#gamefive

[lumen-tellus]

once again lost in orv brainrot and my one true and only agenda for the novel aka orv being umineko-coded aka orv is, first and foremost and always and entirely and essentially - a love story.

[lanarchive]

could never be a manager because i would be sick to my stomach throwing up the night before every matchday

[xomoosexo]

Damn wait idk if it's mean to say but for the streamys, I never even conceived of the idea that tommy had a chance tbqh like to me it was either gonna be mark or dream.

Tommy never struck me as quite relevant enough and honestly I'd guess that maybe even his fans felt the same, bc he's kind of always been associated with dsmp, not really his own thing

I could see it being him I mean didn't he win something over dream before? or am I misremembering

[gold-rhine]

i started using duolingo bc i need to learn german and like. I have criticism on their gamefication and monetization models

like for doing lessons u get XP that gives u nothing, except like position on leaderboard and they want me to spend money to do more lessons bc some rando beat me on that fake leaderboard?? like?? why should i give a fuck?? their only way to get u back is green owl nagging u. duh.

listen to me duolingo. implement gacha. you get coins for lessons and u can gamble for png of pretty characters with these coins. then, you can spend XP to upgrade character, unlocking more vaguely flirty interactions. in the language person learns, ofc. u’ll get billions on waifus duolingo and language fluency in nerd population will skyrocket

[probablybadrpgideas]

I love weird dice!

Since most of these are handmade:

The moons and large gelatinous cube are from EternalverseGames, the green d4 from CustomClickClacks, the blue ones from CrystalRole and the cute little d6s from SpaethenArts. The metal one isn't artisan made, but it's hollow and has a dragon in it, so I guess that counts as weird...

(Also the mothman dice tray was made by GameFancy)

.

[hellotailor]

Andor analysis posts!

i’ve been writing a lot about Andor recently, and figured i should collate all my reviews & analysis in one place.

most of these focus on the show’s political themes (colonialism, policing, radicalization), along with analysis of characters and story arcs:

Review of eps 1-3

Andor is the antidote to copaganda TV - A look at the well-observed array of Bad Cops we meet in the first three episodes.

Andor comes to Scotland - A brief intro to the way Aldhani draws inspiration from the Scottish Highland Clearances in ep 4.

Visiting Imperial Coruscant, Andor illustrates the banality of evil - Some thoughts on the show’s fascination with middle-management, along with how Andor bridges the gap between the Prequels and Original Trilogy. Rather than portraying the Emperor’s takeover as an ~evil switch~ being flipped between two distinct eras, the show makes it clear that life has barely changed for the aristocracy on Coruscant.

Episode 5: Of course the Rebellion includes a Theory Guy - 1) obvs we all love Karis Nemik. 2) this episode is an observational dramedy about an activist group??

Space lesbians!

Episode 6: No one is safe - A recap for that thrilling heist episode, constrasted with the sluggish pacing of Rings of Power. (i promise this makes sense in context lol.)

Andor, the Empire, and cultural erasure - The show is full of situations where indigenous cultures are erased or commodified by colonial forces, whether that’s the Imperial garrison on Aldhani or the Republic-era deforestation on Cassian’s home planet. I’m also particularly interested in the related role of Luthen Rael’s antique shop, where Coruscant aristocrats pay through the nose for rare items that were clearly looted from planets conquered by the Empire.

Episode 7: A chillingly realistic depiction of life under fascism - I’m constantly impressed by the show’s multilayered view of big political events. In this case, the fallout from the Aldhani attack has very different consequences for Cassian, Mon Mothma, the people of Ferrix, and the ISB.

Episode 8: Narkina 5 - The worldbuilding behind the Imperial prison (slave labor, divide-and-conquer gamefication, constant physical vulnerability) is some of the neatest political worldbuilding in the show, but this ep also illustrates why Andor is so divisive. Some viewers literally don’t understand what’s happening because they’re used to watching shows where everything is explained directly to the audience in simple terms. 

