#spider web rpg maker

[starwarspurgefan]

Y’all need to watch this unheard of series,

[kohakurin8]

~ A Sticky Spider's Web ~

An Explained Post that Untangles Arachne's Web in My Own Words

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

This post contains spoilers beyond this point!

Although I do not personally believe that these spoilers will inhibit the gameplay experience, if you would like to play this short game before reading my post, please scroll to the bottom for a link to where it can be downloaded!

Bold of you to assume I'd stop playing spooky horror games just because it's November. After all, they're one of my favorite genres! And last night I had the pleasure of experiencing another one of @starwarspurgefan 's suggestions -- Spider's Web by Teamsin3

Full Disclosure -- Although I wasn't as completely impressed with this game as I was with Birthday Kid, I still found it adorable, intriguing, and charming. There isn't a lot of lore to unpack with this lil one, but I still want to share my thoughts about what the true story behind it all really is~

Yes, I will be loading this post with official Arachne art. Leave me alone, she's adorable!

So, a little synopsis to start. Spider's Web is less of a... horror game and more of a spooky mystery with horror elements. Which is fine too, I love those just as much! Throughout the game you play as Arachne, exploring your house and learning bits of information about your mother. Arachne is obviously very aware of all the lore you discover while exploring, but it's presented in a very mysterious way for you as a player, which helps make the game more intriguing.

Additionally, the game very subtly hints you in the right direction to discover everything necessary in the game. It even pushes you to experience all of the bad endings before unlocking the True Ending, which is a mechanic I really enjoyed.

Although you aren't aware of it when starting the game it becomes very quickly apparent, regardless of what ending you unlock first, that Arachne is a young Jorogumo (spider-woman yokai) living with her mother. Not only is her mother a widow, but it's heavily implied that their species of Jorogumo is specifically belonging to the "true widow" genus of spiders. More on that later.

Each ending divulges a little more detail about Arachne's situation with her mother as she struggles to find a way to leave the house. Unlocking these endings all involve an interesting series of puzzles revolving around blood splatters, hidden rooms, and thirsty spiderplants. However, those aren't the only important things about these endings; seeing as there are several bad endings and only one good ending, which is also the True Ending, it stands to reason that most of these endings are representative of poor decisions that Arachne could have made.

Because of this, I think the best way for me to explain my thoughts would be to elaborate on the symbolism of the bad endings first. Buckle up, kiddos!

The easiest ending to unlock is the Bloodlust Ending. Why? Because all you need to do is interact with all of the blood splatters in the house.

Relatively straightforward, this ending is what would happen if Arachne were to give in to her instinctual bloodlust and devour her first human. Of course, this would be a mistake on her part because she gives in to becoming a monster, which is a fate Arachne has the ability to change for the better.

The next easiest endings to achieve are the two where you use Special Scissors to cut the web covering the front door. At that point, Mother appears and chases you, prompting you to get a different ending depending on whether she catches you or not. If she does catch you, it's pretty likely that Mother kills Arachne out of anger and betrayal, and if you happen to escape then Arachne abandons her Mother on bad terms.

Both of these endings clearly represent Arachne's potential mistake of trying to run away without settling things at home, which could come with major consequences. For real, guys, you can't run away from your problems and expect them to disappear.

Another bad ending, Like Mother Like Daughter, is the only ending achieved by unlocking the Cellar. There you meet Mother and witness her several cocooned victims hanging from the ceiling. It's implied that Arachne gives in to her bloodlust in this ending as well, devouring the victims alongside hr Mother.

Moral of the story?

My best insinuation is Willpower. Arachne makes the mistake of giving up what she believes in (not eating men whom she doesn't love) and becomes exactly like her Mother. Which is something that we later on come to understand that Arachne really doesn't want to do.

The last bad ending is also particularly alarming. You achieve it if you do everything necessary for the True Ending but make the mistake of interacting with any of the blood splatters. Here, Arachne finds her mother's bedroom, looks in the mirror and has a massive panic attack as she realizes that she's all alone and will seemingly never find love. Arachne then cuts at herself several times with the Special Scissors until she dies...

This ending explains to us a few different things:

• Arachne apparently suffers from severe depression stemmed from a deep loneliness.

• Jorogumo instinct is so powerful that the only way for Arachne to retain her innocence is to avoid temptation altogether. Pretty insightful considering spiders represent temptation itself.

• This ending would most likely happen eventually if Arachne never manages to leave the house, even after the endings where she becomes a monster.

• This is actually a callback to the intro of the game, where Arachne muses that she's essentially suffocating. That is very clearly the beginnings of a panic attack (triggered by feeling trapped in some way) which implies that throughout the entire game Arachne is fighting off this growing sense of anxiety and pressure.

Now for the True Love Ending -- the good and canonical ending with the most details of the story.

Essentially the moral of the story here is that if Arachne can manage to resist her Jorogumo instincts, then she can achieve happiness by becoming a better person than her mother. But, this can only be achieved by remembering the True Love that Arachne's father taught the two of them.

Here, we learn that Arachne's Mother would date (and possibly marry) men time and again before devouring them. That is, until meeting a man who embraced her spider-side and appreciated her for it, rather than treating her like a monster.

That man became Arachne's father, and the two were very happy together. However, unfortunately when he began to shift his love from his wife to Arachne, Mother became so jealous that.... Well, it's implied that Mother devoured him out of jealousy, and then immediately regretted the action so badly that she refused to ever marry again.

Arachne grew up, but has been struggling and struggling to find a suitor for herself, and whenever she disapproves of one Mother will devour them instead of Arachne.

In the end, Arachne has come to the realization that she wants to go out into the world and find someone who loves her the way that her Father loved Mother. This is the only way that she'll be satisfied, but for pretty obvious reasons she's unsure how to break the news to Mother.

Still, Arachne succeeds because she finally understands that everything her mother has done...has been a show of her love. Despite possessing the Special Scissors, Arachne refuses to cut Mother's Web. Instead, when Mother appears Arachne tells her that she loves her, but it's time for her to find the True Love that her Father taught them both about. And finally... Mother understands Arachne's desires, and allows her to go out into the world.

Arachne untangles the web instead of cutting it, symbolic of preserving her connection to her mother instead of severing it as she had on all of the previous endings.

This ending was.... really sweet and beautiful. Definitely worth all of the tedious puzzles to unlock.

Although this game is very mature and leaves some to be desired, it's definitely a fun game worth experiencing!

I'm especially intrigued with the amount of research the creators seem to have done on widow spiders, since Mother only shows up when you touch her web, and in my own research I turned up...

It stands to reason that Mother shows up only when you touch her web because she can feel the vibrations through the silk!

Such a cool little detail...

Well, that's it for my analysis! If you have opinions or theories to add, please throw em in the comments!

‼️ DOWNLOAD LINK‼️

Please experience the game for yourself here!

[nothingrpgzone]

Oludammi, and the Griffon's Territory

Oludammi, the Back-End of the Ass

Animal Aspirant, Crocodile

Will be described in the future Monsters.MD conversion.

Barbarians

Will be described in the future Monsters.MD conversion.

