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five-rivers · 8 months

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On Obsession and Free Will 4

The fourth chapter of this fic! Written for Ectoberhaunt 2023 Day 12: Obsession.

Warning for loss of agency.

Danny woke with a slow, syrupy kind of comfort. He felt nicely weighted down. He blinked his eyes open. That would probably be because of the thick blanket draped over him.

“Clockwork?” he called.

“I am here. Stay where you are.”

“Mhm,” said Danny. Not a difficult instruction to follow. It draped over him in much the same way as the blanked.

Clockwork loomed into his field of view, red eyes bright in the shadow of his hood. “How do you feel?”

“Heavy,” said Danny. “Tired. My right shoulder feels kind of bruised, and so do my ribs. I think I still have a bunch of scratches from Dan. I feel… Good? Happy? Comfortable?” He blinked a little at how thorough he’d been. But why wouldn’t he be thorough when Clockwork asked him a question?

“Good,” said Clockwork.

A sense of pleasure suffused Danny. Clockwork said he did good! Or that his current state was good. Danny wasn’t sure.

“You took care of me,” said Danny. It made his thoughts feel bubbly with happiness.

“I did. You sound surprised.”

“I was worried you wouldn’t,” confessed Danny. “After you had what you wanted.”

“I see,” said Clockwork. “Tell me, can you think of any circumstances where you would not obey me?”

Danny’s eyes fell halfway closed. He could feel the walls of the box Clockwork had made of his Obsession. They were firm, the joints and corners rounded. He could push against them and feel them push back, an even pressure on his mental body. He was not locked in so much as welded in, every escape closed, the box unopenable without the kind of force that would break the contents.

He wondered if, as he grew more used to them, the walls would recede from his awareness.

“If I didn’t understand what you wanted,” said Danny. “Or if I couldn’t do it. Or if you told me not to beforehand.”

“What if you interpreted my orders as being given under duress?”

“Like, someone was forcing you?” Danny frowned. “Can someone force you?”

“Perhaps,” said Clockwork. “For the sake of this question and your answer, assume that it is so.”

“Well,” said Danny, feeling like he was trying to follow a line of thought made of razor wire, “I guess… if you were being forced, it wasn’t something you wanted to say? So, I… I’d base what I was doing on what you’ve told me before and the surrounding context.” The box felt very small right now, but he was still inside it. The walls pulsed comfortably around his swollen thoughts.

Clockwork smiled faintly and patted Danny on the head. “Excellent,” he said. “Please get up and follow me.”

Danny wriggled out of his blanket and stood, unsteady, taking in the room for the first time. It was a bedroom. Nothing fancy, but obviously arranged for the maximum physical comfort of its inhabitant, for all that the walls were made of interlocking metal gears behind glass etched with patterns that put Danny in mind of antique clocks. Everything was draped in dark, silver-flecked fabric, or piled with cushions. There were bedside tables, and a desk in one corner, but they were oddly rounded, made of clockwork metal and wood, but covered in a thick layer of rounded glass. The light in the room was diffuse, and seemed to emanate from somewhere near the ceiling, but Danny couldn’t find the source.

Overall, it put him oddly in mind of the mental image of the box around him, his thoughts, and his actions.

“Is this your bedroom?” asked Danny.

“No,” said Clockwork. “It is yours. Do you like it?”

“Yes,” said Danny. “It seems comfortable.”

“Good. You will be spending time here, in the future.” Clockwork turned away, to a wall, and drew back a dark curtain to reveal the outline of a door. There was no handle that Danny could see, but the gears in the wall rotated, moving a bar and a counterweight, and the door swung open on its own.

Outside, the hall - if he could call it that - was similar, but the walls weren’t covered with glass. There was only a little of the stonework Danny usually associated with Long Now, and he got the distinct impression that this was the lair itself revealing some truth about itself to him.

They came to a wider space, where at least the floor was covered by another, continuous material. The room was filled with cabinets, shelves, and long tables. Worktables, Danny thought, seeing the tools and small objects that rested on them. The workspace was, overall, much neater than his parents’ lab, back home.

"We are going to run through some exercises to help you settle, before you return to Amity Park."

Danny nodded, grateful that he would be allowed to return. Although he had tried not to dwell on it too much, he'd been aware that was a distinct possibility.

On the other hand… "What do you mean, 'settle?'" he asked as he followed Clockwork to one of the benches, where a clock case and inner workings had been neatly laid out.

“You have just gone through a major change,” said Clockwork. “It will take some time before you become used to it.”

“It’s good, though,” said Danny. “I like it. I wanted it.”

“Even so,” said Clockwork. “Do you not feel weaker, less steady than you usually are?”

“I…” Danny hesitated, thinking. “Yes.”

Clockwork nodded slowly. “That is only to be expected. Even good changes can cause stress and strain. You must be settled, before any other alterations can be made. Sit.”

Danny took the indicated seat, across the table from Clockwork. “You’re going to alter me more?” asked Danny, intrigued by the possibility of being shaped into something even more helpful.

“Perhaps,” said Clockwork.

Danny pouted slightly at the nonanswer, but he knew that Clockwork must have his reasons. Not telling him must have benefits.

“These exercises will help you become more used to your new configuration, more confident in it. Now.” Clockwork folded his hands on the table. “You are going to help me build this clock.”

Danny’s core thrummed to attention. “How?” he asked.

“You will pay close attention to me, my instructions, and the materials you are working with, and nothing else.”

The rest of the world went fuzzy. “Yes,” he said, and even his own voice felt distant.

“Excellent. We will begin with the casing…”

Clockwork let him take the finished clock back to his room at the end of the exercise.

For the next exercise, Clockwork set Danny to work on a small, but somewhat overgrown and neglected, bonsai tree. This time, however, he did not give Danny explicit instructions on its care, but told him to find the information in the library, gently prompting him to look at more than one source before deciding what to do with the tree.

Danny had never found books so interesting before. He’d had no idea that making Clockwork part of his Obsession like this would have such wide-reaching effects.

It took a while for Danny to get all the information he needed, but he did, and he trimmed the bonsai down to size, watered it, fertilized it, and bent the branches into a more aesthetically pleasing shape.

Like the clock, the bonsai tree made its way to his room.

For the third exercise, Clockwork presented him with a blank book and told him to record a detailed history of his life, up until that moment.

Danny had hesitated, then. “There’s a lot I don’t remember,” he admitted, even as the need from his Obsession seemed to crawl into his brain to unearth memories he hadn’t known he had.

“Yes,” said Clockwork, his tone prompting.

“Will you… Will you help me? With the things I don’t remember, I mean.”

“Yes,” said Clockwork. “I will show you how to operate one of the simpler time screens, but you must never use it without my permission.”

Danny nodded, enthusiastically. He liked these exercises. He was learning so much.

Unlike his other two products, the book was whisked away as soon as he’d finished it, disappearing into the folds of Clockwork’s robes. Clockwork then presented him with a tiny vial, no larger than the smallest bone in Danny’s smallest finger.

