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danwhobrowses · 2 years

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One Piece Chapter 1056 - Initial Thoughts

So we are back again reaching the ending stages of Wano

There's still stuff to wrap up though, so let's get to it

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Release

We return with the Vinsmokes and there's Katakuri!

We return to the fallout of the Admiral attack, seems Shinobu was got too, but both she and Raizo are alive so Kaido's crew likely are too

Kin'emon regrets not being there, but is smitten that he got to spend time with Tsuru

Poor girl got a burn on her face, but other than that she's fine and wants to return to the capital

Finally a proper panel of Carrot

And, she's being made the new leader of Zou, and I don't quite agree with that (I will explain at the end)

So, Inu and Neko are planning to stay in Wano, and they're using Carrot's experience with the crew as a reason to put a 15 year old in charge of an ancient civilization

Carrot does make the point as well that there are more qualified people, including Wanda

They pull the Pedro card too, even though Pedro's will was to help Luffy get to the Dawn

Sukiyaki does indeed reveal himself to Momo and Hiyori

But the kids embrace him, thankful that they still have family

The Akazaya all knew as well...except Kin'emon but he'll play it cool

Seems Sukiyaki wants to lore dump but then resume as a commoner

Back with the crew and it's discussing the Pluton stuff

Luffy doesn't want it, but Franky is a little curious

Shinobu and Tama then appear, the former with a youthful appearance

Seems she's still recovering and that's what makes her look young and skinny

Tama's gonna be her apprentice, but does note she would like to travel with Luffy when she gets stronger

Caribou no! You had a change of heart remember don't sully it!

It is dangerous that he now knows about two ancient weapons

A few days pass and Momo's already getting a little stoic about the reparation plans

But the crew have already done their patented 'leave without saying goodbye to the major players' shtick

Momo and Kin'emon of course will not allow them to leave without saying bye to them specifically, and lucky for them they are delayed

See the three captains are arguing, planning on going their separate ways by sailing to separate islands

But Kid and Luffy want to go to the same island, they draw straws and Luffy loses

Law is going in the straight path, noting how the alliance is over, Luffy is forced into going the shortest distance, despite his claims for Yonko leeway

Buggy's Yonko promotion is validated though, he had formed the 'Cross Guild', with his two commanders: Crocodile and Mihawk!

Of course, there's gonna be more than what meets the eye, Zoro does feel like Mihawk wouldn't bow to anyone anyway, Crocodile is certainly not the take orders type either

When Monkey 'Got eaten by a snake and thought it was a cave, was going to write his own name while undercover to enter a tournament, punches people while holding an infamous cursed sword' D. Luffy calls you a moron you best believe you must be a moron

Seems Buggy is also putting bounties on Marines, which I guess does level the playing field but I swear if you touch the good marines there will be words; leave Smoker, Tashigi, T-Bone, Jonathon (make him canon Oda), Coby, Helmeppo, Fujitora and Drake alone! I doubt there's bounties for Garp though because even Buggy can't be that foolish

The trio seem to depart similarly to how they departed on Sabaody, Kid at least reminding Luffy that they're rivals when they leave the island

Law also gives Kid an etching of the Road Poneglyph since they all earned it equally

Kid seems to be setting his sights on a new target too: the Man Marked With Flames

I feel like this is Sabo, given the Translator's note, but it could be someone else entirely

Law and Robin seem to know, but Luffy and the audience do not

Yamato though is still on the roof, deciding to set off and live like Oden did

So this was a bittersweet chapter for me, lots of things coming to an end definitively.

We'll start of course with Carrot. You should know by now that I was very Carrot4Nakama, and still am, so it hurts that Oda would potentially rush her conclusion. It feels weak, and contradictory; Inu and Neko are staying in Wano to better protect it - the very thing Momo was trying to prove so people wouldn't be compelled to stay - but at the same time they are now leaving Zou in the hands of the musketeers who are proven to struggle against below-Yonko Commander strength, it feels counter-productive. In addition, it feels like Wanda is gonna be the one actually calling the shots, given how Carrot is still 15 and unlike Momo has never expressed the desire to lead Zou. And they are going to get invaders, because they have a Road Poneglyph, all it takes is one treacherous Mink or a vivre card to undermine Inu and Neko's reason of staying. Plus Zunesha bends to Momo's will anyway, so even if you lead the kingdom Momo is in the driver's seat for Zou anyway too. Don't get me wrong, leading Zou would've been a nice endgame for Carrot, but not right now, she needed a lot more time to grow that desire and the qualities of a leader to earn that outcome, being handed it right now just felt a little lazy. In that same vein though, as hugely unlikely as it may be, Oda may still swerve us and have Carrot stow away again anyway, it does feel like there's more adventure in her as well as room to mature, and as I said Pedro's will was oriented around helping the Straw Hats to the Dawn, if Carrot has that will 'more than anyone' it's better suited for Carrot to do an Oden-like move and journey with the Straw Hats first before ruling Zou. Unlikely? Probably, Denial? No Comment, but for me this does not feel satisfying to conclude Carrot's character this way.

I do feel a little bit blueballed by Pluton now too, we could at least have seen it, but I guess a time will come now that Caribou knows, I had hope for you man! You had a heart in the cover story but now you're going back to old ways. We're still yet to get any info on Zoro's heritage or the fact that Sea Prism is made in Wano, these feel like important stuff. What happened with Kaido and Big Mom too?

And another sad ending comes with the end of the Alliance, Law is setting off on his own, to find out about the D via Poneglyphs...which only 2 known people alive know how to read (does Kid have someone who can read it? Seems like he might). It's a sore spot because of how long we've spent and grown attached to Law to see him depart, but like the Ancient Weapons they'll probably show up later down the line. As for Kid, he drops a hint for the 'Man Marked With Flames' but we'll have to see who that is.

His important lore drop is Buggy, pulling a near-mirror image alliance that Luffy did by using Crocodile and Mihawk. There has to be some explanation on why they're paired up, likely out of convenience, but it at least validates his position and sets up a new endgame threat; the Straw Hats will have to fight the Cross Guild if Zoro is to defeat Mihawk, it'd be interesting if the Cross Guild included other pirates from the Paradise Saga: Krieg (and Ghin), Morgan, Kuro, Foxy, maybe Moria if he's not with/killed by Blackbeard, they don't have to be threats but it'd be a cool 'full circle' kinda thing. Overall I'm just glad Crocodile's back in the game.

Which leads us finally to Yamato, he's only at the end of the chapter but there has to be some nerves from fandom right? Luffy has never intended to leave an island without Nakama, he waited for Nami, Vivi, and Usopp (x2), and he chased down Chopper and Franky, it seems they really were going to leave without him, but stuff remains to be seen, Yamato at the least seems to want to go with Luffy but again, that doesn't automatically entitle you to Nakama. I'd also like to note this parallel with Carrot being bestowed a responsibility to rule she doesn't want, if she does stay to rule Zou it's hypocritical that she has to do that while pushing for Yamato to live free from responsibility to rule when he was named Shogun by Kaido.

