#pgr theory
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Bullshitting Babylonia politics bc why not
Aka I’m trying to lay out a foundation for a fanfic I really want to write and also for reference for any other fics I might write.
Also this is grossly oversimplified and not based in any one voting system, I just cannot and will not go that deep making my parliament structure is far enough thank you and all my friends already think I’m fucking insane for being so invested in Babylonia politics.
There are four courts, four banners, and one more that represents Gestalt. The courts are: the Justice division (judicial branch) Control court, the Military Command bureau, and the Legislative court. No I will not explain their inner workings such as cabinet or whatever but all you need to know is that the president will come from one of those courts. Once they are elected, they will technically become a part of that iffy fifth court, the one representing Gestalt. (Parliament clearly doesn’t work in parties in the story)
Justice division: literally just the judicial branch I have no notes, they’re canon tho unless I fucked up the name.
Legislative court: just the legislative branch what more do you want
Control Court: I’m not actually sure what control court does but they’re canon (Hilda is a part of it) I have a theory that they’re some sort of enforcement which wouldn’t be far fetched considering Babylonia is technically a democratic military state.
Military command bureau: commanders, generals, etc, they plan out operations and make rules within the military. Very important for a population that is perpetually in wartime with the Punishing virus.
How the voting system works: within the four courts anyone is technically viable, but when time for election comes, Gestalt chooses a small pool of members from each court. From that pool the general public will vote on them. You get the idea, once ballots are counted the one with the highest number of votes wins. No parties and seats, as the president will technically not belong to a party anymore.
Idk if there’s like a limit or if there were even any presidents before Hassen but that’s not important Lmao. I believe that there might have been some sort of power vacuum after Dominik disappeared and that’s when Hassen rose to power but idk and i don’t care that is not relevant unless I actually write that fic
#punishing gray raven#Pgr#pgr theory#pgr lore#kouryuu’s shit#I speedran this at 12:50 am I am moving and I do not even have a proper bed yet#I am tired and insane
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it's confusing to me how common it is in a portion of the pgr fanbase to hate on the current story while they skip chapters, maybe read summaries, and look at spoilers. like they'll be complaining it's poorly written, overcomplicated, way too confusing, etc. ????
so when i read the shaper's ripples/to the galaxies/wither to shine trilogy i was thoroughly SHOCKED at how good it was bc all i've heard is nonstop complaints. come to find out, a good chunk of those players only read summaries or looked at spoilers. omg. like that trilogy has unironically become my favorite part of the story now
#punishing gray raven#i think part of it is bc readers/viewers will often plug their ears the moment you mention time travel#it's unfortunate but i do get it#i love time travel stuff so much bc i'm unfortunately a nerd. i reeeally like philosophy and theories#but there's a lot of poorly done stuff out there#but as said “nerd” i can confidently say that pgr has#dare i say#nailed it
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I want to talk about Asimov. Specifically theorizing/analyzing his character. I will be talking about some of the newer chapters as I have done everything except CH 18~19, a few of the side stories, and CH 25/Everglowing Justice, I will not be saying anything from CH.26/Cradle Parade, but I will mention a small detail in Noan's Heartlock trial from his Arcade.
When you first play the game, Asimov, Hassen, Nikola, and Celica act more like exagerated versions of themselves rather than actually BE themselves, something you find out very quickly as you play the game more (like the next chapter you talk to them again).
I would say Asimov is probably the first character I started paying a lot of attention to in the game, it became especially obvious during CH 14/Imprisoned Sight that Asimov has something, some ambition or goal that both keeps him going and keeps him "in line". Asimov is described in the game world as being a heartless scientist when in reality, he's just an autistic man who cannot be bothered with diplomatic and time wasting bullshit. He wants to do the science in a way that will not hurt people (specifically constructs) and that's all he cares about.
I always found his care for trying to be careful with constructs to be both relieving and interesting. In comparison to the other NPC's of high political standing, he's the one who seems to care from a place that's more personal than just "I work with them daily". I will say that likely Hassen is the same, but he seems to come from a place of grief whereas Asimov feels like resolve to me.
