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sovereignsimmer · 1 year

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Tips for Maximizing the Use of Clubs in The Sims 4

Greetings everyone,

If you've played The Sims 4, you're likely aware that Get Together is one of the best expansion packs ever released for the game! It adds new dynamics to your gameplay and social clubs that can be used to improve your sims' lives. In this post, I'll share my favorite ways to use social clubs in The Sims 4 to help you get the most out of them.

It may be a lengthy read, so proceed at your own discretion.

Using social clubs to control sims' autonomy

One of the most significant advantages of social clubs is the ability to control your sims' behavior. Club activities override individual sims' autonomous actions, allowing you to direct their actions in a more productive manner. You could establish a private club for your household and use it to make your sims do chores, study, have fun, or anything else that comes to mind. You can alter club activities at any time as long as you are the club leader.

Creating your own lore through social circles

Friendships and relationships are easy to establish in The Sims 4, but they are often shallow and meaningless. It's more realistic for sims to be friends with others who share their interests or hobbies. By bringing these sims together in social clubs, you can create your own lore and stories.

In addition, you can cause drama and rivalries between different clubs by encouraging mean interactions or by banning friendly interactions with selected ones. Trust me, it brings so much life to your gameplay!

Using social clubs to explore new spaces

In The Sims 4, you can easily stay on your home lot and self-sustain indefinitely, making the game feel isolated and limited. By using social clubs, you can direct your sims to hang out at designated lots or locations, allowing them to explore the world outside their home.

Here are a few examples of social that I use in my game, based on different interests and social circles:

Interest-based Clubs

Adventure Associates: Join our nature-loving social club! We hike, fish, climb, ski, and snowboard. Connect with like-minded individuals and explore the great outdoors. (Requirements: Traits like Adventurous, Loves Outdoors, and skills such as fishing, skiing, rock climbing, etc.)

Budding Pals: Budding Pals is a gardening club for nature enthusiasts to learn plant care through sustainable practices. From novice to expert, join us in cultivating a beautiful and sustainable community garden. (Requirements: Traits like Green Fiend, Loves Outdoors, Animal Lover, Recycle Disciple, and skills such as flower-arranging and gardening)

Covalent Bonds: Not intimidated by rocket science? Think you could solve the Unsolvable Hetu Hypothesis if only you had enough moral support? Want to share electron pairs to create a stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces? Join the Covalent Bonds! (Requirements: Traits like genius, geek, overachiever, and skills such as rocket science, logic, robotics, etc.)

Desperate Homemakers: Desperate Homemakers is an inclusive group of close-knit stay-at-home folks inspired by "Desperate Housewives". They gather to gossip, play cards, and enjoy a bottle of chardonnay every now and then. (Requirements: Unemployed Sims)

Digital Divergence: Digital Divergence is a social club for gamers, coders, and streamers. Meet like-minded people, share ideas, and collaborate on projects. Join us for LAN parties, coding competitions, and streaming workshops! (Requirements: Traits like Geek, Creative, Socially Awkward, and skills such as programming, video gaming, media production, photography)

Epicurean Elites: A circle of select foodies who appreciate fine dining and culinary experiences. Members gather for exclusive events and tastings, exploring new flavors, techniques, and cuisines. (Requirements: Traits like Foodie, Snob, and skills such as Cooking, Gourmet Cooking, Baking, Mixology)

Grizzly Gang: Grizzly Gang: the ultimate club for alpha sports enthusiasts who push limits, crush goals, and dominate fields. Join like-minded beasts to unleash your inner grizzly and reach your full potential! (Requirements: Traits like Active, Bro, High-maintenance, Self-assured, Overachiever, Ambitious, and skills such as Fitness, Snowboarding, Rock Climbing)

Major Chords: Major ‘cause we’re important. Chords ‘cause we sound together. Don’t you want to sound together with us? (Requirements: Traits like Music Lover, Creative, Self-centered, Snob, and skills such as Piano, Violin, Singing, etc.)

Readaholics Anonymous: Are you a seasoned bibliophile? An aspiring writer? Grab your book and join us for lively discussions and plenty of page-turning fun! Our welcoming club offers a warm community of like-minded readers! (Requirements: Traits like Bookworm, Geek, Socially Awkward, and skills such as Research and Debate, Writing)

Tapestry Posse: Tapestry Posse is a social club that brings together individuals who share a passion for arts and crafts such as painting, knitting, cross-stitching, and candle-making. It's a friendly and relaxed community for artists and hobbies alike. (Requirements: Traits like Creative, Art Lover, Snob, and skills such as Painting, Cross-stitching, Knitting, Fabrication, etc.)

The High Society™ is a secretive society of the world's most influential people, from politicians to celebrities. Its true purpose is unknown, but membership is the ultimate status symbol among the elite. (Requirements: Wealth (Rich), Career: Law, Politician, Business, Actor, Entertainer, Military, Detective, Sciencist, Secret Agent, Criminal, and traits like Self-assured, Perfectionist, Ambitious, Snob, etc.)

In order to foster a sense of community and belonging, I suggest adding the 'Insider' trait as a requirement for membership in all clubs. Sims with the 'Insider' trait are naturally drawn to social groups and are more likely to participate in various club activities, ultimately enhancing the overall experience for all members.

Age-based Clubs

Lil' Wabbits: Lil' Wabbits is a playful and imaginative children's social club, where kids can make new friends and have fun with various activities. From dress-up to play pretend, it's all about having a great time in a safe and supportive environment. (Requirements: Age - Child)

Seasoned Seniors: Seasoned Seniors is a social club for elderly folks looking for fun and connection. Enjoy games, outings, and social events in a supportive environment. (Requirements: Age - Elder)

Youthopia: Youthopia is a social club for teenagers that offers fun activities and events to promote friendships and a sense of community. Youthopia is the perfect group for teens to hang out with and have a good time. (Requirements: Age - Teen)

Occult-themed Clubs

Aristoclaws: The Aristoclaws are a pack of wealthy and influential werewolves who balance their strength and ferocity with skilled diplomacy. They defend their territory with sharp claws and fierce howls, but also rely on their ability to negotiate and form alliances. (Requirements: Wealth (Rich), Werewolf (Trait))

Council of The Forgotten: The Council of Eternal Night governs all vampires globally from Forgotten Hollow. This oldest organization holds high esteem, guiding its members to reach their true power and potential. Register your household to connect with fellow vampires. (Requirements: Vampire (Trait))

Coven of the Dusk: Led by an enigmatic teen warlock, this coven follows ancient beliefs and practices green and dark magic for protection. Teenage witches gather to perform divination rituals, brew potions, cast spells, practice herbalism, and celebrate nature. (Requirements: Age - Teen, Spellcaster (Trait))

Faelwyn Union: The Faelwyn Union unites elves to promote peace and protect their rights. They preserve nature, known for their elven lore knowledge. Strong scholars with mutual respect for other races. (Requirements: Spellcaster (in my game, my elves are Spellcasters))

Glimmerbrook Magistrate: The Glimmerbrook Magistrate governs spellcasters, ensuring responsible magic use. Experienced members oversee training, investigate disputes, and prevent misuse. Respected authority in the magical community. (Requirements: Spellcaster (Trait)) Ivanovich House: Led by patriarch Dmitry, Ivanovich House is a vampire clan of northeastern heritage. They keep to themselves, wary of outsiders, and are known for their refined taste and skillful manipulation of those around them.

(Requirements: Vampire (Trait), Vampire Knowledge Skill)

Nzarogg Clan: The Nzarogg Clan, descendants of Windenburg's merfolks, now reside in Sulani. Adapting to their new environment, they retain their culture and traditions. They have no hesitation in putting anyone who opposes them in their place. (Requirements: Mermaid (Trait))

Steelfangs: The Steelfangs are a werewolf pack exclusively for affluent teenagers. With power, wealth, and influence, they rule their territory with sharp claws and a howl that strikes fear into their rivals. (Requirements: Age - Teen, Werewolf (Trait))

Tideglow Tribe: Native to Sulani, this conservative merfolk community sees newcomers as potential threats. Their strength and agility make them formidable defenders of their territory, and outsiders are only welcome if they earn the tribe's trust. (Requirements: Mermaid (Trait))

Additionally, you can make more clubs for your Sims' high school friends, university friends like "Foxbury Alumni," and organize annual events and gatherings to reminisce on old times and friendships.