Death-Cleric Rukh-Vile

Init: +2; Atk: Staff +2 Melee (1d4); Crit III/1d10; AC 10; HD 3d8; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Magic, Grisly Demise: SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +2; AL L

Magic: Rukh-Vile can cast the spells Ray of Enfeeblement, Curse, and Spider Web with a result always being 16. There is a 4% chance that it fails with any single cast but may drain the life of any allied barbarian to make sure the spell succeeds.

Grisly Demise: Upon death the ground beneath Rukh-Vile opens up, and a serpent of terrible black flames drags him to an underworld unseen.  All ignitable things within 5’ catch fire. The fire deals 1d6 damage each round and naturally extinguishes on a roll of a 1.

Keep in mind these are dry grasslands.

Ghoul

Init: +2; Atk: Claw +3 Melee (1d3+Paralysis), Bite +1 Melee (1d7); Crit U/d8; AC 12 (tough skin); HD 3d5; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Undead Traits, Silence, Complex Origin: SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0; AL C

Paralysis: A ghoul’s touch causes paralysis, rendering the victim immobile for 1d6 hours (DC 14 Will Save to avoid)

Undead Traits:  Entirely immune to paralysis, mind affecting spells, cold damage, and critical hits.

Silence: Ghouls make no noise while moving.

Complex Nature: There are many ways one could become a ghoul. Roll below to discover the types of ghouls.

1d10 Appearances

Vulture headed humanoids.

Normal, except for their black tongues.

Dessicated humans, their taut skin hardly containing bones.

The mouth continues, down past the neck all the way to the shoulders. Mouth lined with razorteeth.

A circular bronze plate where a face should be.

A bundle of bandages. On unravel it is clear all there is underneath are jaws and a black heart.

The humanoid form fails as locust carapace burgeons from underneath.

Where the fingers once were blood stained bronze blades cut their way out of the stumps.

A flayed and bleeding thing. It doesn’t mind.

Where eyes should be lies only more mouths.

1d6 Ghoulish Origins

Betrayer.

Ate human flesh to survive.

Raised by a long dead sorcerer king.

It was never human.

Once used a magic weapon.

Partially consumed by a ghoul.

Heavenly Warlord Nadromaean

Init: +6 (1d16); Atk: Battleaxe +1d8 Melee (1d10+1d8); Crit V/1d30; AC 14 (scalemail); HD 6d12; MV 25’; Act 1d20+1d16; SP Crit Range, Might Deeds: SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +2; AL C

Crit Range: Nadromaean crits on an 18-20.

Mighty Deeds: Nadromaean can use mighty deeds. Below is a mighty deed table for judge’s ease.

3) Leg Sweeper. The victim must make a Ref save against the attack roll to stay standing.

4) Whirling Chaos. The battle axe is a mighty arc. The attack can target up to three individuals in range, with damage distributed equally (any remaining damage after the division is inflicted towards the first target).

5) Heaven’s Warrior. All allied barbarians gain a +1 bonus to attack next round.

6) Maker of Mutes. The battleaxe catches the mouth. The tongue is destroyed.

7+) The Mightiest Blow. The battleaxe utterly destroys any armor worn. Wearers of magical armor may make a luck check with a d14 to avoid destruction.

Mask Society Member, Crocodile

Will be described in the future Monsters.MD conversion.

Mole-Men

Init: +0; Atk: Claw +2 Melee (1d6); Crit M/d8; AC 15 (tough skin); HD 2d7; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP Blindsense: SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +1; AL N

Blindsense: Molemen can navigate entirely without sight via their keen hearing and ability to detect vibrations. Any attempt to Sneak Silently around them is made with a -8 penalty. If they are deafened they are treated as being blinded.

Priestly Butchers

As acolyte DCC RPG (pg 432)

Slave-Cultists

As peasant DCC RPG (pg 434)

The Eagle Fiend, Cyrruss

Will be described in the future Monsters.MD conversion.

Tiger

Init: +7; Atk: Claw +4 Melee (1d5+2), Bite +4 Melee (1d5/1d14); Crit M/d10; AC 12 (agility); HD 4d10; MV 60’; Act 1d20+1d14; SP Stealth, Sneak Attack: SV Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +0; AL N

Stealth: A tiger gains a +12 bonus to being hidden in underbrush.

Sneak Attack: If a tiger makes a bite attack against an unaware target it inflicts 1d14 damage.

Vision Bees

Will be described in the future Monsters.MD conversion.

The Griffon’s Territory

Dryads

Init: +0; Atk: Slam +3 Melee (1d8); Crit M/d8; AC 15 (Bark Skin); HD 3d10; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Enthralling: SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +2; AL C

Enthralling: Anyone attracted to women must make a DC 13 Will save upon seeing a dryad, on a failed save the beholder becomes hopelessly in love with the dryad and wishes to leave the world of man and wander into the woods.

Elves

Init: +1; Atk: Weapon +2 Melee; Crit II/d6; AC As Armor; HD 1d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Unearthly Allegiance: SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +1; AL C

Unearthly Allegiance: Elves can invoke a patron as determined by the judge. This starts as a 1d10 check but gains a +1d bonus to invoking for every other elf nearby.

Griffon

Init: +6; Atk: Claws +7 Melee (1d10), Bite +5 Melee (1d8); Crit M/d14; AC 16 (agility); HD 8d10; MV 40’ or 80’ fly; Act 1d20+1d20; SP Swooping, Variations: SV Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +3; AL N

Swooping: If the Griffon charges while flying the damage dice gains a +2d bonus.

Variations: Griffons have myriad forms, when encountering a griffon roll 1d5 on each chart to determine what constituent parts the beast is made of.

Bird

Bearded Vulture. The griffon’s bite breaks bones on a damage roll of 6+, causing a permanent point of strength or agility loss, as the bone never heals right.

Golden Eagle. The griffon gains a +1d bonus to saving throws vs magical effects.

Osprey. The griffon can hover in place for a round while flying.

Philippine Eagle. The griffon gains a +1d bonus to HD.

Turkey Vulture. The griffon is immune to disease and poisons.

Cats

Cheetah. The griffon’s speed is doubled.

Cougar. The griffin counts as double its size when grappling. 

Jaguar. The griffon gains a 50’ swim speed.

Lion. The griffon makes morale checks with a +5 bonus.

Tiger. The griffon gains a +3d bonus to damage die for sneak attacks.

Hollow Trees

Will be described in the future Monsters.MD conversion.

Men-of-the-Grove

Will be described in the future Monsters.MD conversion.

Mountain Ghost

Init: +15; Atk: Claws Unseen +2 Melee (1d8); Crit U/d6; AC 18 (impossible to see); HD 1d10; MV 40’ fly; Act 1d20; SP Undead Traits, Incorporeal, Fog of Undeath: SV Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +3; AL N

Undead Traits:  Entirely immune to paralysis, mind affecting spells, cold damage, critical hits, and non-magical weapons.

Incorporeal: The mountain ghost can move through solids as if they were air.

Fog of Undeath: A black cloud follows the mountain ghost, anyone nearby cannot see more than 15’.