I initially thought that Asimov's approach to people and work are the way they are because he hadn't loved before, but then I thought what if it's because he has loved before? What if there was someone in his past that he cared about deeply who got caught up in the consequences of early construct programs or something else related to Kurono? It doesn't even have to be that he was In Love™ with someone, it could be a close friend or a family member.
I also don't think Asimov is a completely pure intentioned character. One moment that I haven't stopped thinking about is during Wintry Shackles is at the very end, where the Commandant makes a deal with Asimov and he hesitates before agreeing, the text reading something along the lines of "Asimov grasps his hand in yours. His hand feels cold."
That last line haunted me after I finished that chapter, it's some foreshadowing of his character to something we likely haven't seen before and it genuinely caught me off guard because I had largely labeled him as someone of decent moral standing that you could trust, and in the chapters following- specifically CH 24/Chaos Unsnarled, I wondered what "cost" these favors are going to have for the Commandant later down the line (this is also reminding me of an extra story in Noan's Arcade Amina where he says the "cost hidden in freebies is usually steeper")
Idk I'm just rambling atp, but it has me thinking thoughts, especially after this recent chapter.
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might i suggest u get into obey me? 🤭
I did try getting into obey me like,,, last year i think?? Unfortunately I didn't get very far into the story :[ idk why but with mobile games I often get into it for a few days at most and then never touch it again after (whb, nu:c, pgr though i still rlly like Lee and no i do not have a type please stop spreading misinformation, and dislyte are some games I can think of on the top of my head and what do you know, they're all gacha games LMADOADOAOD). Purely design wise I like Belphie a lot but i never met him in game lolol also he likes naps and I like naps too
the outline of the other eye being visible is kinda pissing me off tho why is it still there mf its covered why can we see it
#okay so my theory as to why i get into games for only a week max is bc i keep forgetting i downloaded them on my phone like you know how#android phones have that game center thing where they put all the games into one app so it's all organized? yeah. it's that things fault#like without the icon of it in my homescreen i just completely forget abt it's existence#i think i have zero object permanence bro im 💀#out of sight out of mind but to the extreme#OH the ppl who made pgr are making an open world game called wuthering waves and im super excited to try it out !#my friends are also gonna try blue protocol next year so i might try it too :]#franswers
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if i opened sketch commissions would anyone buy
#chevron speaks#pgr#punishing gray raven#punishing: gray raven#putting it in the tags since thats my main audience in theory#also note: i already do chibi commissions for 20 usd each
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Rant/Review: Wuthering waves, its Writing...
((An Essay about what I think about the game so far. Note, I have not played into the story of the Blackshore))
Edited
Tags: Feel free not to read, rant, review, essay, long read, opinions, spoilers
*Do note that everything I say are my opinion*
So, I started playing this game since it's launch. Agree to disagree how I feel about this game and it's current trajectory, because my take on it won't be an overall positive one.
I will mostly talk about the story writing in this essay since it is the most glaring issue for me. This topic, I know, would set off some really heated debate, mainly, as I have observed within my scope.
In regards to Wuthering Waves, I'll start with the positives, the combat. I think this is an area that actually outshines Genshin. The bosses in Wuwa are harder, but fun to play. The stakes are higher, and the flexibility of player attack combos feels nice to play.
Unlike Genshin, the boss does not hover, go under, or flash around the area for the majority of the time. I can count how many times I have to wait in the area for a few seconds just for the boss to reappear, hit them within a few nano seconds before having to wait again.
The bosses have their own movesets, attack, counterattack, parries, and combos that keeps you at your toes. They don't shy away from giving you a hard time, and Kuro allows the bosses to have their abilities to be on par with the playable characters.
What I also like are the bosses, or anything really, does not caters to certain limited characters' playstyle or element. This, however, might be too early to say.
The graphics looks quite nice, the NPCs have personality, and I enjoy the many expressions they give. More generous cutscenes, and Rover being allowed to speak. Exploration modes like the grappling hook and parkor are nice touches as well.
With many good stuff happening in Wuthering Waves, it is easy to see how this game can compete with Genshin Impact in the market. Yet, despite so, it did not stop me from uninstalling the game from my Ipad.