Overall it was a good chapter, but I didn't vibe with it as much because of some potential to likely directions I don't at the current moment feel right about, it would seem we'll leave Wano next chapter which is sad too because it did feel like we had a mountain left to uncover.

Much to wrap up, but we know Oda will finish strong.

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littlegreeklover · 3 years

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Experiment part 3 of my badge-making is complete! I added:

1. "Neko/Gáto G//reece" (Cat personification of G//reece from Nekotalia/Catalia)

2. A bust of Herakles holding a cat whilst smiling (which was from a fan request to Himaruya on his old web blog Kitayume, asking to see Greece smile)

3. Herakles drawing a heart on a window (from one Himaruya's Hetalia G//ermany simulator skits).

So now my experiments are done...where are all these badges going? In my Ita Bag, ta-daa!

Yeah it's organised chaos in there LOL but I'll work on it some more! (There is official Hetalia G//reece merchandise in there too, and 3 lovely commissioned charms by artist Ryuuza.

#hetalia #hetalia greece #herakles karpusi #hws greece #aph greece

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fantranslatorbychoice · 4 years

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Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi Volume 6 Intermission 3 - Kasuga and O-ryo

T/N: Yep, it’s a double premiere guys, I hope you all enjoy. =)

As always, if you like this translation, you can heart it, share the link, reblog, I just respectfully ask that DO NOT REPOST ELSEWHERE. This is my contribution to the scant English content of this fandom, and I worked really hard to finish this thing, it’s not like I just copy-pasted everything. I even had to build the kanji in Jisho one by one. Try it and you’ll see what I mean.You can rave about this, rant about this, reply, etc. but if possible please link back to this page. If you’re unsure how to do that, just copy the web address of this page. If you’re on a blogsite just insert the web address as a hyperlink as a link back to here. Honestly if this light novel was officially-published in English, I wouldn’t even be doing this right now... And if it did, I’d take this offline to support the publishers and Yuuma-sensei. Creators support creators, is what I believe in. I’ll prolly do 1-5 once 6-10 has been done, or however long I can manage to translate the raw texts, it can take a toll at times. As previously-mentioned in earlier chapters, if you stumbled upon this one, the two seasons of the anime covered volumes 1-5, so other than the extra details, you didn’t miss much stuff.

No spoilers lol

P261 "Hmph. You're the newly-hired kid? Really, you're named Kasuga? Aren't you a stumpy little tanuki-girl? I am O-ryo, the future Wakaokami. I'll train you under me, and I'll be sure to drill the job of being a waitress into your head."

I remember well, the day that I first met O-ryo sama. I am Kasuga, a Bunmon Tanuki, while still a child was chased off from my home by my Hachiyo Baba-sama to experience the outside world, and along with my uncle Chiaki who also has nowhere else to go, we inquired in, and started working in Tenjin-ya. It was that first day. That person who called me stumpy, has hair and skin as white as snow, it was the conspicuously beautiful snow lady. Her personality is of someone who hates losing. She was a selfish Sempai, but has an indomitable and strong willpower to rise to the top, and I thought that surprisingly, I have come to like this person. As such, in order to gain her dream position of Wakaokami, she exerted herself no matter what it took. P262 A woman who fights her battles to win. I came to her side and I recorded her heroic battles, and I wrote about it in my diary.

"Hey.... Hey, why are you asking something while falling asleep, Kasuga-kun, HEY!" "Whaaaa~" In the middle of talking about something regarding a Hachiyo's marriage at great length, sitting on my heels I was nodding off to sleep. Since early morning I have been with Aoi-chan, and I have been going about here and there. I was feeling confident. I was dozing off in front of Byakuya-sama. Is Byakuya-sama angry or is he surprised? "Good grief. You're a reliable and shrewd girl girl, and I think that it's beyond expectations that you're going to get married to a Hachiyo... yet I am worried that they'll find faults on you. That is a position that has many enemies, do you understand? "Yeah, I get it. I have watched Aoi-chan for a long time. But Aoi-chan is awesome... Even though she's in a disadvantage, she was aware of her own strengths. Furthermore, in Tenjin-ya, when Aoi-chan gets married to Odanna-sama, isn't there anyone who grumbles about it?" "Hmmm. in that case, isn't that a problem? Because nobody's complaining, probably there's a group that's P263 thinking about rubbing her out of existence." "That point, I am fine with that. I plan to not make enemies with my demeanor, an incomptetent person making a blunder. Well, at any rate, from the very start I have been incompetent." "..." Byakuya-sama narrowed his eyes, and with a snap hit the corner of his mouth with his fan. I thought that he was going to say something but, he just scolded me and released me after saying "You can go now" . Wahh, after standing up from sitting on my feet, they fell asleep and started tingling painfully... Holding the Maneki-neko** coin bank, I planned to go back to Yugao. Along the way, the waitresses looked over here, and started gossiping and whispering to each other. Up until now the friends that were calling me in carefree voices, and the sempai that used to fiddle with and pushed me around, now they pass sideways, and bow their heads subserviently, and flees anywhere. Oh well, I could understand why they became like that but... I come in contact with the management staff that were like Shizuna-chan and they are normally composed, but I'm a normal girl, aren't I? I feel like I'm a sore thumb sicking out. "Kasuga, Kasuga" "...Chiaki" From the other side of the hallway, peeping over here looking worried, it was my uncle, the tanuki. T/N: Maneki-neko, the beckoning cat, famously known for bringing in luck. It's said that it was originally named after a cat that waved to a monk to go inside a shrine and the monk almost got struck by lightning or something, so it was a lucky omen. P264 He approached while calling for me. "What is it, from now onwards I'm helping out at Yugao." "It's not that, you were called for by Byakuya-sama, and I got worried somewhat." "It's nothing. It's just that I'm developing a souvenir product with Aoi-chan." "Why you, aren't you scowling at me?" "Why, my relative shouldn't speak about me flippantly." He isn't necessarily overprotective and he wasn't saying anything like that, but ever since the old days Chiaki has been worrying about me. He's just a nice and charming person who took care of me, and he always looks after those that are just like me. Though I'm already fine, even at this age he still worries about me... "Chiaki aren't you staying behind here in Tenjin-ya?" "Yep. I'll continue working here. Even though I was thinking of coming along with you." "It's fine, it's nothing. I've always been taken care of by uncle, I cannot function properly being a Hachiyo's wife." "...Kasuga" His eyes gloomily welling up, holding down the corner of his eyes, Chiaki went "That tiny Kasuga has grown to be praise-worthy" "Ahhh stop it already, don't be gloomy.. Get over it." Shh... Uncle you're annoying. P265 While being paid extra care, I could feel myself fading away. Our relationship, even though we are family, here we cannot become too overly-familiar. The love that tanuki give to each other are the strongest among Ayakashi, as such they aren't entrusted to to other people, which makes tanuki unaware about so many things such as getting close to and connecting with strangers. Those people, now matter how much we studied them, we couldn't find them... With regards to those, I thought I learned those in Tenjin-ya.