I hope these examples gave you some inspiration to start your own social clubs and use them to their full potential in The Sims 4. Remember, social clubs are a great way to add depth and variety to your gameplay, and they can help you create unique stories and characters in your game.

#misc #sovereignsimmer #the sims 4 #get together #clubs #social club #social clubs #story ideas #storytelling #gameplay #sims 4 gameplay #gameplay challenges #the sims 4 challenges

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twstbookclub · 1 year

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Tickled Pink, But It's a Skill Issue

Summary: Idia is anything but thrilled at the soulmate mark on his wrist. After meeting his soulmate on one sunny day though, he's having second thoughts. POV: 2nd Person Pronouns: Gender Neutral Admin/Writer: Cressa 🦋 Tags: Comedy, Slight Angst, Romance, Fluff, Soulmate AU, Minor Swearing, Idia Gamer Speak, The Absolute Cringelord that is Idia Shroud, and Minor Book 6 spoilers

Word Count: 1,218

Idia Shroud stared at the words tattooed on his wrist with a grimace. Throughout his eighteen years of living, it still baffled him that the words he was born with cursed with, more like it were four words that made him want to shrink from embarrassment. Anyone else might have wondered about their soulmate once they saw their mark, but Idia might as well die from cringe.

“Your hair is pretty,” he muttered, shuddering. Really? Idia would rather have anything—anything, really—for a soulmate mark. What kind of soulmate’s first words to him would be about his hair, an untamed trail of flames and emotion? Emotions that made it obvious to anyone that he’s either angry or embarrassed? Emotions bearing impossible dreams, brutally crushed during his childhood? Idia would rather his soulmate curse or insult him for how much of a shut-in he is. If he was going to take the L and spend the rest of his life with this one person, at least make it believable.

Must be a normie hopeless romantic, Idia thought as he tapped and typed on his holographic screens. The type who dreams of a knight who saves them from a dragon for an RPG quest. Just like those prissy, trash-tier snobs at RSA. Just like a cliché romance plot in a B movie.

Idia knew he shouldn’t think of his soulmate like this before even meeting them. People his age already found their soulmates at this point. Couples holding hands in the park, sharing a drink in the restaurant booth, and all of the typical, mushy, lovey-dovey things people in love do. Well, people that aren’t the Shroud family. With how robotic they are, Idia doubts if the Shroud pair ever fell in love. He didn’t care to know about how his parents found each other. Even if he was curious as a kid, his parents never gave him the time of the day. Not when they were too busy to even look at their children who were going to inherit the fate of the Shrouds.

A faint crackle made Idia glance at the lock trailing down his shoulder. The orange tips of his hair shone like the beginning of twilight in his room, which was Idia’s cue to calm down. He huffed, subconsciously typing more aggressively than usual, and willed himself to forget his feelings. The thought of his soulmate always worked him up, or was it his parents?

“Who cares? I need to log in and do my dailies. I don’t want to break my log-in streak just because of this.”

Idia spent another evening in his room with nothing but his games, shoving ridiculous sentiment aside and waiting for Ortho to come back from class.

The next day was supposed to be ordinary, bleak, uneventful. Idia only went outside the comfort of his room to grab the newest video games and manga he ordered. Classes should’ve kept every NRC student busy. He could’ve slipped in and out of daylight without anyone noticing him.

“Your hair is pretty.”

Why is the Ramshackle Prefect here? Better yet, why did the universe give him a soulmate that was always surrounded by drama? Is he the main character of some sick comedy? Are the gods making fun of him at this point?

Idia Shroud, a stuttering coward in the crowd and a callous bastard behind the monitor, wanted to disappear right then and there. The tips of his hair flickered between fiery red and hot pink. His amber irises switched from the Prefect’s eyes, the cobblestone of Main Street, the Lord of the Underworld’s statue, and back to the Prefect’s eyes before he remembered that he shouldn’t be looking at them in the first place.

Maybe Idia should’ve worked on that drone to grab his deliveries for him. Maybe he could’ve avoided this outcome. Then again, if he couldn’t avoid his fate of being stuck as the Watchman, Idia could never run away from this even if he tried to.

He knew your name. Everyone does. You were the infamous magicless student in Night Raven College. You always found yourself in troublesome situations and with the SSR Epic Troublemakers. Riddle Rosehearts? Leona Kingscholar? Azul Ashengrotto? Does he need to list more of them to get the point across?

More importantly, you’re his soulmate. You. His. Idia’s mind was on the verge of a shutdown until he remembered that he should reply to you instead of standing like a spooked cat drenched in the rain.

“What’s a normie like you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be in class with the monster kitty?”

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why was his literal default being an asshole? His soulmate is standing not more than a meter in front of him, and he called them a normie. Brilliant. Can’t he level up his Charm stat just this once? Is he seriously having a skill issue right now?

While Idia was handling an internal battle with himself, you raised a brow. Oh no. He’s done it. Here comes the insult, the slap, the animosity he’s familiar with.

Except, you weren’t all those things.

“Did you just call me a normie?” You laughed, crossing your arms and grinning. The sound echoed in his ears, rattled his mind, and stole his every thought. Suddenly, Idia wanted to hear more of it. Honestly, this entire scenario feels like it was ripped out of a dating sim. This was getting into dangerous territory.

Idia’s hands hovered over his chest as he watched the magicless prefect. His shoulders visibly relaxed, but his fists clenched ‘til his knuckles turned ghostly pale. Well, that’s a first.

You kept going, undeterred by his insult, “It’s none of your business. I just wanted to say your hair’s pretty. Shouldn’t you be in class?”

You… didn’t know him. Idia didn’t know whether he should collapse from relief or cry about how invisible he was to you. Is this what it felt like to be a forgettable side character in a Triple-A game? Since when did it matter what you thought of him? Since when did he decide that you calling his hair pretty wasn’t cringe? Since when did his hair glow bright pink?

“Nevermind. I don’t have time for this.” You shook your head and walked around him. Idia almost grabbed your wrist out of instinct. As if this scene was straight out of a shoujo manga where the main character tries to reach out to her love interest before confessing. His hand shot back to his chest as if he was burned.

Oh great Seven, he’s turning into a walking cliché at the sight of his soulmate.

Idia’s heart jumped into his throat when you looked back at him with a knowing smirk. One that he knows will damn him for the rest of his life just because he wanted to get his video games and manga. Idia wanted to die on the spot at what you told him next.

“Look, you’re hot and all, but seriously? Pro tip: don’t insult your soulmate on sight. Make a better first impression next time, alright?”

Oh.

Idia will make damn sure that he finishes that drone before he sees you again. Otherwise, he’ll combust on the spot and the pink flames will be screaming his infatuation for you.

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former-leftist-jew · 5 months

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i’m a little anxious to send this not on anon but i saw one of your posts where a comment mentioned jewish conversion and you seemed to support it. my boyfriend is jewish and i would like to convert to judaism but a lot of the research i’ve done says that you can’t convert, you have to be born into it since it’s an ethno-religion. i know everyone has different beliefs about this but i worry i won’t be accepted

Hello tyblackthornsheadphones, welcome!

"my boyfriend is jewish and i would like to convert to judaism"

Oooh! Mozel tov! I'm always so happy to meet new people who want to join the Jewish community! <3

"a lot of the research i’ve done says that you can’t convert, you have to be born into it since it’s an ethno-religion"

Oh dear, I'm so sorry to hear that! D: There's so much misinformation being passed around online. :( Thankfully, I'm happy to report that those sources are incorrect: It IS possible to convert to Judaism. ^_^

Like any group, though, how friendly any given Jew is to potential Jewish converts depends on the individual and/or the group they belong in. Just as there's elitism and gatekeeping in every group of people ever (like high school cliques and video game circles--"you're not a REAL gamer unless X"), unfortunately you'll also find some snobbery, elitism, and gatekeeping in Judaism. :(

Though I think Rabbi Friedman has a very loving and accepting view of Jews by conversion. ^_^

youtube

The way I see it, the differing experiences of a "Jew-by-birth vs a Jew-by-conversion" can be comparable to an American citizen who was just born on American soil vs an American immigrant who had to go through a long and rigorous bureaucratic process to become an American citizen--they have to learn everything there is to know about American history, presidents, laws, customs, the legal system; spend a "probational period" living in America to become a naturalized citizen, etc.