It has been said before by many since the launch. Voiceover, music, dialogues, Ui, and other details in general are making and breaking the game.
I have heard a lot of theories and things as to why the launch is what it is. Back then I was told to wait due to their history with PGR. As a fan I was willing to wait, and endure the state of its launch and mediocrity as long as the experience of the whole package is good.
Which brings me to the glaring issues:
1. The Writing and the Execution.
Needless to say, people flocked to Wuthering Waves is because the game feels like it could offer something different in the genre of open world RPG. Not only is the combat a factor, but also the type of themes and the stories it can tell.
Genshin's story is not bad, but some players deemed the themes of the plot are a little too fantastical and childish. Wuthering waves, given how serious its lore is, and the devastation theme in their concept of a sci-fi world seems like a nice change from a pg friendly game.
I would like to point out, Lore ≠ Story, and Plot ≠ Storytelling.
I think the marketing team stating Wuwa as a story rich game might be a mistake, because the game certainly did not live up to the hype; it did not execute that hype it display in the launch trailer. I won't go into a detail analysis of the storytelling. But, I know this topic has sparked heated debates.
We can all agree to disagree, but this still does not take away the disappointment, and the issues that I have for the game.
The reason for my source of unsatisfaction are due to the quality of the writing, the writing direction, and the medicore execution of plot points. This extends to character story as well.
I want to experience what the lore and open world has to offer, as it was marketed. The story is essentially the overarching experience of the game; a window to the world of Solaris-3
This is where I am coming from when I am getting into the game.
Yet, as the patches progress, the glaring issue of actually writing a story, instead of a fanfic fantasy tested my patience. To me, the main story didn't feel like a progression of the protagonist's journey of their own agency or their accord.
Which brings in my next point:
2. Characters and Fanservice
I hated the fanservice in Wuthering Waves. I know, quite a big statement.
I believe a good story and fanservice can co-exist, as long as there is a good ratio to it, and is tastefully done.
The fanservice is overly glaring in the story and character quest. Mostly, it was unwarranted. This is what I hate, not the nature of the fanservice itself, but the unwarrent fanservice that is shoved down our thoarts.
Given the vibe and type of game Wuthering Waves convey through the main story, the fanservice really feels jarring. Pairing it with bad writing, it feels like a amateur fanfic writer wrote this, and somehow the Creative Director green lit this as good.
Yinlin's character quest is an example, the one I have gripes with the most. The writing of her story, by how I experienced it, did not make me like her at all, and to force a fanservice scene really takes the cake. It doesn't make sense to me, and it made me begin to question am I playing an Sci-fi open world apocalyptic RPG, or actually an anime isekai dating fantasy game.
The latter is not what I signed up for.
So, it is no surprise I never rolled on the character banner after the beginner's banner. I was pretty much rolling for weapons for my existing characters instead. (Hence, I wish I can convert my green and gold convene to weapon convenes.)
In theory, I should have rolled for Jiyan, but I didn't, because there isn't much interested shown by his character other than the beef with Geshu Lin. ((Edit: The craziest thing is, I legit have no idea what that beef is even about?)) His character quest did nothing to convince me to roll for him.
I shed a few tears during Xiangli Yao's story quest...but it's for an NPC and his monoluge. Not sure what Pascar has to do with Xiangli Yao's, at least how I understood it, urge for solitude to ponder and search for answers to his intellectual curiousity(?).
The characters in Wuthering Waves, to me, feels like a 3D manifestation of tropes rather than characters. There is no depth, and has shown no depth, in their own personalities, and how their dynamic with other characters, NPCs, and Rover develops. It's (the developed relationship) there because the story said so.
My favourite characters so far in the story are actually, Aalto and Encore. These two have more personality to show, and when they are together, they actually create character dynamic. They are also introduced with something to contribute to the progression of the story; providing an insight to the lore of the First Civilisation and the Black Shore.
Scar is also a character that seems to be interesting, but I won't say that for sure until we see him more in action. In all honesty, I think he is interesting because he is the "antagonist" in the story who provides tension and conflict, something like building up to a climax or a twist.