Mummy

Init: -1; Atk: Throttle +2 Melee (1d4 cumulative); Crit U/d10; AC 18 (immunity to pain); HD 5d12; MV 20’; Act 1d24; SP Undead Traits, Mummy Rot, Stench of Death, Vulnerable to Fire, Death Feaster: SV Fort +5, Ref -2, Will +6; AL L

Undead Traits:  Entirely immune to paralysis, mind affecting spells, cold damage, and critical hits.

Mummy Rot: Any successful attack inflicts Mummy Rot, causing them to suffer 1 Stamina damage per day (DC 12 Fort save to avoid). This damage can only be healed via powerful magic.

Stench of Death: Anyone who angers the mummy begins to reek of death, unbeknownst to them. They suffer a -4 penalty to Personality checks for the following 6 days.

Vulnerable to Fire: A mummy takes double damage from fiery attacks.

Death Feaster: If something dies within 100’ of the mummy it gains 1’ of height and 1HD.

Sorcerer

Init: +0; Atk: Punch +1 Melee (1d3); Crit I/d6; AC 10; HD 2d4; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Unknown Spells, Peculiar Fate: SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +1; AL N.

Unknown Spells: The sorcerer knows 1d3 spells entirely unknown to the mages of the bronzelands. All spells are cast with a +4 bonus.

Peculiar Fate: Upon reaching 0 hp the sorcerer begins to boil as they turn to green smoke.

1d5 Spell Suggestions

Elemental Wytchfire (Tales from the Magician’s Skill Volume 1), MM: 17 Stolen Knowledge. 1% chance the spell summons the queen of brands who attempt to steal it back. Daog’s Dying Wish (Goodman Games Yearbook 8 The Year That Shall Not Be Named), MM: 54 No change. Cosmic Lotus Magic (Supernatural Star Seeds Dice), MM 34 Thunderstruck. Lightning accompanies the casting of the spell.

Arnhoult’s Sequestrious Digitalia (DCC Dying Earth), MM: 58. No Change. Houlart’s Visceral Pang (DCC Dying Earth), MM: 52. No Change. Inside Out and Over (DCC Dying Earth), MM: 1 At great cost. The casting of the spell kills one person known by the sorcerer.

Personal Energy Attack (The Necromican, 1979), MM: 82 Terrible to Behold. A looming figure of pure darkness with piercing eyes appears over the sorcerer. Spell of Piercing Gaze (The Necromican, 1979), MM: 86 Mystic Twin. A face appears on the chest of the sorcerer for 1d3 rounds, it has it’s own 1d20 action die to cast spells. Sonic Scream (The Necromican, 1979), MM 79 Plague of Rats. Rats pour from the sorcerer’s robes, softening the next attack by 1d4 damage.

Lightning Bug (Blackstaff’s Book of 1000 Spells, 2020) MM; Accidental Alchemist. One random item within 20’ turns to lead, another to gold. Spirit Mask (Blackstaff’s Book of 1000 Spells, 2020), MM: 34 Thunderstruck. Lightning accompanies the casting of the spell. Fog of Viscidity (Blackstaff’s Book of 1000 Spells, 2020), MM: Planar Blink. The sorcerer phases in and out of existence for 2 rounds, providing a +4 to AC and -4 to attacks. There is a 1% chance they are permanently phased.

Cone of Air (Troika!), MM: 8 Count of 10. The sorcerer loses a finger every time they cast the spell, suffering -1 Agility for two fingers lost. Light (Troika!), MM: 25 Terror Inducing. All animals within 50’ of the sorcerer attempt to flee for 1d14 rounds. Tongue Twister (Troika!), MM: 82 Spell Killer. The casting of the spell drains the life force of a distant planet.

[marron121]

Quick announcement 5: About stuff

Previous announcement here

This one is just a short recap of where I am with stuff. The tl;dr is that I'm working on two rise writing requests, I'm writing Haiku's for Risetober, programming something and after that I'll prob make a game. You can check that in my listography.

The spicier and more explained version, under the cut.

So, let's start with an image of my "What I'm currently working on" post on my listography, which can be viewed at: https://listography[DOT]com/4133127403?f=O

(change the "[DOT]" with an actual "." Good tip by 3D to avoid Tumblr's assasination of posts with any links)

For starters, the Lego Monkie Kid fanfic I mentioned in the previous post was published. It's called Warm Soup to heal the heart and can be read here. Not sure if me saying it it's worth anything, but I think it's cute.

As you can see in the list, the next two rise fanfics are in the works currently. I'd say that In the spider's web is 20% written while The nice cafeteria downtown is just planned and has 0 words lel. Both of them have art commisions and both are incredible. I don't like giving dates cause I fricking suck at guessing how long stuff takes me, BUT I'm pretty confident saying that these two will be published BEFORE the end of this year.

Following down, I'm still working on Dialogue Maker, and I actually posted a gif yesterday with the progress, which I'm proud of. The proyect will be open source but I wanted to give it some fixes before publishing it. If my estimation goes correctly, before November ends this will be finished.

Now, to stuff that isn't on this list.

If you follow me (or check #risetober2021), I've been chipping away at @3drottmnt's risetober prompt list. When I was younger (like, 10 years old, I'm 23 now holy moly) I really liked poetry and wrote a bit for school, so I decided to try my hand at writing haiku's. They're nothing spectacular but it's been interesting to challenge myself doing this. I will finish it and without spoilers I plan on trying another thing with them. You can see my posts if you check the hashtag mentioned above.

Now, to the game stuff. Let's be clear that the issue is NOT a lack of ideas. Cause I actually have a notebook where I note down SOME of them. You know how many there are? 14. Fourteen. AND THAT'S NOT ALL OF THEM. The actual number is probably closer to 25. The main issue I find myself in is that, while these ideas are cool AND can be made, we're talking about AT LEAST half a year for the shorter ones. And half a year in a best case scenario, which (spoilers) 99% of the time doesn't happen. So, I ended up looking at the ideas, and ended up with two: Both are RPG's made with RPGMaker (since I paid for the program and want to actually use it), but one is more classical "single story" while the other idea is four different stories that take place in the same timeframe of a single night. I will probably focus on the classical game, because I think that I can manage to develop it without much issue, especially since a friend will be providing art for it. With that said, I DON'T KNOW when this will be made. Maybe in 2022, maybe in 2025, who knows with how the world is right now. BUT if you have ideas you want to ask me about the game (or any game idea I haev, actually), don't hesitate to shoot me a DM since I like to talk a lot and won't shut up hahaha.

Anyhow, this is everything. If you've read this far I salute you because holy shit that's a lot of words. Thanks for sticking with me, drink some water and I hope you have a nice day :)

[indiavolowetrust]

The Obey Me Boys as RPG Bosses: Frostheart

CHAPTERS: Prologue + Beelzebub and Belphegor , Asmodeus, Satan, Leviathan, Mammon, Lucifer, ???, ??? (YOU ARE HERE), Endings

You are one of many hunters in a land cursed with everlasting winter. You yourself have become rime-touched after an attack by your fellow corrupted hunter, an incident that left you traumatized and lame. Even your hunter’s guild has resigned you to a life of mere cleaning and upkeep duties, and you have spent the last seven years in the depths of your guild’s archives.

