I've never thought about this in the 11 years I've played but I just realised gw2 must look.. pretty zany to outsiders? It didn't even occur to me. I'm really glad it's in a low fantasy setting that allows for pretty much anything and I think it's inkeeping with the focus on player creativity in an MMO to have that kind of range.
Like I know the overall aesthetic can get wacky but because that's so fitting for a multiplayer game... it's never occured to me that anything looks odd.
Like, here's a screenshot of me, someone's bird, and some lovely folks from the last pride march
Like real pride marches, being over the top and loud is the point. We have the tools to do that, even in regular gameplay. I think it's fascinating that nothing about this feels out of place. Magic in this universe does practically anything you want it to. Technology varies from nonexistent to far beyond real life. There's a massive range but everything feels kind of.... justified?
Some people will wear fantasy armour and keep everything on a theme. Some people are going to group transform into giant frogs and some people are going to cosplay as Johnny Bravo. It happens. The game doesn't mind. It doesn't shy away from people being incredibly weird. I remember the devs recalling a decision they had to make about letting players jump on top of a plot-important table where NPCs sat for serious discussions. The decision was they they shouldn't stop people from doing that if they wanted to.
The openness of the setting means these are all things that could exist. People reanimate corpses here for the hell of it. The weapons are magic and can be literally anything. The mounts are all creatures that have been tamed, or vehicles someone could have invented. Even the living plushie mounts are lore-compliant because... magic.
But on top of this, this game has one of the most sincere stories of anything I've ever played? Whether it's to your taste or not, I don't think you could deny how much care goes into it. From terminal conditions to villains having tantrums over childish insecurities to symbolic anticapitalism to racial superiority rallies, it has treated its topics with dead-solid respect. It does not undercut its serious moments - but it allows you the privilege if you'd like.
Maybe it's the balance of being so immersed in that that's stopped me from thinking any of this looks silly. The players can be silly, sure. Maybe there's a kind of game-and-player suspension of disbelief. We tell our story, and you have your freedom, and for the most part they won't intersect (except for the infamous Wynne cutscene).
In the MMO space there's other ways to approach this. You've got ESO which holds back very tightly to its high fantasy setting. That's for people with different tastes who don't want anything aesthetic-breaking in their game, and they have to cut back the player freedom to get it while trying to introduce a steady stream of new armours that can't be too interesting. They have magic, but don't go too far. It also means you get deals begging you to come to the cash shop to buy, like, rags. Fun rags for your character!
Then inbetween those two there's 'your name has to be lore compliant but fuck it, flying convertible'
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YOOOOO IT'S MY WEEKEND and I have eaten dinner and it is time for MORE SHE-RA
yayyyy
OH GOD we're getting into the really good shit btw
if I manage not to do a marathon of these it'll be a gd miracle
Usual reminder: this is a REwatch and there's spoilers ahoy, I make a lot of bad jokes, I reference other cartoons
s4 ep10 fractures
okay before we get started
ahahah
I've given in. I'm gonna cosplay Catra. >_< wish me luck, I'm aiming for some kinda loosely post-canon thing, in part because there's no hiding my age at this point, except via like, photoshop pfft
side note the place I was looking at that makes custom fangs based on dental impressions is usually a month and change out, and the con I want to wear this to is in mid-April. *GROAN*
I have tried the cheap ones they don't stay on D:
OKAY
Dialogue is Double Trouble. Why are you even in the room??
oh it's a truth-telling spell lol
(it didn't work)
LOLOL the disbelief in Double Trouble's voice. "Can she do that?"
oh my GOD (yes it's Double Trouble)
but their Adora looks like Johnny Bravo aaahaha
Double Trouble does blow a raspberry at Shadow Weaver, tho, so they're forgiven
Adora explains the Heart of Etheria Project
Shadow Weaver: oooh we can use this to our advantage
Me: okay Boromir but NO
nO
Adora's about to blow a fuse, but I would be, too! Like what part of "the planet could explode" is fucking difficult
Meanwhile, Catra is watching porn video feeds of places the Horde has taken
and thinks she spots someone!!!
(she hasn't, and she makes a sad little face when she realizes)
yeah she's being a bitch but also her deranged little face is great
OR EVERYONE COULD DIE. THERE'S ALSO THAT.
YAYYYY
does anyone else remember the old video "what your fave she-ra ship says about you"? this was made just after s4 actually. anyway I'm remembering it because it includes the line "you just want good things for Scorpia. and really, who wouldn't?"