With an antagonist, there is a protagonist:
3. Rover as a protagonist
Now, I know that the silent protagonist is seen to be a self insert. But, I tend to believe even if the protagonist is silent, there should be at least some consistancy to the characterisation. Because, the switch between the UwU rover, to the Serious/Hardcore Rover feels jarringly inconsistent.
Another point to make is Rover and their, still, lack of agency. From my own understanding of what was presented to me, we should be viewing the story through Rover's lens. Yet, there are times where I felt their response and reactions are passive to naught, and it does not make sense to me, as there is no reasoning on Rover's behalf.
For example, should the seed of doubt linger in Rover's mind after a confrontation with Scar? Since Rover has no memory, what makes them fully trust Yang Yang to the tee? When Rover learns about their significance to the world through Jue, during the confrontation scene with Jinhsi, should the first thing Rover did was to demand for more answers? Ask more questions on the spot, instead being like, "Oh... Okay...". Should the first thing Rover did, after Yinlin zapped them unconscious, is to deem her as a potential enemy for self preservation purposes?
Instead almost all of the agency are given to other characters. In the arc at the Northfall Barrens, most of the agency were given to the resonator cast when they were defending Jinzhou; having their Avengers moment. Rover was just there. Then they were told to find Jiyan. And the rest of time was Jiyan speaking, taking initiative even towards the end.
Like, what was the purpose of Rover being there? Was it because Yang Yang said so? What would Rover achieve by fighting with the Midnight rangers other than earning a hero status? Who knows.
Because of having little to no agency for the Rover, the story feels lost. There is no definate overarching goal.
Sure, they might be searching for their lost memories, but there is no definate goal post for the story to reach it's conclusion for Rover's journey. There is no intrigue to keep the story moving forward.
Genshin's story, as an example, has always been about the MC finding their lost twin, with the conclusion that they will, hopefully, reunite and continue on their mysterious journey. Along the way of finding their sibling, things happened. The regions and their crisis as subplots, that reveals the lore and the trajectory of the world MC is travelling in to reach that goal.
I am not saying Genshin has the best writing. It has it's flaws. But, regardless of the sometimes, messy and muddled execution of plot points, having a good story can really make an impact to the gaming experience with games like these.
Gameplay alone can only take a game so far. In the Jinzhou region of Huang Loong, the exploration of the world map needs more work, and even then there needs to be stories that makes the world an interesting place to explore.
Due to the three points mentioned, I was heasitant to begin the new chapter to the Blackshore. With how the story's bad ratio of Character/story development to Fanservice, and the execution of the storytelling, I have been, instead, grinding the domains, bosses, and Tacet fields.
The voice about whether or not I have been phished to play an Anime Waifu fantasy game grew louder at each patch. The fact that I, as a player, have no choice but to endure the jarring superficial segments of dates and fanfiction-quese sequence (I mean the cliche and chessy ones) is enough to turn me off from the game.
It might have not been it's intent, but with how intergrated the fanservice is, it's really hard to take this game seriously anymore. To me, I feel like I was in a lost.
The gameplay alone was not holding the game up for me, as there's only so much you could do in the open world. Either it's boss, puzzles, or combat. The events are always in relation to combat alone, and they are recycled at each patch.
My patience for the, "Just wait, it will get better just like PGR" is wanning. I don't think being a fan of PGR can be used to excuse the apparent state of the experience of Wuthering waves.
Which is a shame, because I really tried to be patient, and I tried so hard to like it. I have been waiting for this game since its first announcement. I remember looking at Rover's very first design and the promo art, being all excited, wanting to play it so badly.
Needless to say, Wuthering Wave, unfortunately is not living up to what it says it's going to be. I think there is potential for the game to be great, but, as of now, and the direction things are going, it feels like they have decided to go a certain way.
Though, I wish they didn't have to phish me into adding numbers to their download count on lauch day. (They didn't actually phish me, but given how everything turned out felt like it.)
I hope, things will get better in the game, and that the experience can be more enjoyable for players alike. Yet, as of now, I won't been having it in my gaming roaster.