“What is it?” asked Danny, tilting the vial to the side. The contents looked like water, but there was something about it Danny couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“Waters of the Lethe,” said Clockwork. “Diluted.”

“Am I supposed to drink it?” Danny asked, staring up at Clockwork. The vision of Clockwork as a giant flitted across his memory again.

“People are not supposed to know their whole history. This will only abstract your memory of what you learned here, from the time screens, not your entire memory.”

“I would drink it even if it did,” said Danny.

“I know,” said Clockwork, “but for now, you need only drink this.”

Danny put the vial to his lips without hesitation, and swallowed the water inside. He blinked once, twice, slightly disoriented. “What next?” he asked.

“Next,” said Clockwork, thoughtfully, “I believe you can go home.”

Danny returned to Amity Park as if he had never left, as if nothing significant had changed in himself. He went to school, he fought ghosts, he talked to his friends, he played games, he helped people. Always, he helped.

And he visited Clockwork.

Clockwork almost always had something for him to do, whether that was a big thing, like saving a city from destruction, a small thing, like moving a branch, a mundane thing, like studying, or a confusing thing, like being sent to a Renaissance-era party after gorging himself on strawberries with no other instructions. And, the rare few times Clockwork didn’t have anything for Danny to do, he still treated Danny with gentle care.

Like now. Now, Clockwork carefully measured Danny's body, the width of his chest, the length of his limbs, the depth of his breath, the speed of his heart, the color of his blood. Danny followed his instructions to move and breathe, to stay still, to cough and bleed.

Clockwork patted him on the head, and Danny leaned into the touch until it turned into something more like a stroke, Clockwork’s hand tracing down to cup his cheek and the underside of his jaw.

“Do not grow,” he said, almost absently. “Do not age.”

Danny still wasn’t used to the way his body itself would respond to Clockwork’s instructions. How a few words from him could unlock abilities he would never be able to activate on his own. A shiver swept over him as his very cells seemed to set themselves in place. It felt good, of course, but it was also…

“That is still a little intense for you,” said Clockwork.

Danny made a small, soft noise of agreement. Despite himself, he was half dozing, leaning heavily on Clockwork’s hand. Today had been very long, and he was so comfortable here, where the limits and guidance of his

“I think a more thorough assessment of your physical state is in order,” said Clockwork.

Danny hummed, questioningly.

“We are going to visit your friends in the Far Frozen.”

The yetis looked at Clockwork with suspicion, but did not stop him.

“Hi, Frostbite!” said Danny, cheerfully, throwing himself at Frostbite. Frostbite returned the hug, albeit far more gingerly than usual.

“Hello, great one,” said Frostbite. “Timekeeper.”

Clockwork inclined his head minutely.

“I didn’t know you knew each other,” said Danny, watching the exchange with wide eyes.

“I have brought Daniel for a full physical,” said Clockwork.

“We have a custom of seeing patients alone.”

"I am aware. Daniel."

"Mhm?"

“Answer any question Chief Frostbite has.”

“Okay!”

“Truthfully,” Clockwork added.

“Yes!”

Clockwork nodded. “I expect a full medical report.”

“If he wants us to give you one, it will be done,” said Frostbite.

“I do!” said Danny. Clockwork smiled faintly, and Danny’s core itself seemed to hum in pleasure. He’d done the right thing.

“Very well, great one,” said Frostbite. He picked Danny up and carried him to the medical caves, where he started running through a standard checkup, asking Danny how he was eating, how he was sleeping, the last fight he’d been in.

But Danny had a question of his own.

“You look upset,” said Danny. “Why are you upset?”

Frostbite sighed. “Great one… Are you aware that you have been enthralled?”

Danny kicked his feet. The examination table was sized more for yetis than for human-sized things like Danny, and he felt significantly childlike, sitting on it. “Um, he didn’t use that word, but Clockwork pretty much explained what was happening to me while it was happening.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he said he was,” Danny searched for the right word, “shaping me so that I saw doing what he wanted as the same as my Obsession.” He tilted his head to one side. “Is that wrong?”

“No, it seems that he did tell you what he was doing.” Frostbite sighed.

“But you think it’s bad that he did it in the first place,” surmised Danny. “That he… enthralled me? Even though I wanted it?”

“It is complicated.” Frostbite made a chair out of ice, and sat so his eyes were level with Danny’s. “Thralls do not typically see anything wrong with their status. Many ghosts do not. Many consider it a positive, or at least a neutral thing. And I am happy, great one, that you have found a way to follow your Obsession that brings you joy and satisfaction. But it is also true that thralls are mistreated, or outright sacrificed, frequently.”

“But for their Obsession. Which is something they’d do anyway. Clockwork isn’t like that, anyway.”

Frostbite sighed heavily. “Not always for their Obsession. The point is,” he continued, before Danny could again protest that Clockwork wasn’t like that, “thralls end in tragedy and suffering, more often than not.”

Danny tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“Any position where one person has power over another is open to abuse, and the greater the degree of power, the greater the potential for abuse. We ghosts may be… constrained, somewhat, by what we are. By our Obsessions, I should say. But we are still people. People who can make both good and bad choices.”

“Okay,” said Danny. That wasn’t really what it had sounded like when he’d asked Clockwork about free will, but maybe this was just another perspective. It wasn’t like Frostbite was stupid. “Okay, but Clockwork really isn't like that. He’s taking good care of me. And our Obsessions are pretty similar, so I don’t think I’m just going to be sacrificed or whatever. I get why you’re upset,” he added, quickly. “I do! I’d be pretty upset if I thought one of my friends was tricked like that and was getting dragged around for stuff that wasn’t even their Obsession. But it isn’t like that. He even came here to make sure I was okay, didn’t he?”

“He did,” said Frostbite. He still didn’t sound happy. “For a full medical report. Do you know if he plans to alter you?”

“He’s mentioned it,” said Danny with a shrug. The idea of being further modified was thrilling.

Frostbite nodded. “Regardless, I will list the common side effects of thralldom. Let me know if you are experiencing any of these.”

“There are side effects?” asked Danny. “Wait, no, that’s stupid. Of course there are. I passed out when it all, um…” He touched the tips of his fingers together. “Clicked.”

“I see,” said Frostbite. “Was this prompted by Clockwork in any way?”

“He told me to sleep,” said Danny. “But I was definitely passing out anyway. I’ve got a lot of experience with that.”

Frostbite made a hmm deep in his throat and made a note on a pad of paper. Danny leaned forward, gazing at him in interest. He found himself wanting to cuddle in Frostbite’s fur… Not something he normally did. Even if Frostbite was very soft and fluffy.

“One of the typical side effects is more animal behavior or features.”

“Oh,” said Danny, a thought crossing his mind, “are the vulture ghosts Vlad’s thralls?”

“I am unsure,” said Frostbite. “I am unfamiliar with the ghosts you are referencing.”

