#poc game developers

[interact-if]

Black History Month Author Spotlight: Kiki

Our third edition of the Black History Month Author Spotlight series, features Kiki (@scapegoated-if)!

(I’m rly happy to have gotten to know Kiki better through the feature, and the interview contains really interesting insights on gender and race-locked main characters in interactive fiction, among other things! If you haven’t yet played Scapegoated (and if you’re a fan of Infamous/music IFs, definitely give it a go!)

Author: Kiki Born and raised North London, but ethnic background Jamaican (my parents are a part of the Windrush Gen)

Games: Scapegoated (slice-of-life, music, hollywood, '70s)

Short blurb: Scapegoated is about a female musician in a band that is seguing into an acting career. She is facing a lot of blame and scandal regarding the split between her band that happened in 1968. Not only are a lot of the general public hurt and angry about it, but so is an infamous serial killer that has been terrorising the west coast...

Quotes from the interview

I’m from North London. My parents moved to London when they were children from the Caribbean and are a part of the Windrush generation. I am a black, bisexual woman growing up in the UK, a place that tends to disguise its wider prejudices as a classist issue in all cases. […] A huge part of my love for music is strongly intertwined with my relationship with my late father. He passed away in June of 2023, and he was very much so kickin’ it in the ‘70s. He was a DJ throughout his life, so the legacy of LPs that he left behind was unspeakable and very ‘70s.

Read on for the full interview!

Tell me more about yourself! What are some things new readers or long-time readers might not know about you?

I graduated from a Russell Group university with an English Literature BA (Hons). I think a part of me has always wanted to be a writer in some capacity; I know that I’ve always wanted to write a book. So, I think beginning this IF has existed for me as a gateway to see what that would be like. I thought of it as a brainteaser–the prospect of exploring different outcomes and different pathways that a character may undertake. It has been challenging, dare I say more challenging than writing an actual book, but that’s exactly what I wanted out of this process.

Can you tell me a bit about what you’re working on right now and your journey into interactive fiction? What inspired the game/story you’re currently writing?

My best friend introduced me to the world of interactive fiction one day last year. She introduced Infamous to me and asserted that I would really like it because I’m a huge music nerd. Of course I fell in love with the characters and the world, but I also fell in love with the format of IFs. 

A huge part of my love for music is strongly intertwined with my relationship with my late father. He passed away in June of 2023, and he was very much so kickin’ it in the ‘70s. He was a DJ throughout his life, so the legacy of LPs that he left behind was unspeakable and very ‘70s. I am a huge music lover with such a wide-spanning eclectic taste, but the period of music post-”Dylan going electric”, post-”Elvis being on the out”, Quincy Jones (rest in king) and Beatlemania is just everything to me, so the idea for Scapegoated came into my life in a very natural way. I knew that whichever story I told, I wanted it to explore the Sunset Strip, groupies, rock ‘n roll, The Beatles, The Manson Family and Cher all at its core. 

I am of the opinion that coverage of the ‘70s music scene has been run into the ground lately. There has been a resurgence of nostalgia within the public consciousness when reflecting upon this time due to Daisy Jones & The Six, which was one of my favourite shows the year it was released. So, including Hollywood and murder was my attempt at innovation.

How has your identity, heritage/background, upbringing, or personal experiences influenced your storytelling or writing process? OR How does your work feature aspects of your identity / experience?

I’m from North London. My parents moved to London when they were children from the Caribbean and are a part of the Windrush generation. I am a black, bisexual woman growing up in the UK, a place that tends to disguise its wider prejudices as a classist issue in all cases. I am writing Scapegoated as someone that has only been to the US twice for two weeks at a time. I am writing Scapegoated as someone that can only relate to two aspects of my main character. I am writing Scapegoated as someone that has experienced discrimination and has been scarred by instances of discrimination. In university, I tended to be quite outspoken; in my first year, I felt quite ostracised by my predominantly white cohort during the BLM movement, because I seemed to be the only one willing to speak out in favour of it.

When I first wrote Scapegoated, I was inboxed on Tumblr and replied to on the Choice of Games Forum with genuine curiosity about my choice to gender and race lock my protagonist. This is an excerpt of my response:

I didn’t want to have a self-insert MC because I wanted to ensure that the conversations had revolving these social issues and the murders that unfold aren’t danced around. Perspective is an extremely important factor in that, and I want to ensure that the MC is directly involved–rather than just there as things happen because it wouldn’t be interactive. [...] Initially when I planned this story, before it was titled and the only thing I knew was that I wanted to write an IF about the '70s music scene, it was neither gender or race locked [...]. But I did toy with my ideas by self-inserting (I’m a black woman) when I was attempting to figure out the logistics of gameplay. That’s when I realised that due to the time period and all of the change that was happening at the time, social issues had to be discussed.

To this day, I am extremely proud of my decision and the conviction in my decision. I asserted a level of loyalty to the story I am telling in a way that I didn’t know I was capable of; retrospectively, I think I took a kind of power in it. But I really love the story I am telling and the range of representation. 

