#not only is their music great but the lore and characters are incredible

[princekirijo]

Well that happened. That was a DLC.

[dr-spectre]

I saw this really great thread on twitter by Grungygrim and it definitely highlights my thoughts and frustrations with the story of these games and the Splatoon fandom as a whole. (be forewarned, i get really tilted in this blog post fyi.)

I made a blog post about 2 weeks ago where i said that i was happy that the narrative online that "Callie is an idiot who got kidnapped and then brainwashed/mind controlled against her consent" is going away. (Here's the link: https://www.tumblr.com/dr-spectre/749710338672525312/im-so-happy-that-the-narrative-online-that?source=share)

Unfortunately I'm gonna have to retract a lot of the stuff i said. I'm still seeing, TILL THIS DAY THAT NARRATIVE ONLINE! IM STILL SEEING SO MUCH MISINFORMATION AND IT MAKES ME REALLYYYY ANGRYYYY!!! As a big fan of Callie, people completely outright ignoring her character arc THAT WAS SET UP SINCE SPLATOON 1 BY THE WAY!!! and not even bothering to look at outside sources for more information and lore genuinely pisses me the fuck off to no end.

No, hypnosis is NOT MIND CONTROL/BRAINWASHING! I DONT WANNA KEEP REPEATING IT! YOU CAN LOOK IT UP! if a person is genuinely uncomfortable and doesn't wish to take the suggestions to heart while hypnotized, THEY WONT DO SO! THEY STILL HAVE CONTROL! Yes, Marie did say "kidnapped" in some of her dialogue, but from her perspective, OF COURSE SHE'S GONNA THINK CALLIE GOT KIDNAPPED! She's known to worry about Callie all the time and ruminate about her, of course she's gonna think of the worst case scenario, doesn't mean she's right though. Was Octavio still in the wrong for hypnotizing Callie in the first place and allowing her to bring out her darker traits more easily? YEAH! NO SHIT! HE'S A BAD DUDE! Not a totally evil person but he has made some awful decisions out of desperation for his people. Why do you think he was so quick to help out the New Squidbeak Splatoon in the finale of Splatoon 3? His people got turned into fluffy monsters by a giant bear, he's all about helping his people.

Hell look at how Callie acts while under the Hypnoshades, she decorates Octo Canyon and her peppy and energetic self is still in tact even during the final boss, she's just more mean and violent. Callie was in an emotional and mentally unwell situation due to her overworking herself and being incredibly lonely as her relationship with Marie was damaged overtime. Callie accepted the suggestions of DJ Octavio and heard him out, AS SAID BY HER FROM THE RELATIONSHIP CHART! She wasn't forced into anything. She didn't suffer "sexual abuse" from Octavio by being forced into skippy clothing as some psychos say online, if she didn't want to wear that outfit she wouldn't cause hypnosis is NOT MIND CONTROL!! I hate having to repeat this over and over again, i hate how the developers basically rushed and ruined this interesting villain arc with stupid shades, only to try and hastily fix it later with an obscure post about A GOD DAMN RELATIONSHIP CHART THAT PEOPLE EITHER DONT KNOW ABOUT OR DONT CARE TO LOOK AT BECAUSE THEY SEE SPLATOON AS SOMETHING FOR KIDS AND TO NOT GIVE ANY CARE TOWARDS!!!!!!!!

I made a god damn giant blog explaining Callie in Splatoon 2 because i felt so frustrated about how my favorite character in the series was being treated and i tried to salvage the story that the writers tried to make. The way that people made her situation worse by saying she got kidnapped and forcibly ""mind controlled/brainwashed"" actually gave me chest pain, thinking about that kind of scenario for Callie actually hurts me... Heck i cant even listen to the Splatoon 2 stage music or final boss music because hearing her reversed vocals makes me feel uncomfortable due to the misinformation online. I hated all the misinformation and i wanted it to stop. HELL EVEN IN GIANT TIMELINE VIDEOS WHERE PEOPLE DO TONS OF RESEARCH THEY STILL GET IT WRONG!! UGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! i guess it'll still be the common and popular notion that Callie is an idiot that got kidnapped and then ""mind controlled"" by some shades... oh well... ugh...

I'm sorry if I'm coming off as really angry, i am. It's just, my brain is really hyperfixated on this squid and she means a lot to me. Seeing the way the fandom as well as the writers treat her makes me really mad. I hope i can find some peeps who feel the same way as i do. Misinformation is so frustrating man... i dont even wanna get into the Octarians because that's a whole other can of worms... anyways im done ranting. have a good night or good morning wherever you live y'all.

[nitrowyverine]

Finally played the TOUCHSTARVED Demo! Still thinking about it over a week later.

(Above: Steam banner image for TOUCHSTARVED from Red Spring Studios)

I love it SO MUCH. and i have QUESTIONS. my extended thoughts below the cut [Demo spoilers included]

General thoughts:

this game is SO up my alley that it's insane. local goth gaming nerd is kicking their feet and giggling

the music? and sound design? It's honestly incredible, even beyond the infamous Every Time We Touch cover (Which is how I found this game). We all have to be giving more props to the music/sound work, it absolutely punches the experience up so many notches. When a soundtrack is released I'm immediately keeping it on hand for all my tabletop needs

absolutely enamored with the backstory mechanic. It adds so much individual depth to the character. you can feel attached to your MC without them being a complete blank slate. I absolutely love that different MC backstories have you pick up different details about the characters. (My favorite is The Hound immediately picking out who the leaders are amongst the group, in contrast to the other MC backgrounds)

I wanna eat the backgrounds. I wanna eat them whole. They're so detailed and colorful and have a great sense of depth. 100000/10

Specific character thoughts/theories:

(Images courtesy of the Touchstarved character Lore posts from the Red Spring Studio socials. I'll be linking them in each of the character's names)

Ais:

Thank you, Red Spring studios, for blessing the players with the ability to bite him if you're an ass to him the entire demo. You truly know what we want

Lore seems to indicate that Ais came over from the demon realm for some unknown reason, and was possibly some kind of demon king or leader? Fascinated to learn what happens there

Ngl the Seaspring looks like it would taste good. My favorite raspberry/rhubarb tea looks just like the Seaspring water. Gimme the group juice.

Question: If Ais gets infected with MC's madness....does that mean. the WHOLE groupmind gets infected? Humans and soulless alike? That's a city-destroying disaster waiting to happen

CONCLUSION: Most likely to adopt 6 dogs instead of picking up the groceries. Least likely to let you have the car aux cable.

Kuras:

I do believe Kuras is the actual best shot at a cure/treatment of all candidates. Assuming the curse is some level of demonic, an angel's touch is probably the best bet.

Let me be clear here though, I do think he might just go "Well you can just like. not have arms" and take them. That is a possibility

Most of the other characters I can get a rough idea of what they want and why. Kuras? I have NO idea what his goal is, which is very frightening.

Twitter bio image does say "Repentant Angel", and that his fatal flaw is "his sins can only be repaid through suffering". Possible linkage to Lovent's fall? Or another major disaster?

its okay sweaty we all get The Guilt (tm)

If Kuras somehow gets MC's maddness (I have a feeling it may not effect him? but if it did) that would just. end the world right there.

CONCLUSION: Most likely to be the one guy you might be able to bring home to your parents. Least likely to put on oven mitts to take a frozen pizza out of the oven.

Vere:

I love Vere for being the character I thought I could trust the least, turning into a character I actually trust allot. I trust him to be extremely dangerous. He probably wasn't lying when he said his heart is on his sleeve.

Also, big props for having him just kill you in one of the demo endings. What a guy, I love him, no notes

Wait what he's over 100 according to his birthday post. thats, allot? older? than I thought?. okay yeah the lore posts mention he's a possible deity figure. not comforting

Vere is very fae-logic coded. Like, the words he says can be true and false at the same time. Don't tell him your name, he will cannibalize you for fun, etc etc ya know fae stuff.

i will protect him always

CONCLUSION: Most likely to fuck your dad. Least likely to be your new stepdad.

