#would be a hard smash for me

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

riddler tgirl swag is so real she’s been submitted to the could transition have saved her blog like a billion times

it absolutely wouldn't but it would make her weird in new and more exciting ways

[itwoodbeprefect]

stoic illiterate unwilling assassin deeply in love with unfailingly kind rich sad gay man almost stabs his crush's brother because the brother cares so much and so genuinely for the gay man that he searched assassin's room out of worry and found knives and a mysterious letter before being interrupted by the assassin who then does not want to show him the letter which seems incredibly suspicious, only for a later scene (after the gay man interrupts them and thus stops any escalation from happening) to quietly reveal that the very sus letter in possession of this illiterate assassin is not in fact a sign he's lying about being illiterate.... it's just two pages of him practicing the gay man's name over and over in neatly spaced lines...... a reveal which he was going to STAB a man over because he doesn't know that the gay man's brother knows the man is gay and loves him with his whole heart and would never ever do anything to hurt him........ i will never get over this, how could i ever get over this, everything else ever is going to be downhill from here

[sarakiz]

Tara Prasad (IND) - Padmaavat Soundtrack by Sanjay Leela Bhansali & Sanchit Balhara, arr. Hasit Nanda

2023 4CC, Colorado Springs - Women's Free Skate

[samarecharm]

geniunely not trying to put words in ur mouth im geniunely asking: what do you actually like about persona 5? from all ur rants im just wondering why you didnt drop the game bc it seems (again, im not trying to put words in ur mouth) that it simply not for you? i geniunely have not felt any of the issues you bring up outside of the writing ones and i cannot tell if i'm just easily pleased and not good at discerning what a good game is or we simply have dif things we enjoy in a video game. i hate getting tone across text but im asking out of geniune curiosity im not trying to attack your opinion (;-;)

Nah, i dont feel like ur attacking me, and I hope u dont feel the same when u see my complaints! Lmao. In my defense, I am replaying the game for the first time after completing my first file back in 2020, so alot of the faults i kinda shrugged off in my first playthrough are now glaringly in my face now that I no longer have the confusion and interest in learning the main story to keep me occupied. The game is clunky all the way through, and at some times, even frustratingly so.

But despite that, i do like this game. Alot! Its probably one of my top games ever if im being honest!

This ended up way longer than I intended, so im putting it under a readmore to keep the post short on dashboards

If i had to describe what I liked about the game in the simplest way imaginable…I think I would say, I like how the game makes me feel :) I like the music. I like the vibe. I like the immersion from city to city, and I like the premise! I like the characters and I like the connections you make with these characters! As im replaying this game, i am most excited to see Akira and his comments about the world :) i like hearing everyones voices, I like their little interactions in Mementos, and I like seeing them fight!

P5 is the first game I played in the series; its the game that introduced me to SMT in the first place! And it (smt) is a series that my longtime best friend LOVES and never thought hed be able to share with me! It is a game i keep very near to my heart; it has influenced me in ways i did not think would happen in the short couple of years since i first finished it. It genuinely keeps me awake some nights thinking about the world this game has created, and I think that is a testament to the impact its had, be it good or bad.

The joke about wishing theyd make a persona game that was Good is that despite all of its numerous flaws, the games manage to snatch your attention and pull you in anyway. Imagine if they made a game that had all of those things that i mentioned I loved, but done Right and executed Properly?? Where I got to have a story that made sense and didnt need to be spoonfed to me (in like an HOUR of dialogue and scenes; an HOUR!), and characters that talked and bonded beyond the tiny snippets of interaction theyre allowed to have in mementos? Combat that let me use PERSONAS i liked instead of BUILDS that stop me from getting instakilled throughout the entirety of the endgame, and a Persona building mechanic that didnt feel like I was shooting in the dark looking for possible fusions that end up not even being useful in the endgame.