Ruescott Melshi! - Ep 8 brought back a very minor character from Rogue One, and unlike most Star Wars Easter egg cameos, his role serves a meaningful purpose.

Episode 9: Syril Karn is the Empire’s only true believer - Obsessed with this Reddit Inspector Javert freak. Unlike most of the other Imperial characters (who are corrupt, sadistic, self-serving or “just doing their jobs”), Syril seems to genuinely buy into Imperial propaganda, to the point where his wild-eyed zealotry is actively alarming to other people on the same side.

Breaking down the best line in Andor episode 9 - Kino Loy (Andy Serkis) gets such an unexpectedly interesting arc!

[bootstrapparadoxed]

creative works & links

AO3 - Ko-Fi - YouTube - Patreon

Novel

adult sci-fi; a queer, existentialist space adventure

Summary:

In the distant future, humans live in a utopia where even death is not the end—for everyone except Amber’s parents. At 25, she is a cynical, aloof Ph.D. in history who resents her sheltered life at home and yearns to find her place in the world. Then, an exciting job offer comes her way—the chance to uncover the mystery of a civilization that disappeared thousands of years ago. Teaming up with the archeologist Lullaby, Amber embarks on a hitchhiking quest to find the fabled Aquamarine Moon and, perhaps, some much-needed meaning in her life.

Publisher’s website | Amazon

Video Essays

"Science Has an Accountability Problem | Dumpster Fire Data"

Do you know how many researchers anonymously admit to fabricating data? The answer is not a number of individuals, it is a percentage. As scientists, we like to believe that we are the pinnacle of accuracy, honesty, and accountability. In reality, we are no different from any other human, just as capable of making mistakes. And it’s time to fully admit to that. Welcome to Dumpster Fire Data, a series in which I analyze the hell out of crumbling institutions.

“Representation DIY: What Headcanons Can Teach You About Autism”

On why representation of minority groups in fiction has such a powerful influence, why I prefer headcanon autistic characters over canon examples, and how headcanon discussions can improve the public dialogue and be an additional push for better diverse media.

“Night in the Woods: Cosmic Horror and Optimistic Nihilism”

An exploration of themes and narrative threads of “Night in the Woods” through the eyes of an exhausted Gen Z anarchist. On the terrifying world that young adults of today were born into and how it affected us, the two ways in which NiTW explores cosmic horror, why humans always look for stories, patterns, and meaning, and whether you can be sane and happy without meaning altogether. 

“Disability and Capitalism” 2-parter

A deep dive into the intertwined history of ableism and the capitalist economy, starting from the dawn of humanity and ending with a hopeful look into the future. Featuring a shitton of citations/research and generously sprinkled with science fiction.

“Squid Game and the Gamefication of Capitalism”

"Squid Game" is a South Korean survival drama that explores themes of class disparity and inequality with a Hunger Games-esque, thrilling plotline. Is the reality show / video game aesthetic of Squid Game just another compelling visual element, or an additional metaphor?

"Is Phylogenetics a Proper Science?"

Birds are dinosaurs, whales are cousins of cows, and fishes do not exist – these are the kind of things you learn in phylogenetics lectures as a biology undergrad. I have compartmentalized this knowledge in my head for years without giving it a second thought. Then, I fell down a rabbit whole of weird philosophy of science papers, and it broke my brain a little.