I am trying to work the line of prioritising my vision, all the while giving weight and importance to my readers’ opinions in the way that these very interesting and thorough opinions deserve. It warms my heart that even one person might care about my characters just as much as I do.

what are some of the most rewarding or challenging aspects of writing Interactive Fiction for you?

Songwriting. I’m tragic at it, but I like to think I’m self-aware enough. There are different characters with different voices and different reasonings behind their songwriting styles. I struggle to ensure that their songwriting oozes with their individual personalities. 

What does your writing process look like? Any rituals or habits? Any tips, tricks, philosophies or approaches that have worked very well for you?

Story beats. However, planning and writing can exist as two entirely different realms to me. What I think the story may be, can develop into something entirely new all on its own once I begin to write. Sometimes characters that I think I know transform into someone entirely new once I start to get to know them through writing their dialogue. I’ve experienced this with several characters already. On the contrary, some characters are so secure in my mind that they can’t be anything other than who I’ve introduced them to myself as.

I really love the writing process I’ve conjured up. It hasn’t failed me yet, but it isn’t secure–writing can never be anything other than an insecure process. Writing, for me, always remains in a constant stage of planning.

Do you have favourite interactive fiction games, characters, scenes or authors that you’d like to recommend?

I have received a lot of IF recommendations due to how new I am to IFs. I truly haven’t read very many, so all I can recommend to anybody are the 3 IFs that I have read which I each loved enormously: Infamous; College Tennis: Origin Story; and Apartment 502.

If you were to say one thing to your readers, other authors, and/or the interactive fiction community: what would it be?

I only got here in December, and so far everyone has been extremely welcoming and helpful. Honestly, I have no notes. All I can do is encourage everyone to give writing a chance. It’s been so fruitful and rewarding for me, so I strongly urge everyone to give it a shot if you’re considering it. Stop thinking, just do!

Any books, music, movies etc. you’re obsessed with at the moment, or which changed your life (or perspectives on something)?

I’m currently reading I’m With The Band by Pamela Des Barres as research for my IF, which has been a great insight into the mindset of groupies on an intimate level.

As for something that changed my life, I recently watched Sing Sing (2024)--which wasn’t something I did in relation to Scapegoated, I am just an avid film-watcher–and it was such an incredible de-stigmatising eye into the prison system. An extremely important watch for Black History Month, too!

This-or-that segment: (bold = Kiki's pick)

Coffee or tea?

Early mornings or late nights?

City or countryside?

Angsty or Cozy romances? (Or enemies-to-lovers or best-friends-to-lovers?)  

Steady progress or frenzied binge-writing followed by periods of calm?

Summer or Winter?

First drafts or editing?

Introvert or extrovert?

Plotter or pantser?

Characters or plot first?

Kiki’s custom “either-or” pairing: writing in silence or with music playing?

[sodafrizzocs]

Have you ever wanted a game not made by a soulless mega corporation? With stoners? Demons? Queer people? Cool spider aliens? Crime? AND it's set in the 2000s?

Well, have I got the thing for you!

A story about demonhood, queerness, and whether we can really be redeemed. HELLBOUND...! THE HELL THAT BOUNDS...! YEAH!

Out now, only for as much as you'll pay! Soundtrack included, along with a buyable concept art package as well.

-> Itch.io Page

-> Ko-Fi

-> Commission Sheet

[azurescaled]

how do i say this: I love the lore for Hoyoverse games, but when it comes to playing them, they put me to sleep.

[deception-united]

Writing Tips Master Post

Edit: Some posts may be deleted

Character writing/development:

Character Arcs

Making Character Profiles

Character Development

Comic Relief Arc

Internal Conflict

Character Voices

Creating Distinct Characters

Creating Likeable Characters

Writing Strong Female Characters

Writing POC Characters

Building Tension

Writing Grumpy x Sunshine Tropes

Writing Sexuality & Gender

Writing Manipulative Characters

Writing Mature Young Characters

Plot devices/development:

Intrigue in Storytelling

Enemies to Lovers

Alternatives to Killing Characters

Worldbuilding

Misdirection

Things to Consider Before Killing Characters

Foreshadowing

Narrative (+ how to write):

Emphasising the Stakes

Avoid Info-Dumping

Writing Without Dialogue

1st vs. 2nd vs. 3rd Perspective

Fight Scenes (+ More)

Transitions

Pacing

Writing Prologues

Dialogue Tips

Writing War

Writing Cheating

Writing Miscommunication

Writing Unrequited Love

Writing a Slow Burn Btwn Introverts

Writing Smut

Writing Admiration Without Attraction

Writing Dual POVs

Writing Unreliable Narrators

Worldbuilding:

Worldbuilding: Questions to Consider

Creating Laws/Rules in Fantasy Worlds

Book writing:

Connected vs. Stand-Alone Series

A & B Stories

Writer resources:

Writing YouTube Channels, Podcasts, & Blogs

Online Writing Resources

Outlining/Writing/Editing Software

Translation Software for Writing

Writer help:

Losing Passion/Burnout

Overcoming Writer's Block

Fantasy terms:

How To Name Fantasy Races (Step-by-Step)

Naming Elemental Races

Naming Fire-Related Races

How To Name Fantasy Places

Ask games:

Character Ask Game #1

Character Ask Game #2

Character Ask Game #3

Miscellaneous:

Writing Tips

Writing Fantasy

Miscommunication Prompts

Variety in Sentence Structure (avoiding repetition)

[odysseus-day]

how i imagined the thg characters as told through random people i saved on pinterest to visualize

katniss everdeen:

•16-17 years old

•native american ancestry on her dad's side, favors him more than her mother

•long black hair, dark gray eyes, olive skin tone

•5'0-5'1, thin and spindly although not as bad as the rest of the seam because of her ability to hunt

•rbf!!! 🫶

primrose everdeen:

•12-13 years old

•also has native american ancestry on her father's sude, but favors her mother more

•curly dirty blonde hair, gray-ish eyes, fairer skin than katniss but tans dark in the summer

•4'11, similar build to katniss

•the resting bitch face is genetic, she's just good at fooling ppl

•people that draw katniss poc still always manage to make prim just some random looking white girl, and y'all. as someone with a lil indigenous heritage who is also physically pale and dirty blonde, she's still going to have features similar to katniss and her dad's! native genes are STRONG! she's gonna tan well, have the same eye shape, nose shape, etc. katniss as a person of color has always been a mind-boggling discourse in the fandom (bc it's literally canon, racism just keeps winning 💔) but NO ONE EVER TALKS ABOUT PRIM!!

peeta mellark:

•16-17 years old

•white blond hair/lashes/eyebrows (like a hairless mole rat 🫶), blue eyes, paler than flour

•5'5, disproportionate broad shoulders, slight athletic build that throws ppl off because of his baby face lol (he looks like a mini fridge!!)

•prosthetic leg!!! everyone always forgets he's an amputee!!!

finnick odair:

•24 years old

•tawny hair that looks bronze underneath the sunlight, blue-green eyes, tan while he's in 4 but gets paler the longer he spends in the capitol

•5'11, similar build to peeta although it looks proportionate with his height (i rlly like the idea of him being stocky and you can pry it out if my cold dead hands)

•the idea of finnick having a very young face is genuinely heartbreaking but i think it fits his character really well and adds so much depth to the way he's treated. he was just a kid when people started fawning over him the first time, and he still is. you perceive these characters as being so old when you're a kid, but as an adult holy fuck i didn't actually realize how young they ALL were until recently. finnick is the same age as one of my best friends. like that's just a lanky kid :(

annie cresta:

•23 years old

•i know the books say brown hair but i still imagined red even before the movies, blue-green eyes, burns more easily than she tans

•5'6-5'7 (i always imagine everyone in the career districts to be much taller than the rest because of their better access to nutrition), had much more muscle pre-games than she does now but still has very strong arms and calves from swimming

•i imagine her with the kind of naturally mischievous looking face to where you'd probably think she was kidding about the whole "losing her mind" thing for the first several weeks of knowing her...... until you realize for yourself that there isn't rlly a punchline to the "bit" you think she's doing.... and... oops?

johanna mason:

•20-21 years old (gah, math is not my strong suit)

•dark brown hair, can never keep a consistent hair style for longer than a month (is constantly cutting, dying, or just changing something at the slightest inconvenience) (yes she's a mid-breakdown bangs chopper), hazel eyes, fair skin with heavy freckles

•5'4, strong arms for ax wielding but stays relatively thin and gangly (due to lack of resources pre-games and later due to stress/depression)

•similar to finnick, i picture her as looking very young. she's not that much older than katniss and only won 2-3 years before her, and with all that she went through i don't see her maturing facially super soon. just like nutrition, stress can also contribute to physical appearance and development, especially in crucial stages of life. and if anything, it makes more sense for johanna to have a baby face with how she won her games (pretending to be weak so she'd be overlooked) and for her anger to be overcompensation to skew her perception to others.

gale hawthorne:

•18-19 years old

•also has native american ancestry, looks eerily similar to katniss which sells the whole cousins thing well

•long black hair always tied back, dark eyes, olive skin tone

•5'7, relatively thin but built better than most of the sean again due to his and katniss' ability to hunt, perceived as tall in district 12 but would be considered shorter in the capitol

[theoi-crow]

Thank you for all Zeus support posts ♥️ everywhere I go, all my mutuals too, they blast Zeus for being an abusive father. I know it’s because of the modern books and games that’s depicting Zeus this way. But the misinterpretation and mistreatment still get under my nerves.

When it comes to judging Zeus, I noticed ethnocentrism is the biggest problem.