Mihn:

Mihn is much dodgier than the rest, but I think that makes them more trustworthy. They're not as interested as playing games.

I nominate Mihn as a secondary protagonist, since Leander, Ais, and Kuras seem to be interested in them quite a bit. Even Vere has a rivalmance kinda thing going for Mihn. If MC didn't show up, that would be the dating sim right there

I'm excited by the lore post and the implications that Mihn is from Lovent (or has traveled there? and survived?) and potentially getting greater lore expansion about the world surrounding Eridia

I think it's interesting that their strength stat is relatively low compared to the others, yet they're one of the characters that actually uses their strength in the demo.

Also, I think we see the least of their "monstrous form" of everyone in the demo (minus their ability to dodge in and out of shadows). I'm thrilled to see what their monstrous form actually entails.

Mihn would survive bloodborne. That's it thats the entire thought

CONCLUSION: Most likely to do all the work in a group project. Least likely to be chill during Mario Party.

Leander:

OKAY ALL OF MY QUESTIONS ARE HERE. I AM DEEPLY AFRAID. Something is absolutely wrong but we have no current ability to pinpoint what it is.

I've seen theories Leander is dead. However, in Vere's route, he mentions that Leander smells like aftershave. While this could be part of an extra-elaborate ruse, hair doesn't grow after death (Minus the appearance of it happening due to natural decay processes) so he wouldn't need to shave. However, I am betting on him being involved in some sort of un-death cycle.

actually I can guarantee his story is all about cycles. Has anyone else mentioned how his belt is the triple goddess symbol.

you know. the symbol of maiden/mother/crone. birth/life/death. beginning/middle/end. like

Moving on, the vast majority of his smiles are forced (Mouth is smiling, but there's no eye movement/crinkle that would indicate it's genuine). That is enough of a red flag but honey I am so much more worried about my next point:

WHERE DOES HE GET HIS MONEY. He's constantly buying rounds of drinks for a packed bar. It's briefly mentioned his clothes are nice. He pays for anything MC needs. However, says Bloodhound rates are "Free". Where does he GET HIS MONEY for all of this. Twitter posts from Red Spring point out he doesn't accept bribes (at least overtly).

WAIT I'M REREADING THIS POST WHAT THE FUCK ARE THE SILENT CRYPTS.

Looking again at Leander's stat post. The Ouroboros in the background is. Not comforting. Also, "Forbidden Magic"? yeah I have a feeling we know why he's not in the Senobium

Theory, potentially Leander is currently being paid by the Senobium to maintain lowtown/Silent Crypts order? I think there's still a connection between them. Like the Senobuim can remain detached while having ties to whatever horrible things Leander is doing.

Okay, in the twitter relationship charts it says that Kuras has looked out for Leander "Since he was young". Kuras probably knows. SO much we don't.

When Mihn scolds Leander for not telling MC to be off the streets past dark. I think Leander intentionally "Forgot" to mention that. I think he wanted the MC to see how dangerous Eridia was so MC would stay closer to Leander for safety. I think it was a very intentional manipulation tactic.

(Furthermore, did he actually cast a spell of luck on MC when he gave them the lilies from his introduction magic trick? Then bet on the MC living through the day?)

I do think Leander's surprise at MC going out to the Seaspring was genuine, since his spit-take clashes so starkly with his cool-guy demeanor.

I also have a feeling that Leander has been past the veil/shroud. he's doing something fucky and the veil is prime fuckery territory.

(Are we...going to get a timeloop story????)

CONCLUSION: Most likely to dramatically use himself as a human bridge over a small puddle (as an excuse to get walked on). Least likely to remember to go to bed after playing Stardew Valley for 13 hours straight.

Touchstarved game things I'm concerned about:

(I feel like I wouldn't be doing my game designer duties if I didn't point out my concerns as well. To be fair, there aren't many.)

I hope the bad endings get fucked up, story-wise. Since it's a horror game, I know it might turn some people off to have things go super wrong, but I really hope they do. I want to see some endless pain vortexes, some real Juniji Ito-style suffering. But I would also understand if the devs want to softball some of the worst outcomes for the sake of widespread appeal.

We all have countless examples of kickstarter games looking strong out the gate, but then falling flat upon release. While I have high hopes for Touchstarved, I do know the reality and intense difficulty of kickstarter games. I'm really hoping the demo isn't the best the studio will have to offer.

OVERALL: I am rooting for the Touchstarved team/Red Spring Studio all the way! I'm thrilled to see where this game goes. I am poised on this purchase button and ready to buy when it releases.

[dionysism]

okay fuck it tier list of every greek mythology or greek myth inspired musical i've listened to (so far)

with, if you care, short reviews for each below the cut. i'm like half asleep but take my poorly organized thoughts

paris the musical

this one is my all time favorite of all the ones listed here. the musical scores and vocals are just on another level. it's a rock opera so it's got guitar solos and the songs are so catchy. business is my favorite track i could loop it for weeks. i also love their patroclus characterization and i am obsessed with achilles in this unironically one of my top patroachilles adaptations of all time and the musical isn't even about them 😭😭 AND PARIS... the actual focus of the musical, i love this take on him too. it's kinda comical but also actually tragic at the same time. which i mean. paris is kinda comical but ultimately tragic in general so its fair 💀 things definitely go down differently in this than in the iliad though like agamemnon and the greeks are actually planning to invade troy before paris even shows up to take helen and ulysses (odysseus) is the only one who thinks this is stupid. he does manage to convince the rest of them to maybe Not, but then paris takes helen after what's supposed to be him going there to strike a trade deal. and agamemnon uses that as the perfect excuse to justify something he already wanted to do unprovoked anyway. also agamemnon and menelaus were going to violate xenia and kill paris in their home after making him a guest (again, before he does anything with helen) which was ?!?!!? but like similar to epic this is more like an au to me than a faithful iliad adaptation. i also love this helen characterization and the whole dynamic between hector paris and cassandra i wish i could put them all in my mouth and chew them up

ulysses dies at dawn

this is another great one. i will say this is the only album from the mechs i've listened to and the band itself has a whole ton of lore so there may be details i'm missing but i love it so much. this is definitely more of an inspired by tale—takes place in the future (i think?) on a planet that's entirely machine and metal and all animals and natural life is extinct. and all the characters are named after greek mythos characters and they have similar stories to their original counterparts but adapted to this futuristic universe and it's just so unbelievably cool. also ulysses nonbinary in this?! (the narrator says the records are lost to time and we can't be sure if ulysses was a "man, woman, both, or neither" and only refer to them with they/them pronouns) anyway i won't say too much on this one because the story tells itself and i don't want to spoil but GO LISTEN this album is fantastic

hadestown

this one i think is the most popular/well known on this list so most of you have probably heard of it but i'll still give my review. everything about this musical is incredible. i absolutely adore this take on orpheus and eurydice. and this is a take on persephone and hades i don't totally hate (because usually i do) and the way at times they paralleled orpheus to hades??? there was a quote i read from its wiki page once that sums it up pretty well, from todd osborne, "it is a musical both about how art can save us and how, especially in an apocalyptic world, hope might be the only thing we have left." just such a beautiful musical and beautiful story and the themes and messages like stop i could talk about this musical for hours let me stop

for epic i've already summed up most of my thoughts on it here

theseus the musical

um. i'm not going to lie there's multiple parts of this where i do not know what they are saying. i have auditory processing issues and i usually really need the lyrics and i cannot find any anywhere for this so i'm kinda just going on vibes. but the songs are catchy and i like the parts i do understand 😭 and well i love theseus. dearly. my little princess with a disorder my freakazoid i want to trap him in a jar like a bug and shake him around his enclosure. i'll kind of take literally anything i can get on him

