#but rather. no romance focused stories and no romance involving characters from the games

[sonknuxadow]

i have to wonder. if we were in an alternate timeline where tangle and whisper were originally conceptualized as girlfriends from the start and had already met offscreen before the events of the comic even began. would they have been allowed to be a for real canon couple instead of just having hints here and there . much to think about

[still-a-morosexual-help]

so the nightbringer website is open now and from what it says, the mc is gonna be in this game too? and it seems like romance is still gonna be involved? I wasn't expecting that honestly, I was thinking mc wouldn't be apart of this at all.

but if this is the case, does that mean that we're gonna find out what mc really is (they obviously aren't human in canon, but not everyone thinks of mc the same way so that doesn't seem like a good choice on their part) or maybe it will be whoever mc was in the past life? the only other thing I can see is mc going back in time again but that also seems like a weird thing to do.

maybe I'm overthinking what's on the website but it's just not something I even considered until this moment lmao

still v excited for the new game, I really hope that even if they do keep mc as a main part in the game, that the romance is a small part of it (or rather that it's not thrown at you in every scene lol) and that we actually get a good story on how the brothers came to the devildom and more understanding on all of the characters in general.

(sorry if this is hard to understand, I'm sick and tired hehe)

Honestly (I might be completely wrong here) I think it's gonna take place in flashbacks or something similar? Like we're gonna be skipping between the past and present. Because the opening showed Luke in it and he (as stated in S3) wasn't alive while the brothers were still angels/during the time of the fall. Plus it showed Thirteen with Diavolo but S4 heavily implied that she first visited the Devildom in S4 itself. So if this is the case then MC and the romance elements would be taking place in the present (though I wouldn't mind seeing MC interact with the brothers when they were angels again, tbh)

I think this game is what's gonna be used to introduce Michael? He's been built up since S1 but some of the things said about him makes him seem like a heavily morally grey character and exploring that in a game like OM! which is just straight up a wholesome otome game won't work because he'll have to be watered down in order to become a LI. But if they introduce him in nightbringer through flashbacks (possibly in anticipation of him appearing in the present) then they wouldn't have to worry about watering him down as much (specially because the opening hints at nightbringer being more lore and angst driven)

I would really like to know more about what the hell MC is because, like it or not, general MC does have a lot of canon facts about them that are sprinkled throughout the game (here's my post that lists all of them) and the fact that they're not fully human is one of them that is brought up as early as in Season 1 (also the time it's brought up the most clearly/directly) and then hinted at/reintroduced in the following 3 seaons (post w/ canon evidence)

(get well soon! And take a nap!!)

EDIT:

I just checked out the website and okay it actually looks really good! The quotes from each brother!!!! Also looks like it might actually jump between past and present but in the form of timetravel rather than flashbacks? Not proper timetravel where they'll manage to remember each other later but something similar to what happened in S3 maybe? Okay but the fic potential of this!!? The angst potential!!!?

MC HAS TO MAKE PACTS WITH THEM AGAIN BUT NOW THEY'RE ALL NEWLY TRAUMATISED I'M CACKLING THIS IS SO FUNNY MC WENT THROUGH SHIT TO MAKE THOSE PACTS THE FIRST TIME AROUND AND THAT WAS AFTER THE BROTHERS HAD CENTURIES? MILLENIA? TO CALM DOWN. NOW MC'S GOTTA DO IT ALL AGAIN, BE A THERAPIST ALL OVER AGAIN EXCEPT SOMEHOW EVERYTHING’S GOTTEN SO MUCH WORSE ANDKNXIDNDN someone should start paying them for this shit 😭😂💀

Okay so the format (regarding the romance) might be similar to S1? Few romantic elements sprinkled throughout but mainly focusing on the therapy and found family elements until the very end?

Also from the three brothers who mention The Fall in their quotes (Mammon, Levi and Asmo) Mammon seems to be the only one who has (at least to an extent) made peace with it?

[alpaca-clouds]

Some Solarpunk Game Ideas

Folks seem to enjoy me writing a bit about Solarpunk, so let me bring in something, that I have been thinking about a lot: Solarpunk in videogames. Because so far, all we have in that direction basically goes into some sort of city builder (Anno 2070), anti city builders (Terra Nil) or some sort of farming or crafting game.

The issue, I think, a lot of game developers, who want to do something with the genre, struggle against, is the rather peaceful and idealistic nature of Solarpunk. A lot of people do not feel it is right to make a Solarpunk game combat oriented. But most game genres are kinda reliant on some sort of combat. Now, while I disagree with this assessment (Solarpunk is as much about rebellion, as about the hopefully idealistic outcome of it), I understand the sentiment.

I personally would love to create a Solarpunk game, but on my own I just do not have the skills for that.

Still, I have thought about it a lot. So, I want to offer to you a couple of ideas for Solarpunk games in different genres, that could be developed. Yes, if you are interested in building out one of those ideas, you are welcome to just take it. Also: Yes, if you want more details on the ideas, you can totally contact me! No fear.

Visual Novel

Let me start with probably one of the genre most easily used under the umbrella of “peaceful”. A Visual Novel. Visual Novels can be all sort of storylines. A lot, obviously, are romance focused, but you can use the genre to tell all sort of stories. Hence, telling a story in a Solarpunk world, could be very easy. And technically you are almost unlimited, about the kind of story you want to tell.

My personal favorites, when it comes to the ideas, is for once a polyamorous romance VN. See, most romance focused VNs do have different story paths depending on which romance you pursue and within that storyline you are very linear. I do think for several reasons, that polyamory and Solarpunk work very well together – so, why not try and mix it up?

Another idea, though, could be a storyline about building up a community within a storyline featuring the challenges of building a new community. Both social problems, as well as technical and environmental issues. This one would actually build a lot around the characters within the community you build and about you getting to know them.

Puzzle Game

Another genre that works well without any sort of violence, is puzzle games. And there would be a lot of possibility here to explore. After all, you can find a lot of reasons the player has to do puzzles of all sort.

The idea I have for this genre, is the idea of repairs. A lot of Solarpunk is also build around the “right to repair” and also around community help and community workshops. So, as the player you take over the role of someone volunteering in such a workshop helping all sorts of different customers with their repair and DIY projects. To repair things, you have to complete all sorts of puzzles.

Point-and-Click Adventure

Another genre, that most of the time does not involve much violence, is that of the old Point-and-Click Adventure. These often, obviously, have a lot of puzzle elements, too, but obviously tends to have a lot more story advancement in there. A lot of the most notable examples of the genre, are rather focused on humor, though you can tell all sorts of stories with the genre, if you really wanted to.

My idea for this, is the story of an archeologist in anno 2500 Solarpunk future unearthing the remains of an ancient 2020s city. A kinda genre reversion of the entire Indiana Jones thing – only that instead of someone being all archeologist-adventurous about something from what we call the “ancient past”, it is people from the future exploring the present. I don’t know. I found that idea kinda cute.

RPG

Now, last genre and idea for today. RPGs typically tend to be combat focused and use combat and XP claimed from it to advance. But of course the basic of it – Role Playing – does not need to use combat as a mechanic. You could use all sorts of mechanics to do this. You do not even need any sort of level progression technically – though of course this mechanic is so closely linked to the core of the game genre, that it is hard to think without it. Still, there recently have been quite a few cozy RPGs, that do not feature combat.

Cozy RPGs often feature you helping other characters and advancing through that. So, why not make it an RPG about mutual aid within a young Solarpunk community. Things of all sorts need to be done. Someone needs you to find a certain spare part. Someone else needs you to find people willing to help with a roof repair. Yet another person wants you to help in the community kitchen. And maybe at the same time you and the people in your town are trying to repair the environmental impact on the surrounding area, leading you to go out into the wildness around.

That’s it for some ideas right now. I might post other ideas at some other point, if you guys are interested.

As I said, I would kinda love to develop some ideas, but… Not alone. So… We’ll see.

[alargehunkofdebris]

S3 Won't Be Like S2, and That's Not a Bad Thing

So after the absolute cheese and crackers of this second season (plus that whollup of angst at the end) many Good Omens fans will be waiting for that next level of fluff and angst come S3. Don’t blame you at all.

However.

I think, should we be fortunate and get a new season at all, we must all be prepared for the reality that S3 is not going to be like S2, and remember too that this is not a bad thing.