A lot of people judge the ancient world based on their own modern culture and what they fail to realize is that ethnocentrism is the same logic white settlers used against Native Americans. It's the same logic they used when they were kidnapping people from Africa to bring as slaves. It's the same logic used to justify destroying cultures and appropriating them. “We are helping the savages because they don't know any better.” This is the problem when judging a culture based solely on one's own culture. You kill the culture. You force it to follow your rules instead of studying it based on its own terms to better understand why it developed the way it did.

Zeus is a keystone part of the religion and I will always do my best to explain his importance.

I will always do my best to discourage ethnocentric talking points when people try to put him down because they don't realize they are using the same logic colonizers used against my people and every POC culture in history. They don't realize they are essentially calling the ancient Greeks “savages” in the same way white settlers called the same POC people they were killing while stealing their land and resources.

Zeus is the main figure in the Ancient Hellenic religion.

Everyone else is a part of his court but as the king of the gods, his part in the religion is essential and a key component of it is Xenia, hospitality.

When you start to judge the ancient Greek culture based on its own rules you will see that Zeus is order, that's why the theogony starts with chaos, in order to show how Zeus turned chaos into order. When you start to judge the ancient culture based on its own rules you will see that people used Zeus to justify their ancestry so of course he will have human children because, as the king of the gods, the ancient Greeks believed Zeus appointed kings via birthright because monarchies are by birthright. (He can't have them solely with Hera or they will just be gods, he needs to have them with a human to create demigods).

The idea behind him raping women stems from the misunderstanding of what was defined as rape in the ancient world. No matter the age or how willing they were, women back then were not able to consent because they were not in charge of their own lives. The consent needed to come from their fathers/husbands/whatever man was in charge, that's why it's often translated as rape, because there was no consent given by the men in charge because oftentimes they didn't know the child was a demigod until they were older and started showing signs of being different than other humans.

Just like how we have people who compete in the Olympics today, or people that are very talented or gifted, there were a lot of people back then who were also extraordinary humans and instead of thinking “wow, humans can be incredible,” the ancient Greeks believed an extraordinary human was the secret love child of a human and a god, depending on their specialty and which god that fell under, like Alexander the Great who was thought to be the son of Zeus, or Pythagoras (inventor of the Pythagorean theorem) who was thought to be the son of Apollo.

It's okay to acknowledge ancient views were different from modern views and progress for women has changed over time because these are stories that are older than the literal Bible so of course progress will happen and the ancient and modern world will be very different. But it's never okay to judge an ancient culture using the same logic that was used to destroy cultures and enslave people.

I defend Zeus because I do my best to destroy ethnocentric views whenever they pop up.

This is why research is so important and why I try to provide it as often as I can because once you start judging the culture based on its own laws and actual rules, you'll find that:

Zeus is incredible.

[sunlight-shunlight]

thinking about veilguard and bioware in general, i think we are reaching a point where people need to grapple with the inherent limits of what stories can be told in our Current Society and in AAA gaming companies.

on a labour level: mass layoffs, tons of developers leaving despite previously talking about how passionate and happy they were to be involved, not even paying severance, and crunching employees to the point of burnout. this is unfortunately pretty standard for AAA game companies.

on a cultural level: it is SO white and SO centrist-ly Canadian. i wrote up these asks outlining how. it is a repeated pattern of writing in which they go into tortured racial oppression allegories at best, while constantly peppering in a "but BOTH SIDES were wrong and made mistakes :( :( :(", in between their fictional atrocities that are clearly mirroring irl genocides and enslavement. or at worst, it's "the qunari are radical islamic borg" which has even less nuance. i personally thought, since dai came out in 2014, and a lot has changed since then about the world and in public awareness, that this would have filtered into the narrative and resulted in more satisfying and historically grounded writing. unfortunately not the case. it's shocking if you compare it to how sharp and aware and unflinching something like disco elysium is.

so what does this mean?

under these conditions, it is unavoidable that we get development by people who are rapidly cycled out of the company or demoralized into burnout. we get digestible, easy little soundbites of lore without much substance, because any complexity needs more time and coordination rather than the process of "quick, we have these assets, a lot of people involved in making them just got laid off, we need to make Something by next quarter to show the CEO". we get very little cohesion between games, despite the clear intent from dai to have so many plot points set up to follow through in a sequel, because the team and development are so chaotic that they can't hold onto a vision and complete it.

we also get this inherent caution and "conservatism" from the narrative, because on an ideological level, they're largely white people who want cops to be included in pride. so any major change to even a fictional society is Bad and Scary, and shouldn't be done without making sure that every character finger-wags appropriately at non-state violence. there is clearly not much ideological or even ethnic diversity within the leadership; or at least not enough that anyone there felt comfortable even speaking up on minor issues like the Incredibly Orientalist Isabela Outfit, let alone anything larger.

i don't personally think there's too much value in trying to analyze veilguard's plot or lore at this point. the final product is chaotically developed and does not seem to reflect the goals of the creators as set up in prior games, it's basically a ship of theseus in terms of the people and ideas involved in making it. this is sad for all of us, who were interested in the story, and attached to the characters, and were creatively fulfilled by engaging in the fandom. it's probably worse for the developers who have lost their jobs, burnt out, or feel unhappy with the game that they spent years of their life working on. it's certainly miserable as an indictment of The Industry, as well as the general societal climate of white Canadian centrism.

the solution is to create a society where people can develop games in peace and prosperity and stay on projects for longer, rather than constantly getting turfed out without severance pay. and to get some genuine leftists, poc, and indigenous people on staff who can weigh in and provide significant input, rather than a Council Of Liberal White Edmontonians every time.

in the meantime, at the very least, let's please stop preordering AAA games and supporting companies who notably abuse their employees.