penelope off broadway

full title is penelope or how the odyssey was really written and this is such a fun one. this is a comedy musical and the premise is that the epic poem, the odyssey, actually comes from fake letters penelope wrote to stall the suitors in odysseus' absence. so she's just making shit up like "umm... my men got turned into pigs so i'm gonna be late sorry babe :/" and signing it as odysseus. obviously not the most accurate characterizations but again its more of a comedy spinoff than a faithful retelling. telemachus also gets a cute little romance. (spoilers ahead if you care) they scared me for a second i thought they were having it that odysseus cheated penelope and she was gonna leave him but that's not the case and it has a happy ending so <3 this one is just so funky and silly like if you want a lighthearted not super serious musical you will love this it's really adorable and the woman who plays penelope's voice is incredible like omg some of the high notes she hits??? woah

jasper in deadland (tw suicide mention)

this one is also an inspired by/based on tale where jasper (orpheus) follows his friend agnes (eurydice) into deadland in an attempt to get her back from what was either an accident or a suicide attempt (but most likely suicide) he runs into various figures from greek norse and egyptian mythology and like it wasn't bad or anything really the songs just weren't catchy enough for me. i'm not gonna lie that's literally my only issue. i just cannot get into it and listen to it multiple times if it's not catchy enough. but the plot is cute!!

percy jackson the musical

i just don't personally care for percy jackson, sorry. never really did. you'd think as a greek mythology obsessed child i'd eat it up and i mean as a kid i did like it a little but i don't know it just never hooked me. i've tried to get back into it but it's even less enjoyable to me now unfortunately. the songs weren't catchy (to me) and i didn't like the lyrics either. it's not necessarily a bad musical. it's just not my thing

aristos the musical

sorry it just kinda felt like tsoa the musical to me and i immediately couldn't enjoy it 😭😭 that's literally all i have to say

[efangamez]

Hey y'all! Here is Efan's quick rundown and review of almost all the cool games I played this year, as well as my Steam in Review!

1. Darkest Dungeon

I've been playing this game for nearly ten years, and I finally beat it this year. Not a 2023 release, but a huge milestone for myself. After a terrible year before it, I made it a goal to face my fears and beat this game. Lo' and behold, I did, and it's one of my own personal gaming accomplishments. It's solidified as the best turn based game I've ever played, but it does have its late-game issues, specifically with the Crimson Court maps and the final dungeon maps. It's just absurd tbh. However, this is one of my favorite games of all time, if not my favorite, and it's a must have for horror fans, HP Lovecrft fans, and turn based game fans. 9.7/10

2. Sun Haven

A wonderful and cute farming sim that scratched an itch no other could scratch. Its characters are fun, the music is solid, the graphics are very bright and fantastical, and the combat was simple yet kinda fun. I really loved the progression in this game too. It still has its issues, such as the late game (it may have been fixed because this game was in early access) and some of the utility of the workbenches you can use. All in all, a very solid farming sim (and just life sim in general tbh) if you like a little bit of fantasy mixed in. 9/10

3. Halls of Torment

My favorite Survivor game. The music, aesthetics, progression, characters, and maps are all different enough to keep you coming back for more. As I am disabled, these games are actually super fun to play because I only have to play with one hand. It was in early access when I played it heavily, so it had some issues like the handling of inventory, some balance issues, and feature creep issues, but they may have been fixed now. 9.3/10

4. Cassette Beasts

A must-play monster battler with an amazing plot, an incredible soundtrack, interesting monsters, and great characters for the most part. If you've been really wanting a game that is reminiscent of Pokemon colleseum but also want that 2d love of the Black and White games, this is a must have. It does have some balance issues (again, early access game when I played), but other than that and maybe some performance issues that are probably fixed by now, it was an incredible game that made me want a 2d Pokemon game more than ever. 9/10

5. Roboquest

A fantastic FPS roguelike game with great gunplay, movement, art direction, and music too. Each weapon feels pretty unique, it has melee weapons (wish there were more though) and a progression system that's really cool. It plays like if Doom Eternal had a kid with Borderlands, and I think plays a bit better than any other RANGED FPS roguelike/lite that I've played. I will say the difficulty settings are really cool, but I think they are a little too enticing due to game balance as of 1.0 due to progression being a bit of a grind. I think that having different endings for each difficulty might be a cool idea, each as satisfying as the other, but I know that can be a pain to develop. 9/10

6. Mortal Sin

A beautifully dark and trippy mostly melee FPS roguelike that takes the intensity of DOOM and the melee weapons of Elderborn and drenches it in a slow-mo filled, heavy swinging fun time. It's definitely the most FUN game this year as I've been craving an FPS melee roguelike for a while. It accomplishes this and then some with pretty cool progression that adds some variety to each game. The art direction reminds me of a more purple and red MORK BORG (fellow TTRPGers rejoice) and I LOVE it. The only issues to me are that the story and lore are a bit boring and lacking, but again it's in early access, so it has time to cook. 9.5/10

7. And last, my game of the year, LUNACID by @stylishkira

What a gorgeous game all around. The music has probably the most atmosphere out of any indie game I've played outside of Darkest Dungeon. Its levelling system is accessible but fun, you can create your own character with their own name and profile picture which I think is SO cool (Mortal Sin should totally do this if it's not too much of a copy). The combat is really fun and the sound design is probably second, once again, to Darkest Dungeon. It was an absolutely magical experience playing this game, and an experience I don't think I'll ever forget. I do think, however, that the ending feels really really rushed, and that sullied my experience a little bit, and the bosses are pretty unbalanced because you can just spam all of your health potions and tank the bosses, but the experience leading up to the ending is amazing. Also, I know the true ending is purposely a little complex, but tbh, if the goal was to have the "true" endings similar to the Souls games, having the final climactic boss (which I won't spoil, but is really cool) be the core of the normal ending, paired with alternate endings WITH that really cool final boss I think, might make the experience a bit more satisfying. It's already kinda implemented, but I loved this game so much that the standard ending just kinda felt....empty. Don't let these critiques stop you from playing this game, however. It's one of my favorites of all time, and I only give these critiques because I love this game so much. This is a MUST PLAY, and for the price, it's an absolute steal and should be priced up, imo. I cannot wait to see where the direction of possible King's Field style games come, because I am THIRSTY for more! 9.6/10

Annnddddddd that's it! Some great other games I played this year were the Demon Souls remake (9.2/10) Shadow of the Colossus (9.3/10), and Bloodborne (for probably the 30th time, and that's no joke, 9.8/10), and Quake (9.8/10).

[coricomile]

I think Mos and Bank have good chemistry. And I do feel for Bank, who openly cried on a livestream because of the poor reception of Sunset x Vibes until Mos pulled him away. I'm sure his manager wasn't thrilled, and I can only imagine how hard he's going to be hit when this show gets eaten alive in final reviews, because it's bad.

They put their all into it, but no one could make this work.

The wardrobe and accessories in a show that is focusing on accessories are hideous. Bank is pretty, but not pretty enough to fix a bad script, bland relationship dynamics, and truly hideous styling.

We got endless montages of Sun being objectively bad in his brand new role as president of a failing company by taking his boyfriend out to scenic locations. Lin is also a rich boy heir, and it was mentioned once and never again, but "oh no this is so expensive" first date and the lying about being rich boys are just.... there. And Sun was rewarded for being a supremely bad boss while Chan did everything in his stead.

Sam and Yoh had potential to actually do the poor boy/rich boy dynamic promised from Lin and Sun, but that also fell flat because there wasn't enough time given. Why do they even like each other? Who knows. Sam just looks extra hot with a half updo and no glasses.

The Prim/Pim relationship with "I secretly loved you from afar, so I was a bitch" and Pim apparently having 0 experience with even kissing after coming out of a long term relationship (didn't want to have sex, got it, but I'm pretty sure she made out with her boyfriend at some point) gave nothing at all to the story other than filler.

