#i know very little about game design so nothing here is concrete lol

[navii-blaze]

My mind has been plagued with this au so now I'm making it everyone else's problem as well :)

This time I started thinking more about the main cast and how this au would actually look like in a "sonic" game. Took inspiration from a few of my favorite games to have missions be separated into 2 parts, a high speed intro where you're trying to get to your destination (KIU style), and then the rest is a side scroll puzzle oriented crawl (Think metroid but with much less backtracking to keep the pace fast).

[blookmallow]

sighs 

i finally decided to find out what the hell project makeover actually is 

this is the best fucking dress ive ever seen

so its your standard match-3 game with pretty much the exact same mechanics as matchington mansion, i have too many of these and am very tired of matching things and yet i keep downloading more of them anyway

off to a great start here with the “take away her glasses and it’ll make her instantly hot” trope 

i thought maybe we’d be giving her some new glasses that suit her better but nah she never gets the glasses back lmao 

the poor girl with the bushy hair is not a gremlin who hasnt showered in weeks standing there with her hair actively on fire, she’s just a college student who recently graduated and wants help with a new professional look, it’s actually very focused on “lets help you look good to inspire confidence and love yourself” and generally pretty wholesome except for the “you can’t wear glasses it makes you look like a nerd lol” thing 

also the blue hair guy is not her boyfriend, or the blonde lady’s boyfriend, he’s the makeover show’s hair stylist. the blonde lady is actually the villain. theres a villain of this makeover game, more on that later, but my point is i do not understand how these app games don’t ever seem to get in trouble for false advertising when their ads literally have nothing to do with the game 

granted, everything about the real game is massively better than the ads. but i still dont understand 

anyway you also redo their rooms too, and the process for this is like. taking absolutely everything out and just replacing it all so in the meantime you end up with. like 

this poor man fsdjkg i took everything from his garage and also his shoes and now hes just standing in there looking lost. and barefoot 

alright lets get some DESIGNER concrete in this barren basement 

gjdsfsgh it did actually look nice when i finished this one. i didnt use the designer concrete 

theres a whole section for drama, which is very funny to me 

so the blonde lady was the previous show manager/host who ran the whole thing in a very “you’re ugly and disgusting, let Me, the Great Fashion Diva, try my best to fix you” way so she got kicked off for being terrible and now she’s out for revenge and also has an assistant who is desperately in love with her. the assistant is also really vindictive and mean to everyone too 

“greta left her laptop here so i went snooping in it. and hacked into her bank account. gotcha” 

isnt that like. illegal 

she didn’t actually hack into the account, greta left it logged in (even though. most bank sites log you out automatically after a while im pretty sure, but whatever) but isn’t it still illegal to go searching through someone’s laptop and personal finance accounts without their knowledge or permission. even if they are a fashion villain. like greta’s Mean but she hasn’t done anything illegal 

hold up why the fuck is this girl on my makeover list she clearly doesn’t need me 

can she give ME a makeover. look at her she’s gorgeous. she has everything figured out what more can i possibly do 

if i have to ruin her gothic theater and turn her “”normal”” im going to actually cry i really want to play this one bc i want to meet her so bad but im also so, so afraid 

like so far it hasn’t been “everything you like sucks we’re going to Improve You” its been like. ok the guy in the basement with the designer concrete was a car mechanic who Wanted to learn how to take better care of himself/his appearance but didn’t know how, and wanted to look good for his wife but needed help, and he already has a professional garage and all this stuff so it was like ok he loves coffee and cars lets help him make his garage into a little coffee lounge with car posters and stuff so he can actually relax at home and not think about work so much 

so it was “what would help improve this person’s quality of life and give them more confidence/lets use the things they love” so i cant imagine they’d just be destroying everything this girl loves??

also id just like to point out the horrible eye slime dress is one of my own personal wardrobe items that i bought because i love and hate it. why am i allowed to have the eye slime dress and she’s not allowed to have her vastly superior victorian goth look here 

anyway my theory that maybe if i finally play this game it’ll stop following me everywhere with these horrible ads was a failure. im still getting these and i still hate them even though the game itself seems to be mostly pretty alright 

i still think homescapes is the superior match 3 game of all the ones ive played but this one’s at least alright. they dont give you nearly enough powerups though its rly frustrating when you get stuck and i refuse to spend actual money on this, so 

[dndaddyissues]

Hi there! My friends and I just started playing DnD and we want to play a second campaign (our current DM is not available a lot) but none of us have any DM experience (and we've all only done one campaign, our current one). Do you have any tips/resources on how to start DM'ing? I really don't know where to look/start😅 thanks already for replying! Love all the memes on your blog haha

hello! yes! i’ve answered similar asks here, here, and here, but i’ll also add onto those lists with these quick tips/reiterations:

- run a session 0. since you’re all friends already, you probably know each other pretty well, which is fantastic. but it never hurts to gauge what players want out of their dnd experience. do they wanna kill shit? do they want a politically intricate world? how about hot NPCs to romance? how about a post-apocalyptic setting overrun with monsters? meet your players where they’re at – some will have a deeper and more concrete understanding of what they desire, while others will likely just shrug and say “idk, i just wanna tell a story with friends.” both are fine. take notes during your session 0, and use it to design a campaign around your players’ “wish list.” you can also run character creation during this session 0, during which you should decide if your players all know each other already, if they’re just meeting for the first time, or a combination thereof. finally, a session 0 can be used to determine meeting frequency, scheduling logistics, and “squicks” – topics players want to avoid in the campaign. you can also introduce a “campaign menu” to your players during session 0, so your players can pick their favorite plot hook from it and you can plan your first session based on the characters they make surrounding the hook. easy peasy breezy beautiful  covergirl.

- control the pace. as the DM, you control the speed, tone, and pace of the story. if players are just sitting around, confused and unsure of what to do, throw an encounter at them. combat, roleplay, exploration, any of those things, all of those things. anything to move the story along. if your players take forever to get to the plot hook, bring the plot hook to them. if your players decide to split up, generate quick cuts between scenes so we don’t spend too much or too little time on one person. if your players are confused about a rule, you can spend 5-10 minutes looking it up and delaying gameplay – or you make an executive decision on the spot. just be sure to make it clear to your players that this is a quick ruling to move the story along, and that you will look up (and implement, if you want) the actual rule later.