“It’s not important,” said Danny, shaking his head. “It’s just, I’ve always wondered why they do stuff for him, since he doesn’t seem to pay them, like he does with Skulker.”

“Have you experienced anything like that personally?” prompted Frostbite, gently.

“I don’t think so,” said Danny.

“Lack of interest in other methods of fulfilling your Obsession?”

“Nope,” said Danny. “I’m still doing all my hero stuff.”

“Abnormal emotional states?”

“I’ve been really happy, lately, I guess,” said Danny. “But not really, other than that.”

“Anxiety over the location of your thrall-holder?”

“Mm,” said Danny, thinking. “Not really? Maybe a little bit. Clockwork isn’t really… someone who can be put in physical danger?”

“I see," said Frostbite.

“Difficulty understanding the world around you?”

“No,” said Danny. “Not more than usual.”

“Core pain?”

“At the beginning, but not right now. Clockwork did exercises with me, to help me settle.”

“Alright,” said Frostbite. “It’s time for the more traditional scans and measurements. Are you ready?”

“Yes,” said Danny.

Danny bounced over to Clockwork’s side, sucking on a lollipop Frostbite had given him. A still unhappy-looking Frostbite handed Clockwork a thick packet of paper, which Clockwork vanished into thin air.

“I’m ready to go when you are,” said Danny.

Clockwork nodded, eyes drifting slowly to each of the frowning yetis staring at him.

“I am aware that you are researching a way to break thralls,” said Clockwork.

“It doesn’t work, does it?” asked Danny, thoroughly spooked by the idea.

“No. Not currently, no. It isn’t something you need to worry about,” said Clockwork. It wasn’t really a command or an instruction, so Danny decided not to think about it too much. He had plenty of other things to think about, after all.

"Are you going to try to stop us?" asked Frostbite.

"No," said Clockwork. "Your research is, actually, part of the reason I brought Daniel here today."

Frostbite’s eyes flicked between Clockwork and Danny.

“I’m afraid I do not understand,” he said, finally.

“And that is acceptable. Come along, Daniel.” He began to fly away, and Danny hurried to keep pace with him.

"Are you going to have me do that, if they figure it out?" asked Danny, worried again, despite himself.

"There are scenarios in which it may become useful. I prefer to keep my options open, in these cases."

“But… You’ll only have me do it if it’s more helpful?”

“Of course,” said Clockwork, ruffling Danny’s hair casually. “I wouldn’t even consider it, otherwise.”

#danny phantom #ectoberhaunt #23 day 12 #23 prompt obsession #23 calendar science #eh23 #ectoberhaunt23

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haknom · 1 year

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happy new years. — sim jake

synopsis: celebrating new years with jake!

pairing: bf!jake x gn!reader

warnings: i’ve never lit fireworks in my life so this may not be accurate! *not proofread!*

note: happy 2023 everyone!! i hope everyone is safe throughout this whole year and is treated well <3 first fic of 2023 and starting it off with jake!

wordcount: 429 words

It was currently 11:50 PM, ten minutes before 2023. Here you were with Jake who decided to ask if you wanted to come over and light some fireworks together and, of course, you accepted it with excitement.

“Which one do you want to do first?” He questioned, holding up two options; sparkles or fireworks. “Hm... That one?” You’d point at the fireworks as he looked down at them, nodding.

The wind blew lightly, causing a few chills on your arms. “It’s kinda cold, huh?” Jake states while placing the firework in place after hearing your shaky exhale. “Slightly,” you said as you rubbed your arms.

“Here, I’ll go get myself another one.” He removed his sweater as he walked over to you, handing you the sweater with a smile. You thanked with a smile while accepting the sweater after he went back indoors to grab him a new one.

There was a blanket laid out on the grass before you with a furry animal draped on top of it. While approaching the said animal with a small smile, its ears perked up at the sound of your footsteps. “Layla,” you spoke in a sing-song tone as she turned around to face you.

You’d pet Layla as you sat down and waited for Jake to come back. Her tail wagged in happiness while leaning into your touch. The front door opened and closed as Jake walked towards you. “Okay! I think it’s time to start,” he smiled as you nodded. The clock now reads 11:58 PM, two minutes until 2023.

He lit up the firework and took a seat beside you. “No countdown?” You asked while his eyes widened. “What?! We’re definitely doing a countdown! I’ll pull up a youtube video or something,” he suggested, pulling out his phone. Layla laid down in your lap as you kept petting her while looking at Jake’s phone.

“Woah, 10 seconds already?!” You exclaimed as you looked up at the firecracker. “It’s already starting!” You warned, pointing at it. “5, 4, 3, 2..1.” Jake muttered the countdown with hope that the firework would launch at the right time. It flew up into the air, popping in the sky, causing Layla to sit up and bark at the noise.

“Happy new years!” The two of you said in unison, laughing at the surprise. You kept watching the fireworks as another went on while petting Layla. Jake looked at you in adoration. He was grateful to spend 2022 with you and now 2023.

It was definitely a happy new year for him.

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hood-simz · 2 months

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Directory📝

→PSA/Intro! (read b4 u have a bitchfit)←

The name is Piqt and this blog is 18+. My playstyle features the lifestyles that stray away from the typical "happy-nucleur-family-in-windenberg" type stuff and instead sheds light onto the other side of the pond. I'm on Windows, play with almost every pack due to a beautiful thing called ✨piracy✨, been in the game since the month it released (in case you need to reach out to someone seasoned for troubleshooting), and am currently using 5+ GB of cc/scripts.

WCIF friendly and I hope I can actually help you in that regard through my shitmix of a folder!

Going forward, since you will encounter content in this pinned post that some in the community have had literal tantrums about, I would like to state ✨EA is a leech, delivers broken content again and again for a loaded price and doesn't deserve your morality✨ and I, as someone who has been pirating since 2005, will keep pirating it's content and advocating for others to do so. In the terms of me sharing my own + others mod folders, I also give 0 fucks about someone losing .3 cents of ad revenue as I believe internet ads are literal acidic dogshit and shouldn't exist.

→Tags for this blog←

#thebuildtag [my own builds]

#thescenerytag [scenery edits]

#thelifetag [portrait/life shots]

#thememetag [meme/shitposts/glitches]

#favbuilds [builds i love by others]

#favcontenttag [content i love by others]

The Masterposts!

◤Anadius's Twitter (site in bio)

→Kinda speaks for itself. Kudus to this guy for his work & time in creating such programs for our community!

◤Blogger who compiles DLC content made BGC by various creators

→An absolute godsend before I got the courage to tell EA to go fuck itself and just rip their entire game + all their packs. These creators are absolutely amazing for doing this♡

◤Sims 4 Mod Manager

→Vital in any scenario when sorting mods/cc due to it's access of all the thumbnails, but you just gotta have this if you're gonna download someone's 50+ GB mod folders like I tend to do. Kudos to this guy as well for an amazing, user friendly program!