The Naga fantasy plot was convoluted and made no sense because instead of spending time developing the lore and creating connections, there were 10 minute scenes of fucking on a pool table/gratuitous white paint splashing in the least subtle replacement for a cumshot/weirdly graphic blowjob sounds while focusing on Mos' back right before a massively important show.

I am here for the horny. It is my favorite. But if you're dedicating precious screen time to sex scenes, they should do something to advance either character development or the plot.

Vegas eats Pete out after torturing him and Pete likes it. Vegas wants to hurt him, but also wants to pleasure him. Pete breaks because of the contrast and starts to see Vegas as something other than just a monster. Using Bible again because dude does sex scenes right- Great and Thyme have cute, goofy sex in one timeline because they're high on adrenaline and budding feelings, and in the other timeline Thyme is cold and calculating and fucks Great in a specific way to (attempt to) humiliate him. Both scenes drive the plot forward. The sex is part of the development. Without those scenes, we lose incredibly important dynamics.

Sunset x Vibes just has pretty boys dry humping prettily. It doesn't develop the relationships or the plot and actually take away from what the story could be of given the proper room to breathe. And using Dancing With the Devil as background music makes 0 sense outside of giving a call back to Big Dragon. What devil? They just won a world award. This is a victory fuck.

Sunset x Vibes had the bones of an interesting story and plenty of time to explore it, but failed spectacularly on all counts.

[mushroompoisoning]

Good friend, I ask of you because I trust you, what are these "The Mechanisms" you are so fond of?

Okay I tried to type out an incredibly long summary but tumblr deleted it so you're getting a semi-sane version instead

The Mechanisms are a band of immortal, space-faring pirates travelling the universe singing about the tragedies they witness for our entertainment!

There are nine main members you'll hear about, with the tenth - Dr Carmilla - having left much earlier and making her own music 👍 ( there is technically an eleventh but they're more of a mystery easter egg than anyone we know things about )

Quick lore thing: the mechanisms immortality works from the mechanical part(s) they each have. They can die and get injured, but they'll revive whenever the narrative wants them too. All logic in this universe functions off of Would It Be Good For The Story

The cast is:

Jonny D'Ville (he/him) is the ship's first mate ( don't let him tell you otherwise ) and he's got a mechanical heart

Nastya Rasputina (she/her) is the ship's engineer and girlfriend! Yea the ship - Aurora - is alive btw. She's got me hanical blood

Ashes O'Reily (they/them) is the ship's quartermaster and best arsonist! they've got mechanical lungs

Drumbot Brian (he/him) is the ship's pilot and the only one with a moral code. It's controlled by a switch which flips between Means Justify Ends and Ends Justify Means with no nuance. everything is mechanical except for his heart

Ivy Alexandria (she/her) is the ship's archivist! Pretty chill, cares more for books than violence but that doesn't mean she disapproves of the latter. she's got a mechanical brain

The Toy Soldier (it/its) is the mascot and whatever else they tell it to be! it just wants to be involved. will follow anything you tell it if you ask nicely ( or with enough force ). it's not actually mechanized, and is instead a sentient wooden man

Gunpowder Tim (he/him) is the ship's master at arms! madman war veteran who I love dearly. he blew up the moon. he's great. I pick favourites. he's got mechanical eyes

Raphaella La Cognizi (she/her) is the ship's unethical scientist! nothing is off the table when it comes to research. nothing. theory is she mechanized her, but iirc that unconfirmed. she's got a mechanical spine and wings!

and Baron Marius Von Raum (he/him) who is neither the ships baron nor doctor. he claims to be both, though. Deeply unserious fella. he's got a mechanical arm

^ here are some good images for crew reference

OKAY! Now onto actual music

They have six albums and a couple singles!

Once Upon a Time (In Space) is an unconventional retelling of classic fairytales

High Noon over Camelot is a retelling of King Arthur

Ulysses Dies at Dawn is a greek mythos adaptation

and The Bifrost Incident is a norse mythos adaptation

there's also Tales To Be Told volumes I and II, and the two single Frankenstein and Death To The Mechanisms ( technically that one is part of an album but the album is just a bunch of their other songs from already existing albums )

The tales to be told albums contain some of the mechanisms origins!

One Eyed Jacks is Jonny's

Lucky Sevens is Ashes'

Lost In The Cosmos is Brian's

and Gunpowder Tim vs The Moon Kaiser I don't think I have to say

Nastya has an origin song, but it was never officially put on anything. You can find it on the @mechanismslorearchive ( you can get any lore you want on there )

They also have a number of live shows ( you can find those on youtube ) and written stories on their website! I recommend these if you wanna get to know the mechanisms as characters better

that is the basic rundown. I'm not an expert on the mechs so if you're looking to talk to a metaphorical seasoned nurse instead of a med student I'd go to @bugsinthebayou or @gunpowderdtim (sorry for tagging yall)

[grifff17]

Audiodrama Sunday 7/7/24

Most of what I did this week was listen to Courier's Call. Next week I'll be up to date, then it's time for InCo.

I'm almost caught up with Skyjacks: Courier's Call. I don't want it to be over! It looks like the next season is coming soon though. Sleazus and Sleazy’s had me rolling. There was so much intrigue at the all Audron dinner, I was loving all the politics. Cici asking June and Kieran to prom was so cute! I loved all the very gnc prom outfits, Bobby Gene in the giant chickenbone dress is a wonderful image. Finally the snowball fight was incredible, I love that the cast mentioned Craig of the Creek, that show fits the vibes of Courier's Call so well.

@wanderersjournalpod I had 2 episodes to listen to. With all the Pluto drama with the creature, Marigold really buried the lead. She’s from really deep in her forest wow.

Dear Liisphyra this week was a fun mystery. I loved the musical accompaniment, and the "red heron" joke was great.

In the new Lost Terminal I had forgotten about Cassie, it’s nice to hear more from her. The ending was brutal though, it reminds me of AI chains from the book Kitty Cat Kill Sat. There are so many AIs in the show now, I love that this season only has AI characters in it.

@midnightburgr had a new Welcome to the Horizon! Wait until Frank and June hear about the Teds and earth tv, they're going to totally lose it. The comet is totally going to tie into the main show later in the season.

This episode of @worldgonewrongpod was too real. I absolutely adored the premise of this episode, it feels like the core of what this show is, real problems in a supernatural world. This was one of the funniest episodes yet, because of how realistic it was.

@worldsbeyondpod really was a completely different tone for every PC. Ursulon’s scenes were horrifying, Ame's were cute, and Suvi's was amazing! Vandal was wonderful, and Aabria’s dice curse is broken! Suvi essentially pratfalling against an incredibly dangerous witch and it working perfectly was incredible. I'm loving the way the wizards are treated in this story arc.

Spout lore couldn't have been more different from Worlds Beyond Number. I love both these show, for very different reasons. The "coming up with seven plans while walking to their objective then following none of them" was so real, every TTRPG group I've ever been in has done this at one point.

[popcultureoverdosed]

Blood Blockade Battlefront is New York at its Finest

NYC often gets a bad rep. Most people either see it as a smelly hellhole filled with crime and crappy attitudes or a breeding ground for hipsters and vapid socialites. People only see what they want to see without looking at the whole picture. This makes Leonardo's all-seeing eyes of God all the more important. Instead of lumping NYC into a box, he sees it for what it truly is; a chaotic blend of volatile elements.

The storytelling of Blood Blockade Battlefront is pure chaos from beginning to end. Leonardo is thrown into a world of highly deadly scenarios with very little breathing room in between. Each episode focuses on a moment in the character's life. One episode will focus on Leonardo befriending an amnesiac monster who loves burgers and another will feature a brigade of Charlie's angels-esque spies who happen to be invisible werewolves. It's the type of show that always keeps you on your toes because you never know what to expect. Some have criticized the show for its lack of an overarching plot and treat it as if that's inherently bad. Blood Bloockade isn't the type of show that needs a complex narrative. Its biggest appeal is simply seeing its eccentric cast interact with each other. Its episodic nature made watching it a breeze since viewers are never overwhelmed with too much information.