- who’s afraid of the big bad railroad? ok, this might be controversial, but whatever. in my experience, a genuine “sandbox” campaign can be deeply frustrating and feel pointless if players are just running around, from waypoint to waypoint, killing dozens of goblins in random encounters that have no bearing on the greater world. that’s why i honestly prefer what people might mistakenly call a “railroad” campaign – basically this is just a campaign with concrete and visible goals in sight, and a cool “endgame confrontation” on the horizon. at the end of every session, your players should feel like they’ve accomplished something – or, at the very least, are on the way to accomplishing something. that often makes sessions more fun. 

- start in media res! ah, session 1, that most terrible and beautiful of sessions. nothing wrong with starting in a tavern – many of the most memorable campaigns start in one. but there’s also nothing wrong with starting in the middle of the action. this doesn’t necessarily have to be combat, though it certainly can be. throw your players into the middle of a plot-relevant situation, and see how they respond. they can be the main agents – perhaps they’ve stalked an evil wizard to this lair, and are facing down his horrific automatons at the top of  session 1. or they can be background characters, in a “wrong place wrong time” situation – they’re all in a fantasy elevator, a man walks in with a briefcase, the door closes, and the man falls to the ground, dead – with a dagger coming out of his back. your players get a chance to look at each other, talk this out, make decisions, before the elevator stops, the door opens, and there are a bunch of fantasy police and bystanders milling about. what do they do?

- take notes! TAKE NOTES! i’m really guilty of not doing this often enough. it’s my greatest vice. but yes, take notes during your sessions! what NPCs did you make up on the fly? what improvised magical items did you give your players? where are they going next? what information did they uncover? etc etc. write notes during natural pauses in the game, or when players are arguing with each other about which road to take.

- prepare! some GMs improvise everything. i am not one of those GMs, and i am terrified of them. when i improvise my sessions, they either turn out great or horrible. i’m a risk-averse person, so i want to avoid that coin toss. my solution? prepare my sessions in advance. if you have the time, draw out maps of big set piece battles you think might occur. prepare lists of NPCs that the PCs might encounter in an area you’re pretty sure they’re going to reach. write out some random plot hooks (brownie points if they’re related to the greater campaign story) just in case weird downtime occurs and the players feel lost /listless /confused. and, if you want, prepare a written narrative speech – brief, vivid, visual, and performative – for the beginning and maybe end of your session, vividly describing where your players are, what the environment’s like, what’s around them, and what they could do with this information. having a written “speech” (but no longer than a paragraph or two) ready for just the top of your session really helps make you seem like you have your shit together lol.

that’s all i can think of right now! what advice do other folks have?

[subzeroiceskater]

Nice.

“I thought you liked girls! Didn’t I see you swooning over Pride and Iris?”

“Netto-kun, I was what, eleven? Twelve?”

Bisexuality? Not that compulsory heteronormativy isn’t a thing but. Well, personally speaking, I’d just like to have it acknowledged and not be the binary of “you’re either straight or gay”.

“His name is Jomon Teruo.”

“Jomon?”

“As in Japan’s Jomon Electric megastore?” Rockman chimed in.

“That’s it. His grandfather is the CEO.”

… Now, on top of that, he was beholden to some snotty rich kid. The spawn of one of the country’s most affluent name-brand families, in fact. They’d probably ride off into the sunset together in a luxury sedan, flocked by enough maids and servants to make Yaito-chan jealous.

I wonder if Teruo was chosen just because he’s canon rich to serve this role. Yeah, I’m just skipping to the parts where he gets mentioned.

“My counsellor recommended I check out Japan Club. That’s where I met Teruo-kun. He was super welcoming, and we planned all sorts of cultural events together to promote awareness.”

That’s actually pretty sweet. Good on you, Teruo.

The geek delivered a chaste kiss to the now-standing Tohru’s cheek, an act which caused Netto discomfort. “C-cancelled. S-so I flew here instead.”

“H-hi there, I-I’m Jomon Teruo.”

“Hikari Netto.” They shook hands, and the seated one noted the latter’s stutter.

So this was the wolf himself. Not what Netto imagined. The freckled hafu wore a baggy newsboy hat, rimless vintage pink sunglasses, long-sleeved shirt with circle of iron filings splaying the front and lightning bolts running up the arms, white slacks, and utility belt. He looked more like a mechanic or a rock and roll delinquent than the grandson of an electronics magnate. The only overt indicator of his wealth was his one obnoxious pierced ear, flaunting a diamond earring.

To be fair, this is probably more canon and in-character than everything I’ve ever done with Terry. BUT this is just straight up pulling from his game appearance from the mentions of “geek” and the stutters. This is just straight up his canon design as well, which, in my opinion, is A Look.

Although, I’m assuming if they’re older in this fic, they’d somehow dressed differently? The author is mixing game canon into the anime one (which I’ve never seen. To be honest, if Terry had ever appeared ONCE I would’ve watched the whole thing a million years ago, lol favoritism).

Although, hafu? Where did that come from? Terry's not said to be half-anything in the text or anywhere else in canon--absolutely nothing wrong if he was but this is the only place that mentions it for some reason?

That’s not really based on any canon thing at all. Is it because he was renamed Terry in English? That won't make sense in the Japanese setting of this fanfic? Like, even Terry could just be a nickname from Teruo. Teri is even still a a Japanese electric term.

N-not at all. L-lemme tell ya, robots are fascinating. A-and you’re apprenticing under Aoki Makoto? S-she’s a legend in the robotics community.”

“You should let Teruo-kun have a look at what you’re working on,” Tohru proposed. “Robotics are his specialty.”

“Q-quit it, Tohru-chan.”

Drat. He was modest too.

Teruo’s actually pretty cool with this? I’m anticipating the heel turn any time now but this is pretty nice. Based Teruo, loving and supporting robotics, female scientist and his fiancé.

Putting together Terry and Copybots is such an obvious thing that I'm mostly glad someone else did that!

A genius who could match pace with Tohru’s intellect, wealthy and reputable, with a sturdy career. Netto had nothing to offer. Teruo was everything he couldn’t be.

