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692blog · 6 months

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call of duty tiktok: ghosting your boyfriend

call of duty is a first-person shooter video game that was released by activision in 2003. COD (acronym pronounced like the fish), originally, focused on a WWII storyline involving a fictional military unit fighting historical threats. activison has since expanded outwards to other various battlefields – all centering around a team of deadly soldiers and a playable hero main character.

COD has been wildly successful; guinness world records marks it as being the best-selling first-person shooter series of all time. all of this violence and war has been marketed as more masculine, but there have been non-male fans of the franchise since its conception.

a popular character that has been present in the series since 2009 is simon “ghost” riley. he’s a british special forces operator with just about as much trauma as lazy writers can force on one character – one peek at his character wiki will leave you either breathless or with a headache.

simon "ghost" riley - photo: activision

here’s a quick, but by no means definitive, list of things that have happened to mr. riley across the franchise:

1. traumatic childhood 2. tortured (but never successfully brainwashed) by his turncoat unit leader. this leader is then killed by another boss and ghost is buried alive in his leader's casket, breaking out using the rotted jawbone of said former leader 3. temper-management issues 4. family killed by previously mentioned brainwashed comrades and ghost is framed for it 5. prevented nuclear war 6. shot point blank in the chest with a .44 7. snowmobile accident (blown up by a man named templar, who, if you can believe it, belongs to the enemy group ‘five knights’)

a lot of people separate ghost into '2009 ghost' and 'current ghost', in reference to the remaster of his original game. this allows for ghost to not only have a melancholy air, but melancholy potential. something that fans everywhere are chomping at the bit for.

ren's tiktok - notice the spelling of 'kill', 'prostitute', 'die', 'overdose', and 'murder'. there’s a lot more lore about this character, but the gist of it is that he’s a tragic anti-hero that is trying his best to do good (remind you of any other topics on this blog?)

on archive of our own, there’s about 8,000 pieces of fanfiction centering around ghost and his scottish squadmate, john ‘soap’ mactavish. there’s a substantial amount of fanfiction dedicated to ghost/female reader - that being a fanfiction about ghost written from a second person pov, with the protag having female characteristics - hovering around 2,500 works.

ghost is a growing character in terms of fanfiction, with a lot of the most popular pieces written in the past year or so, despite the character originally debuting almost 15 years ago; soap being introduced two years before that in 2007. i don’t think activision set out to create intense homoerotic subtext in their war-idolatry games, but, hey, it happens to the best of us.

what i’m discussing here is a more recent addition to all of this fanfare: the existence of ghost tiktok. the interesting thing about COD tiktok is that it's a growing female userbase slowly infiltrating a traditionally masculine part of the internet.

there are a few kinds of tiktoks that populate the ‘#simonghostriley’ tag. the major ones being edits of ghost clips from the newly remastered modern warfare 2 (released in 2022), or, more notably, tiktoks showcasing ghost cosplayers. cosplay, is of course, a portmanteau of ‘costume play’, describing the action of real life humans dressing up as their favorite (mostly) fictional characters. think comic con – anime, video games, movies.

ashanyx's tiktok - note the 2.7 million likes and the commenter 'Buzzarre'; i believe he is said boyfriend.

(there's also a smaller community of ghost fanfiction writers on tiktok. they post their work in sections screenshotted off their phone and put in a photo carousel. it's an ease-of-use thing - being able to read the fic without switching apps - and most ghost fanfiction exists in other corners of the internet which is why i didn't include it in this post.)

i want you to know, on a exclusively personal note, that these cosplay tiktoks were very hard to watch. i don’t know what it is, but the confidence that these (mostly) men go at these cosplays makes me itchy. explore at your own risk - and heed warnings, a lot of creators tag their content with 'MDNI' or 'minors do not interact'.

tiktok user 'smollgrim' - one of the pinned videos on his account describes his 'boundaries' - which he usually reiterates in shorthand in all of his tiktok descriptions.

this confidence is one of the reasons ghost tiktoks are so popular. ghost is a masked character that’s cocky with plenty of pre-recorded dialogue. combined, these things make him extremely accessible to cosplay. all you need is ghost’s iconic skull balaclava and you’re set. if you’re wondering why he wears a mask, the answer is sexy mystery (or facial scars. or as a intimidation tactic. you decide).

ghost, as a character, has all of our favorite love interest characteristics. powerful, aloof, and most importantly, being misunderstood. the mask allows him to remain emotionally anonymous, maybe he's smiling at a joke you made, or secretly blushing. this ambiguity is alluring to an audience, as they can project anything onto ghost - allowing for multiple interpretations from the same video clip of him.

ghosty's tiktok - see the diverse interpretations of the same clip of ghost killing an enemy: either he's angry because you're incompetent or he's protecting you. ghost sits at the same table as our favorite mafia bosses, the avengers, and draco malfoy.

while there is a larger community of 'real life' ghosts - cosplaying him involves a little bit more fanfare than the usual bad boy. since ghost is special forces, he wears a lot of military gear. this results in wannabe ghosts fully decking themselves out in tactical outfits - which they then use to play pretend in front of a camera with lights blinking on and off in the background.

these are two different tiktoks - jewels' has the search suggestion of 'call of duty cosplay x y n sad', which is very telling of what people are trying to get from these videos. cupid's tiktok has an audio saying 'this is a homicidal maniac! no you cannot date him.' - which is also very indicative.

the harsh contrast of these smug ghost cosplayers and the brutality of the media they're adopting remind me of a quote from the preface to the picture of dorian gray:

"We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely. All art is quite useless."

which, to me, means, yeah this might be ridiculous, donning face paint and night vision goggles to get compliments on tiktok, but life is ridiculous. that's kind of the whole point.

i can only see ghost getting more popular; famous internet personality brittany broski is infamously in love with these cosplayers and talks about it all the time on her various platforms.

(1) (2) - these are very popular ghost videos, and mentions of brittany flood the comments and search suggestions.

if i have learned anything from this research, it's that anti-heroes with lots of power will always be attractive to a large audience. no matter the melodrama, the violence, or the miscommunication, if bad boys exist, fandom spaces will be created - and i commend the internet for that.

