#indie designer that never disappoints

[a-substantial-trash-pile]

Studio TV Solutions presents Half Life VR but the AI are Self-Aware (2020) [not a real movie]. A movie with a totally improv’d script starring a moltey crew who are sure to give you a rip-roarin’ good time!

anyway hi new au just dropped. i’m calling it HLVRAIM. it’s HLVRAI but it’s a blockbuster movie and the science team are played by actors. i have many thought on backstories n stuff that i will stick under a “read more” here otherwise this post will be hella long on people’s dashes. 👇👍 pls care about this i thought so hard and much

Half Life VR but the AI are Self-Aware was put out by Studio TV Solutions in 2020 and destroyed the box office with how fun it was and how well the cast played off one another. The cast was given a general outline for the script with the goal for it to be mostly improv.

Gordon Freeman: Mannie Flores (Dominican American, age 28, he/him) - Popular Youtuber/Twitch streamer (“Radi0Mann”). Got offered the role in HLVRAI thanks to the creative things he’s done in his Youtube/Twitch career. This is his first “official” acting gig. He was pretty starstruck at first, but then as he got to know everyone, he realized they’re all a bunch of dorks (affectionate). - Started off as a gaming channel, but then started branching off into various creative endeavors as he got more popular. He still plays games too though. - One of the things Mannie did in his internet career that hit the mainstream was when he wrote, directed, starred in, and filmed his own movie in just 2 weeks because he failed a bet with his audience. Except the movie was actually really good and funny and heartfelt (i want to say it was about “a man who got left behind on earth after everyone else was raptured because god literally forgot about him”, but i think the concept might’ve been done already). - Met Benji through HLVRAI. They hit it off and now they’re dating. They tried to keep it secret for a while but Mannie had a slip-up during a stream that sort of blew it out of the water.

Benrey: Benji Song (Japanese/Chinese, age 30, he/they) - Started off as a film sound designer in the industry, then through a series of silly willy little events—possibly even shenanigans—got roped into a role in a passion indie film that became wildly acclaimed and flung him into the spotlight. Been an actor ever since, but isn’t the most proactive in taking jobs much to their agent’s annoyance. People never know where he’ll pop up next. Sometimes Benji will sneak in sound designer work behind their agent’s back. - Honestly likes background work more because everyone’s got these expectations of them as an actor that they feel pressured to meet. But he’s also afraid of disappointing people. He’s working on it. - Met their partner Mannie through HLVRAI. Totally was a fan of his streams/videos beforehand though. When they mention that, Mannie gets flustered. - Does music as a hobby. Electronic stuff mostly—enjoys mashing together all sorts of sounds and trying to make them work. After HLVRAI, Mannie’s streams gets cool new music that’s made by somebody going by “johnwicklover1994.” wink

Harold Coomer: Hau’oli “Hau” Kaleo-Kirchhoff (Hawaiian/Samoan, age 66, he/him) - Old musician who’s supposed to be retired but once in a while will release a song or even do a concert (but nothing crazy). - Hau’oli is pronounced [hh-ow-oh-lee], but he also goes by “Hau” for the haoles’ sake. :) Kaleo is [kah-leh-oh]. also Hau’oli sounds a little bit like the name Holly so that’s a fun coincidence i didn’t realize until later. - Most of his music is chill island tunes but he has been known to dabble in rock and jazz. - Married to Mose (been together for 30 years and counting).

Bubby: Mose Kaleo-Kirchhoff (German, age 69 [nice], xe/him) - Veteran actor—been in the acting industry for a long time. One of his more well-known roles was in a popular sci-fi series. - Married to Hau’oli (they got married the moment it was legal). - i went with a name that started with “M” cuz when Gordon first asks Bubby for his name, xe’s like, “mmm Bubby.” and i headcanon it’s because Mose was about to say xir own name and had to swerve last minute and the thing his brain resorted to was Bubby lol.

Tommy Coolatta: Luis Tanglao (Filipino, age 37, he/they) - Child star who dropped out of the industry when he hit his teens and then came back years later as a comedian. He has material about how fucked up being a child star was. Will only take acting roles if it interests them. - They don’t care about how the public/media sees him. He’ll speak his mind and call out BS when he sees it. Interviewing them can be a war zone. - Hosts a popular podcast with some buds they discuss things like video games, their lives, news, etc. Just shooting the shit. - Sunkist is their actual dog and she modeled for the png photo that was used. Her name is actually Biko. She is a very good girl. <3

Darnold Pepper: Sage Haven (African American, age 40, he/her/they) - Famous cooking show host who gets offered roles in movies. Got popular by how unconventional her meals and cooking methods are and how funny he is. - Has had multiple food/cooking/baking shows over the years. Every competition-based one they’ve had focused more on good vibes, fun, and encouraging one another rather than drama. One show involved people competing to see who could make the best full course meal with the catch being they could only cook everything in a microwave. Many microwaves perished. - Changed their name to Sage Haven during their transition. They chose it because it reflects his passion and also is a play on the phrase “safe haven”, which is what she wants to be to others. - He has an adoptive daughter named Kit. She helped them think up bits and jokes. She also had to help explain what Half-Life was.

haven’t gotten to gman and forzen’s actors yet unfortunately. thinking gman’s actor could be a talk show host? because that would be funny. anyway thanks for humoring me on my shenanigans. bye

[daystarvoyage]

Luz Shouldve Been Dressed By A POC (Person Of Color Or Luz Batista To Show Better Cultural & POC Reprensation)

Hello Tumblers, This is kyoko cane of daystar voyage, as a proud black person who’s genderqueer who makes content creations On Pop culture such as Cosplay & drag, I do talk on Animation & Family Entertainment So glad to get this topic cause what we see on tv can be put into reality, Now (Disclaimer)

I will not accept hate on the daystar voyage anyone who can’t handle different opinions, ship whatever (unless legal) if not walk out or off this spaceship into a asteroid belt and black hole

Don’t hate appreciate.

One more thing I do love my girl Luz pilot outfits, there goals however wish they had time to put patterns into her clothes often, like I said in my hootview

However the female cast had a better closet then her, and I did discuss that in my video, for some time they did make her dress in a shonen archetype, (which I made a post about her hair) or an spicy Latina Which of of course personality wise too, (cause she’s made to be the gender non confirming character) but excuse all that cause in a way, the staff shoulda hired someone whos Either Afro, African American Or Latin to dress this girl.