Well, yeah, Terry/Teruo’s shown to be good with robotics and have a rich grandpa but, seriously, Netto. This is a little too much, pfft. Although, that is the point of a pining romantic fanfic, I suppose. I’ll be honest, I haven’t read fanfics for a long time. It just feels more like the plot is leading the characters on and slotting them into types instead of letting the IC personalities and motivations arise naturally or speak or whatever.

And now I’ll turn into about myself. Am I any better with my own stuff? Nope! Author did this the same reason I do my own art—coz it amuses ‘em.

“His boyfriend is rotten! A scoundrel! The heavenly bodies foretell it!”

Yep, it’s definitely not me Netto-kun likes. Teruo-kun wouldn’t harm a fly! Tohru relished the garlic in his dumplings.

HERE WE GO 😈

The powwows a directionally inadept Dingo held asking his tomahawk for counsel locating Maha Ichiban’s customers came to mind, and Netto justly grew skeptical.

What? Err… You know what, I’ll just concentrate on the Teruo parts. For my own peace of mind. I don’t want to get legit mad again.

Tohru was entitled to the world. On Teruo’s lanky arm, that attitude represented a concrete, dynastic legacy. If the cost of that felicity was that he himself would fade, amen! Tohru’s contentment justified the tribulation. He could take it. For his beloved, he could learn to suffer the grief.

Yeah, this kind of thing. It feels more like Teruo is just an obstacle for the eventual realization of Netto’s true love. Like any trope, it’s not that’s necessarily bad but this is a little too on the nose and a little too overwrought for me. xD Maybe Netto was too different in the anime but I don’t really hear Lan thinking or talking like this, even as a grown up or in love. It’s just stuff like the author is blatantly going “hurry it up and get together” but at the expense of the story. It’s…well, “fanfic” writing.

I’m not explaining myself very well. This is why I don’t write fanfic myself, lol.

“Based on the evidence, we’ve secured a warrant to take Sparkman’s suspected operator, Jomon Teruo, into custody”

HERE WE FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOO

“Now that you mention it, Teruo did express a dubious interest in our research. Gah! Romeda-san was right!” He smacked himself, realizing the phony psychic’s prediction had come to fruition. “The jerk is shady!”

He’s a robotics guy who’s interested in robotics stuff. He seemed perfectly normal when you talked to him. How is that shady.

His vilification of Teruo abruptly gained legitimate weight.

😈 😈 😈 To be clear, I’m not mad or anything. This is actually a lot more fun than I expected it to be. It’s more funny than anything. Like, here’s Teruo being an okay dude who’s being guiltily vilified by Netto…but no, he was right, all along!

“Even though I’m not worthy of your love, even though I’ll never be able to give you the things he can, that doesn’t change the fact that I will protect you, Tohru-kun! No matter what! You may hate me for it, but there’s no avoiding it anymore!”

Teruo’s a shit Netbattler. You’re one of the best. Go beat his ass netbattling or something, Netto.

He located Teruo immersed among the gizmos in his lab. Untidy as a hoarder, blueprints and tools lay disorderly, necessitating Tohru dance around the innumerable hazards to his feet. His grease monkey boyfriend was hunched over a project, welding. Blue embers licked the metal as he mended a garish scar begriming its surface.

Okay, I can’t believe how cool Teruo is in this fic. I mean, he gets to do robotic-labs shit, even if just by implication. What the fuck.

“Yo, Tohru-chan!” Teruo jerked his helmet up.

He was tinkering with a robot. A Copyroid.

No…

“What have you done?”

“My oh my, that Hikari Netto did a number on you, didn’t he?” Teruo patted the Copyroid. “I rewired it. Optimized its destructive capability. Rebooted it without those pesky inhibitors. No safety parameters. I’ve accomplished what Aoki Makoto was afraid to do.”

The loss of the Jomon family successor’s stutter unnerved him. Was it all a ploy?

Like, this is legit cool, man. Teruo’s legit badass. Haha. Based. And he’s giving orders to the neo-WWW? Like, some kind of Dr. Wily analogue? So cool, even if just implication.

Oh, by the way, that’d be welding mask, and not helmet.

“Gramps is holding out on me. Reassessing my status in his will. He dissed robotics and threatened to sever my funding, the geezer! When I caught wind on an Undernet BBS that these lowlife goons were planning to bust out the Professor, I extended my services. In exchange, the Professor lends me his soldiers. It’s a hostile takeover, baby!”

Fuck yeah. I actually love this. This is pretty much his scenario from the game but extended a little more villainously.

“After everything we’ve been through! It was a lie?”

“Never. I do love you. Gonna give you the world, Tohru-chan. Picture it. Us, unlimited coin, and a controlling interest in the organization!”

“You can walk away! I’ll speak to the Net Police! We can hammer out a plea bargain!”

“Aww, how swell of you to defend me. When this is over, you and I are due for a heckuva holiday. Hmm? The Southern Isles?”

And it turns out he genuinely loves Tohru? Like, in his own earnest way? Based.

“You ain’t gonna win! No siree!” Teruo taunted, priggishly unhinged after having been liberated of his tiresome fake speech impediment and goody two-shoes public persona.

The duplicitous jerk! He really was the spoiled rich kid Netto thought!

Okay, but I wanna argue that I don’t think that Teruo (Terry in BN4) was faking—the stutter at least. Terry’s thing is at his heart, a coward. The stutter was him being a scaredy-cat because he was nervous trying to trick Lan and him getting a confidence boost was thinking he’s succeeded. There’s the heel turn I’ve been waiting but the whole way getting here was so fun (and honestly short) so I don’t mind as much.

“Bourgeois slime, I’m gonna enjoy pixelating that disrespectful runt of yours!” Teruo spat.

I was gonna say how weird for him to use bourgeois as insult when he’s the richer one but I just looked it up and this usage is correct: bourgeois relates to the middle-class. Whoops. I also just found out that I’ve been understanding the slang “bougie” wrong all this time. Educational!

Neither Teruo nor Sparkman abided by restraint. Divorced of commitment, they cut loose, exactly as Teruo stipulated, with “extreme prejudice.”