Then the White Witch spirits your little brother away into her castle, taking with her the only family you have ever known. Armed with your trusty hunting knife and bow – and aided by your senior hunter, Simeon – you set off into the rime-cursed lands to find Luke and end the White Witch’s reign once and for all.

**Very loosely based on The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen.

Word Count: 1,560 words

TW: Blood, Violence, Gore

[???]

The ice-carved guard’s halberd strikes hard against your crystalline arm, nearly knocking you to the ground, but the curse of the rime has become much too strong to give way. Your lame leg acts as both a prop and pivot, and you easily knock the halberd out of the guard’s hands with a simple swipe. One kick to render him prone, a swing of his own weapon, and his body shatters against the icy floor. A strange, pale blue ichor pools around his remains. You step over him and head down yet another seemingly endless corridor.

It won’t be long until the frost overwhelms your heart once more. The remnants of sensation that you still possess seem to drift further and further away: you no longer feel the lingering frost on your skin, and the paths carved out by tears on your cheeks have turned into ice. You can feel yourself bound to this realm in body and soul. You pad barefooted amongst the opulence of the White Witch’s castle, searching desperately for anything that might be a throne room. You come across a few more ice-carved guards. While they possess only artificial desires and hearts of frost -- like the soulless doll-maker, you note -- they’ve been allowed to roam long enough for you to justify their shattering. You peer into the snippets of memories with your rime-touched eye, seeing winding halls and paths of hoarfrost. There is the glimpse of a carved throne, a massive, glittering chamber, and a glacial crown. You crush the last guard’s head with your foot.

The heart of the glacial rift calls out to you. You storm the throne room with a stolen halberd, prepared to demand Luke and Simeon’s freedom from this nightmare realm.

But the words never come. You are rendered silent, your mouth sewn shut by some invisible force. A wave of her delicate fingers forces you to kneel, nearly cracking your lame leg in two, and despite the lack of physical contact, you feel her glacial touch trace the side of your jaw. It leaves needles of ice embedded in your skin.

“How nice of you to finally arrive! Your little brother has told me all about you.” Her peals of laughter echo in the massive chamber, and the needles of ice push themselves further into your flesh. “Oh, Luke, why don’t you say hello to your dear sister? I believe you’ve missed her an awful lot.”

You know you should feel nothing but rage towards this frost-ridden abomination. Nothing but cold, bitter resentment. You should have nothing but the desire to shatter this creature to pieces and to crush her heart underfoot. You can discern the depth of her corruption in her reflection: her skin is completely bloodless and spider-webbed with ice, bearing an unnaturally blue pallor. Her eyes, much like yours, are beset with a layer of hoarfrost. Frost-like lashes flutter against carved cheekbones, white locks seem to have bound her to her throne, and rows of sharp teeth make themselves known when she smiles. Fear, revulsion, abhorrence -- you should be steeped in all of that and more.

Yet you do not. Here lies the heart of the glacial rift. In this beautiful embodiment of frozen death lies the source of the corruption, its voice calling out to you.

Oh, and how sweetly it beckons.

Your trance is interrupted by the sight of blond locks and blue eyes. A fine silk tunic, breeches interwoven with silver, and a lavish cloak trimmed with white fur. The porcelain doll regards you with dispassion and -- no, you’re wrong. This is no doll before you. This creature that the White Witch has corrupted can only be --

“Who are you?” Luke asks.

Luke, it’s -- it’s you! It’s his big sister! Tears threaten to spill once more, and you can’t help but smile with a strange sort of relief. Your voice cracks. Why can’t he recognize you? What has been done to him? You call out his name again and again, pleading, but you receive only a disdainful glance.

He turns to the White Witch, frowning. “Can I go back now?”

“Oh, of course, my dear.” She presses a kiss to his temple and ruffles his hair before sending him off. “Now, where were we?”

You demand to know what she has done to him. She was human once before. How could she find it in her heart to be so cruel? She may have betrayed her brothers for the corruption, but surely --

Her fingers dig into her throne, slightly cracking it. “Betrayed? You think I betrayed them?”

There’s no other word for it. You had inadvertently peered into Lucifer’s heart when you had slain him, and the fleeting memories had branded themselves into your mind. There was another White Witch when they had journeyed to the heart of the rift. A weaker one, yes, but a White Witch all the same. A White Witch could only live without devouring a heart for so long. Lucifer could only remember the taste of blood in his mouth, the tears spilled upon him by his sister, and the loving, gentle caress of death. He had bid her to slay the White Witch for him -- for all of them, as the rest had fallen to the dangers of the glacial rift. Belphegor, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, Satan, Leviathan, and Mammon had long perished. And then Lucifer could only remember the absence of his sword, Lilith drawing it away, and what remained of his consciousness slipped away.

You know her. You know what she’s done. You know her name.

“Oh? And what is my name, then?”

Lilith. Her name is Lilith.

Her mouth quirks into a mirthless smile. “Well, you certainly aren’t as stupid as you look,” she remarks, sighing. “I called by that name once, yes.”

Then that means she understands the pain of loss. How could she ever want to inflict that pain on anybody else? Why did she spirit away Luke into her realm?

“You act as if he didn’t come of his own accord. I can assure you that he very much did. I never wanted him in the first place, really.”

She’s lying. As the White Witch, she must devour a heart.

“Perhaps Lucifer’s memories weren’t clear enough for you, then. I believe he perished before I did.” The White Witch rests her chin in her hands, as if preparing to discuss the details of some tedious affair. “A heart of frost is not created by simply corrupting a creature with the curse. Oh, believe me, I’ve tried. A heart of frost belongs to one who is both pure and corrupted. One who has suffered unfathomable amounts of pain -- and has yet to submit to the curse. One who freely gives it. That, my dear, is a heart of frost. Anything else is a mere mockery.”

The realization dawns on you.

“You were quite adorable, really. All that screaming and throwing rocks -- well, I suppose it was only a distraction,” she says, “but that’s beside the point. Such selflessness in adolescence is quite rare. All these years, and you haven’t changed one bit.”

If you hadn’t acted as quick as you had on that fateful day, you’re sure that Luke would have been the one torn apart by the creature. The creature that was once Agathe had given you no mercy. The thirteen year old Luke would have had an even lesser chance of survival.

“Imagine a life without pain. A life without heartache, without suffering. A fulfilled wish is a wish fulfilled. Gowns sewn from the finest silk, silver crowns beset with jewels, beds stuffed with the softest down -- oh, my dear, you’ll never want for anything here. I can give you all of this and more, if you so choose.” Her expression almost becomes gentle, her face becoming even more beautiful than before. The heart of the glacial rift sings from within her, and you crave its embrace. “All I ask in return is your heart.”

The great doors creak open behind you, followed by the sound of sabatons against ice. You turn around out of instinct. It takes you one moment to realize that the witch has released you from her spell. It takes you another moment to realize just who has walked in behind you.

The White Witch claps her hands in delight. “Oh, how wonderful! Another guest is here for you, my sweet.”