"Oh.." In front of the passageway that connects the door to Yugao, there is someone who is sneakily peeping in. Isn't that... "O-ryo sama, what are you doing over that place?" "Kyaaa!" O-ryo sama jumped up suprised. With a sluggish expression, she slowly looked back. Opening her mouth as if about to talk, hesitatingly, she made a weird face by sticking her lower lip out. "H-hmph." In the end, O-ryo sama took her leave without saying anything. P266 I slightly tugged on O-ryo sama's sleeves. "What now?" O-ryo sama icily stared down at me with that severe gaze. Oh well, I've been used to that gaze. "Uhm, I believe so, that O-ryo sama will likely aim to be Wakaokami again." ".... what?" "Within Tenjin-ya, there's something that only O-ryo sama can surely do." Pulling my hands immediately from the hem, I madly dashed towards the inner garden where Yugao was. The O-ryo sama who was aiming to be Wakaokami. And the one who made her dream come true, the O-ryo sama that became Wakaokami. To me, O-ryo sama is dazzling, despite the many enemies she makes, being hated by her colleagues, being gutsy and only wants to rise up into the world. The one I adored. After doing so many different things, O-ryo sama eventually became demoted from Wakaokami, and yet... When O-ryo sama becomes Wakaokami once again. Truly, I support that from the sidelines..

End of Intermission 3, Volume 6. Previous - Chapter 8 Next - Chapter 9

References:

Wonderful site for the youkai references

Other stuff I used to do this: Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary (you can buy here, I’m not sponsored btw). I was about to buy the older edition but then the newer one came out 2013 so I bought that instead. Worth buying since I was able to find nearly all of the words I needed just by stroke pattern alone.

Merriam-Webster's Japanese-English Dictionary (the red-covered 1996 version is apparently out of print right now). This is what I have been using for a very long time, I bought it when I was still a fetus (yes I am old so what lol), and after so many years, when compared to newer editions, I still prefer this one since its entirety is Japanese-English, the English to Japanese gloss are just 16 pages tops, so you get more Japanese words for your buck. But that’s just my opinion, maybe other people prefer the Jap-En x En-Jap IDEK.

Basic online dictionary, Jisho. Knowledge of verb conjugations and other words are necessary since not all have entries.

If you can read Japanese, you can buy the whole set in Amazon Japan, they’re shipping worldwide now, I think.

#kakuriyo no yadomeshi #kakuriyo no yadomeshi light novel #kakuriyo no yadomeshi english translation #kakuriyo no yadomeshi english fan translation #kakuriyo no yadomeshi light novel english #kakuriyo no yadomeshi volume 6 intermission 3

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sinceileftyoublog · 5 years

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Guided By Voices Interview: A Conversation with Doug Gillard

Robert Pollard (left) and Doug Gillard (right); Guided By Voices perform “I Am A Tree” at SPACE in Evanston

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Journeyman Doug Gillard has been in Guided By Voices for 10 years, over 2 stints, for 12 official LP’s and other releases that no casual fan could keep track of. So, apart from Robert Pollard himself, I could think of no better person to analyze the creative process behind their recent crop of records, including two so far this year, Zeppelin Over China and EP compilation Warp and Woof, and a third coming, Sweating the Plague. More than ever, GBV seems to be a democracy, and not just because each member has gotten his turn at writing a few songs. From my conversation with Gillard over the phone last month from his home in Queens, I got the sense that as long as Pollard doesn’t have a clear idea for the song, he not only welcomes but relies on the others to help him complete it, even if he was the original writer. As for Gillard, he provides the backbone of the songs, something you don’t really notice but would if his contributions weren’t there, especially the horns and strings that supply dramatic flair or emotional weight. At any given live show, he’s the heart and soul of the band, whether doing backup vocals on the set mainstay that he wrote “I Am A Tree” or dishing Pete Townshend-esque riffs on the band’s Who worship.

Read our conversation below, edited for length and clarity, wherein Gillard also talks about his favorite new GBV songs, upcoming band-related news, and other projects he’s recently worked on or is working on.

Since I Left You: You’ve said Zeppelin Over China is unlike anything the band has done before. What makes it unique within the GBV discography?

Doug Gillard: I think it’s just a little warmer and has a little more orchestration and is probably the most diverse record.

SILY: A song like “The Hearing Department” is certainly hazier than your average propulsive GBV track.

DG: Yeah, Bob wanted sort of a rumba beat for that in his notes. Sometimes he has notes. Some songs he doesn’t. When we do the music, a lot of times, we just have freedom to take a song somewhere we’re feeling at the time of recording. Other times, he has sort of a vision. It’s a mixed bag, which is great. We like doing both. On that one, given that beat and the chords, it sort of reminded me of an early Fleetwood Mac song--Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac.

SILY: On “Cobbler Ditches”, does he reference “Motor Away”?

DG: I think so, yeah.

SILY: You guys have so many songs, but having listened to a lot of them, I’ve never really picked that out before, where he’s referenced a previous song by title. It had to happen one of these days.

DG: I think it’s happened in the past, but I can’t be sure. There’s been a lot of records.

SILY: On this one, you did a lot of string and horn arrangements. That’s most notable on the singles and the ones you were playing before the album was out: “The Rally Boys” and “You Own the Night”. Where else did you add them in?

DG: They’re all over the record--“Vertiginous Rafts”, the last song on the record. Really, there are little parts of strings and horns on a lot of the songs on here. Sometimes, the strings are in the version of a Mellotron, but mostly, they’re not. Sometimes, they’re really subtle, too, added just to add a little bit of atmosphere.

SILY: Who plays them?

DG: I play them. I have an orchestra program, a MIDI program administered through a keyboard. There’s piano on there--key-related things.

SILY: I’ve seen how you adapted the first two live. Is it the same approach with the others? Are you even playing them?

DG: We will be playing more songs from the record. But when we play stuff live, we just kind of rock it out. I’m not concerned whether parts on the record aren’t in the song live. I really like seeing bands that play songs on the record different from how the record sounds.

SILY: Bob has said in past concerts that you’re the most instrumentally capable version of GBV ever even though the fans want the mistakes. But you achieve the balance between the record and live well. You still retain that rawness.

DG: Yeah, I think that’s true. Sometimes, I’ll try to play some of the string lines live on guitar if there’s room. I was doing that with “See My Field”. But it’s only because I hear them. I don’t have to play them. It wasn’t a request--just something I thought I would do.

