#reticle-a-day

[askagamedev]

Vertical Slice Breakdown - Dragon Age Veilguard

It's been a few days since the Dragon Age Veilguard gameplay video was released. I posted a challenge for aspiring developers to identify as many specific features and systems as they could spot. My expertise is in gameplay, so that's where I will be focusing. Expertise on visuals like lighting, rendering, shaders, etc. should be directed elsewhere.

0:22 - In-Game Cinematic with moving cameras 0:30 - Seamless cinematic transfer to gameplay, quest tracking UI element, different walking speeds 0:36 - Interactable element with UI 0:43 - Camera movement - orbital motion, but likely not detachable 0:53 - Party member movement, including waiting for the player as part of an escort sequence 2:08 - Uninteractable NPC actors perform animations 2:13 - Scriptable terrain changes/destruction 2:18 - Scriptable interactions with multiple actors 2:29 - Uninterrupted conversations when transitioning from gameplay to in-game cinematic 2:39 - Context-specific traversal method with special traversal animation (balancing across a thin beam) 2:50 - Small sequence that is likely unloading the last area and loading in data for the next environment. Likely also locks players off from returning to the previous area. 3:22 - Conversation wheel with "personality" icons and paraphrased words 3:39 - Dynamic inventory in game cinematics, show player's items 3:46 - Scripted Player equipment change during cinematic 4:04 - Quest variables (e.g. player background) result in different NPC response 4:27 - Combat UI including current target (four red dots), Combat log 4:30 - Player can jump 4:33 - UI Melee danger indicator for incoming attacks - silver for enemy attacking, gold for shortly impending damage 4:35 - Player can dash/dodge 4:39 - Event log - Items/Loot notification 4:42 - Shooting UI including hit/miss indicator (red reticle), time scaling, arrow charging (rounded purple bar above arrow count), arrow refill cooldown 5:03 - Some kind of special charge/jumping attack 5:09 - XP gain UI, Quest objective completion UI, Quest objective map indicator UI 5:12 - Auto sheath weapons 5:15 - Potion use/Health recovery 5:18 - Recover potions from the environment 5:40 - Quest objective indicator change on approach 5:49 - Ranged attack danger indicator 5:51 - Defensive action (player reflects damage back on ranged attacker) 6:06 - Enemies can be knocked off edges when fatal 6:10 - Destructible objects in combat, can be scripted 6:16 - Some kind of "special" dodge skill with VFX, likely a rogue class skill 6:51 - Second context-specific traversal method (sliding down a slope) also likely a second "can't go back" type of lockoff 7:01 - Action/Command UI (party/self ability commands) 7:06 - Specific skill used, skill cooldown, enemy debuffed + UI (weakened), resource used (purple bar at bottom of screen) 7:07 - Quick use button mapping, likely for controller face buttons 7:09 - Resource bar refills on its own and on attack damage 10:47 - Different kinds of health bars (likely magical shield and armor) 11:59 - Boss UI with both magical shield and armor bars. Not sure what the number 4 there indicates 12:15 - Telegraphed danger zones projected onto the floor 12:22 - Quick recover timing event 14:45 - Conversation option for branching cinematic 14:51 - Follower approval UI event log 18:49 - Destructible object with health bar and UI highlighting

Each of these elements is something that would need to be designed and implemented by someone on the gameplay team working with UI, engineering, and art. See anything I missed? Which did you get?

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[ghosts-cant-sleep]

Heeeeyyy, never requested anything but i think i'll give it a shot because i really like the way you write! You're really talented :]

Mayhaps a simon "ghost" riley x male reader? Reader is very provocative and loves getting reactions out of people, no matter if they are amused chuckles or annoyed groans. BUT Ghost is a brick wall and reader sees it as a challenge? Im sure your beautidul mind will come up with something interesting!

May i have the "🦇" as my anon emoji? (If its not taken of course!)

Thanksss, have an amazing day/night!

you can whistle for it

simon 'ghost' riley x male! reader

warnings: idk how spotting works im just basing it off of that one american sniper scene kinda, suggestive innuendos, stupid jokes, not proofread,

notes: i love specific anons sm :3 yall r so cute :3 ofc u can have 🦇 :3 lysm :3

fem dni.

"Y'know, Lieutenant, I've been thinking-"

"I doubt that."

"-You, me, alone under the stars... It's pretty romantic, don't'cha think?"

"No."

A heavy sigh pushes past [Name]'s lips, hia breath blooming into a faint mist of white, fading into the deep blues of the sky hanging high above them.

The snow crunches bellow his elbows with every breath, laying thick over the plantlife. Frost coated the leaves that shrouded the pair, snowfall left the branches bending under the weight, there wasn't even a peep from the local fauna.

And oh god, what he wouldn't give to be warm like them, huddled in a burrow, coat all he'd need to keep warm. Instead, he was left in thick, stiff winter gear, the cruel wind biting at the tip of his nose in spite of the fleece-lined gaiter.

Hell, he was surprised his rifle wasn't crusted in ice.

He wasn't surprised, however, to deduce that the poor weather seemed to reflect on his lieutenant's mood, as if being stuck on overwatch for hours on end wasn't bad enough.

[Name] laid with his cheek resting on the stock of his gun, index finger lazily tapping against the trigger gaurd to some unrecognized rhythm.

And Ghost was right beside him, nearly hyper focused on spotted. Each had their eyes trained on their respective scopes, and both were miserable.

Aching backs, necks swiftly growing sore, eye's dry, lips cracking, and faces all kn all feeling like they'd be ready to freeze off any moment now. And that's not even mentioning that this was the fourth time Ghost had essentially requested [Name] shut his mouth in the past thirty minutes they'd been in the field, which was frustrating enough for both of them.

And excuse him for not wanting to waste his night sulking in silence, but making the best out of a less than steller situation didn't seem to be something Ghost was capable of.

It was charming, in its own annoying little way-- the relentless chatter and constant quips and jokes, even if they sometimes boarded on ridiculously unprofessional. Whether it be an annoyed groan, a flustered chuckle, or a reluctant smile masked with a roll of their eyes, his little antics never failed to coax out some reaction.

Almost never.

And in all honesty, this self inflicted, fruitless journey to get so much as a scoff out of Ghost wasn't even the point anymore. Sure, to be met with anything other than stubborn apathy would be a breath of fresh air, not to mention satisfying after so long of any and all jokes, swipes, and thinly veiled innuendo being shut down with little remorse would be a delight. But now? [Name] just wanted something to distract himself from the cold that clung to his skin.

So, as always, to Ghost's dismay, he gives it another go.

Dispite himself, another sigh is huffed out. He glances over to Ghost, the sight of something other than his reticle feeling foreign.

"So..." He starts, situating his sights back to his scope. "You got a girlfriend or anything?"

He found the idea a little funny. The image of this big, stoic man holding hands or otherwise being sweet on some pretty little lady.

There's a stretch of silence, expectantly so, and [Name]'s already racking his brain for something-- anything, to say next.

"No."

The low rumble of Ghost's voice takes him by surprise, but it'd be foolish to dwell on it long. An answer's an answer.

"Figured," [Name] mutters out, adjusting the grip on his gun, rolling out shoulders in an attempt to ease the discomfort that's begun to festerbetweenhia shoulder blades. "Does that mean you're up for grabs then?"

Only the whistle of wind responds this time.

"I'll take that as a maybe." He might as well have been aimlessly talking to himself. Hell, that would've been more entertaining than this.

"Y'know, I'm sure deep down you do think I'm funny." Told you; relentless. Still, despite the smile hidden behind his mask and the slightly forced crinkle in his eye, [Name] couldn't quite hide the irritation growing thick in his own throat.

"I think you're a distraction," Ghost is swift to correct, his balaclava doing little to hide the annoyance in his tone. "A liability if you're not careful, so do shut up."

[Name] can't help but shake his head, a sharp huff pulling from his throat. Sure Ghost was his superior, and by no means were they supposed to be all buddy-buddy with one another. But jesus fucking christ, would it hurt to crack smile. Hell, even Price offers a pitty laugh on the rare occasion.

"It wouldn't kill you to have some damn fun one in a while." The words leave his mouth before his can think better of it, tounge sharp.

"It might," Ghost is quick to retort with just as much bite. For the first time since they settled down, his eyes leave the spotter, sending a well received warning glare [Name]'s way. "Give it a rest, yeah?"

Be it the weather, the job, a wave of bravery, or simply just [Name]'s long overdue annoyance reaching its peak, he, in fact, does not give it a rest.

"It's like you're scared of saying something interesting for once."

"Maybe I'll let you chew on some lead to shut you up. That interesting enough?"

"Christ."

Every stretch on silence is near unbearable. It feels like even the wind still in these moments. [Name] would prefer a constant flood of berating and hardly enjoyable banter from Ghost far more than this.

The tension of the moment breifly lingers before it disapates just as swiftly as it had arrived, the tension in [Name]'s chest easing. He lets out a soft breath, his grip adjusts, his elbows sink furth into the snow.

"Well-" Ghost interjects with gruff sigh, "-Soap told me you like jokes."

"Did he, now?"

"Where do generals keep their armies?"

"Up their sleevies."

"God dammit, Ghost."

[Name] purses his lips, effectively splitting it down the center, the heat from the sting made all the worse by the every present chill. He had more pressing matters to worry about. "Why do snipers aim with one eye closed?"

"Sergeant."

"Humor me-- just this once, and I swear I'll shut up for the rest of the night." An obvious lie. However, Ghost doesn't try to correct it. "...Why do snipers aim with one eye closed?"

"...Why?"

"If they closed both, they wouldn't be able to see."

Yet another discontent sigh leaves Ghost's mouth. But, [Name] could've sworn he almost heard a smile forcing its way onto Ghost's face as he spoke. "Now are you done?"

[Name]s response isn't instantaneous. His head lifts from the small of the stock, gaze leaving the scope and finding Ghost beside him.

Ghost was still, near statuesque if it weren't for the soft puffs of breath that seeped through the thick knit of his mask. [Name] knew Ghost liked being behind the trigger more than anything, but he was sure Ghost's ego swelled, even if just a tad, over being the one chosen to spot instead.

Only when Ghost's eyes meet [Name]'s does he retreat back to his scope. Still, he let's his stiff face pull into a grin. "Say whatever you want, but I think I am starting to get to you, Lieutenant."