Oh boy now that im done rewatching The Owl House there’s so much in store soon anyway,

I do feel its time to start this short post, I have a fashion hootview which is the intermission so there’s still a lot to come meantime, finished my rewatch of The Owl House as an animation lover,

Lets discuss this topic at hand,

2020s animators need to take notes on costuming & style tips to make characters stand out in environments and to treat there characters better in fashion or color coordination,

yes you can have a color coded character and not rely of a main palette to be able to bring out there features & complexion,

Animators need to take notes, how to properly show kids & there audience that good clothing could be put onto a character of any occasion & not have to rely on sexuality or Stereotype (Disney Programs have a hit or miss on certain shows.)

while proper fashion can do justice, that goes into making a franchise and making a product to sell for marketability in retail & consumers.

if the character or product can be sold with a great design if executed flawless by character, design, costuming, and the app that comes within the series,

This goes to the fandom cause there might be future artistsor small indie creators reading this who probably never read, or look up fashion brands, magazines either hot couture or brand clothing and don’t have that knowledge But that shouldn’t stop you from being able to experiment with different color palettes on what goes into your art.

The fandom needs a wake up call that not only is everything’s perfect and people have the right to critic and criticize a show or any form of art.

cause fandoms today has a self righteous way of bullying others of different opinions and ostracizing others and ithas to stop,

Here’s a quick tv trope in color-coded characters, & a Toonsmag article on fashion in animation.

Marketability is a important factor, industries rely on that to make the money off of that series, be a cartoons or projects,

it impacts the character and representation that kids see when they purchase said item and teaching kids, see good representation within media can matter if done right.

Especially POCs if executed well however

DONW BELOW in some cases miraculous ladybug fumbles it hard, at one point had all the poc of color (EXAMPLE limited to alya and nino if not max be lighter tones on there merch.)

You know lighting character's skin tones like Alya and other brown or dark skin characters, on their products & merch (bad ethnic representation award goes to them).

Not to mention the whole Vas underpaid controversy, that’s been discussed countless times.

(still disappointed about there business decisions)

I appreciate the love of anyone who can view and read this article if you gotten this far,

thanks for reading make sure to check my Tumblr and YouTube vlog cause so much of this particular series I’m gonna debunk

The show had a-lot going for it however feel flat including in the fashion department along miraculous ladybug that’s another thing to be discuss OH BOY so anyway

here��s an example of the video game art of Guilty Gear showing great costume progress years later

always educate yourself cause I do want my platform to show variety on what I offer creatively and semi-education-wise to be able to let people be inspired and that you don't need to follow trends, thank you very much seeya on the next space voyage.

[kerubimcrepin]

Episode 47 - Indie

It is cute to see that indie is still friends with all the people he met during his adolescence.

Cough-cough. Unlike certain other people.

His and Kerubim's life stories are in direct opposition. If one of them ever spoke of their childhood, chances are, the other one would be like, "You have no parents? Well MINE was controlling so you have it better, WET-NOSE" or "You had a shit parent? WELL, AT LEAST YOU DIDN'T HAVE HIM DIE IN FRONT OF YOU WHEN YOU WERE 5."

No wonder they hate each other's asses.

Though, it is funny how both of them had fathers who had always acted like no matter what they do, they will never be good enough.

It's a shame we hadn't seen these friends of Lou's during the series. They have nice designs, especially the yellow one.

Not a Jurgen-Crepin food moment, but this might be useful for pinpointing which fruits exist within the setting.

Patafiks is so funny to me, like... Guys there are 5.5 characters in the animated shows who are canonically queer in some way. One of them fucking sucks, one of them dies within the 20 minutes of being introduced, the 0.5 of them is Kerubim Crepin's ambiguous gender dysphoria, the normal two are Simone and Julie, and the last one is a dogboy yandere (who briefly dated("dated") Kerubim Crepin).

We live in a society.

Indie talks about Kerubim the same way I talk about him on this blog. We are so alike...

Insert "this bitch always starting shit" meme here.

Even though Ouginaks and Ecaflips both follow the same god, — albeit his different sides, — this perfectly showcases the difference in ideology that makes them hate one another.

While Ecaflips are all about mysticism, destiny, prophetising, and simply letting the current flow, Ouginaks are all about making their destiny.

Though I will be real, considering the things Ecaflip puts his demigods through, — like the, uh, son leaderboard within his dimension, or his treatment of Kerubim, (and his hatred of women, I guess, since there is no daughter leaderboard?) — as well as the Ecaflip City and its Ecaflip Psychward, I think his two personalities are more alike than we are led to believe.

It's just that the kitty personality has more glitz, and is better at masking being just as sadistic.

This line really puts how long they've known each other into perspective. God.

It also makes me think hard about the tendency of Ankama to not make distinct visual designs for characters aging, — like in Waven. Despite 30 years having passed between season 1 of Wakfu, and the start of Waven, characters like Miranda and Kabrok still look exactly the same.

I had always associated young Kerubim's design with the age range of 19-30 at best, but who's to say he can't, in this episode, be in his 40s-50s? How many years did he and Lou live together for? And how large is the gap of that unaccounted for part of Kerubim's life, the one that he never opens up about, after Lou had left him?

...I think I hauve covid.

Y'know what, I think I will be insane for a minute, and say this:

Joris, Atcham, and Kerubim really are like platonic soulmates. It feels like every single thing in their lives somehow rhymes, — like every single step they took simply brought them close to the inevitable conclusion of being together.

Sure, whatever, just tell me things like "Atcham knew, and worked with Julith, and they had a pretty amicable relationship", "Yeah Kerubim and Indie rescued the Ivory Dofus that would one day lead to Joris's birth, and then would lead to his orphanhood", "Yeah Kerubim has always wanted to be a father, and felt a certain way about kids being orphaned the same way he was", "Yeah Atcham and Kerubim went to the same war where Julith and Jahash fell in love and were probably their seconds-in-command."

Tell me that. Expect me to be normal about it. I promise I won't disappoint you.

Anyway,

I always found it very interesting that, despite becoming the Champion of Bonta, it was not Indie who went to that war, but Kerubim.

Perhaps Indie was long happily retired by that point, — perhaps he veered from adventuring into archaeology, for his museum, — while Kerubim was old, with no friends, and not much to live for anymore.

It probably was a self-destruction thing, in the "Atcham, and The Butcher of Brakmar herself, will be there. I'm so bored, and tired... It will be poetic if I defeat them, or die trying to. Then I'll be a legend. Also, there are a lot of people at wars, maybe one of them will be friendly to me :3" way.