SILY: Were the last songs you wrote for GBV the ones from “August By Cake” [Ed note: “Goodbye Note” and “Deflect/Project”]?

DG: No, there have been some B-sides to singles that band members have written that have come out. They haven’t been digitized, necessarily. They were vinyl-only and sold out quickly. One was called “Red Nose Speedway”...What was the other one called? I wrote one with Mark Shue. Kevin March wrote one that ended up on the B-side of a single and so did Bobby Bare.

SILY: You don’t play them live, do you?

DG: No, that’s correct.

SILY: Have you done the string and horn arrangements on other GBV albums before?

DG: Yeah. All the stuff that’s come out so far I have done a little bit, but on August By Cake really not much at all...some keyboards, maybe a string line here or there. How Do You Spell Heaven, a little bit. [Engineer] Travis [Harrison] did some string lines on August By Cake. And I did some arrangements on an ESP Ohio record which came out before August By Cake, which was Travis, myself, Mark Shue, and Bob.

SILY: Now that you’re back in the band, as of 2016, is “I Am A Tree” going to be in the set list for as long as you’re in the band?

DG: [laughs] I’m not sure. I would say probably so, but you can never be sure. There are a lot of songs in the can that Bob likes to rotate in and out of the set list.

SILY: How does he or the band decide upon the set list on a night by night basis?

DG: Bob will have a master list that he re-sequences for every show. We’ll have a basic list for every tour, give or take some. Sometimes, he’ll get a whim or an epiphany and put something in mid-tour, which is always fine. But the sequence is different every night.

SILY: Do you have a favorite song on Zeppelin Over China or Warp and Woof?

DG: Wow...there are a lot of songs to choose from on both of those, and they’re all so damn good. Zeppelin Over China, I really don’t know what a favorite would be. Let’s see...looking at the list here...I really like “Where Have You Been All My Life” or maybe “Wrong Turn On” or “Jam Warsong”. There’s a ton, though. They all kind of have different purposes, different sounds. Warp and Woof, there are a lot of great little songs on there. I say little because they’re shorter. About two minutes or so. I think one of my favorites is “Angelic Weirdness”.

SILY: The two that are called out in terms of your contributions are the first and the final track, especially in terms of unique recording process. Didn’t you record “Bury the Mouse” in the van?

DG: Yeah, except for the drums. The drums were done first. We already had those, and we finished it on tour in the van.

SILY: And “End it With Light” was at a soundcheck?

DG: Yeah, I did guitars at the soundcheck on that one. “Cool Jewels and Aprons” is another favorite from Warp and Woof. Oh, I forgot, the last song on 100 Dougs is mine. The instrumental. If you don’t have that actual EP, I can’t remember what sequence it’s in on Warp and Woof, but it’s called “It Will Never Be Simple”.

SILY: The third record you’re putting out this year is no longer called “Rise of the Ants,” right?

DG: That’s correct. It’s going to be called Sweating the Plague.

SILY: Are you able to talk a little about that one, whether your specific contributions, songwriting, and arrangements, or the feel for it in general?

DG: To me, there are similarities to Zeppelin Over China. There’s a little more hard rock on it, a little more of a 70′s rock feel to the songs, some “guitarmonies.” But there are some really nice ballads. It has the four ps that Bob talks about. [Ed note: pop, punk, prog, and psych] Lots of punk on it.

SILY: It’s been described as a little proggy.

DG: For sure. There are a couple prog songs.

SILY: Are there any more records on the horizon for you guys?

DG: There are some reissues this year because of album anniversaries.

SILY: Bee Thousand?!?

DG: No. There’s always an anniversary of some album. Later this year, it’s the 20th anniversary of the release of Kid Marine, Robert Pollard solo, and of Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department, which is a record I did with Bob. It was released under the name Robert Pollard and Doug Gillard, but it was the 4th one in the Fading Captain series of his records coming out around then. That has “Pop Zeus” on it and some other songs. That’s been remastered and it should be reissued in August. There may be a Cash Rivers collection coming out. I’m not sure about when that will be released.

SILY: You’re going to Europe for the first time in decades. Are you excited to play Primavera and the UK?

DG: Very much so, yeah.

SILY: When was the last time you were there with GBV?

DG: 2003, I’d say. We did a European tour and UK tour there.

SILY: Was that for Earthquake Glue?

DG: I believe so. It was either Universal Truths or Earthquake Glue. I think it was Earthquake Glue. I’ve been there a lot since with Nada Surf. I’m really excited to play there with Guided By Voices.

SILY: You contributed to the most recent Neko Case record. How did that experience come about?

DG: Neko had always liked my playing. When she was assembling songs for this record, she gave me a call, I went down to Tuscon, and I played a lot of tracks. I learned the songs. It was great.

SILY: I never realized that you were on The Hold Steady’s Stay Positive, too. I was looking at your credits and was like, “Woah, all these albums I’ve loved over the years!”

DG: Oh, yeah. I was friends with those guys at the time they were making that. I think I had just moved to New York, and they invited me to their session. Tad [Kubler] had me play the recurring riff on “Sequestered in Memphis”. That sort of Stones-y riff. That’s the only song I’m on, I think, but that was fun. They’re really good guys.

SILY: Any plans to come back to Chicago soon?

DG: I’m sure we will. We’re always around Chicago at least a couple times a year. Nothing that I know of just yet, but I’m positive something will happen in that area.

SILY: Anything you’ve been listening to, watching, or reading that’s caught your attention?

DG: I listen to a lot of podcasts. Mark Riley from the BBC does a Bowie podcast, The A to Z of David Bowie. I’ve been listening to a lot of that. I’ve been checking out stuff here and there.

SILY: I don’t have anything else to ask you--is there anything I didn’t ask about you want to say?

DG: Let’s see...not sure. I’m producing a band called The Bye Bye Blackbirds. They’re a guitar pop band from the Bay Area. They’ve definitely been around for a while. They have ex-members of Game Theory, The Mr. T Experience. My friend Bradley [Skaught] is the songwriter of the band. He writes some good songs.

SILY: Anything else not GBV in your realm coming up?

DG: Not really too much. GBV’s been planning a busy year with recording and shows and tours coming up, so I’ve been kind of leaving things open for that. It will be busy playing shows for sure. Really nothing else right now.

SILY: Thanks again for your time, I really appreciate it. Congrats on the releases, and looking forward to hearing the next one!

DG: For sure!

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cutiecrates · 5 years

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Cutie Reviews: Kawaii Box Oct 18

Hello! Welcome to the October 2018 Kawaii Box review :3

Before I begin I wanted to let you guys know that I will finally be making a purchase at Blippo.com -the official shop relates to Kawaii Box- this upcoming month. I don’t really have any plans in mind as to what I’ll be getting, but my goal is to spend over $25.00, as this is the limit needed to obtain a “free gift” and I’m curious to see what it pertains. I’ll be making a follow-up blog post about the whole experience, items, etc, when it comes.