Worldbuilding is done at a casual pace where background lore is only given when it's relevant to what's currently happening. Since most characters are already well familiar with the lore, they usually cut the small talk and get straight to the action. In this way, the narrative mirrors New Yorker's aversion to beating around the bush. Show don't tell at its finest. We need more shows that just get to the point. Rie Matsumoto, director of season 1, feels a bit different about the story than I do, though. She inserted two original characters, Black and White, a pair of siblings who share a character arc that Intersects with Leo's. Under normal circumstances, this would have been an incredibly bad move. Filler in anime tends to feel pointless and just detracts from the story. Luckily, Rie Matsumoto made sure that the filler didn't feel like filler. It was fun watching the mystery surrounding the sibling duo unravel with each episode. It eventually culminated in a finale that was nearly an hour long. Matsumoto took a huge risk with her bold decision, but she definitely stuck the landing.

The production values of the show are also top-notch. Pretty much every episode is a reminder of why studio Bones is such a beloved company. They seriously put their key animators to work in both seasons. The fluidity of the fight scenes always left me impressed. Character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto did a great job at bringing Yasuhiro Nightow's art to animation with his iconic style. I love how even when Toshihiro is adapting someone else's character design, his style still shines through.

Special mention needs to be given to composer Taisei Iwasaki because he really killed it with this soundtrack. It's an eclectic blend of jazz, RNB, hip-hop, rock and more genres that perfectly captures the vibe of a busy New York City. Each track is a different flavor of the city and made me feel at home. The soundtrack truly embodies the chaotic feel of the show and captures its occasional serene moments perfectly.The true musical highlights are the openings and endings. BBB is one of those shows where you feel compelled to watch the full episode because the opening and ending are too good to skip. They're all incredibly upbeat songs that make you wanna stop everything and dance. Sugar song and bitter step is one of my favorite anime endings because of it's colorful animation and cheerful aura.

Blood Blockade Battlefront is the type of show that can really resonate with native New Yorkers. We see all the highs and lows of the city almost every day and you have to be just a little bit crazy to appreciate NYC for what it is.

[ijsthee]

Hi friends, here are some lesser known/underrated games I want more people to play, including steam links! (many of these are also on other platforms, steam is just easiest to link)

tldr: heres the list on backloggd with the same comments

Outer Wilds (exploration, puzzle, mystery) - not by any means an underrated or even unknown game, but a game I simply have to recommend to anyone, any time. My favourite game ever. Genuinely imo one of the best games ever made. Anyone will tell you not to look up anything about this game (and theyre right, uncovering every part of this game IS the game) but I recommend if you really get stuck or frustrated, play with a friend or ask someone who has played it for a nudge!

Tunic (zelda-like, souls-like, adventure, puzzle) - an homage to retro gaming that I am slightly too young to fully understand.. and still one of my favourite games! A simple (but charming) zelda-like with souls-like elements on the surface, an intricate mind-breaking puzzle game at its core! Highly recommend if you like games that you have to keep physical notes for

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (puzzle, mystery) - Puzzles puzzles puzzles! One big mystery puzzle game dripping with atmosphere and intrigue, a non-linear story that will pull you in and puzzles that youll be thinking about for hours after exiting the game. its a crime that this game seems to be slept on for now

In Stars and Time (rpg, story-driven) - the story-driven time-loop RPG that tumblr needs. WILL make you cry. the characters are at the heart and core of this game and they are AMAZING. Extremely trans story also

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (visual novel, mystery, story-driven) - so listen i know Ace Attorney is not niche by any means. But it feel like either people dont really know about this game or havent given it a shot yet. Well I'm here to say if you have any interest in Ace Attorney, these games are some of the best the whole franchise has to offer. The story is intriguing and interconnected in ways the best Ace Attorney stories are, the main cast are charming as hell, the music is amazing, they are by far the best looking 3D Ace Attorney games of the franchise, etc. If youre familiar with ace attorney i dont need to sell you on the whole murder mystery bit, i just need to emphasize that this is some of the best mystery writing in the whole SERIES

Chants of Sennaar (puzzle, language) - puzzle game where you gradually learn the languages of various peoples by context and logic! Not only is the language and puzzle aspect of this game really well done, it also has a really nice theme and beautiful art style

Hypnospace Outlaw (puzzle, 1990's internet) - play as a moderator on an alternative universe's 90's internet, put your detective skills to use in order to find those pesky users breaking the rules! or spend hours digging through peoples pages to learn wtf ''frostpunk'' is and what happened at ''coolfest'', y'know, like the internet

Nine Sols (metroidvania, souls-like, action/combat) - can be described as a ''sekiro inspired souls-like metroidvania'', if buzzwords do anything for you. If not I will mention that it has a beautiful art style, incredibly satisfying (tough, but fair) parry-focused combat, and intriguing lore and story. Its good!

[ganondoodle]

feeling much better now having gotten some sleep (the dont trust how you feel about yourself past 9pm is good advice no joke)

of course all my criticism of totk still applies but im feeling less depressed about it, tho i will say its honestly kinda baffling how many times the game actually got me interested and excited about stuff and then just kinda drops it in a dead end, of course they were those kind of things in botw as well but it seems much less .. balanced in totk

(not even just the big things like making me want to actively do something to help zelda turn back when it just gets solved on its own in the end, but also some lil things like the fact that so many NPCs tell you about that newly discovered animal species and when you find the dongos they are just gem vending maschines)

in the end i can say, no, i dont like totk, tho i still love the graphics and the way the world is made ( botw showed me jsut how immersive and alive a world can feel i love it to death), i liked the gameplay and that it kept the freedom botw had established, the bossfights are mostly fun (tho i wish you could refight more of them), i LOVE the yiga and im glad they got more of a spotlight, the music is FANTASTIC i keep catching myself humming along, alot of the sidequests are much bigger and feel like you are actually doing something, i like how the sages are a bit more integrated into the story, the majority of the new designs are great, both the japanese and german voice acting is great, and the end fight has some of the best build up i have ever experienced, my heart starts to race when that music build up starts even tho i have beaten it 3 times already-

however, the story is both simple and incredible flat with lots of stuff that doesnt make sense especially when it was said to be a sequel, the zonau should have stayed a mystery imo, they failed to make me care about them even a little bit and often felt forcefully crammed into the world and its history, i think you could have told an incredible story taking place in the present and leave the past be the past, you easily could have connected botw and totk in a much better way than they did, i dont like how it changes aspects about botw all the while nigh ignoring it ever happened, it still feels like it was trying to be a replacement and not a sequel and all the referencing and callbacks to the old titles may have been done in good faith but that and including time travel yet again ultimately lead to people ripping each other to shreds over trying to prove its placed in the old timeline despite it making no sense at all and confusing people even more; often when the game made me care or be excited about something it was dropped in a dead end, there was a ton of missed opportunities and lost potential to tell a much more nuanced and interesting story/lore, and thinking about it only makes me sad for the things that could have been

overall i think my disappointment is outweighing my fun and the only way i can keep playing it while having fun is ignoring everything that isnt, which works quite well most of the time since im pretty much done with all story stuff but i keep slipping into my little rants nonetheless; i will say its making me a little worried about the future of the franchise, but i know im in the minority and maybe i will just have to accept that the new stuff wont be for me anymore and i should not hope for anything that interests me xD

except for some meme material or specific characters i love i dont think i will make much use of anything totk tried to establish, and i hope thats fine with the lot of you (<3) hopefully that also means my ranting days are over xD

anyway, back to making niche art i go! (sorry for making you endure these long ass rambling posts :,) )

[somethingclevermahogony]

Writer Questionnaire

Thank you for the tag @phoenixradiant and @mk-writes-stuff!