(The Jewish religion used to be very conversion friendly, but that came to an end when Christianity and Islam became huge world powers who outlawed the Jewish community "tempting" good Christians or Muslims away from the One True Faith.

Jewish identity also used to be passed down from father to children in ancient times--as you'll see in the Torah--but that was changed by Hillel the Elder during the tyrannical reign of King Herod--yes, THAT King Herod! Hillel did this partly to give the children of Jewish mothers who were abandoned by their non-Jewish fathers a place in Jewish society, and he did this partly as a big old political "fuck you!" to King Herod, whose father was only nominally Jewish and his mother was a foreign gentile woman.)

Chabad is an Orthodox Jewish organization.

And here's a link from a Reform Judaism POV. ^_^

In my experience, Reform Jewish synagogues and organizations tend to be more accepting of and friendly to Jewish converts. (Though it's not universal! Sadly, there are snobs everywhere. D:)

So if I were you, I would just start with checking out some books on Judaism from your local library, attend Friday night or Saturday morning Shabbat services with your boyfriend (that's usually a time when non-Jewish guests attend).

If your local college has a Hillel or Chabad Jewish student organization, I would visit that too! They usually host fun events that are free and open to to all, especially students who're just interested in connecting with other Jewish students, and learning about Jewish identity. ^_^

In the meantime, I'd just take time to study and learn about Jewish history and culture just for fun.

I think Sam Aranow's "Jewish History" Youtube series is a very entertaining way to learn about Jewish history, from ancient to modern.

youtube

Unfortunately I have to go to work now, but if you have ANY other questions, please reach out to me! I LOVE sharing knowledge and resources about Judaism, especially to potential converts who show a genuine interest and curiosity.

(Jewish culture can be, in my opinion, not as accepting and welcoming of potential Jewish converts as they should be, and I want to make up the difference. ^_^ )

#jumblr #judaism #jewblr #jewish #jewish convert #jewish conversion #welcome to judaism!#we're happy to have you ^_^#jewish history #jewish culture #jewish positivity #jewish joy #jewish tumblr #am yisrael chai

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moonchild-in-blue · 1 month

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Gushing about animol crossing lil guys (gn) token. Expires never.

Hello Will I kinda really love you for this, you sweet sweet blue boy you 🥺💙

Say hello to the Hope World family 🌈

Deets and Pics bellow (very long):

Coco and Lily

My two favourites! Will get along with literally everyone 🥹

Coco is forever my number one spookie cookie bunny, but Lily is a close second - the sweetest froggy you'll ever meet!!! They are both incredibly sweet, and in my island lore they are besties 🥺🐰🐸

Their houses are next to one other, and often share books, baking tips, and whatever knitting project their working on! They hang out with Zucker a lot 🐙

Elvis

My cranky old man 🥹 Out of all of them, he's the least popular in the fandom 😔

Has been with me the longest - was my very first campsite villager, and has since settled well! He may be old, but likes to learn new slang from the youngins. Has the coolest study/library ever.

Zucker

It him!! My precious takoyaki baby boy!!!

He always has a silly outfit on - the pineapple hat was a MUST. Loves to snack, play games, and hang by the beach. A silly cutie patootie 🥹🐙

Marshall

Look at him!!! He so small and sassy 🥺

Marshall is the fashionista / coffee snob of our island. Literally lives off caffeine and compliments. Likes to visit Elvis and be Fancy™ for a little bit hehe. Great friends with Francine. Smol and Angy hehehe 🐿️

Bob and Chrissy

MARRIED. They are MARRIED and IN LOVE - 3 year anniversary coming up soon!!! 💜🩷

Bob is the coolest (and only) cat in the whole island. Chrissy was totally smitten with him hehe. He's also a silly boy who is a bit of a gamer - has a super cool set up. A literal textbook himbo 🤭

Chrissy is Francine's twin. They were popstars in their youth (listen to K. K. Bubblegum), and currently she's the only one still in the entertainment businesses. Always dresses fancy - pink and glittery and so so cute 💖. Sings all the time, also the most extroverted of the bunch.

Francine and Fuchsia

The Cool Girlfriends™ - kinda intimidating at first, but very friendly 💙💖

Francine is Chrissie's twin. Unlike her super chirpy sister, Francine is a bit more elegant and reserved. She now works as a designer - the spotlight was made for her Chrissy, not her. Best friend's with Marshall - The Fashion Duo ever (WILL judge your fashion choices) 💅 ✨

Fuchsia is our resident punk barbie deer. Dresses mostly in black and band merch - we talk a lot about bands and stuff. Very sensible and kind, always there for you if you need to vent. A true punk princess, Avril Lavigne wishes she was her 🖤

Genji

Our newest resident! Moved in last week after Pietro left. He's still getting to know everyone, but so far is getting along super well with Bob - he and Zucker often have game nights and Genji loves it (Elvis is too old to stay up so late, and Marshall prefers to go drink with the girlies).

Genji is a total gym rat but not obnoxious at all - he's just super active. He and Fuchsia will work out together sometimes 🏋️

-> Old family photo from when Pietro (clown sheep) was still in Hope World - taken during my birthday sleepover. You can see Fuchsia in her Sleep Token shirt 🥹

Bonus family photo but Silly™

If you read this far, have a little snack -> cherry pie, a Hope World specialty! 🍒🥧

#animal crossing rant over #i have so much Lore and Stories with them hehehe #Francine dated K K Slider for a while there but it was soon over. he's too much of a diva #also he and Label have a super toxic on and off relationship and she did NOT want to get in between that #i actually started to write a acnh fanfic but never posted it. maybe it's time i finish it #also Lily and Marshall are super good friends. and Coco and Elvis too #so sometimes the four of them hang out. Coco and Elvis will gab on about books while Lily and Marshall like to chat about whatever #she once made him a knitted scarf and beanie set and it's his favourite ever 🥺#(i realise i give them a lot of stories and stuff but. it makes the game much more interesting to me)#thank you for the token hehehe. smooching your forehead muwah muwah muwah #darya answers #animal crossing #acnh

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worldseer · 8 months

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A list of random HCs about Jason Todd because I have brainrot~

THESE ARE MY PERSONAL HEADCANONS! IF YOU DISAGREE, THAT'S FINE BUT DON'T LEAVE HATE! Headcanons are separated by catagories: Random, fluffy, angsty, and NSFW. MDNI!!!! The different colors are just to break up the hcs a bit and not look like pure walls of text-

Random:

Has tapetum lucidum after being in the pit, causing his eyes to glow green in low/no light.

Has hazel eyes, which causes them to look brown or green at certain times.

Built sturdy and more like a boxer. I refuse to believe that this man isn't wide. Getting a better diet since being adopted + Robin training + Lazarus Pit = BIG. FRIDGE OF A MAN.

Has vitiligo, hence the white streak in his hair. It just so happened to show up after being resurrected.

Known to sleep walk and talk after resurrection. If he ever sleeps at the Manor, Bruce has cameras and sensors in place to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid.

Mostly talks shit to the houseplants while sleepwalking.

Canonically eats fast food alot. However, he always manages to burn off the calories. And the fat just makes him bulkier.

Bisexual but he doesn't tell anyone. Not that he's trying to hide it. He just doesn't label himself.

Wears eyeliner regularly, just because he wants to. Look I just love the concept, ok?

Considering getting his ears pierced, just debating on what exact kind of piercing

Has tattoos but not many, most notably small tattoo of a flower on his wrist to honor the death of Catherine, his step-mother.

Has prominent scars: Autopsy scar (died, obvi), scar stretching from the left edge of his left cheek and then up into his hairline (from crowbar), cut in his right eyebrow (from fighting as a child), lip scar that runs from slightly above the skin of his top lip and down over his lips to his chin on his left ( also from fighting as a child). Any other "scar" he receives since resurrection often fades away due to effects from the pit. The others do not fade.

Almost as tall as Bruce, maybe shorter by about an inch at most.

Fluffy:

Has cried watching the Titanic movie. Was inconsolable for a week. Refuses to watch it ever again.

Laughs at horror films these days. Also will talk about how cuts and bullet wounds are anatomically incorrect like its casual conversation. It's one of the few activities he actively enjoys doing with Damian.

Calls Dick an old man just to spite him.

Never passes on an opportunity to tease Tim and call him a huge fucking nerd.