#simon ghost riley #call of duty #tiktok #i wrote this post drinking tea out of a cup shaped like a ghost btw

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eyeballtank · 9 months

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Maybe i should do another Rentry post for these but just in case.

Honestly, if Crowbcat wanted to be even more /v/, he could've not bothered with those videos about Halo (Which even Martin O'Donnell liked) and instead gone full "Babby's first FPS that ruined the genre".

He even made a positive video about Doom 2016, for a guy that is essentially "/v/ outside of /v/".

Like he could've technically been worse, since /v/ even had threads shitting on RE4.

Love Death and Robots seems at first to be a spiritual successor to Heavy Metal in terms of being a showcase of different sci-fi stories.

The problem is that Heavy Metal had a particular appeal that isn't really present in LDR, mostly the "nerd into 80/90's heavy metal/sci-fi" stuff while LDR has typical modern elements.

But this might also be partially why the Heavy Metal comics brand is dead, because they dropped that appeal/focus years ago.

If people look at the 2 animated movies or those illustrations by Simon Bisley, they'll get disappointed knowing HM stopped showing tits at some point.

Though someone i follow that is a bigger comics expert points out that Heavy Metal was more about the art while 2000AD was more about the stories and also had better variety so it wasn't just "cool characters nerds like".

The thing with Lois Lane in the new Superman cartoon is that she looks like a generic tomboy but to some people, she was just a white office lady.

I guess it's like how Marian from Double Dragons wans't really a visually iconic looking character, so nobody cares that River City Girls turned her into Dorohedoro Noi.

But it also might be a difference from Harley Quinn where if these characters like superheroes or villains have interesting designs, then the likes of Batman's butler Alfred or Spiderman's Aunt May exist to look normal and not have actual designs.

So to some it isn't a loss because she never had a "design" as they think.

SiivaGunner was a fun gimmick at first but i think what made the channel kinda boring is how many memes they started to incorporate and even make it part of a "lore".

Like Grandad and Snow Halation are "part of it" but then there's all these various attempts at referencing specific e-celebs and memes.

It's specifically lame when they reference Keemstar or Logan/Jake Paul like those are human beings worth liking.

Also makes the "wholesome" aesthetic weird.

"Awww look at Kirby and Frisk from Undertale, videogames are so cute... anyway, here's the shittiest memes you've already been tired of seeing on Youtube mixed along".

People already give Triple Q some shit for being irony poisoned or meme centered, even if he hasn't reached the level of Grandayy.

Probably the same deal with Tumblr people going "NO MORE IRONY, I WANT SINCERITY" but still showing hints of the meme/irony culture they grew around, when they could either develop real life experiences or interact with actual good media.

Maybe a problem with nerd portrayals in pop culture is that the idea of them being outcast and all is there but Star Wars was always popular, so pop culture was "partially correct".

Like replace Star Wars and Star Trek with Heavy Metal comics or something less talked about and all those caricatures in tv shows could've been more accurate.

When it comes to fiction copying/taking stuff from its own fields, comedy is probably the worst case of this because you'll realize certain caricatures or "types" come from someone's observations and then later comedies take it and it becomes autopilot in a way.

Maybe it's the case with media leading to stereotypes or biased views on real people but moreso something that makes characters feel less sincere.

I dunno, making another generic fantasy setting with orcs and dragons is less evil in comparison to a sitcom copying the same character traits.

Seeing people go "you're not a real fighting game fan unless you're part of the FGC" is funny because it's obviously a response to people mad at the censorship in Skullgirls.

But also because it's a way to make any game less beloved than it is because of how exploitable it is.

"You're not a real Mario fan unless you're a SM64 speedrunner".

When Doom Eternal came out, even guys with "hot takes about JRPG's" and those that mock Redditors talked about the Isabelle crossovers and did basic Doom memes.

Most of them might as well be fake fans because they're not too invested in wads and browse Doomworld.

See how that sounds?

I think i already said in Rentry posts that Sseth became either safe or too reliant on current memes.

Emptyhero however still makes risky jokes and is still funny.

If i finish my game, i wouldn't care if he shat on it as long as he made a review of it funny.

If you think about it, Zoomers grew up with Smosh and ERBOH, so they watch breadtubers and essay video makers to overcompensate.

It's the closest they get to "intellectualism" to make it up for watching shit that other online groups would put it beneath 9gag.

10:

I wonder if there's a correlation between people complaining about "edgy animation" (As in, when Spongebob has better animation/is animated by actual animators than SU) and people that hate AAA games with "photorealistic" graphics.

Because there is an arguement for "corporate" art styles still requiring effort but then they'd realize that applies more to 3D "CalArts" animation that even the Mario movie has than Spongebob.

Even with videogames, developers "scaling down graphics" won't just be the end of Naughty Dog but even fantasy or sci-fi designs people like.

Not even "343 overdesigned sci-fi" or "DarkSiders copycat autopilot fantasy" but there's character designs people won't admit have a lot of detail.

Unless that "i want shorter games with worse graphics" image is less about scale and more about quality as in "the Metal Slug series is soulless because it having good pixel art means it took slavework while my shitty indie game is REAL SOUL because the art style being bad is a good thing".

Maybe it's a clique thing where people just advertise the "right kind" of games.

And again, corporations LOVE stiff animation and hate effort taking animation from passionate animators.

11:

I think the reason why people have some interest in people taking shit seriously is because of what comes next: When they "betray" that investment.

Like Zoomers still taking screenshots of art they deem illegal/immoral to mock someone or taking "Proshippers DNI" off profiles to not get blocked by artists.

Or people treating "groomer" as a slur when they could easily use it against the other side when they find their actual examples of groomers.

Something where the issue is not "taking shit seriously" but more "doing a terrible job at it", because when you take something like culture wars or fandom shit seriously, your brain might as well have some connection like your life somehow depends on it.

You can see this with germophobes who wash their hands too many times, then they make food for someone and don't wash their hands: Are they outgrowing their habits? Or are they revealing they only care for their safety, even if the food isn't contaminated by a real threat?