"Pokemon Evolutions Are Real... Kind Of"

More people have probably heard the word "evolution" in a pokemon game than in a high school biology class. And they aren't even actually evolving, they're going through metamorphosis. Probably. Well…

Published Fiction

Short Story: "Satisfied", cyberpunk horror, in HyphenPunk Magazine Issue 7

Selected Fanfiction

One Septendecillion Brass Doorknobs: AO3 - Royalroad - Rebloggable Link

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency S3 as a full novel length (82k words) fic written in my best attempt at the style of Douglas Adams

where fire and ice collide: AO3 

30k long/novella length doctor who and good omens crossover with Tenth and Rose and all the GO characters; mostly focused on the mystery/adventure plotline but it also has tenrose and ineffable husbands tones in the mix

when it’s time: AO3

good omens 20k ineffible husbands slowburn. you know the cold open of E3? it’s 20k more of it. with mutual pining and angst and an eventual happy ending

[ofmermaidstories]

merm...bkg hunger games au....

okay so here are my initial thoughts:

1) im actually probably way too into the hunger games to be having this discussion lmfaoooo. im too into it, it’s too perfect, i love it too much. it is basically the pinnacle of all YA and i will fight literally everyone on that.

2) so with the first point in consideration, are we talking like a strict 1:1 AU? Setting it in New America/Panem? Districts with distinct specialities? Commentary about reality TV and modern entertainment entwined with like, the trauma that comes with war and trying to break free of generational curses and etc etc etc? RE: reality TV, I do think we could probably modernise that just a teeny weeny little, to include like, idk, some bullshit about how we’re always under constant surveillance and how we no longer have the time/option to be unavailable (because we’re so connected!). and since we’re like, apart of an actual fandom, maybe we could throw in some stuff about how our more privileged/sheltered audience members would engage in like, stan culture about all these dying kids, LOL. Shipping wars that ends bitterly because one half of the pairing like, idk, clubs the other to death LMAO. Real People Fanfic and the culture war that would come from that (people having a problem with RPF of the tributes bc they’re real people, but like also conveniently like… forgetting they’re real people who are being forced into a death match). would we throw in a line about Reader and/or Bakugou discovering self-insert Gamefic? lmao no wait i made myself snort, we’re absolutely keeping that LMAO. anyways im gonna cut myself off here bc otherwise i will ramble on, but that brings us to point numero-threeo—

3) i recently rewatched Battle Royale (a “random” class entered wins a yearly lottery then dumped on a remote island where they have three days to murder each other—all in the name of keep the status-quo, etc etc, also this is somehow a solution to sky-high unemployment rates etc etc etc.). if we kept the Quirks then like, you could spin it as a dystopian AU where people are fearful of quirks being too powerful, so then ya death-match children are pulled from hero classes and we make Reader end up in there accidentally or something, and oh no! they’re also quirkless (and defenceless hehe).

4) idk. i know i was like hehe i like war! but like, i don’t know how to emphasise how much i love the hunger games LMAO. and how that love sort of translates into the same fierceness i feel about BNHA, when it comes to fanfic—that the canon characters have certain inevitabilities you have to honour. just like no matter the universe, we are always going to need a Bakugou who’s centered around his friends (Deku, always, in any capacity. Kirishima, the first equal he had. Shouto, his frustrating Bestie <3), to me the hunger games works as well as it does because it’s war through the lens of relationships. Gale as the danger of unhealed anger, Peeta as choosing peace—like… that’s the magic of THG to me, and i just…… like…… what are we gonna do with the relationships, with a BNHA cast? 🥺 What would Bakugou be? Do we start with a Bakugou who’s still in Bastard Mode? Has he gone through his canon growth by the time he and Reader meet? If he has, then how was that facilitated in our new world? Did he and Deku end up in the same game? Survive together somehow? How many of their peers and friends do they lose, or does that come later on? How do we fit Reader into that dynamic naturally? the romance in THG happens through like, a need to play the game, play it up for the cameras, but it’s born out of Peeta’s very real feelings for Katniss, that started when they’re kids, and I’m not a childhood friends-to-lovers person (writing wise). The “romance” (if u can call it that) in Battle Royale is probably more culpable to what i do (vague awareness of each other/one-sided crush, grows as they prop each other up) but… idk!!! idk!!!! we could just write up Bakugou and Reader sharing a cave and making out over a festering wound but like…. idk!!! i believe in earning our kisses. 😌 show me the build up in the war-torn society first, and then maybe we can have a kiss later on, lmfaoooo.