And Teruo completes transformation to vaudeville villain. He’s still fun, though.

Teruo threw caution to the wind. Resorting to cheating, he spammed Extra Codes to push Sparkman to the limit, mashing his PET like his life depended on it. “Take this! And this! And this! Heh heh heh!”

Can it really be called cheating if this was never meant to be a fair legit fight in a contest with rules. Teruo’s just being a poor sport in general. Which is still canon characterization, btw.

“Garbage!” Sparkman was literally falling apart. “You may excel at repairing machines, but you sure stink at Navi operation!”

“Sue me! I’m a robot specialist, not a NetBattler!”

Rockman mocked, “Arguing? Trust between operator and Navi is key!”

“You’re such a hot shot! Why don’t you fix this useless robot body?”

“I oughta sell you for scrap!”

Yeah, this is just from the game. Although, Teruo should be able to do something about the Copyroid body. Okay, you know what, I’ve always want a Full Synchro between them. What’s that? The point of Terry’s story was how he’s so bad at Netbattling and he couldn’t get along with his Navi?

Well, more reason for them to overcome their differences and finally be true battle buddies. Honestly, that’s part of the whole “Terry gets a friend, learns to be less of a terrible shit and gets his life on track” fanfic idea I’ve had since I played his game.

Anyway, he gets arrested. And…hired an assassin to try take Netto out? Lmao, still badass. That’s it for him. I tried looking for that time travel thing but, nothing. I think from context, this is just because this whole story was the time travel thing? Well.

That was more entertaining than I thought it would be. I’d have to wonder why Terry of all people but it may be as simple as he was a rich jerk who never appeared in the anime and so good for a retelling. He was far more important in this story than pretty much anything else I’ve ever seen, outside of my own stupid doodles, hahahaha.

[miscellaneousfurbies]

Previous years: 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 It is again time for the annual roundup! It feels this was not a particularly good animanga year in terms of amount of series consumed, but when it comes to enthusiasm Attack on Titan has single handedly offered more excitement than anything else in the past... I dunno, 3 or 4 years. Attack on Titan

Finally ended up giving this a proper chance, mostly by accident, and I'm still in that hole. I'd say that a sizeable amount of my appreciation for this manga comes from how it stands out from all the other action shounen I've read in terms of how it deals with common shounen characters, themes and tropes, but as of late I've learnt to appreciate more how it stands on its own as well. Also as upset as I am that I'm so late to the party at least catching up to happened at a relatively good spot, since I found it was easier for me to get into the new arc without the main cast when I just had gotten some 50 chapters worth of material with my favourites. And with the new developments the wait was definitely worth it, even if I'm as thirsty as everyone else for the rest of the main cast's new designs.

Awards given: Best manga, Best boy (Eren), Best OP that I didn't actually see (didn't watch the anime outside listening to some music), Best friendship (Eren and Historia), Best mentor (Levi)

Made in Abyss

Heard this got a lot of praise so I decided to check it out too, knowing only that it's supposedly pretty grim. At first it seemed like just a "plucky kids go on an adventure" kind of show, even if the darker elements were always there (like how the main characters embarked on their journey fully aware that they won't be coming back). The upper layers of the titular Abyss felt pretty easy for their rumoured danger level, but when things finally went south they did so spectacularly. Very bad things happen to children in this show! Overall I really liked the Abyss as a location, the characters were great and especially the female characters were way above average (as in, pretty much got treated equally with the dudes). 

Awards given: Best anime, Best OP I actually saw

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid

This one I watched just because it looked cute. Which it was I guess, KyoAni's animation is always a pleasure to watch, but I got little else out of it. Kanna teeters between actually cute and manipulative-and-kinda-disgusting.

Awards given: Best cute animation, Best side boy (Fafnir)

Spirit Circle

Finally bothered to get into another manga from one of my favourite authors, and it was definitely worth it. The story revolving around the two protagonists reincarnating in different periods and often ending up killing one another was definitely something more unique than usual, the plot was well thought out, and the character work was just as great as I had learned to expect from the author (plus the female characters don't suck). On top of it all there is the strange calm and positive atmosphere despite sometimes grim subject matter that Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer also had. The art still isn't that amazing and sometimes the space-time talk gets way over my head but otherwise an excellent read.

Awards given: Best girl (Kouko (and iterations)), Best laughs, Best romance

One Piece

Not sure if it's because of the quality of the manga itself or because Attack on Titan dethroned One Piece from the top spot, but my interest in OP has waned a little in the past year. I haven't been able to get into Sanji's family drama, and the stuff with Big Mom has raised some good expectations but so far hasn't quite managed to live up to them. However my interest has only decreased in relation to the series itself, and compared to everything else I've consumed OP still stands tall, and Best Bunny Carrot even got to do something so I'm good I guess?

Awards given: Best side girl (Carrot)

The magical girl corner:

Doki Doki! Precure

I thought this was from last year but apparently no. So here it is, my least favourite magical girl series of all time! Might also be the least favourite anime in general (judgement pending)! Those interested can find a long rant here, but the tl;dr is that the show revolves around glorifying the main character who has no flaws, has no character development since she's amazing from the start, gets all the other characters' personal storylines be about her too, gets the story to bend so that she's always right in the end, and so on. Ugh! Though I must say that at least that in a way the series was interesting in how blindly and confidently it assumes everyone in the audience has the default assumption that the main character is the most amazing thing to ever grace this earth with her presence.

Awards given: Worst anime, Worst girl (Mana), Worst “romance"(whatever it is when everyone proclaims their 'love' for Mana), Worst friendship (Mana being the center of everyone's universe)

Kira Kira Precure a la Mode

Tried watching an ongoing Precure series this time, and while I'm still some episodes behind it could be a lot worse. Overall a really lackluster season and suffers from the same problems as the other Precure seasons I've seen: generic, unambitious, noncommittal, repetitive... There's very little going on with the plot, and while I do like some of the characters it's hard to care when the show is so adamant at doing nothing interesting with them. However it's still the best out of the Precure seasons I've seen so far properly, which probably says more about the other two's (HapiCha and DokiDoki) quality. And I do have to commend KiraKira for sticking to the sweets theme; at least it's clearly about something.