About how long have you had your writing tumblr/writeblr?

I created this blog at the end of 2022 but went inactive for a big portion of 2023.

What led you to create it?

I was already working on my WIP, which I want to publish one day. I was worried that people wouldn't be interested in what I was making, so my partner (@persnickety-peahen) suggested that I should make a tumblr to see how people would react to my ideas.

What’s your favourite thing about the writeblr community?

I enjoy seeing how people are able to bring their characters and their settings to life. I really enjoy reading the snippets of other people's work.

What’s one thing you’d like your mutuals to know about you?

I'm always willing to talk, whether about writing or something else entirely. Just a warning though, I have a tendency to ramble

Is there anything you’d like to see more of on your dash?

Worldbuilding! I know I'm a bit of a lore fanatic, but I want to see some huge exposition posts from my mutuals too!

Which wips or writing projects are you noodling about, lately?

I really only have the one WIP, The Testaments, but I have bits and pieces from all over the planned series bouncing around in my head. I just finished a big paper and so I'm hoping to get back to writing Book 1 soon!

How long have you been working on them?

I suppose that depends? Working on it as in actually sitting down and plotting things out, or just scribbling in my notebooks? I'd say probably about 5 years now.

Do you remember what inspired them/what got you started?

It was a few things, just random ideas that sort of conglomerated into Narul. Then I started making a world for him to live in.

How much time, in your best estimation, do you spend thinking about them?

Very often, can't really say how much, I have a tendency to imagine scenes in my head. Basically whenever I'm listening to music, I'm likely thinking about Testaments.

When someone asks the dreaded, “what do you write about,” question, what do you usually say?

It depends on who I'm talking to. I say its fantasy but based on the ancient near-east/Mediterranean rather than Europe. If its someone that is familiar with that region/period I usually go into a bit more of a spiel about how Narul is in part inspired by characters like Gilgamesh but with the opposite of Hubris.

Name any characters you created. side characters, protagonists, antagonists, characters who’ve never been written, your first original abomination; whomever you’d like!

I'll go with Bop. Bop was a once terrifying wind spirit that now resides inside of a hammer. They are at once incredibly wise and ancient and very naïve. I created them as an immortal friend for Narul. What if the One Ring was a just a chill non-binary pal?

Who’s the most unhinged?

Zatar, though Batricca is a close second (Great Grandson and Great Grandma, crazy violence runs in the family).

Who comes the most naturally for you to write?

Narul is pretty easy to write, because in a lot of ways he's representative of my own anxiety. But I also find that writing spirits and scenery comes really naturally to me.

Do you ever cringe at them?

Not really. Istek's flirtation is probably the most cringey thing that a character does and even then its more funny than anything. Ninma can be an annoying little brat, but is not cringe inducing,

How much control do you feel you have over your characters? do they ever “write themselves,” refuse to cooperate, or do things you didn’t expect? to what degree? are some less cooperative than others?

I'm not really sure. I'd say I'm pretty in control of my characters, if only because I have most of the serious plotted out. But sometimes new characters appear or characters just do something because it feels right in the moment, I suppose you could say in those instances that they write themselves.

Do you enjoy people asking questions about your characters? and do you have a preferred means of receiving said questions? for example, as asks, as replies, as reblogs, as tag notes, as comments on ao3, etc.

I love answering questions about my characters and world. I have a couple questions I need to get to (I just need to finish my conlang post). Send asks, tags, replies, reblogs, anything!

What makes you want to follow another writeblr account? do you follow ‘em as you see ‘em, or take time scoping out the blog to make sure you align with its content? do you follow based on wips, or vibes?

I tend to look for writeblr intros and read them over. If the story seems compelling, I'll follow. Pretty simple. Alternatively if someone follows me I tend to follow them back.

What makes you decide against following?

No content on their blogs, certain political/social ideas (no terfs), I don't tend to read a lot of fanfic (not to say that it isn't totally valid) so I don't tend to follow blogs that are solely based around fanfic rather than original content.

Do you interact with non-mutuals often?

Not really? I wouldn't mind interacting more though!

Do your mutuals’ characters occupy space in your noodle?

A few will occasionally seep into my thoughts. I will admit though, I am terrible at remembering the names of my mutuals characters, especially when I take long breaks. Djek and Izjik from @illarian-rambling appear in my head every once in a while. To tell you the truth though, I tend to think more about the worlds and settings of my mutuals rather than their characters.

Tagging @willtheweaver, @elsie-writes, @elizaellwrites, @roach-pizza, and leaving it open!

[leo-fie]

Is Furiosa another Fury Road? (Guide of autistic folk)

Yes and no!

Furiosa has a different structure. Rather than a relentless chase for most of the movie, it's an episodic narrative over about 15 years. So it's not getting your heart pumping constantly with barely any breathers in between. It has actual plot. And dialogue.

That's not to say that Fury Road is lacking in any way. Rather the fact that it's basically a silent film with barely any plot, but loads of story, is it's greatest strength.

Visually it’s very similar. I don’t know if the filmmakers reused the cars they build for Fury Road or if they rebuild them, but there are several vehicles we already know. I don’t doubt for a second that most of the stuff we see on screen is practical. It has a similar feel of realness than Fury Road. Almost, more on that later.

Because we know where Furiosa ends up and the filmmakers know we know, they expect us to have watched Fury Road (or the many dissections of it, like by Innuendo Studios) recently. Fury Road is the Tankobon, Furiosa is the Databook.

Yes, we get more information about basically every aspect of the wasteland. We see more of the Citadel, we see the Bulletfarm and Gastown. We learn more about the inner workings of Immortan Joe's system. Sadly we do not see how our beloved War Rig gets build. But it's predecessor.

Furiosa expects the audience to pay close attention. The setting and pay-off, the flow of the action, the faces of characters, everything shown will come back in some way. That is of course just basic film craft, but even the simple things are nice if they are done well. I only saw Furiosa once so far, but I’m fairly certain repeat viewings will only reveal more nice setings and pay-offs, instead of plot holes.

Now to the feel. Because I’m not used to seeing movies on the big screen, it’s possible that the following is just me. But I thought the visual style of Furiosa leaned more into the hyper-real, almost mythical or into magical realism. Of course Fury Road already had the colour grade cranked up to where the sand was orange and fire was blood red. But it still felt incredibly real and tactile. Which is what set it apart back then from the shiny CGI of superhero movies. There were still weird elements in Fury Road, Max’s indestructibility, the sudden sandstorm with a lightning tornado in it, etc. But Furiosa in its visuals leans in a little bit more.

Could be because the story is canonically told to us by the History Man. Could be that the sweeping vistas of various locations are more clearly computer generated due to the sheer scale. Could be the camera work. Could be that we spend a lot more time in the actual fortresses of the wasteland, rather than just the War Rig, which we know to be a real object. Could be me.

I’m not saying it’s bad, I’m saying it’s different. The shot in the trailer, of young Furiosa picking a peach, that feeling is what I’m talking about.

Also the music. Tom Holkenborg returns for the music, but there is very little of it. I didn’t really pay attention much, but the massive Fury Road score is missing almost completely. Or I didn’t notice. I’m not a music person.

Anyway: Go watch it in the cinema, if you’re able. It’s an incredibly well made action blockbuster that takes full advantage of decades of lore. It’s firing on all cylinders. It explains the world of Fury Road more, but doesn’t get dry or takes away the intrigue. All the actors showed up for it. Anya Taylor-Joy is great, we all know that. Chris Hemsworth gives Dementus so much personality and gravitas that I only now realize he would have ended as a Joker-clone with another actor. John Burke as Praetorian Jack has a couple minutes and a couple lines and he makes it count. We also have returning actors such as Nathan Jones as Rictus Erectus, Angus Sampson as Organic Mechanic, John Howard as the People Eater. Sadly Richard Carter (the Bullet Farmer) and Hugh Keays-Byrne (Immortan Joe) could not return.