Maybe it's a sign of people only acting a certain way to fit in a group.

Because it can also come off as a sign of a weak character if you fuck up even something you're supposed to base yourself around.

12:

The idea of a Barbie moving having politics is funny because the "outside" of Barbie has all these feminists thinking girls are forced to play with it or that the character is a terrible representation of women.

In a way, politics in media could be about the "outside" and not what's coming from the setting or story.

Same deal with Doom: Why bring up the UAC argent energy plot when you have John Carmack making the games moddable out of a "hacker respector" way and Romero getting the sack by ZeniMax when wanting to share some assets related to the games?

13:

The occasional overlaps between SA and Tumblr are funny because they seem opposite at first until you realize their opposites explain the overlaps.

One thing is troll's remorse, another is nerds that were always easy to mock still trying to be the bullies.

Knowing the history behind Dril and even Homestuck can reveal some lore between a site where nerds wasted money on a forum while telling other nerds to die and another that acted as a hugbox for freaks to feel "heckin valid".

14:

I think a reason why OG Lara Craft is more liked than the boring new Lara is because she's clearly a comic book/action figure type character and the other is a generic "realistic" character that might as well be an NPC.

Part of why you can't put Solid Snake/Big Boss in the same field as actual generic "white guy protagonists" because of stuff related to their designs, backgrounds, personalities, gameplay etc.

Also explains why some Resident Evil fans (Even if a small minority) aren't much into the remakes or 7/8.

And a problem with both Doom movies and the cancelled Doom 4 having generic SWAT soldiers when Doom always had a particular "sci-fi security guard" aesthetic while the new games have the Sentinel stuff.

15:

The reason to make fun of shit like boomers complaining about woke stuff is if they do it in a situation where it's not the case or they exaggerate something, but you can tell some people mock these even in situations where it's not unreasonable.

Otherwise, the people mocking these boomers would still mock shit like ResetEra freaking out over cute girls in a JRPG.

Like you see people claim Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album art is "appropriating LGBT culture" because of the rainbow and instead, it's the boomers talking about that group of people that get to be mocked.

Being stupid isn't exclusive to one side.

It's why people think it's more convinient to be left wing and then get surprised when there's grifters or shit like that.

16:

A lot of "media literacy" boils down to adding modern politics to a movie that otherwise had a very different message.

Meanwhile, Fritz the Cat had political themes that could apply to modern times but "media literacy" types and animation fans ignore it because it's not coming from their desired background/area.

17:

One of the worst images i saw was a Soyjak making fun of people that prefer to ignore Twitter.

Years of guys on /v/ being told to "go to Twitter" everytime they complain about censorship and now when some anons say "stop posting Twitter screencaps on /v/", they're told "um you should care what Twitter people say".

The mere fact that Twittier is essentially "the center of the web" is a bad thing and destroying the site would be one of the few good things Elon Musk ever did in his life.

#blog

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theliterarywolf · 3 years

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Here’s a List of Shows/Channels/etc. To Get Into if You Need a Distraction Right Now (Part 1)

The Fandom: A Furry Documentary: I know it’s easy to brush off the furry fandom/community as weird or bring up the negativity of recent years, but well-done documentaries like this from inside the fandom that discuss the history and impact of it, as well as the people, do put things into perspective. And even though the director, Ash Coyote, doesn’t feel like this is her best work due to all the stress and chaos that went into getting everything and everyone together for it, I still commend her and everyone for how well it turned out.

Bust or BUST: Take a bunch of YouTube’s more ‘I do this for fun, not to patronize people’ anime YouTubers and get them on a ‘Game Show’ about guessing anime characters by their breast size. Chaos ensues.

sWooZie’s Disney Series: YouTuber sWooZie, way back when, decided to make some short storytime/animatics about his time and tribulations when he worked for Disney. The chill yet comical approach really presents a good story and insight to working for the Magic Kingdom.

The works of Sam Fennah: Satellite City, The August Few, and the upcoming First Night are all signifiers of Sam Fennah’s intricately designed worlds, beautiful creature design, and the lore and dialogue that feeds them. Satellite City will probably be the easiest for someone to jump into to get a feel for the characters and writing, but the animatic previews for Fennah’s upcoming novel The August Few shouldn’t be scoffed at.

Nymphomercial: It’s an uncensored podcast where they review hentai and smut. Always comedically and sometimes regrettably.

Defunctland’s DefunctTV series: More and more people have been made privy to the YouTube channel dedicated to discussing long-gone rides and amusement park attractions of yore, but many may not be aware of the side series that discusses old children shows. Examples including Bear in the Big Blue House, Zoboomafoo, and my favorite Between the Lions.

The works of Felix Colgrave: With the world being made smaller and smaller thanks to the internet, it is becoming rare to see creations that genuinely make your mind have to stop everything and process every aspect that went into their construction and machinations. The animations of Felix Colgrave have such a unique style and flow to them that you really do have to wonder what kind of spirit resides in the mind and body of this man.

Gold Shaw Farm: I was introduced to this channel by complete accident in 2019. I knew that homesteading YouTube channels were becoming more and more popular with more people leaving the city to start homesteads, but none of them really clicked with me until stumbling upon Gold Shaw Farm. Former banker Morgan and his wife Allison (though she rarely appears in videos) run a poultry farm of primarily geese and ducks. And once you watch a video where Morgan starts things off by letting the birds out and saying his signature “RELEASE THE QUACKEN!”, you know you’re in for a fun, chill look at the realistic day-to-day life of running a farm.

kenny lauderdale: Man, Bennett the Sage may sell ‘Oldtaku’ shirts, but this guy really deserves the title. Kenny Lauderdale’s channel centers around old, lost Japanese media. Mostly anime but he’s taken a look at some old television series as well. Of course, my favorite video of his is his look at the famously bad ‘anime’ Chargeman Ken.