World of Twelve heroes are always doing this shit. 💀 though considering he can't die, this isn't even suicidal ideation. It's ideation-ideation. God.

Despite everything, Kerubim does care about Indie, a lot. Indie seems to have cared for him too, — but, at times, I really do wonder if Kerubim's feelings for him ran much deeper than Indie's.

Every sign of genuine emotion is laughed at, and a genuine "I had always respected you" gets a downright haunting "yeah, and your taxidermied head will look nice in my museum when you die".

That must hurt, doesn't it?

It's funny, how life works out. Just like Kerubim, he ended up raising his kid in a completely opposite way than how he was raised. And then he dies, and his kid gets taken in by Kerubim, — who has already taken in the child of his another enemy.

...The implications of Lilotte's life make me sad. Unlike Joris, she didn't grow up in a hazardous, infested, hoarding environment. Indie was likely not mentally ill to the shits. Yet Joris's worst nightmare, — his father passing away, and him being forced to fend for himself, — actually happened to her, immediately ripping away the normal, maybe even privileged, life she had. And it just compounds the sense of loss she already had for her birth parents.

Unlike Joris, who grew up wondering vaguely about his birth family, it seems like much more of a sore spot, with her attachment to her bell...

(Off topic but, god, it's so Bonta-core, that the adoptive daughter of a previous champion of Bonta, who had a museum and was rich, ended up on the streets like a stray. I hate that city so much, it's unreal.)

She uses some pretty dark humor to cope with that. I mean, she already lost two families. No way in hell she's losing a third one. Which kinda harkens back to Kerubim's own backstory, and his own loss of the entire Crepin family, save for Atcham.

I think it's cute that, just like him, — she becomes a mother at some point in her life. Maybe it's because she looked up to Kerubim, who had a similar life story to hers, and that inspired her. Maybe it's just something she wanted, even without thinking of Kerubim's own orphan to dad pipeline.

But either way, it's like poetry — it rhymes.

[teeth-cable]

Helluva boss fandom is turn into a cult that is very true. Fandom can be turn into a cult so whenever someone bring up some of the problematic thing that has done by certain individual the fans get defensive instead of holding accountable they infantilized the individual

When somebody bring up about how vivziepop is antisemitic, racist, the fans will always bring she doesn't know. Really giving a bad look it show how they don't care about valid concern and criticism surrounding helluva boss & it's creator

When a fandom grows in popularity and size, there is alway a belief it's now a cult. I don't believe Helluva Boss has hit peak cult status but it's bordering. Out of all the fandoms I've been in, Helluva Boss takes the cake for toxicity because instead of dumb kids being toxic to each other, it's grown ass adults who think it is totally fine to harass each other and children because they had criticism about the show or are against Stotliz.

This is a true story, a popular artist in the fandom @NOT_THE_BEEEES QT a tweet expressing their disappointment at the show for making Stolas, the damsel in the distress for shipping purposes (Stolas being tied up by Striker, this was before the EP aired) and then they RT their tweet with their own version of an evil Stolas and the fandom flipped. Adult fans were angry, spamming harassment towards them, insulting them, and being happy that a 17 year old was getting dogpiled because they criticized the show. Also during this, fans started to believe they straight-washed Stolas because their AU design for evil Stolas wasn't stereotypically gay. Bee had been critiquing the show and Stotliz for a while before then so the majority of the fandom hated them and were waiting for them to slip up, but they never thought to block them.

Same grown ass adults are also very blinded to Vivzie's past and the current valid criticisms around her but you know, damn well if someone else who wasn't Viv had the same controversial past as her and they slipped up, the fans would criticize them.

But to be fair the critical side of the fandom isn't free from this either. Some "critics'" advice is to ignore the show's good traits and the impact it has on indie animation to just stomp and complain how terrible Viv and the show is. People who clearly hate the show get easily work up and can't even write a cohesive critique without exploding from rage and critics forget Viv isn't the only one working on Helluva. Yes, Viv has more power as the directer of the show but they are still other people responsible for the bad writing, Adam and Brandon. Also we should focus more on how Viv's friends are toxic too. We tend to forget Viv's close friends, Sam, Sam Haft, Morgana Ignis etc are all as toxic and insufferable as she is.

[dumbfinntales]

A few years back I randomly found an indie RPG called Dread Delusion and got it for early access. I have a bad habit of buying early access games when they're on sale and they sit on my account for years waiting for full release. Well Dread Delusion was fully released and I just beat the game. What a fun and unique adventure! More below.

Dread Delusion is a first person RPG inspired by games like Morrowind and Kings Field. It's set in a very fascinating world with equally as fascinating lore. Imagine a world where people waged war against their own gods and eventually won, allowing humanity to advance. That's why you got technology and medieval fantasy themes side by side. Then a strange event wrecks the world and all that's left are a bunch of ever moving floating islands where humanity lives. Intriguing, eh?

It is honestly a very unique world with a rich history. The characters and sidequests you come across are interesting, and there's plenty of thoughtful and humorous dialogue. I also adore the designs of all the god creatures and monsters, 10/10 design. Most quests have at least two outcomes and some quests really made me rethink if I did the right thing, like a certain quest where you had to decide the fate of a sentient pile of flesh.

In my playthrough I went full on with magic and decided to help all god entities I came across, even though in this world it's illegal. I mean makes sense, they fought a whole war against them. But I felt like each god I came across just ordered something good to the people who worshipped them. Some gods were cruel, but the ones I came across really seemed to help. The god of life was weirdly grotesque, but even if people turned into weird monsters it seemed to be a good thing? More power to them I say.

The world was intriguing and fun for sure, but I kinda feel like the rest was kinda iffy. The RPG elements for example. You don't gain XP, but you have to find collectibles in order to get levels. You also get some levels from sidequests which is nice, but killing monsters is pretty much pointless. I was half magic half strength type of guy, but I was still able to do almost everything in the game. I added a few points in the lockpicking stat and used a lockpick hat throughout my playthrough and I was able to lockpick everything despite not dedicating to that stat. The only thing I couldn't do was the charm doors and dialogue as I didn't have enough points for those. So there's a little variety I guess per playtrough, but most likely for just two unique playthoughs and characters. I also wish there were more unique weapons and armors. I used the lockpick hat and mage robes 90% of my playthrough.