"Oh, piss off." This time, he hears Ghost shift around in place, a tired groan accompaning the shifting of snow beneath him. "Just quiet down before I show you how to put that mouth of yours to good use for once."

"Awe, c'mon now, you-- huh?"

[legacygirlingreen]

Mornings on Pabu

For week 4 of @summer-of-bad-batch's alt prompt: "You really think you're going without me? Not going to happen"

Pairing: Tech x F!Reader

Summary: An early morning on your lovely island home leads to some reflexion on how hard your lover has been working... and possibly explaining why that is...

*** no use of Y/N ***

Warnings: mildly suggestive, mentions of having children, no actual baby making activity I promise! mostly fluff! Domestic but non sexual nudity!

Word count: 2k

MASTERLIST

Rustling curtains and the muted sound of crashing waves were the perfect lull from sleep as you rolled over. Hair tumbling across the pillow as you did so, you blinked the caress of sleep away as your eyes focused while you moved. That’s not to say you weren’t careful of the dead weight from the arm perched over your waist. He rarely slept. Forcing him into the bed and to lay down - without that blasted datapad - was still a challenge after a year of island life. 

  You were finally free. Free of the Empire. Free of Dr. Hemlock. Free of the danger. Free to be at peace. Free to help give Omega the childhood she deserved. Free to heal those wounds both mental and physical. Free to love as you all saw fit. Free to have the lives you truly had always wanted. 

  Pabu was every bit the sanctuary Phee had promised. While you initially had been wary of the pirate - especially the way she continually flirted with Tech despite your unofficial yet apparent feelings for the man - you’d come to respect her in time. After a few drinks late one night, she admitted to flirting simply to push the two of you together. To her credit, her work along with the unscheduled descent that nearly claimed his life, it worked. 

  Tech was every bit of man you had longed for. Noble. Intelligent. Thoughtful. Sexy. 

  Even while sleeping, low rumbled snores escaping past his lips, he looked alluring. Those thick eyelashes that framed his deep brown eyes, visible due to removal of his staple goggles, which rested on his nightstand during the night. Skin having grown into a deep bronze with the sunlight, giving way with every deep inhale and exhale. His hair was an absolute mess, and finally grown to a length you wouldn’t have anticipated. No longer on the run, and needing to be practical, he’d let it go and given up on gel: meaning the carmel strands were curling around his neck and ears now instead of being cropped short and pushed back. Something about seeing him like this made you truly feel every ounce of raw arousal for him almost every moment in the day. The added freedom to slip away whenever you liked only increased the desperate need you both shared for one another.

  The dark ink he’d always had marked in his skin, now accompanying two new additions. An oval design replicating Omega’s old headband along his bicep next to symbols he bore for all his siblings: Crosshair’s reticle design, a red band that stretched the entire circumference of his arm for Hunter’s bandana, a childish outline of lula for Wrecker, and Echo’s old handprint armor. He kept his siblings close to him, having marks for them just under his shoulder where their old squad logo lay. However the most recent addition to his body lay directly over his heart: your name in aurebesh.  

  Tech hadn’t warned you of the change, simply appearing one day with it over his pectoral and the explanation of, “I wanted to keep you close to heart”. Which promptly led to your heart beating as if it was going to bust. Well, that and some mind blowing time between the sheets to show just how much the gesture had meant to you. He still shrugged it off, as if the act were common sense. You beg to differ but were never going to argue with him over something so kind.

  Laying next to him every morning had come to feel like a dream. Days on Pabu were met with Tech’s talent for mechanics being put to good use, while you took on random tasks assisting him. That didn’t stop the frequent routine of sharing meals with Shep and his daughter, Tech’s siblings and occasionally Phee. After which, you both would make it back to your own private domicile - something Tech requested after some time given he didn’t enjoy being quiet when it came to giving you pleasure - before hopping into bed together. 

  Initially the transition had been difficult on Omega. The girl not used to Tech being under a different roof and still anxious from his time captured on Tantis away from her watchful eye, but once she discovered that Tech’s absence meant she had her own escape from the other boys she finally came around. 

  Each morning had come to be filled with sweet whispers rousing you from sleep, as Tech often rose before you. Not long after you had arrived, you both began taking the mornings to swim, before the island awoke. The gentle breeze, the calm lapping waves, and the way Tech’s brown eyes looked at dusk: perfection.

  However, with the amount he’d been working lately, you felt guilty about waking him up for something as trivial as a swim. He’d taken it on himself to fix all of lower Pabu, fortifying it against future storm surges so the island could function. This was great - if he wasn’t doing so single handedly, pushing off your attempts at helping him.

  Carefully you tried to maneuver your way out from under his arm, hoping that you could be gone and back before he woke up, but when you had just gotten your foot out from under the covers, said arm tightened, trapping you under a sudden burst of strength. Immediately being alert and aware were side effects of his programming, meaning the first stroke of being awoken meant he was at full capacity to react almost suddenly.  

  Sighing you gave up, knowing you had failed to slip away without him realizing and just allowed the man to pull you back into his chest as he tangled your legs together. A gruff tone to his voice as he whispered, “You really think you’re going without me?” into the skin of your neck. The way he almost purred the words as he wrapped himself around your body made you melt as he continued, kissing your neck as he mumbled, “not going to happen…” along that spot that always made you squirm. 

  “I just wanted you to rest-” you began and his sweet kisses turned to a playful nip as he shook his head, turning you around before you could react and pulling you on top of his body. In doing so the covers tumbled to the floor, leaving his beautiful bare body full on display as his hands sought out your rear, giving it a squeeze as your face fell into the crook of his neck. He smelled musky, as if he’d sweat a bit in the night, but you didn’t mind as. 

  “I got more than enough rest to be sufficient for my body to complete its tasks for the day,” he commented, eyes blinking open as he adjusted to the first crack of light coming through the open window. 

  “Sufficient doesn’t mean you couldn’t do with a bit more sleep,” you grumble as that light puff of air that indicated a sudo laugh came from his nose and his arms tightened around your lower back. 

  “Not at the expense of missing out on our early morning routine,” he commented, mentally preparing to get going on the day. Where he discovered such energy in the morning you’d never know. 

  “Just one day wouldn’t be the end of the world,” 

“I have a different opinion on the matter,” he challenged, reaching over to retrieve the goggles on the nightstand as you reached an arm up to stop him. He used them to hide from the world, but you refused to let him do so with you. 

  “You’ve been working so incredibly hard lately Tech, no one is going to get angry if you take a bit of a break,” you challenge as you remove your arm, seeing he gave up on reaching his frames. 

  “I am aware that there shall not be hostilities if I pause the rate at which I have been repairing the lower half of the city. But as I said, I have reasons for a differing perspective on the issue,” he states bluntly. 

  You loved Tech for many reasons. His brilliance. His ability to remain calm no matter the circumstances. Usually you enjoyed his bluntness, since it meant he was straight forward and there was no guessing. Having him dance around the issue was very out of the norm. 

  “Is something wrong?” you sighed through the question, leaning up on his chest as he looked around the room for a moment, letting his eyes settle back on you. 

  “No, I do not mean to cause worry or distress,” 

  “Then why can’t you tell me what it is that is causing you to work yourself to an early grave?” you question softly, hand cupping the side of his face as his eyes fluttered closed. Stubble caught along your thumb and you knew he’d shave it when he got out of bed, as he did every morning without fail. He loved his routines after all. 

  “I just want to make sure that this is a safe place for children,” he says quietly, eyes still closed. 

  “You know that ever since the wave, Shep moved the families with kids up above the wall, and allowed more of the older residents to migrate south. Omega is old enough she can handle herself anywhere on the island-” 

  “I am not talking about Omega,” Tech replies as he finally looks up, hopeful gaze in his eyes. 

  Suddenly it all made sense. The overprotective nature he’d had lately. His hard work repairing the lower section of the island. His hyperawareness at your health as of late. His acceptance of life here and mentioning how it was one of safety. Him pointing out neighbors with children and how fascinating they behaved. 

  “Tech, do you-” you began to ask and his eyes grew wide, almost as if he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t be. 

  “I would never encourage something given we have not discussed it before, nor would I take actions you were not okay with. I hardly know your opinions on the matter…” he trailed off in a rare occurrence, hands dragging over his face as if to hide. 

  “But?” you press carefully, tone not indicating malice or frustration, simply a need to understand where he was coming from. 

  “But yes, I have found myself interested in the idea of possibly having children. Naturally that is. With you.” he said it all so simply despite the very apparent war he seemed to be having with himself for saying it out loud. 

  “Oh,” you whisper. To be frank, the idea hadn’t really crossed your mind. Not that you were against it, per say, just hadn’t really imagined it. 

  “We do not need to discuss it, and I shall continue fixing the walls regardless as it is a benefit to all who live here on Pabu-”

“Tech,” you cut him off with a small smile. 

  “Yes?” 

“Can we continue this conversation out of bed? I would like to hear all your ideas on the matter but I’d like to be in a neutral location if we are going to discuss them. Besides, I’ll never get over how wonderful you look in that early morning light in the water,” you tell him softly. 

  Tech looks up hopefully into your eyes, seeing the way they soften for him. Something tells him that he has nothing to fear, as a practical discussion of such matters is important for anyone attempting to bring life into the world with the one they love. Especially for someone as logically minded as him. You can’t help but laugh at the way he nearly hurls you onto the floor as he begins rushing about the room, pulling on something to swim in while encouraging you to hurl it along. 

  It’s in that room where you decide perhaps he’s onto something, and that maybe the two of you are ready for those next steps. But for now, the sun and sand are calling your name. Well, that and your love, who can’t wait to talk about the future with you as the sun peaks over the horizon. 

NOW CLICK TO READ PART TWO (NSFW)!!!

[warsamongthestars]

A headcanon of headcanons for your CF99 day.

( CF99 is Clone Force 99. Because if I said Bad Batch, it could be confused for the TBBshow--and meesa gots some personal beef with dat. So… CF99. Plus, the acronym just sounds cooler. )

WHEN WRECKER WAS INJURED, THE OTHERS GOT THEIR TATTOOS

Judging by Wrecker's head, more than likely, a bomb or similar blast had gone off in his face. It pulverized his eye, probably the hearing on that side too. I generally think part of his enhancement is that he has unbreakable bones, hence why his skull is fine.