Middle seasons/movies/books are notoriously tough to get right. Though they function as their own story, they’re also the middle part of an overarching plot. They are, in the plotting world (if you use Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat plotting structure terminology) the “fun and games” part of the plot. You get neither the interesting introduction of all character/plot/main conflicts, nor the highest stakes/climax/resolution of the end. So it’s really hard to keep that level of interest in a season that has no solid beginning or solid end of the main plot.

However, in this particular instance, Neil Gaiman and Co. have the absolutely wonderful benefit of having two main characters that most fans are content to watch paint dry with. The characters and their dynamics are the jewels of this story. So, this second season had another function. It was a “treat” season, in a way, because it slowed everything down and really let us indulge in the little, joyful things – aka, the developing relationship of Crowley and Aziraphale. Season One gave us a lot of that, too – but a great deal of that development was added for the show. With just the book as reference, it was a very plottish story. That’s why it required a season to pull off and not just a movie. On the other hand, if you took the events of S2 and converted it to a book of the same style (aka, focused mostly on the plot and the overall cast of characters, not as much on the main two) it would be significantly shorter.

Now, back to the subject of S3. This future season will be going back to the roots of Good Omens, because a big chunk of that plotting was done back when the original book was created. The major beats have been in place since 1990. So, it would probably be a fair bet to say that there will be a lot more plot-heavy beats, with less laser-focus on the relationship. Where S1 had several plots with one major one involving Adam as the antichrist, S2 was literally a romance story with a mystery element. S3, on the other hand, will likely be a return to form, and this isn’t a bad thing whatsoever. Many will be happy about this, because while it would be lovely to have an infinite amount of time just seeing the domestic side of an angel/demon relationship, we absolutely need some gritty, high-stakes plot points to round off this massively ambitious story.

It doesn’t mean we won’t get a lot of relationship things. We need it too, considering the build up we got S2. It is the heart of the whole story. I just think that S3 will be a perfect balance of what we liked of both S1 and S2. Where some would find S2 a little lacking in speed and stakes, S3 will be faster paced with bigger conflict. Where some find S1 to spend too much time away from the main relationship, S3 will absolutely focus on this as one of the two major plots of the story (S1/the book, on the other hand, had at least 4 plotlines that we switched between somewhat equally.)  

So, when we think of S3 and theorize on its plot, we must think of it more in the context of S1/book rather than S2. We have to imagine that the major beats were figured out in the 90s, and focus on those unresolved setups we got in S2. So, we have the Book of Life, the Memory Wiping, and the Second Coming. I may also suggest the 25 Lazareth Miracle Concept, though I’d probably guess that it’s a modern Gaiman addition/enhancement with its focus on Crowley and Aziraphale’s “stronger together” theme (this theme enhancement was mostly a Gaiman addition in S1, remember, with the Ep 3 cold open and The Switch at the end). I’m still not positive whether this is going to end up being that an angel and demon working together makes the most powerful miracle (which would probably be more in-line with the original 90s plot) or if it’s specifically Crowley and Aziraphale; there would be very different plot possibilities with either. With the first, we could potentially have a return of Beelzebub and Gabrial as an Act 3 saving grace, and with the second they could literally have a “true loves kiss that saves the world” kind of thing, which I don’t think will happen (but Lord, can you imagine?)

All I know is that when a large chunk of S3’s original plot was conceived, the authors had no idea just how popular the angel and demon duo would be. It was written without that influence in mind. And I think this is a Good Thing. Because as much as we all want infinite content of Crowley and Aziraphale, there is always that danger of “too much of a good thing.” In getting only what we want, we would lose all those other parts that makes this story beloved.

Neil Gaiman said it himself, so many times. S2 is the “gentle and romantic” season. It is, in other words, the one that focussed on Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship. He said also that he can’t guarantee the fans will even like season 3, and I don’t think that is because he’s going to do anything awful to our beloved characters. I think he’s simply being wary of fans who might take for granted that S3 will have that same level of fluff (affectionate) as S2, and this just won’t be the case. And I very much guarantee that even if we have a perfect level of relationship focus in S3, the sheer glut of it in S2 will create some disappointment and bitterness indeed.  

In short: we are absolutely, without a doubt, NOT going to get that same level of sweet, domestic relationship stuff in Season 3 as we did in S2, and we all should try to avoid throwing undue expectation (and potential bitterness) at Neil Gaiman if there’s that distinct change of pace/tone. Because it doesn’t mean we won’t get a huge amount of relationship stuff in general (we could even get more); it just means it won’t be the sole focus, and it won’t be “gentle and romantic.” There won’t be plots about trying to put on a Jane Austin ball, or trying to play matchmaker for a local couple. There are going to be much higher stakes, with a lot more stuff happening. And this isn’t a bad thing. It’s what’s needed to make a well-rounded trifecta of seasons. So be prepared, set expectations, gird your loins, have a ton of fun in the meantime, and—most importantly—pray that S3 will be renewed at all.

[dutchdread]

Hello Dutch! Do you think the loss of mystery and less impact on certain scenes in the narrative was caused by long-term fanservice?

Yes and no. I certainly think it was a factor, but I don't think it was the biggest one. If I had to guess, and since I am not a mind reader a guess is the best I can do, I think the biggest reason is the necessary change of the pacing of the game. In remake the developers made the (in my opinion) mistake of constantly showing Sephiroth, almost from the start of the game even. The decision to do this was based on three main factors I think. 1: "In the OG the first time you see Sephiroth is in Kalm, however, that is only a few hours into the game. If we did the same with the Remake we wouldn't see Sephiroth until game 2 and we can't have an entire FFVII game without Sephiroth." 2: "People already know Sephiroth, so the mystery is gone anyway, so it doesn't make sense to treat his appearance as one when everyone already knows him". 3: "People love Sephiroth so lets give them a bunch of Sephiroth!!!".

I personally think all of these are flawed. For one people are capable of influencing their mind state to resemble someone who is watching something for the first time. It's not exactly the same, but close enough, there is a reason people can watch the same thing over and over again and get similar responses on repeat viewings. When people love a story they are willing to watch things as though it were the first time. They can feel mystery and suspense even though they know the answer. I also think that there is enough happening in FFVII that you can keep the player occupied while playing a long game when it comes to mystery. If anything I think that the extra time to let mystery build could be used to enhance the experience, rather than making it feel drawn out. Especially in remake I think Shinra was MORE than good enough to qualify as the main villain for the story segment, and I think Sephiroth being only "a shadow on the edge of memory" for 90% of the game would make his unseen appearance in shinra HQ all the more terrifying. And ofcourse the reason people love Sephiroth is how effective he is as a villain, and part of that is the mystique. If you give people more Sephiroth you are actually giving them LESS Sephiroth, because Sephiroth isn't just the man, it's the idea, the presentation, and that presentation requires restraint in implementation.