I've also watched some Go! Princess Precure which blows the other three Precure I've seen out of the water, but I haven't made very far. Hopefully I'll be able to finish it next year.

Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero: Washio Sumi chapter / Hero chapter

Why is it always the dark magical girl shows that try anything new and interesting!? I find that the new YuYuYu stuff has had some really clunky and awkward direction, stock characters, limited animation and ham-fisted drama, but I still appreciate what it's doing with its plot. Also gotta love the veteran magical girl's reaction to the new magic system which allows them to trade defence barriers for +1000% power: "lol back in my day we didn't have any shields in the first place!"

Awards given: Best magical girl outfits

Also finished Flip Flappers (final verdict: cool premise and looks interesting, execution a little uneven but still worth watching), Punchline (an uneven but still interesting little thing with great character designs), Uta Kata (a slow moving dark magical girl show with some nice ideas, good outfit designs, poor animation and awkward fanservice) and Pop in Q (mostly forgettable upbeat magical girl thing; though it did manage to hold interest for its short length).

Awards given: Biggest WTF (Uta Kata's poorly implemented fanservice), Best character designs (Punchline)

I also watched the second season of Hibike Euphonium, but I can't remember if it was at the end of 2016 but either way I don't have a lot to say about it.

Animal Crossing Pocket Camp

Good old Animal Crossing in mobile form, there's not much else to it and there's very little to do, but I'm a sucker for collecting and the leisurely and friendly atmosphere is worth it. Seeing Tom Nook ask for real money this time was definitely the highlight even if I'd never pay for a mobile game myself.

Awards given: Biggest Time-Waster (but I still keep playing it)

I've also kept playing Pokemon Go but there's not a lot to say about it, like can you add some new gameplay stuff to it please? Also did not get Ultra Sun/Moon. I didn't care too much for Alola and most of the new content seems to be about the Ultra stuff which is unlikable to me by default; I've never been into the legendary/mythical/ultra/save the world from apocalypse aspect of the games, like just let me train my pets to become the very best like no on ever was.

Not a lot of negative awards this year it seems. The bad stuff I read was just forgettable instead of bad in a funny way or so bad it's fun to hate it.

Plans for 2018:

Finally watch the Attack on Titan anime to catch up with the rest of the fandom and prepare for my favourite arc getting adapted

Finish with the mostly disappointing Digimon Adventure Tri.

Watch the newest Precure as it airs, finish Go! Princess and at least one of the earlier seasons

More magical girls! Maybe finally check out Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card arc, finish Matoi the Sacred Slayer (which has been on my list since 2016...), Pretear, series where the magical girl is a side character (Concrete Revoutio, Samurai Flamenco, re:Creators, Invaders of the Rokujyoma!?)

Finally watch Neon Genesis Evangelion (been working on it since 2005) and finish Gurren Lagann

Finish reading Neuro

Read Sengoku Youko, NaruTaru and Rozen Maiden

maybe get a Switch and the new Zelda and Mario games for it

Maybe I'll get to at least a fourth of these...?

[marinedream]

...SO could that mean that yellow phosphor has some kinda property that causes robots to be self-aware?? or something??? would that mean NIKO is a robot too? ,,this sounds rlly stupid shdjssjdjs im sorry but this is an idea i had a while ago; sorry for spamming u :''3

,No need to apologize at all- it’s always a blast talking about theories, especially since there’s only a number of things in Oneshot that are really concrete!

FUCKING WALL OF TEXT AHOY

(apparently these don’t always show up in mobile so I’ll tag it)

A little sidenote about speculation that the three children are robots- it is very possible, since there is a spritesheet in the game’s files of Rue with a little wind-up key inserted into her back- which is a possible implication that she was designed to more physically resemble a toy/robot, which would further accentuate that she too, is artificial. It’d be trickier gathering proof for Cedric, as he resembles a human on almost all accounts (I guess if you exclude his matter-of-fact nature, which doesn’t too much as Proto is a lot more insensitive but is still canon tamed) so I can’t say I really know much about that one, except how it is... odd, that his shirt glows like that.

BACK ON TOPIC THO LOL

I can definitely see why that’d be a theory- it’s plausible since Alula does outright say to Niko that their eyes are like the sun- meaning they are a bright golden-yellow like.... yellow phosphor, lol. More backup is, while this could have been purely for aesthetic reasons- Niko’s eyes are the only thing visible in the darkness when walking into another section of the map. Eyes.... don’t really give off light like that- unless they were artificial and giving it off themselves. Sort of like a light....So Niko’s eyes being made of yellow phosphor AND being a robot is... quite plausible, really!...The only prominent issue with this theory is- well. Okay, it’s actually not a problem so much as it’s a personal quip of sorts with storytelling- and few very minor plot holes that make this theory a little less plausible.  

Bear with me a little and imagine that, yes, Niko really IS a robot. Let’s assume they were built by someone in the world, most likely the Author or even Cedric. The world is in need of a Messiah as the sun has gone out, so Niko’s purpose for being built is to act as the savior and bring salvation to the refuge with the return of the sun. 

The room Niko wakes up in is strange and decrepit, like an abandoned or bombed out house. The pretext for this was always confusing to me- and the only real theory I had for this was that they woke up in a house that was of a similar state to perhaps, the houses of the real world- as it’s been revealed in Solstice that it had been destroyed or annihilated by... something. The strange light outside seen from the window is a little similar to the glow of the light from inside the Tower; meaning it’s possible Niko awoke inside the tower in the first place. Presumable, only someone like the Author could probably gain access to the Tower, so it makes a little sense, maybe....Thing is, Niko’s memories of their hometown, their friends, family, their mama, and their fervent love for pancakes- these memories are pretty.. deliberate and vivid, to give to a robot. It IS possible that Niko was planted with fake, artificial memories in order to gain pity from the God/Player, so that they would feel more inclined to help Niko. But uh... then, here come some of the plot holes I was talking about.1.) A robot in the Barrens says that robots do not have digestive systems- and that some do not even have mouths! Niko is... clearly seen eating pancakes at Ling’s cafe (unless you say no, but what kind of fucking heartless beast deprives Niko of their pancakes??? ugh) so that’s uh. yeah. Not really a hole, but a silly inconsistency. I suppose you could technically look over this one, but...2.) None of the characters are capable of interacting with the God/Player. The “sun” is the Messiah’s connection to the world, and based off later events in the Tower, it is clear that Niko can only speak to their God IF they are holding the sun. The sun is obtained in that mysterious, dark room- so my question here is... how exactly did Niko manage to wake up in the exact location needed to get the sun? What prerequisites are needed for this to happen? What made Niko more suitable than any of the other children, if they were robots as well?3.) The “return home” ending. Again, I’ll bring back one of the laws of robotics. “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.” Niko is quite able to discern between what is human and what is a robot, and remarks that in their world, robots do not exist except only in movies and tv shows. Once again, of Niko really IS a robot and was planted with fake memories, it’s... a little too elaborately done just for a single task. By smashing the sun and returning home, Niko is, effectively and quite knowingly, hurting and ending the lives of many, MANY people- but is willing to do so because of the orders of their God. I feel like the only way Niko would bypass this is if they were a rogue robot- which seems HIGHLY unlikely as Kip described an event such as to be “volatile”. Niko is anything but- they’re caring, emotional, and sweet.