He has a cybernetic eye, similar to the one that Commander Wolffe has, so this occurred the first year of the Clone Wars.

Because of the severe scaring, the eye and the event that might've cost Wrecker his life--it brought the team closer together, and Hunter, and by extension Crosshair, showed solidarity.

Brothers first, Mission Second, Orders third, and be damned to the Regs.

Hunter showed this solidarity and new closeness, by getting his infamous tattoo, same side of the head and face as Wrecker's scarring. Just as Wrecker's scar is the entire half, so was Hunter's tattoo.

( Plus, it was a personal step. Hunter has always been torn when it comes to Regs and even Civilians and Officials. He looks Normal, and thus they consider him the Normal one up until he Isn't--then its far worse treatment than just being rejected from the start. Hunter had learned a hard lesson about the pettiness of people, any people: They want your appearance to inform your personality, and they don't like being wrong, even though they are simply reacting to their own misinformed, petty and shallow judgement.)

( So, Hunter will be damned certain to give a "good" first impression, from now on. May the tattoos make the man. If someone is only going to judge things skin-deep, then they weren't worth associating with and its best to get it out of the way on the first impression )

( And who knows, Hunter would think, It would be worth proving someone wrong. )

Crosshair followed close behind. But Crosshair has always been afflicted with SEVERE PRACTICALITY. A tattoo for solidarity is all well and good until you've colored half your face like a harvest day decoration.

He knows Hunter's reasons. They're good reasons for Hunter. They're just not Crosshair's reasons.

So Crosshair gets a reticle around his dominant eye. Of course the lines cross his eyelid--he was practical, not a coward; if every clone can do it, so would he--But if he needed to, he could always cover it with makeup. Tattoos tend to personal identifiers, and he didn't want to give the Seppies or any other adversary time to have a list of personal descriptors.

( "If they don't catch you at all, it doesn't matter what's on your face", said Hunter, "And if they did catch you, then it wouldn't matter in the end anyway."

"Spoken like someone stuffed with straw and painted to scare birds away," said Crosshair.

Hunter threw wadded old socks at him. )

Tech doesn't care for facial tattoos, and he still maintains the soft roundness that would otherwise be called Baby Fat in clones so no amount of tattoo would work…

Instead, he opted to tattoo every area on his body that has suffered a bone break, with "symbolic imagery".

A few ribs here, where the "symbolic image" of them appear to be broken by an invisible lightning bolt. A leg here, with a "disruption" that appears similarly to the spikes on a soundwave monitor (the leg had been broken in three places near the knee during training). One arm here, depicted as a kind of semi-puzzle game. (The arm had been broken from an incident with an automatic door. )

And of course, it wouldn't be Tech if he didn't add small descriptions of what each one meant, what caused it, and when along side each tattoo…. In the star wars equivalency of esperanto.

( "It simply would not do if our adversaries got a hold of me and knew were all my structural weaknesses were at," said Tech, "So I wrote my descriptions in a constructed language that was created several hundred years ago by--"

"You… refer to your broken bones as structural weaknesses," drawled Crosshair, "…Of course you do."

"If you're worried about the enemy, You don't have to write your descriptions, you can just… tell people what happened, in your own words," said Hunter, "Make a conversation out of it."

"Nonsense, it is medically efficient if my body was ever recovered by a friendly command," said Tech, "and I would not have to tell anyone, I wrote it all down as needed."

"… Let's not talk about one of us dying," said Hunter.

"Too soon," said Crosshair. )

[hastings727]

Deadlock and the Multiverse of Mechanics

"Hey, do you want to try Deadlock? Check your email, I just sent you an invite."

That was about two weeks ago, and those first few games felt quite stereotypical to the MOBA genre: Overwhelming.

Big map! Lots of stuff on screen! A variety of characters!

And so I picked a random character (Dynamo) and sat in a bot game with my friend and messed around. Those first two games felt both fast and extremely slow at the same time. They probably ended in 20 minutes or less, but I spent most of my time just observing stuff.

"Oh, there's little alleyways that you can't see into, built into the lanes." "Oh, you can shoot the souls that come out of enemies and they give you more money." "Oh you can deny enemies their souls if you shoot them first." "There's a shop to buy items? And underground areas with a "secret shop"? Teleporters? Jungle creeps?!" "YOU CAN AIR DASH IN THIS GAME?!"

Revelations fell one after the other, and I was suitably impressed. And then I didn't play it for 3 days. There was nothing wrong with the game of course, but you have to let things marinate sometimes. A mistake I often see from players in competitive games is the inability to take a break. I often take breaks from pvp games. It lets you breathe.

And so I sat down again after 3 days of marination, and went to their training mode. And when I say this feels like the multiverse of mechanics, I mean it: Deadlock is an amalgamation of mechanics that stem from Dota2, Team Fortress 2, League of Legends, and Gunz the Duel.

And I was severely lacking in two areas: The aiming, and the movement. When you first play Deadlock, it feels clunky. Every character has bars of stamina, and you use them to double jump, dash, ground dash. But what really opened my third eye was looking at the reticle during a dash: It glowed blue. Oho. That means something. And so I start messing around and lo and behold: You can spend more stamina to combine movement mechanics. You can dash and jump, you can dash, jump, and air dash. You can dash and slide. Oh boy, we are COOKING now.

This game, for being an invite only alpha test, feels incredibly crispy. The map invites you to mess around with its movement, because unlike league or dota there is verticality. I can climb buildings, I can dive down and attack enemies. There are two (technically 3) characters that can temporarily fly. Every revelation of this game's mechanics told me where Valve had gotten their ideas. And best of all, I could see in my teammates and opponents where their expertise in the game came from. Good aim, positioning and movement? Probably Overwatch, or Apex. Smart laning and roaming, knowing when to leave lane to buy items? Yeah, you probably play dota or league. If you've played ANY popular pvp game within the last 10 years, you'll find a home in Deadlock.

What I find the most pleasing about Deadlock however, is their insistence on a specific aesthetic: Neo-noir. This game sits squarely in the 1920s/30s americana, with hints of sci fi and supernatural throughout its characters. Tall buildings with ads adorning the sides. But yet one of the characters (Vindicta) is basically a witch with a sniper rifle. The architecture screams dark art deco, but yet 2 (possibly three?) of the characters are clearly robots. Where league and dota tend towards both high and low fantasy, with shakes of steampunky tech throughout, for Valve to choose dark deco neo noir feels like such a beautiful risk.

[clownawnie]

Pathologic 2 thoughts now that i finished it

After a very long 52, nearly 53 hours, I finally finished Pathologic 2. These are my thoughts and feelings after finishing it and how it impacted me as a mixed indigenous person. I am Māori not Buryat so my perspective is just from growing up as a mixed person and not anything culturally specific.

Also! This will be all over the place, this is less of a structured analysis and more so just me jotting down my feelings and experiences with the game just to get them out there. I briefly go over the endings so spoilers for that i guess

Okay to start I really enjoyed Pathologic 2, it's truly a one of a kind experience. I played on an easier difficulty because I wanted to experience the story first (I do plan to replay the game at the intended difficulty at a later date) but it still felt challenging, I was definitely not having a walk in the park and it was for the best. I struggled a lot as someone going in mostly blind to Patho 2. I was very adamant about not using guides and while it added to my experience of the game it also caused me to fuck up and die a lot. (the first 16 hours or so were from my first attempt which failed miserably) 

I really enjoyed the gameplay, despite initially being overwhelmed by the size of the town I found it easier to navigate in the latter half of the game. I personally love games where you just collect stuff and searching through drawers and dressers for random coins and buttons was very fun for me. Walking around and just admiring the scenery was quite relaxing (when I wasn’t being chased by men with knives). The clunky combat wasn’t a deal breaker for me but the lack of aim reticle did make it hard to actually hit people consistently with the gun but eh that wasn’t really a problem. It did take an embarrassingly long time for me to figure out certain mechanics (like sneaking) I also love a lot of the characters, although I have a very clear favourite.

  Artemy very quickly became a character that was dear to me. I heavily related to him as a mixed Indigenous person who used to be close with their culture but now feels disconnected as an adult. Seeing him struggle with language, struggling to remember the right terms and the customs that used to come easily to him. Having a foot in two worlds but unsure of where you belong in either of them. He’s just like me fr. I immediately got invested in Artemy’s story and it made me try my hardest to play his part well. I love imagining myself acting as the player characters in games and it seemed fitting for Pathologic 2.

This personal investment in Artemy made certain parts of the games very difficult for me emotionally. There were many moments during the game when I had done something wrong and it struck me hard. Playing Pathologic 2 felt less like controlling a character and more like being the character, I wasn’t controlling Artemy I was Artemy. Every time I messed up it hurt. I was failing, doing a poor job filling in the role and because of it those closest to Artemy, to me, were getting sick.

I remember the first time one of the characters got infected, it was notkin. He was infected after going into the death house, I remember how my face dropped seeing Notkin all wrapped up and sickly. I was panicked when I realised Murky’s friend wasn’t just the girl's imagination but an embodiment of the plague and I felt absolutely lost on day 10 finding all of the kids infected with only 5 cures on me.

Overall I loved the story, I love things that can make me feel so much dread and pain and Pathologic 2 very much did that. However, I’m very conflicted on both endings. I played through both of them one after the other and I’m unsure how I feel about them.

I knew nothing about the endings when going into the game so I had no expectations but around day 9 or 10, after the talk with Isidor in the dream did I realise where the game was heading and it made me upset. For some background, I have struggled alot with where i stand in the world in terms of identity, being mixed can feel so isolating and i struggled alot with feeling like i couldn’t fit in with either side. I’ve been dealing with this over the years and feel more comfortable with both parts of my identity, not having to pick one or the other and existing as both. So i felt an awful feeling in my gut when i realised the story was pulling me, that i would have to make a decision town or kin. It felt cruel to make artemy pick between his two halves.

The endings themselves i’m torn on. I don’t particularly like either ending very much, maybe my feelings will change when i’ve had more than 24 hours to stew on my thoughts.

The diurnal ending left me feeling quite empty, I saved the town but killed the earth, assimilating the kin into the town and leaving no room for the past. The idea of the past and the future being incompatible pains me.