Without further ado, let’s get on with the review!

This months theme: Kawaii Halloween!

This months word: Kabocha - Pumpkin

Kawaii Neko Pocket Mirror

Our first item is this ultra-cute pocket mirror with an adorable kitty in a cup with Please written on it. I’m not sure what the writing on top translates as- but isn’t this the cutest thing ever~?

From the book and Blippo website, I assume there was various alternate designs/colors you could receive, I couldn’t find this exact model on there but they had a bunch of cute ones like it ranging from $3.90-$4.90.

The mirror is very clear and easy to clean, and because there’s two sides of it you can easily see whatever angle you’re trying to get.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Besides being really cute, I was actually surprised by this. In the past, a long time ago I’ve gotten a couple of folding, flimsy, plastic mirrors. They got the job done and they were really cute too- but there was always that risk they would break you know?

This mirror is perfect! The outside feels very sturdy, I’m not sure what type of material it is but I’m not nearly as worried about it breaking in comparison to my others. I’ll definitely be putting it in my purse and taking out the other one.

Kawaii Neko Bag Charm & Kawaii Onigiri Plush Charm

(they look a bit alike, right?)

Our first item is the neko bag charm, the perfect little companion to cutify the day (and your purse/bag/pouch/pants loop/etc). These are available in 3 different styles, and each costs $4.50 <_< I was a little surprised to find that out, I assume it’s a material thing?

Besides being an adorable charm, there is also a big slit on the back. Now, the booklet nor Blippo mention this, but usually that means the charm can be used to discretely hold change!

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I just want to mention that as a warning if you would try to use this or something similar to hold coins, BE CAREFUL. While feeling around I discovered a sharp pointed piece on the inside of the top area, which is connected to the keychain. That makes it really sturdy- but it’s not worth using if you’re worried about harming yourself. It’s perfectly safe as a charm though.

Anyway, I think it’s very cute (I love its cheeks x3) and the detailing is really good. This would be ideal if you prefer smaller, non-plush charms but still want the appeal of a cute character.

Next to go with the neko charm, we have a plush onigiri (rice ball) charm. It came in 4 various expressions, and each costs $2.90.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I love rice, so this would be the perfect charm for me ♥ It’s also very soft, and the details are stitched on and look very clean (except for one little strand on the one blush). It’s just precious~

I should have bought the other three, then I could’ve swapped them out to fit my mood.

Halloween Ghost Squishy

This little cutie is perfect if you’re an avid squishy collector and want something for the holidays :P It was available for $4.90 on the Blippo website, but it’s no longer listed. This doesn’t seem like a hard squishy to find though if you’re interested in it; and they did have some other cute Halloween squishy (and ghosties) there.

It’s mentioned to be scented and it is- exactly like most other squishy. I think it would have been adorable if it smelled like vanilla, or pumpkin.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

It’s very cute and ultra-soft. But I noticed mine has a bunch of shedding areas, the “lining“ is very messy and could use a trim, and there are a few tiny coloring issues, but I have seen way worse squishy and it isn’t really that bad; especially if you just want something soft to squeeze. This is amazing.

Halloween Stickers

Continuing our adorable ghost and Halloween trend, we got an adorable family of ghost stickers! On Blippo these were available for $1.90, they kind of remind me of dollar store stickers.

The sheet was full when I got it, don’t worry. I used some of the stickers to seal some wrapping in a package I was preparing for my friend because I was in a position where I didn’t have the time to look for my tape and I had to hurry up.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

They’re very cute and I love the various poses and styles. I’m not too crazy about repetitive sticker sheets like this- but when this happens it’s at least nice knowing I don’t have to feel sad for using a sticker I liked.

I’m not the only one who gets like that right...?

I wish they were a little big bigger, but at the same time there is something to be said for adorable little stickers, although they can be a tiny bit hard to get off the sheet. Stickiness is 10 out of 10.

Kanahei Sticky Notes

I’ve noticed the Usagi and Piske duo beginning to show up a little more often in the boxes as of late. I don’t mind though, they’re pretty cute.

These are available in both sticky note format or the one I got which is called “foldadble message fusen notes”, both types for $2.90 in a few different styles.

I finally understand how these work because of the “tutorial“ on the back. Basically you write something in the middle, then you take the paper and fold it so the middle is hidden by the top and bottom of the image to create a seamless note that looks like there isn’t anything there. Then you open it to find the note.

Unfortunately... by the time I got mine folded properly, the note was so beaten up I decided to trash it. For such an easy concept it’s actually a little hard >3<

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Despite that issue, I still think these are ultra-cute~ Especially this breakfast themed one, it would be perfect for inviting someone to breakfast or wishing them a good morning x3

Sanrio Sticky Bookmarks & Ciara Unicorn Card Protector

(In hindsight I should have put the sticky bookmarks with the message notes...)

Our first item in the picture is a set of Sanrio themed bookmarks based on a specific character. Each set costs anywhere from $1.90-$2.90 and includes 2 thin bookmarks, 2 mediums, 1 large, and 1 horizontal one, for a total of 90 bookmarks!

There was a huge variety of sanrio characters these were available in.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I usually don’t use these as I have bookmarks for the novels I read and I don’t have any sort of files or binders or anything in need of organization. BUT these come in handy for make-shift labels, which I have been putting them to use for :3 I love the variety of colors and sizes these come in too, usually I don’t see too much variety in one pack.

The other item is an adorable Unicorn Card Protector, available in 4 adorable pastel colors, each with it’s own unique unicorn drawing. Beneath the Ciara logo is the words “Make a girl more kawaii somewhere on a rainbow”, and on the back is a single chibi wing drawing. The front has tiny wings and stars covering it.

The protector has a flap on both the back and front, but the back flap is translucent. Each one costs $1.90.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I love unicorns, and the second I saw this I knew I would need to use it for my cards, which I will be doing after I finish this review. The one I’ve been using is pretty old and beaten up, so I figured it was time for a change.

It’s very easy to put the cards in and out of the two sides, and I was able to put about 5 cards in there with little effort. I feel like I may have been able to put in one or two more, but I didn’t have anything else nearby.

Halloween Umaibo

Our snack/food item for this box is an Umaibo, which I have no complaints against. I love these x3 although this one was extremely broken up... I’m not really sure if it was like that before I got it or after, but I’m going to assume before because I don’t throw my boxes around and beat them up like this stick was.

I wouldn’t ever turn down an Umaibo (unless it’s an intimidating flavor...) though, and it was still perfectly edible. It was corn/corn potage flavor, my favorite!