Ive mentioned it before, but I complain so much bc I have seen what a good p5 game looks like, and its Strikers almost to a T. Combat is still your typical warriors-esque style combat, but it is at least different from the turn based strategy of the main game. Characters talk to each other freely, they hang out and comfort each other in a way that feels more connected that the base game. Strikers implements the ability to see ALL possible fusions with ALL registered personas, not just the ones in your Stock, so you can fuse easily without having yo consult a guide. The story feels like it makes SENSE with antagonists that feel morally grey and sympathetic. Genuinely, alot of the complaints for p5 I had were almost immediately rectified in this game.

But please also know that the praises I sing for this game is only bc of the groundwork laid by p5 and the world it created. Thats what I like about this game, that it had such a captivating premise and cast of characters, that a DIFFERENT company was able to hit the ground running with them. P5 had alot happening in that game, but i think what it had most was potential. The effort put into this game is astronomical, and the possible connections you can outright MISS if u arent paying attention was worth the money and time to implement; even if it meant that it could be considered a waste of resources to higher ups.

Books and games and part time jobs???!! Silly little cutscenes that add nothing to the game PLOTwise, but define and flesh out the personality of your protagonist. There was alot of love put into this game, and its evident by the fact that we have NOT seen a new persona game released; they bank on existing titles bc they are unwilling to make a game like this from scratch again. They dont want to ‘waste’ resources on good voice acting and a complex, overarching story; they dont want to waste money on scenes a player may never see, on routes a player may never get to experience. Making a game that gives u even the slightest bit of freedom means more money in programming and detailing that freedom. This has been an issue for a WHILE, and its a miracle that the gaming landscape had space for a colossal title like p5!

I complain bc I want better, and I do not think that is inherently at odds with my love of this game. In b4 im told to get good; ive played on hard and tested out merciless (its NOT fun, im making godbuilds again and its boring 😞). Its not the most accessible turnbased rpg; theres no colorblind modes, and the affinity system is convoluted and overwhelming. Combo moves are hard to keep track of and it can be incredibly frustrating to see your turns being skipped or seeing characters take extreme technical damage without understanding WHY it happened. The fact that they KNEW the game was desperate for qol improvements by the time royal came out, and instead of updating the base game to have those improvements too, they just pushed the royal edition out for people to play instead. It sucks! Customers and fans deserve better than being forced to shell out money for a game they already played !

As the gaming climate gets more and more hostile and unbearable, I think it is good to look at your games critically, and understand why products come out subpar. Persona 5 is a fun game that has a nice cast and an interesting premise, but it is ultimately tied down by its refusal to build on existing building blocks regarding its combat, and it insists on having insulting and downright out of character dialogue and scenes to appease the audience its designed to be targeted to. It is easy to forget sometimes that queer ppl are infact NOT the prime target of these games, its cishet gamer bros from aged 16 to 40 who will laugh at homophobic comments, who drool over a 16 yr old girl with a 16 yr old mindset and a grown womans body, who need to be placated with constant sexual comments to deal with a convoluted story that will inevitably make zero sense until its laid out for you before the literal end of the game.

Its bad. Its good. Its so shallow and its unbelievable that they thought having the plot twist make ZERO sense until they showed CUTSCENES of YOUR character discussing Goro and his connections to the metaverse for endgame SHOCK VALUE was more important than just having your team be smart and piece it together over time. Its shit. Its literally amazing. It let you FUCK your teacher ??????????????what the FUCK. They also let me shoot a god in the face w the best looking ult persona in the world so i can ignore that shit. And ultimately that is how i got through the game. Lol.

[agirlking]

I’m gonna try to censor this cause I’m about to be rude.

S!dL!nk shippers are perfect examples of why shipping has become so annoying to my aroace ass in fandom as a whole. People see these INCREDIBLY minor things and insist it’s a sign of a deep profound love, and CANNOT let it go if canon doesn’t bend over backwards to validate them. They attack other characters (very often using sexist logic cause the “threat” is almost always a woman), they try to do everything they can to deny the canon/semi canon ships (the debate about how Link CANNOT be living in his house, as if Zelda just kicked him out lol?) and it’s so annoying to deal with because of how they act.