The framing of the nocturnal ending made me feel odd. It's the preservation of the past, of miracles. But it felt so… horrific… seeing people, children wandering out into the steppe. People artemy was closest to unable to even recognise him. It was framed much darker than the diurnal ending, it made siding with the kin feel like i had made a mistake. Im unsure if this was the intention of the ending but its how it felt. Maybe I’ll dissect the endings in greater detail at another date after hearing more perspectives from other players.

Overall, I am glad i played pathologic, despite my torn feelings on the endings I do deeply enjoy the game, the world and the characters and i can’t wait to play through it all again. I want to 100% the game, see everything it has to offer, achieve what feels like the impossible and save everyone.

[lovely-lavender-doll]

((CWs for this story include drug use and implied death))

“Any questions?”

Your handler’s voice snaps you back to the briefing room, her tone making it obvious which way she hopes you’ll answer.

You smartly shake your head. Every aspiring pilot knows about the incentives programs, the only difference with this one seems to be how they’re metering it out. A proprietary mix of oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine, squeezed through the neural link between you and your mech.

You blanked on the exact numbers your handler went over, but the gist is simple. A millisecond of sensation for every 10,000 dollars in employer revenue earned by a target destruction. Or maybe 1,000. More likely 10,000 if this is a cost-saving measure. Just enough to keep you right on the edge of juiced through an outing without causing distractions.

Your first high-value target sends you reeling, thighs jamming together in your cockpit as your vision swims and your voice bleeds from you in a strained whimper. The algorithm on the overlay still isn’t perfect, but you could swear the feelings last far longer than the little numbers on the reticle indicated. The kill leaves you trembling and sweating and needy and it is over as quickly as it arrives. The kill leaves you hungry.

You get good at your job. You get really good at your job.

Your outings are a dance from one line of zeroes to the next. Your vision zeroes in on whatever happens to be the biggest payday on the field as you try to string together explosions quickly enough to keep riding the wave of sensations flooding you. There is no feeling worse than the dip between kills, so you simply ensure the dip doesn’t have time to arrive. The end of each mission leaves you a shaking mess, your handler flashing you looks of what might even be concern as she peels you off the field every day.

If you had much rational brain left, you would assume this is where the problem began. But you have very little remaining beyond the feelings of frustration as days without work sometimes bleed into weeks without. You want so desperately to find a way to place that overlay into your field of vision even outside the cockpit, to find which trash cans in the hallway or which pilots in the mess you could empty out for a sliver of feeling, for a slight uptick in your employer’s bottom line.

“They’ve asked for my feedback, you know.”

Her tone is soft over the whirr of the carrier as you make your way to the next drop zone.

“I’m going to recommend the program be terminated.”

A crack in her voice as her eyes try desperately to hold yours before she leads you by the hand to your mech. Her fingers close around yours a little tighter than usual.

You register none of it.

The overlay pops up as your legs hit the ground with a puff of dust. On a whim, maybe because of your handler’s attempt to pull you back up, you turn your gaze up to the retreating transport and the algorithm analyzes it.

There are more zeroes in your field of vision than you can ever remember seeing. A horrible grind of metal on metal as you wipe your mouth with the back of your hand to clear away the drool forming. It would equate to hours. Days, maybe.

Paydirt.

[goqmir]

my favorite part about overwatch was creating a unique customized reticle for every single character. my second favorite part was the 1v1 gametype which i literally played for hours and adored and probably still holds up well to this day. my third favorite part was doing slapstick comedy in front of other players in custom servers named shit like "chill no kill (+ sex?)"

[twosides--samecoin]

long time running x @yeehawgust day 22: horse girl

[snippet from chapter 15]

Instead of a black-and-white morality of kindness and bloodshed on antithetical ends of a straight line, Olivia's spectrum seemed bent into a horseshoe; a crosshair with ends that almost converged, opposites closer to each other than either was to the far-off zenith of their shared iron-gray meridian.

Each time RJ found himself in the middle of this reticle and was quite certain she’d kill him, there was some concession in the form of a reward. 

Though she ensured his time in the Rocky Mountains wasn’t easy, at least she had a pattern he could anticipate. Climbing up a glacier against polar winds was rewarding when she balanced his trouble with warmth. Thaw necessitated frostbite; he wanted to breathe in arctic air and allow it to freeze him from the inside out, then wake up in the relative safety of Vault 150 once again.

If Olivia surrounded Mount Fay in a radstorm to eradicate the Brotherhood, at least she allowed RJ into the tempest’s calm center. If she was a 'real wild radhorse' like Hancock said, at least she was willing to share the grasslands.

RJ scoffed at the comparison. She didn’t mind me in the pasture until Jack threw on the saddle while she was distracted.   

Though it took a few days, his anger toward her subsided. Tangible memories of their time together, combined with his own sense of liability, overruled the images he conjured when Hancock divulged the truth about what happened in Goodneighbor. 

There wouldn’t have been a Goodneighbor or Raiders for her to get mixed up with if he hadn't involved her in his affairs. She galloped across the continental divide, crossed the hundredth meridian and left her prairies behind to help an ailing Duncan; Boston punished her, and RJ was complicit. 

He returned to Sanctuary with a report on events in north-east Boston and high hopes to make nice with Olivia. 

If, in order to exact revenge on the Brotherhood, she wanted to overflow Moraine Lake with rain, then flood the world up to surface tension at the cols between the Bow Range’s summits, he wanted to wedge that heavy metal door open so she could drown everyone in the bunker. 

If yellowing late-summer grass in the shadow of Boston’s skyline was a poor substitute for the verdant montane valley she left behind, maybe he could scout the Commonwealth for a meadow and pond protected by a bulwark of hills and miles of forest. 

Maybe, through some cooperation of preparing for the weather and turning her loose someplace she felt accommodated, RJ could begin to make up for his latest regret - that he and Jack took advantage of her kindness; that she had no space or time to think through negotiations when she agreed to leave her beloved Rocky Mountains for the Commonwealth Wasteland.

She trusted him; he encumbered her with his many burdens.

So, RJ returned to Sanctuary, determined to ensure she never felt the heft of a saddle or a cold bit in her mouth ever again. He arrived ready to begin a long atonement for stabbing his spurs in an already frightened mare's side.

After all, it was his fault she was forced to spend all of her time running to begin with.

[inkdragonworks]

Decided to spend the week picking at an older project that also involved Tiera. It's still pretty early on and up in the air, but it's a 2D platformer set in a haunted Hotel. Yikes!

For starters, here's a death+respawn animation.

Ledge grabbing, and Tiera being able to pull herself up, drop down, or jump off from it.

Throwing things now has a reticle that goes up/down automatically to indicate direction. She can also shake furniture for items, but doing it too long may annoy whatever else is inside them.

The hotel will have rugs, which, if Tiera stands at one end, she can throw to cause a curl to roll down it. This can catch some of the staff/residents by surprise.

Tiera can also crawl underneath it, if she prefers a more passive/sneaky route.

She might prefer staying out of sight too. The guests tend to be aggressive.

All in all, it'd be a game where Tiera has to be careful, and not screw around. I'll poke at it more one day, but for now I should jump back on Poppin & Jupa. Thanks for reading.

[levi-venn]

The First Toothpick

Chapter Eight: It Ain't Forever

Characters: Cad Bane, Crosshair, Tech, Hunter, Jango Fett

Gen Fic - Mentor/Protege

Summary: Cad Bane teaches Crosshair how to be a sniper. The kid picks up some other habits as a result.

Chapter Summary: It's time to part ways. Cad and Crosshair aren't ready.

Read the previous chapters here:

Chapters: Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch7 | Ch8 | Ch9 |

Also Available on AO3

In the week after Skatter’s attack, Cad made sure the kid got plenty of rest.

This meant Cad had to relax too, just to keep the kid from sneaking off to train with his sniper rifle (which he tried, several times).

They watched holofilms together, ate Baron Burgers, Nectrose Freeze, and anything else not allowed in the Kamino facility, and most importantly Cad taught the kid how to play Sabaac and Dejarik, then how to cheat at both.

It was…nice.

The kid seemed happy, too.

When the day came to return to Kamino, however, a heavy silence fell over both Cad and the kid. Not that either one of them were much for conversation, but this felt different. An oppressive weight instead of a calm blanket.

The kid curled up in Bossk’s chair aboard the Justifier, a subdued look on his face as he cleaned the already pristine sniper rifle, while Cad stayed in the cockpit, boots on the console, leaning back and gazing at the stars as they streaked by. 

This quiet moment should’ve been spent planning how Cad would spend his credits. It was a real lucrative job and there was plenty to think about, but Cad’s brain had other plans. His thoughts floated down the ladder and into the common area where the kiddo’s future had yet to be determined.

Cad wasn’t being paid extra to care. 

“Am I your son?”

Fuck you, Jango, Cad thought, pulling his hat over his eyes and sinking into his chair. You should’ve hired Embo for this.

The Justifier soared through wispy gray clouds towards Tipoca City, morning mist coating the viewport, glittering as the sun dared to peek through the stormy sky.

“Kid,” Cad called out. “Get your shit together. We’re here.”

There was no answer, but he heard rummaging and a weird scraping sound. He was about to yell again when he remembered why the kid was quiet. 

Right, augmented fucking vocal cords .

The Justifier landed, and Cad climbed down the ladder to find the kid standing with his nose practically pressed against the hatch, white-knuckling the strap of his rifle, and the heels of his boots bouncing rhythmically.

Cad smirked, guessing the kid was eager to get back. “Got your bag?”

The kid stopped bouncing suddenly. He nodded, but didn’t look up.

“Got your rifle?” Cad prompted, hoping the playfully dumb question would pull an equally playful hiss out of the kid.

The kid just nodded at the door.

“How about fingers and toes?”

That got him. The kid cracked a brief smile and glanced up at Cad just long enough to reveal why he was avoiding eye contact.

Those damn watery human eyes. Too easy to tell if they’re angry, scared, or just on the edge of cryin’.

Cad punched the release and the door slid open. The kid bolted down the ramp and across the long bridge.

Cad was about to follow when something crunched under his boot. He looked down. Metal shavings littered the ground, leading back to the kid’s chair. Bossk’s chair.

Well, shit. Cad let out a short, raspy laugh. That lil bastard. Bossk’s gonna be pissed.

In neat handwriting, carved into the back of Bossk’s chair were the words: Crosshair was here.  

The “o” was drawn like the fine crosshair reticle taken from both Cad’s scope and the upgraded scope he made for the kid.