It is said that the rime draws beasts out of the hearts of men. You had believed you had seen everything that there was to be seen when it came to corruption of wishes and sins, and you had believed that the rime could not possibly warp an innocent and pure intent. Belphegor and his sloth had turned him into a nearly dormant golem. Beelzebub and his gluttony had turned him into one with an insatiable appetite. Asmodeus and his lust had changed him into a dryad capable of only seeking pleasure and beauty. Satan and his wrath had transformed him into a dire wolf capable of pure destruction. Leviathan and his envy had metamorphosed him into a sea serpent. Mammon and his greed had changed him into a crow-beast obsessed with value. Lucifer and his pride had led to him becoming an ageless, imprisoned shadow of himself. 

For Simeon, it was love.

[Give her your heart.]

[Refuse.]

Tip: [The White Witch] will not take refusal kindly. Make a wise choice.

[ten-shika]

For the Spider’s Web game- how easy was it to program? Does rpgmaker cost anything?

Fairly easy with tutorials! I used RPG Maker MV and you can find a bunch of tutorials online! But of course, it isn’t free;;; you can search and see if you’re willing to pay for the program! Just keep in mind that it only supports Windows (I read up that a lot of Mac users have issues with the program so I wouldn’t recommend it to Mac users)

[flareblitzedyt]

Spider's Web (RPG Maker Horror) - Full Playthrough | Flare Let's Play:

Welcome to Spider's Web, a mystery horror game made by @spiderswebrpg. We follow the story of a girl named Arachne who's attempting to untangle the threads that prevents her from escaping the house, what mysteries lay threaded for us the poor prey to be ensnared into? Video contains all 6 endings to the game.

"A short RPG horror game about a girl who tries to untangle a tight knot in her life."

Game: https://tenshika.itch.io/spiders-web Developer(s): https://spiderswebrpg.tumblr.com/

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/flareblitzedyt Discord: https://discord.gg/Zkyej67

[brothermouzongaming]

Games I’m excited about for 2018

Spider-man (PS4 exclusive): This list is in no way ranked. That being said this is my most anticipated game of 2018. I have been waiting for a Spider-man game to grab me since Spider-man 2. When I was at E3 the gameplay looked really promising and showed that the developers knew what made the good games good. From what I can see they even were able to pull some of the things that made the bad games good a la “Web of Shadows”. I’m not going to say much else for fear of this whole post turning into a Spider-man rant. Don’t let me down Insomniac. Do not.

Dragon Ball FighterZ: This game looks SHIT HOT and I’m excited to have a fighter I really want to get into from this generation. Smooth seamless combat at breakneck speeds and so much source material it was probably daunting. DBZ is special to me and many people like me, the guys at Arc Systems have their work cut out for them and I’m excited. My fighting games thus far have been Soul Calibur 3, MvC 2, and the little I dabbled in Injustice 2 ....yeah as you can see fighting games aren’t my thing. This, however, this is gonna be something I commit to. Come January 28th these hands will be on sale, come and get it

Days Gone (PS4 exclusive): 28 Days Later-esque pandemic centered in a rich yet frightening wilderness with survival mechanics? Single Player based?Yes please and thank you I will be having all of it. The gameplay looks great and just as importantly, the story seems engaging. Yes, it’s the same Last of Us scenario we’ve encountered time and time again in both games and movies. This time I think that may have been taken into account. There’s a somber yet rooted tone that though again has been done before, really seems to hold up even in the brief cutscenes available online. Am I worried that the developers have really only accomplished the Syphon Filter series (dating myself here which is a scary thought), two PS Vita Uncharted games, one unremarkable Resistance game, and Bubsy 3D in ‘96.... NOPE fuck it cause it’s almost promised to be free of micro-transactions and actually be an enjoyable and enthralling experience.

Monster Hunter World: The beta was fun, combat felt a little empty at times but once it gets going there is no stopping this game. Something about hunting a Slug Fish creature in a swamp, turning a corner only to see some unholy being vaguely reminiscent of a T Rex fused with an Armadillo. At that point I realized that we may be the monster hunters but holy shitfuck we better come correct. Really really really deep equipment and tools settings. Your main weapon is just the beginning with perks, buffs both passive and active, as well as a few other key tools also being at your disposal. I got a buddy to join me and the two of us dragged each other through that ordeal but it was hard because it was new, I was still having a good time. I’m excited to see what Capcom brings to their first console rendition in 11 years for a franchise that is as highly acclaimed as this one. 

Far Cry 5: This is a series that has always done an amazing job at the whole “Hunter v Hunted” aesthetic. I always feel so powerful and dangerous when I play Far Cry and 3 was a huge step in the right direction. 4 had a lot of things that I enjoyed, the gunplay, vehicles, and characters were really good. It did, however, fall a little short story-wise as well as some worn game mechanics with this being the fourth in the series. I did not get to play FC5 at E3 because that line was absurd. That being said, from the gameplay available on Youtube and various interviews it does seem that Ubisoft is aware of the potential stale twinge Far Cry has developed over the years. I’m looking forward to cutting down zealot cultists in the open Montana landscapes. March 27.

Anthem: This game is important, after the fuck-shit-stack that was Battlefront 2 and the cacophony of backlash that came with it; EA have to get this right. This loot box based online shooter, the “Destiny-killer” it’s being called. How does one kill what is already dead? Fuck if I know but I am interested IF they can do it right. That being said, my hopes aren’t high, but this game will be a barometer. This will show whether EA is willing to bend at all on their plans for monetization. They know a BF2 scenario is totally on the table now, and if they misstep, there will be more backlash. Either way, we win, either we get a good game or EA get put on another stake to burn.

Vampyr: From the developer that brought us Life is Strange and Remember Me comes a new game set in London 1918 during the Spanish Flu pandemic. We will play a vampire (sigh prime journalism over here folks) in town with a set number of NPCs and each death will have consequences for both you and the city. Semi-open world with an RPG and combat focus, I’m so down and I really hope this game can do new things. Q2 (Jan., Feb., Mar.) 2018

Soul Calibur 6: My fighting game is back and this is going to be a weird year for me with not one but two fighting games that will find my focus this year. Mitsurugi, Sophitia, and around 20+ are back to beat the everloving snot out of each other. I’m excited because this is supposedly a “reboot” of the franchise which means a lot of the original characters will be back (Nightmare, Maxi, Ivy, Taki, Kilik, etc). Things like armor breaking are both interesting and worrisome. I suspect Taki, Ivy, and the other unreasonably busty women of the series will be left awfully vulnerable sans armor by the mid/end of a battle. Regardless, this revamp maybe what the fighting franchise needs to enter the ring against the big boys of this generation. 

Death Stranding: DEATH MOTHER FUCKING STRANDVXIRJORWTMDNGHF  Let me tell you something, Kojima is going to save us all. I’m serious he is going to take all our hands and walk us into the sunlight of gaming where there are no microtransactions, the singleplayer is an epic odyssey, the multiplayer is fun but unnecessary, and the gaming experience is not only unique but has a lasting impression on every gamer brave enough to hold a controller. This game is going to test us, change us, and maybe most importantly: make people rethink the way games are made/designed. The third person sci-fi nightmare adventure will be here before we know it and great Scott am I ready to dive in. 