It’s not canon. It was never canon. It was never going to be canon. Not every interaction is about romance and sex. Sidon is friendly, that’s how he is, he’s sweet and friendly to Link because that’s his personality!! His DEAD SISTER was in love with Link, she was going to give him engagement armor! Sidon wasn’t going to jump on his dick five seconds after meeting him! (I don’t think the ship is “amoral” or whatever. I’m just saying since we’re so hung up on canon, canonically it’d be weird for that to happen like that or quickly. But I’ve noticed shippers also try to undermine Mipha’s feelings, as if their ship only works if Link has never felt anything romantic or had anyone feel anything romantic for him.)

Stop going on other peoples ship posts and making it about Sidon! Stop complaining about his fiancé! Stop trying to deny canon evidence and push on happy Z3link shippers that it’s not what it clearly is! I’m sorry you’re not happy but your ship is just as valid! Your fics are still good! Why has fandom become so obsessive about canon backing y’all up? I was here for early day slash shipping and none of it was explicitly canon and we had a great time!

Fucking hell let people enjoy things and enjoy things without getting so pressed a ship you made up in your head didn’t happen! You will be so much happier!

(Also consider that bi people exist. Sidon can be MLM whether Yona exists or not. Fandom is constantly chomping at the bit to exclude and deny bi people so I’m not surprised. But still.)

[vampcaprisun]

i knew mizora was big on the whole treating wyll like a dog thing and i already fucking despised it, but nothing could’ve prepared me for hearing her call herself his “handler”. being a bitch to her isn’t enough anymore i need to destroy her and i need to do it now. wyll baby i’m so sorry she talked to you like that i love you so much.

[prettyboisteveharrington]

If anyone accepts drabble ideas for Steddie

Modern au where Eddie is a bar tender at a gay club and Steve is there trying to wingman Robin. Steve rejects drink after drink from guys who wants to smash him because he’s looking for a deeper connection.

‘What’s wrong sweetheart? Why is a pretty thing like you rejecting everyone who dares come near you?’

Normally Steve would shrug that kind of comment off and he’s about to when he looks up and notices the hottest guy he’s seen in a while. Steve instantly blushes but finds it hard to speak. Usually he’s good at this kind of stuff.

‘No one here’s really my type. Plus i’m trying to help my Friend get some’ he says and points to Robin flirting with a brunette in the crowd of people.

He knows he’s conventionally attractive but his hopeless romantic heart longs for more.

Everyone wants to fuck him but no one wants to date him.

[foolishnpd]

I perceive that I'm getting ignored (I'm not really) and I want to scream and kill everyone about it

[autumn-may]

[bitegore]

OC SMASH OR PASS: Velan ket'Oserisades

(i have drawings of her i just hate them lol)

This is Velan! She is very busy on account of she's currently running several, concurrent, tax fraud schemes, is busy leading a group of people as their borderline-autocrat, doing mediator shit, and keeping track of the logistics for all of that. And making sure everyone gets fed. She is forty or fifty years old and does not need all this (well, technically, eighty-eight, but dragons age slower than humans). She also turns into a forty-foot-or-so dragon and can teleport to anywhere there's a shadow. She doesn't use the latter very often since she's not an assassin any more, but she used to. Most of the time, she's doing paperwork.

PROS:

extremely on top of everything. you'll never run out of condoms, lube, toys, or anything else you need if Velan is there alongside you. So long as you ask.

Been around the block a few times. Knows what she likes. Will tell you, not shy about it. Takes out a lot of the guesswork

Never involved in drama because she's way too mature for that

Probably one of the most pragmatic people you've ever met - she has her priorities all figured out. When she explains things it seems crystal-clear and obvious.