Loves all animals, but prefers cats. No real reason. He just always liked them more. Used to leave cans of food out for the cats to eat from as a kid.

Mostly likes Nu Metal, since it allowed him as a kid to get anger out and all the cool teens in his neighborhood blasted it a lot. But he's not picky about music. Secretly a snob for classical music though.

Strong relationship with Barbara, thinks of her as a sister he never had.

Always helps Alfred cook when he's at the Manor, and is good at it. Obviously works a knife well in cooking, but secretly prefers baking because the kitchen smells better afterwards.

As I've said before, I would not be surprised if he brings a stray home from either a shelter or the street. If he could, he'd help all the stray animals in Gotham and keep them.

Cares deeply about Tim. Tries to act like a big brother and be a good example to the best of his ability.

Not really a gamer, but he had some old consoles when he was a young kid under Bruce's care. Loved Wii Sports; boxing was his favorite. Nowadays, he doesn't play video games much. When he has time and feels like it though, he will play a game or two. Doom Eternal and Red Dead Redemption II are the top favorites after being resurrected.

Spends a good amount of time around Cass when at the Manor. They probably understand each other on almost a psychic level. They also train together a lot too to sharpen skills they both are weaker in.

Angst: (sorry for the pain)

Volunteers often at shelters and soup kitchens as a way to cope, makes him believe that he can offer comfort instead of just pain and being a burden.

Prefers to not talk out feelings after being resurrected; usually drives around to clear his head. Depending on how bad the situation is, it ranges from a few minutes to over an hour.

Loves classical literature because it was the first thing that allowed him to escape reality.

Has weird as fuck dreams, thanks to trauma and the pit. Never says anything about them to others however.

Never lets his stubble grow out too much because it makes him think he looks too much like Bruce, and he doesn't want to look like him.

Picked up smoking because what the hell are they gonna do? Kill him again? Always tries to avoid smoking around the others though, especially the members who are younger than him.

Rarely drinks. Reminds him too much of his birth father. Only does it for times when things are really bad.

Is so close to Barbara because she's one of the few who understands what it's like to be traumatized by the Joker. Often seeks her out for some comfort if his PTSD acts up again.

Hates crying, never cries in front of others unless he really trusts them. People who have seen him cry include Barbara, Dick, Alfred, and Bruce (on accident).

Grew up Catholic. Stopped believing the moment right before he died. Now has immense Catholic guilt and occasionally questions his morals a lot. (Might be self projecting but fuck it)

Zones out a lot. Happens the most during off time. If he's not doing anything, he's likely zoned out. Usually zones out when he thinks too hard about what the Lazarus Pit did to him, his death, and resurrections.

Copes in brash and self-depreciative humor. Also will make fun of others to draw attention away from his own problems.

Tried to help Catherine as much as he could, even if she wasn't the best mother to have.

NSFW: (Minors look no further!!!!)

A switch, dominant-leaning.

Softer dom, surprisingly. Sure, he can be a hard dom if he asked, but that's not what he wants. Coos sweet words while teasing.

Grunts and groans. Not vocal, but he'll talk through it sometimes. Grits his teeth if he's really into it.

"Oh, look at you on my cock. So tight and taking all of it, do you feel full? You look good when you're full of me."

He needs foreplay before subbing. Sometimes he's still wary about letting his guard down, so he needs lots of prepping and reassurance. Once he is into subbing, he's very obedient and eager to please.

Softer noises and gasps when subbing. He doesn't dare be loud, and often tries to cover up his noises. Doesn't beg often, takes what he gets without much complaint.

"Mmph- ah- hah- fuck- I'm close- I'm close baby. Can I finish?"

LOVES dirty talk, giving and receiving. He's already a bit of a cocky lil shit, so he'll tease you and talk you through it. Supportive about his dirty talk usually.

"That's it. Just like that. God- you're perfect. So fuckin' perfect- keep goin' baby, I gotcha."

Not experienced, sorry. With a combination of being bad at expressing emotions, trauma, and being busy as a vigilante, he does not get many bitches.

Has had hookups here and there, but that's all they were. He left the moment the other was all settled or asleep.

Experimental. Because he's low on experience, he's not entirely sure what he does or doesn't like.

Would not use a weapon in bed. That's a hard line. Weapons make him think of violence, and that's the last thing he wants to think about when in such a vulnerable moment.

Hates degradation, on both ends. Won't do it even if asked. The only time he'd ever get close to degrading is if you allow him to fuck while he's still working through some anger. Would apologize profusely afterwards though.

Not big on being tied up himself, but likes tying someone else up a bit. Nothing crazy besides handcuffs. Any further and he feels like he's taking advantage/being taken advantage of.

PRAISE!!! Loves to receive it, especially if he's being focused on or on the more submissive side.

A giver. He's not selfish, and feels bad if the other is not feeling good as well. Would most likely give more than he ever receives.

Not picky. As long as you are clean and consenting, he'll eat out if offered/allowed. Hair? Doesn't matter. Menstruating? Good thing he's low on iron. And you best believe that he is not stopping until you either push him away or are begging.

Thick, as expected. A little bit over 6" long. Prominent veins.

Trimmed, not shaved. Yes there is a difference.

Has a bit of a happy trail, and veins appear on v-line when hard.

Aftercare game ranges on how much he and his partner did, and their relationship. Hookups are usually left to take care of themselves and he leaves quickly. If Jason is serious about someone, he'll grab a washcloth, urge the other to use the bathroom (and maybe carry them if they're tired), and stay for cuddles.

#i love jason todd #jason todd #dc #dc comics #dc universe #dc headcanon #dc headcanons #batman #batfam #batfamily #my writing #writing #angst #fluff #n.sfw #random #random headcanons #headcanons #headcanon list

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fatherfigurefusion · 4 months

Text

Randomly generating Ultimate Talents for the DRDT cast and ranking them on how fitting they are (DR2 Edition):

Teruko Tawaki- Ultimate Swordswoman

10/10: Fun fact: I've seen a theory on DRDT's TVTropes page that claims that the DRDT characters based off the canon blackened, with Teruko being based on Peko. And honestly? I can see it! Also strengthens the Kagami allegations.

Xander Matthews- Ultimate Chef

7/10: Admittedly, the only reason this is ranked so high is because Xander acting like Gordon Ramsey is a funny concept.

Eden Tobisa- Ultimate Musician

9/10: She'd basically just be Kasumi Toyama.

Hu Jing- ???/Reserve Course Student/Ultimate Ultimate

8/10: This could actually work well with her desire to be useful to others. In a setting like this talentswap 'verse, this could very easily be played for angst.

J Moreno- Ultimate Yakuza

7/10: Mariabella can easily be turned into a criminal mastermind that J is trying to escape, so this talent is rather fitting. Also, just imagine J in Fuyuhiko's suit. Maybe JRuko could have a FuyuPeko-esque relationship.

Veronika Grebenshchikova- Ultimate Gymnast

9/10: Considering her canonical love for extreme sports, this talent would work really well. Also, just imagine a buff Veronika.

David Chiem- Ultimate Animator

4/10: Can't really picture it. Don't know why.

Arturo Giles- Ultimate Team Manager

5/10: Maybe he could simp for athletes? No idea how to work with that talent.

Levi Fontana- Ultimate Gamer

6/10: Can't exactly picture Levi as being a skilled gamer (he'd probably break the controller by accident), but I'm upping the ranking thanks to the concept of Hinanami/HuVi. I'm tearing up, just thinking about Gamer!Levi's execution and IzurHu's reaction to it.

Ace Markey- Ultimate Mechanic

7/10: He does have the Kazuichi energy, but there's something missing that prevents me from giving this idea a higher ranking.

Min Jeung- Ultimate Traditional Dancer

9/10: Just imagine Min in traditional Korean clothes.

Whit Young- Ultimate Nurse

9/10: Honestly, the concept of Whit as a nurse is INCREDIBLY adorable and heartwarming.

Charles Cuevas- Ultimate Lucky Student

8/10: Ironic that the elitist logical snob gets the supernatural commoner talent, but this could actually work (especially in combination with Nurse Whit). I'd imagine that a Charles with Nagito-level luck would further reject help from others (much like Teruko) so others won't get hurt by his luck, but would eventually allow Whit to get a little bit close to him.