Red Dead Redemption 2: Had you asked me about RDD2 and it’s hypothetical production about 3 years ago; I would’ve said something along the lines of  “Fuck yes yippie kai yay mfs where mah horse at”. After Take-Two (parent company of 2k and Rockstar) came out and essentially supported EA’s usage of loot boxes. The CEO stated that “Recurrent consumer spending was the way of the future,” which is concerning to say the very least. I’m worried my West World sim is gonna turn into well...something more like West World. “Oh what’s that want a new hat? 5 bucks. New horse? 10 doll hairs plz. New gun? 15 smackers and the skin off your respective genitalia. Thank you come again.” My once resounding and honestly strange response is definitely more tepid and cautious. GTAV is lending itself quite nicely to the ways of the microtransaction and I can just see little buckets of gold nuggets or some dumb shit like that hinging in front of me or at the local shop. If so may there be backlash, and lots of it. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Greedfall: Developed by Spiders, a team with an... interesting track record in gaming (Sherlock Holmes v Jack the Ripper, Bound by Flame, and Technomancer [yikes]). On paper, this game sounds like it might be worth a damn and this is the most publicity any of their games have gotten so that does peak my interest. That and the publisher is Focus Home Interactive, makers of games like Divinity 2 and The Surge as well as my highly anticipated Call of Cthulhu and Vampyr. Who knows, this team up might just work. An open world RPG with online mechanics sounds fun.

God of War: I have never played a God of War game all the way through. With this being my first PlayStation that does make sense. That being said, I’m very excited to sit down and try my hand at this rebooted series. Given the reputation and clear influence a game like GoW has had, it does lead my expectations up rather than down. Santa Monica is developing, Ready at Dawn for some reason isn’t but it’s good to see the original team getting another crack at the Spartan. This time Greco-Roman gods are put aside for a more Nordic feel. The chain blades replaced with a hefty ax as well as a few other tools from what I’ve read/heard. Another interesting single player experience for those turned off by multiplayer and microtransactions. Not to say it won't have them just look at Shadow of War. It does, however, make it considerably less likely.

BioMutant: Traverse an open and changing world as an also everchanging bio-genetic mutant. Supposedly going to have big rpg mechanics involving the fact that your character’s schtick is evolving and changing. Brought to you by THQ Nordic the people that brought us the highs of the Darksiders series, Painkiller: Hell and Damnation, and Red Faction (2001). As well as some lows like the recently imploded Elex, Alan Wake, and the classic Spynx and the Cursed Mummy. I really don’t know what to make of this resume let alone what to expect. I am however excited for something new in the third person adventure genre. 

[kuwaiti-kid]

How Long to Beat The Most Popular Video Games

Quarantine has left all of us with a lot more free time on our hands. More specifically, free time at home.

This spike in free time has significantly increased the amount of time people have to spend playing. So, to help you navigate the vast world of available games to play, we’ve created a list of our favorite games and how long they take to beat. Enjoy!

How Long to Beat…

Death Stranding

Death Stranding was a major title in 2019, and it was Hideo Kijima’s—one of the minds behind the Metal Gear franchise—big project. The game is highly realistic, and while the main storyline takes a solid 40 hours to complete, all of the available side quests and exploration will take much longer.

The lore is fascinating and mysterious. Players will get to see a star-studded cast, beautifully scored music,—Death Stranding has won several awards for its music—a fantastic landscape, and genuinely creative storytelling in this one-of-a-kind game.

Outer Worlds

Outer Worlds answers the question of what if Fallout took place in futuristic space?

It is no surprise that there are similarities between the Outer Worlds and Fallout since the makers of Fallout: Las Vegas also made this game. The main storyline will run the average player around 15 hours, but if you want to explore, then double the amount of time you’ll need.

Laugh, fight, and explore unfamiliar worlds in Outer Worlds.

Borderlands 3

Borderlands 3 is what happens when a shooter looter lets its players run wild. The game doesn’t require daily quests and instead allows players to co-op to their heart’s content.

Players generally need 30 hours to sow their mayhem and complete the game. Gather some friends, play online, and discover new legendary gear in the ever-engaging Borderlands 3.

Red Dead Redemption 2

If you’ve ever wanted to relive your childhood games of cowboys and Indians (ahem, Native Americans), just with more violence, then Red Dead Redemption 2 is the game for you. Its massive open world and variety of quests mean that players can spend hours and hours exploring.

The main story will take players anywhere from 40-60 hours, depending on how experienced a player is. Players can also explore Red Dead Redemption 2 Online, which despite a rocky start, has made improvements on this online open-world RPG. Either option—console or PC—is great for hours of non-stop fun.

Kingdom Hearts 3

The Kingdom Hearts franchise is wildly renown and for a good reason. The games combine our love of magic and Disney with our passion for action-adventure games. Kingdom Hearts 3 is loads of fun and offers between 30-50 hours on the primary questline.

Gather your Keyblades and fight-side-by-side with some of your favorite Disney characters in this new addition to a beloved franchise.

God of War

The God of War remake is all the things that fans love about the God of War franchise, upped to a whole new level for the PS4. Fans get to see their favorite Spartan in an entirely new light and a completely new setting.

Kratos rocks the Norse warrior look, and getting to deep dive into Norse mythology is loads of fun. Players could spend around 20 hours completing the game and about 50 doing a full exploration.

Resident Evil 2

Capcom has been busy in recent years with creating remakes of their popular Resident Evil franchise. The zombie slasher is iconic, and this remake is gorgeously done.

The storyline takes about 15 hours, but to complete everything available in the game, you’ll need about 60 hours. Resident Evil 2 is the perfect game to hone your zombies fighting and evil corporation thwarting skills.

Resident Evil 3

Resident Evil 3 was the next remake Capcom offered. The story takes place in the same timeline as Resident Evil 2. Resident Evil 3, however, has Jill Valentine—which is an instant bonus, in my opinion.

The game is significantly shorter than its predecessor, with players only needing an average of 5 hours for a complete playthrough, making it the quickest game on our list. The draw for Resident Evil 3 is the fact that players need multiple playthroughs to access all of its content.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a fabulous addition to one of Nintendo’s most iconic franchises. It was one of the launch games for the Nintendo Switch. The story is terrific, and the graphics are fantastic.

The game takes about 60 hours to complete, and it is worth every minute. Breath of the Wild is a breath of fresh air to the Zelda series.

The Witcher 3

The Witcher is one of the most popular video game franchises ever. Between the books, the Netflix series based on the books, and the actual games, few people haven’t heard of this series.

The game is massive!

To play, the main questline is around 50 hours, and the two DLCs offer an extra 30 hours. To really explore the game, players can sink about 130 hours, if not more, to complete all of its content.

This action-adventure RPG is fantastic, and if you’ve never played a game in The Witcher franchise, The Witcher 3 is a great place to start.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Easily one of the most highly anticipated games of 2020, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake is amazing. The graphics are beautifully done. The game is technically only a fraction of the original; the game offers a deeper look into Midgard and its people.