Foo the Flowerhorn: This is another channel that I stumbled upon out of the blue. It really is interesting how intriguing something like caring for fish and making natural filtration systems for aquariums can be if someone has such a strong passion for it. And for those who simply like to experience without having someone narrate or dictate, all of the videos here are music and sound only with important information appearing as text on the video.

y.na__homecafe: You may have already been introduced to this channel by various gif sets and stim boards on here. This channel is pretty similar to Foo the Flowerhorn in the no talking, only sound approach, but instead of fish care it centers around making the most Aesthetic (TM) cafe drinks and snacks this side of a hipster bar.

#recommendations #palate cleanser #comfort #videos

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shinneth · 4 years

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what is your absolute favorite ship? How did you start shipping Stevidot? And rant about any ship you feel like, good or bad? :))

… you fool

OH GOD ALL-TIME FAVORITE SHIP YOU SAY. YOU KNOW DAMN WELL I CAN’T CHOOSE ONE.

(it’d probably be Stevidot anyway; objectively I’ve done more for it than anything else I ever shipped in my life and it’s absolutely precious both in platonic and romantic forms)

BUT IN THE INTEREST OF FAIRNESS… and attempt to tone down redundancy, let’s see what other ships earned the “OTP” label from me!

I mean, I pretty much had to lowkey ship Mamoru Chiba x Ami Mizuno because Usagi/Mamoru is basically what Connverse wishes it could be as far as the Ultimate Ship goes. So at the height of my involvement in the fandom (you know, late 90s era), I was never brave enough to make anything for this ship. But the few times they get to interact in the classic anime is legit adorable stuff and I wish we could’ve had more of it.

Before Gem Ascension, before Travels of the Trifecta, my greatest multichaptered epic was a Digimon Tamers fic called By My Decision. I was a hardcore Digimon fan in my early teen years well before I ever got into Pokemon, in fact. And I shipped shitloads of pairings in Adventure and 02 - I can only imagine how many of those would be demonized by the new age fandom puritans of Tumblr nowadays. You can actually see literally everything I ever shipped on my FFN profile here.

But I didn’t really make anything for the first two seasons. Tamers was what really sparked my inspiration, because Takato and Jenrya… honestly, they’re just adorable together. They get to bond a lot, they’re really in touch with their feelings (contrasting to token girl Ruki who was a stiff hardass most of the time), and I often got the impression that Jenrya, unlike Takato, really doesn’t have any other friends.

So of course, I tormented these two on the regular in my story. I of course didn’t forget Juri (for I love her dearly); I was kinda trying a love triangle subversion with Takato angsting over loving both Jenrya and Juri… while Juri’s still got so much PTSD (story is 2 years post-series), shipping is hardly on her mind, and Jenrya’s outright in denial of his feelings for Takato to the point where it very literally screws him up and awakens some inner darkness of his own. I even had Jenrya and Juri bond, but it was pretty platonic stuff.

Still, this ship was way down on the totem pole at the height of Tamers’ fandom. Very frustrating. Takato/Ruki and Jenrya/Ruki were way more popular and I hated both of those ships something fierce. I love Ruki, but I just cringe at the idea of shipping her with either of her fellow leads. Then Jenrya/Ryo got something of a cult following that I couldn’t stand; admittedly I was jealous it was getting the representation that I felt Takato/Jenrya desperately needed more, and I also didn’t like Jenryo in its own right, anyway.

But yeah. Jenkato is a very underappreciated ship that I loved dearly and invested many of my teenage years into.

So, here’s a fun fact: While I played the classic games (my cousins had a Sega Genesis), the way I was mostly raised on Sonic was via the first two cartoon series and the Archie Comics version of the franchise. Archieverse was largely based on the SatAM cartoon; Amy Rose also didn’t exist in the show and it took about 25 issues for her to show up in the comic.

So I was big on Tails x Amy. For a long-ass time. And really, the ship was really only feasible in the Archie continuity. There, Tails is actually older than his usual depicted canon age and Amy is introduced to be around his age before she artificially aged herself with a magic ring so that she could later take on her Sonic Adventure design.

Before that… in these years, Sally was the most well-known love interest of Sonic in the west. So Sonic/Sally seemed like a lock (none of us knowing how Sega felt about that at the time) - and in retrospect I honestly believe it’s a far better Sonic ship than his more well-known modern alternatives.

So, because of Sally’s prominence, Amy was relegated to Sonic’s fangirl and her crush wasn’t really that big a deal. Honestly, that was for the best, as I by far found Amy way more tolerable in Archie’s incarnation than the majority of her other canon contemporaries (Sonic the Comic Amy Rose is more of a competent badass, though).

Tails and Amy had some good banter in Archieverse and the few times they were allowed time to do stuff together as a duo, they were very cute and endearing and I loved them.

Tails also had a lot more going on in terms of character development and backstory in Archieverse. Like, a lot more going on. He even had a “Chosen One” deal that sadly didn’t have a very good payoff, but. It’s more than what they really do with Tails in any other continuity.

Bear in mind, I started on these comics when I was eight or nine years old. Yet I followed this comic well into my late teens and even part of my early twenties, so you can tell Archieverse Sonic has shitloads of lore to it to have that long of an ongoing narrative.

After Sonic Adventure was released, then the Sonamy shipping started to explode. Amy was front-and-center in the spotlight, Sally became the obscure figure in the fandom, and it’s more-or-less stayed that way ever since.

But I was like “It’s okay! Tails and Amy are still tight in Archieverse! Sucks they have to adjust to Sega’s many changes but they’re still best buddies who’ll hopefully get married one day….”

Then 25 Years Later happened and for some goddamned stupid-ass reason, Tails was paired with Mina the Mongoose and I believe Amy was suspiciously never ever mentioned in the future timeline stories (as Sonic and Sally did become endgame in this little series).

Tails and Mina had little to no interaction, and Mina was largely there to be a potential Sonic love interest, and even after she moved on, she got together with another character and still didn’t interact with Tails.

I was sooooooo pissed off. Archieverse was my one hope for Tails/Amy becoming a thing and they ruined it for me. :(

I did get a consolation prize in Geoffrey St. John x Hershey becoming so canon they actually did marry. That’s another one I shipped ever since they first interacted years and years ago.