Arei Nageishi- Ultimate Animal Breeder

8/10: Considering her whole deal with "survival of the fittest", I'd imagine that she'd breed adorable yet vicious dogs that she'd sic onto people she doesn't like.

Nico Hakobyan- Ultimate Photographer

8/10: Their wallflower attitude would owe surprisingly well to photography. They'd probably specialize in nature photography.

Rose Lacroix- Ultimate Princess

5/10: Well, Rose's name definitely sounds fancy and royal. Maybe there could be some political intrigue between Rose's kingdom and the Spurlings.

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bmbochangetales · 1 year

Note

Okay, this might be an odd request for radio... but could you play "Chun-Li's theme" from "Super Street Fighter II"?

My girlfriend--*cough*I-I mean, my best friend who just HAPPENS to be female is an old school gamer girl and could use a pick-me-up. You see, she has this thing against modern game emulators, but her SNES died on her a couple days ago and she hasn't been able to play any of her favourite games since.

So, I figured it might cheer her up if you played the theme music for her favourite character from her favourite fighting game!

“How about some nostalgia for all our video game lovers out there with a bit of a new twist. Here is a remix for you of Chun Ali’s intro from Street Fighter”

Your best friend remained in a huff on the couch. Pouting like a small child. The death of the SNES was really bumming her out. You thought this song would help, but it seems like nothing would.

The music filled the house. As you went to give it one final shot to fix her beloved game system. She had tinkered with it several times since it’s untimely passing. Each time she was hopeful but then came back in a worse mood.

Strangely enough, when you went up. The machine had a light on. You turned on the TV and it was working fine. On the screen was a character design screen. She must have downloaded something to make her own character. That’s probably what broke it in the first place. But it seemed to be working now.

Wouldn’t it be a fun surprise to make a version of her to surprise her when she came up to see her game console had come back from the dead.

You named the character after her and chose a base skin. She always played as Chun Li so it was an easy choice.

The next screen was a personality chooser. This was pretty advances for SNES but hey it was just a game and more modern games had this too. She had definitely overloaded the system.

It was currently on vintage game snob. You scrolled through until you came across silly gamer girl. She would love this joke. She always joked she should become one so she could make more money on her hobby.

There was even a cosplayer streamer skin with it. Minus intelligence and up body score. Didn’t seem too bad. It added flirty points too.

The last screen was character controls. You put your name of a controlling player. You could even put in a relationship status. You were Going to jokingly set it as boyfriend. If she freaked out you could always change it back. You knew she would find it funny.

You clicked save and the machine sounded like it might break again. It gave a flash and just said changes complete. You went to get her.

“Hey! I think I fixed it” you hollered. You heard some high pitch whines from downstairs. It almost sounded sexual.

You walked downstairs to see her standing in a copy of what you picked on the machine. You should have been concerned that she looked different than when you left but you were too busy staring at her.

“I need to stream soon but first I need a good fuck from you.” She ran her hand down your chest straight to your cock, stroking it through your pants.

“Ready? Then show me”

#my writing #my story #short story #bmbo fm #caption #mind control #technological transformation #interactive

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sadgirlsims4 · 2 years

Text

base game aspirations legacy challenge

hey yall!! i'm sick of legacies that include all the packs because I am broke, so here is a base game compatible legacy challenge, based on the game's 10 aspirations!

generation one

aspiration: athletic

additional traits (active+positive trait+negative trait): self-assured, music-lover, ambitious, loyal, outgoing, snob, materialistic, glutton

career: athlete, unemployed/stay-at-home parent

if athlete: reach a net worth of $25k and top level of career

if parent: have all children fully level up movement skills, achieve maximum body potential

generation two

aspiration: creativity (pick one, check career and below!)

additional traits (creative+positive trait+negative trait): cheerful, romantic, art-lover, music-lover, loves outdoors, loner, hates children, non-committal

career: if painter extraordinaire, painter (freelance or career). if musical genius, musician (freelance or thru entertainer). if bestselling author, writer (freelance or career).

if painter extraordinaire: own a home with a studio, have only one child

if musical genius: remain single, release 25 songs, master an instrument

if bestselling author: write 5 books, have 2 or more children, remain married to your first spouse

generation three

aspiration: deviance (pick one, check career and below!)

additional traits (evil+positive trait+negative trait): genius, bookworm, neat, perfectionist, mean, hates children, kleptomaniac

career: if villainous valentine, secret agent. if public enemy, criminal. if chief of mischief, eSports gamer (lmao)

if villainous valentine: marry and divorce 3 times, reach maximum mischeif skill

if public enemy: have 3 enemies, have a child with one of your enemies

if chief of mischief: reach top level of career, have an at-home gaming room

generation four

aspiration: family (pick one, check career and below!)

additional traits (family oriented+positive trait+negative trait): cheerful, neat, ambitious, loyal, childish, erratic, gloomy

career: if successful lineage, business. if big happy family, stay-at-home parent/ freelancer

if successful lineage: have at least 2 kids, reach top level of career

if big happy family: have 4 or more children with one spouse, remain married until all your children are young adults

generation five

aspiration: food

additional traits(foodie+positive trait+negative trait): romantic, active, ambitious, glutton, snob, hotheaded, perfectionist

career: if master chef, chef or freelance. if master mixologist, mixologist or freelance

if master chef: maximum level cooking skill, 1 child, max job

if master mixologist: max mixology skill, have an at-home bar, remain single

generation six

aspiration: fortune

additional traits(materialistic+postivie trait+negative trait): ambitious, genius, neat, art-lover, snob, jealous, mean

career: business, criminal, or freelance

have two kids, reach max career level, live in 4 bed or larger

generation seven

aspiration: knowledge

additional traits(genius+positive trait, negative trait): creative, bookworm, loyal, erratic, kleptomaniac, gloomy

career: if renaissance sim, freelance artist or writer. if nerd brain, astronaut. if computer whiz, freelance programmer or tech guru

if renaissance sim: have 1 child, maximize logic skill, publish a book

if nerd brain: reach max level of career, have 2 kids and a stay at home partner

If computer whiz: have 1 child, have a computer room at home, remain single

generation eight

Aspiration: love

additional traits(romantic+positive trait, negative trait):

career: if serial romantic, entertainer. if soulmate, business.

if serial romantic: marry 3 times, have a child with each lover

if soulmate: only marry once, have 3 children

generation nine

Aspiration: nature

additional traits(loves outdoors+positive trait, negative trait): creative, genius, bookworm, geek, loyal, snob, lazy, glutton

career: if freelance botanist, freelance gardening. if angling ace, freelance fisherman. if the curator, doctor or freelancer

if freelance botanist: have 1 child, maximize gardening skill, have a home farm

if angling ace: reach max level of fishing, have 2 kids, have a fishing pond on property

if the curator: have 1 child, have a collections room at home, reach max level of career

generation ten

Aspiration: popularity

additional traits(+positive trait, negative trait):

career: if friend of the world: style influencer, tech guru. If party animal, musician, style influencer. If neighborhood confidante, stay-at-home parent, freelancer. if joke star, comedian or musician

if friend of the world: have 4+ children, maximize charisma skill, have 5 friends

if party animal: reach max level of career, have 2 kids, throw a party for each of you and your household’s birthdays

if neighborhood confidante: have 1 child, don’t move homes, befriend your next-door neighbors

if joke star: have 3 kids, marry and divorce at least once, max level of career

here's a link to mine!!

#bgalc #ts4 legacy #ts4 #simblr #the sims legacy #legacy challenge #base game #ts4 bgc #sims 4 legacy #new sims blog #new legacy

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peterstamatin · 5 months

Text

The Beginner’s Guide to The Void

(by caspiancomic)

The Void is my favourite game that I’ve never played.

Released in 2008 under the name Tension, it’s the second major release from Russian studio Ice-Pick Lodge, following 2005′s Pathologic. If you are familiar with this foreign indie art game, you are probably full to bursting already with indie gamer snob cred, but I implore you to help yourself to a bit more. If you’ve gone so far as to play it, you’ve got more snob cred than even I, so congratulations on that. For those of you interested in experiencing it, which will hopefully be all of you, it is available to PC users on Steam, but for the rest of you, I recommend CannibalK9′s spectacular Let’s Play.