[interact-if]

Our fifth edition of the Black History Month Author Spotlight series, features Mila (@milaswriting)!

(Mila’s game Golden is one of the games I fell in love with when I first got into Interactive Fiction, and it feels like such a dream to be able to interview her now! It’s so interesting to interview someone who’s been in the IF community for a while now, and see how stories—and their authors—change and evolve as time goes by too.)

Author: Mila

Hello! I’m Mila, a twenty-three year old woman from the UK. Something readers may not know (or probably do considering how much I complain about university), I crave academic validation. I got 90% on an essay I did this year and I was so proud of myself that I’m considering doing a PhD. We’ll see if Dr Mila ever becomes a thing, haha.

Games: Golden (Fantasy, romance, mystery, supernatural)

Short blurb: You work for The Everbrook. A multi-agency organisation in the city of Lehsa that bridges the gap between the human and supernatural world. You’ve been working there for three years now, and you’re suddenly forced to work with a group of allies to solve mysteries that have landed right in the palm of your hand.

Quote from the interview

I wish I could say I’ve had amazing encounters with vampires, magical beings and werewolves to inspire Golden—but that isn’t exactly the case. I’ll let you know if that ever happens though! I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm, more so as a young adult than when I was much younger, but usually the portrayal of poc characters in media wasn’t always shown in a positive light. Or poc characters, when it came to romance, weren’t given the lead roles where a swoon-worthy romance story was played out. To, sort of right those wrongs, and have other black readers like myself, be able to see themselves in the characters of stories—I created a diverse cast of ROs.

Read on for the full interview!

Can you tell me a bit about what you’re working on right now and your journey into interactive fiction? What inspired the game/story you’re currently writing?

I’m currently working on a fantasy supernatural interactive fiction, Golden. Officially, Golden is five years old now. I released it in December 2020 and was regularly writing and working on it for a couple of years. And then I noticed that as I grew from an eighteen/nineteen year old teenager, the ideas I had for my story were different, thus I wanted to make a few changes. A few changes turned into a lot of changes. And now I’m in the process of a whole rewrite, alongside moving to Twine. 

Covid was in 2020, and that’s ultimately the year I got into reading interactive fiction too. I first read fanfics of an interactive fiction game, then read the original story itself, and got really into the process of the reader being able to make meaningful choices that impact their reading experience. That was a supernatural story too, and that’s how I ended up creating my own. 

When it comes to the changes I’ve made to Golden, the inspiration came from a lot of things. One being my love for mystery, crime and psychology—I wanted that incorporated into the story I’m writing. I love the element of lore and world building, so that’s how I knew the fantasy/supernatural element would be in there. Additionally, my love for found family and complex characters also inspired me to write this story, but to also make the changes I have. Lastly, I’m a hopeless romantic at heart, I adore the stuff! So reading and writing good romance is everything to me. 

How has your identity, heritage/background, upbringing, or personal experiences influenced your storytelling or writing process? OR How does your work feature aspects of your identity / experience?

I wish I could say I’ve had amazing encounters with vampires, magical beings and werewolves to inspire Golden—but that isn’t exactly the case. I’ll let you know if that ever happens though! I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm, more so as a young adult than when I was much younger, but usually the portrayal of poc characters in media wasn’t always shown in a positive light. Or poc characters, when it came to romance, weren’t given the lead roles where a swoon-worthy romance story was played out. To, sort of right those wrongs, and have other black readers like myself, be able to see themselves in the characters of stories—I created a diverse cast of ROs.

B Holden was the first one I created. I already knew they were going to be a werewolf, and I wanted them as a character to be the complete opposite of how a werewolf is usually described and portrayed. Aggressive, animalistic, dangerous—yet, I’d like to think that B is, and comes off as, someone who is the sunshine that lights up a room, someone who’d make you feel good on a bad day, a kind of person you’ll always want around. From my own personal experiences, I’m a nursing student and I’ll be graduating this year and going into a working environment. I think the changes to Golden emulate that, instead of being a student, the MC is navigating the supernatural world themselves and they’re very immersed into it.

What does your writing process look like? Any rituals or habits? Any tips, tricks, philosophies or approaches that have worked very well for you?

Oh! So, the background is that I love The Naturals series and The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and I got to meet her at a book event in my hometown. And during her talk, she said that she writes with a ‘Writer’s Hit List’. On that list, the writer jots down all of their favourite things that they love about characters, or elements they want their story to have. It’s a bit like a word dump, for example, ‘loves characters that enjoys baked goods’ or ‘loves when character speaks multiple languages’. 