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Artwork I did for another Perfomance Task in Color Theory class
Included my faves
HOLO:
- Elizabeth, Irys, Ina, Kronii, Nerissa, Fauna
HOYO:
- Feixiao, Aglaea, Zhu Yuan
LIMBUS:
- Ishmael
JJK:
- Maki
PGR:
- Yata Fulgor
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the way i see it, Camu and Roland are both Plural (Roland speaking to what he considers his "past selves", Kamui being some sort of alter), so they both kind of understand eachother on that level too. Like, 'oh, you've also got people in your head, alright i get you'. It's important that Camu cannot live outside of Kamui's frame/brain for particularly long - probably because on some level they're the same person and whatever mechanism lets them physically split their M.I.N.D isn't perfect. and also that they're little balls of spite that slowly soften yes :)
Yes! You get me 0)-( Although lore-wise, we never get a hint as to why and how Roland knew about Camu's story anyway, that's why I just had the random thought of "woa the virus in Kamui manifest the shape of Camu, that's how he knew" which is such a delusion lmaoo Someone on twitter have discussed about Camu and Kamui's arc specifically and how PGR's CBT with the start of Camu/Kamui arc compare to the changes we then get in the debut of the game resulting to the lack of context we got.
And due to my weak understand of the way of the constructs, some of the details confuses me. Basically, they concluded that Camu and Kamui makes no sense, in theory they are supposed to be two seperate people (I can only assume that kuro intended Camu and Kamui to be something like a stereotypical evil twin trope, but instead turned into a dark alter persona.) Even if that's the case, how does Roland knew about Camu? Unless he knew Camu personally, which has never happened (correct me if I'm wrong, the first few chapters are not pleasant to dissect.)
All my ramble aside, I do think that if Roland does understand Camu to a certain level, he would very much understand as to why they wanted to live as a "different person." The peole around them fabricating their views and livelihood with lies, keep them both like animals in a cage (both symbolically and literally) and torment them physically and mentally for very selfish reasons. People often make fun of how Camu loves food, but is that like one of the very basic human requirement? To want to eat? And when your fed specific things as some sort of experiment project, of course you would be curious what safe and delicious food is like. Roland just straight up has an eating disorder. And by the time they are very close to meet with freedom, death was knocking at their doors, at that current state they're very passive to fate and had no choice but to accept their own end. They are both very much victims here, and discardable ones (literally the squad in Camu's interludes are just one of many, if they die Kurono wouldn't mind replacing with a new squad. Roland's first few accessable secret just straight up tells you that he's just a normal civilians, a straight up nobody; like any creature being put in a circus show could become a star, doesn't matter which one.) They both wanted to leave and live a peaceful happy life, to be freed, but they are both too far gone. They both wanted to escape their current states but will never be able to, so they adopted personas as their way of "moving on" as they continue to exist and just so they can keep existing is pretty tragic, because they both never had true freedom. Someone will probably tell me such as "they are not the only characters in PGR with this kind of backstory" to which I agree, but that's besides the point. The point is that the similarity in the context behind their true characters. It's a lot deeper, from what I think, it's a "I get where you come from, it's very personal but I know what that felt like." (And then kuro fumbled with the writing, ruining their possible compatibilities forever, missing the biggest opportunity to make them allies, they don't have to agree to each other on most things but I do think they have a chance. And I'm glad that others can see it too :) thank you for this ask)
Delulu-wise however, they're very soft characters with stiff exteriors, really made them wonder how easy it is for them to turn soft towards each other if given the chance (*≧艸≦)
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love when the university forgets we are here to study and blasts music at ear-splitting volumes right outside the library for some event or other. The PGR room is UNINHABITABLE. the regular study rooms are full of distractions also. PLEASE let me read my fat theory in PEACE
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Extremely enjoying WuWa (to the detriment of my hands since I play on mobile), and I have no regrets going for Jiyan because he is precious (and fun to play, which is the most important thing to me in action games). His companion story was really lovely, and I have soft spots for Azure Dragons anyway (Mengzhang is still my favorite one).
That said, the open world stuff is really bad for my focus and organization, so it gets a bit overwhelming at times. I usually quit these sort of games because of the mental overload, so we'll see how it goes. But I really like the combat, which, well, it's the PGR devs, so to be expected.