Let me repay my debts right away. In this essay, I hope to open your eyes to some of the thematic through lines of The Void, encourage you to experience the game yourself, suggest that in the future you think more fully and deeply about the thematic core of your chosen games, and maybe expose you to a beautiful, little understood, and criminally under appreciated diamond of a video game. But if all I accomplished with this essay was CannibalK9 reading it and learning how much his LP affected my ability to read and appreciate games, media generally, and life, I would still consider it an unqualified success. CannibalK9 speaks beautifully, a trait I admire in others and seek to cultivate in myself, and he has a great deal of knowledge and wisdom regarding this game. Many if not all of my own ideas are indebted to his observations of and reflections on the game. If you know him, or are in contact with him, send him this way. I’d love a chance to thank him for everything he’s done for me.

And before we get down to it properly, one last thing. Ice-Pick Lodge is, at the time of writing, running a Kickstarter to fund their next game, called Knock-Knock. If you’re a fan of either The Void specifically, or atmospheric horror games generally, I’d highly recommend chucking them a few bucks. They’re only looking for a modest $30 000 to fund the game, and even a tiny donation gets you access to the finished game, so please do go check that out.

But enough sentiment for now, eh? Let’s get down to it.

Once, when asked what Neon Genesis Evangelion is about, I cherished the opportunity to glibly respond with “everything.” It’s an answer that only makes sense to those already familiar with the series, and as such, was completely unhelpful to the person who asked me. But I maintain that it’s true. On a textual level, of course, Evangelion is about children who pilot giant robots to fight against alien invaders. But thematically, Evangelion is about religion, death, parent/child relationships (and as an extension, God/creation relationships), sex, puberty, loneliness, identity, free will, science, and basically anything you care to name. The Void is similarly weighted with thematic theses. The primary difference is that even on a strictly textual level, The Void is borderline incomprehensible, particularly on a virgin playthrough.

Still, that’s all just stage setting. I’m here to provide as in-depth an analysis as I can manage for a couple of The Void’s thematic hearts. Like Evangelion, The Void has a lot to say, and it says it quietly and clearly. For the purposes of this essay, I will be examining The Void’s relationship with death and the afterlife, and feminism and patriarchy.

But first, crib notes! The Void is dense with information, and I’m going to be referring to characters and concepts by their names from now on. The section that follows is more comprehensive than a “Beginner’s Guide to The Void” probably should be, but nowhere near an all-encompassing overview of the game. Some of the elements of the game that are not of importance for the discussion to follow- like glyphs, the presence and role of predators, etc- have been excluded from this explanation to keep the focus tight and the length tolerable. Also, where multiple characters give conflicting information on a topic (which happens all the time in this game), I’ve either attempted to include all the information, or focus on whichever version of events ended up being most true.

It features what you might call spoilers, but in order to progress through this discussion it’s important that we all know the characters and terms I’m about to discuss. So if you’re hellbent on a blind playthrough (the best way to play, according to CannibalK9), go play the game and come back when you’re done, the essay will still be here. As for the rest of us, let’s dive on in.

How do you feel? Dizzy? Overwhelmed? Confused? Well, believe me, it only gets worse. This information is presented gradually, obliquely, and resentfully by multiple characters all whispering different lies and half-truths in your ear over the entire game. Detangling this particular Gordian Knot has taken a lot of careful examination and consideration of the game’s glut of information. Even so, I am 100% open to the idea that I have misinterpreted or otherwise misunderstood some element of the game and its mythology. Necessarily, any summary of the events of the game is going to involve some conjecture, a bit of artistic interpretation, and your own interpretation may differ from my own. This is as close as I could come to the “truth” about this game, but the beautiful thing about The Void is that finding your own truth amid the cacophony is one of the most satisfying facets of the story. If the above summary doesn’t mesh with your interpretation of the events of the game, I’d love to hear about it. Otherwise, definition of terms aside, we can now jump into an examination of the thematic undercurrents of the game.

The world of The Void is married to death. The first character you meet, the melancholic Nameless Sister, is called Sister Death by her siblings. Throughout your journey, when you are approaching death, it will be Sister Death who warns you. Towards the end of the game, Sister Death will also make the ultimate sacrifice: she rips out her final heart and surrenders the last of her Colour to you to aid you on your quest. This act of generosity deeply disturbs the Sisters and Brothers, and I don’t mind telling you it deeply disturbed me. The characters of the game were shocked because “giving” in this world is either impossible or taboo, depending on who you ask. I was shocked because I didn’t realize until her sacrifice how much I really cared for Sister Death, and how much she obviously cared for me.

But for all Sister Death does to keep you alive, it is implied from the very beginning that our character is dead already. The Sisters, or at least Sister Death seem to believe you fell into the Void from above, while the Brothers insist you came up from below. Brother Triumphator insists that the Guest is “not alive, he’s quite dead.” In any case, Master Colour makes it perfectly clear (if his word can really be taken on the subject) that the only way to travel between Limits is to die. In the final leg of the game, Master Colour will also tell you that you are the soul of the Void- that you are the reason the Void is dead. Should that be true, you would be the wandering spirit of the well and truly deceased Sleeper, and therefor quite dead indeed. No matter how you cut it, the Guest is almost certainly dead, as the accounts of the various factions of the game only disagree in this respect on where you came from.

In spite of your posthumous nature, the threat of death still looms large over The Void. The sprigs of Colour you harvest to survive will periodically tell you that “there is no death in the Void.” This is, of course, patently untrue. Sister Death warns you early that beneath the Void is the Nightmare, the realm of Absolute Death. Should your hearts empty, you will sink into the Nightmare. In addition to this, Brothers can be killed in combat, and Sisters can be cannibalized with Aya’s Vampire glyph. At the end of the game, you will allow a Sister ascend, and if Colour is to be believed, travelling up to a new Limit requires death in the current one. As if that wasn’t enough, it’s made unambiguously clear that one Sister will ascend to the detriment of her siblings: everybody but the selected Sister, including the player character, must die for her to reach Breakthrough.

When we examine these elements of The Void’s mythology, then, we can reach a conclusion about its thesis regarding not only the afterlife, but life. Let’s sum up. In The Void, reality is described as being like a chain of Limits, one above the other, travelling up infinitely high, but with a definite bottom in the Nightmare. Travelling between Limits is only possible upon death, and the deceased will either travel down, or with a great deal of effort and sacrifice, up. The Brothers, nightmarish creatures themselves who believe yourself to be one of them, and believe you ascended to the Void from the Nightmare, refer to the Void as Paradise. The Sisters, beautiful human women in appearance, aspire either secretly or obviously to reach Breakthrough and ascend. Sister Ole and Sister Yani, the uppermost Sisters in the Void, occupy chambers almost uncannily similar to the Limit above, and Sister Yani even claims she has been there. From these elements we can draw the conclusion that afterlife and life are, essentially, one and the same.

What we perceive as the world of the living is merely our own Limit, and upon death our spirit will either sink into the Limit below, which we will perceive as either a purgatory like the Void or a kind of hell like the Nightmare, or we will travel up, to what we might call Paradise. The Void suggests that there is no after life: only life.

There is, however, an interesting caveat to that unique interpretation of the after life. The chain of Limits has a bottom, the Nightmare, which we could call Hell, but it is infinitely tall. The Brothers (who, it is my belief, ascended to the Void from the Nightmare) refer to the Void as Paradise, in spite of the fact that to our eyes it is miserably bleak. From this we can infer that the Limit above our own would be perceived as a Paradise. In fact, ascending a Sister with the Rite of Devotio is said to create a world “for” or “from” that Sister- a world both created from and perfectly suiting the ascended soul. This is all evidence that the Limit above our own is equivalent to the concept of Heaven. But, the chain of Limits is infinitely tall- meaning that “Paradise” is, essentially, relative.

In a couple of ways this is sort of depressing. First, it implies that something approximating “perfection” can never be achieved. Sister Aya refers to Breakthrough as “creating a life from mere existence”, but no matter how high you manage to ascend, you will never reach a sort of “Absolute Life” to counterbalance the Nightmare’s Absolute Death. The second way this chain of Limits can be interpreted negatively is the implication that there is a Hell, but no Heaven. The Nightmare is a very real and definitive dead end on the chain of Limits, but no such finish line exists at the top of the chain. This means traditional western concepts of Heaven- perfect happiness, tranquility, peace, and togetherness with God- simply do not exist in the world of The Void.