Then you end up with a super long list of traits you’d like to give your characters or factors you want your world to have. And you can get your inspiration from literally anything, so that’s something fun to have. You can add to it when you’re not thinking about writing, and then when you have writer’s block, or just want some inspiration, you can open your notes app and see what you wrote down.

Currently, whilst juggling uni and personal life, on my days off/working from home, when I get a burst of inspiration I usually open up my laptop and write in my bedroom or the living room. And whilst writing, I put on ROs’ playlists that I’ve made on Spotify. My new RO, Ireland Monroe, their playlist has been extremely helpful in motivating me to write.

What’re you excited to tackle/implement/work on next? Or anything you’re looking forward to in the year ahead?

I’m excited about getting this rewrite out! I’ve felt really guilty about keeping readers waiting so long for content from me, or just disappointed in myself that I haven’t been able to produce content as quickly as other authors. I know it’s a terrible thing to compare yourself to others, but sometimes it’s one of those things you can’t help. We’re into February now and I genuinely think that I’m getting better at telling myself to just work as best as I possibly can. 

But, yeah, I’m excited for people to read and see how Golden’s developed with me as an individual. It’s interesting considering the story has grown up with me, and it’s sort of taken its own shape and whispered to me, “I know you want to change me, don’t be afraid to do so”, and now my nerves about that are near enough gone. 

I just want it to be a good writing year overall! So, I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed that the story ideas that play in my head everyday are able to be transferred to screen so others can enjoy them.

If you were to say one thing to your readers, other authors, and/or the interactive fiction community: what would it be? OR If you could change one thing about the interactive fiction community, what would it be?

My advice to readers would be that as writers, we definitely write our stories as an escape and whilst it’s important to write for ourselves, we write with the hopes that you enjoy it too. If there’s a particular scene or character or story that you love, definitely tell that author. It’ll make their day, their week, even. It’s such a wonderful feeling to hear from you guys. And also, just continue to consume the content that’s put out. And just a personal thank you to the readers I have for being patient with me. 

For authors, I’d say to have fun writing. If, in your gut, there are changes you’d love to make to your story, then do so. Remember that, no matter what, there’s always going to be at least one person that loves what you write. Always. So, if it’s motivation you want to continue putting words onto paper (or a screen), then that’s it. I also think it’s fun adding a little bit of yourself into your story.

Any books, music, movies etc. you’re obsessed with at the moment, or which changed your life (or perspectives on something)?

I read The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and it’s absolutely changed my brain chemistry for the better. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes mystery with a romantic side plot. I love YA murder mystery books, so A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series, books by Karen McManus. I also love Taylor Jenkins Reid. And, as its black history month, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is my favourite black author and she writes queer mystery/thriller books. My favourite of hers is Where Sleeping Girls. 

Music: I adore Billie Eilish (Hit Me Hard and Soft should’ve won a Grammy, I will die on this hill!) Noah Kahan and Sam Barber are artists I’ve really been loving at the moment. Gigi Perez as well, Sailor Song and Fable are songs I can never skip. 

This-or-that segment: (red = Mila's pick)

Coffee or tea?

Early mornings or late nights?

City or countryside?

Angsty or Cozy romances? (Or enemies-to-lovers or best-friends-to-lovers?)  

Steady progress or frenzied binge-writing followed by periods of calm?

Summer or Winter?

First drafts or editing?

Introvert or extrovert? (Gosh, I’m SUCH an introvert)

Plotter or pantser?

Characters or plot first?

Write your own “either-or” pairing: vampires or werewolves? (don’t tell B or K I even asked… I can’t pick between my faves, so I’ll let you guys choose :D)

[creatingblackcharacters]

For what it's worth, Pathfinder's "fantasy Africa" setting is actually pretty well-done. The book detailing the setting -- the Mwangi Expanse being its proper name -- specifically brought in something like two dozen Black authors, some of them experts in African cultures, specifically to give the setting as much authenticity, diversity and vibrancy as possible. It's genuinely one of the better takes on the concept outside of dedicated Afro-fantasy games.

Plus, developing the orcs (as well as other formerly "monstrous" ancestries like goblins) into actual societies that are treated like real people instead of walking stereotypes has been a big push of Pathfinder's during its second edition. I'm not Black myself, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I think the matanji (the orcs of the Mwangi Expanse) are one of the more interesting cultures there, noble demon-hunters with a refined culture who maintain pretty advanced diplomatic relationships with their neighbors. There's also a nation of people who recently staged a successful rebellion against their colonialist overlords and are now rebuilding as an independent nation, so that's fun.

POC gamer's got a brief but solid review on the Mwangi book here: https://pocgamer.com/archives/1546 His blog in general is worth looking into for people interested in working more Black perspectives into their TTRPGs.

(Sorry if this is a bit much, I just genuinely love the Mwangi Expanse and the work its Black authors did rehabilitating a setting that definitely had Problems in first edition and it makes me sad that it's not more well-known)

Thanks for the update! I can only hope that the anon who requested the information has this version of the story, rather than the version that does not!