◤Sims 4 Price Call Out

→A while back I made a post calling out the insane price EA makes for content that lacks its worth + is almost always broken upon release, leaving us to fix it. This post is updated every few months and is there to show you just how much your paying for assets that lack functionality + are bare minimum in terms of design.

◤Paysitesmustbedestroyed + TS4Rebels

→Both sites hold cc content that is blocked behind paywalls.

◤My personal Mod Folder + recommended/best scripts↓

→*take note as its been a few patches since I made this list and folder, both could be out of date though as of today (04/04/24) it works- check with creator pages/popular conflict detectors if worried*

Mod Folder (5+ GB)

Script List w/ links

•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡

Though this blog is mainly a simblr-story type blog, it will also feature CC I find appealing + reblogs of other simmer's gameplay. If you find yourself ever with a broken game, need to find CC, or just need basic troubleshooting help, shoot me an ask/PM and I'll try my best to help!! Also, though it's pretty abandoned, my older storylines are over on insta @ hoodsimz if you want to check it out

#ts4 simblr #simblr #ts4 #ts4cc #ts4 gameplay #ts4 legacy #sims 4 cc #ts4 story #ts4 cas #the sims 4 community #the sims 4 gameplay #thepinnedposts

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ljjsims · 27 days

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Greek Goddess Legacy Challenge: Generation #4 Demeter: Complete

The Good Goddess is also taking attendance: Demeter!

You absolutely hate the hectic place that is Del Sol Valley. You long for more nature, more peace and quiet. So when you accidentally get pregnant as a teen and your mother threatens to disown you, you decide to take matters in your own hands and move to the countryside. you have nothing there, but one of the Nymphs knows a place for you to stay. You find out that you are quite good with plants. You get by by selling your crops and make a home for you and your little baby. It will be forever you two against the world. Nothing can or will come between you two.

Little bit explanation with the sheets: - First sheet is for describing your current generation, with the challenges you need to do each life-stage. Also, because I love the myths, a bit of mythological background. May it inspire you :) - Second sheet is the preparation sheet for this generation, with important characters for your story. It is technically optional, but I love seeing sims with a backstory in my world, so I would highly recommend it. - Third sheet is for your gens children. They all have their own little challenges if your interested in those. I try to make all of them a bit different from each other, so it doesn’t get boring. Your heir is also on this sheet, but I’ve put their challenges on their own sheets. Stay tuned for those ;) - Fourth sheet is completely optional. If you want sims with names from the myths and love making sims to see them in your world, this is for you! All with a little mythological background ofc, you know me.

Next Generation is Persephone! Stay Tuned! Previous Generation was Hera First Generation is Gaia

The Greek Goddesses Challenge by LJJ-Sims is a challenge based on the ancient mythical creatures and stories from Greece. I fell in love with Greek mythology in high school and have not let that love go since. In this challenge you will follow 10 deities in their journey through life. Every goddess has a different take on and goal in life. Special about this challenge? All your kids have little challenges of their own, not only your heir. These challenges are optional, so if you feel like these are too much or just too restricting for you: by all means let them go. I also have sheets for characters that you can make before you start each generation. This gives your challenge a lot more personality and makes it frankly easier and more fun!

A little disclaimer: because I made these gods and goddesses into a legacy challenge, the relationships in the myths don’t exactly match the relationship in this challenge. There is a lot of keep it in the family in mythology, to put it lightly. And apart from the fact that you can’t do that in the Sims, I don’t really like that part. So I didn’t include it, thus the inconsistency. An example: Ares is now Hera’s stepfather instead of her son, which she conceived with her brother and husband Zeus. This inconsistency can also be found in the stories. It’s just based on and not copied exactly, as Sims live lives that are a lot shorter than those of immortal gods. And it takes a way from the creativity if we just copy the myths. Even if we wanted to do that, it’s quite hard, as every myths has its fair share of variations and some are just completely different stories.

I use the MCCC-mod to alter the length of life states. You can find the days-years ratio here: the boring stuff.

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simstasia · 5 months

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It's been a while...

So... yeah. It really has been a while since I posted anything on this Simblr, especially anything that is gameplay-related. To those who are still following me, thank you so much! I will post again someday, I promise.

I wanted to come on here to talk about the state of The Sims 4 right now. This is more of me venting my frustrations with the game than anything else, but if you're reading this... again, thank you. I haven't touched The Sims 4 gameplay probably since last spring, and the reason for that is that my game is simply unplayable at this point. Okay, it's not quite that bad, but the immersion is just not there anymore. I realized how bad the situation was when I finally sat down and played The Sims 3 for the first time in forever. I bought The Sims 3 for the first time in my life around 2021, and before that, I had only played The Sims 4. Playing The Sims 3, I realized how immersive the game can be. Sure, it has its issues with lag, but honestly, currently, my Sims 3 game runs mostly better than The Sims 4, aside from CAS and build mode. But aside from those, the gameplay in The Sims 3 is so rich, and I don't even own nearly all the packs! I also enjoy how spontaneous the game can be, where crazy drama just happens without me forcing it. And let's not even talk about how beautiful and big the Sims 3 worlds are! Gameplay-wise, it's honestly hard for me to believe The Sims 3 is the predecessor of The Sims 4.

Right, so I might start posting more The Sims 3 content, but this post is meant to be about The Sims 4. First of all, there just isn't enough gameplay in the game. The base game is extremely limited and boring to play on its own, but the extra packs honestly aren't much better. The features added are usually extremely shallow and don't add anything for long-term gameplay. And man do I miss having different animations for interactions! In The Sims 4, Sims just move their hand, and things appear in front of them like magic.

Second of all, the simulation lag completely breaks any immersion I have for the gameplay. If you don't know, simulation lag is basically that thing that happens when your Sim won't perform an action no matter what you tell them to do. Instead, they just stand around and stare into space while often bobbing their head around. No mod I've found has been able to fix this issue, and The Sims creators clearly have no intentions of fixing it either. Granted, my laptop is very old and I have a lot of CC, so I expect to run into some issues in my game. However, I have seen Sims creators with top-notch gaming computers have horrible game-breaking simulation lag, meaning this isn't just an issue with my old laptop.

Lastly (seriously thank you so much if you've read this far), EA does not care about the game or its players. Lately, pretty much all the newer packs have had game-breaking bugs on release, and some of them have still not been fixed (ahem, My Wedding Stories). And even after all the complaints from players, the latest For Renting expansion pack came with a small world mostly consisting of rabbit holes and set dressing and limited and broken gameplay. What I've seen the pack has made many players' games completely unplayable and even messed up their old saves.

In conclusion... I stopped buying The Sims 4 packs since My Wedding Story and WILL NOT purchase them ever again until they fix the current game (which is unlikely since many continue to purchase these broken packs). It seems complaining about the state of the game does nothing, and instead, we should be hitting where it hurts... EA's money.

Also, expect some Sims 3 gameplay...