CONS:

Wayyyyy too busy to plan for you. You have to get everything together and get her to put the work down.

will not put up with boring sex or unpleasant relationships if she doesn't have to, which she doesn't, so you better get creative

Either you travel with her and join her clan as a traveling-companion or she vanishes off the face of the earth for all but three days per year.

You will always, always play second fiddle to the tax fraud schemes. They come first. You will be expected to deal with this like it's not upsetting at all.

Probably one of the most pragmatic people you've ever met, meaning that if you start being a problem, she'll just cut you loose. When she explains that, it'll seem obvious, too.

I want her. I won't even lie. If you don't smash I will.

[citrine-elephant]

thinkin about leon suffering blood loss, mild delirium, and laughing his fuckin ass off at nonsense while chris is trying to get this motherfucker to safety

leon's just in chris' chest, breathless and giggling, but he can't remember wtf it was about, and that's only fueling the giggle-fit.

for some reason,,,

[valliass]

I think I somehow managed to softlock my twilight princess save

[ottiliere]

Your drawing of jthm with csa victim is beautiful thank you

thank you so much... it is a very important part of his character to me.

[moss-and-marimos]

[guy who is drawing the most fucked up shit in the world voice] hey guys whats up

[debbiechanclub]

Still thinking about that smash or pass polls on Gabe. Like do you know how hard I would smash him?

[my-current-obsession]

I see a lot of people saying that the royals (mostly Alfred, but I’ve seen a fair bit of complaining about all the others too) are statistically bad in Engage. I have to wonder, what difficulty is this based off of? On my Hard playthrough most of the royals were my best units, and Alfred in particular was amazing. Ivy and Celine were probably the weakest two - Ivy due to being a bit slow and having AWFUL dex and luck, and Celine just lacking power due to splitting her attention between strength and magic.

Is it just Maddening that they’re specifically bad for? I have not (and will not) played that mode in any FE but my impression is very much that Maddening mode is a different experience and you’re basically forced to play a certain way to win. That’s probably even more true here since fixed growths are in play, so you can’t count on RNG to give you good units. You have to find the ones that the game wants you to use, and stick with them.

For me, one of the biggest joys of FE has always been the RNG of it all - I love the random growths meaning different characters shine (and suck) each run, which encourages you to give different units a try. I love that, at least on Normal and Hard, you have enough breathing room to basically play how you want - favor the units of your choice, reclass whoever into whichever classes you fancy, etc - and doing so MIGHT make your life harder but probably won’t doom your entire run. The versatility and random nature of your units growths makes strategy & combat in this game infinitely more appealing and adds to its replayability.

Like I LOVE Persona games and Stella Glow (which gameplay wise is fairly similar to FE) but in those games the characters are what they are, and the stats on level-up are set in stone. Once you’ve done ONE run and know what works, Complacent Gaming kicks in and you repeat the exact same steps in future runs. In FE even if you use the same characters in the same classes, their performance WILL vary based on how blessed or cursed the RNG has been for them.

If Maddening IS as difficult and particular as I’m assuming, and basically every unit’s viability is determined from the moment you get them and you HAVE to play a specific way to win... is it really right to judge units based on that specific difficulty? Like, sure, so-and-so SUCKS on Maddening, but so does EVERYONE except this specific handful of units and if you use anyone else you’re just hurting yourself.

I feel like we should be judging characters based off a difficulty where everyone is at least VIABLE from the beginning, but judging how likely they are to REMAIN that way based on their growths/classes/personal skills/etc.

To put it another way, what would a tier list of a Maddening run look like? My impression is that it has two, maybe 3 categories of who you can actually use, who gets benched immediately, and MAYBE a middle category of who exists to fill a spot on the team and take a few hits/deal a smidge of damage for just a little while until someone better comes along to replace them. Meanwhile on Normal and Hard you can have a full spectrum of who on average is statistically the best through the worst, with everything in between. And considering several “unusable” units on Maddening are at least GOOD or even better on a normal or hard run, can you really call them bad? At the very least CLARIFY you mean they’re bad on Maddening specifically instead of in general.