[earisu1]

The Goat Sisters Storybook (part 1 & 2)

Original date of the posts: 22 & 27 of December, 2007.

Disclaimer applied.

Part 1: The cover.

“To get a good look at “The Goat Sisters” storybook of Rule of Rose, see the instructions in my post “Download or Print Out Rule of Rose Storybooks” about how to download this storybook.

*Since the official site is long gone, fellow Rule of Rose enthusiast @sofy-tofy​ uploaded them storybooks to a google drive folder with lots of other stuff, check it out!

The subtitle that we are given for this storybook when making use of the function “look”, rather than the function “use”, in the inventory is:

Storybook: The Goat Sisters

A sad, sad story about the goat sisters

~~~

The cover of “The Goat Sisters” storybook has a drawing showing two goats that are both tethered to the same pole by rope. Above the drawing is the title: “The Goat Sisters“.

There are features of the goats of this storybook that mark the goats as representing Meg and Diana. Meg wears eye glasses, and so does one of the two goats. Diana wears a sailor suit bandana necktie, and so does the other goat, the one that isn’t wearing eye glasses. See Meg’s eye glasses and Diana’s necktie in the picture accompanying this post.

I believe that the connection of the goats via rope is a way to symbolize personal relationship. This variety of use of rope symbolism occurs many times in Rule of Rose, and I intend to do a post, soon, which will deal with this in more depth. For now, I’ll venture the opinion that this use of rope symbolism relates, at least in part, to the way that rope/thread/cord symbolism for personal relationships is used in Japan and other Asian cultures. One can see a use of this rope symbolism in this YouTube video of the preview-trailer for Takeshi Kitano’s film “Dolls” (notice the red rope connecting the young man and young woman, and notice the subtitle, later, that says “Three tales of love bound to one another with a piece of red cord): “Dolls” preview.

I think that the symbolism of the depiction of the two goats on the cover as being tethered to a pole by ropes may relate, at least in part, to the following two pieces of information from the game:

A. This line from a dialogue between Diana and Eleanor in “The Goat Sisters” chapter (Diana is speaking about Meg):

Diana: “…That’s why I don’t like her. She follows me everywhere… It’s pathetic. What do you think, Eleanor?”

B. The last line of this commentary by Jennifer, in the “Once Upon a Time” chapter:

Library:

–By the white goat doll:

“It’s a stuffed goat… The white goat Mary. The black goat Sally. When Meg found her letter to Diana torn apart, she was deeply wounded and cried in Diana’s arms, even though she was the one that ripped it up… And, when Meg’s notebook was found all scattered about, Diana made fun of her, saying, ‘Mary and Sally must’ve ate it.’ Poor Meg… She was bound by the shackles of foolish devotion.”

Meg is “bound by the shackles of foolish devotion”, and Diana may feel restricted by Meg following Diana around more than Diana likes (and the emotional neediness that this behavior represents). These aspects of Meg and Diana’s relationship might be represented by the symbolism of showing the Meg goat and the Diana goat being tethered together to a pole (which image might have connotations of restriction).”

Part 2: Love and conflict.

“To get a good look at “The Goat Sisters” storybook of Rule of Rose, see the instructions in my post “Download or Print Out Rule of Rose Storybooks” about how to download this storybook.

Opening the cover of “The Goat Sisters”, there is a drawing inside of the two goats touching their heads together. Above the point where their heads touch together floats a tiny heart.

In the visual presentation of the storybook one can see that there is a written line of text on this page, but the game doesn’t give a subtitle for the line of text. It is very hard to read this line from the game, and the gamescript faq from GameSpot/GameFAQs omits the line, but from the downloaded “Goat Sisters” storybook I can clearly read it as being:

The Goat Sisters got along fabulously.

~~~

Turning the page…

The text reads:

Little sister wrote a letter, bah bah.