Last but not least- the concept of Ad Infinitum. Niko is sent on this quest, over and over until Solstice had the opportunity to rear it’s head- they’re only supposed to have ONE SHOT. And yet, after they make their choice, they’re thrown back to square one with zero recollection of the previous loop, while you, the Player, retain all knowledge but cannot impart them with it. You’re essentially forced to watch Niko do the same thing over and over, with only two possible outcomes. Exhausting yourself for details to look for a better ending does not work, and eventually, the whole concept of “choices matter” becomes null. You have, technically, infinite shots. Nothing is of any consequence anymore. Your choices are in truth, pointless in the end. You’re always going to come back to square one, fixed only by Solstice which... frees Niko. After you beat Solstice, Niko... really is gone. They went home, which is certainly not anywhere back in the world that the game takes place in, as we never see them.

For a long while, despite playing the key role as Messiah, which is literally a savior prophesied to save people from ruin, their efforts don’t mean anything for a long time. Niko is essentially built as the ‘hero’ of a shaggy dog story, where even if you played for the first time after Solstice, the option was not presented immediately, but shows up in the second playthrough. This means Niko must be forced through a reset once. When speaking with Proto, they even get defensive and turn towards the Player, accusing them of making a world that could be reset infinite times, 

“What kind of God makes a world like this?” 

Niko’s heartbreak is... very palpable. You wouldn’t expect a robot, even a tamed one- to react that harshly, especially towards their own directive, if Niko was one. They even tell Prophetbot that they want to go home- that they don’t even want to do this, but are biting the bullet to go home, and winds up loving the people they meet on the journey and their passion grows on it’s own. Niko undergoes quite the metamorphosis through this journey- but it simply doesn’t feel necessary to build a robot this in-depth for a single task. You’d think it’s be easier to build a robot that didn’t feel, didn’t question- it makes things easier.TL;DR- It’s a cool af theory but personally I don’t think Niko is a robot

[isaacathom]

the fun thing about the post game idea is that Rhia puts you in danger. deliberately, consciously, with knowledge. she spends most of the main game attempting to convince you to go home, go to safety, she and the doc both support the idea of protecting people from this stuff, and shes determined to shield you from team whatsits wrath and elliots poor influence. and yet, by the end, she asks you to come with her into a clear trap, something clearly designed to lure her and the Doc out to rescue the daughter. she knows its a trap. she even says so. she technically gives you the chance to leave. she technically says you dont have to come. but you will. she needs you to. she needs you to follow her into a trap.

she doesnt want to. shes lost. shes helpless. she knows shes strong, she knows she COULD take CEO in a fight, but she knows that youre better than the both of them and if anyone will ruin CEOs day, its you. youre her contingency. she doesnt plan to have you fight. youre backup

so when shes knocked away, and she looks up to see you being wrapped up and lifted off the ground, she SUDDENLY understands how Elliot feels.she suddenly understand what he was feeling when he ran away, what sort of impact him leaving might have had, she feels that possibility and it tears her apart then and there. shes helpless o help you, and SHE put you in this position. yes, she gave you a choice, but you were always going to take it. technically he gave her a choice, but she was always going to take it.

because now, shes elliot, being held by a grunt while a young rhia is grabbed in the same manner. suddenly shes filled with his flight or fight instinct. and she has to make that conscious decision to fight, to stay, to not leave her young self behind. and then she sees the consequence of it. Elliot takes a blow and collapses backwards to the utter shock of all present. and suddenly she knows what he thought when he ran, why he made the conscious decision to fly. because this was the sort of thing he feared. he feared a backlash so severe it could kill him. and here he is. and its her fault.

no matter what end she got, whether shes split or reconcile, she recognises this parallel in deep place. shes now lived both sides of the incident, as herself and as elliot, and when she made what she thought was the ‘right’ choice - to fight - she sees the consequences that has. she understands. she wasnt right, and neither was he. for a split side, it forces her to see what elliot was doing and understand. she doesnt have to forgive. but now she understands, deeply. for a reconcile side, it reframes how she approached them repairing their relationship - its not about him becoming a ‘better’ person, its about them both becoming better people. is that realisation too late? she doesnt know.

its why shed become the e4 member on his request in split route. she doesnt want to talk to him much. but when he makes this request of her, sitting in a hospital bed, she cant not accept it. not out of some sense of owing him, though she does (in a way. it could also be seen as them finally being even). she does it because she now understand his perspective and WHY he wants this of her. in fact, thisd work better if elliot had previously asked her to take the role, regardless of route. in reconcile, she does, but in split, she refuses to hear it and leaves (to then be absent until her reappearance in the post game content). and elliot would mention that in your e4 battle. how he thought rhia deserved the spot more than he did, but that she’d refused to speak to him and take it. so when he sits there and shakingly calls Rhia into the room (as shed been sitting on a chair outside having a bit of an angsty moment) she does it in a heartbeat. shes changed, this time. and he asks her to take it, and she accepts. maybe shed be sorta tsundere about it, but everyone would tell its meant well, and the daughters sitting in a corner trying not to giggle. sweet.