Talking about monsters, while their designs are perfetto, combat feels almost pointless. There are a ton of different designs, but the whole game essentially has just two enemies. Close combat melee types and ranged types. Every enemy can easily be taken care of by just walking back and spamming charge attack, and you never die because the game showers you with potions and enemies tickle you. Only towards the very end of the game there was one miniboss that seemed unique. It had a very long ranged melee attack and it cast some spells, and healed itself. It's sad that something this simple feels unique, but it is compared to every other enemy just running up to you and swinging at you.

I was honestly disappointed by the lack of bosses in this game. Even the final encounter is super easy and the final boss behaves just like any other humanoid enemy. I know it's an indie game and they don't have infinite budget, but oh what could have been. Imagine if you could have fought any of the god beings if you didn't side with them? Most of them are likely just dealt with simple dialogue choices.

But I can't say I regret playing Dread Delusion. It was an ever intriguing world that kept me interested from beginning to the end.

[away-ward]

For Will and Emmy 29 and 20

For 29: How do you think they would be as a parent? (and if they are a parent, how do you think they'd be if they were?)

Well, as for how they are as a parent, I answered that here in this post. However, if for some reason they couldn't be parents, I think it would hit Will harder than Emory. There's a part of me that HCs Emory settled with the idea that she'd never be happy, so even though that she now has Will and should be able to get everything she wanted, if this one thing was taken away from her, I think she'd be okay. She would be hurt, and have to deal with that pain and mayb even work through feelings of self-hate similar to Rika and so many other women, but it wouldn't tear her apart forever.

It would hit Will harder, and with his record, I don't think they'd be able to adopt. After getting over the disappointment, he'd go full on dog-dad (the fact that he as a beagle is still weird to me) and Best Uncle Ever. He'd be the kind to wait until Damon was busy, and then go over and kidnap his kids and there'd be nothing that would stop him.

20. A weird headcanon:

Not weird really, but I HC that Will never realized he had an artistic ability until he got to prison and saw people doing stick and poke tattoos, and it turned out he was pretty good at it. He still didn't consider it a talent until he off handily mentions that all of their children have some skill in the arts, completely bewildered by it.

Emory looks at him like are you dumb? and says, "I'm a flute playing architect, and you have your bachelor's in English and your side hobby is designing tattoos. In what world would our kids not be artists?"

And while Will loves it when she's right, he can't always let her win. So he just argues, "Indie can't draw for shit."

"I swam and you played basketball. She's still completely us."

But that's when Will starts to consider himself an artist. But he says artist like ar-tiste, like he's French, and it pisses all his friends off.

Sorry it's not weird. I know I have a weird one, I just can't remember what they are now. I feel as soon as I posted the game, all my HCs evaporated... maybe try again later.

Thanks for playing!!

-KO

[moonlightpeddler]

Is there a chance that you add more ROs?

No, I'm sorry.

As stated in the introduction post, it's not a dating game, the relationship with that character greatly influences the story, it's not there to be a love-route sub-plot.

If I would add more, then I'd either have to drastically shave off content, or likely never finish the game because the workload isn't realistic for a solo-dev; it'll end up as one of the many abandoned IFs from devs that went way overboard with their promises regarding the scope of their game.

Just to give you some idea, if I add two more ROs and want to keep the amount of content planned for the first, then I have to write 32 very different versions of the story.

I can't estimate how long the finished game will be, so we'll take the average of 140k words in total, 30-50% are the main part that the player always sees regardless of choices. Let's take 50%, three ROs would mean around 23k per RO. Not that much, and it gets less the more ROs there are, all perfectly fine for a solo-dev if they go for individual RO-routes that are interwoven with the main plot and only change romance-related aspects/the character acting alongside the MC.

Now, let's look at the outline for Mending Yesterday.

Three routes with four very different branches, so the total word count will likely be higher than the average 140k, with the player seeing maybe 20% of it in every route with the rest being exclusive. We'll take 350k as the total word count, that puts it into the long-play category. 70k can be put aside as universal plot, that leaves 280k for the routes. Considering that the relationship with the RO is designed to heavily influence the plot, I would have to write that for every single one of them.

It would leave me with a total word count of 840k + the 70k for the universal plot. (edit: + code that can't be estimated)

That's insane. Promising something like that would be a straight up scam because it's impossible to do.

Most of the abandoned IFs are due to the dev overestimating how much work and time would have to go into the scope they have promised, just like with other indie-games, more or less all of them fail because it simply can't be pulled off and they realise it too late.

I'd rather stay realistic and finish this project with pride than getting the players' hopes up and disappointing them and myself alike.

[sleepy-achilles]

Don't mind me reworking the fod and their main friendship groups

Taker-

The BSK, obviously stays the same.

Goldust and Mankind, they both live in the valley. Goldust is always a rock for taker.

Kevin nash. Shocking for everyone but they both care about Shawn and the kids and its brought them close.

Hunter Eventually. Which shocks everyone more.

OCs-

Jackson Gomez (Matthews dad) Highschool friends who still talk. Taker expresses his disappointment in Jack for being so neglectful towards his son and helps him work on that, Mitch Daniels (Brad's father) highschool friends. It pains taker that their kids do not get along because he actually liked mitch. Obviously their kids beef causes some rifts between them, Rose Falcon a friend he made after he took over the valley. She helps him run things and looks after things when he's gone.

Shawn

The kliq, duh.

Dx, duh, duh.

Goldust is like his fairy godmother.

Stephanie mcmahon, they both have a lot of similar interests and issues. They also have the most powerful slap in wwe history.

He's quite close with Bautista and Orton.

Roddy piper is like a father figure to him.

He was also close with Owen Hart. They were both brats who loved pissing Bret off, of course they got along.

Also the BSK kinda force adopted him when taker came out.

OCs-

Cait Cena. John's mother. No not friends anymore infact it's a incredibly toxic situation even now. Justin Chasez (ikr a new character, oooo) Hes the only connect Shawn has left to San Antonio. They grew up together and Justin was the only one to support him when everything went south. The kids and taker know him very well.

John

Randy, obviously.

Sheamus

Rey mysterio

He used to be friends with the rock and jericho before they took it too far.

He bascially tries to befriend everyone but those three are his main friends.