Daci and I, for a while, couldn't stop quoting the ContraPoints clip used early on to reference "The inherent eroticism of the sea."
"MMmmm yeah. Don't you wanna just...get in there?"
It's a really funny video (I am called out SEVERAL TIMES) and the channel did a bunch of similar videos for other shows.
(also looking at the home page of the channel, she's a she now!!!! HELL YEAH)
Anyway everyone is surprised to see Scorpia :D
And their initial reaction is Not Good D:
the poor thing accidentally stuns Perfuma (...oh god that'S HILARIOUS knowing later stuff)
well that stops Adora in her tracks
back in the Fright Zone, Catra thinks she hears Scorpia's laugh and again is visibly relieved before realizing she's wrong
babygirl you need some rest (and so do your soldiers), you are getting paranoid and hearing things
so what, you're going to torture the rest of the soldiers who haven't left????
(I understand why she does the things she does but I still want to shake some sense into her)
JUST GET SOME GD SLEEP
she tries to call Double Trouble, but they don't answer
I want to give her a hug. But also shake some sense into her.
Another one to add to my "cartoon bondage" collection, as one does. But Perfuma is clearly a little smitten, though: she smiles as she walks away and makes a flower grow in the vines, awwwww
okay oh my GOD okay Scorpia's dialogue is KILLING ME i am CACKLING
"Wow...Yeah, but just-- Shadow Weaver. And at Bright Moon. Everything is making so much sense about why Catra's been acting the way she has."
Adora goes wide-eyed at Catra's name, Shadow Weaver looks at her, and then Adora looks away, pissed off.
like I was saying: SMITTEN
Anyway Scorpia explains why she wants to go find/save Entrapta, who's on Beast Island, and:
bahaha
they relate various stories about the horrors of Beast Island and Shadow Weaver insists they're nicer than the actual place, it's starting to sound like some bad joke about Etheria's version of Australia
I mean also you should go get her because she shouldn't be stuck there but okay
They all decide to go to Beast Island to rescue Entrapta but Glimmer is having NONE of it
Glimmer: "Adora, have you ever heard of anyone coming back from Beast Island? Do you even know where it is?"
I mean, good points, but
aaaugh
Bow: "There's an unstable mass of magic in the middle of the planet. Everyone's at risk unless we can get Entrapta to shut it down."
OKay I'm not typing up the whole damn episode you can read the transcript if you really want to, lol they argue about this for a bit longer, Glimmer even recommends they ask Light Hope how to use it even though that's a terrible idea, Glimmer tries to appeal to Bow but Bow is on Adora's side on this one
oh honey, no
She tries to order Bow and Adora to stay in the castle and not leave
Scorpia's "prison cell" is a very nice spare room. Perfuma brings her a salad and Scorpia doesn't recognize it as food immediately, the poor thing has only ever had ration bars.
Frosta: "It's not a sleepover!!!
Perfuma: ":D I'll get pillows, brb!"
But then Frosta asks about her pincers with genuine interest and makes ones for herself out of ice...and Scorpia starts to cry
;_;
;_;
GO. TO. BED. oh my god
I RAN OUT OF IMAGES fhghgh okay gonna reblog
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Some new HeadCanons by yours truly.WOOOO-(fourseasonzverse Johnny bravo edition)
Johnny’s hair is pretty curly and long when it’s down. He just doesn’t like the feeling of hair on his face (who doesn’t tho?) so that’s why it’s an a pompadour
When Suzy first met Lilian she got excited because she never thought Carl had any siblings. As for Lilian tho she thought Suzy was nice to be around
Johnny used to live in his mama’s house for almost all his life but then decided to move out to an apartment with samurai jack and jack has taught him Basic stuff like cooking and doing  laundry(they have known ever since Cartoon Network city)
Neither of the chryniszzswics siblings are aloud to drive a car because they have almost crashed, Carl on accident and Lilly on  purpose
Carl isn’t shy about his style of clothes. if he wants to wear his cat onesie he will. If he wants to cosplay he will
Johnny’s hugs are so tight you could almost pass out from them. But at least he knows they’re tight
Just like how Jon is obsessed with cinnamoroll. Carl is obsessed with rilakkuma
Although having a Tomboy kind of look, Lilian doesn’t mind being feminine on occasions
Carl is the type of person to call his friends Petnames like”dear” “hon” etc
Johnny is probably the only one that isn’t scared of cockroaches or spiders. He would casually get rid of them 
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