My suspicion is that the mystery surrounding Clouds condition was approached very similarly. They figured they had the new mystery surrounding the "parallel worlds" as an overarching mystery and since people already know whats going on with Cloud that mystery could essentially be spoken about more openly. But this suffers from the same problems I mentioned above. I can totally watch FFVII as though I do not know the mystery, and experiencing said mystery was what I was looking forward to most. To me it's the best part of FFVII, and without it I barely even consider it a remake. And yes, I think fan-service did play a part. One of the things you hear most often when discussing the LTD is the retort that FFVII is not a romance story and that we're too focused on something that FFVII just isn't about, and while I disagree with that assessment, since romance ABSOLUTELY is a massive and crucial element to the story, I do agree that the romance is, for the most part, something that is in the background, it is the underlying backdrop that is required to understand the characters and their actions. But the focus is still on the actions themselves, as well as feelings and events that the romantic backdrop have caused, namely Clouds alter ego and accompanying mental problems. However, in rebirth the romance is NOT the backdrop, it's the focus of a large part of the game. Hell, the main play loop of the game revolves around you getting the party members to like you. And while it is true that this also involves, for instance, Barret and Nanaki, I think it's pretty clear that this entire core aspect of the game was implemented mostly as a way to explore romance in the game and satisfy fan desires. The question is, did that impact the mystery? And yes, I think it did. For one, everything related to Aerith and Zack in chapter 14 is PURE fan-service bait. The entire "can we save Aerith" plotline was fan-service bait from the start. And both these things, on account of both not being well handled, and overshadowing the actual mystery of FFVII, have a negative impact on how well rebirth is able to tell the story of the OG. Not only that, but SE tried to avoid burning bridges by not being clear with their story in regards to Aerith. I've heard people say that SE was wishy washy when it comes to choosing between Tifa and Aerith, they weren't, this game is about as pro-Cloti as it could be, Cloud and Tifa are a thing, if that weren't already obvious it's even more obvious in rebirth. No, the thing SE is being wishy washy about, is between Aerith and Aerith. Between the interpretation of Aerith loving Zack and simply using Cloud as a stand in, or Aerith as having "genuine" feelings. And the problem is that by trying to keep that a mystery they've made themselves incapable of properly examining either idea. There could have been deep meaningful scenes and conversations about how Aerith is still searching for the guy she lost. But they can't be that explicit without alienating fans, so they instead are vague, which results in a whole host of issues. But the most important issue for this question is that this approach creates an unfocused story, one that lacks clear direction. And a story without clear focus and direction will never be able to tell its mysteries in the most engaging and enthralling way. They want to show Zack, they want to discuss Zack, so they can't have Zack be a twist, but they also can't properly discuss Zack since that would be too explicit and so they half-ass it. They want to imply that Aerith is looking for Zack in Cloud, but they don't want to burn bridges, so they also want to hold open the possibility that Aerith actually likes Cloud for Cloud, and by doing all this nonsense you're creating a teenage love drama where you could have had a meaningful story about two people helping each other where the scenes could be directed to maximize the effectiveness of the mystery of Zack, rather than playing into a "I love him, I love him not" soap opera that got boring 27 years ago.

[weheartchrisevans]

Chris Evans on 'Lightyear,' playing bad guys and being 'a romantic person': 'I love love, who doesn't?'

Finally, Chris Evans gets to play an iconic hero that doesn’t involve working out.

That’s why it was so nice hitting a recording studio rather than a gym for his role as Buzz Lightyear in the animated sci-fi adventure “Lightyear” (in theaters Friday). “Pixar literally does the heavy lifting for this one,” quips Evans, whose buff and star-spangled Captain America won over Marvel fandom’s hearts and minds.

The "Toy Story" spinoff is an origin story for the beloved space ranger, with Evans voicing the role popularized by Tim Allen. In “Lightyear,” Buzz and his fellow intergalactic travelers get stuck on a planet millions of light years from Earth and have to fight a robot army led by the evil emperor Zurg.

Evans, 41, didn’t stray too far from his predecessor for inspiration.

“The reason we're doing this movie is because Tim Allen made such an iconic impact,” Evans says. “Not only would you be a fool to not take his interpretation because it worked so well, but the truth is this character is in fact the human version of that toy, so there does need to be overlap in terms of their cadence and nature."

“Lightyear” director Angus MacLane says he didn’t want to cast an Allen impressionist or even a “superheroic type” for Buzz but instead someone who had “a commanding presence that also is able to be funny without being goofy.” The filmmaker found that watching Evans in Bong Joon-ho’s dystopian film “Snowpiercer,” “where you really could see the range of what Chris could do.”

It took a while, however, for Evans to find the right voice-acting mojo. “At the beginning, I almost felt like a deer in the headlights,” he recalls. “I would just be so still. You're so focused on your voice, it almost would rest every other part of my body. But with every passing session, you find a little more comfort and before you know it, you are incorporating your physicality and that would inform the deliveries.”

After almost a decade of playing Cap, Evans is switching up his “creative appetite” and playing some antagonists for a change. He played the shady, sweater-clad Ransom in Rian Johnson’s 2019 murder mystery “Knives Out” and in the upcoming Netflix spy film “The Gray Man” (in theaters July 15, streaming July 22), Evans stars as psychopathic rogue secret agent Lloyd Hansen, who's hunting down a former CIA colleague played by Ryan Gosling. (In the movie, Gosling’s character mocks his foe’s “trash 'stache.” Evans’ key to growing it? “Luckily, I just had to sit and wait.”)

Evans enjoys exploring “a frame of mind that's so dissimilar from my own. It's easy when you're playing someone like Captain America to understand why he feels compelled to do what's right. You certainly can relate to the desire to be good.”

In contrast, “someone like Lloyd has such a unique perspective on the world,” he adds, “and it manifests in such a dark way, but to him it's completely normal. It's a fun chess game to try and get inside a role like that.”

After co-starring with Ana de Armas in “Knives Out” and “The Gray Man,” she and Evans reunite for next year’s Apple TV+ film “Ghosted,” which Evans describes as “a little throwback” to '80s and '90s action adventures like “Romancing the Stone."

“It's the type of movies that I love that I don't think get made enough,” says Evans, who got a kick out of mixing romance and comedy. “Most characters you channel through your own experience and I consider myself a romantic person. I love love, who doesn't? It's nice to have that take a center role in a piece of material as opposed to saving the world.”

An Instagram photo of his “fluffy” hairdo for the role snagged 4.5 million likes, proof of Evans’ exceeding popularity and penchant to go viral at any time. “Most of my career, I'm just standing on the shoulders of giants already. So if that type of interest in my hair is the downstream impact of the artistry of other people, I'll take it,” he says. However, Evans admits that he’s not as into the leading-man gig as he is group efforts these days.

“Playing a supporting role is the dream career. It's my favorite thing,” says Evans, whose upcoming films include “Red One” with Dwayne Johnson and “Project Artemis” opposite longtime “Avengers” partner Scarlett Johansson. “Being No. 1 on the call sheet, it can be a strange burden. Letting me be like three or four or five is the sweet spot. Plus the role is usually a little more fun anyway.”

[v-arbellanaris]

i have a question. or not really a question and more like a request for advice.

basically: my mahariel is currently canonically involved with alistair in dao until the landsmeet where he dumps her because he's now king and was unhardened. this is all planned and on purpose because it was the least tragic outcome for my worldstate. mahariel later gets in another relationship that presumably works out well unless da4 does something to either hof or the other person. but that's not the point.

the point is, i made her romance alistair when i liked him. and now i... kinda don't. i'm not sure what happened but he's starting to annoy me. you could make up some "you just grew up" stuff probably but i was 17 when first playing and now i'm 20 so not much growing up could happen.

and now i don't know what to do. do i just never play dao again (actually plausible because i fried my brain on top of having adhd and now i cannot replay games without just skipping dialogue because it's not captivating anymore) to avoid cringing at his romance? do i change her entire romance and the worldstate (it used to be carefully planned to not kill either alistair or hawke because i didn't want that kind of unhappy ending for mahariel and because my hawke is andersmancer and anders is literally the reason i started the game so i'm NOT breaking my blorbo's heart like that) but i feel like that would undermine the 3 years of building canon? do i just accept that i have to get through alistair's romance if i ever replay dao on my babygirl?

i literally have no idea what to do and if i should even do anything. like it's pixels and not that deep. help

also no hate to alistair enjoyers i get the appeal but seems like it ended up not being my cup of tea.

sorry for the wall of text and it's probably very incoherent i have no brain and it's 1 am and i'm not even currently focused on dragon age but i needed to ask someone for an opinion apparently

AHHHHH i love it when aliwarden drama its soooo good. for obvious reasons, like kal's worldstate, i love it when he dumps you for various reasons.

i think this makes sense though! each individual is different, and the past three years have been enough to age anyone twenty years, so it's understandable if you look back at him with a different perspective. that being said, i also understand being really reluctant to undo 3 years worth of work on character and dynamic building.

from my perspective, you have several options:

ONE, you replay dao with your babygirl and see where that takes you. sometimes, that's a return to the whiteboard or to have the opportunity to explore the game can open up loads of new areas for consideration you might not have been able to think of out of game because in-game you just sometimes have to make a snap decision. i DID also do this w my kal pt which made me change canon from alistair getting exiled to king alistair married to anora which i'm really happy with because 1. kal having to live with the consequences of her actions in a very real way 2. the inherent messiness of that whole situation after is something i enjoy intensely. and you might find another romance more interesting to pursue for mahariel you might not have thought of!