OCs-

Ryder Black and Ocean Black when John finally went to highschool these siblings were the first to befriend him and are still his friends. They are twins but Ryders male, Oceans female. They always come to support him. Ameila Cornelia. His first girlfriend. This was his longest relationship but they broke it off when it came clear John needed to focus on wrestling and she wanted to focus on her career. They are still good friends and both got invited to each others weddings. Cleo Jane. A friend he made when he started in the indies. She's a makeup artist and costume designer. He ended up bringing her to wwe with him and she still works there too this day. Jasper Owens. They started off as highschool rivals and by the time graduation came, they are mates. They aren't as close but whenever they can they catch up and joke about the old days.

Leon

He has none, moving on.

Kidding....or am I?

Sheamus (despite how much he protests it)

Randy (despite how much randy protests it)

Drew (kinda stuck)

Finn balor and Alexa bliss (his adopted siblings)

Roman reigns (kinda? They grew up together, hate each other and yet are quick to protect each other. Aka the recipe for enemies to lovers but drew cock blocked it.)

Solo (the only bloodline member he'll admit to liking)

Jimmy and jey. (Claims to hate them both. Got caught eating dinner with them and hasn't lived it down. They, and roman, bullied lil Lee.)

Kevin nash. (Technically his uncle but Leon sees him as a friend)

Why tf has Leon got so many friends? We ain't even on the OCs yet...

OCs-

Matthew Gomez (God I love him) Leon's best friend since day one. Still his right hand man. Love of my life. Valentina Addams (born to humble Leon, I love her most) joined Matthew and Leon's friendship group at 5 when she first moved to the valley. Achilles Addams (used to be vals younger brother and is now her twin) he kinda drifted into their friendship group and never really left. He's not a full time member as he made other friends but their close. Neo Moon Hwang befriended Leon in highschool. Tate Everest also befriended Leon in highschool.

Fun fact, Leon, Matt, Tate, Achilles and Neo were actually in a band together.

Anyway. There's also Ryan Smith and Brad Daniels. Brad is Leon's number 1 enemy...well other than roman. And Ryan was just a sports related friend. They still talk but it's casual.

Cassidy

My golden girl

Rhea

Alexa bliss

Liv Morgan and Cody Rhodes (adopted siblings. She quite literally grew up around Cody)

Naomi

Adam Cole (yes his leaving broke her lil heart, along with Cody...yes some parallel to shawn and Kevin and Scott leaving.)

Drew (drew is never escaping her no matter how hard he tries)

She has a lil enemy in Charlotte flair. (Big)

MJF (nope. Not explaining)

OCs-

Connor Jones. Connor was her first boyfriend and best friend. Ashe Coleman (female) is her friend since birth. Jesse Cole (male) is a friend since middle school. Noel Barnes (female) is also a friend since middle school. All are still best friends and are still called the nerd group by Leon. Even at their ripe old age.

A boy named Cole had a crush on cassie and basically bullied her which led to problems between both kids older brothers.

[truthseekerthedragon]

Status Update + Thoughts on Media Analysis

Hi there, folks. For those of you wondering what I've been up to recently, my next big project is a thoughts post, kind of like the TFoH one, but instead of covering a Wings of Fire book I'm talking about a video game instead: SANABI, an excellent Korean indie game that came out recently. I'll be talking positively about it, which is a nice change of pace from the TFoH post where it was mostly me seething in rage at how awful it was.

The post is gearing up to be extremely long. Unlike for the TFoH post, where I only had to talk about the story and prose and such, in SANABI's case I need to talk about the animation, visual design, soundtrack, and gameplay on top of the story itself. After all, video games are a fundamentally different medium from literature (but still art). Honestly, I'll be lucky if I can get the post out in time for February 10th, Korean New Year's. Hello there to all my fellow Koreans, by the way.

Not only is this game absolutely fantastic—I can think of very few complaints I have about it, and the positives greatly outweigh the negatives—it's not very well known, at least not in the Anglosphere. One reason I'm typing up a thoughts post about this game is because I want more people to learn about it and check it out for themselves.

Spending time writing about SANABI while listening to the game's banger OST also means I've gotten contemplative thinking about the nature of media analysis. Analysis is always going to have a subjective element to it—there are definitely people out there who hate SANABI as much as I love it—and we might even have differing opinions on the same element.

Take cutscenes, for instance. SANABI has a lot of them, utilized to show character interactions and advance the story. While I love the story with all my heart, I'm sure there are people who don't give half an iota about the (excellent!) characters and hate cutscenes with all the wrath of a thousand stampeding buffalo since they interrupt gameplay. As a writer, I'll always be more inclined to see a video game as another medium for storytelling, as opposed to the interactive side of things, so there's always a personal element in these analyses.

We also have the good ol' industry wisdom: "Cutscenes are objectively bad, you should have as little of them in your game as possible!" And while I can see why cutscenes can be detrimental to gameplay, I don't see cutscenes as the spawn of Satan, but rather as a tool used to enhance the video game. They're a tool in the same way that tropes are; when used well, they can make for an excellent experience. Okay, lemme try and figure out what the point of my rambling was... um, tropes and elements are tools, and don't trust anyone who tells you that you should never use semicolons, period.

I've also thought about media comparisons, which I see a lot in the realm of analysis. While I really enjoy things like case studies where similar tropes or story beats in two different stories are examined (heck, I did this in my TFoH post), it's possible to take this a little too far, especially in the realm of expectations. For instance, I've heard about people criticizing Rain World because they played it expecting an experience similar to the Ori games. Well, guess what, Ori and the Blind Forest and Rain World are completely different games. Ori is a platformer and puzzle game, while Rain World has platforming elements but can be described much more accurately by the term "ecosystem simulator."

While digging around, I found out that people often compared SANABI to Katana Zero, another indie game. And the two games do have similarities, but every game offers a different experience, and if you boot up SANABI (a grappling hook platformer with action elements) thinking it'll give you the same experience as Katana Zero (a hack-and-slash game with platforming elements), then of course you'll be disappointed! So maybe don't walk into a game, or stories in general, expecting it to be exactly like another story you like. Every experience is different.

I think I'm done rambling, at least for now. SANABI is cool, go play it or watch a playthrough. (But please avoid spoilers! It's best to go in not knowing anything.) And happy winter holidays, everyone.

[theuntitledblog]

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) - REVIEW

SYNOPSIS

On the brink of retirement, Indiana Jones is forced to don the hat and whip one last time to save his goddaughter from the last Nazi threat as she's caught up in the pursuit of an ancient artifact that could change the course of human history.