Of course, Hershey was then “killed off” - and was set for a major comeback, but Ken Penders put a stop to that and had them both erased from reality because fuck Ken Penders, I actually got a nice thing and you yanked it right out of my hands.

Genis Sage x Mithos Yggdrasill from Tales of Symphonia, a ship I hardcore loved enough to write about. Also a ship I think Tumblr would burn me at the stake for shipping at all, but you know what? Fuck Genis x Presea. It’s a boring-ass puppy love ship that in its own right should be lambasted similarly according to anti logic.

…. did I get sidetracked? I did? Pfff. Okay, let’s try and get to another question.

How I started shipping Stevidot?

Pretty simple story, really. I binged SU all the way up to Escapism (Change Your Mind hadn’t aired yet) last December/January. Also watched a looooot of Youtube clips. Most involving Peridot.

And inevitably, most involving Steven as well.

When I started getting into Peridot and SU as a whole enough to seek out fanfiction and whatnot, I didn’t really have any set shipping preferences at first. But when I made myself think about it… honestly, Stevidot just felt the most natural to me. I wanted to see stories about antics with those two specifically - I never liked Lapidot and Amedot did nothing for me ever. So Stevidot was like, pretty much the only thing I really focused on after a while.

Then I found A Gem Like You. And suddenly, INSPIRATION! I developed headcanons for Watcher’s fic, I started reading as much Stevidot as I could, and I was convinced it was the best pairing in the world and fucking hell I need to give it some representation after I noticed how relatively niche it was in the fandom.

And so, Stevidot consumed my soul for all time. I hope those clods are happy.

Rant about a ship, you say…

Good god, that really does need to be its own post. I have so much to say about various ships in general, I may need a bit to… uh, figure that out. Or throwing out some random ones I’d know about would help my focus, fff.

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thecartoonuniverse · 5 years

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Currently Airing Cartoons to Watch: 2019 Edition Part 1

You may remember my list of upcoming cartoons to look out for last year, but this time around I would like to do something different! I am personally recommending cartoons that are currently airing (or are confirmed to get more seasons) and give my opinions on each of them. There may be other good cartoons out there, but if they are not on the list, it means I was not a huge fan of it, it’s a super popular show like Steven Universe or Star vs. the Forces of Evil, or I have yet to watch it. If you are looking for something to watch, this is the list!

Currently Airing:

The Dragon Prince

Summary: The Dragon Prince is an epic fantasy series by the head writer and director of Avatar: the Last Airbender. In the magical land of Xadia, magic comes from six primal sources. But when human mages create a seventh kind of magic, Dark Magic — they begin capturing and harvesting the unique magical creatures they need as ingredients. This sparks a catastrophic war between Xadia and the Human Kingdoms. Three kids from opposite sides of the conflict — two human princes, and the elven assassin who was sent to kill them — discover a secret that could change everything. They decide to join forces and go on an epic journey that may be their only hope of ending the war, and restoring peace to both their worlds.

Opinion: This is probably my favorite currently airing show right now, mostly since I am a huge fan of fantasy shows. Dragons, extremely hot elves, and magic- what more could you ask for? Every one of the characters is complex and likable (well most, depending on who you ask). But even the antagonists are compelling at there are always shades of gray present. Season 2 truly blew me away with how much the stakes were raised and the number of surprises that occurred. There is even going to be a AAA cross-platform video game coming soon set in the same world! The company that creates The Dragon Prince, is doing a fantastic job on their social media (it’s hilarious, trust me), and I cannot wait to see what else they create. A quick warning, the animation from season 1 will take a little while to get used to, but for the most part, it has been improved for Season 2.

Also, there a lot of memes, so get ready for that.

gen:LOCK

Summary: In gen:LOCK, Earth’s last free society is on the losing side of a global war, and recruits a diverse team of young pilots to control the next generation of mecha—giant, weaponized robot bodies. These daring recruits will find, however, that their newfound abilities come at no small cost. As Julian Chase leaves behind his life as a fighter pilot to become the first candidate for the program, he finds his endurance, as well as his very identity, will be tested beyond anything he ever imagined.

Opinion: For any current/past fans of Voltron: Legendary Defender- WATCH THIS SHOW! If you are a fan of mechas, you will surely enjoy this. But if you were more a fan of the character interactions from VLD, this show also has you covered. It has an amazingly diverse cast and even has a canon genderfluid character. It is a show made for adults, so the stakes are real and dark subjects are treated seriously. Even the romance is done very well with the characters acting like adults instead of arguing over each other like teenagers. Even from the first episode, you can tell that the show is willing to take risks and is sure to become one of the greatest shows of the decade. The animation is also beautiful, and is definitely the best looking show Rooster Teeth has created. The fan base is super small right now since the first season just aired and is RT First exclusive. But trust me, it is worth a watch.

Carmen Sandiego

Summary: Carmen is a modern day Robin Hood traveling the globe and stealing from V.I.L.E. and giving back to its victims. Carmen is publicly perceived as a criminal by most law enforcement agencies – correction, make that a master criminal due to the sheer scale and theatricality of her heists. We will follow her escapades and get to determine not only where but WHO in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

Opinion: This show really caught me by surprise- I was fully expecting a kiddy edutainment show, but what I got was something much more complex and intriguing. Carmen this time around, as the summary suggests, is an anti-hero, and not an antagonist or villain like she was in the past. While some may not want to watch it due to this, I think this take on her is done very well, and once you get past the two-episode backstory, you will find the show is fun with a diverse cast of characters from all over the world. This GIF doesn’t quite do it justice but trust me when I say this show has some one of the best looking art styles I have ever seen. Surprisingly the weakest aspect of the show is the educational factor, which is puzzling as it was very much promoted as a show to teach children geography. In some cases, I have seen posts/tweets pointing out factual errors the show made! Normally it wouldn’t be the biggest deal, but this is a show that prides itself for its educational value. Also, some of the characters have pretty flat personalities or are just straight up incompetent, but hopefully that will change as the show progresses further. The finale was amazing, and I am patiently waiting for the next season!