They can be bought on Blippo for $2.50 and you get 5 per purchase! But I saw a handful of them were sold out right now, I’m sure they will get more in soon though.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I’ve already made it clear that I’m obsessed with this umaibo flavor. It’s my #1 favorite, I wish they sold them in large boxes~

I also like that they gave us a Halloween packaged one... but I sorta feel like this might have been a missed opportunity. They should have chose a fall flavor, or something more associated with Halloween like pumpkins, squash, etc. I’m sure I saw something like that before.

Korean Okitoki Stationery Set

(Note the upside down pencil sharpener and toppers above it :P)

This is a nice little stationery set that provides the essentials needed for writing or a day at school. This is produced by the brand Caramel Popcorn; I’ve gotten a few items from them before. But I couldn’t find this exact set on Blippo, I did see a handful of variants, including a few bigger sets.

This set includes 2 pencils without an eraser or tip (I guess so you can pick?), 2 pencil caps, 1 glittery blue eraser with a non-taped or glued wrapping, 1 pencil sharpener, 1 Ruler with a numbered side and a bumpy side.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I actually didn’t expect very much with this set. Looking at the items and the packaging just gives it a cheap quality, but I was pleasantly surprised. The pencils and sharpener work like normal (I got very long strands from the sharpener :3 very satisfying), and the eraser is pretty to look at. You barely need to press to use it too. Ruler is flimsy but works with no problem.

My only noteworthy thing is that the pencil lids don’t seem to want to stay on if you put it on the sharpened side, but it stays fine on the other side. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose though?

♥ Cutie Ranking ♥

Content - ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ It was a typical case of me being unsure if I liked the box much besides one or two items. I wasn’t very crazy over the abundance of stationery it seemed like we got this time, but I’ve come to enjoy it for what it is by the time I finished the review. Sometimes it’s just how it happens.

Price - ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ I didn’t count the Umaibo since it’s for a set of 5 on the Blippo website and we only get 1. I’m not good at math so there was no way I could figure that out... I also didn’t count the stationery because I didn’t see it. Without them the box is worth about $24.00, so I imagine it’s around $30.00 in total. Which is really nice since we pay around $20.00.

Theme - ♥ ♥ ♥ They could have done better. Like it was obvious the theme was Halloween, and we only got 3 Halloween items out of 10. Unless you count the 2 neko things, which kind of associate with Halloween...

Total Rank: 6 out of 10 Cuties. I appreciated the box and enjoyed it, but I wish they would strongly follow themes more. I understand they probably don’t want to force it on people who might not celebrate the holiday, but I think it’d be better not to try to enforce a theme if you don’t plan to follow it. The design of Aiko-chan on the front is adorable, but it would imply the Halloween gimmick is stronger than it actually is.

♥ Cutie Scale ♥

1. Neko Pocket Mirror - it’s my favorite shade of pink and includes a super-squishy looking adorable kitty~

2. Unicorn Card Protector - very sweet and delicate looking, and I needed a new one so it was great timing x3

3. Ghost Squishy - it might have some faults, but it’s super cute and perfect for Halloween!

4. Umaibo - I’m living for the Halloween exclusive design x3 they make really cute Holiday packaging.

5. Halloween Stickers - They’re so kawaii, I just wish there was more variations on it.

6. Neko bag charm - it’s face is so sweet and adorable, I just wish it was cuddly.

7. Onigiri Plush charm - So soft and squishy. Do you think it’d be rude to eat Chinese food in front of it?

8. Usagi & Pitske Notes - I love the adorable pancake themed image x3 but it might just be because I’m really hungry right now. . .

9. Sanrio Sticky Bookmarks - I love the pastels and the designs~

10. Stationery Set - It’s very cute, but I’ve never been a blue girl, and the designs are extremely repetitive.

Well, that will be doing it for this review :3 Up next will be the October Tokyo Treat, and hopefully soon my first, official order from Blippo.com. As I said on top I’ll make a post about it to give you guys a look at how it goes and what I got.

Until next time remember to keep opening a box of cuteness every day!

#kawaiibox #onigiri plush #neko accessories #usagi piske #umaibo #halloween squishy

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upsett-spaghett · 7 years

Photo

Ok here we go. Sorry I haven’t been able to get this done sooner, I’ve been studying my ass off for finals. But, after too long, here is my official bio for Nath. (Plus some extra sketchbook doodles, sorry for the messy writing)

@neko-puff

@pinkiainfinity57477

@cybertube-sequel

–

Name: Nathan Dushlan

Nicknames: Nath, Nate

Gender: Male

Age: 20

Born in: Michigan, USA

Currently lives in: Ohio, USA(he goes to collage at Ohio State)

Height: 5'8"

Weight: 173 lbs

Eye Color: Hazel

Hair Color: Light Brown

Family: Natalie(Mother-51), Evan(Brother-24), Matt(Brother-26)

Power: Can generate electricity from his body and use it in various ways(charge arrows, send power to machinery, this is mainly machinery based, with Nate being able to control the electrical current and therefore a machine, as well as generate sparks from his fingertips or other parts of his body. He could probably do natural electricity(lightning, etc) if he really tried but the effort would probably kill him so he doesn’t. Combined with Jason, they can create an electricity Bomb of sorts, similar to a bolt of lightning striking a tree.) He’s also not sure if he’s found a “glitch” or not, but after battle he’s discovered he can help teammates slowly recover PP by “charging” their weapons with his powers. It does take quite an amount of time and energy though.

(Fun extra tidbit- when working with others w/ weather/storm powers he can sometimes throw them off a bit by accident. His body naturally conducts electricity and sometimes it can cause lightning to strike him or things near him. Luckily it doesn’t hurt him, he just describes it as a “slightly tinglily and jumpy feeling” and in larger doses “like I just drank 6 monsters in a row”)

Weapon: For ranged, he uses a Bow and arrow, which transfers over well from IRL. The arrows he shoots are automatically generated thanks to being in Cybertube, so he doesn’t carry a quiver. He can charge the arrows he shoots with his electricity power and shoot them while they are still being effected by it. Different types of arrows can be shot(but only two, including the normal ones)Though, he often prefers to just shoot normal arrows and charge them up. For melee/close ranged, he uses his body. Luckily, he knows how to throw a good punch thanks to Matt, and the “punch”(haha no pun intended) of it is amplified by his powers. He fights with his own style, using dodging and snarky remarks often to tire out the enemy/make them mad then take them out. He uses the small things to his advantage, and is very quick on his feet. He uses his wit in every fight, in order to give him a better chance to win/get out of the fight alive. Appearance: (See above. Civilian clothing will be drawn later.)