Players can explore the different sectors of Midgard like never before with over 30 hours of gameplay needed for completion. The best part is that Square Enix has stated that there will be more parts to the remake in total, so by the time the full remake is out, there will be a lot more than 30 hours.

Spider-Man (PlayStation 4)

Everyone’s favorite wall-crawling web-slinger is back! Spider-Man is back and better than ever in this new adaptation available on the PlayStation 4.

The storyline is a mash-up of the comics and the movies, and it takes about 16 hours to complete. As a bonus, players get to be more than just Spider-Man, other playable characters include Mary Jane and Miles Morales. Three DLCs will run you about 2 hours apiece, bringing the total playtime to 22 hours.

See New York as you’ve never seen it before with this new addition to the Spider-Man video game library.

Far Cry 5

Far Cry is well known for its open-worlds and cheeky dialogues. Far Cry 5 is the latest installment in this open-world RPG series. The story is fresh, and there is no shortage of cultists and ‘Bliss’ users to battle.

With animal companions and hilarious NPCs, Far Cry 5 will give gamers plenty of distractions during the quarantine. Players can devote around 18 hours to the main storyline and roughly two-and-a-half times as long exploring the whole thing.

Bioshock: The Collection

Are you looking to marathon three games in one?

Then you need Bioshock: The Collection. The game contains all the solo-player content from Bioshock, Bioshock 2, and Bioshock: Infinite all remastered for the PlayStation 4.

The collection offers 45 hours of gameplay for all three storylines.

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey

Assassin’s Creed is from the same developers as the Far Cry series, Ubisoft. If there’s one thing Ubisoft does well, it is open-world action-adventure RPGs. Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey is the newest installment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise.

Set in ancient Greece, players get to choose between two main characters, Kassandra or Alexios, and battle cultists, visit ancient ruins and become a true master assassin. Players will need to devote around 60 hours to beat the main quest, but to complete the full array of side quests, players will need to devote at least twice that if not more.

Grand Theft Auto 5

Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is a pretty popular series, well known for its open-world, lawless chaos, and variety of quests. GTA 5 is one of the largest worlds in the GTA universe.

Players can count on spending at least 30 hours on main quests alone, but full exploration will run you around 80 hours. Players of GTA know that 80 hours offer plenty of time to engage in all the car thefts and abundant chaos your heart desires.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is another big name for published by Nintendo. The game was the headliner for the Nintendo Switch Lite.

This remastered classic is masterfully redone. It takes all the things that players loved about the original and improves on them. With between 15 and 20 hours of adorable chibi fun, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is a highly recommended addition to anyone’s Switch library.

Control

Control is an exciting and fresh take on third-person sci-fi action shooters. The game features a main character named Jesse, who enters a very special building called, The Oldest House.

The Oldest House is the headquarters of a secret government agency, The Federal Bureau of Control. While in the Oldest House, Jesse gains psychic abilities that allow her to fight an evil mind-warping infection called the Hiss—trust me, psychically flinging thing at your enemies is as much fun as it sounds.

Between the main game and the DLC, players can count on roughly 15 hours of playtime. Named, IGN’s 2019 Game of the Year, Control is definitely worth adding to your ‘to play’ list.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an action-adventure game set in the Sengoku Era of Japan. Players get to be a rogue shinobi—a shinobi is a ninja for you non-Japanese speakers.

If you are a Dark Souls fan, then you will love this new game by FromSoftware—the developers of Dark Souls. Sekiro showcases what the developers of FromSoftware excel at, gritty, grueling combat, and a unique setting. Battle yokai—monsters from traditional Japanese folklore—for around 30 hours and master the art of shinobi swordplay in this satisfyingly challenging game.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Have a Switch and love JRPGs? Then Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the game for you.

Enjoy 50 hours of main story gameplay, and if you find yourself with extra free time, this game has got you covered. Full completion of Fire Emblem: Three Houses will run you for about 200 hours, easy—it is the longest game on our list with five different routes for players to pursue.

With charming anime-style graphics, turn-based combat, and strategic player interactions, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a fantastic game and worth every minute of gameplay.

Luigi’s Mansion 3

Luigi’s Mansion 3 is yet another fantastic game to add to anyone’s Switch library. The game focuses on Mario’s scardey cat brother, Luigi. In this game, Luigi must save his brother, Princess Peach, and the Toads from a hotel full of ghosts.

The game is nothing but good, wholesome fun, which will fun players anywhere from 15 to 20 hours. There was recently a DLC released for this game.

However, given how new the DLC is, there is little data about how long it takes to play. We have written a full review of Luigi’s Mansion 3, which you can read here.

Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn is hands-down, one of the best open-world RPGs ever. The game is so popular that even three years after its release, people still want to see this game be available on the upcoming PlayStation 5.

The game takes the best things about action RPGs, post-apocalyptic timelines, and robot enemies and rolls into 35 hours of main story gameplay and 8 hours of DLC gameplay. However, exploring this open-world is the best part of this game.

The graphics are the very definition of eye-candy, and with the average gamer taking 100 hours to explore both the DLC and the main game setting, there is nothing but fun for players everywhere.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been one of the most popular games of 2020 so far. The game is an absolute delight! Cute villagers, adorable avatars, and endless customizations are the hallmarks of this game.

The actual storyline requires upwards of 60 hours, but players have reported spending double that.

How Long to Beat Popular Games

Quarantine has been hard on all of us, and spending your time exploring new worlds is a great way to make things easier. These games are perfect for anyone regardless of what system you favor.

Players of any game style will find something to enjoy on this list. Beat the quarantine blues and immerse yourself in an engaging storyline and stunning graphics.

The post How Long to Beat The Most Popular Video Games appeared first on Your Money Geek.

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[charlesjening]

How Accounting and Finance Professionals Can Use Data to Gain Superpowers

You read that right—when FP&A, accounting, tax, and audit professionals can proficiently read, work with, analyze, and argue with data, they gain superpowers. These powers give you the abilities to complete tasks with incredible speed, make decisions driven by uncanny wisdom, unleash spectacular results for clients, and ultimately gain an astonishing edge on your competitors.

In the real world, getting bitten by a radioactive spider will probably just leave a nasty scar, and jumping into a gamma bomb blast to save the world’s most annoying teenager will definitely kill you. But that doesn’t mean superpowers don’t exist. 

With The Economist declaring that data has now replaced oil as the world’s most valuable resource, it’s time for accounting and finance professionals to start unlocking the great power (and, of course, great responsibility) of data and gain the capabilities they need to stay competitive.

Like Steve Rogers, you already have those abilities inside you. You just need a super soldier serum boost to unleash your full data potential.

So what is that secret formula? You’ve likely read countless articles about data literacy initiatives being the key to success in this new age. While data literacy is certainly important, it’s the superpower equivalent of Squirrel Girl’s ability to talk to and mobilize squirrels—useful, but not exactly world-shaking.

To become the hero the accounting and finance world needs, you’ll have to go beyond simple data literacy to achieve data domination. And the only way to do that is with the right analytics platform—one that empowers your organization to easily unleash the value of your data and grab your cape to analyze it, share it, and automate key tasks along the way. 