Tangled: The Series/ Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure

Summary: Set between the events of the feature film and the start of the 2012 CGI short film, Tangled Ever After, the animated series unfolds as Rapunzel acquaints herself with her parents, her kingdom and the people of Corona. Her irrepressible spirit and natural curiosity about the world drives her to the realization that there is so much more she needs to learn before she can truly accept her royal destiny. She boldly puts her crown and impending marriage on hold to seek out epic adventures, much to the dismay of the King who, after missing out on Rapunzel's childhood, must accept that his daughter is now an independent young woman. Accompanying Rapunzel on her journey will be Eugene Fitzherbert; the plucky chameleon sidekick, Pascal; the no-nonsense horse, Maximus; most of The Snuggly Duckling's pub thugs; and newcomer Cassandra, a tough-as-nails handmaiden, who becomes Rapunzel's confidant.

Opinion: This series is truly a delight, and definitely exceeded my expectations for a television series based off a Disney show (I did not expect much as most of those types of shows from my childhood weren’t the best). But I was truly wowed, and this is a must see for any Disney fan.The series does not ignore anything that happened in the movie, far from it. Events that occurred in the movie still impact Rapunzel and are treated seriously. The cartoon mixes comedy, adventure, lore, and mystery quite well. It is also very beautiful, much like Carmen Sandiego (both have similar styles but I like CS’s lighting a bit more). The show can even get quite dark, as is evident with the season 1 finale. This show deserves a much biggest fanbase, so give it a watch!

Hilda

Summary: Hilda follows the journey of a fearless blue-haired girl as she travels from her home in a vast magical wilderness full of elves and giants to the bustling city of Trolberg, where she makes new friends and discovers mysterious creatures who are stranger –and sometimes more dangerous– than she ever expected. Based on graphic novels by Luke Pearson, who storyboarded for Adventure Time.

Opinion: Hilda is definitely a comfort show, and if you liked Gravity Falls there is a good chance you will also like this show! The art style is simply adorable, and Hilda is a delight to get to know. I love the way that the show not only has magical creatures, but it goes in depth into how these creatures live and survive in a modern world. Having read all the comics, I personally enjoyed the addition of Hilda getting some human friends. I know some people did not like this, but she seemed quite lonely once she moved to the city, and I liked seeing her interact with children her age. Season 2 is coming out next year, so there is plenty of time to watch the first season! If you love a feel-good show with mystery and magic, this is the show for you!

Star Wars Resistance

Summary: The series is set between the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, in a time when the Resistance is still learning about the growing threat of the First Order. It centers on the character of Kazuda Xiono, a young pilot in General Leia Organa's Resistance who is tasked with spying on the growing threat of the First Order.

Opinion: This show was one I was not expecting anything from at all, but as the show has progressed throughout the first season I have begun to enjoy it more and more. This show, like many on this list, features a very diverse cast (including some aliens, of course). Probably the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that the main character, Kaz, is 20 years old! I feel like that is not something you see with action shows these days, as they usually make the protagonist 16 or 17 years old. I really like the animation style, as I always felt that without the big budget, the Clone Wars style just didn’t look that good in Rebels. Resistance is so... shiny! As for the plot itself, it is sad that most of my favorite aspects of Star Wars are missing, namely the Force, Jedi, and Light Sabers. But since it may eventually tie in more with the sequels, there is hope to see more of that eventually! It’s definitely not at Clone Wars level of good, but I am finding it more enjoyable than Rebels (excluding a few episodes and the season finales). It may never end up being as serious as Rebels, but I am sure it will get darker as time goes on and the stakes get higher.

Young Justice: Outsiders

Summary: Young Justice: Outsiders is the third season of Young Justice. The backdrop for the season is one that will touch on “all corners of the DC universe,” and this time the team is tasked with stopping a metahuman trafficking ring, as well as dealing with the “intergalactic arms race for control of these super-powered youths.” You can also count on new heroes Arrowette, Spoiler, Thirteen, Halo, and many more joining in the fight.

(^I can’t recall if this is the exact line from the show but this whole episode is the best)

Opinion: If you loved the first two seasons of Young Justice, it is easy to say that you should give this one a watch. But now that it is on DC’s streaming platform, DC Universe, IT IS DARK. Seriously, this is no longer a show for children. And that’s pretty great. I truly love that the show can now explore darker themes and have some adult jokes from time to time. However, unlike the first two seasons, I feel constantly confused about new characters or things that have happened to returning characters offscreen. Unless you are very knowledgable about DC characters, there is a good chance you will feel this way. So, it is sadly a bit more unwelcoming to those unfamiliar with the comics. I still love the show’s characters and superhero stuff, in general, is always a lot of fun. There’s also LGBT characters apparently already in the show (and some that were LGBT in the comics have appeared, but nothing in-show is confirmed), so hopefully, there is also that to look forward to in the second half of the season when it airs in June.

Big Hero 6 The Series

Summary: The series continues the adventures of 14-year-old tech genius Hiro and his robot pal Baymax. Joining the pair on their journey is control freak Wasabi, scientist Honey Lemon, fanboy Fred, and no-nonsense Go Go Tomago, whom together form the Big Hero 6 superhero team. As the new prodigy at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, Hiro faces daunting academic challenges, not to mention the social trials of being the little man on campus. The stakes are also raised for the high-tech heroes when they must protect their city from an array of scientifically enhanced villains.

Opinion: Another very well made series based off a Disney movie. Once again, this show stays faithful to the source material. The art style is very interesting, and while not my favorite gives the show a very cool feel. Once the main villain is introduced, I was glad to report that he became a major threat very fast. And the season 1 finale was pretty great as well. My biggest issue concerning this series so far is that is still really hasn’t developed the side characters at all, despite them being in almost every episode. These are college students, so their families should still be quite important to them. But besides Fred, we have yet to really learn about them, and with that, a potentially important part of who they are as a person is missing. After a movie and a whole season, these characters should not seem as flat as they are, so I hope we learn more about them too. But we also get flashbacks of Tadashi, so for that alone the show may be worth a watch.