Cad rubbed the residual metal shavings away and contemplated the name.

“I think I came up with a name,” Cad said, perched on the fence as he watched Jango feed the fabools.

“Oh yeah?” Jango glanced up, wiping sweat from his brow beneath a ridiculous, but functional straw hat. 

“Yeah, but don’t laugh.” Cad hugged his knees. “I mean it.”

“Caddy…” Jango sounded hurt. “I laugh a lot, but I take names seriously. It’s your legacy and you deserve a good one.”

Cad hated how badly he wanted Jango to approve of this name. It shouldn’t matter. It was his name. Deep in his gut, it felt like his name. But if Jango rejected it…if he told Cad he didn’t deserve it…then would Cad reject it too?

“Spit it out, or I’m gonna start calling you Cad the Conqueror. Cad the Carnage Collector. Cad the Caped-”

“Bane,” Cad snarled, his cheeks heating with embarrassment. “Cad Bane.”

Jango tilted his head, taking off the dumb hat and giving Cad a thoughtful look. The fabools started bouncing impatiently against Jango’s legs.

“Cad Bane…” 

Just hearing his new name from Jango’s lips already felt like an affirmation. But when that honest smile spread across Jango’s weather-beaten face, Cad knew it was official. “Oya, vod. That’s your name. Cad Bane is who you are.”

Cad tilted his new, wide-brim hat down a little, hiding his eyes. “You can keep callin’ me Caddy, if’n ya want. Just you. No one else.”

“I’d like that,” Jango said. “Caddy Bane and Jango Fett. Partners in crime, yeah?”

“Always,” Cad said. And he truly meant it.

He thought Jango did, too.

Crosshair…

Cad felt a tightness in his chest.  That kid’s fate’s carved in durasteel. You know it. He knows it. Jango sure as fuck knows it.

Cad turned back to the bridge to find the kid - Crosshair - waiting for him outside the facility, rain soaking his silver hair.

He was waiting for Cad.

Sticking a toothpick in his mouth, Cad lowered his hat against the drizzle and strolled down the bridge towards the kid. 

The kid was sniffling and wiping his eyes. “Stupid rain,” he hissed, though the mist was nothing compared to the raindrops falling from the kiddo’s eyes.

“You’re gonna be okay, kiddo,” Cad said and pressed the control panel, opening the door and pushing the kid gently inside.

The kiddo angled his head up at Cad. “But what about-?”

“Crosshair?” A small voice echoed from far down the hallway. 

Cad turned to find a small boy, shorter and skinnier than the kiddo, standing in a gray jumpsuit, a datapad in his hand, and large yellow goggles magnifying his bright, brown eyes.

“Tech,” the kid’s voice cracked as if trying to call out louder than his augmented vocal cords would allow.

Crosshair broke into a run. 

So did Tech.

Cad leaned against the wall, thumbs hooked in his belt, watching the two kids collapse into each other in a hug so hard they fell to the ground. 

“Guess you missed me,” Crosshair hissed a quiet laugh, sitting up.

“An educated guess considering I don’t like losing my balance,��� Tech said, adjusting his crooked goggles. They sat in the middle of the hallway, side-by-side, Tech's head on Crosshair's shoulder as they talked. “Wrecker cried two nights ago because he thought you were retired. I told him crying was a waste of energy since we have no proof if you were alive or dead.”

“I bet that made him cry harder,” Crosshair said.

Tech sighed. “It did and Hunter made me apologize.”

“Did…Hunter miss me?”

Before Cad could hear the answer, his attention turned to the familiar, assertive footsteps of his former mentor.

“Welcome back, Cad,” Jango said, standing beside Cad, helmet tucked under his arm. “Did the cadet give you any trouble?”

“Not any more than I used to cause you,” Cad said, folding his arms and tonguing his toothpick. “He’s ready to deal with anything y’all throw at him.”

“Good to hear.” Jango pulled out his datapad. “Well, deal’s a deal.” 

Cad felt a buzz in his duster pocket signaling a heap of credits was just added to his account.

“Appreciate you taking this on, Cad. Knew you'd see it through.”

Cad and Jango stood there, both watching the kids as if they were at a park in the middle of Coruscant rather than a facility equipped to turn children into killing machines.

Cad sensed Jango wanted to say something, the hesitation apparent on his twitching lower lip and the way he glanced over at Cad watching the kids. “Either say it or don’t, but don’t keep lookin’ at me with those anooba pup eyes, Jango.”

“You could stay. Help train these kids to be prepared for…the future.”

“I ain’t gonna train kids to become soldiers that die for someone else’s cause.”

“It’s more complicated than that, Cad.”

“No it ain’t.” Cad said and spat his toothpick. It landed on Jango’s boot.

“If you change your mind-”

“I won’t.”

Jango sighed. “Fine. Take care of yourself, okay, Caddy.”

It felt like a knife had sheathed itself neatly in Cad’s chest right in the hole Jango left when he abandoned him. Cad refused to look at him. “Always do.”

Jango walked away. So did Cad.

And just like that, the job was over. The contract was closed. Cad Bane had no more business here. 

Cad got as far as the exit sign before stopping in his tracks.

If I leave now…what happens to Crosshair? He deserves better, but what the fuck am I gonna do with a kid? Crosshair Bane, son of a bounty hunter whose profession is to piss off half the galaxy? Who has to look over his shoulder for bastards like Skatter every day of his life?  What kind of future is that for the kiddo?

Then again, what future does he got right now?

Cad spun around. “Fett,” he snarled. “We need to talk.”

Jango looked back at Cad with a measured look. “What do you-”

“Not here,” Cad said, he glanced back at the kiddo eyeing him curiously before his attention was pulled back to Tech who was talking non-stop about something on his datapad.

“This way,” Jango said, and walked around the curvature of the hallway, stopping at a subtle door leading into a viewing room overlooking an obstacle course.

Jango set his helmet down and leaned against the glass pane. Far below the room, a group of identical kids dodged live blaster fire and were chased by skinny beige training droids Cad had never seen before. 

Cad pulled out another toothpick and stuck it between his fangs. 

“What’s wrong, Cad?”

Cad watched two of the kids crumple to the floor, while their brothers leapt over them, scrambling to safety from a barrage of blaster bolts.

Fuck this…

“How much do you want for him?” Cad asked.

There weren’t many things that threw the famous Mandalorian off his game, but Jango actually flinched. “What?” 

“How much do you want for the kid? He and I work well together. He's better off with me.”

“With you,” Jango said dryly. “He's better off as some bounty hunter’s lackey?”

Cad rested his thumbs against his belt buckle. “I’d teach him all I know. He’d be…my legacy.”

Jango’s face fell, and for a split moment, Cad thought maybe this longshot would pay off. 

“I’ll give you your credits back right now,” Cad continued. “And add more to sweeten the pot. Just name a price.”

“Dammit, Cad,” Jango sighed. “It’s not up to me. Even if it was, he’s part of a squad. We can’t split them up.”

“I’ll take the lot, then,” Cad said, feeling a little dizzy at his own proposal. He’d need a new ship. They’d need new clothes and a lot more food. Crosshair ate like he was part airlock. “Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, the whole-”

“Stop,” Jango snapped. “Dank farrik, Cad, what you’re asking is impossible. This isn’t for me to decide.”

“Your DNA runs through their veins. If not you, then who else do I gotta pay off?”

“This isn’t about credits. What they’re doing in this facility is a lot bigger than either of us. They aren’t orphaned kids…not like you. They’re-”

“Don’t fucking say it.”

“They’re property of their sponsor. Which isn’t me.”

Cad felt his hope start to lose its grip. “Jango…”

“You need to leave,” Jango said, standing up and slipping his helmet on. “Bringing you here was a mistake. It’s better for…all of us if you leave and never return.”

Cad’s hope plunged into the icy depths. He bared his fangs. “This is kraytshit, Jango. This whole program, this whole facility. It ain’t right and it ain’t you. And...I ain’t leavin’ without him.”

“Leave. Now. I’m not telling you again.” 

And then Jango did something unimaginable to Cad Bane. He squared up, helmet on, and a hand over his blaster, like he was ready for a duel at high-noon. Of all the people in the galaxy, Jango was the last person Cad expected to face him like this.  

His mentor, his hero, his best friend. 

There was a time when he’d do anything for Jango Fett.

…Those days were dead and gone.

And Cad, for the first time in his life, surrendered. “Have it your way, Fett.”

For most folks, it was near impossible to read a Mandalorian’s expression once that helmet was on, but Cad felt Jango’s regret in the subtle way the helmet tilted. 

“Caddy Bane and Jango Fett. Partners in crime, yeah?”

“Always.”

“Just one last thing,” Cad said, keeping his hands up and away from his blaster.

Jango’s scoff came out staticky through the vocoder. “You got a lot of nerve asking for anything else, Bane.”

“It ain’t much, just…get rid of Lieutenant Pynk. He’s a shit teacher and these kids ain’t gonna get anywhere with him. Choose someone like you. Hell, you teach ‘em. But not him.”

Jango didn’t move for several long seconds, then his posture relaxed. “That…I can do.”

“I got your word?” Cad pressed, lowering his hands slowly.

“You have my word,” Jango said. He didn’t remove his helmet. The last time Cad would see Jango was through a damn t-visor. “Goodbye, Bane.”

Cad made his own way back to the main hallway towards the docking platform’s exit. 

The kid was waiting for him, blocking the door. A toothpick in his mouth, arms folded, and a boot making black streaks against the pristine white wall.

“Figured you’d be with your brothers by now,” Cad said.

“I want you to meet them,” Crosshair replied, looking down at the floor.

“Kiddo…”

“I told them all about you. They want to meet you. Please…”

Cad knew if he walked into a room with three more kids like Crosshair, he’d be putting himself in another impossible situation.

“Can’t. Trust me, it’s better this way.”

“Are you coming back? Can I train more with you?”

“You got all the trainin’ you need. I ain’t bein’ paid to do more than I did.”

“I just…” Crosshair looked up at Cad with large, heartbroken eyes. “I want you to come back.”

“It can’t happen.”

The look of devastation hit Cad’s heart harder than if the kid had shot him point blank.

“Okay,” the kid mumbled, his eyes falling to his own boots as he started to walk away.