I have the typical Verina-Mortefi-Jiyan rotation as my main setup. I also have Lingyang (my failed 50 on my first ten roll on Jiyan's banner) and Calcharo (the gift selector) as my other 5*s and lucksacked into Jiyan's weapon with a 10 roll lol. (It's fate.) I didn't finish the beginner banner since I have everyone I want, and instead I've been using my standard tides on the permanent weapon banner.
Also someone made a theory (spoilers for Main Quest Act 5-6 concerning Scar and Genshu Lin):
That Genshu Lin and Scar are the same person (I was thinking related, but the arguments this person put forth was pretty compelling), so now I'm 👀👀 about that possibility.
#roo gaming#wuwa#i haven't had any of the technical issues i see ppl talking about luckily#occasionally a stutter but i am pushing my tablet with 60fps and high settings lol#the game really feels so much better with 60fps
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Calls: Visions Unveiled – Unfolding Narratives of Art History, Visual Culture, and Modern Languages
Building on the success of our ongoing seminar series, we are excited to announce this year's Art History & Visual Culture / Modern Languages PGR Conference, "Visions Unveiled" taking place at the University of Exeter on Friday, 14th June 2024. We welcome submissions that encourage vibrant dialogues in a diverse range of artistic periods, cultures, language complexities, analytical theories, and visual narratives beyond the confines of a specific epoch or geographical setting. Whatever your are http://dlvr.it/T4hjvC
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so me and my friends were discussing pgr lore the other night, and we specificity talked abt Dominik, the first leader of the World Government

The dude in the cape is probably going to be revealed as Dominik, he’s a cyborg anyways I think.
So we think Dominik actively chose Hassen for some reason, initially I was wondering if Gestalt had anything to do with it and that could still be possible since Gestalt can calculate different futures as we see in Her Last Bow.
Where this leads me is that Hassen is probably choosing the commandant as his successor in the present day. He’s quite attached to us seemingly, and has high expectations of us. After all, in one of the timelines commandant does become the leader of humanity. But this is just like a general theory, seeing as Hassen literally has no connections to become the president, I think Dominik might have chosen him and nudged him in the right direction, as Hassen is doing for us now.
#In conclusion Hassen is our dad#pgr#punishing gray raven#pgr theory#Punishing gray Raven lore#Pgr lore#kouryuu’s shit#pgr hassen
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THEORY TIME
What if constructs can be human again?
Here I am again, talking about this game... But well
We all know that constructs are robotic bodies with the conscience of a human, but what if there's a way to bring them back.
Yes their bodies don't exist anymore, using Lee as an example his heart is being used by his brother so, original body is out of the list.
We have other possibilities! The timeline is set in the future, were technology is beyond our understanding in our time.
The point is, what if using the genetic files that each construct have, along with some DNA, if possible, of a family member, they can recreate some parts of the original body? Like a digestive system and reproductive organs that would work normally. Like they could not change everything, for example arms, legs, heart and brain, can still be mechanical, but they would love a normal human life, because the body would still require care, it's just like having a prothesis.
That way they could have normal needs, a family of their own and even grow older with their loved ones.
Of course this process would need a lot of resources, from money to material, like for some constructs would not be possible to create this body from scratch, because they don't have files for it, like Rosseta for example. I really doubt Babilônia would do it to anyone anyway, it would be done for people of power, like if Chrome wanted to be human again his father could pay for it, others would need a lot of help, but it's possible.
I just thought about it because we are setting human parts that are being made by 3D printers and in laboratory, so what could be possible in the future?
Depending of how much data is know, even create a new body all from flesh resembling a frame of the construct choice? I don't know but that's what I think.

All this come to me because of some scientific blogs I was reading and like " if it's like this now, how would it be in pgr universe?"