like, the main story rhia/elliot arc is about Elliot changing. the post game rhia/elliot arc is about RHIA changing. its about whats ‘right’ and whats ‘correct’. lesser of two evils and such. i think thats a fun theme to have. because theres a difference between the ‘moral right’ path (in terms of the incident, this is Elliot staying and fighting the grunts) and the path with the ‘best outcome’ (thats elliot running away, which if nothing else guarantees he lives instead of them both dying/being brutally injured/such shit). and its about balancing the two. i /guess/ its similar to that dumb train thing, with switching the tracks to kill one person or 4. except a little more..... nuanced.... i hope, anyway. thats just sort the rough idea for it.

the daughter is just there to flesh out Rhia, really.

another thing - where is Rhia in reconcile? because she still has to appear in post game at a couple of random points, which in split is easily explained as her being a vigilante of sorts, roaming the region doing Shit My Guy. but in reconcile, shes in the e4... unless, ooh, so she goes home every night. you complete the last mission for the daughter, she sends you home, a day passes (in game lol), and rhia calls you as soon as you wake up to say daughter is missing. the idea is that rhia and daughter went to sleep and that rhia woke up to find daughter gone, and the ransom note from CEO on her kitchen table. also they sleep separately for this purely because i think id hate if im in bed all cozy and suddenly the partner comes in and steals the blanket like, the fuck. they both have weird schedules with work, so they sleep in separate rooms anyway. way easier for them both. so rhia comes home, goes to bed (possibly seeing the daughter beforehand, i assume so) and then waking up to the note. and calling you, because the daughters phone is on the table and you were the last person she contacted. come quick, fuck. that works.

and rhia still comes home in split. its just late at night, after everyones asleep. the family know shes there. they know shes coming and going. they figure shell calm down and interact with them soon. that sorta thing. and she comes in through her window and crashes on the bed, and bam. its morning, bitch. trot downstairs to grab some Sweet Sweet Bread, and bam, your girlfriend has been kidnapped by the cunt that made you join a gang. fuck.

also shit the mums there for all of this........... shit. like, Doc is in the city, working with the police and also helping people after city chaos. the daughter came home to fill her dads role in the community while hes busy. the mum is still there. the fucks she doing during all this. is she the one who raises the alarm idk. shit. thats complicated. i completely forgot about the mum. oh man. we COULD say shes in the city with Doc, afterall Rhia and the daughter are both adults and can handle themselves........ like she flew over to be with him while hes dealing with police and people? that could work. bit of a cop out but it figures.

honestly all the main characters are dealing with police except for split!Rhia and the daughter. split!rhia because shes off being vigilante, and the daughter because she was spoken to by police after her dad came forward and its immediately understood that she has Absolutely Nothing to do with it, like theyre the ones to reveal her dads gang connections to her and shes just D: WHAT ans they go ‘oh shit’. it was a very difficult conversation for everyone involved.

idk. this works? well enough at any rate. honestly i just like the idea of rhia going through an arc on screen. because in the main story she doesnt really change (ESPECIALLY in split, where she sticks to her guns more fiercely because she hasnt has her views challenged by elliot), its more about elliots development. they both change for post game. elliot by either completing his gradual change into ‘the better person’ rhia wanted, or by just throwing himself into that. he had time. theres like a week of in game time between you becoming champion and him getting shot. and rhia changes by either completing her own change into ‘the better person’ or having her stead fast idea challenged concretely. idk. listen this shits fun im a slut for drama and this is My Shit My Guy

[spin-attaxx]

1, 2, 11, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 26, 27, 31, 33, 38, 40, 43, 44, 45, 48, 49, 50

1. Your first OC ever?

Already answered.

2. Do you have a personal favourite among your OCs?

Oh god, it largely comes down to Jessica, Lumina and Charn. But if you put a gun to my head, I’d have to pick Jessica. She’s the oldest of the three, and I feel like I relate to her more.

11. Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a “sunshine”? 

Lumina, no question. If she sees someone feeling down, she’ll do her best to cheer them up and make them feel better, and even when things seem at their bleakest, she’ll find some way to find hope in the situation.

In fact, I imagine seeing a genuinely upset Lumina would break anyone’s heart (unless they’re Charn or Shade).

12. Name an OC that isn’t yours but who you like a lot 

Already answered, but since I get to say another one, I like @jezmm​‘s Alice Grayson. I like her design a lot (particularly her long red hair and blue flares), and she’s a pretty cute character.

14. Introduce an OC with a tragic backstory 

Hmm, not sure if introduce is befitting, since I’ve drawn her once or twice, but I imagine Tesla has it particularly rough compared to the other Elementals (all of whom can claim to being the last of their kind and losing at least one friend or family member).

She was once a kind-hearted Electric Elemental in a high class aristocratic city on a Mystic planet far from Enchantus. Things were bad enough when her Time Elemental fiancé up and died one day (along with, mysteriously, every other user of Time magic in the universe), but when a bunch of haggard refugees came to the planet some years afterwards warning about some android named “Charn”, she dismissed them and chose to stay.

Then Charn came and did what he does best; annihilate the city, kill everyone, them proclaim himself the ruler and creator of the planet and torture what survivors were left into believing him without question (”2 + 2 = 5″ style). Though Tesla escaped, she became more jaded and cynical now that she was forced to live her immortal life in squalour fleeing from his threat.

Today, you’re likely to find her glugging down unhealthy amounts of alcoholic, poisonous and generally unpleasant drinks, swearing her head off at those who slight her, and taking immense pleasure in talking down idealistic minds, all while craving the days of her old life.when she wasn’t such a bitter lightning cloud of loathing.

17. Any OC OTPs?

Three come to mind. Ivorn x Lily (the thought of an easily flustered metal technology geek and a calm and peaceful Plant Elemental being in a relationship always felt right to me), Shade x Evil (even if his original goal of proving Elementals can be evil is kinda null and void now, he just loves doing things he shouldn’t do), and Charn x Himself (dude has an ego the size of the universe. He wouldn’t actually compliment alternate versions of himself, though - he’d kill them so there’d only be one Charn).