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Summary: Deep in the sewers of New York City, four mutant turtle brothers lurk. Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michaelangelo are in their early teen years, and the brothers go on new and exciting adventures. They tap into their mystic ninja powers to learn to work together as a cohesive unit and become a team of heroes as they navigate the modern world and other hidden realms. The brothers get a whole new look, new weapons, and new powers as they discover the hidden city beneath New York and find time for a slice of their favorite pizza.

Opinion: Okay I will admit this is one I haven’t actually seen all of yet. But the art style is just so cool I had to include it and will likely update this entry when I catch up. This show may be a worthy successor to the 2012 series, which I know a lot of people loved.

So that’s the end of my list. If I remember any other good shows airing, I may update it. But, if I got you to watch any, let me know and tell me your thoughts!

Shows to Look Foward to: Glitch Techs, Amphibia, Owl House, Twelve Forever, Hazbin Hotel, Villainous, Infinity Train, 101 Dalmatian Street

Shows Omitted due to being super popular already: Steven Universe, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, RWBY, Bojack Horseman, OK KO, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Duck Tales

Join my Cartoon Themed Discord: https://discord.gg/cartoonuv

And give us a follow if you enjoyed the post! We talk about cartoon related stuff a lot! I will probably do a part 2 later in the year when more of the cartoons to look forward to have aired. And I might even add some shows omitted or other shows I may have forgotten!

#tdp #the dragon prince #gen:lock #tangled #hilda #carmen sandiego #tmnt #bh6 #young justice #star wars resistance #rwby #she-ra

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steve0discusses · 6 years

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Yugioh S1 Ep 43: Mokuba Simply Has No Survival Instincts

While it surely wasn’t intentional, since the 00′s hadn’t finished their course at the time this show aired, the storyline of Kaiba, the moodiest millennial of them all, the boy who works his ass off, wins every award, studies hard, and then fails at every aspect of his life when he actually goes out to try and get his career on track is just so very millennial. It’s a pretty familiar story--trained to be a shark in a small swimming pool, dreams as big and high as the moon, but occasionally completely disconnected with what’s going on around us because we’re trapped in some MMO videogame. Again.

We’ve already had quite a few episodes that dove into Yugi’s psyche, including one where we literally walked through his labyrinth brain full of traps and real legit problems as he said “nonono this is all really just fine.” But, this is an arc that’s all about Kaiba, who is about to be devoured by the same insane pipe dream ideas he worked so hard to create.

Mai and Joey suddenly realize who the other is and then just decide “youknow lets not duel” and I praised the sun because how pointless would that have been?

The Mokuba orange text is very close to the Joey yellow. Sorry if any of you are colorblind, I never realized that Mokuba would have so many speaking lines when I started this. Maybe I’ll make him a light blue at some point?

I know I titled it as Mokuba has no survival instincts but honestly it’s every single person on this show.

(read more)

I only say I’m too afraid to check the skyrim mod forums because most those mods are a little too kinky for me.

Like...

Why didn’t Bakura use THAT card back on the island? Holy cow. It’s a good thing Joey isn’t cursed with the ring because everyone would be very super dead.

So they trot along across the desert and not much happens. I guess a sand worm or something? It’s just a desert.

And like do I even need to make the obvious joke or is it already--

No, not yet.

Anyways, what’s at the other end of the desert, hm?

We are SO CLOSE to finishing this season how is there ANOTHER MAZE!? There’s only like 6 episodes left we could have been maze free I just...whoever was in charge of maze design for this show worked overtime.

God bless, storyboarder. This is a frame I caught completely by accident--most people would not be able to notice that Joey just takes two hands--one on Yugi’s head, the other on his chest and just pushes him completely over like he’s one of those roly-poly toys.

The hell Mai? She is the age to date Joey’s Dad.

This labyrinth is different than Yugi’s, in that it is crowded by a bunch of huge inconvenient tanks that all want to kill them for some reason. I have no idea how any of these tanks ever turn a corner.

Mazes seem to be the most boodthirsty thing in this universe--can’t pass through a maze without every law of physics/tanks wanting to murder the hell out of you

Imagine the David Attenborough documentary on this family of wild tanks.

And then this weird thing happened--as if we weren’t already seeing the weirdest collection of things that Kaiba chose to focus on in this magical world where he could have made anything else happen.

It’s Marie Antoinette Mokuba. She’s just here. To exist.

Speaking of bad ideas, Kaiba is getting crucified.

Every anime ever made just acting out the Passion for kicks and giggles, it ain’t even Easter yet.

So quick side story about bad ideas and stuff, because sometimes we spend YEARS of our lives trying to make something that is not very good work and it just doesn’t--it just doesn’t happen. I work in freelance so I see that a lot. I see it happen to other people, I’ve seen it happen PLENTY to myself.

I knew this guy, I’ve known him my whole life (and he’s way super old so he won’t read this blog) and for the entirety that I’ve been alive he’s been trying to make an operating system to compete with Windows. Now I’m from the Bay Area, so this isn’t SO weird. There’s this whole crazy world outside of Linux where everyone and their mule is making an OS that will change the Silicon Valley landscape and make them the next Bill Gates. It’s kind of like “here’s my neat app idea” but like 2 steps more ascended.

For about 40 years, this guy has *and still is* making this OS. 40 years. But his OS is now like 40 years behind the times because he never released it in any form because it wasn’t done yet, it wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t ready.

One of the most important things I’ve ever learned is that whatever you may be working on right now will not be your Magnum Opus. It just won’t. So finish whatever you’re on and move on to the next thing. When I was told this, I was working on my first comic and although I wasn’t really aware--it was hella not great. But, it was a story I grew up writing, so I was hella attached to it. So, it could never be perfect. It mattered so much to me to get it right, and I was so worried about what other people would think, that I worked on it for about 4 years before I ran into the OS guy and I realized “I need to just post this and move on or this will be my endless OS”

Like, this is all a silly story of climbing through Kaiba’s bad fiction, but sometimes our simple ideas can turn into parasites, and we become so obsessed with them, that our good efforts are robbed of ever getting a chance to finish something good. Like this is Kaiba’s one big huge sprawling terrible video game idea and all of his friends and his brother are here to basically give him an intervention. Also to save him from the guys who are still heading Kaiba corp for some reason.