TWO, incorporate this perspective growth into your character! i think one of the most tragic aspects of the aliwarden romance - if you're doing a Specific kind of pt, like yours, and like my alikal runs as well - is that in a lot of ways, for a lot of characters, the tragic inevitability of their falling apart can always be there from the start. wynne's warnings become a prophecy rather than just her brownnosing. for kal, she was always going to be on the opposite character arc that alistair was going to be on because of how their stories start and end - kal has already gotten her revenge at the start of the story, whereas alistair is heading towards the resolution of a revenge story at the end. so maybe it's worth it to try and think about the headspace your mahariel starts in, and how she develops through the story, and how the story shapes her - and how that differs or doesn't differ from alistair. how does her growth through the story impact alistair's?

in defense of alistair's... childishness? i suppose? he acts young because he is very young! he's nineteen! a lot his humour is a mask for very deep trauma and insecurities. and his decisions can be very frustrating for a HOF but i think considering that he's grieving the loss of a lot people he cared about - ofc he talks about duncan specifically but he does also talk about a lot of the other fereldan wardens, everyone who had made the wardens a family for him over the last six months for a guy who has never had a family before and deeply, intensely, wants one is really insane. and i think it really puts a lot of his actions into perspective and contextualise that. and maybe going through the game and re-experiencing Actual Alistair and not Fandom Perspectives On Alistair might help you reach a decision about where you want to go with him narratively.

i hope that was of help to you!

[2af-afterdark]

Bael so handsome. Wish he had a route!

I am guessing they will have a few routes to start with and add more over time. I mean, they have at least 72 demons, 3 angels, and 1 human to choose from. Over time, if the game does well, I'm sure the devils they are introducing now will get a route (along with devils they may intriloduce later).

Since I have mentioned a potentially large cast, I also want to address this right now. I don't think a large cast is inherently bad. Large casts can make a world feel fleshed out. The key is to know when characters are needed and when to let them step back.

Obey Me (original, not nightbringer) has a relatively small cast, but it feels bloated because the cast never swaps out. The brothers are always present, even when they really should not be. Events include everyone rather than focusing on specific characters. When they added the 3 new characters, they kept trying to force them into the plot rather than letting them get a slow introduction like the original side characters did. Also, only main cast characters get sprites which makes the world feel a bit empty at times. That's why it was frustrating when the three new characters were added. Since they had sprites, it was clear the long term plan for them was to be romancable some day and the game's character management was already a mess.

Twisted Wonderland has a large cast, but it feels well managed because characters know when to be the focus and when to step back. Arcs involve only so many characters so unnecessary ones aren't forced in, just standing around. They are allowed to do things offscreen and imply things are happening. The camera feels free to cut to characters that Yuu cant see in order to tell the story when needed. Events usually focus on a handful of characters to give them more development rather than giving them all a superficial appearance to trying and get the fans to squeal.

The Ikemen series has routes and uses only the characters it really needs in each route. Events are route based too so it has the best management of character screening and development. It's biggest downfall is trying to fit an entire story in only 25 chapters because it limits the time everyone has, but they use events to give the fans more content rather than rob their wallets.

Then you have FGO which has a cast of over 350 and has made me legitimately cry at the story.

Big casts are not inherently bad. What matters is how they are managed. Of there is a main story but then branching "routes" that may work. It really depends how they manage who shows up, when, and why.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Cleat Cute Book Review 🦇

❝ Calling Phoebe loud and obnoxious and gay ignores all her layers and contradictions. That's Grace's issue with fame—people take you at face value. Nobody bothers to look for the person beneath the brand. ❞

❓ #QOTD What's your favorite sport (to watch or play)? ❓ 🦇 Phoebe Matthews is ready to take her first season as a professional soccer player by storm. She even gets to play alongside her idol, Grace Henderson; the veteran star of the US Women's National Team. Since they met, there's been a spark of chemistry between them, and Phoebe can't help but flirt with and seduce the woman she's had a poster of since childhood. Though they're on the same page on the pitch, a little miscommunication outside of the game leaves them both mentally spiraling. Are they brave enough to make a move both on and off the field?

[ Find my full review below or on: Insta | Goodreads | Storygraph ]

💜 The few factors that drove me to finish reading this book were the focus on fame, personal identity, and neurodiversity; NOT the relationship between Grace and Phoebe. The story touches on Grace's preference not to reveal too much about who she is outside of soccer, in an effort to protect her privacy, until soccer becomes her entire identity; both to the outside world, and herself. From the beginning, it's also obvious that both MCs are neurodivergent. Phoebe is diagnosed with ADHD by the epilogue, and though Grace isn't diagnosed with autism, it's mentioned as a possibility. Though their neurodiversity is obvious from the first two chapters, the topic isn't discussed in any way that MATTERS to the story. There's so much going on under the surface of these characters that would have made the story BEAUTIFULLY important if they were the focus, rather than a subtle plot point that's slipped into the end of the book.

🦇 I almost DNF this book many, many times; it takes a one-star read for me to give up on a book, rather than give it the benefit of the doubt. Though I did finish it, I dragged my feet every step of the way. The most obvious issue with this novel is the POV. A third-person objective point of view is cold and distant. It leaves readers disconnected from the characters and the story. Though it's not confirmed by the end of the story, it's possible Grace has autism, in which case, this POV makes sense for her. For Phoebe, however—passionate, energetic, a thousand thoughts a second Phoebe—we're cut off from what she's really feeling. Beyond that, this POV is choppy, ESPECIALLY for a story that primarily involves women. Unfortunately, the objective POV means the entire story is TELL; we're not shown through actions or imagery or any form of creative writing. The tension between them doesn't last long enough to keep readers enthralled, either; once the smut is introduced, that's apparently all that matters.

⚽ Every other sentence starts with a name to avoid referring to too many "she's" within a single thought. The writing also lacks descriptive language, even though the story is set in vibrant New Orleans. For all the scenes focused on food, we never smell, taste, or experience a moment with the characters. Even during gameplay, there's no sweat, heat, or the sound of screaming fans in our ears. The readers are kept at arm's length at all times. Perhaps worse: the smut reads like fanfiction—a first-time writer's fanfiction. Instead of steamy, the word choice makes it awkward and offputting. "Baby girl?" Really?

🦇 Recommended for fans of workplace romances, Ted Lasso, or A League of Their Own. You're going to get serious "Ted Lasso but make it sapphic" vibes from this, I promise; Phoebe and Grace are very much Jamie and Roy. If you're in your sporty romance era, give this a try!

✨ The Vibes ✨ ⚽ WLW Romance ⚽ Neurodiversity / ADHD and Autism Rep ⚽ Sports Romance ⚽ Secret Dating ⚽ Workplace Romance ⚽ Miscommunication ⚽ Grumpy vs Sunshine

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #CleatCute #NetGalley #MerylWilsner

[pyrriax]

hmmm pandora or melody for the ask game? :) i am SO interested in them !!!

OOOOO okay you get a two-for-one because I can!!

I'm putting this below a read-more because christ almighty it's long, lol

PANDORA:

One aspect about them I love

I love the fact he sticks to his beliefs & is genuinely consistent with how he treats others. It causes so many issues (especially later on when that really gets challenged) but also is part of why I think he's as compelling as he is.

One aspect I wish more people understood about them

Oh my god. My main one: he is not a good person. Not At All. Yes that hinges off his past, no it's not part of what I've shown so far. He remembers tasting blood for a reason, man! And he did not lose a fight to end up in that situation!

One (or more) headcanon(s) I have about this character

Okay I'm gonna talk strictly headcanon with this! I definitely see him as being either nonbinary or genderqueer post-maze. Probably an any pronouns user, especially with demon culture not really focusing on strict gender stereotypes (though that's still a thing, just not as common in his experience). Oh dude Pandora would SO wear one of those long flowy skirts, that's absolutely his jam.

One character I love seeing them interact with

Accius!! I love him and Accius interacting, it brings me so much joy. Even if Pandora doesn't realize it, Accius looks up to him as an older brother type of figure. (Even if Pandora is only a couple of years older than them)

One character I wish they would interact with/interact with more

Oliver, 100%! Those two could've had such great chemistry and would've bounced off each other really well, but sadly that just doesn't get to happen :( I hold it dear regardless, and I'm totally gonna write something based around those two getting along because I think that'd be so sweet.