“Wait. Just…hold on a sec,” Bane sighed and knelt down. “C’mere.” He took off his toothpick pouch and opened the flap showing Crosshair the mythosaur skull burned within. It was stuffed with toothpicks. “You hold onto this for me, okay? It’s my lucky pouch so I’m gonna want it back one day. It better be in good condition or I’m kickin’ your ass, ya hear?”

Crosshair cracked a smile and took the pouch. 

“Roger that,” he said and clipped it to his belt next to his own pouch filled with more toothpicks and a melted starsbar. 

“There’s…something else.” Cad said against his better judgment. He pulled out a small chit. “This chit has my personal frequency on it. Memorize it, then destroy it. If things fall to shit here and you need a - whatever the military calls it - an ‘ evac’ out of this whole damn life, you comm me and I’ll come getcha.”

Crosshair took the chit. 

“Bane?” Tears started to escape the kid’s brave, glassy eyes. “Is my life going to fall to shit?”

Bane rubbed his face and huffed. “I don’t know, kiddo. But no one really knows what life’s gonna throw at us. What I can tell ya, is that what you're feelin' now, it ain’t forever, and it sure as hell ain’t the last time we’re seein’ each other. I promise ya that.”

The hug came out of nowhere. Little arms wrapped tightly around his neck in a death grip. 

Cad Bane didn't know what to do. He knelt there. Stunned.

“What? Duros don’t hug? At all?”

“What the fuck is a ‘hug’?” Cad asked, sneering behind his beer. 

“You’re fucking with me…” Jango swayed on the cantina stool. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to our shitty little crew and I wanna hug about it.”

“You’re drunk.”

“And you…need a big ol’ mando hug.”

The hell of it was…Cad wanted that hug. Desperately.

He had needed a hug since he was old enough to understand what loneliness meant. 

And a hug from Jango Fett - the first person Cad ever truly trusted, someone who was always going to be there for him - sounded damn near perfect.

But that’s the thing about wanting something this badly. It only makes life more painful when it’s taken away. Cad was used to losing those that mattered to him. 

If he ever lost Jango, he didn't think he'd recover.

“No hugs. Duros custom.”

“Fine, fine,” Jango hiccupped. “Can’t fuck with ‘Duros custom’.”

A few minutes later, Cad tentatively leaned against Jango’s shoulder.

And a minute after that, Jango quietly draped a loose arm around Cad's neck. 

They sat like that for a while.

It was nice.

Too nice. 

But he tried to enjoy it while the moment lasted.  

Cad gave Crosshair a strong pat on the back and waited for the kid’s grip to loosen. He didn't. He sighed and rested a hand on the kid's back.

“Listen, kiddo, people like you n’ me are survivors. We’re too damn stubborn to let this galaxy swallow us whole. Just keep your head up, keep those boots moving forward, and follow your gut n’ your gut alone. Got it?”

Crosshair mumbled something, but it was muffled against Cad’s shoulder.

“You’re gonna be okay, Crosshair.”

The kid suddenly pulled back, cheeks wet and he sniffled loudly. “Do you like it?”

Cad wondered if that innocent and hopeful expression on the kid's face is what Jango saw when Cad told him his new name.

Cad smirked. “You’re still Kiddo to me, but…yeah, Crosshair. You did good.”

The smile lit the kid’s whole damn face up. It was a wider smile than this galaxy deserved. A smile that Cad used to wear whenever Jango gave him that coveted approval.

“Go on, then,” Cad said, gently prying himself away and standing up. “Go be with your brothers.”

Crosshair gave a little salute, without a trace of sarcasm. “Bye, Bane.”

Walking back to the Justifier, Cad hoped that Crosshair would use that comm chit before Cad left orbit.

The practical side of him knew that the next time they saw each other, they’d both probably be completely different people.

And he wasn’t wrong.

***

The Clone Wars came and it was a profitable handful of years.

Cad made a lot of money off of desperate people and power-hungry gangsters alike. Whenever a job in Coruscant was available, he’d swipe it up, if only to scope out the clones stationed there.

He never did see a silver-haired clone among the troops, just a sea of identical helmets. He didn’t like the idea that any one of them could’ve been Crosshair.

His personal frequency remained quiet for years. Long after the Clone Wars was over…after the Empire made everything more complicated.

When the comm finally came in, however, it wasn’t from Crosshair…

…it was from one of his brothers.

“You got a lotta guts callin’ me,” Cad sneered, recognizing the soldier in front of him. “Figurin’ after our lil showdown over the lil lady's bounty you’d wanna steer clear.”

Hunter’s snarl reminded Cad a lot of a lil kid long ago, snarling in the wheat field, angry at himself for missing a target and angrier at the bounty hunter shooting at his feet for hesitating. 

“Trust me,” Hunter said. “This wasn’t a call I wanted to make, but I’m not callin’ for me. It’s for Crosshair.”

Cad’s sneer faltered. He sat up. “What happened?”

Hunter’s surprise was evident on his face. Guess he didn’t figure Cad Bane cared about anything but credits. That was true…but he’d do anything for the kid. 

“Come to these coordinates,” the soldier said. “He needs help…and he asked for you.”

[y2klostandfound]

Sony PLM-A35 Glasstron on PC Format (2000-11)

Translation in English:

Take a properly folded 507 monitor

and put it in your pocket...

WE ARE LOOKING FOR A TRUE GIFT Among SONY's video and multimedia accessories, a device that is as much a technical curiosity as a convenience. The Glasstron glasses are more than just something to wear for a night's reading, but anyone who thinks they're just another gaming controller or VR device is mistaken. The similarity ends there, as this device also has two small screens, but each with a resolution of 180 000 pixels. The question may arise, if it is not a toy, then what is the main function of the new glasses. According to the manufacturer, Glasstron provides a picture as if you were watching a 52" screen from 2 meters away - this is roughly twice the size of large 72 cm TVs. In this case, the story is not about games, but about movies, DVDs and videos. Accordingly, in addition to the high-resolution screen, the glasses also feature a high-quality, built-in dynamic stereo sound system that can be used with two headphones. The Glasstron has traditional composite and S-Video inputs and can display any image that can provide a signal for them. for home video or DVD set, digital camera and camcorder, PlayStation, as well as a computer with a suitable video output. This can be done by an ordinary TV, and for the same price you can get a pretty nice piece, even if it is not from the top category. The question is whether in what cases can glasses costing approximately HUF 200,000 be a good choice compared to a large-screen TV - for example, anywhere and anytime, where and when we don't have a suitable TV set or monitor. If you need an everyday example, the best is a long plane or train journey: 14 hours in a trying session can be quite boring. The traveling manager of our time, on the other hand, just pulls out the portable DVD from the depths of the crocodile skin reticle, connects the Glasstron, which also works from the power supply, and the ideal home theater set is ready. A non-ordinary example would be a photojournalist recording a jungle fight, who can view the material recorded during a long day in good quality in the evening for further selection, without having to carry around a large monitor in his pocket.

After a lot of theory, practice. The Glasstron was supplied with a bunch of different cables, so it was not difficult to connect it to any of the already listed compatible devices, and the live test could immediately follow. Where possible, we used the S-Video input of the glasses for better image quality. The effect is quite convincing, since the barely 1.5 cm screens - since they are located very close to the eyes - fill almost the entire field of vision.

The quality of the movies I watched was also satisfactory, although it was undeniably visible on the screen that it does not provide as sharp an image as a monitor, since the resolution is only 800x225 pixels. This is not such a big problem for moving images, but it can cause problems when separating fine lines, such as text. This resolution was still more than enough to read the subtitles of the Mátrixr DVD, for example, but when we connected the glasses to a computer, there were already problems with sharpness. We tested the usability of Glasstron at several resolutions - the games, for example, worked quite well, but when the text was important, there were already problems: we could comfortably run programs only from the icons on the desktop, since the Start menu was quite noisy. We also ran Word as a basis for comparison, and the 16-point letters were clearly legible on the glasses' LCD at a resolution of 640x480.

The sound of the two earphones was crystal clear during the movies, and the music DVD also sounded in impeccable quality, the built-in AVLS (Automatic Volume Limiter System - Automatic volume control system), which cuts off unpleasant volume spikes that lead to distortions.

The system can provide a really effective film edge, ex. in a comfortable armchair, first, in a staked room. While we're at it, let's talk about comfort. Glasstron is surprisingly light, the weight of 95 grams is dwarfed by old VR helmets, so there would be no obstacle to longer use of the screen. However, there was a unanimous opinion that the Glasstron is quite tiring for the eyes: after half an hour it was nice to have a rest, some people thought it was comfortable for even less time the glasses. 

The manufacturer also warns about the strain on the eyes, which is why it does not recommend using the device under the age of 15. The last point of comfort is also important, mobility. Glasstron can be operated both from the mains (it supports several voltages, so it can be used in any country) and from a rechargeable battery. The whole device is light even with the power supply, so it is really comfortable to carry.

Glasstron will certainly be a rather expensive toy for the few, as it can only compete with a large-diameter monitor or TV screen under special circumstances. However, one inevitably stops for a moment to marvel at the technology used: the glasses are feather-light, yet provide excellent sound and convincing image quality, all in a space the size of a vest pocket.

Although it does not protect against the sun, it is just right for DVD

One inevitably stops for a moment to marvel at the technique used.

Pros and cons:

√ Amazing size √ USB connection √ Picture and sound quality X dazzling X For how much?

Opinion: 84%

[akehoshimystar]

Chapter 6

We had met up with Shinkai-san and ridden the car for several minutes. About 20 minutes after Mika-san’s arrival, we arrived near the scene.

Shizuka: Basically, the rules are the same as always. "Don't make the first move." "Don't break anything except the other person's heart." "Don't leave any evidence."

Soyogu: Oh. It’s fine as long as I don’t break anything, right?

Shinobu: That is preferable~

Ito: (They're talking about breaking stuff again...)

As the two of them exchanged their opinions, Fushimi-san handed them a small accessory. He handed me the same thing.

Shizuka: Put it on.

Ito: Allow me.

(This can't be normal ear cuff. An earphone?)

Shizuka: GPS-equipped bone conduction earphones and microphone.

Ito: ! Bone conduction...

Shinobu: Normal ones will just fly away somewhere while you're moving.

Soyogu: That’s because your movements are sloppy. Fasten it with your ear properly.

Shinobu: I think it's all set now.

Shizuka: No, it isn’t, idiots. Are you going to rip your ears off every time you charge it?