#im back i guess #rant

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chainsawgirlfriend · 2 years

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Why you should play St. Agatha City

It's free to play, with regular updates as progress is made. This game is still in its alpha state, on chapter 0 out of 7, and kind of lengthy - the unfinished demo alone is several hours of gameplay if you wanna 100% it, but I think it's worth it, and here's why.

1. The main character.

St. Agatha City is an city-exploring mystery game with dating sim elements. This is Pixy Burrow! She's the main character. Unlike a lot of traditional dating sims, Pixy's personality and backstory is just as crucial to the plot and the world she inhabits as the people she meets. I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but on the plus side, this means the choices you have her make can have consistency, and consequence. Her responses to situations are also designed to avoid the flat, accidentally unrelatable main character syndrome!

2. The city of St. Agatha itself

St. Agatha is a mid-sized Midwestern city, in the state of Missouri. Though the demo only allows for Pixy to explore the places within walking distance of her apartment, there is a lot of lore and scenery to absorb and explore, with more to come. There is a sinister side of the beautiful new place she's found herself in, which is suspiciously overfunded in recreational activities and decor, but has cracked sidewalks and a lot of unhappy citizens.

3. The cast

There are +20 characters you can meet, and 9 potential love interests of varying personality, background, and gender. Shitty MS paint doodle below...

You've got line cook representation, boylosers, failwomen, cringebeings, autistic boy swag, wolfgirls, a wizard (???), the puppet from Interpol, and Marjory. You figure out who is who.

4. It's got voice actors, fan artists, and a budding community

Art shown: Connor drawn by ghoulenjoyer on toyhouse, Norman by @idiotdoodoohead, Roger and Baxter by @audio-drama, Candyman by SodaWizard_ on Twitter, Denver by @diet-soap, and Baxter by brodyisgone on Instagram, and again by @morgast :3

This game has VAs and will eventually be fully voiced! Currently over half the cast of Chapter 0 are cast, and new voice lines are being added all the time.

5. Production transparency.

Like I said, this game is free. There is no kickstarter, no fundraiser, no merch to sell, and no goddamn ball pit. You couldn't get All or Nothing'd here if you tried, because the only way to throw money at this game is via optional tips, cuz it's hosted on Itch.io. However, due to this and the scale of this game, updates can be slow, but there's a lot of transparency in production - with update previews being posted on the game page, and a very active Discord.

The game is supposed to have eight full chapters, which have been plotted out, with an estimated production span of a few years minimum to fully finish.

6. I made it.

You don't know me (probably), this isn't a flex, that's just self love. You can download it on itch.io! And I'd love it if you do, because I am very proud of my work, and I'd like to ruin the internet with it.

If you have any questions or anything, let me know! you can find a link directly to the download in my pinned post, and you can ping me for a Discord invite!

#st agatha city #indie game #dating sim #otome game

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simmeriannesnook · 2 months

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Not So Berry is a legacy challenge, originally created by @lilsimsie and @alwaysimming for The Sims 4, in which the "HEIR" sim of each generation (since its founder) must represent a color.

I have seen a lot of people doing this challenge since I started following the sims community and now it's my turn.

In my case I will follow the original version (Rules HERE) and a more updated version of the challenge, created by @by-nessa on Twitter, which covers more expansions than the original challenge and its in spanish (Rules HERE), however, I will be adding and changing rules and goals for some future generations to my personal liking, since what I want with this story is to discover things that I usually don't use in my other saves. So, you can see this story as my own personal version of the Not So Berry challenge. I'll be leaving in each generation the goals to complete, as well as the traits and aspirations of the heirs, but here are the general rules that I will follow to play the challenge:

Each heir must represent the color of their generation (hair, clothing, home decoration) although the skin does not have to be colored. Other colors can also be used for contrast, as long as the generation color is predominant.

Heir's partner must wear a garment with the color of the next generation to be valid spouses candidates of the current generation. Thus, for example, the spouse of the mint generation must have in their clothing some red (original version) or white (nessa version) garment. NOTE: Hair and eyes are valid options.

Freerealestate cheat can be used to move the first generation and start the challenge, however, more money cheats are NOT accepted.

The sim can live anywhere, unless something is specified in the rules of each particular generation.

Each generation must complete both the selected career and aspiration, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Inventory items can only be sold through plopsy, sales tables, stores or in the market, unless the item cannot be sold by any of these. NOTE: Mods can be used to expand the list of things that can be sold.

And that's it for now...

----------

I hope you all like and enjoy my stories, thank you so much for reading 💗.

#NSBRainbowJournal #NSBRJRules #ts4 #not so berry

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drowningappointments · 1 year

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so the word "fictosexual" was just said on tv for (possibly) the first time

planet sex with cara delevingne is an ongoing docuseries on hulu (and also bbc iplayer for the brits) in which the aforementioned english model explores various topics relating to human sexuality and sexual relationships in the internet era.

is it any good? honestly, i don't know, because the episode i'm going to talk about today is the only one i've currently watched.

so if you're subbed to hulu or have a vpn with servers in britain (privadovpn is the free one i used to watch it on iplayer), i recommend you watch the episode yourself and form your own opinion about its portrayal of 2dl.

series 1 episode 5 - monogamish

ok so. first things first. the episode of the series in which the topic of fictosexuality and 2d love is explored is one that, otherwise, surrounds polyamory and other forms of non-monogamous relationships. which...alright! not sure how i feel about tacitly framing 2dl specifically as an alternative to a monogamous human relationship (and explicitly to the 'western ideal' of heterosexual monogamy), but it's an understandable choice.

the 2dl interviewed here is a japanese woman named midori, who was holding a wedding ceremony with her fictional partner (morgyn ember from the sims 4).

as a first impression, midori is given a lot of time to talk uninterrupted and her ceremony is filmed without commentary, which is good.

she mentions things like struggling with an inferiority complex and feeling accepted by morgyn, points that i definitely feel like a more salacious piece would have used as a springboard to psychoanalyze her, but we're luckily spared most of that here.

cara does mention that she 'wonders if it's a reaction to the weight of her family's expectations to get married,' speaking as though 2d love is considered a completely appropriate alternative to human relationships in japan (to which midori later explains that her parents did not approve of her marriage), which is...not great, but it doesn't exactly feel malicious either.

the term 'fictosexual' is explained pretty loosely in a single sentence, with background footage of one of akihiko kondo's room tours (an understandable choice). as far as i can tell, kondo openly identifies himself as a fictosexual, but midori never outright states that she does. considering the term's rising popularity in japan, it's likely that she may, but it would have been comforting to have some confirmation.

the definition of fictosexuality here is...yeah, it's not the best, but it's at the very least functional in setting them apart in practice from those who feel occasional fictional attraction. the truth is that not everyone who is in a 2d relationship identifies themselves as fictosexual, and that fictosexual is often (although not only) used as a label for those with exclusive attraction to fictional characters, an angle which is left unexplored.

shortcomings aside, though, having our 'point of view' figure empathize and even appreciate midori's relationship sets a really promising standard for media coverage of fictosexuality and 2dl in the future, and the explicit use of the term 'fictosexual' is momentous.

the segment reflects a society that still has a lot to understand about 2d love, but one that is at least trying to know more, and that's pretty cool!