Accessories: - He wears gloves that cut off at the knuckle closest to the fingernail, and they’d normally go to just below his shoulder but he rolls them down for convince purposes. The gloves are padded on the inside, and act as arm guards, an essential thing for archers to have. - His goggles help him in multiple ways. From protecting his eyes, helping him see(both because he needs glasses and because they give him night vision), to locating targets and pinpointing their weak spots. Personality: Nathan is super competitive, though not always very forward about it. In a fight he can hold well on his own, but would usually prefer to have backup, mainly someone he can trust and knows will be able to take care of themselves. This is useful for the times when he sometimes bites off more than he can chew. In battle he’ll often snack talk to stall for time to come up with a strategy, and often uses the opponents rage against them. He can mask his emotions well, but doesn’t really like to unless it’s to help the team out or something like that(For example- acting confident when he’s scared enough to puke to give his other teammates confidence and hope, cracking a joke to lighten the mood even if he doesn’t wanna say anything, etc). He’s not the most open person out there, but generally if you ask something he’ll tell it if he knows the person well enough. He’s pretty good at coming up with solutions on the spot, but not as good at sticking to a set and timely plan. He values brains over brawn, and that’s how he’s gotten through life. He’s learned to never underestimate anybody and how to use humor as both a coping and defense mechanism. Backstory: Nath grew up with his parents, two older brothers, and his dog, Collie, in Northern Michigan, on a beach town connected to Lake Michigan. He would always roughhouse with his two older brothers, but being the youngest and smallest he was always the wimpiest of the three. So instead of using brute force and power, he was forced to make do with his natural speed and acquired wit to hold his own against them(sometimes he’d get his dog to help him- but that’s totally not cheating ok!!). His life got turned around when his Dad got diagnosed with stage IIB colon cancer in the summer of when Nathan turned 13. The next few months were filled with hospital visits and helping his Dad make paper boats and planes from his bedside table, until finally, his dad’s condition started to get better. He was released with medication and was able to do everything again, which his childish dad took advantage of as soon as he was able to. Everything was going fine until winter Of when Nate was 15, when his dad’s condition suddenly got bad. He was bedridden pretty quickly, and the cycle of hospital visits started once again. But this time, only a month later, his condition greatly dropped and he passed away within a week. After this, Nate had a really rough streak. He stopped caring about school, and got in fights so often that he’s almost daily come home hiding black eyes or a split lip. This lasted for about a year and a half, when Nathan stopped fighting so much and such after a close near death experience. He had the realization that this wasn’t what his dad would want for him after that. Instead, he now threw himself into his schoolwork and the sport he had been playing on and off since he was 11, archery. He brought up his grades and was able to graduate high school with good enough grades to make it into Ohio state. And this is where he is today.

Extra: - His greatest fear is losing the ones he loves, especially due to some mistake on his part - Dog person - Loves storms, always has - He loves swimming, and knows how to handle jet-skis like another limb - He still has some of the paper airplanes and boats he and his dad made and wrote on from his dad’s first hospital stay - His dad’s death does not haunt him, and he’s come to terms with it. He’s moved past it, but still gets kinda sad and sentimental when talking about him - He’s p strong in his arms, due to archery - He’s more fast than strong

#cybertube #cybertube Oc #Nate #Nathan dushlan

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symbianosgames · 7 years

Link

The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra’s community. The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.

Hello, I’m Antonio Uribe, better known as Fáyer. I’m the Co-founder and Director of HyperBeard Games, an indie game studio based in Mexico City. The following text is a combination of an analysis and the story about the development of KleptoCats.

HyperBeard before KleptoCats

At the start of the development we weren’t in the best position. We were sad. The office had lost half of its people because the game we made before wasn’t the success we needed financially speaking, and we were a couple months away of losing the other half. All the people involved in the project thought that this was going to be the last game we made together as a team. But well, if you follow us on Twitter you know that we actually made it and we are still making games.

Where did the idea come from?

While working on the game before KleptoCats, we noticed there was a feeling of discontent towards the players of mobile games- that they only wanted free games and didn’t want to pay for quality content. With this in mind Joe and JP made a prototype as social criticism. The idea was the user would send a cat out and it would return with a random object, and the time the user had to wait would increase more and more from seconds to minutes, hours, days, weeks… The only way to make the cat come back quickly was by paying or watching an ad. I liked the concept a lot, because the objects they chose were really interesting and they caught my attention quickly. Unfortunately, The Balloons (the prior project mentioned above which failed financially) was still under development during our exploration and our boss thought the prototype was kind of silly. So, before we got to explore these ideas further we archived the prototype in our “to do” folder.

After The Balloons wasn’t the success we expected, we immediately started to work on other games. Half of the team worked on a shoot ’em up and the other half worked on a pet game with cookie clicker and world building mechanics. The whole future of the studio depended on these games. By January of 2016, only Joe, JP and me were working for the company. The boss visited us to check the progress on the pet game, which we decided had the most chance of success. The game wasn’t close to playable, the ideas were all over the place and nothing was clear. Disappointed with the state of the development he asked us if we had something that could be done before March, the official closing date of the branch. We remembered the cat idea and with a frown on his face he let us make it. After the first iterations, he was super happy with the project. I make him seem like an asshole but really he’s not so bad (he made me add this part).

Throughout HyperBeard’s history we have paused and canceled many games. This never means that the idea dies, only that it is saved for the future. The pet game was canceled at the time, but KleptoCats was influenced by it and from other games paused in the past. Alchademy, for example, took a lot of inspiration from another game that we developed years ago, mixed with a game that we are about to release soon and with the waiting mechanics of KleptoCats.

Development through iteration

In the beginning, the prototype only had the cat, several objects, and the waiting mechanic. We didn’t know where this game was going, we just started working and ideating with what we had. In three to four weeks we implemented 100 cats, 100+ objects, and the first room. We also added other mechanics like feeding, petting, the mini game, and sounds (that we did ourselves with a mic). With that we decided to soft launch in Mexico and Canada to see if people had any interest in a strange game like KleptoCats.

Thanks to that soft launch we learned a lot and found more things that players wanted in the game. In the next two weeks we added music, accessories, the possibility to change the cats’ names, displaying inactive cats in the background, GemDog, the golden cat, and the object’s descriptions. We also gave ourselves the opportunity to experiment with other ideas. We considered giving the players the ability to place the objects in the room as they wanted. We also considered having different types of cats or even other animals. At the end we decided to continue on the path we already had because it made the most sense for the current game and sometimes the benefits of the ideas didn’t make up for the time we needed to invest.

After the experimentation and the soft launch, we launched globally on March 17, 2016 on iOS and Android. We had valuable feature placement in both stores and a lot of people shared screenshots and more in their social networks. We realized even before we launched that players actually liked sharing stuff about the game.

Not everything went super smoothly, the Android feature got us a lot of attention and with that attention we were flooded with 1 star reviews because the game didn’t work on several low end devices. Those reviews put our game below the 4.0 stars threshold and it was dropped out of the feature. Lucky enough, we managed to work on some optimizations and the game returned to a good position. Now it’s a rated a very respectable 4.5.