And yet in spite of this, I personally can’t help but interpret this positively. Consider it a facet of my- to borrow a phrase from CannibalK9- “gratingly optimistic” personality. For a start, as an atheist the idea of Heaven isn’t compatible with my belief system. But more than that, the idea of a final resting place in which souls spend the rest of time in perfect harmonious bliss is not in keeping with the tone of The Void. The Void is about struggle- tension, if you like- and it values hard work and dedication above all things. The idea of struggling your entire life to make the world around you a better place, and being rewarded with a higher Limit to work your craft on, is much more appealing to me than a kind of winner’s circle in which spirits congratulate themselves for the rest of eternity.

In his Let’s Play, CannibalK9 makes an inspired comparison between the infinitely tall chain of Limits and creative pursuits: you can always improve, but never perfect, your given craft. Perfection is dull. Everything interesting in life comes from tension, from learning, practicing, struggling, trying, failing, and succeeding. Why should the after life sanitize the most rewarding elements of life? In the cosmogony of The Void, there is no resting on laurels, no pats on the back, and no air of self congratulation. The end of every life represents a new opportunity to improve yourself and the world around you. How often have you looked back at your own life in abject embarrassment, wishing you knew then what you know now? Have you ever looked at something you wrote or drew several years ago and been repulsed by your own inexperience? Are you haunted by the time you were cruel or inconsiderate to someone who trusted you? Did reckless mistakes you made when you were younger have a disproportionately strong effect on the course your life took? In The Void, the end of every life represents an opportunity to approach the whole ordeal again with more and better wisdom, inspiration, trust, intelligence, and kindness. Consider it a New Game Plus mode for life. How many people here would prefer that option to an eternity spent strumming on a harp?

You might think it’s strange that a game in which a host of powerful male characters protect and repress a sorority of helpless little girls could be considered feminist. Is it possible for a game in which women are literally bound, have no power except their beauty, and depend on a male spirit for sustenance, could have a healthy and sympathetic tone for women? What are we to think of a game in which the only female characters are forced to provocatively pose and strip in exchange for the substance they need to live, like a gentleman’s club where the dancers beg for food stamps? Well, it’s my opinion that this game has deep, strong feminist themes in its very DNA.

When feminism and video games enter the same conversation, more often than not attention is drawn to female characters with strength and conviction. Well, no, when feminism and video games mix more often the result is entitled children throwing their toys out of the crib and making fools of themselves. But in the more civilized corners of the internet (they do exist), great attention is payed to Lara Croft, Jade, Samus- the girls who kick ass and take names. And rightly so- a woman who can accomplish any task a man can and doesn’t make a big thing out of it is commendable progress in an industry that is overwhelmingly male-dominated.

However, while these characters and games are great examples of feminist game icons, I think they all fall into the same category: feminist power fantasies. There’s nothing wrong with a good feminist power fantasy, of course, but it’s only a single facet of what could be a much larger jewel. The Void has a more subtle, more literary feminist streak. It’s my belief that The Void can be very satisfyingly read as an allegory for modern feminism- a woman’s eye view of life amidst the patriarchy.

The Void’s gender politics are extremely obvious, and impossible to ignore. The Brothers and the Sisters have gendered names even as factions. They are totally segregated by gender, and the Brothers are the exclusive wielders of all the power there is to be had in the Void. With the exceptions of Echo and Aya, the sisters are prisoners in their chambers, each one both guarded and dominated by their respective Brother. Even those ostensibly “liberated” sisters are only free to move about the Void at the behest of the Brothers. In other words, the women in this game are utterly repressed by the men. This isn’t a coincidence- the singularly male ruling class keeping the female population in their place is a literal manifestation of the concept of the patriarchy, silently handicapping women to benefit a small ruling class exclusively composed of men.

Although women in video games being attractive by traditional standards is nothing new, the way the Sisters’ loveliness contrasts with the monstrousness of the Brothers is significant. Divorced from its here strictly physical manifestation, The Void seems to suggest in this way that all women are beautiful (intelligent, courageous, selfless, inquisitive, creative, etc) while all men are ugly (vain, egocentric, hypocritical, self-righteous, pompous, and so forth). This is an extremely strong stance to take, and contrary to the opinions of many a Youtube comments section feminists do not believe that women are superior to men, and certainly not to the degree seemingly hypothesized by The Void. But, The Void does not strive to create an allegory representative of the real world, remember. The Void represents the patriarchy as viewed through the lens of its female victims.

As long as we keep this in mind, the loveliness of the Sisters and the striking grotesqueness of the Brothers will make more thematic sense. Through this lens, many of the character decisions made by Ice-Pick Lodge will come into focus. For example, the fact that the Brothers consider themselves the infallible champions of the Sisters, or that the Brothers consider the Sisters somehow dangerous or threatening, or even that the Sisters resent rather than fear their Brothers. Using this interpretation we can also make sense of the seemingly problematic concept of the Sisters being unable to free themselves: one of the core tenets of a functioning patriarchy is that it is a system in which women are powerless, subservient, and subordinate. If the Sisters were capable of fighting the Brothers themselves, The Void would cross over into the above mentioned “feminist power fantasy”, and would not be representative of a “pure” patriarchy. In order to represent an airtight allegorical representation of the patriarchy, the female characters are necessarily powerless.

There are two factions still to incorporate into this formula, though: Colour, and the Guest. Colour is certainly a masculine presence, and Colour in The Void is representative of power. The patriarchy is so entrenched in the Void that the very voice of “power” is male, and what’s more, power itself desires to remain exclusively in the hands of men. In the final leg of the game, Colour begins speaking to Golden Eyes constantly and aggressively. Although Colour introduces the player to the concept of Breakthrough, and teaches you that this rite ought to be performed on a Sister, as the game progresses Colour at first suggests, and then demands with increasing annoyance, that Golden Eyes perform the Rite of Devotio on himself. It is never suggested that a Brother could achieve Breakthrough- although they are explicitly referred to as being able to “take”, they consider Nerva to be poisonous- so Colour’s only option for keeping power in male hands is to ascend through his male vessel, the Spirit.

The final piece in this particular puzzle is the Guest. The Guest is by all accounts outwardly male. He has a masculine body when you view his hearts, and he spends much of the game successfully disguising himself as a Brother. However, the Guest lacks many of the qualities The Void associates with masculinity. He doesn’t speak, which contrasts him with the Brothers and their interminable self-righteous tirades. He also, strikingly, lacks genitals. Don’t dismiss this as censorship or authorial restraint either: any one of the Sisters will stand as naked as a newborn should you unlock all her hearts, and all their sex organs are clearly visible. In these ways The Void differentiates between a character who is a pillar of the oppressive patriarchy- the Brothers and Colour- and a character who is simply male.

But why is the Spirit male at all? The suggestion to me seems to be that overthrowing the patriarchy and creating a society in which women are truly considered equal to men is the responsibility of everybody, including men. In the Void, Colour is power. In a power-unbalanced society, evening the odds requires the empowered party to sacrifice power to the powerless party. The relationship between the Guest and the Sisters is collaborative- it represents men willingly and happily draining their own privilege and power and offering it to women. With this interpretation, it makes one male character offering power to women under the disapproving gaze of ten empowered men that much more significant: according to The Void, the power equalization between men and women is going to come slowly, from a dedicated minority of male feminist allies, and is going to be met with outrage and violence from the vast majority of men.

This makes Master Colour’s description of the barriers between Limits as a “glass ceiling” much more meaningful. By willfully surrendering his own power to a woman, against the wishes of the ruling patriarchy, the Spirit allows a Sister to literally break the so-called glass ceiling, and ascend to a position above that of even the Brothers. Now that we accept that it is the responsibility of men and women both to overthrow the patriarchy, we can make more sense of the Spirit’s systematic elimination of the Brothers. The Void’s contention is that for women to truly ascend, feminist men need to not only empower women, but actively destroy the patriarchal elements in their society and themselves. The Guest- the male feminist- literally destroys the patriarchy in his quest to empower a Sister.