Ito: (The conversations in this department are full of scary vocabulary.)

Shizuka: Communication confirmed. Mika, say something.

Takeru: [Hello, this is Mika. Sound check, no problem.]

Soyogu: Ah, ah, Shinkai. I heard you loud and clear.

Shinobu: Aizawa, okay. Aiueokakikukeko…. Yashiro-san, it’s your turn now.

Ito: Ah... This is Yashiro. I can hear everyone clearly.

Shizuka: As I briefly explained on the way here, I spoke with the client and we decided that "rescuing" should be top priority, so I'll go with a simple, rough, brute force approach.

The computer screen pointed towards us displayed a map of the area around our current location.

Ito: (...The reticle shows our current location, and the red number is probably the GPS on the earphones. What is this green square?)

Fushimi-san tapped the green square around Tohru-san’s apartment. A window opened at the bottom left of the screen and showed a video of the entrance.

Ito: (Hidden camera...!)

Shizuka: First, Aizawa will face these guys around the entrance and get them as far away from the apartment as possible

Shinobu: Roger that.

Shizuka: Once there’s an opening, Mika and Tohru-san will leave the apartment from the bicycle parking lot exit. Take this route to point A.

Takeru: [Consider it done.]

After the yellow line reached the point A, Fushimi-san tapped the screen again, and the video switches to a view from a higher vantage point. A minivan was displayed at the edge of the screen.

Shizuka: That’s the car. Shinkai will go over there and open the door to let Maro out.

I'll be waiting nearby and take care of it and come back here.

Ito: Eh?

Shizuka: What is it? Mind repeating?

Ito: ………………It's nothing. Sorry, please continue.

Soyogu & Shinobu: …….

Shizuka: Yashiro will do the driving, and we will immediately depart for either point B or point C depending on the situation at the time.

After taking care of those thugs, Shinkai will go to B and Aizawa to C, we will meet up with either of you. After we retrieve both of them, we'll all meet up at A. The operation will be over once Tohru-san reaches the hotel.

I'll give instructions while checking everyone's situation until halfway through, but I won't be able to cover the few minutes it takes for me to get out of the car and come back.

Acting on your own like usual is strictly prohibited. Or should I say, don't ever do it.

Soyogu: You heard that, Shinobu?

Shinobu: You’re one to talk, Gucchi.

Takeru: [It's both of you actually.]

Shizuka: Every single one of you.

That's all for now. Any questions?

Ito: ……

Shinobu: Our leader is Fushimi Shizuka-san, he's like the commander of the Watchdog Dept.

Shinobu: On the very day, Shizuka-san will support you with his instructions, so it's a pretty safe role, you can rest assured.

The words I heard from Aizawa-kun on the first day have been floating around in my head ever since.

Ito: (It may be a special operation with my presence here, but the role of each person hasn't changed much from the original plan. The only thing that has changed is...)

......Excuse me, can I say something?

Shizuka: Go ahead.

Ito: The reason why Fushumi-san took over my role as a carrier is... by process of elimination, correct?

Shinobu: !

Shizuka: Well, yes.

We didn't have a proper meeting, not to mention, this is the first time you work together with the Watchdog Dept. and you already got yourself involved in dangerous situation.

Under these conditions, I couldn't come up with a plan to use Yashiro as a carrier and guarantee a safe and successful outcome.

Ito: (.….I guessed as much.)

……… What if…..

What if I say that I’m fine with having no safety guarantee.

Shizuka: Pardon?

Takeru: [Hey...Are you sure...?]

I know. I know I'm talking to these people right now. And I know I’ve just said something crazy and difficult for them to accept. Fushimi-san sighed in exasperation, and just before he was about to say something, I ventured to continue.

Ito: I heard that Fushimi-san is the commander of the Watchdog Department.

Shizuka: ………………And?

Ito: Instead of taking action, you see the whole picture and grasp the situation before giving appropriate instructions.

Exactly because it's a special operation with insufficient discussion, your presence is more valuable than usual.

Especially if it leads to everyone's safety and security.

Shinobu: ……..

Ito: Sorry if what I said is irrelevant.

Soyogu: So, rather than having Shizuka-san move, you’d rather take his place?

Ito: …..The bottom line is that you don’t need to take my safety into account.

I didn’t say that I’ll do it.

The only person who gets to decide what to do is you, Fushimi-san.

Shizuka: …………I haven't heard the details, but didn’t you have a scary experience when you were working with Administrative Dept. the other day?

Ito: Scary experience... Ah. No, it’s just a misunderstanding.

(I guess he’s talking about when I was chased by Shigeta-san?)

Shizuka: Isn’t that a hindsight? Not sure if I should say this, but is there any reason for you, a helper, to go to such lengths?

Ito: .….My job is to support anything that leads to the success of requests.

If being protected lowers the success rate of requests, then it's no different from putting the cart before the horse. There would be no point in doing my job as a deputy.

Also, if Roka-san was in my position now, I feel like he would make the same suggestion.

Shizuka: ………..

Takeru: [......Ito.]

Shizuka: ………….

Ito: Of course, I’m well aware that my abilities and conditions are completely different from those of Roka-san!

Obviously, there’s a chance that the situation will go south if I go instead of Fushimi-san. If you think that’s the case, I'll focus on the driving.

Soyogu & Shinobu: ………….

Ito: (……There I said it……)

Shizuka: ……………….I don't think the situation will be worse if you go out. But there’s a really high chance you'll get hurt, you know?

Ito: !

Then..... I'll do my best to make sure that the injuries are as minor as possible.

Shizuka: That’s what you gonna do, huh…...

Shizuka: Fine. Change the carrier.

Shinobu: !

Soyogu: Understood.

Takeru: [Haa... so it comes down to this.]

[Seriously, all I can say right now is “be careful”... I appreciate your help but don't do anything reckless, okay?]

I may not be able to see Mika-san’s face through the earphones. But I nodded slowly to respond to the warmth conveyed by his voice.

Ito: Thank you. I'll be cautious as much I can.

Shinobu: If you're in danger, please call for help immediately. Don't be shy and reserved!

Soyogu: It's rude to tell someone who's determined not to push themselves too hard. When that happens, we just have to cover for them.

Shinobu: Here we go again. The usual sly Gucchi.

Soyogu: What did you just say? Anyway, we’ve reached a conclusion now. Give us the command, Shizuka-san.

Shizuka: Before that, here.

Ito: ?

He handed me a pair of lensless glasses and a simple cap.

Shizuka: Hair tied back, cap and hood. A disguise set for your own comfort’s sake.

This may sound unpleasant, but these types of people change their behavior based on the gender of the person they're talking to.

Hide your traits as much as possible.

Ito: ...Yes. Thank you.

Shizuka: Well, there’s still a lot to say, but we don't have much time.

Commence the operation.

Chapter 7

[hutheman2252]

Part 1 untitled

“When the sky comes crashing down there will be two perspectives to view it from. Either behind a camera lens, or a gun reticle. That's what he told me that day before it happened.”

Ch.1: Sunday Service

2006 AL / The city of Nelo / The Republic of Ferdiland / The Svar gulf

A young man was awoken by the stopping of the bus, Its hydraulics squealing as it halted. Before he was able to make his leave a two soldiers stepped on accompanied by a tall standing man in a similar uniform. Assumably their commanding officer. Before the young man could so much as speak, the commander’s projected booming voice bellowed in front of him.

“You lad you’re the photographer are you? The one we hired for the press articles right?. “What was your name again? Jared? Greg?”

The Major continued on and on awaiting interjection

“Gareth, sir”

The Major looked pleased by his respect and humility.

“Pleasure to meet you, I’m Major Thomas Davids of the 41st fighter squadron. I’ll be the one to accompany you today”

He signaled Gareth to stand and follow so as to exit the bus. Immediately after stepping off the Major stretched his back. Although not being the one sitting for hours he acted as though he needed the Fresh air and movement.

Gareth followed close behind Major Davis as he gave a basic rundown of the place and its functions walking past sheds and hangers alike. 

“We’re much much smaller than your average base. You know there’s only about five aircraft actively operating from us down here. But that adds to the charm I suppose. Plus we are not audited as frequently and it's less of a strike risk so there’s benefits. Of course we’re no different in terms of basic structure as you may or may not know.”

The major seemed to be droning on and on about the inner workings and as though he could read Gareth’s bored mind he spoke with a lot more vigor.

“Lad what do you think of the architecture”

Gareth looked around before responding.

“The architecture sir?”

The major looked at him as though Gareth had asked him which direction the ground was.

“It's not everyday you see an air base let alone one connected to a cathedral is it? It's somewhat our claim to fame among the press… for what little press we get at least”

Gareth looked at the cathedral feeling dwarfed by the up reaching spires.

“It’s alright. It's a bit strange  though, isn't it?”

The major stopped in his tracks turning around

“Well the land was secularized a while back when they moved the cathedral to the center of town. Everyone equally close to God and all that. So they didn't really need one out on the edges of the town right in a wheat field stretching for miles upon miles now do they. Of course it just makes it cheap for us and gives us a good launch point to wherever we’re needed. Especially with the… Escalating tensions. It's actually quite funny the air raid sirens are just the church bells since they’re loud enough. So if shit were to hit the fan it’d sound quite a bit different to what you'd expect.”

As they continued on throughout the shadow cast by the cathedral loomed over. Marching through path by path. The young man Gareth took note of the different aircraft pacing along the taxiway and fields. One in particular had caught his eye though, a beautiful British racing green aircraft decorated with bone white chevrons repeating upon its back climbing along like a spine pointed towards the cockpit's single seat. Stamped onto the side turbine intake were the words. “But how could you live and have no story to tell?” Causing the major to lean down talking in a much more hushed voice.

“That one caught your eye, has it? I understand why, beautiful airframe that one is.”

Gareth leaned in matching the same tone and volume.

“What’s its name, Sir?”

The major rested his hand on the young man’s shoulder before beaming with a smile.

“The Mikoyan MiG-29. Piloted and personalized by the 41st squadron’s very own: Kylah ”

“Kylah?”

Inquired Gareth “You deaf lad? Yes, Kylah would you like to go meet her?”

Answered Major Davids.

Gareth perked up at the idea. Knowing full well the more unique of an article he captured, The further he would excel on this assignment. Seeing it fit to go with he trotted alongside Major Davids knowing full well this was a rare opportunity, Even for an airbase. 