One (or more) headcanon(s) I have that involve them and one other character

Ooooh man this is tough! I'm gonna leave this one alone because my only idea right now is actually a plot point in the next two chapters and I don't wanna spoil anything (I see Dane reading this, silly creature :3)

MELODY:

One aspect about them I love

I love the way she talks!! I don't know how to really describe it, but the way she talks is just super fun to imagine + write. Also just I love how much her character and behavior comes from a place of love and grief, rather than hatred :)

One aspect I wish more people understood about them

I'm not intending for her to be a villain in this story, she's just somebody who's hurting and taking it out on others. I mean the whole scene in Chapter 15 (cicadas) was supposed to be showcasing that fact, even if it did mean she almost killed someone. She's quite literally just grieving in a horrible manor, and maybe he looks a little bit too similar to somebody, but that's not his fault.

[ Context since I know you haven't been reading! Melody approached Pandora when he was in the prison cell and almost ended up shooting him with her bow, but intentionally missed and walked away after. ]

One (or more) headcanon(s) I have about this character

OKAY I literally refuse to actualize this because I really dislike one-sided romance / pining and we already have one instance of that (Ivy being hopelessly in love with Accius) but I feel like Melody would absolutely have a crush on Lyra. Would I condone that crush? Hell no! Not for the fact it's lesbian, but for the fact that it would be so unhealthy it's painful. Lord.

One character I love seeing them interact with

Oh yes!! Nyx! I love how she interacts with Nyx, it's so natural and it makes total sense that she gets along with him, being a volunteer.

One character I wish they would interact with/interact with more

This is hard to choose, man! I wish she interacted more with Altair before [redacted] especially because of the fact they were always listening to what she said. But also, I wish she interacted more with Kato! Those two had such a good dynamic and I am SO upset it didn't get more screen time

[ You have: Person who was notorious for basically learning everything about a person & Person who refuses to say anything about themself unless it's life or death ]

One (or more) headcanon(s) I have that involve them and one other character

We're going canon again with this one!! I think her and Pandora absolutely used to practice fighting with each other, she did it out of some curiosity and ended up getting some of her memories back because of it :) They're actually really evenly matched in a battle, though she often held back when it came to anything ranged. Even if she hates him, she's not going to use the fact he has poor depth perception and a mostly-blind left eye against him.

On that topic!! She trained people in the clearing archery and was the one who showed Urki how to use a halberd, along with showing Accius about War Scythes. She's got a fair bit of weapons knowledge, since that used to be something she studied a lot! Mel is the combat teacher of the group, though a lot of people already had their preferences and specialties and just needed reminding.

[ Also I feel like she's DEFINITELY both gotten accidentally stabbed during training, and also definitely accidentally stabbed somebody. Both of which were probably from and to Pandora. Those two fought a lot. Ironically I don't think they ever actually physically fight after the first couple of months. They were closer than I showed in the condensed version of the story! Hatred leads people to knowing each other better than they wanted to :) ]

[dongzhou3kingdoms]

Yellow Sky Revolt Review

Tipped off by @sunfin3k this might be worth a try, grabbed kindle edition (for less then £3 so thanks for that price).

Baptiste Pinson Wu (who can be found on twitter and 3k communities) has taken a concept people often discuss for a game or other media. Life via the eyes of Liao Hua, Turban who lives to see the fall of Shu-Han, but actually did it. Being book one, this covers the beginning (the title may be a bit of a clue) but from a farmer's boy rather then a yet grand figure.

Wu has drawn upon a mix of sources, history, novel (with a leaning towards the novel), TV shows for his characters (he explains this well in his author notes) and managed to keep it cohesive. So you will get nods to both historical characters and novel figure (also a lot of Turbans), including new figures for Liao Hua's circle while reflecting them from a young Liao Hua's view. When making a choice of how one would write a character, such choices won't please everybody all the time but we all have different angles of how we portray someone and there are certainly fun nods for those who know the era.

I had fun and I do look forward to reading the next book. Deeper thoughts below (no spoilers)

The writing style is easy to read and he aims to be accessible, smoothly inserting explanations, but, perhaps in a bid to touch upon the culture of his wife, the use of the odd little Chinese (pinyin) word is possibly not a great idea for first timers? Not without a small glossary for it? He doesn't overdo it and usually (either via a line that follows or context) easy to understand but I do wonder if that might put one or two off.

Each character gets a brief appearance description while avoids the issue some have with the romance of throwing so many names at people. Figures gradually come into Liao Hua's life and only need to focus on a set few at a time, those he focuses on do make an impact as they are built up over their time with Liao Hua.

Humour aims for the boyish humour that people of Liao Hua's age would go for and ones aimed over his head (my fav bit involved Zhang Fei's memorable entrance). Goes for a sometimes harsh world with corporal punishment at the ready but bar one scene, didn't think he overdid it.

Liao Hua in this is both the elderly defeated general, looking back over his life and able to use that to help inform the narration, and Liao Hua the youth who is on a distant farm and is young, with so much to learn. A kid, unaware of so much and treated like one by those around him. Wu manages to knit together that balance well of the old head and the youngster.

I really admire how Liao Hua doesn't have major knowledge of things he shouldn't. No "and he knows the eunuchs are evil" or "woe, the Han court is evil and uncaring", more it is a distant entity most of the time and what he picks up are rumours or talk that may or may not be 100% accurate.

On the balance between "you want Liao Hua to be central enough to the story" (ie seeing events, interacting with figures) vs "avoiding being the special one", I think Wu keeps that balance. One situation I thought might go potentially too much towards the special one avoided that trap.

Book is split into two parts. First part I loved, the farm, the distance, the youthfulness vs the world, why Liao Hua became interested in the Turbans, the people he met, his being drawn into something bigger. I was a big fan of how the issue of magic was handled. It faded for me near the end when it came to a bit close to the novel, the build up to the scene was good but despite playing it from a different perspective, didn't quite land the moment, and the transition to part 2 was not the most exciting.

On paper I wasn't sure what I would feel about phase 2 initially when I saw the direction but soon found my attention fully engaged again. I don't think I can speak about what I enjoyed without spoiling it but felt that it was well pulled off involving figures I'm fond of. Got to see Liao Hua grow both during moments of peace then as danger reasserts (well done sense of the world changing) and an enjoyably teasing way to end.

[hexitca]

What's your favorite OC ship?

ohhhh jeez! Hopefully, this counts!

I have this guilty pleasure where I make an OC to just romance my fave characters and imagine scenes like it's my own dating sims game lmao there are times I have my OCs get together but I'm much more inclined to make an OC for my fave character at the moment.

I make new ones or remake old ones or have the old ones bleed in basically.

But! My top fave "OCxcharacter" ship is my OC Lyra Cross with Harry Dresden from the Dresden Files.

I love playing around with stories and how the characters react to different things! Things like how my OC reacts to that character's morals, emotions, actions, etc. It's kinda fun to build an OC around that character's life/in the story.

I have many of these but I tend to revisit this ship often in my life. Especially if I'm in between fandoms/ships to focus on lol

Under read more bc I ended up rambling lol

A little bit about my fave oc ship:

Lyra is a by-the-books, lone wolf, supernatural buff (aka nerd) 30+ year old (the ages vary but mostly 30 and up). Her expertise is knowing obscure things that involve the supernatural (as a hobby) and her regular work changes often since she rather study creepy shit lol She keeps to herself and has a pretty routine life until she kinda fell into Harry Dresden circle and works toward the plots in that series or new ones.

She acts as a resource on the more vague supernatural that Harry might not know (things outside his regular expertise) and yea!

I would go more into it but it's vague if I'm not focused on it right now.