#fictosexual #fictosexuality #2d love #selfshipping #media analysis #cara delevingne #fictional love

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taanoir · 1 year

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Tag Game for Historical Simblrs! 📖

1. What has been your favorite time period to play in or which one are you most excited for?

So far my favorite time period to play was Middle Ages, I really enjoyed the sims from that generation. Elurin and Elbereth ended up having great stories that I was able to flush out well. There were some big loops that the gameplay added that I worked into the story. When they happened I wasn't pleased but they ended up working out nicely.

I'm really excited for the "Atomic Age", for my game that will be 1950 - 1980.

2. Do you have a favorite piece of historical cc? (CAS or BB)

That is really a tough question, there are so many. I suppose the pieces I use the most constantly are by @strangestorytellersims this Chess Set and these slacks. The slacks I use for every era there are pants and have since they were released, they are probably my favorite piece of CC. The chess set is beautiful and works well in most settings.

3. Who is your favorite sim currently?

Actually pretty easy, Luis. He was supposed to be the Villain, but I had to fight with him to get him to fight (Hind sight being 20/20, Clara should have been the villain, she's actually a jerk). Eventually, I gave up and gave him a happily ever after. He's all smiles, jokes and comfort. Shots where he's hugging someone, that's just Luis.

I wish I written him a bit different so I could keep him as the heir, though it does save his and Maren's offspring from being the villain next generation. Also the next generation is 1920, the game is just coming into the 1900's.

4. What is your favorite world?

It depends on what I'm doing. For most things I love Henford. For historical purposes, its well suited. I really didn't have to do much other than plop down some builds and the river is really pretty.

5. Are you more gameplay or story focused?

Gameplay is my focus. I'm not a great writer and even though I follow some amazing simblrs that use the game as a storytelling platform, I'm just not comfortable doing it. I did make a few efforts at putting story above game play but It sucks the fun out for me. So, I stick to most of the challenge rules, and keep a tally spreadsheet of where I am on points.

6. Do you like to play with pets in your historical saves?

Not really. I've never really had pets in real life, a few cats, a couple hamsters and a couple dogs. The gameplay for them is interesting but they get kind of annoying.

7. What’s your biggest immersion breaking pet peeve with the game? The werewolves are the biggest break, I can throw them in crinolines (and have) but I can't make them stop looking like a giant dog. I have kind of quit trying to avoid them, but I miss being able to turn off specific life states in TS3.

8. What’s your favorite in-game historical item? (CAS or BB)

Probably the 4 candle hanging light that came with Get Together. I use that in so many builds. The BB assets for that pack get used often: walls, floors, lights, fences, chimneys. I don't use clubs all that much but that pack has been great.

9. What would you like to see as a new pack or asset to the game?

I keep holding out hope for faries ( just because I like them in TS3). Though in terms of things that would be more realistic to see, I'd like to see more worlds set outside of the United States. Selvadorada is beautiful, but it's a vacation world. Can we get a live in South American based world? Africa? A whole continent that's untouched. There are so many beautiful places that are not the U.S..

10. What pack do you think is invaluable as a historical simmer?

Cottage Living, not a unique answer but it really is almost a requirement for historical gameplay. Cows, chickens, expanded farming, farmer's markets, the world, the BB/CAS assets. It covers so much in terms of historical life for most populations. Even taking the cows to a less themed world for early civilization, the canning options (food preservation had been around almost as long as people), the "off the grid" trait.

11. Do you have a favorite mod to enhance historical gameplay?

As everyone else has mentioned Timeless, it really does help with visual immersion. Also Lot51's Fashion Authority Mod, it's a lifesaver if you have it set up and need to "poof" a tonwie into something presentable.

12. What’s your ideal family size for playing?

Ideal is 4-6, though I keep ending up with 8 lol. Smaller than 4 gets kind of boring, more than 6 my desk becomes posty note purgatory with me trying to keep track of stuff.

13. Do you use poses?

Only for paintings or probably going forward photos. Because I lean into gameplay, I craft the story around the shot not the shot to the story.

14. Do you use any overrides in your game?

Short answer is yes, lots, they have their own file. My favorites are the book overrides from @moon-simmers Here.

15. Do you, or did you, play off-the-grid during your game?

Initially, yes. But some items that should work off grid don't and frustration ensued. I got rid of the lot trait and continued to use items that should work off grid. Basically, I kept the spirit without the shenanigans.

16. What lifespan do you play on?

Normal life span. Each sim is allowed to drink one "Essence of Life or Potion of Youth" based on the rules of the challenge, but so far no one has. That may change in the the upcoming generations.

17. What inspired you to start playing a historically?

I started playing historically on TS3 after reading several people's stories on the forum, they were doing a history challenge and I thought it was really cool (I've forgotten which one or who the posters were). I was in college working on my history degree and that seemed right my speed. That was also my first legacy challenge attempt.

When I moved to TS4, I started with a Rainbowcy challenge (NSB adjacent) and some general gameplay, (If you're interested go to the end of my archive). It didn't take long for the history bug to bite again. I've had several attempts that have been thwarted by game updates or software issues. Earlier efforts were more story focused (though visually, I hadn't figured out how to hide the plumbob) and I tried to include historical events and the uglier side of history (this has always been a hobby, not a thesis paper). After so many short stops, this time my goal is to finish. I've kept it more historically aesthetic (aside from some minor toe dips).

If you'd like to check out some great historically based stories check out: @aheathen-conceivably, @greatbritishsimchallenge, @carousel-of-sims, @scythesms, @kyriat-stories, @heartblobs, @simadelics, @sims-half-crazy

I was tagged by the amazing @aheathen-conceivably , thank you, these are always a fun break.

I tag anyone who feels like answering a whole long list of questions!

#ask game

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formulateez-replies · 11 months

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hello! this is cher/cherrie from formulateez !