I'm no Indiana Jones aficionado despite being raised on the Steven Spielberg/George Lucas films of the late 70's and 80's, somehow Indiana Jones managed to pass me by. As a result I'm not a devoted fan of the series, I even thought that the reaction to the last outing (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) was and is over the top. With that said however, Dial of Destiny is a better film than Crystal Skull; it looks better, the story is better, it doesn't have too many characters and the various set pieces are rather thrilling and exciting. Harrison Ford effortlessly dons the cap one final time and seamlessly steps back into the role that helped turn him into a superstar. James Mangold doesn't let the character down even if he can't quite create a film that stands on par with the originals.

Dial of Destiny starts very strong with an extended sequence set in the dying days of World War II as a younger Indy clashes with the Nazis once again in the pursuit of an ancient artifact. The train set piece is fast and thrilling filled with near hits, misses and even a few typical Indy jibes. Yet as fun as it is, the de-aging technology is still not quite there and is enough of a distraction to be noticeable and slightly tarnishes what is a strong start none the less. From the escape sequence in 1969 New York to an extended chase set piece in Tangier, from an action set piece point of view, this is a film that never disappoints. Also helping the film are the new characters introduced with Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Helena Shaw being an absolute highlight while enjoying great chemistry with Ford's Indy. Mads Mikkelsen is always dependable and makes for particularly nasty Nazi villain but this is, as it always should be, Harrison Ford's film.

As fun as it is, it is a film that doesn't tread a lot of new ground (pre-finale). There isn't much in here that hasn't been seen before which isn't necessarily a bad thing but the film does feel like it missing a magic ingredient to raise it up somewhat and that ingredient is humour. When the film does slow down, the exchanges between Indy and Helena are witty, sharp and occasionally melancholic but there aren't a lot of laughs in there. Whether this is by design I'm not sure but the pursuit of another ancient artifact is only as fun as far as the puzzles, traps and set pieces go and without the humour backing it all up, Dial of Destiny feels like its missing something. It's a shame because the cast, set pieces and characters are strong enough and a healthy dose of humour could've pushed Dial of Destiny to greater heights. Dial of Destiny never a bad film and it is still a lot of fun especially with its bold and crazy finale but I also have this feeling that it could've been better than it is.

VERDICT

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is an improvement on Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with a great cast and thrilling set pieces plus another great turn by Harrison Ford as the titular hero. But there's no escaping the feeling that it could be a more rewarding experience with a healthy injection of humour.

4/5

[iloveabunchofgames]

#JakeReviewsItch

The Arcade Tower

by Ungamed Studios, Aurpheus

Price (US): $2.99

Included In: Bundle for Ukraine, Indie Bundle for Abortion Funds

Genre: Puzzle, Adventure, Platformer

Pitch: Jump, double-jump, punch, shoot, and think your way through side-scrolling puzzles and combat.

My expectations: Despite having "arcade" in the title, this looks like an old PC platformer. For whatever reason, the screenshots are making me think of, like, Secret Agent and The Amazing Spider-man, and I wouldn't be at all disappointed if those comparisons are right.

Review:

The Arcade Tower is a peculiar title. There’s a lot of vertical movement, but there’s significantly more horizontal traversal. Greater width than height does not a tower make. “Arcade” is a word with several definitions. In a video game’s title, it’s usually safe to assume it’s an abbreviation for “video arcade,” implying the game in question has some similarity to games found therein. Video arcades, and penny arcades before them, take their name from the architecture, where an arcade is a long, arched building or gallery”—a structure that is distinctly not a tower.

Anyway, The Arcade Tower is a puzzle-platformer with a pinch of action RPG. Hit a switch to open a door. Jump across narrow platforms over lava and spikes before the door closes. Kick a monster. That kind of stuff.

Progression usually depends on correctly using power-ups that, for example, flip gravity or increase movement speed. These power-ups can be activated as many times as needed, but only from set spots, and they last a limited time. Puzzles, right?

Fighting is super basic, but it’s made tolerable by the experience points earned for each enemy defeated. That’s the game, really: Unremarkable, but not a bad time.

+ There are coins scattered throughout the levels, like you'd expect from a platformer. While coins usually mean extra lives and points, which don't mean anything in a modern game, these are XP coins. Leveling up means permanent attack and health bonuses. Coins have a purpose! + Fast, smooth movement. + Some tricky observation puzzles. + A button to zoom out at any time—simple and incredibly useful.

– Sloppy, tedious combat. – Shaky collision detection. It shouldn't be this hard to hit a lever. – Aesthetically and thematically uninteresting. – Repetitive level design.

🧡🧡🧡🤍🤍 Bottom Line: I'd never considered mixing a puzzle platformer with an action RPG. It's an intriguing idea. Unfortunately, The Arcade Tower doesn't pull off either half especially well. But it's not bad, either. A respectable effort, and one I generally enjoyed, but nothing I would recommend to others.

#JakeReviewsItch is a series of daily game reviews. You can learn more here. You can also browse past reviews...

• By name • By rating • By genre

[fluffyprincereviews]

10 Games Releasing 2023 That I'm Most Excited About

2022 was a wonderful year for games for me. I've played a lot of games in my backlog, as well as new releases as they came out. It can be tough keeping up with all the games that are releasing, but there are quite a few that I have my eye out for this year. Some big, some small, and some in-between! While I won't be talking about all of these extensively on this blog (mayhaps in smaller posts though, who knows?), at the very I want to gush about these in the turn of the new year.

Like a Dragon: Ishin (PS4, PS5, Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) February 21st 2023

To think that it's only been a few years now since I've first jumped on the Yakuza bandwagon. While there's still a few of the games that I need to finish, I'm excited to take on this spin-off game. Will I absolutely die because I insist on button mashing? Yes. Will I lose my mind the minute I see Majima? Also yes. I’d love to finish out the rest of my backlog with Yakuza before February comes around, but I know that’s but a lofty dream. 

Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch) May 12th, 2023

If there is one thing that I have always enjoyed when it comes to Legend of Zelda, it's the lore and styling of the series. Link knows how to make an impact, even in his simple tunic. While I never finished Breath of the Wild due to my attention span being really bad at the time that this game released, there is a hope inside of me that I'll see this game through to the end. That and, I'm also hoping that they improved on the open world aspect to tie in more story.

Master Detective Archives: Rain Code (Switch) 2023

When it comes to adventure games, my absolute favorite genre are mysteries. I love being able to solve the big question behind what's happening. So while I should know better than to put all of my eggs into one basket, my hopes are very high that this game will scratch my ever constant mystery adventure game itch. Given that the people behind Dangan Ronpa are behind this game, it should at the very least be an interesting experience.