Right now currently I'm in the Moon Knight phase and saw Steven Grant and went "well i just GOT to make him a girlfriend" so I'm working on that lol

Currently making her a drifter academic (she works the system that she's just forever in school (kinda based off a friend of mine when I lived in Italy who literally is 70+ and has just been in school her whole life and I loved that lol) who is now in London just minding her own business and Moon Knight (with Layla) kinda drag her into some supernatural hijinks lol

[doomboogie]

Uh 2021 Games List A Whole Year+ Late

Whoops, forgot about this since time hasn't been real for the last couple of years. I rank based on enjoyment of a game, not if the story or gameplay are particularly great, and to me a 3=pretty good. But it's a vague and nebulous system, it's all fake anyway. In order from March to December 2021:

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire - ?/5

Obsidian Entertainment, 2018

A more quippy and light-hearted tone than its predecessor, it feels like a tabletop game with every character trying to outwit each other and make the snarkiest comment. Some people like that, I don't so much. The true interesting story of colonialism is kneecapped by the generic main plot involving gods that already had their time to shine in the first game. Combat is more polished and fun and the AI improved and the environments are gorgeous. Companions are interesting but have underdeveloped sidequests and awkwardly implemented romances, and some companions just drive me so crazy I couldn't stand to even hear them. The PC's background and opinions never felt relevant, even in places that they really should have been. I never finished this game, as the main plot simply could not grab me enough once it was all that was left. I loved PoE 1, but despite my disappointment with Deadfire I admit it's not a bad game, just not my jam. I didn't rank it because I want to revisit later, I think I can enjoy this game just not right now.

Persona 5 Royal - 1.5/5

Atlus, 2020

Much needed gameplay improvements and social additions are undermined by a thematically inconsistent final act and questionable character writing. The new characters are clunkily forced in resulting in a love 'em or hate 'em feeling, and a lingering thought that perhaps they should've been saved for a spin-off rather than tacked onto an already complete game.

Persona 5 Strikers - 3/5

Atlus, 2020

The Persona series' strongest sequel (Eternal Punishment doesn't count) focusing on the friendship between characters and slight rehashing of original game themes with a twist. The new characters introduced far exceed Royal's new additions, and meld into the exhisting cast with more ease. Overdone tropes and a particularly bad moral lesson regarding child abuse give a mixed-postive takeaway.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective - 5/5

Capcom, 2010

Oh, to live in a world where Ghost Trick got a million sequels instead of Ace Attorney. A fun puzzler with a cute gimmick and fascinating characters with stellar music and the best animation on the DS. A few eyeroll moments in the last hour may harsh my vibe a bit, but not much. Like most wacky detective games, it's more fun playing with other people instead of alone.

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines - 4.5/5

Troika Games, 2004

Considered a classic for a reason, with a myriad of roleplay opportunity, tons of interesting characters, and some of the best voice acting I've ever heard in a game. The latter half of the game is much less polished and a combat slog, but the first half more than makes up for it. I didn't appreciate the very aged early 00's humor, complete with some edginess and off-colour "jokes" - Chinatown is a bit of a Yikes. Still great fun, jank and all, and deserves a modern installment. Pour one out for the almost surely dead sequel; this franchise is truly cursed. On my biannual replay list.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - 4/5

Eidos-Montréal, 2011

Adam Jensen is by far the most interesting protagonist in the Deus Ex series, and you can feel that this game's world is on the precipice of massive upheaval and change. It's the calm before the storm, and then when the storm hits it hits so hard. I love how there's no good ending in this game, I love how much it leans into media personalities influencing the minds of a populace, and I love the gold filter! Maybe I like this one more than the original Deus Ex because it takes place during the growing period between a modern world and the cyberpunk dystopia it's destined to become.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - 3/5

Eidos-Montréal, 2016

Opposite of the original Deus Ex, I expected this game to be bad due to its reputation. Perhaps that lowered expectation allowed me to be pleasantly surprised by it instead. The story isn't the best, and it desperately needs another game due to the abrupt ending, but the gameplay is a blast. Felt nice unleashing on the police once night fell. Prague is so so so fun to explore, probably one of my favorite game hubs I've ever played in. Still hoping for that third game to close out Adam's story.

Deus Ex - 2/5

Ion Storm, 2000

Maybe I'm just too much of an radical but nothing this game said felt very mindblowing or earth shattering. The gameplay was passable, stealth was fun, but I think I was just too late to the party on this one. The fandom needs to chill out on reccommending this to everyone as "the best game ever made", because it just creates expecations that won't be met. I obviously chose the "Dark Age" ending; I was surpsied, it assumes the worst of humanity and thinks we'll go back to the dark ages from losing technology that didn't exist prior to the 1910s. But again, maybe I'm just too much of an radical and can tell when the leftist ending is written to appear worse than it really would be. Honestly this feels like a game that a lot of libertarians built their entire personalities off of.

Crusader Kings II - 3.5/5

Paradox Entertainment, 2012-2018

A fun rpg hidden in a grand strategy game, and this wonderful combination has spoiled me for every other grand strategy. Base game is servicable but restrictive; DLC and mods are what make the game shine. Massive timesink game, never truly ends. The total for the many packs of DLC is quite expensive; I'm not a fan of Paradox's business model. Score lowered due to the DLC prices as well as bizarre mechanics with some inter-religious stuff. Does anybody actually take part in the Crusades in this game? I sure don't. Too busy plotting against my liege.

Bloodborne - 5/5

FromSoftware, 2015

I loved this game so much that I started a second character while still in the middle of my first playthrough. This game was the gateway to FromSoft titles for me, after years of being on the outside looking in. It's no longer my favorite Fromsoft title, but it will always have a place in my heart. Fighting the Bloody Crow is in my top 10 game moments, easily the most fun duel I've ever had. Also, the singing eyeball creatures are singing the Hunter's Dream melody! Marvelous.

A Plague Tale: Innocence - 1.5/5

Asobo Studio, 2019

If this were a tech demo that ended at the battlefield level I would have been far more entranced and liked it more. This game goes off the rails so hard in a way I can only roll my eyes at, and that's not accounting for the poor pacing and bizarre story choices. What could have been a simple story of survival and family turned into a circus of rats and murder. I don't understand how this is a darling for so many people.

Life Is Strange: True Colors - 1/5

Deck Nine, 2021

Goddammit. I wanted to like this game so much. Alex's powers are the most interesting of the LiS bunch, even if they're not explained all too well and often change the rules. Alex herself is fine enough - she's a bit of a dick, and has a personality that I enjoy seeing. But the game falls apart when it comes to story - the most interesting parts (Alex's past, her relationship with her brother and parents, the core mystery) are pushed aside in favor of larp sessions, aimless wandering, and a forced musical interlude at a festival. When the plot finally wakes back up it dives into a non-twist that was so predictable I was hoping it was a fakeout and then goes straight for completely ridiculous acts of human survivability. Alex should have died multiple times over in the last few hours of the game but miraculously walks off fatal injuries with nothing more than some aspirin and self-righteous spirit. This would be fine on its own, but the series has established what is and isn't survivable - characters in the first two games died from something that Alex shrugs off. The individual characters are some of the most interesting in the LiS series, but the story is easily the worst. I keep thinking of how good this could've been. Maybe next time Deck Nine will get it, but I'll miss Dontnod being at the helm. Also maybe I'm petty but I fucking *wish* there were small towns in the Colorado that were this diverse and inclusive where someone could get by on a meager wage. Ugh.

The Sims 4 - 2?/5

EA Games, 2015

Really only playable with mods and all the DLC. Can't believe it's still on live service in 2023.

Darkest Dungeon - 3.5/5

Red Hook Studios, 2015

Darkest Dungeon is probably my most "pick up, get bored, put down" game I've ever played. I like the conceit, I like the setting, I like the classes. I hate the grind. Even on Radiant Mode it becomes a slog after a while, but I was determined to see it through to the end. Which, as it turns out, wasn't to far off from my last "put down" spot years ago. I still think the grind is to the game's detriment, and overall I'm not a fan of vaguely Lovecraftian horror - Bloodborne is toeing that line for me - and the final four part dungeon has a brutally harsh gimmick that can blindside a player. However the final boss of this game was delightful. I kept Reynauld and Dismas in my rotation the whole game, and sent them both to the final boss. Only one returned. It was a heartbreaking moment, but a fitting one. I think the series should have ended here, to be honest.

Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye (DLC) - 3/5

Mobius Digital, 2021

As I write this I'm replaying the DLC, in hopes to enjoy it more than in 2021. Unfortunately I don't. The delightful puzzles and poignant moments are undercut by the unforgiving traversal of the new major area, a long return time, and a tedious stealth mechanic. The DLC itself is the length of a full game, and I commend Mobius for their creativity in an entirely new area in an already jam packed game. All that said, less fun Outer Wilds is still Outer Wilds, and that comes with a good time regardless. I just hope next time they leave the inky black stealth sections on the cutting room floor. Bummer we can't really tell any other hearthians about our discoveries :( I know Riebeck would like to learn about it.

Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition - 3/5

Bioware (1998), Beamdog (2012)

Baldur's Gate is an odd game to me. I played through once, and found it aged and not that great; I used to have this rated as 2 stars. But I couldn't stop thinking about the game and ended up replaying a few months later and enjoying it a lot. So, I guess I like it? I don't know, maybe it's kind of like a sugary candy where you don't like it much but you keep eating because the sugar is addicting. Perhaps I merely craved a late 90s rpg. I'm fond of all the companions I took in those two save files, and that's one of the problems: too many companions, likely because the devs didn't expect players would care for them. But I do! I would die for Ajantis, nobody knows me like Khalid and Jaheira know me, and sure I guess Imoen can come along too. So long as she understands I like Xan and Coran more than her. Probably the second biggest untwist, after True Colors. Not a big fan of the chosen one narrative in any game, but it was the late 90s so I can forgive it.

Return of the Obra Dinn - 5/5

3909 LLC, 2018

This was the last game I played in 2021, on New Year's Eve. A single shot, 11 hours straight. I loved this game so much. I honestly don't have words other than I love it. I love the gimmick, I love the music, I love the various color palettes you can choose from, I love the investigation and detective work required from the player, I love learning the story in nonchronological pieces, I love how it's a tragedy and I love how there is truly nothing else like it on the market. I hope beyond hope that something will come close to the gameplay again, but I'm more than content with just this. Very thankful to have such a stellar game to end an otherwise bad year on.

[crackinglamb]

OTP Asks, fully knowing how you are with 'favorites' but indulge me anyway: #25, 26, 33, and 43. *bonk* 😘 and an extra 💖

I will indulge you, because I love you. *bonk* 😘 And I'll do these for both of my girls and Solas, since I need to get back into their respective headspaces.

This got super long, so I'll put it under a cut. Questions are from this list.

25 - Favorite canon moment of them? (oh, this ought to be fun, since neither of them are 'canon' romances)

Imogen

Honestly? Anytime they have each other's back in the field of battle. They are a Power Couple, and it shows. I mean...

(this shot is included in chapter 54 of WG)

...need I say more?

Lark

The nature of Lark's existence falls so far outside canon that it's tough to find in-game things that match her relationship with him. BUT! The soft tone he uses when he tells stories, and the soft tone she uses when she asks questions is arguably the best thing ever for both of them. They are disillusioned, bitter and Tired(tm) people, who are soft for no one...but each other.

26 - Least favorite canon moment of them?

*snort* Am I allowed to say that it's the fact that neither of them can canonically romance him?

Like, I get the whole aspect of his being Like That about other races. To him, humans are newcomers barely out of barbaric infancy in comparison to his own culture (regardless of how they end up mirroring each other; Tevinter conquest anyone?). And dwarva...well, I don't want to get spoilery. You get to claim beta's rights to know my thoughts on how Elvhenan affected the dwarves. (Solas, I love you and I'm sorry; you're a Boomer.)

But the level of Tragically Doomed Relationship is still incredibly high with both races, and I wish we were given an opportunity to explore it as part of our character arcs as players. I would love to know how the Crestwood breakup would have gone with a human or dwarf. Qunari too, for that matter. Would it still have been about duty or would he have found some other, equally as painful justification for it?

33 - How do their personalities compliment each other?

Imogen

Imogen is clever, intelligent (those being two different things), curious and confident. All of these combined into being absolutely irresistible to a trickster god. She understands his motivations in a way no one else in the Inquisition does. And he understands her sense of displacement and overwhelming exhaustion at having to be a reluctant leader. They can be themselves together, no facades, no lies, no hiding the ugly parts. She gives him the space he needs to work through stuff on his own, and isn't afraid to call him out on his bullshit when he needs that too. They are very similar in the ways that matter.

That said, Imogen hasn't lost her childlike wonder. She's able to bring that to the fore for him when he's overcome with his own guilt. They have both lived through the cataclysmic loss of their previous lives. But she still finds joy and beauty in the present. She drags him - yes, kicking and screaming - into building something new, rather than focusing on what came before.

The fact that she knows exactly who he is doesn't hurt. He was initially intrigued by her foreknowledge, then a little bit frightened at just How Much she knew, then comforted by the fact that someone in this chaotic world got him on a level that no one aside from Cole does. Besides, the sex is amazing.

Lark

In much the same way as Varric, albeit from a slightly different angle, Lark challenges Solas. She gives as good as she gets when he's on his soapbox about spirits, lost empires and just...humans in general. She doesn't want to be here any more than he does. They have something of a rogue's pact between them. Get the job done, then move on.

Of course, it gets complicated as soon as emotions get involved. Unlike Imogen, Lark doesn't know he's the Dread Wolf. Not yet anyway. But she understands having to make tough choices. It's not so much that she's particularly forgiving, because she really isn't, but that she truly knows that desperation leads to the road to hell lined with good intentions. And deals with the devil only cost your soul.

The pair of them have more in common than they think, and more than mere shared languages and mourning the lost things. Lark is also rather tricksterish. She loves a good con. She's adept at hiding in plain sight. She's scholarly. She's got a temper. too. They are very much the 'I'm either going to kiss you or kill you' kind of couple.

I haven't quite decided what that means for them, post-Trespasser. I have a feeling she'll never stop trying to convince him to do things differently. And she'll never give up on trying to preserve his better moral self (which is saying something considering her own).

43 - How do they say ‘I love you’ without actually saying it? Ex “Have you drank any water today?”

Imogen

She lets him in, no reservations, no using him to enhance her own power or status, no judgments. When he needs space, she gives it. When he needs to be held, she holds him. She thinks of him, including him in her planning stages, making him better armor and weapons, making sure he has what he needs. She indulges his sweet tooth and doesn't poke fun at his toddler's palette. She imagines after several millennia of uthenera, food has a lot of Unpleasant Sensory Experience for him.

He, in turn, takes care of her. He makes sure she eats and rests and gets out of her head from time to time. One might call it a soft dom approach, although there's very little of that dynamic between them. Well, okay, there's more than a little if we're going to be honest. But it comes from a place of devotion and not obligation, perceived or otherwise.

Their love is also expressed in the little things that aren't so little. Touches of assurance after battle, moments of trust in tense situations and constant support.

Lark

Lark listens. Solas has spent much of his life being disregarded, but not by her. She might not always agree with what he says, but she allows him to say it and she weighs it instead of brushing him off. She's highly observant, and a lot of their relationship seems invisible because they often do things unspoken. She keeps track of his mural supplies and orders refills before he needs to ask. She notices the trend of books he asks for in his research and finds sources he might not have thought of.

She accepts him as he is.

He gives her freedom. It's the greatest gift he can give to anyone. She is free to do as she likes without fear of reprisal from him. He does not own her time or affection, and he knows it. He doesn't judge her previous life as a smuggler and assassin. In his time he has been both himself.

He also collects things she might find interesting and leaves them where she'll see them. He welcomes her son into his life as part of her with no resentment or difficulty. In a way he sees Fedric as a gift to himself too; it's been too long since he had a hand in shaping the spirit of a child. And there is nothing quite like watching the potential of a child grow.

He accepts her as she is.

Bonus round: Lark and Garrett Hawke

Just for this question because at the heart of this complicated FWB/unspoken polycule is love.

Lark was immediately drawn to Hawke as another someone who took on a mantle of responsibility with reluctance and got their heart broken for it. Up to and including the inability to ever go back to what they were before. She gives him a soft place to land and asks no questions he doesn't want to answer. She knows their arrangement is not permanent and holds no resentment for that. But neither does she treat it with less respect than it's owed, because they do care for each other, very deeply. But not all relationships are meant to last, and they're both aware of it. It doesn't make the present any less precious.

Hawke gives her steadiness, in a way he can't give himself. He's someone outside of her circle of advisors and companions and the politics of her position. He's always there for her to unload on, either in words or actions. He puts no demands on her. He brings lightness to an otherwise very dark time of her life.

Losing him nearly destroys her, much more than she thought was possible.