ʚ get to know me ɞ

twenty. she/her. filo. kpop + formula racing enthusiast. us based (est).

i first got introduced to k-pop back in 2010-2011 when my neighbor showed me shinee's lucifer and ring ding dong. i didn't really start liking k-pop as a whole until around the second half of 2015!

my ult groups are currently ateez, enhypen, xg, nct dream, le sserafim, newjeans, and txt. (can you tell that i'm a hybe stan...)

i also really like (g)i-dle, &team, astro, aespa, boynextdoor, bts, day6, dreamcatcher, exo, fifty fifty, fromis_9, got the beat/girls on top, got7, history, ikon, infinite, itzy, ive, kard, knk, loona, monsta x (+ wonho), nct (as a whole, i'm just more of an nct dream stan), nmixx, nu'est, onlyoneof, p1harmony, pentagon, pristin, red velvet, seventeen, sf9, shinee, sistar, stayc, stray kids, the boyz, teen top, triples, twice, and vixx. (this is in alphabetical order, not in the order of which i like them. a good portion of those groups are my old ults or disbanded groups. i've have a lot of ult groups throughout the years.)

my fav f1 drivers are cl16, ln4, op81, and mv1.

i have only been into formula 1 since dec '22. i'm still learning a lot about the sport and the drivers as well!

my fav f2 drivers are al12, jd14, dh1, and ob8.

i have only been into f2 for a few months, it's the same case as f1, i'm still learning a lot about formula racing and its drivers as a whole!

my fav f3 drivers are pa1, db2, and sm14.

i also support hamda alqubaisi, bianca bustamante, and chloe chong!

i also used to be in a heavy emo phase (i never actually left it) and so i do enjoy a lot of emo/rock/metal music!

i'm not into much anime anymore but i'll occasionally rewatch some of my favorites or i'll end up watching newer shows with my boyfriend. the animes that i've enjoyed watching in the past are soul eater, black butler, haikyuu!!, ouran high school host club, and free! my current favorites are cyberpunk: edgerunners and chainsaw man!

i also have a side hobby of gaming! i wouldn't necessarily call myself a gamer since i don't play that many games. you'll usually find me on minecraft, the sims 4, roblox, or destiny 2! i also occasionally will play fortnite with friends (i'm just not good at pvp games so i tend to not play them that much; UNLESS it's arsenal on roblox. i kick ass lowkey in that game.)

the following things WILL get you BLOCKED !

my work and this blog is for individuals 18+ ONLY! minors are not and will never be welcome in this space of mine.

if you are under the age of 18, you will immediately be BLOCKED!

if you do not have your age displayed somewhere on your blog, you will immediately be BLOCKED!

if your blog is blank (such as no header, no icon, no title, no posts, etc.) you will also be BLOCKED! tumblr will automatically assume that you are a bot, and having excessive amounts of bot accounts as followers can harm a creator's blog. at the very least, please decorate your blog so that creators don't assume you are a bot.

while likes are always appreciated, they do not contribute much towards a creator's content. tumblr is very different from other social media platforms. therefore, reblogging our posts are the only things that will boost our posts and open opportunities to extend the reach of our content. feedback is also always welcome and is encouraged! it helps content creators know what their audience likes and what they don't like.

i'm, technically, very new to tumblr. the last time i was active on tumblr was back in 2017-2018. a lot of the information stated above was learned from other blogs such as:

kwanisms

ncteez

(this post and my navigation is also very inspired by these two blogs since i had no clue how to format either of these </3 they're also super friendly, really great writers, and deserve the follow <3)

the dividers used are from cafekitsune!

the photos of seonghwa, aki, and charles were all found on pinterest but they've been in my camera roll for a little bit so i don't recall who they belong to.

click HERE to return to my writing blog!

#about me #meet the writer #pinned post #formulateez

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tau1tvec · 2 years

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how do u get sims 3 to rub so well? i have a pc that runs sims 4 on ultra and the sims 3 is still laggy for me

Well it’s going to be a little laggy depending on what it is you’ve currently got on screen ( tbh The Sims 4 is like this too, if you use a lot of cc esp high poly cc you’ll know lol ), mostly bc of how it renders things like lots. Unlike The Sims 4, it doesn’t have load screens, so you set your lots loaded to whatever your pc can handle ( mine is 6 ) and it only loads those 6 lots you’re close by ( including any other lots your sims are currently at ), so sometimes you’ll only see like 3… then as soon as you move away, the lot returns to low LOD, and will then need to render again when you return. Should be quicker the second time thanx to caches, but it can still be quite taxing depending on your processor and GPU.

This is the biggest downside of the open world in The Sims 3, it isn’t like Skyrim, it was ahead of its time, and EA just didn’t wanna invest the time and money to build a better engine. So likely this is what causes the biggest dips in fps that you’re experiencing. Other things that could also be causing lag and stuttering, like poor routing ( the EA worlds are horrid about this, I highly suggest finding routing fixes for them, they’re all on MTS ), having too much cc or corrupt cc installed, or just not doing what’s needed to make sure your game is running at its most optimal state ( ie making sure your GPU is recognized ).

The sims 3 is an old game, and like anything else that’s old, it tends to require a little more love and care to keep it going.

Plus The Sims 4 isn’t really a good way to tell whether your PC is up to par with other games, considering it doesn’t really need a NASA rig to run it on high settings ( I ran it on high on a pretty low-mid range pc ). So despite being old, The Sims 3 with 10gb of cc, and an HQ mod, on Ultra will still absolutely kick your computer’s ass, purely due to the scale and complexity of how it all works with minimal load screens… and bc, once again, EA sucks.

#asks #anon

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iloveabunchofgames · 1 year

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March 2023 Game Awards

#JakeReviewsItch Game of the Month Archives

You know how this works: Every day, I review an Itch.io game, and on the first day of each month, I give prestigious awards to the previous month's games. There is no reason we need to acknowledge that I've been on hiatus for more than two weeks. We can just pretend that everything is normal. This month's award categories come courtesy of Steve Kim, whose Tweet was the first hit when I Googled, "1 like = 1 game". Thanks, Steve! He also has a long-abandoned Tumblog, which is pretty fun if you want some silly goofs about things that were happening on Giant Bomb 5+ years ago.

March's Games:

Akurra 🖤 Akuto: Showdown / Akuto: Mad World 🖤 The Alabaster Donut Farm 🖤 Alfal's Grove 🖤 Alien Life Lab 🖤 All Haze Eve 🖤 All You Can Eat 🖤 Alone With You 🖤 Alt-Frequencies 🖤 Ambidangerous 🖤 Amelie 🖤 Amethyst Hearth 🖤 An Airport Game 🖤 An American Werewolf In LA 🖤 An Outcry, prologue 🖤 Anarcute 🖤 And All Would Cry Beware! 🖤 And Yet It Moves 🖤 Angry Video Game Nerd I&II Deluxe 🖤 Animal Lover 🖤 Annwn: the Otherworld 🖤 Anodyne 🖤 Anomalies 🖤 Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story 🖤 Antecrypt⚡ 🖤 Antistatic 🖤 The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human 🖤 Arachnopunk

1 - Very first video game. Akkura

Ah, the first of March 2023. Who could the forget the day I played the mostly decent demo of a Sokoban game?

2 - Your favorite character. The cute cute cutey l'il aminals from Anarcute

Bunnies and froggies and foxies and even platypuses! They're all cuuuuuuute, and they cheerfully work together to topple fascism!

3 - A game that is underrated. Animal Lover

I went back and forth quite a bit before settling on Animal Lover's score. It's currently the highest-rated 3/5, but maybe it should have been a low 4/5.

4 - Your guilty pleasure game. Anomalies

There were quite a few big, worthwhile games in March; games that take a lot of time and effort to review fairly. Anomalies is a procedural generation toy that turns a bunch of numbers into a random mess of polygons. It took very little time and effort to review, and I feel guilty about how much pleasure I got from that.