Fire Emblem Engage (Switch) January 20th, 2023

Like a lot of the Fire Emblem fandom, when the first official trailer for Engage came out, I was not sold on the designs at all. It just felt too...gimmicky. But after the deluge of new character designs that have come out, along with just allowing time to settle in, I realize that I am generally excited to see what Fire Emblem has in store for us. Of course, it is still a mild excitement, given the disappointment that was the gameplay/map designs for Three Houses. Say what you will, while the story was very good, the tactics gameplay left quite a bit to be desired.

Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection (Switch, PS4, Steam) April 14th, 2023

I have a soft spot for Gameboy RPGs. Growing up on Yu-Gi-Oh games, I just really love the styling of isometric views. While I don't have any nostalgia for Mega Man at all, I do want go play as many older RPGs that I can, especially those from the GBA era that I wasn't able to play in my youth. And perhaps, if I end up enjoying these games, it can show that fans want more from Capcom in terms of Mega Man RPGs.

Final Fantasy XVI (PS5) June 22nd, 2023

I'm not what you would call a Final Fantasy fan. That's not to say that I hate the series or anything, but more that I've just...never completed a Final Fantasy game. The furthest I've gotten was with Final Fantasy XIV and I haven't played Endwalker yet (and probably won't, just because I'm burnt out on MMOs for the foreseeable future). But something about XVI is drawing my eye and I find myself very intrigued. Perhaps its the gruff main character, or the fact that his charge is unexpectedly murdered, meaning that some intense angst is bound to occur. Who knows?

A Space for the Unbound (PS4, PS5, Switch, Steam, Xbox One) January 19th, 2023

I remember playing this little indie demo about a year ago and loving the atmosphere behind it. The pixel art was gorgeous and I followed one of the developers of this title as they were posting about the game on Twitter. To see it finally be released has me very excited, especially so soon too.

Suikoden I and II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Steam) 2023

I'm very late to the classic RPG train, due to the fact that I never had the opportunity to play these games growing up. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who had thought this, but over the past...decade or so, Konami just left a bad taste in my mouth. From my perspective, it was the fact that they had so many IPs that they underutilized and those that they did milk (Yu-Gi-Oh) felt like low effort cash grabs. So seeing them actually putting an effort to developing and publishing games over the last few years has been a bit surprising. But hey, if it results in them opening their vault of old games and bringing them to more audiences, I'm all for it.

Have a Nice Death (Switch, Steam) March 22nd, 2023

Roguelikes are a genre that I never imagined myself exploring until I played Hades. Now, I'm on the search for any other roguelikes that can scratch that satisfying itch of slashing through enemies, failing horribly, and getting back up and trying again (with some leniency since I'm bad at games). I'm not quite sure what to expect when coming into this game as I like to know as little as possible about new games I'm interested in (outside of the basics to make sure I'm actually interested in it).

Mineko's Night Market (Switch, Steam) 2023

This is another indie title that I've had my eye on since it was first revealed in a Nintendo Indie Direct a couple years ago or so. Since then, it's been remaining low key, trickling out information every once in a blue moon. But now, it seems as though we are at the end of the tunnel, with a potential release date coming this year.

Those are just some of the games that I’m excited to play this year. But what games have your interest peaked? 

[miiilowo]

I like security breach for the potential it had. I hate it for what it turned out to be lol

So many cool things removed and so many plot holes or just inconvenient things like the security passes. Just really rushed and yadda yadda (The security bots screaming in your face was really really really annoying)

Thank god for fan fiction tho. Those writers got my back and have made lore that’s way more interesting than what we got in SB

Also I know this has nothing to do with fnaf but I thought I might as well ask since I’m here! What is ultrakill? Also have you heard of the Callisto Protocol? If so what do ya think of it?

i generally dislike pretty much everything security breach has to offer, which is rather unfortunate. i think on a superficial level the designs are sick, especially sun specifically, but even the glamrocks dont feel like fnaf characters. it deviates too much from what the series actual IS for me. i do think itd be cool if they capitalized on the potential of making it a sort of liminal space-it IS the perfect setting-but they just. didnt. which is disappointing

I have never heard of callisto protocol, but looking over it for a few moments has definitely intrigued me. ill probably forget about it unless markiplier plays it or something so i hope he does lmao

as for ultrakill!!!!!! its an indie release, high speed movement shooter, gets compared to doom VERY frequently. if youre familiar with doom, it should help to know it makes doom eternal feel incredibly slow. then crank it down to sexy stylized 'ps1' graphics add gay sex with the angel and thats ultrakill

as much as i love doom, it kind of feels wrong to compare them. they are both set in hell and you have to kill demons, but aside from that + the genre, they are very different things. i havent been able to play a whole lot of ultrakill myself because my laptop ABSOLUTELY cannot run it but what i HAVE experienced has been very fun even if i keep getting my ass kicked. the devs are pretty in-touch with the fanbase and there is so much content fed to us you would never get from other shit its insane. like. theres something beautiful and also very funny about a game existing within what is considered i feel to be a very masculine, 'gamer'y genre but also being almost explicitly homosexual and having officially licensed body pillow cases of male characters illustrated by a gay trans guy

[was-it-really-worth-it]

Game 276 - Calico by Whitethorn Games

I picked up this game through the itch.io Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid. I chose to donate 10 dollars, and I found about 60 games in the bundle that I was actually interested in (and that I didn’t have from previous bundles.) So, the consideration for this game will be if it was worth the 17 cents (rounded up) that I paid for it and the hours that I played it for. The bundle has since ended, but I still encourage you to make a donation to the organizations listed here.

What did I think it was at first? I love cats. This looks like a cute game about cats.

How was the character creator? I played Calico in two sessions - one where I did not have the latest version and one where I patched the game. If you have a pre-patch version it's really critical to download the patch first so you can have the best experience.

Calico has a really extensive character creater. You do have to unlock quite a few wardrobe pieces, but you can apply patterns to them and design pretty much whatever look you want. The character creator isn't gendered and has a variety of types of looks.

You can also design your cat cafe and choose which animals live there. One of the most enjoyable parts of the game is traveling around the different worlds and choosing the coolest animals. I ended up with a deer-bear-opossum-raven-raccoon-fox-cat-cat that is the nebulous void of space cafe. The design process for the cafe is also pretty similar to The Sims 3 in that you can change the color and texture of most items. I started out trying to make a spooky cafe but couldn't find a way to change the colors and styles of the exterior and fixtures so I went pastel goth instead. The UI for home design is a little tricky at first but you get used to it.

