown up in, I guess.

I’ve never played an adventure game other than “The Silver Case,” though, so I have no idea how many games with Western settings are there or such.

What impressed me long ago was the stylish UI. Was this an iterative process getting there, and can you describe the process?

TM: At the time, the game was made with such a small team; I think the staff’s sensitivity to it was displayed in a straightforward style. The mood of the visual becomes complete with the inclusion of my art and it had to be up to the story to work. I myself was able to sink in the story and it was very comfortable.

Tell me about your most important pillars of character design. How do you craft someone unique, and bring their personality forward?

TM: I avoid the expressions and poses of common symbolic emotions that Japanese animation and manga uses, unless there is a good reason to. At my core, I always want to design characters with a back-story, and I think that suited Suda’s demand for characters at the time.

Can you give some examples of how a character's backstory influenced their character design?

TM: As far as I remember, the process of those character designs were something like; Suda shows me a fashion magazine for the costumes, and explains to me each one’s personalities, then I’d imagine the background (it's not told in the game).

Once my imagination is ready, I’d get the OK from Suda and start drawing and so on. So, no one knows about all those processes other than me and Suda. I guess Suda was doing something similar with the scenarios since he was working on it at the same time.

When writing a detective story, how close do you stick to tropes of the genre?

Masahi Ooka: I personally like to defy tropes, but in the case of The Silver Case I was actually going for a “hard-boiled” story instead of a detective one. I remember writing the story with the mind set of making the writing as “hard-boiled” as possible.

How would you distinguish between a detective story and a hard-boiled one?

MO: The book that rings a bell with the term "hard-boiled" is the Philip Marlowe series by Raymond Chandler. Also Robert Brown Parker is a favorite, too. If you say "detective story," that would be the "Sherlock Holmes" series. In Japan, there is a detective story series called Akechi Kogorou written by Ranpo Edogawa. When I was still in my early teens, I loved detective and mystery stories. Then in my late teens, I was into Sci-Fi novels. Finally in my twenties, the hard-boiled genre came up as a choice among other mystery novels.

That might be why I feel "detective story" and "hard-boiled" are different genres. So in short, there is a big genre called "mystery," and within that, "detective story" is just one category, then another category called "hard-boiled" exists inside my head.

The difference? The writing style, the air, the reasoning and action of the protagonist, I guess. The heroes of hard-boiled stories are all tough, merciless, and stylish. Well, in the era of Robert Brown Parker, those heroes became more humane and somewhat unstylish, I should say. (The game's second protaginist) Tokio Morishima, of course, fulfills my aesthetics but he is a character who is a little unstylish and "poorly-made."

How is it collaborating with other writers? Do you take charge of a certain aspect, like dialog, or do you write whatever and edit each other, or something else?

MO: With the cooperation of Suda, I will receive the scenario once he completes it; we will have a meeting in regards to the scenario, confirm what will be covered in Placebo, and then finally start writing the story. We also had help from the writer Kato Sako, who we also met up with at a café, giving out ideas and then writing the story. As a journalist, I would usually write after an interview, write after research or write with an editor. So The Silver Case was written as an extension of that practice. Of course, there were also times I’ve submitted the scenario and fixed the script so it matches the overall story.

When writing a story like this, do you ever find yourself trapped in your own logic? Sometimes when I write, I have a great idea, and then I realize it contradicts other things I've already put in place. How do you deal with this?

MO: Yes, of course, I was occasionally trapped. The Silver Case is a piece of work which presents the seems-to-be logical answer but creates inconsistency at the same time, and then someone comes up with a new piece of logic from another perspective but it also produces a different inconsistency... it keeps going on like this and ends up with just a chaotic situation. So, sometimes I had to think about "What is the logical consistency anyway?" That was just tough. Or quite simply, there might be some inconsistencies left over intentionally, you know.