5 - Game character you feel you are most like (or wish you were). The Angry Video Game Nerd from Angry Video Game Nerd I&II Deluxe

The character I wish I were? No. The character I feel most like? He chooses to play bad games and complains about it on the Internet. Hello.

6 - Most annoying character. Right Stick from Ambidangerous

Trying to play both characters in a two-player co-op game on one controller? "Annoying" is putting it mildly.

7 - Favorite game couple. A man and his diner from All You Can Eat

In a month with a number of solid dating sims, none touched me quite as much as the story of a man who'd spent ten years living in a diner to get the most out of an all-you-can-eat coupon. It's a love story for the ages.

8 - Best soundtrack. Anarcute

Its infectiously poppy sound fits the look and feel of the game perfectly, but I'm listening to it now, removed from the game, and this is working, too. It's music that's suitable for writing, dancing, or smashing the state. I must remember to bump these tunes in my headphones next time I go Rollerblading.

9 - Saddest game scene. Putting it together in Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story

A moment that will come to different players at different times, so I won't go into any more detail. I'm still feeling it, weeks later.

10 - Best gameplay. Angry Video Game Nerd I&II Deluxe

Originality is great. You know what else is great? Mega Man. Castlevania. Contra. If you're going to steal, steal from the best. AVGN does just that, and it's a blast to play.

11 - Gaming system of choice. Steam

In mid-March, I wrote about my beef with Steam. Here's the link, though you can safely skip it. I don't believe I made my point very well at all. In a nutshell, I think Valve's monopoly over computer games stinks. For all its frustrating issues, though, Steam's controller support is an invaluable tool.

12 - A game everyone should play. All You Can Eat

All You Can Eat is what indie games are all about. It takes one idea—What if an adventure game were presented as a newspaper comic strip?—and turns it into a funny little thing that takes, like, half an hour to complete. Short, simple, and totally ingenious.

13 - A game you've played more than five times. Alien Life Lab

I've played through Alien Life Lab twice, which is close to five times.

14 - Current (or most recent) gaming wallpaper. Anarcute

I used care about the background on my computer, but some time in the last decade, Windows gave me the default scuba diver image, and then I changed it to an image of my choosing, and then it reverted to scuba again, and after two or three times, I just gave up.

I'm pretty sure my last desktop wallpaper was a picture of Synergy, the hologram computer that allowed Jerrica Benton to become Jem. What would everyone think if I gave up on writing about video games and turned this into a full-time Jem fan site? Anyway, Anarcute is cute. I don't think I have to explain this.

15 - Post a screenshot from the game you're playing right now. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl

"Has anyone ever successfully copied Super Smash Bros.?" I asked in my Antistatic review. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl answers that question: Yeah. I guess?

16 - Game with the best cut scenes. Alone With You

You'll see them 10,000 times, each, and get sick of them long before that, but there's no denying that this game's a looker.

17 - Favorite antagonist. Conservative politics and corporate overreach from Alt-Frequencies

If only such powers were confined to sci-fi video games.

18 - Favorite protagonist. Laura from Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story

The entire game is built around empathy for a stranger who's lost her phone, and it succeeds. I don't love Laura. I don't hate Laura. I don't want to be Laura. I understand Laura, and that is powerful.

19 - Picture of a game setting you wish you lived in. The level based on the Crossfire commercial from Angry Video Game Nerd I&II Deluxe

You'll get caught up in it!

20 - Favorite genre. Let's treat this as an excuse to talk about how much interactive fiction I played in March

Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story and Alt-Frequencies easily top the list, both of which are discussed elsewhere in these awards. If you haven't gotten the message yet, allow me to be direct: Play them. Now. Animal Lover is sweet, funny, and well-written. It's not at all what I expected from a dating sim about people who have been cursed to spend eternity as animals, only returning to human form when a clumsy, anxious young woman gives them a kiss. Amelie is a bit shallow and underdeveloped. The plot is unoriginal, it seems visually incomplete, and calling this fiction "interactive" stretches that word's definition to its limit. In spite of all that, I actually had an okay time with it. Amethyst Hearth is a cheesy Christmas rom-com turned visual novel by way of RPG Maker, and also the love interest is a robot. It's such a bizarre novelty that I couldn't help but give it a passing score. My review of An Outcry, prelude was so negative the game got pulled from Itch.io, and yet, it's stuck in my mind more than most of this month's games. "Kekekaykaykikikoo" and "they got a visit of terrific birdness" are powerful phrases. And finally, there's Arcade Spirits, a dating sim that takes place in an alternate-near-future video game arcade. I was severely messed up by a bad antidepressant prescription toward the end of the month. Is that the reason I didn't like this game? I don't think so. I could revisit it and update my review with new, sober opinions, but that period was a miserable experience, and I'd rather leave it in the past.

21 - Game with the best story. Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story

These categories are a little heavy on story, no?

22 - A game sequel which disappointed you. Akuto: Showdown

It's a bummer that it stripped features from Akuto: Mad World. It's cool that it focused on one mode and made it better. The best part is that you get both games for the price of one on Itch.

23 - Game you think had the best graphics or art style. Anarcute

No, but really, where is the merch? These characters need to be toys. And key chains. And erasers. They need to be printed on shirts and folders and... Just put them on everything. Who do I need to call to set up a meeting with Sanrio?

24 - Favorite classic game. Angry Video Game Nerd I&II Deluxe

AVGN contains remasters of two games that are, themselves, homages to classic games.

25 - A game you plan on playing. There Swings a Skull

And if that goes well, I might have a date with An Outcry. Oh, plus the hundreds (thousands?) of games that are already sitting in my Itch library.

26 - Best voice acting. Alt-Frequencies

Alt-Frequencies is played by switching between radio stations, recording and playing back snippets of speech. It wouldn't work without quality acting. I don't get the impression this game had the budget for top-tier vocal talent, which makes its accomplishments even more impressive.

27 - Most epic scene ever. Angry Video Game Nerd I&II Deluxe

28 - Favorite game developer. Accidental Queens

I will follow the developers of A Normal Lost Phone, Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story, and Alt-Frequencies wherever they want to take me. The Lost Phone games follow the same format, telling worthy stories in a lightly interactive but effectively non-linear format. Then Alt-Frequencies comes along, trading the phone interface for a time-looping, call-in radio sim, and that's brilliant, too. I can't wait to see this team continue to stretch and grow.

29 - A game you thought you wouldn't like, but ended up loving. Alien Life Lab

It's so janky. It seems bad. Maybe it is bad. I've played through the whole thing twice and loved it both times. I don't understand.

30 - Your favorite game of all time. Donkey Kong

This has nothing to do with the Itch games I reviewed in March. I've just always loved playing Donkey Kong on a proper arcade cabinet.

Thirty categories, and I didn't find a single place to mention Antecrypt⚡. Let that be my parting thought. Antecrypt⚡: It's worthy of mention.

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