KleptoCats’ story and fan theories

If you’re a fan of the game, you’ve probably come across some strange objects that seem to suggest that the game is somewhat more complex than it seems. KleptoCats has a story that is developed while collecting objects. Due to the randomness of the order you may collect the objects, some users may discover it sooner or but for others, it may take a while. The object that makes it very obvious that something is strange, is the mirror.

While we were developing the game, JP (the lead artist) had thought it was a good idea to put a mirror in the center of the room and draw someone tied to a chair in the reflection. That was the origin of the back story. The idea is that the character who is tied up in the mirror, IS the “player” in a certain way. That player is also the voice that describes objects and is the one who experiences what happens in the game. Something that makes the mystery more interesting is that the reflection is only seen when the object is placed. It’s not shown in the catalog and its description says “nothing to see here, just a regular mirror.”

From there we developed the story into the game and added many more objects that took the story to another level, ending with the secret codes hidden in each of the first 4 rooms that, when entered into the safe, open a special secret level for really dedicated fans.

Because of this secrecy, and the way it unfolds differently for each person depending on what objects you find, there are many fans who developed theories about what was going on. A simple Google search reveals several videos, images, and posts with theories. On our side, to keep the lore going, we decided to make a comic that gives a bit more information.

The weirdness of an idle mechanic and the mobile game dev scene

KleptoCats is weird on several levels, but the weirdest thing, by far, is the wait mechanics on which the whole game is based. Most game design strategies are meant to keep your players happy and make them play a lot. In our game we try to have them interested a couple of minutes and then let them leave because there is nothing else to do. The game was designed like a small window to a strange world. Although we make money from the little patience that some players have, we always recommend to wait instead of rushing to find everything.

We didn’t invent the waiting mechanic and we were definitely not the first ones to make an idle collection game with cats (there is Neko Atsume). At first we were criticized for having stolen this other game but, if analyzed, the games are very different. Yes, both have cats, collections and idle mechanics, but how they are played and the purpose of each are very different. I think fans knew to differentiate and appreciate each one for its unique ways.

I think the comparisons happened because both are mobile games, an area of the gaming industry that is not well received. Gamers say that mobile games are not real games, the video game press rarely talks about them, and platform users think that we are only interested in money. Mobile game developers never get respect, and the few times a mobile game catches the attention of the world or the press is because it is making a lot of money. Nobody sees mobile games like the games on console or PC.

The mobile market is a complicated platform. Not only do we get little respect in the industry, we also have to find a way to make money in an ecosystem that refuses to pay and is saturated with free high quality options such as Supercell, King and in recent months Nintendo with IPs like Pokémon and Mario. This topic could be explored even further but for now I do not want to get too distracted.

Passing along to other teammates and combatting momentum

HyperBeard is a small team, when we started KleptoCats we were only 3 people, and now we are 7. The project started with Joe (programmer), JP (artist) and me helping with everything else that was necessary. This team developed the game to the third room. From there we hired a couple more people to add more details and eventually take control of the project. Mario, Marms, and Kyu developed the game from the 4th to the 6th room. The 7th (and those that follow) are currently being developed in collaboration with another branch of the company that owns HyperBeard. Even though to our standards KleptoCats was a success, after months of work and trying to do something new, we found trying to continue the project got tiresome. That’s why we decided after months of working, it was a good idea for the original team to move onto other things while the new members could take it and give it a fresh and different vision. After a month with the new core team, we again decided that it was better to take it to other people. We discovered that it is better to cycle development teams so that it does not feel monotonous and that others can adapt part of their tastes and cultures to the game.

For games like KleptoCats content is very important, it ensures that the app stores pay attention to the game and players stick around and invest in it. Even more important than the content is the people who are working on it, you have to maintain a high morale and also keep the interest of the creators for the project. If you get to lose interest the game will suffer the absence of creativity. That’s why we decided to cycle the development.

The Dupes (duplicated objects)

Having a success doesn’t mean that everything we did was perfect. An example at the beginning of development, due to the randomness of the game, there were many complaints from the players because the cats were bringing repeated objects. Although in the game when this happens we give more coins to the user, we wanted to do something so that the player did not feel like it was a mistake.

To correct the issue, we decided to remove the repeated objects and instead show a bag of money, so it would be more obvious that we were giving more coins. It did not work as expected, although internally the game worked the same, many users complained because by only showing the money bag it was much more obvious when the cat was not giving you a new object.

Not long ago we added another feature to the game where we showed a bubble with the description of the object that the cat brings, because of that, we decided that it was a good idea to return the repeated objects so the user could see again the descriptions that are an important part of the game. Again, it backfired, there were many complaints because the cats were bringing repeated objects and many thought it was a bug in the game.

In all iterations about duplicate objects, things worked exactly the same, the changes were only graphical. Either way the fans always reacted in a negative way, which taught us that sometimes it is better not to pay too much attention to what they say and it is better to see how they act on it.

Merchandise

If you follow us on social networks, you’ve probably seen some pictures of the plushies we made of Guapo (the main cat in KleptoCats). By chance we found a local manufacturer that had some cat plushies that looked very similar to ours and we contacted them to do some tests. We liked the results so much that we shared it online and made a mailing list for anyone interested in getting one. In a couple of weeks, we gathered more than 10,000 subscribers and decided to order 100 units to test.

Selling the plushies was not difficult but we never considered how complicated and expensive it is to send the merchandise to other countries, considering that almost all the fans were from outside Mexico. The entire process took a long time and surely that was more expensive than what we recovered when we sold them. Either way, it was not a bad experience and it was worth it just to see fans from various parts of the world with their KleptoCats plushies.

Besides plushies we did other things, too. A friend helped us with a webcomic that illustrates a bit of the lore of KleptoCats. We also made several stickers to distribute in events and to our friends. The KleptoCats page has a paint tool where you can create KleptoCats and we also have a section of wallpapers for phones and PCs.

KleptoCats Today

The game’s birthday is on March 17th. Today the game has 7 rooms, 280 cats, 844 objects, many accessories to dress the kittens, and is translated into 8 languages. We are still working on the game and a new room will be released soon.

From its first day until its birthday the game has been downloaded more than 6 million times and has generated more than $800,000 (53% from IAPs and 47% from ads). In total, all users have played about 8 million hours, which is almost a thousand years.

We are very happy with the success that KleptoCats has had and in addition to putting HyperBeard on the map, it gives us the money to continue chasing crazy ideas. We are currently developing a couple of ideas and we are getting ready to be publishers for projects similar to ours.

If you read the whole post, thank you very much for your time. If you have any questions or comments, you can always go to my twitter (@fire_tony) or HyperBeard’s (@HyperBeard). On the HyperBeard website you can find more information about our other games and the contact information. Please follow our social networks, on there we are always sharing what we do.

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