The goat with the eyeglasses, the Meg goat, holds a letter in her mouth, as if offering the letter to the goat with the necktie, the Diana goat. Meg is the “little sister” in her relationship with Diana.

~~~

Turning the page…

The text reads:

Big sister munched it up, bah bah.

The drawing shows the Diana goat eating the letter as the Meg goat looks on from a distance. Diana is the “big sister” in her relationship with Meg.

~~~

Turning the page…

The text reads:

Little sister studied her notes, bah bah.

The drawing shows the Meg goat with a writing tool in her mouth, apparently writing in a book. The Diana goat looks on from a distance.

~~~

Turning the page…

The text reads:

Big sister tore them to shreds, bah bah

The drawing shows the Diana goat tearing up the Meg goat’s notebook while the Meg goat watches from a distance, sitting. The Meg goat appears to have a black eye, and it appears that she might be damaged in other ways.

~~~

In “The Goat Sisters” chapter of Rule of Rose, Jennifer finds Meg’s notebook, and there are some pages that are torn and mostly missing. Jennifer also finds pieces of Meg’s torn love letter. See the post “Documents of “The Goat Sisters” Chapter“.

In the “Once Upon a Time” chapter of Rule of Rose, Jennifer tells us:

Library:

–By the white goat doll:

“It’s a stuffed goat… The white goat Mary. The black goat Sally. When Meg found her letter to Diana torn apart, she was deeply wounded and cried in Diana’s arms, even though she was the one that ripped it up… And, when Meg’s notebook was found all scattered about, Diana made fun of her, saying, ‘Mary and Sally must’ve ate it.’ Poor Meg… She was bound by the shackles of foolish devotion.”

But compare the above account with this dialogue between Diana and Eleanor that Jennifer overhears in “The Goat Sisters” chapter:

Diana: “…That’s why I don’t like her. She follows me everywhere… It’s pathetic. What do you think, Eleanor?”

Eleanor: “She was writing you a love letter.”

Diana: “I already got it and ripped it in half.”

Eleanor: “Oh…”

Diana: “I tried to make the goat eat it, but it wouldn’t even look at it.

Eleanor: “I see…”

As the dialogue takes place, in the airship world, the black goat Sally is nearby… alive. In the airship world, Sally is a real goat; but in the world of Jennifer’s forgotten past, Sally is only a stuffed doll, and Diana wouldn’t have actually tried to make the goat doll eat the letter (except, perhaps, just as an act designed to torment Meg).

We can see, in comparing Jennifer’s account given in the “Once Upon a Time” chapter, with what we see in “The Goat Sisters” chapter, a bit of how Jennifer’s forgotten past gets distorted when it is relived by her in the course of the game.

~~~

About the drawing of the Diana goat looking on from a distance while the Meg goat studies… the thought occurred to me while looking at it that perhaps, despite Diana’s protestation of annoyance over Meg following her around so much, Diana actually was jealous of the time that Meg spent away from Diana when Meg was absorbed in her intellectual pursuits (taking notes, inventing, etc.).

~~~

I think that the black eye of the Meg goat, in the drawing that shows the Diana goat destroying the notebook, is just a symbolic representation of psychological hurt. I doubt that we are meant to think that Diana physically struck Meg.”

[sageadvicednd]

How many dragons would you say is in a “flight” of dragons?

how many dragons would you say is in a “flight” of dragons…….asking for my gameFive or more. And "flight" has to be NOT a family on the move (i.e. can't all be members of the same family). In the Realms, what gets called a "flight" depends on who sees them; unimpressed elves tend to reserve the term for 16 or more. — Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) December 3, 2017 Holy crap then I think the guys…

[peteytheparrot]

9 and 20 for the ask gamef

9 (favorite crack ship): Well it would be Ivypool and Hawkfrost because I’ve always loved their dynamic (looking back at it it’s probably really abusive though ☠️) but I’m pretty sure they’re related so uh nvm on that ship LMAO ☠️ I honestly don’t have any other crackships (if IvyHawk even really counts as a crackship ☠️)

20 (swiftpaw, gorsepaw, or shrewpaw?): Swiftpaw all the way honestly I don’t even remember gorsepaw or shrewpaw idfk what is with all of the hype surrounding those two, and honestly it’s probably just all headcanons from people because I bet those cats had like two lines of dialogue and then just died ☠️ Correct me if I’m wrong though I haven’t read these books in like 3 years 🫡

[ihaveabsolutelynocluebutimtrying]

Gamefication of flirting.