[bardic-inspo]

Unsolicited Lore Dump

Thanks to the wonderful @paganwitchisis and @pinkberrytea for the tags! This is such a fun get-to-know you game!

Do you make your bed? No and I have no shame about it because I honestly don't really see the point. I straighten the covers at night before getting in.

Favorite number? Numbers greater than 10 with 2 in it! 12, 22, 32, etc.

What's your job? I work in HR, but not in hiring/firing/performance management. I do benefits administration, specifically for a closed pension plan. This means I work with a lot of retirees and older folks. I also work on transitioning active employees into retirement, benefits for beneficiaries when someone passes away, and setting up benefits splits resulting from divorces.

If you could go back to school would you? Not full time, no. I am too burnt out to flourish in that environment. I did 18 credits + two jobs my last three or so semesters of undergrad and that fried me something awful even this far removed from it. BUT, if I could cut my work schedule in half (without a drop in income) and take 1-2 classes at a time, I certainly would. I'd like to take foreign language classes, and I've always really love social sciences courses. I have a minor in poli sci that could be cool to turn into a complete degree/major.

Can you parallel park? Decently, yes. I could with my old compact car, but I'm much better now that I have a back-up cam.

Do you think aliens are real? Yes in the sense in that the universe is vast and it seems highly unlikely we're the only life forms in it. But I don't think it's anything like movies or video games might make it out to be. I think it's also possible that lifeforms used to exist elsewhere or will someday exist elsewhere but have either gone extinct or haven't yet emerged.

Can you drive a manual car? Nope, and I don't really have interest in learning.

What's your guilty pleasure? I'm working hard to have less and less guilt about any pleasures I have. But I suppose I'd say fanfic and hyperfixating on video game characters in general. Beyond just enjoying the game itself; really deep diving and getting sucked into a character or character(s) and running through rabbit holes imagining them in all sorts of scenarios, AUs, etc.

Tattoos? Yes! I have carpe diem on one foot, and a celtic triple spiral on another, gotten at age 18 and 19 respectively. I want to get a dragon someday, and have toyed with the idea of getting a 'sister' tattoo with it of willowherb (said to be the first sort of plant that comes back after a forest fire). I've also toyed with the idea of the dragon in more of a resting position, breathing to life a little campfire.

Favorite color? Purple or blue. I also like winey colors (reds and purples)

Favorite types of music? My music taste is incredibly eclectic, but I'd broadly say pop rock or pop punk.

Do you like puzzles? Sort of! I like ones that are hard enough to make me feel smart. I get easily frustrated by things I can't figure out somewhat quickly, though. I enjoy sudoku.

Any phobias? I struggle with bugs, though I've gotten marginally better over time and can handle small spiders on my own, now. Due to a real, real rough apartment experience, I generally freak out about mice as well. I can keep my cool if they're in an enclosure like in a pet store, though I don't like looking at them there, either. I also have a recurring dream about accidentally driving off a cliff and so I get super tense and nervous driving on bridges.

Favorite childhood sport? Swimming.

Do you talk to yourself? In the car, or if I'm alone for a longer period of time. I work from home on Mondays/Fridays and find myself doing it more often those days.

What movies do you adore? Oh gosh, I honestly don't often rewatch movies, I'd generally prefer to watch something new instead. But uh, the LotR trilogy is pretty precious to me. Dune 2 was great! I liked Get Out and Nope. I remember liking Dr. Sleep a lot, too, but I only watched it once and it's sort of a blur in my memory. Recently watched Saving Private Ryan for the first time and it kind of fucked me up. I'm pretty eclectic in what I like with movies.

Coffee or tea? Black coffee. Death before decaf.

First thing you wanted to be growing up? I think maybe an author. Also a fairy godmother for a long time. I still kinda wanna be both.

No pressure tags!: @electricshoebox, @halkuonn, @snowfolly, @tragedybunny, @tallymonster,

@scrytpe, and @mutualcombat <3

[dragonchris]

Game Review: Crosscode

Imagine if you were playing an Augmented Reality Multiplayer Online RPG but instead of actually playing an Augmented Reality Multiplayer Online RPG you played as a character who was playing an Augmented Reality Mulitplayer Online RPG? Welcome to Crosscode, an absolute BANGER of a RPG and the single game I’ve been obsessed with for the last two months or so.

Story:

Meet Lea, an amnesiac playing through the Augmented Reality game of Crossworlds to relearn her memories. Through the story, you meet incredibly fun characters and explore a gorgeous futuristic world, uncovering the secrets of your past and figuring out who you are in the present. This game’s got some twists and turns that kept me gripped the whole way through. I wanted to squeeze every dialogue option out of all the characters I met to learn everything about them that I could. Man this game has a story that’s so rich and plentiful I feel like I’m wallowing in a five-star course. I love a good lore-filled game.

Gameplay and Controls:

As Lea, you travel through a 2D RPG, exploring new places, solving puzzles, and fighting monsters to level up! The world is vast and well-designed, the puzzles are immaculate, but one of the most fleshed out parts of this game is its combat system. I’m usually more a puzzle gameplay person than a combat one but man the combat just feels good. The enemies are interesting and varied, you’ve got an extensive amount of control over how to build the character that you want to play, and its super satisfying to go back to earlier levels that you’ve toiled through and just fucking disintegrate every enemy in your path. And there’s accessibility options too, for both the combat aspect of the game and the puzzle aspect!

Sound:

The music is a treat and is very intuitive to the mood of the story and the environment, But also, past that, just the sounds in general are great too. I didn’t realize what a treat it was for certain attacks to sound so nice until I was using them. There are places in the game where the waterfall effects are a bit too loud, but other than that, the game is just really nice to listen to.

Art:

Crosscode’s got a nice pixel style which lends a special charm to the game, almost calling back to older games with its style while making a story about a futuristic gaming environment. The only gripe I have with this style is that, due to its 2D nature, it can be hard to gauge perspective sometimes which can make platforming a bit tricky.

Playable, Replayable, or Unplayable?

God, there is so much in this game to do. It’s worth playing it, it’s worth going back and replaying it. For an indie game, it’s so richly made and there’s so much love put into it that I can’t recommend it enough. If you’re looking into this game, I’d HIGHLY recommend also yoinking the “A New Home” DLC, which offers a whole-ass epilogue chapter. And if you’re not sure if it’s the right game for you, try the free demo out! Man, I love this game. 10/10.

Steam

[clottedscream]

How I would do My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: A rewrite masterpost

Long ago, two all-powerful queens ruled over the prosperous land of Equestia. Queen Solaris, The Sun Mare, ruled the daytime sun, and her younger sister Queen Selenia, The Moon Mare, ruled the night sky. However, as the legend goes, Selenia grew jealous of her sister’s power and adoration, and launched an attack against her older sister using her army of fearsome dragons. The great Solaria was able to defeat Selenia by trapping her in the moon, and turned each of her dragons into a constellation to fill the night sky. But when Selenia was banished to the moon, the ways of ancient magic went with her, the knowledge lost to all ponies including Solaris. Some say this was Selenia’s final curse: a spell of forgetting. But instead of falling to despair, Solaris founded the Royal Canterlot Academy, a research institute and school dedicated to re-learning the secrets of the world. She invented a new magic, Alchemy, which used the magic of natural things as components to power Alchemical spells channelled through a pony’s wings or horns. Alchemical spells can move the four elements of Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire, or can even combine them to create more complex spells, by spending the magic in component objects. But the ways of ancient magic are still present in the mysterious music of ordinary things, lying and waiting to be discovered... by anyone who knows where to listen.

[Image ID: A simplistic 2D drawing of Queens Selenia and Solaria, two very similar looking alicorn ponies. Selenia, left, is rendered in two shades of blue. Solaria, left, is rendered in two shades of orange. They face each other in symmetrical poses. End ID.]