[sodafrizzocs]

Why Hellbound Matters; It Should, It Will, And Your Art Does Too ☆

​Hellbound, my queer, demonic, crime-gang indie game. It had to be made. Not only out of the need to create, but from how much others' stories have mattered, and still do.

Some major inspirations definitely had to do with my love for Sly Cooper, from it's themes, the world, the style, the characters, what it had to say- *and* it's an early 2000s game, the most genuine kind of media you could find, at least in my eyes. Back when artists made art and art wasn't "content" or a placeholder for mindless money. Back when a creation could just be simple, and that was good enough, because it was genuine and had a reason for being made.

Then there's Bully, GTA V, maybe even The Last of Us sprinkled in there somewhere. But especially, and I mean especially: Butterfly Soup. Another indie visual novel on itch.io. It's a simple queer story taking place in the early 2000s, and it might seem silly or not worth looking into, but it had such a great impact and gave me so much more meaning than I ever expected out of what would probably come off as just some random VN to most.

Aside from my own passion for story-creation, for all the themes present in Hellbound... Butterfly Soup is the one I should thank for showing me that anything is possible. That queer stories get to be told through a lens that isn't so strict as the mainstream makes it out to be. That any story at all, has the chance to be told, and eventually WILL have the chance to be recognized by the people who SEE that passion. Hopefully, like the fans of Butterfly Soup can recognize how special it is, others in the future will recognize just how important Hellbound is too. That it's not just a visual novel. It's an experience; it's an open world PS2 game, it's an animated TV show, it's a big ass goddamn MUSICAL (If I had the budget. And if I liked musicals. Lol).

What I mean is, it's everything I could ever hope for. And this isn't even the biggest I could dream. Maybe someday I'll have the resources to make it something even bigger. But for now...

I've brought the most important thing to me, to life, and in the best way that I can.

I can only hope others will trust in the fact that it doesn't need to be made by Netflix, or Rockstar, or Amazon, or alpha-males-be-eating-spiders.com, to be worthwhile. That just one solo indie developer, one small artist, one small writer, one person alone- has the capacity to make something just as special, just as real, as the bigguns.

...I guess this is to say: I hope you'll love Hellbound! Cus I sure do! (Maybe even more than PS2 games)

And to celebrate Hellbound's long awaited release (4/13), here's OLD Zyne art, back when he was just some murder-guy with edgy trauma and an even worse bf.

(Don't worry. He was always mixed/Mexican. Was always meant to be trans. Queer since the day I met him!) The weird third eye thing is gone though. Who knew a random design choice just clogs up and confuses the design!?

Find HELLBOUND here, if you missed it up top -> My super evil game, not made by Amazon execs for once!

[retquits]

So did you know abt Witchbrook? I love the idea of being a witch! And i wanna know if ure interested in playing it once it's released? 👀

Because goddamn have i been waiting for 8 years for this game to be released 😭😭😭

answering this one asap because i wondered if i'd be asked about it, and i've been mulling over a reply & collecting references ( ＞ㅅ＜)/ i apologize, this is gonna be much more of a reply than you probably anticipated! 🤧 if you just want to enjoy the game and the excitement of its release, please please please feel free to skip this post.

to be super transparent, i've had mixed feelings about witchbrook, but i'm cautiously optimistic. one of my random interests for years has been keeping up with general gaming news - and that being said, the 8 year development period is a warning sign for me.

the other bit of hesitance is because i've side-eyed chucklefish for a while, largely due to the news that broke about how starbound devs were taken advantage of back in 2019. now, chucklefish "apologized", but if you noticed there's no actual apology in their response, you're not the only one.

this situation struck a chord with me; for reasons i won't discuss, exploitation of labor from young, starry-eyed artists/developers who don't know any better is something i'm familiar with and against. excusing themselves with essentially "i don't have the money to pay everyone but no one was forced, there were no deadlines, and everyone was credited" is, in layman's terms, weaksauce.

additionally, in the same year for a separate game (wargroove), they also accidentally cast strictly white cast, even for poc characters, which, to be fair, they did actually apologize for.

last thing i want add is for anyone who isn't aware, chucklefish and witchbrook are in no way associated with stardew valley!! ik that was a misconception for a while, but concernedape split with chucklefish back in, again, 2019, his statement ending with: "I can also say that, both personally and in my capacity as the recent founder of a small team, I believe in compensating developers for their contributions in working on games. -Eric"

...all that to say!!! obviously things can change for the better over the course of almost 6 years - the game certainly LOOKS beautiful, and i'm sure some incredibly talented people have poured an unthinkable amount of work into it.

the gameplay didn't grab me personally, but i still hope that it came together in a way that the devs and players are happy with. maybe i'll play it someday! but i'll probably give it some time first. in closing, i encourage anyone interested to read the linked articles and form their own opinions. these are entirely my personal thoughts and observations. MWAAAH 💛

[the-uncanny-dag]

Over 100 years of modern film technology developing & yet the only POC Heathcliffs we have in adaptations come from a movie made in 2011 & a Korean gacha indie game

[vicholas]

(...)Even under the best of circumstances, it is difficult to maintain a vibrant Olympics training program in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Nine months of war between Israel and Hamas has made that challenge next to impossible.