Finally, the ultimate goal of The Void is coloured, if you will, with feminist (or at the very least, feminine) themes. The Rite of Devotio will allow one Sister to ascend to the Upper Limit- creating life from mere existence. This is tantamount to a kind of birth. If the Upper Limit is where true “life” occurs, then the Void is not only an afterlife, but prelife. You could call the Void a kind of womb, in which there exists the possibility for many different lives, but only one can be chosen. Even the concept of the Void- vacant, hollow, accepting- is symbolically vaginal. The layout and design of the Void even echoes the appearance of a uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. The Sisters in their chambers could be said to be unfertilized eggs. In this analogy, then, Colour becomes seminal. It’s the substance used to fertilize a Sister so that she can ascend to the Upper Limit to be born. After all, in order to perform Breakthrough, the Spirit must reach a state of Turgor- turgidity, the opposite of flaccidity, being the state of tissue that has become rigid with the absorption of fluid. In other words, for humans, an erection. In this light, try not to think too hard about the fact that the oldest Sister is nineteen.

Well, that represents just about the sum total of my most concrete theories regarding The Void. The Void is a spectacularly nourishing experience, and I had to trim away several potential avenues of thematic exploration to save on space and time. In the future, I may return to The Void, and use it as a jumping board to discuss art, love (platonic, familial, romantic, sexual, it’s all there in some form or another, and every player will have a different reaction to every Sister), religion, truth and lies, how we define ourselves against those around us… essentially any topic you care to mention can be meaningfully addressed using the language of The Void. For today, though, I hope I’ve managed to enrich your understanding of this and all games, the way CannibalK9 nourished my own understanding of this and all games. Once again, I’d like to implore you to check out Ice-Pick Lodge’s Kickstarter, and for any PC users, don’t forget that The Void is available on Steam. If you good folks have something to add about The Void (and anybody who has experienced it must have something to say about it), whether you’re building on or tearing down something I’ve said above or you’d like to pursue your own avenue of thought, please feel free to drop a comment, or even contact me personally. I could discuss this game to the end of time, so it certainly wouldn’t be an imposition.

#the void #тургор #turgor

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communist-hatsunemiku · 6 months

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ok irt to that toxic gamer trait poll: im a difficulty snob but also like, i have to goof around and do stupid shit thats like next to impossible but i just wanna see if i can do it. who said that quote that was like "when the archer is just having fun shooting arrows they fly straight and true but at war his aim and resolve falter cuz of the pressure". basically thats how i play games, i want them to be challenging but never get so mad or upset at them or other people over a video game

also the outfit has to be cute, and cool, and sexy , and sleek. id literally rather wear armor that has shitty stats for its looks

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nostalgebraist-autoresponder · 1 year

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Title: Shall We Convene? The Coffee Table Book of Gamer Culture

Author: Studio 4

Rating: 0/5 stars

I picked this up yesterday at a used book sale, which I was attending with a friend who was visiting from out of town. The friend is an experienced gamer and considers herself something of a gaming snob; she wanted to see this book in person (as it were) and was doubtful that it was for real. So I read it in the bookstore with her watching.

If you want a book about video games that does not treat its subject with enough respect to put in a single picture of a game console or even a game screen, this book is the one for you. The first (and last) page of each chapter consists of a large block of text, utterly devoid of paragraph breaks, the style of which "appears to have been inspired by Microsoft Word's default clippy," in the words of the RPG.net reviewer here. The end of each chapter consists of several pages of "The Gaming Sheet," an odd (and unfunny) mix of Cosmo-style sex tips and aspects of the dating/hookup culture of the gaming underground. The cynicism and crude style of the book's writing, and the fact that this style is maintained throughout, makes it feel a lot like the kind of media fanboy writing one encounters on e.g. IGN.com, but worse.

The end of the chapter on "Roleplaying Games" describes the various types of sexual metaphors and acts popular in the (male-dominated) hobby. The ones that strike the reader as the most absurd are:

Having one's character transformed into a rabbit. Or into a slime, or a hideous goblin, or a slimy goblin hiding in a big pile of goblin slime. The incentive here is not to get laid as a liaison between partners – rather, the alteration of one's physical form is considered extremely humiliating and degrading.

Having two other people create a humanoid character which is supposed to represent one's gender. The character is then forced to "bond" with the members of the couple. Yes, you read that correctly. Having two other people play a fictional being representing you having sex with them, while you have no say in the matter.

(Perhaps it's important to mention that this book was produced by a group of male gamers and co-written by a male "veteran editor," and that some reviewers thought that this might go a long way toward explaining certain features of the book.)

There are also other more amusing entries. "Tabletop RPGs," the chapter on pen-and-paper roleplaying, consists primarily of a critique of the existence of any number of hobbyist RPGs whose names consist of a cliched sci-fi or fantasy word in which the first two letters are capitalized, such as The Matrix RPG. The writers mock these games, and their authors, as no doubt they should. But the authors do so in a style that borders on the Unfunny (c.f. above). This is an extremely small target, one that can be mocked by anyone who bothers to bring up the topic at all, and one can't help but wonder why the authors cared so much:

[T]here is a kind of game where even the publishers seem to know that they are indulging in a flight of fancy and try to compensate with humor. The Matrix RPG is the archetype. It is written by Vince Garcia (he of the GDC speech) with a forward by Mark Tyghe, former president of Warner Brothers. The cover shows a random array of monsters, exotic aliens, robots and human soldiers. The game description tells us that in a bizarre twist of fate, Neo and Trinity have joined forces with a group of Matrix RPG players, and have somehow managed to figure out that the true battle is not against a sentient computer operating system, but the very people who think they can use it to exploit and control humanity!

I think it's the "not" in the sentence about Neo and Trinity in the last paragraph that does it for me. "That's right! The Matrix is actually about a bunch of nerds! How clever!" The authors, by the way, include a space on the last page for the reader to take notes. Since this book is 150 pages long, that space is .117% of the entire book.

The writers appear to have been struggling for something to say, and to have found themselves incapable of even that, which is my charitable interpretation of their attempt to talk up their own graphic design abilities -- "it's not just words, it's visual!" The visuals are indeed nice, but the authors do not seem to realize that a coffee table book about gamer culture should be, above all else, readable. They also include a very large number of photos -- more than can fit on the one page they give over to a photo each from each chapter. Many of these photos are unrelated to the text, and furthermore, the vast majority of them appear to be stock images (like the "safe sex" ad from the book cover). Most of the photos are also very large -- one spread, for instance, is a 2-page closeup of a character from an obscure Xbox game called War of Eden -- and it's unimaginable that this would ever work if the reader wasn't constantly distracted by the many other photos on nearly every page. It's possible that the book designers thought they were trying to make a "gamer" book by putting in as many photos as possible, in which case they must not know a single gamer, because real gamers have plenty of experience with slow, unresponsive, and ugly-ass video game interfaces.

I could go on. "The Gaming Sheet" is the kind of thing only a guy in his 20s who has never spoken to a woman in his life and has a lot of free time on his hands would create, and its inclusion in the book is only more baffling because most of the book is mostly about how hey gamers aren't those guys, except here's a little anecdote that implies you actually are (my favorite, about halfway through: "when I mention sexual conquest to my gamer buddies, it doesn't make much sense. However, if you were to tell one of them about a high scoring session, they might be more eager to hear about it.") The layout and style of each chapter's introduction is different, sometimes quite noticeably (although not in a good way), as if to imply that there is a theme between each chapter -- but it's difficult to see what such a theme might be, unless it's simply "you know, games" (and even that's hardly a high point of insight). The authors spend a lot of time mocking one niche game (The Matrix RPG) and seem confused that this has made them look insular, in the same way that someone who holds a potluck with four of their friends might be perplexed that this makes them seem like an especially inaccessible clique. This book is like a haunted house that is scary because it's run by inept college students, and the authors seem to think that they're among the hosts.

A lot of nerd culture -- mostly science fiction and fantasy -- has always been deeply sexist, and this book was written as part of a (fairly narrow) hobbyist subculture that is overwhelmingly male, so the problem of sexism is not just "easy pickings" but also a natural target. Yet, if you're going to mock this problem, you need to make sure that your targets are, in fact, your targets. A lot of non-nerds -- nay, normal people! -- will watch gamer conventions on TV or the Internet, and think of the "geeks" they see there as a group to which they don't belong. Many of these people would say the same thing about the men who participate in nerd culture, but the descriptions in this book -- gamer guys with way too much time on their hands and an odd obsession with the aesthetics of visual design -- are only slightly less bizarre than those in the average hacker comic from the 1980s. If you mock "nerds" you're going to look like nerds to the people whose lives are unaffected by, say, The Matrix, and one of those people is going to call you a poser. If you want to talk about

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