Hey there! this is my masterpost for how i would rewrite MLP! This post will have my world lore writing, plus links to all the main characters’ art n bios once I’ve gotten those finished <3. This rewrite is partially inspired by Jenny Nicholson’s video on the same subject, so credit where credit is due, but mostly it’s my own work! This will include redesigns of all the main ponies plus some unique world lore of my own design.

lore stuff under the readmore :)

Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies

[Image ID: a simplistic 2d drawing of a Unicorn, a Pegasus, and an Earth pony, in red, blue, and yellow respectively. End ID]

The three types of ponies who live in Equestria are Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth ponies. 

Unicorns have horns, as well as tails that are more lion-like than other ponies’. Through their horns, Unicorns can channel Alchemical magic and cast spells of any kind, pushing the study of alchemy to new heights with their innovation and research.

Pegasi channel magic through their huge feathered wings, but their range is limited to the elements of air and water. Pegasi are so in tune with the air, however, that their natural aptitude far outweighs that of any unicorn, and they use their magic to perform incredible feats of aviation and control the weather. 

Earth ponies are incapable of channeling alchemical magic, but being cut off from alchemy puts them far more in tune with the ancient magic of the earth. No pony is quite so skilled at intuiting the magical properties of things as an earth pony is, so they’re the ones who produce and manufacture alchemical components. Earth ponies run the mines and farms that make Alchemy possible.

Cutie Marks and Appellations

In this version of Equestria, your cutie mark is only of secondary importance. Instead, young ponies excitedly wait until they’ve earned their Appellation. A pony’s appellation is a byname, like “The hunter pony,” or “The painter pony,” that grants them a small, special power of their very own. Maybe it lets them summon confetti, or maybe it lets them talk to animals! Whatever the power may be, it’s determined by what their Appellation means to them.

Appellations are a very old form of magic, older by far than even Queen Solaris herself. They’re a representation of a pony’s very soul. Appellations are bestowed upon you by another pony, usually a parent or a close elder, but a pony’s best friend works just as well. Most ponies get their first and only Appellation when they earn their cutie mark. However, since a pony’s Appellation is a representation of their soul, they are changeable and adaptable, just like the pony themselves. When another pony recognizes and bestows an appellation on someone, they’re interpreting a feeling of intense magical energy, but all ponies are fallible, which means sometimes a pony will get an Appellation that doesn’t feel quite right. 

A pony can earn their appellation through great feats, or through a deep introspective searching of the self. Appellations can even be formed in crisis or events of extreme trauma, but fortunately if a pony doesn’t want to identify with that byname anymore, they can also work to achieve a new one through therapy. Once a pony gets a new appellation, their power might change a lot, or it might stay the same- it depends on how different the new byname is.

The Mane Six (+ Spike)

Twilight Sparkle, “The Alchemy Pony” 

The star graduate student of the Royal Canterlot Academy and the Queen’s own protégé. Twilight was found abandoned as a young foal and taken in by the queen, raised as her apprentice. From a young age, she showed great prodigy in the Alchemical arts. Once Twilight graduated from the academy, she was given a grant by the queen to conduct her own research for the betterment of Alchemy and of ponykind. One fateful day of adventuring and researching, she spotted something falling from the sky- a sleeping dragon! Catching him just in the nick of time with a telekinetic spell, Spike the dragon, once a soldier in Selenia’s army, awoke and swore to be loyal to Twilight until his very last breath. Spike believes he owes Twilight a life debt, and tries to use mischievous means to guide her towards magics that are ancient and dangerous, to give her a power comparable to his dark queen of the night... except, he’s also tiny and totally incompetent, so he’s not really all that great at swaying her towards the dark side. Instead, he kind of just tags along with Twilight on her adventures. Twilight’s research has her currently posted in Ponyville, a rural but lively town in Equestria’s countryside, where she aims to study the small local industry of growing and manufacturing Alchemical components.

Applejack, “The Stalwart Pony” 

Everyone knows that Applejack is the unofficial leader of Ponyville. Sure, the mayor is legally in charge, but Applejack is the fierce, reliable, and resilient heart of the town. She organizes, knows when to take charge, is cool in a crisis, and is always there for others to rely on. She’s also the owner of Apple Orchard Farms, her family business that grows earth-element alchemical components... and some damn good apples, too. Applejack values hard work, responsibility, and collectivism above all else (she’s very pro-union), but sometimes the pressure her town and her family puts on her to be the leader weighs heavy on her shoulders. She’s everyone’s big sister, but who’s there for her when she needs a sister to rely on too? Well...

Pinkie Pie, “The Celebration Pony” 

How to classify Pinkie Pie? She’s the town handyman, the problem solver, the “always there when you need her”-er. If you have a stubborn infestation of kitchen gremlins, or a broken radiator, or need someone to help you carry your groceries, or you just need a shoulder to cry on, you call on Pinkie Pie. Her family sent her to the Royal Canterlot Academy when she was just a little filly, because her prowess with alchemy as a unicorn was well above average for her age. But years in a stifling academic environment wore her down until she had no choice but to drop out. Applejack offered her a spare loft in her barn, and they’ve been best friends ever since. Pinkie Pie floats about town, making friends with everyone and putting her hooves in practically everyone’s metaphorical pies. She loves being helpful and friendly, and she also loves how the people of Ponyville respect her need for independence. 

Rarity, “The Arcane Pony” link TBA

Rarity is a collector of oddities and curios, an appraiser, and an artist all rolled up into one. She runs an eclectic antique store that doubles as her personal boutique and art gallery. She’s always on the hunt for things strange and exceptional, and her appellation gives her an extraordinary gift for recognizing the finer details. She’s still a fashionista, but she’s more interested in fashion that’s super unique or vintage or rare. Her store is totally cluttered with all of the strange things she’s collected, all of them beautiful and one-of-a-kind. She’s an artist down to her bones, and is known about town for being... just a bit dramatic. When anything needs an artist’s touch, though, everyone knows Rarity is just the pony to call. Using her appraisal skills, Rarity moonlights as an amateur detective, sleuthing out mysteries around town.

Fluttershy, “The Arbor Pony” 

Fluttershy is that weird, creepy pony who lives at the edge of town, never talks to anybody, and never wears shoes. That’s what others say about her, anyways. Being the Arbor pony has given Fluttershy a very close connection with nature, to the extent that some say she can even talk with plants and animals. Perhaps that’s why she’s the self-appointed guardian of the Everfree Forest. Fluttershy was born with a disability that made it impossible to fly on or channel magic through her wings without experiencing chronic pain. Once it became clear that no amount of time in the hospital could cure her wings, Fluttershy moved out of the sky city of Atmospheria and down to Ponyville, where she could walk from building to building. There, she discovered her love of nature and finally earned her cutie mark. She even got her Appellation from a certain other local pegasus. In reality, even though she’s a bit of an introvert, Fluttershy is very kind, and loves to have her friends over for tea. It’s just that many of her friends are bears or spiders, is all.

Rainbow Dash, “The Thunderclap Pony” link TBA

Rainbow Dash was the hotshot valedictorian of Atmospheria Academy, the school for weather ponies. A fast flyer and a savant with all things rain and shine, she cruised right into a job at the Royal Air Force (y’know, the royal division of ponies who can control air). Her Captain didn’t find that all too charming, and he assigned her to manage the weather in the nowhere town of Ponyville to knock her down a peg. Applejack and the ponies of Ponyville resent that she lords her talents over everyone and acts like she’s too good for their town, thinking that she must be coasting on talent alone. But really, Rainbow Dash is a hard worker who’s fought for every ounce of skill she’s got. She believes that personal excellence is a journey, not a destination, and she’s never done training and improving. Perhaps because she feels like such an outcast, she clings to the one pony in town she knows from Atmospheria. She and Fluttershy make an odd couple, but despite their differences, they’re totally inseparable as friends. Just friends, that’s all. Gal pals, even.