18. Any OC crackships?

Beta and Jessica. The idea of a psychic robot having a crush on a socially-awkward human he’s trying to kill on threat of death sounds both plausible and totally bonkers at the same time. In fact, Beta X Cassidy also counts, only it’s instead with a human who’s got steelier nerves than he does.

19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why)

I’m probably going to say Jessica. I feel like she’s changed quite a lot since I first doodled her as a semi-afterthought to round out a trio. I’ve always wanted to make a Metroidvania game, and Jessica was originally just one playable character (and not even the “main” one). Eventually, she became the main character of the trio, and now she’s the only playable character.

That’s because I keep thinking about her character and her role in this story;s world. I devised her with the idea that what would normally be the mysterious aloof serious side character to a more conventional and emotional protagonist would instead be the main focus. I freely admit much of her personality is derived from mine; being hard to approach, somewhat anti-social and always living with the feeling that she’s being judged every moment and that deep down she’s a failure at what she wants to be.

(That said, I think it’s fair to say that I’m more well-adjusted and approachable than she is lol.)

20. Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details (headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)? 

Lumina’s the most obvious one of the lot. When it comes to genres, she’s very adaptable and open-minded, but she prefers upbeat pop songs. Especially with 80′s/90′s synth sounds or catchy dance songs (think something like “Butterfly” by smile.dk?)

As for her voice, I don’t know any singers who’d fit her, but I’ve always felt that Tara Strong would be my first pick for her. So I guess something like this, only more upbeat and with a more British accent?

(In case the link dies in the future, I’m referring to Ember McLain from Danny Phantom, which I actually saw little of back then.)

22. Is there any OC of yours people tend to mischaracterize? If yes, how?

Already answered.

26. Have you ever had to change your OC’s design or something else about them against your will? 

Already answered.

27. Any OCs that were inspired by a certain song?

While I don’t think a full-on OC was inspired by a song, Lumina’s design was altered after I heard the theme to Jem. At the time, she was a fairly generic pink-haired pixie girl in a white and pink jumpsuit, and then after hearing it, I (for some reason) decided, “Hey, what if I made her super J-pop idol/80′s glam girl?” and tweaked her outfit and gave her her big poofy ponytail. I regret nothing.

31. Pick one OC of yours and explain what their tumblr blog would be like (what they reblog, layout, anything really) 

Lily’s would be super pretty and calming, with reblogs of cute animals, pretty flowers, relaxing scenery, and the occasional conversation/picture/embarrasing situation with Ivorn.

33. Your shyest OC?

Jessica. She never starts conversations, always sweats and panics internally while talking to someone who isn’t a close friend or family, and is more comfortable staying inside than going out in public. Though if you’re antagonising her and/or trying to kill her, she gets more of a backbone and snarky lip.

38. Which one of your OCs would be the best dancer?

Hmm, maybe Lumina? I imagine it comes with her performing onstage, though I magine someone else may have more natural talent at it than her. Cassidy, maybe? I dunno.

40. Any fond memories linked to your characters? Feel free to share! 

Honestly, any time I get fanart of them, especially if the artist did it without me prodding them about it or as part of a mutually beneficial art trade or the like. It makes me super happy that there are people who liked them enough to draw them when they didn’t need to.

43. Do you have any certain type when you create your OCs? Do you tend to favour some certain traits or looks? It’s time to confess 

Already answered.

44. Something you like about your OCs in general 

I guess the fact that I’ve created a range of characters with their own lives, backstories, personalities, relationships and futures in a world of my own creation, which I can control as I see fit. Like, sometimes I’ll see a character like Genesect that makes me go, “Wow, that looks so cool/cute/whatever, I wish I came up with that!” And then I look at any one of my characters and I feel better because I came up with them before anyone else did.

45. A character you no longer use? 

Admittedly they were in a sort of limbo status for quite a while anyway, but Stuart and the third robot character aren’t likely to be part of the TSOTS-verse any longer. Besides the fact that Jessica’s gameplay style differs from traditional Metroidvania characters like Samus and I was afraid their styles would be weaker by comparison (plus extra work), I was never really able to come up with a concrete design for Stuart, nor could I settle on a name for the robot (for the longest time I went with Dave, after David Bowman from 2001, but that never sat well with me, and the only other alternative I could think of was ROM, which is taken). Will they get a new lease on life in the future? Maybe, but for now, they’re dead in the water as far as major uses go.

Still, at least they’re better off than a third Charn minion alongside Beta and Cassidy. He was an old man who’d be a cyborg, and the reveal of this would have him decking a reluctant Dave in the face. That’s about the only thing I miss from axing him; I think having Beta and Cassidy in a duo is a better choice for their characters.

48. OC who is a perfect cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure 

Voidica. A nice girl who’ll gladly accept anyone as her friend, and born to a universe with Charn in it. And then Charn killed her off in cold blood, with zero chance of her coming back or having any kind of afterlife.

49. Which one of your OCs would most likely enjoy memes 

Lumina, no question. Shade and Jessica get driven up the wall by her antics when she falls in love with a new meme.

50. Give me the good ol’ OC talk here. Talk about anything you want

- Shade’s character of being a total bastard just to prove he can be is basically one giant spit in the face to the Pokémon animé (and I guess to a much lesser extent the games), which made the bold claim of saying that Pokémon - who are more or less as clever/sentient as humans - cannot be evil, and routinely made Pokémon that followed that statement to a T or else turned good (mostly legendaries like Deoxys, Darkrai, Kyurem and Genesect). In fact, I think a precursor of his character came in the form of my headcanon for Genesect in my (short-lived) playthrough of Black 2, where he was a homicidal maniac who only tags along with the protagonist so he could get back at Team Plasma for ditching him in favour of the Tao trio.

- If Shade ever does a good deed entirely of his own will, he’ll go out the same way as Rorschach from Watchmen.

- Charn’s name came from a book I read years ago, “Through the Dragon’s Eye”. His design, meanwhile, started as a generic final boss doodle I off-handedly made, then changed many times since then. Ironically, his head remained consistent in all of them (though his eyes were less triangular and villainous.

- I came up with several possible backstories for Charn, such as him being a robot controlled by a t-rex’s brain (yes, really). I even toyed with the possibility of pulling a Joker and giving him no clear-cut origin, though now it’s far more defined.