Apart from The Silver Case, "logic" is a mere element to construct a story. It is the same even for mystery which has a strong weight upon logic. It is true that if the story has any inconsistency, that might make the user stop following it, but if the work has something more important than keeping the consistency, it is author's choice to prioritize the inconsistency, this is what I think. If any of us come up with brilliant idea, we should rely on that rather than try to make something look good. I prefer a "marvelous idea with some inconsistency" rather than a "logical consistency." Of course we need to balance them well though.

Yes, the balance. A so-called masterpiece is something with a good balance which includes logical consistency. However, that well-balanced piece could be interesting but boring, no one knows. What I like is something that pretends to have the layers of logical ideas and just destroys everything in the end, something that seems to be made upon the unreal logic. Well, it's hard to describe.

Saying that, I, myself am a very bad story writer. Please someone teach me how to create an interesting story.

Is there anything you've changed from the original game, or anything you wish you could?

MO: For me it’s the norm to feel embarrassed at my own past writing, so I don’t really like to read it once it’s written. If I were to start fixing the text, I would probably rewrite the whole thing. However, Placebo was something I’ve written a considerably long time ago and I don’t really remember the fine details of it. So it’s probably going to feel like someone else had written it. Well since I haven’t touched the script in over a decade, I don’t think I would have the urge to change it.

I'm sure you didn't plan for this game to be translated into English from the start? Is there anything that has surprised you about the localization process?

MO: I wouldn’t have even dreamed that The Silver Case would be released in English. Being totally honest, I’m surprised that people still even remember it as a game. Kind of like the living dead. I’ve got no clue how the English audience will receive the game. Suda’s scenarios would likely be accepted outside of Japan, but I’m worried that people might not get what’s going on in Placebo haha.

Looking back at old code, was there anything embarrassing there? Anything you fixed up?

Yuki Yamazaki: To be honest, I still don’t know all of it. We’re rebuilding the source code from scratch, recycling fine algorithms and parameters from the original source.

Can you talk about how you're rebuilding the code base? And with those old algorithms and such, do you feel the need to improve them?

YY: For the basic functions like audio/movie playback or fade-in/out of the screen, I just ignored the original algorithm and designed it so that we can easily use it. Contrary to that, I painstakingly tried to keep the original design for the “film window system” to preserve the coordinated decision or movement timing decision algorithms.

What I had difficulty with was that very original message display system. There was an automatic page break function which worked only a couple times throughout the whole game, so I was checking the code each time with thinking “Do I have to use this ‘automatic’ system? Can we just do this manually?” Then in the end, that function became totally different from the original algorithm and I just ended up regretting my decision to edit that “automatic page break” function from the start.

Did you port to a modern engine, or modify the original?

YY: We are using the latest Unity engine. Using an engine from 17 years ago was out of the question.

What has been updated for modern platforms? How did you deal with aspect ratio issues, et cetera?

YY: We pretty much remade the game from the ground up. For the aspect ratio, were trying to make the “Film Window” functional in a 4:3 environment. We decided not to change anything like forcefully stretching the image.

What are the challenges of working with an old code base?

YY: Since we didn’t have the original data, I’ve decided to make a converter that extracts the sound data from the PlayStation sound data. However since the format is so old and so little of it, it was quite difficult.

Can you go into detail about the PlayStation sound converter?

YY: The sound file for PlayStation had two separate types of music data; pitch data and the musical score data, which is rather similar to MIDI files.

Adding to that, for The Silver Case, the musical score data contained the parameter for background effect manipulation so that the BGM and background effects can be synchronized. So I had to create two converters to extract the waveform data from score+pitch data, and background manipulation parameter from the pitch data.

As for the sound effects, there was only pitch data and no music score. Instead, it was programmed like “Play the C sound with strength of 80!” directly to PlayStation. I was wondering for a while can I extract that… then came to the idea, “Why don’t I just use the converter I just made!” So I made the music score having “one single note with the sound of C with strength 80,” extracted the waveform data using my newly designed converter.

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