Much of the country’s sporting infrastructure, clubs and institutions have been demolished, said Nader Jayousi, the technical director at the Palestine Olympic Committee.

“Do you know how many approved pools there are in Palestine? Zero,” said al Bawaab, who noted that the Palestinian economy is too small and fragile to consistently support the development of elite athletes. “There is no sports in Palestine. We are a country right now that does not have enough food or shelter, and we are trying to figure out how to stay alive. We are not a sports country yet.”

The Palestinian diaspora has always played an important role at the Olympics and other international competitions, Jayousi said.

Jayousi said it’s not the first time that most of the athletes representing the POC come from abroad. He said the Palestinian diaspora is always represented at any big international sporting competition and Olympics.

More than 38,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war between Israel and Hamas began, according to local health officials. Among those who died were about 300 athletes, referees, coaches and others working in Gaza’s sports sector, according to Jayousi.

Perhaps the most prominent Palestinian athlete to die in the war was long-distance runner Majed Abu Maraheel, who in 1996 in Atlanta became the first Palestinian to compete in the Olympics. He died of kidney failure earlier this year after he was unable to be treated in Gaza and could not be evacuated to Egypt, Palestinian officials said.

Only one Palestinian athlete, Ismail, qualified for the Paris Games in his own right. The seven others gained their spots under a wild-card system delivered as part of the universality quota places.. Backed by the International Olympic Committee, it allows athletes who represent poorer nations with less-established sports programs to compete, even though they did not meet the sporting criteria.

“We had very high hopes that we would go to Paris 2024 with qualified athletes,” Jayousi, the team’s technical director, said. “We lost lots of these chances because of the complete stoppage of every single activity in the country.”

Palestinian athletes will compete in boxing, judo, swimming, shooting, track and field and taekwondo.(...)

[dreamtydraw]

OKAY SO I'M TRYING TO DO SOMETHING I NEED SOME HELP- So I was talking with a friend and the subject fell back on the lack of poc focused characters in visual novels ( in the case o this topic dark skinned black romanceable characters since romance is one of the most popular genre)

So I wanted to try making a list of games that answer some criteria and I would really appreciate if people rebloged with more recommendation because it saddens me that the list is so short.

excluding error 143 ( for reason that I could elaborate if asked but aren't the focus of this post ) please reblog with games that answer this conditions : -The game must have one or more black character who's routes are given the same focus non black routes have.

-The characters aren't ambiguous to appeal for white passing beauty standard ( ex having straight hair with blue eyes, grey or very light skin, or a standard anime style face )

-They aren't covered in scars, treated as "exotique" or being sexualized for their ethnicity. (They aren't stereotypes)

additional but not obligatory : -The game is free / have a free demo -The game is not pegi 18 -It's not an abandoned game ( might be in development ) Here is my current list :

[bunabi]

DAV has been a whole other level of disappointing as a POC and I feel crazy every time I try n explain it lmao. When they revealed they changed the name from Dreadwolf to Veilguard and rationalised it as ‘this story is about rook and co’ I stupidly assumed we really were going to get a rich and polished set of companions. Because if nothing else is good in a DA game, at least there are the companions. Like that’s always been the case. They marketed the hell outta them. I get why they did that, but it feels so damn mean and cruel in hindsight. I love them, I rly do, all things considered. I’m glad they’re a part of the franchise now and I’ll defend them from the antiwoke bros with my life. Still, it’s hard to watch someone who looks like me and my friends and be met with… mediocrity. Mediocrity that’ll never be readdressed, fixed or built upon. It stings.

I don't think it's uniquely bad for us. I think 40% of fandom creates characters who are pretty similar to themselves whether its appearance or personality, and the other 60% roleplay characters that are still close to heart. Not to dismiss your point, I get it, I'm just saying no one's exempt from disappointment. 😅

You touch on something I've been thinking about though: the role anti-woke has played in conversations surrounding Veilguard and how protective and tense the fandom became as a result. The unhinged anger toward reviewers. Constantly accusing each other of being tourists and fake fans. This fucking sucked lol.

I worry that after enough time has passed and DA5 goes into development we'll just forget this happened. We'll remember negativity around DAV being manufactured and blown out of proportion, the racist and transphobic and sexist brigading, but not the environment of denial we created. Not the fair criticism and good faith arguments and how we completely overreacted to it.

I am the #1 Executor Lore Liker, I'm soo excited for the plot to move across the sea, but I'm seriously not interested in going through this again. I'm out for DA5 if I even sniff it.

[soaps-mohawk]

If I had a nickel for every time my favorite video game character is a POC who gets ignored by the fandom and the developers, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird it happened twice.