Thanks for reading by the way ⊂((・▽・))⊃
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(Re)narrating the societal cyborg: a definition of infrastructure, an interrogation of integration The call for this special issue invites us to consider “integrated infrastructure as a response to climate change”. In doing so, it recapitulates a normative narrative wherein human beings play the protagonist in a struggle against climate change in the antagonistic role, and where infrastructure – integrated or otherwise – is the instrument of human action against it. This narrative raises important questions, some of which are definitive: what exactly do we mean when we say “infrastructure”? What does it mean for an infrastructure to be “integrated”? And is the integration of infrastructure so defined desirable, or even achievable? It also begs a further question, namely: to what extent is infrastructure, integrated or otherwise, already complicit in anthropogenic climate change?
(Re)narrating the societal cyborg: a definition of infrastructure, an interrogation of integration | People Place and Policy
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Per the discussion you weren't awake for in Discord - How do you feel about open world racing games (Forza Horizon, Burnout Paradise, etc) vs "traditional" racing games that take place on closed tracks (PGR, Gran Turismo, etc)? Do you know of any games that successfully blend the two, giving you both an open world to explore as well as a progression of closed circuit tracks to unlock and race on?
In general I don’t really like them. They feel like a compromise so the developer can have lots of track to race on without having to worry about environment variety.
Instead of making a bunch of city assets and putting them in to one “city” track, you make a bunch of city assets and have a whole city zone, and depending on how you draw routes through the streets, you could have 5, 10, 20+ track variants out of that one area.
But that’s treating track design almost as an afterthought, and that’s kind of how it feels to me. There’s way less effort in creating interesting looking tracks when you’re pushing for quantity over quality.
The argument could be made that real race tracks aren’t beautiful. You have places like Sonoma…
…or Sebring…
…or Laguna Seca…
Where they are basically just asphalt, dirt, and grass. In theory, open world racing games have more landmarks because at least you’re in a city, or whatever.
But here’s what I know: I miss the days of Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2, or Beetle Adventure Racing, or Ridge Racer 4, where scenery kind of mattered. Hot Pursuit 2 has you race around an active volcano in Hawaii, through a forest fire in California’s redwoods, and in the ruins of Greece. Beetle Adventure Racing takes you through jungles, snowstorms, deserts, casinos and castles. Ridge Racer has more typical race circuits, but it still manages to make things feel varied and interesting with smart art direction.
Meanwhile, I think of games like Need for Speed Most Wanted, Midnight Club, The Crew, or Fuel, and I think how bored I get of those games. Even Burnout Paradise, for as fun as it might be, still pales in my mind compared to Burnout 3.
The only open world racing series I think I really, genuinely love is Forza Horizon. But Forza Horizon also uses that scale to its advantage, I think, with events that “normal” racing games couldn’t really do. Like, chasing trains, or airplanes, and having all these weird vehicle types. In general, there’s just a lot more to do in Horizon’s open world than there is in other open world racing games. You’re always earning currency for driving well, even if you’re just driving to the next event, you know? It’s keeping you engaged.
Because for most open world games, the only engagement you have outside of a race is to maybe find some scattered collectibles (boring) or to learn the street layouts. And usually, once I have my fill of driving around the open world, that’s when the boredom starts to set in.
But Horizon gets it.
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My Theory on “A Darker World”
AKA some hot tea to drink
(click “keep reading” to read it bc its p heavy)
So, ok, you know the pic down below connected to “A Darker World”?
OK, so let’s talk about Androids.
Specifically the Androids from DBZ.

Yea, these guys. Most of you reading this may not know about their history. So I’ll try to give them a simplified history.
So, ok, the two kids you see there are Androids 17 and 18. They were the main villains for DBZ for a while, until a little something was revealed about them. What I’m talking about is the fact that they weren’t just robots for their whole life. That’s right, they were rebellious teenagers known as “Lapis” and “Lazuli”, who were kidnapped by an evil scientist to be used in experiments that eventually led to the birth of Androids 17 & 18. Their bodies are still there, but everything else is either bio-engineering or mechanical engineering; they’re practically the shells of their former selves.
So you know what that means.

If we are to go off these pictures, “A Darker World” will detail the origins of Babette and all the other Pretty Girl Robots and how they have physical bodies that were stolen by Angiet and Ronny, and were used to give the PGRs physical bodies through terrible experiments. That’s why Babette has a broken neck, or why she has stitches and glasses; that’s how she looked before she talked to us.
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