I mean...what? Nah, it's fine, they're fine. Promise. 😇

[bojanus]

What can Magical Girl Shoujo and Action Hero Shounen manga/anime tell us about perceptions of womanhood and manhood? And how different priorities for genders get expressed in media

Let’s imagine a typical Magical Girl Shoujo anime. It usually starts with a normal girl, on the cusp of puberty or a teenager, who suddenly discovers some magical artifact or innate part of herself that connects her to a magical destiny. There is usually no choice in the matter; she is (along with some select friends) the only one who can do the magical move that prevents demons/aliens/enemies from destroying her home (or even the whole earth). Her status as a magical hero is not one that’s earned, but rather a responsibility thrust upon her.

Meanwhile Action Hero Shounen tends to be about a boy, also often on the cusp of puberty or a teenager, who goes on a deliberate journey to attain a particular status or power. In some cases he may get one advantageous power at the start, but it’s usually up to him to make it useful and achieve his dream. His story often involves trials, tournaments, and intense battles that slowly ramp up until he becomes the most powerful (or achieves whatever status he dreamed of). That status is one that is earned, not given.

Do these differences sound familiar? If so, you may know about the theory of Precarious Manhood (Vandello & Bosson 2013 has great coverage on the subject). The theory suggests that womanhood is secured (or forced) naturally as a girl grows up; she just is a woman, and that status is generally not called into question on a regular basis. Meanwhile manhood is something that must be earned and can be easily lost; a man must continually “prove” his masculinity to maintain that he is a man. We see this reflected in the two genres I described: The Magical Girl just is the hero, while the Action Hero must become the hero. These genres are targeted towards the demographic of their main characters, kids and teens, and they reflect the values, struggles, and anxieties those demographics carry.

The Magical Girl genre focuses on a lot of girls' fears about growing up—there’s a sense of power that comes with it, but it comes at a cost. The conflicts in these shows often aren’t centrally the monsters or battles, but rather interpersonal dramas and work-life balance. To a teenage girl, having a friend group falling out can feel catastrophic, reflected in how a Magical Girl may cause a literal catastrophe unless she can get everyone to work together to defeat an enemy. Another huge conflict is balancing saving the earth and maintaining friendships, romance, work, and grades. Lots of girls get pulled in many directions at this age, and if one is expected or needs to help out around the home she has yet another responsibility on her plate that makes time management a relevant issue.

Within the Action Hero genre the fears and issues are of a different variety. There’s a focus on continual growth, best friends, and achieving milestones. Conflicts generally come down to power struggles, though there’s often an emotional component as well. The deciding factor is often willpower, or how much effort (regardless of the danger to his own safety) a boy is willing to put in to beat an enemy. At this age friendships are often built on sports, games, and competition, and there’s many anxieties about being “manly” enough (or sometimes just not wanting to be feminine because of the mockery that entails).

The differences in the genres clearly reflect gender norms/anxieties regarding femininity and masculinity for their demographic… and also enforce them. Girls are taught that their job is not to reach out and take power, but instead to play a careful balancing game with whatever power/responsibilities they are given (though it's notable that in these magical stories, they happen to be given huge power to work with). Boys are taught that they must wear themselves out, constantly putting themselves in danger and forcing their limits if they want to feel like they have worth or to "be a man".

What would challenging or reversing these expectations be like? Hmm…

Sailor Moon, with Action Hero Conventions

Usagi is just a normal clumsy girl, but one day she sees a cat being harassed by some kids on the way to school. She saves the cat, discovers her name is Luna, and that she’s actually from another planet! There is a secret elite task force, known as the Sailor Scouts, who fight against aliens trying to take over the earth. Luna says that she came to Earth to look for a human who she could train to defeat the evil Queen Beryl, which will also earn the human the right to be the next ruler of the moon. Though Usagi finds it strange and a little scary, when some of Queen Beryl’s minions come down to earth and endanger her friends, she decides to begin her quest to become a Sailor Scout! She’ll have to learn to be more coordinated and pass the Sailor Scout exam first, then battle with other Sailor Scouts to convince them to join her party, but eventually she’ll build up the power and strength to take on Queen Beryl and to become the Queen of the Moon!

Hunter x Hunter, with Magical Girl Conventions

Gon is just a normal boy who loves nature. As he is walking through the woods one day, he meets a mysterious tall man, Kite. Kite says he recognizes him; he knew Gon’s father and knows that Gon has inherited something important: The blood of a Hunter, AKA someone fated to be a guardian of the island he lives on. He has also inherited a special move: “Rock”, a magical punch that can break through anything. There are a few other Hunters Gon must find, add to his party, and work together with to defeat the Phantom Troupe, an evil group with great powers who are trying to invade his peaceful island. Gon is excited to be a Hunter like his father, but right now he lives with his aunt who hates Hunters, so he has to sneak around when protecting his island so she doesn't find out! It’s hard to balance being a normal kid and protecting his island, but with his new friends he hopes to do it all!

These are obviously simplifications of the plots of Sailor Moon and HxH, but it’s an interesting thought experiment. How would girls feel about a plot where a girl has to build up her powers and train? How would boys feel about a plot where the power/rank is almost never in question, but relationships and balancing responsibilities is? If you know any anime/manga that fit or challenge these patterns, I’d love to know your examples.

[yurimother]

LGBTQ Manga Review - Mine-Kun is Asexual

Mine-Kun is Asexual is incredibly different from the regular material I review. I specialize in Yuri and LGBTQ women in manga. However, I was way too intrigued with this title to turn down the opportunity to review it. Not only is asexuality horrifically underrepresented in media of ANY form, but it is named right the title (at least in the English version), a fantastic feat considering most LGBTQ labels in manga are at best implied. The excellent team at Irodori Sakura did such an incredible job on this highly polished doujinshi. They have my eternal gratitude for their dedication to licensing such niche titles so that readers can experience more genuine queer manga.

The following contains minor spoilers

While the manga focuses on Mine and his asexuality, he is actually not the main character. The story follows Murai, his friend, who confesses and begins a relationship with Mine. It feels less like a journey exploring a character’s asexuality and more so a vivid description of what it is like to navigate a relationship with someone of that identity. This difference is neither good nor bad, and Isaki Uta does an excellent job portraying the nuances of the relationship and the complexities of asexual identities. For example, Mine explains that he has romantic feelings for both men and women; in other words, biromantic, but is asexual. While some asexuals can be physically affectionate and even intimate, he does not like to.

Despite their inability to be physical and Murai’s struggle with this limitation, they still appear to have a pretty fulfilling relationship. Much of their time together involves long nights watching the in-universe version of Avengers movies. Although they both have traits that make the relationship a struggle, like Murai wanting intimacy and Mine being somewhat cold to her, especially in the beginning, it is a magnificent portrayal of it can look like to navigating a relationship with such boundaries. However, there are some questionable aspects to the story.

In the end, as is pretty much implied to be inevitable, the two break up. It makes Mine feel less like a character with an identity and a story, but rather a plot device that teacher Murai what it is like to be loved, a valuable lesson she brings with her to future relationships. Of course, one could flip that and say that Murai was a way for Mine to experience love, but since the story is framed around Murai, this portrait appears warped. It ultimately gives the impression that a relationship between an asexual and a sexual person is doomed. I do not have the power to declare this statement as true or false, but when the dynamic appears in real life, it should result in an honest discussion, instead of the mind-game that ends Mine and Murai’s relationship.

Despite the poor choice of narrator and less than ideal ending, Mine-Kun is Asexual still does a phenomenal job portraying asexuality and a different kind of romance. It is a rare heartwarming and thoughtful work that readers will greatly appreciate, no matter their identity. It has great, expressive artwork, emotionally vulnerable characters, and a stunning epilogue. Although, I, for one, would have preferred reading about Mine meeting his future partner at the IRL Ace meet-up, as described at the end of the manga, and exploring that relationship. While I can point lots of fingers at ways to improve or change the work, I still recommend Mine-Kun is Asexual and would like to express my thanks to Isaki Uta for creating it and Irodori Sakura for localizing it.

Ratings: Story – 6 Characters – 7 Art – 8 LGBTQ – 10 Sexual Content – 1 Final – 7

Review copy provided by Irodori Sakura

Purchase Mine-Kun is Asexual on Irodori Lite