So, ever since Chappel Roan came out with casual, I feel like most listeners could relate to the feeling of being absolutely sick and tired of turning great "could've been love stories" into mere situations just because loving someone requires more effort than using them as props.

Now, if I sound bitter you can definitely take me for that because I truly am. What happened to wanting to know people, to taking a leap of faith and approaching them even if you're unsure about how they stand regarding you, what happened to risking looking a little silly making a first move ? It may just be my social circle but I feel like we're turning into cowards or hostages of our own great self images, the most we feel like we can do is follow someone on Instagram, view their stories in hopes that they can decode the hidden message behind the digital act, some braver soldiers might add that someone to their respective close friend's in hopes that this is a clearer act, and if you're bold you comment on their posts with some slightly vague slightly kind compliment. And then of course, you wait. Because is all we know how to do, wait for that someone to catch the game flow and realize that since you've made the absolutely astronomical leap of courage of following them, now it's their turn on this imaginary game.

I'm just too soft for all of this, that isn't flirting, that isn't how things should start out, that is a way of ensuring you have very little to lose in case the other person doesn't turn out to feel the same way, of making the least possible effort for the person that probably occupies your late night thoughts, that's a joke I'll tell you that, but still what can we do ? take a chance and risk looking dumb ? actually have a conversation with another human being with the chance they know you're interested in them ? how sad right.

[gotchaocha]

The gamefication (?) of tinder is so strange. I returned after a while, and now they have this thing where if you go into the app for like 7 days straight they say they’ll reward you???

I’m like. Girl what reward. This isn’t neopets, I’m not getting a paintbrush for visiting this.

[nevebennett-viscom]

gameification and game theories

when loking at making my app into sort of a game, this theory states people often treat things as a game such as prices, work related decisions and almost gable, and find things more fun and engaging

using this it helps support my gamefication exmaple of the app as a suitable option potentiall.

[albicoins]

How to build Value-Based Recognition — Practical solution.

At its core, Value-Based Recognition is a strategic initiative that ties employee recognition directly to the values and goals of a company. It’s not just about acknowledging achievements; it’s about recognizing and appreciating behaviors that align with the organization’s mission, vision, and values.

Millennials today form a major percentage of the global workforce and the trend will continue in the future. This has changed the expectations of employees from their workplace, with most of them seeking a sense of greater meaning and purpose. This is as opposed to just better perks and benefits sought by earlier generations.

How to foster value-based recognition? We have a solution!

Value-based recognition offers this sense of meaning and purpose to the employees and this, in turn, strengthens their sense of belonging and engagement. To foster these, a system is required that will record, track & generate perks for employees. This is why we created AlbiCoins — a modern system of corporate benefits, adapted to the needs of the new generations.

AlbiCoins — gamefication of benefit system rewards

🌈 What makes AlbiCoins unique:

Value-based recognition incentives built-in. You can start an incentive & base it off a certain set of values

Fully customizable, white-label corporate currency system

Easy to get used to — the gamefied mechanics of AlbiCoins are very engaging yet simple

AlbiCoins Enhances Team Performance — we have a large selection of tools to foster healthy competition between teams, leading to increased productivity & happiness.

Integrates simply with any CRM & Creative support provided all the way for AlbiCoin adopters — out of ideas how to incentivize your workers? We will help!

Start value-based recognition program in your company now — it has never been simpler!

Do you want to try having such a solution in your company? We offer 3 months of free trial period. If that sounds interesting to you lets talk