“Is this airbase more um… religiously inclined so to speak. Than other ones I mean. In contrast”

Gareth asked as they were strolling across the packed dirt of the runway. Despite the ill advisability of their actions.

“Well while the base itself isn't more religious we have a couple few practicing members who. Despite the cathedral being secularized, Still use it for religious purposes. One of which in particular is quite a bright lad, a real go getter. He’s wonderful for morale, he helps the whole ecosystem of pilots, you know. Quite the wonderful boy. Was going to be a pastor before he enlisted.”

They continued to walk along. The distance seemed almost like a marathon at this point. The amount of droning done by the Major made it feel almost artificially stretched out. Once they had finally reached the hangar the pilot Kylah was still seated within the open cockpit asleep. Presumably resting for her next flight. Before long the major began banging on the body of the airframe.

“Oi!”

He banged on the plane three more times

“Oi!”

The major hit it another three

“Oi!”

He continued on until finally Kylah woke up blinking to lucidity. Looking down on the two boys with a squint attempting to make out their form before putting on a pair of glasses. Clear in lenses with gold aviator frames. 

“Oh good morning Major Davids! Its Eight in the Fucking morning who’s your friend and why are you two bothering me.”

Thomas laughed a little bit. Heartily from the top of his chest before finally meeting her gaze. Before he finally answered.

“The lad’s a photographer. Name’s Gareth, Fyodor caught his eye and he wanted to see if he could get some photos. I assume with you in it. He’ll ask some questions too. so play nice yeah?”

Kylah sighed before begrudgingly climbing out of the cockpit and down the ladder presumably to meet Gareth. However she walked straight past him to the hangar wall. Where she picked up two lawn chairs before extending them and pointing at the one she hadn’t sat in to indicate Gareth to take a seat.

Before the silence became any more heavy and suffocating Kylah finally spoke up, Mainly to prod towards his intentions.

“So what do you want to know about Fyodor?”

[miloscat]

[Review] Sonic Unleashed (PS3)

Modern(er) Sonic truly starts here.

Sonic Team kept pumping out the games in this era, with at least one game per year. But between racing spinoffs and Wii experiments, Unleashed stands out, a big budget blowout that represents a much needed refresh after the ignominious Sonic 06.

The Japanese title of Sonic World Adventure gives you an idea of the structure: it’s sort of like the Adventure games with levels accessed via hubs, plus NPCs and sidequests to do in between, but now we’re travelling the world! The story has Mobius breaking into pieces (taking cues from Star Fox Adventures, might I say) which Sonic must restore by visiting places inspired by real-world locations.

The locations have a lot of character, whether it’s small African or South East Asian towns, or European or Middle Eastern cities, helped by the lovely score using appropriate styles and instruments. Although the hubs are quite small, they’re packed with detail and people to chat to. And the people have fabulous and distinctive cartoony designs this time! I love this version of Sonic’s world even if the pastiche is a bit on the nose at times.

The story also strikes a good tone, with the world-ending stakes balanced by a bit of goofiness; Eggman’s bluster is punctured by a sassy proto-Orbot, while Sonic’s biggest allies are the silly mascot creature Chip and the bumbling Professor Pickle. Tails is there for occasional exposition and aeroplane rides, and Amy is also present… just imagine if she ever got to do anything besides obsess over Sonic!! Otherwise there are no returning characters which feels jarring but lets them put more focus on Sonic and Chip’s dynamic, I guess…

Of course the big gimmick of the game is the duality of Day and Night. Due to plot shenanigans, Sonic is now a werewolf (or “werehog”, a nonsensical designation etymologically speaking) and takes on a monstrous form at nighttime. With this, 50% of the game uses an entirely new gameplay style, one of the more divisive choices in this game’s legacy.

Night stages play out as slow-paced beat em ups, part of the seismic impact that God of War had on the gaming world at the time I suppose. Werehog Sonic is brawny and smashy, with Lanky Kong-style stretchy arms. This also plays into ill-advised werehog puzzle-platforming sections. The combat is fine for what it is, sweeping attacks and strong focused attacks, aerial juggling if you can manage it (I couldn’t), picking up and throwing small foes, unlocking new combos. There’s also quick time event finishers, but beyond the most basic of enemies I found the timers on these way too tight to be practical, so never used them. An experience system pervades the game and lets you up the werehog’s many stats; this is very necessary while daytime Sonic’s paltry two stats feel tacked on and less useful.

The sheer length of Night levels makes them feel more tiresome, with half an hour being a normal duration. This compounds if you get stuck on a tricky section with scarce checkpoints. Sonic games have often housed alternate gameplay styles, but this style feels like a mere genre copycat while seemingly replacing the inclusion of the rich supporting cast. This combined with damage spongey and hard-hitting enemies, a shallow guard/dodge mechanic, and questionable platforming, and I do end up with concerns about their implementation.

On the other hand, Day stages make a bold move by incorporating the boost mechanic from Dimps's Rush into Sonic Team's 3D headliner. This is a divisive change itself, although I like what it adds to the basic gameplay loop (as long as you're not just killed instantly for using it). Other new abilities like walljumping, drifting, and quickstepping join the returning stomp, slide, light speed dash, and homing attack (with reticle). These stages keep the pace up and use a lot of gimmicks—including Rivals' innovation of the boosters that spit you out in different directions based on your input—and smoothly transition between 3D and 2D for (I think) the first time. This template carries forward in future games, and I enjoyed seeing it emerging fully formed here after the fumbling steps that directly preceded Unleashed. The intense speed can lead to a lot of cheap deaths in later levels unfortunately, and we still have the issue of lives to deal with.

The final level deserves special mention, an immense gauntlet that uniquely switches you between Day and Night as you proceed through. My initial attempt with around 30 lives in hand met with disaster HALF AN HOUR in, so all of my progress up to that point was lost. Fun! This led to an hours-long session of farming for lives, exploiting the inventory system to gradually accrue infinite money, buying stacks of food items, and laboriously chowing down to get paltry experience points before my next attempt. I love it when a game wastes my time! Of course the second time I cleared it with 90 lives remaining but it still took 45 effing minutes! I think if you're putting extra life pickups directly after half your checkpoints, it might be a sign that you should rethink the system, or break up the level, or at least tone down the difficulty. For goodness' sake. Oh and the final boss fight that follows it sucks too.

Unleashed feels unbalanced. It's obviously got a budget, with high production value FMV cutscenes and big levels full of detail. You only really have to play them once though, so they stuff the game full of padding that encourages you to spend more time in the game world as if they're struggling to justify themselves: dozens of sidequests, hot dog challenge runs of the regular stages with time/ring/destruction goals, collectibles to fill the gallery. Not to mention the many DLC packs that all up nearly double the number of stages to play. It's all optional, but you are obligated to do at least some side stuff to have enough EXP to level up the werehog.

Despite the high-budget feel, the game still sadly suffers from performance problems. Not nearly as bad as Sonic 06, good heavens no, but enough to cause some frustration from frame loss and hitching. The framerate is very unsteady, even tanking in cutscenes when werehog Sonic is on-screen as the fur rendering overtaxes the game engine. Of course these drops can affect the reaction windows in gameplay and therefore the difficulty, but they also just make me wonder if Sonic Team are ever going to get themselves together. Yes I know the PS3 was hard to develop for, etc. etc. and so on and so forth.

Tomoya Ohtani is again very well deployed as soundtrack director, with highlights including the main vocal track “Endless Possibility”, the oft-reused Rooftop Run Day track, and the jaunty town tracks (Shamar is my favourite). The Night level tracks are jazzy and fun, but having one singular track break in and take over whenever combat starts—which is very often—was a poor choice that undermines the strength of the diverse soundtrack.

Unleashed was eye-opening for me in how much it established that would persist in Sonic games for the next ten years. Soon I'll even play the rest of the games in between it and Forces to see for myself! But of course, the HD version of Unleashed is only half the story... well, a bit less than that if you count Gameloft's mobile phone versions, which I do because they're quite good Rush-inspired 2D games from the peak of the J2ME era. But the PS2/Wii version of Unleashed is Dimps's first 3D game, and I'm very keen to see another take on this and whether it corrects some of the imbalances of the HD version. You might say that the possibilities are endless...?

[splashink-games]

A Note On... Frogun and Coins

Frogun is a 3D platforming game by Molegato! Save your parents (and coincidentally find some treasure) through these crazy ruins!

First off, I am astounded by the number of people (in the Steam reviews) who absolutely hate the controls and the checkpoint usage. I can understand their gripes from the "precise platforming that the controls don't accommodate" but damn. I've had my fair share of frustrating moments, for sure. Frogun is definitely a difficult and (for me, mildly) frustrating time because of the later levels. However, it definitely does not detract from its experience.

In terms of controls, my issue was that at certain angles (too angled/obtuse) and distances (way too close or too high) and timings, the grapple simply does not work. The reticle would say you can grapple, but you'd still be too high to connect, so the grapple just goes right over. Sometimes it should've and sometimes it shouldn't have. Either way, I got through this pretty awesome game just fine.

The biggest issue with the game is while 100%-ing it. In which case, you need to be good enough to perform the platforming skips. And once you know the basics, you don't even need to do the more difficult ones. But most of all, you need to farm 30,000+ coins after you've beaten all the levels. It was at that number for me since I'd only completed each level 2-3 times for the medals. It's an absolutely insane 4 hour grind where you only collect 360 coins per run on one kind of annoying level.

Setting grievances aside, the game is pretty great. The art style and music feels very retro, reminiscent of my days of playing Mario 64 at the dentist's office when I was a kid. Or more recently, it felt similar to playing Here Comes Niko at the end of last year. I do absolutely love the choices I have for hats too. My go-tos were the froggy hood and the red box that I don't know the name of.

The level design is pretty interesting for the most part. There are, of course, a lot of areas where it was frustrating for the same reasons I stated above. But overall, it does a nice job of easing you into the mechanics before it gets too hard. As well, when you're used to the basics, it always adds a new thing for you to pay attention to.

Surprisingly, where this game really shines is the boss battles. They started off super simple, but by the end, the boss battles were my favourite thing and got me super excited for the boss rushes. Which were also surprisingly enjoyable given their difficulty.

As a platformer, Frogun isn't for everyone. But if you love this style of game, definitely give it a shot.

As always,

Enjoy gaming!