You’re probably thinking,“That all sounds great, but what exactly will these data superpowers allow my organization to do?” Let’s take a look at some specific benefits and use cases across tax, audit, finance, and general accounting—and show you what unlocking your inner data hero really looks like.

Data and analytics superpowers for tax professionals

Tax professionals spend more than 50% of their time gathering tax data and less than 30% on strategic tax analysis. If your organization could flip those numbers, you could transform tax data from a liability into a superpowered asset. When tax professionals dominate data, they can:

Stop collecting data like an RPG character mining for XP: Reduce time spent manually gathering data, business and legal entity reconciliation, and tax reporting; increase time for higher-value work like performing multiple analyses of transactions.

Become a data Mr. Clean without shaving your head: Easily clean data from any source, including multiple ERPs, consolidation systems, billing systems, commerce platforms, and more.

Comply faster than a Star Trek Borg: Get a complete analytical view of audit processes across compliance, fraud detection and investigation, risk assessment, operational performance, and internal controls. 

See flaws better than an Inhuman: Improve efficiency and accuracy to understand anomalies before and after meeting compliance requirements.

Say “I know” more than Han Solo: Boost confidence in data integrity and in uniting all team members and decision makers around a single source of truth.

None of that happens if you stick with the spreadsheet ways of the past. The right analytics solution can evolve your process to visual, repeatable workflows. That means performing correlation analyses to identify drivers of effective tax rates and disparities between statutory and effective rates. And it means better forecasting of effective and cash taxes, determining optimal transfer pricing patterns, and conducting “what if” analyses ahead of M&As.

Data and analytics superpowers for audit professionals

Using spreadsheets for audits today is like trying to run Starcraft II on your old 386 PC—it just doesn’t work.

But with a modern, superpowered analytics platform, auditors can use intuitive, drag-and-drop interfaces to achieve data domination through experience and experimentation. Code-free and code-friendly platforms provide deeper understanding in the auditing process—no matter your analytics comfort level—and make it easier to identify anomalies and classify potential irregularities.

With data powered by self-service analytics, audit professionals can start to:

See farther and wider than Heimdall: Easily perform end-to-end process testing and control validations.

Cut costs like Edward Scissorhands: Lower existing and future audit costs through scheduling and automation of data collection, preparation, and analysis.

Calculate risks more accurately than C-3PO: Produce earlier identification of high-risk patterns in spending, codes of conduct, and across a network of partners and suppliers. 

The right platform can also drive new capabilities like text analytics, which can recognize specific assets on printed balance sheets, or robotic process automation, which can reconcile balances in multiple sub-ledgers. 

Overall, using analytics in audit makes the process faster and cheaper while offering better coverage in testing. And the technology is only going to get better—constant evolution continues to push what’s possible with new artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques.

Data and analytics superpowers for finance professionals

At the risk of beating a dead spreadsheet, getting full visibility across key financial management systems just can’t happen with manual data processing. With spreadsheets, data remains static, siloed, and hard to manipulate, so achieving organization-wide data domination is less likely than Warner Bros. ever making a good Green Lantern movie.

To stay competitive in today’s financial world, you need to be able to access and blend all relevant financial data from your internal systems and those of partners and suppliers. That’s a lot easier and faster with superpowered analytics solutions that can bring together data from multiple accounting ledgers and consolidate it for statutory reporting and sub-ledger account analysis in an automated fashion. 

After just a bit of experimentation with the right analytics platform, finance professionals can learn to:

Bring everything together better than Avengers: Endgame: Manage diverse and unstructured data sources to create high-quality reconciliations.

Keep more robust records than the Jedi archives: Standardize master data records using fuzzy matching and pattern recognition.

See the future better than Madame Web: More easily perform risk-weighted asset calculations for capital, interest rate risk modelling, sensitivity analysis, liquidity reporting, and compliance.

Data and analytics superpowers for accounting professionals

Quick, what’s the best superpower you could possibly have? Super strength? Not unless you want to crush your favorite co-worker’s ribs during your next celebratory chest bump. Flight? That’d be fun—until the bill for all the FAA violations you’ve committed comes due. 

No, the best superpower is the ability to manipulate time. Think about it: Put enough hours in the day and there’s nothing you can’t accomplish.

That’s exactly what the right analytics platform can do for accounting professionals. It gives you back the hundreds of hours you spend on manual data extraction and accrual calculations across multiple departments and inconsistent systems. 

With analytics, accountants can:

Get better transparency than Sue Storm: Automation around data extracts and accrual calculations creates transparency at review, and analytic workflows also make it easier to document the steps in the process—should issues arise.

Have better connections than Bezos or Gates: By having strong data connection options, accounting details can be seamlessly passed through to the journal after approvals are made.

Be more consistent than Superman saving Lois Lane: Analytics drive consistency and accuracy, freeing you up to do more with your superpowers than you ever thought possible.

Get data superpowers in a box with Alteryx

As you research analytics solutions for your organization, you’ll find that they generally fall into one of two categories:

General use products providing few-to-zero specific accounting/finance functions.

Traditional accounting software with some analytics capabilities shoehorned in, but lacking the raw power of general solutions.

Only Alteryx gives you the best of both worlds—a superpowered, proven analytics platform that’s been specifically customized to automate and enhance the tasks and processes most critical to accounting and financial success. Alteryx is an ideal solution for organizations of every shape and size, combining the robust capabilities large enterprises require with the flexible pricing and ease-of-use needed by smaller companies.

It’s time to push data domination across your organization and evolve to heroic levels of tax, audit, finance, and accounting analytics. With Alteryx, you can finally free your organization from manual steps and allow more time for the strategic analysis needed to unlock your data superpowers and put your firm on top.

Learn more about Alteryx and start your free trial >

The post How Accounting and Finance Professionals Can Use Data to Gain Superpowers appeared first on Going Concern.

republished from Going Concern

[starwarspurgefan]

Custom angry sprites

[starwarspurgefan]

I literally need more iris x dahlia ships, also witch one of those ships well things i should make?

#Dahliris

[starwarspurgefan]

Yesterday was honestly the worst day in my entire life! I was trying to edit some stuff on my wattpad account but unfortunately this happened……warning you are about to see me rage so hard…..

I AM SO FUCKED PISS RIGHT NOW! ARE YOU FUCKED SHITY ME WATTPAD?! WHY THE FUCK IS MY SESSION HAS EXPIRED?! AND I CANNOT LOG IN ON MY FUCKED ACCOUNT! THIS IS FUCKED BULLSHIT! I WANT MY FUCKED ACCOUNT BACK! ANYTIME I TRY TO LOG IN ITS REFUSING TO LET ME IN! NO MATTER HOW I TRY IT REFUSES TO GIVE ME MY ACCOUNT BACK! I LITERALLY HAVE SO MANY HARD WORK AND ITS ALL GOES DOWN IN THE DRAIN! SERIOUSLY FUCK YOU WATTPAD! I HOPE YOU ALL SUFFERED FOR WHAT YOU DID!

YOU SON OF A BITCH!

[starwarspurgefan]

Yeah….this is my first wattpad story…..what are your guys thoughts on this after reading this?…