How was the game? At its core, Calico is a business simulator where you staff a cafe with sweets. You play a baking minigame to make your sweets and design them. Then, while your fox runs the cash register you gallivant around to add animals to your cult and solve everyone's problems.

The other non-animal residents of your town are witches, magical girls, and tumblr aesthetics given flesh. They want you to go on quests and speak to you in Animalese eerily similar to that other life sim game. The antics are zany, the solutions are silly, and the vibes are calm and cozy.

If it seems like I'm being glib, I'm really trying not to be. I enjoyed Calico a lot! It is definitely a cozy game. There's a ton of LGBTQ+ rep and the customization aspects kept me playing for quite some time. The quests are varied enough that it doesn't get old and I actually ended up playing beyond the credits because I was having a good time.

What did I not love? For all of the features, Calico definitely feels a little rough around the edges. The world is huge but feels empty at times, especially in the city. Some of the animations get a little wonk and you have to be at least a little OK with your arms phasing through your back some of the time. I actually wasn't able to finish 100%ing it as a recipe I needed just wouldn't appear in the shops.

With the robust customization features, I definitely wished I had a little more in terms of wardrobe and furniture options as well. The NPCs all have cool custom outfits and you will never look that cool.

Lastly, cooking is a minigame - but not like in Cooking Mama. You turn really small and have to platform around a stage to create your treats. I hated this. It felt tonally inconsistent and frustrating. I wish it had been more like Cooking Mama because it would have actually been fun. I don't want to play pool for several infuriating minutes to put toppings on tarts. Thankfully you can skip it if you want to, but then your food is always stale which sucks.

I was deeply upset and disappointed to find that hairless cat is not an option.

At 6 hours and 17 cents, was it really worth it? This game is rough around the edges, but riding your big fluffy calico cat around a town of the world's perkiest queer witches is the Ghibli-ass escapism that I really needed. It's not high energy, you won't experience thrills, but you'll feel like you're at home in the world of Calico.

[songweretson]

I'm designing a dress for a piece of art I'm doing, and it got me thinking about... well, Firefly-Path, honestly.

Firefly-Path is a fantasy designer. One of the OGs of DeviantArt, where she did elaborate gowns for cosplayers, the Ball of Jareth, indie music videos, original wedding gowns, and so many other projects. She even partnered with Simplicity to release some of her designs as patterns. I remember being so excited when the pattern released, scraping together the little money I had, and running to Wal-Mart (the only craft store left in my small town at that point). I dreamed of someday wearing one of her dresses, either as a wedding dress, or a special event. Anything.

I learned how to draw corsets from staring at how her gowns, and seeing how they were constructed.

But when AI came onto the scene, she was one of the first people to adopt it. Generating dress designs, and then recreating them. And considering these generators don't have any understanding of fabrics, or garment construction, I won't deny that there is a special challenge in recreating some of what was generated.

But when people said they were uncomfortable with her using it, considering the theft elements, she just doubled down. She doesn't post AI art anymore. But also says proudly that AI is one of her biggest inspirations.

And look, this isn't meant to be some kind of call out post. This is just me needing to vent. Because it's so disappointing to see someone I admired for more than a decade go so hard into something, with no acknowledgment of how most people and artists feel about AI. Never mind the implication that she doesn't care about the theft from artists.

And it's so disappointing to look back at how much I admired her, and how that's gone now. I have a folder of her designs saved to look at when I want reference for drawing a ballgown... but I find myself avoiding it. Looking at it just reminds me of the mixed feelings I have about her work now.

I try to be pretty understanding, and acknowledge nuance when someone does something that rubs me the wrong way. But I'm having a hard time doing that.

Like I said, this isn't meant to be a callout post. Just thinking out loud. I needed to get it off my chest because the thoughts were distracting me from actually working on my design. I'll just have to find something else to reference for the lines on this bodice I'm drawing.

[mcbitchtits]

well it's been a year since dial of destiny, a movie which isn't bad but much like everything else disney is doing lately is not as good as it could have been. and i mean, i think i'm pretty harsh on it all things considered; that comes of being a fanatic. credit where credit's due, it is a fun movie because it's an indiana jones movie (which isn't, yknow, a given; i think the upcoming bethesda game is going to be deeply uninteresting in this regard), and i think mangold tried very hard to be true to the other four. however, i can never forgive him for the weird fuckery with the score and, uh, frankly, it's just not that funny? it's kind of a downer movie. like crystal skull was bizarre and i wish we hadn't done that particular macguffin, so points for going greek (even if i think the antithykera-as-designed-on-screen was Fugly™), but KotCS was also humorous and fun. Dial of Destiny worked hard but whiffed on a lot of things and i really don't understand how you get john williams to fuck up on a classic movie score. reconsider your choices.

anyway, a fun story from last year (technically a year ago yesterday)

went to the "midnight showing" at THREE FUCKING PM IN THE GODDAMN AFTERNOON, which is a crime against humanity, on a big classic Hollywood theater IMAX screen. audience was uh idk maybe half full; it's a biiiiiig theater, but that was still disappointing. got friends. got snacks. got beverages with fedoras on them. gorgeous silver-era movie palace red velvet curtains open and we get the requisite trailers (let's see if i can remember... one of them was that robot kid movie, and one was oppenheimer; can't recall if there were others. i think we had three or four total though.) possibly the lights dimmed more here. screen rolls into Disney logo and Paramount logo and people are cheering and into Lucasfilm logo and straight into the action. Indy's being dragged around the Nazi castle hooded. THE CURTAIN STARTS CLOSING. people start pointing and chattering. indy is being questioned as the curtains draw over the screen and now we're getting all the action and the english-from-german subtitles all over them. they keep closing. the movie keeps rolling. the curtains move very very slowly. 1944 Voller crops up on screen with the spear of destiny in a crate! the curtains are almost very nearly closed again at this point. we are projecting straight onto red velvet. evil nazi boss whose name i can't remember humors him and says "Do as he says. Open it." and basically the whole audience starts shouting "DO AS HE SAYS! OPEN IT!" "OPEN IT! OPEN THE CURTAINS"

it was a good moment. it's why i miss midnight releases. again, i think disney/lucasfilm dropped the ball on a lot (and continues to) but the whole entertainment sphere seems to have given up on actually making experiences, which is sad. but this moment was hilarious. perfect anecdote.