Anyways, now these guys are in a generic carriage because they got to the Camelot section of Kaiba’s cyberworld because this boy could not focus on one single genre.

Whatever because inside this castle is DINNER

The vague orange oblong fruit is back! The gravity melons! We still aren’t sure what they are--because they could be mangoes but they’re orange like oranges. huh...

Anyways, it’s about time for this show to get dark.

So this is a game mechanic of playing the card game Yugioh--so like...it actually does make sense why it’s here but like. This is just medieval The Lottery, huh? Is Kaiba getting ritually sacrificed by his own video game? Ritually sacrificed WHILE getting crucified? For a DRAGON? It’s like right in front of him that his Dragon Obsession has maybe gone too far but I assume that once this is over he’ll be right back on ship dragon.

I just like to think that, for the past few years, Kaiba’s just been drawing birds and medieval stuff in class and being all “it’s going in my sweet ass video game, Joey, it’s not a princess, it’s Princess Atena, and she’s gonna get sacrificed to satisfy the Mythic Dragon” but none of his classmates ever remembered any of this lore because their brains kept getting wiped by some Season Zero Pharaoh nonsense.

This color scheme on the walls is just...that’s lime green and lilac all right.

Anyway, how generic 90′s fantasy anime can we make the armor here?

None of them use swords.

Scratch that--Pharaoh would know how to use a sword. For the rest of them the weapon seems kind of moot because they’re all card wizards?

So off they go, Joey in a minidress made for...breastfeeding? I guess? And the rest in matching armor suits. Seems like Kaiba’s game is programmed to recognize and harass Joey just as part of it’s core code.

OH.

So there was a lot of buildup to that happening and I blinked and missed it and had to rewind, it happened so quickly.

Man if they had just stayed indoors none of this would have happened.

So Mokuba is in a 7 layer ballgown for the rest of this show right? I feel like the hoop skirt would make it very difficult to get crucified in. So, at least he has that.

As they bring this ancient bird to life with the time card, we get to see what Tristan and Tea have been up to--mostly just pushing stuff.

So when Tea does ballet she’s on the bottom just tossing everyone else around, right? That girl is jacked.

So, that was a lot of random things in succession--Next week, on Yugioh:

Does Kaiba turn into a dragon, finally, like he’s always wanted? Will the next environment in this randomized video game land them right in the middle of a Fallout Post-Apocalypse? Or will it be in the middle of a Petz kitten-adoption center? Or, will it be the ultimate challenge for these kids--in a Japanese High School visual novel sim where they actually have to attend class?

#Yugioh #yugioh recaps #photo recaps #s1 ep 43 #humor #they're still in this video game I guess #seto kaiba #mokuba #yugi muto #joey wheeler #tea gardner #tristan taylor #mai #this arc is hella random

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the-captains-on-shore-leave · 6 years

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I've seen a lot of tf2 stuff here and I'm wondering if I should get into it? I know OF the game, but that's pretty much it. What's it about? Where do I start?

buddy Y E S. it’s like this weird unlikely ~timeless masterpiece~ that has sooo many different facets to it. it’s silly and ridiculous and saturated with lots of interesting lore and characters, as well as fun and INCREDIBLY versatile gameplay- it can be played like a serious shooter with a serious objective, or it can become a block party where everything’s silly taunts and hats and the points don’t matter and oh boy just wait until you see the halloween events. tf2′s given me some of the best friends i’ve ever had, has gotten me through some of my darkest times, and has just generally brought me so much joy (directly and indirectly) throughout the years, that it will probably be one of my favorite video games for the rest of my life. so YES i highly recommend you give it a shot lol.

AND OK, SO…I ENDED UP WRITING A LOT. LIKE BASICALLY A BRIEF CRASH COURSE ON TF2. but c’mon man you’re asking me about one of my favorite games..i can’t help myself lol. i mean…objectively it’s very short for covering 10+ years of content, riiiight

but foreal it’ll just take a few minutes to read and it will give you some useful insight into tf2, what it is, and everything else you need to start your ✧・ﾟ:* magical *:・ﾟ✧ hat-based journey (btw almost all italics are links jsyk, i know my blog is dumb and doesn’t make that obvious)

TL;DR:gaem is about shoot and silly hat with 9 boyes. is v fun 2 play, start with am watch meet the team videoz on tf yootoob.

And now for a more detailed explanation:

i’ll start by telling you how it began: “team fortress” was the first team fortress series game ever made. this game was a quake mod, made in the mid-90s, not developed by valve, and based in another engine. it got reeeally popular, so, eventually, valve saw it, liked it, and put a ring on it, hiring the team to make a team fortress half-life mod, and later, a standalone version, known as “team fortress classic” (essentially, in regards to modern lore, tf1). valve eventually started developing a standalone sequel to tfc, “team fortress 2: brotherhood of arms.” this game was, stylistically, VERY different from the tf2 we know today- it was a super-realistic military game (kinda like counter strike?). but for some reason (thank you god) they ended up doing a 180 and went for something more cartoony (if they’d gone with that original design, tf2 probably would’ve outdated and died off years ago). this more cartoony style is what you see today.

so now we’ve covered tf2′s history, let’s talk about what it is: team fortress 2 is an online team-based multiplayer first-person shooter game that features a variety of gamemodes. here’s the basic in-game menu layout when you fire it up:

these different gamemodes include a casual mode, a competitive mode, and a player vs bot mode (which is super fuuuunn). here’s what the menu looks like when you click the “find a game” tab:

i’m mostly familiar with casual mode (formally known as “pubs” for “public servers”), which is the main part of the game anyway, so i’ll list what type of objectives you have to choose from in casual mode: (CORE GAME MODES) attack/defense, capture the flag, control points, king of the hill, and payload; (VALVE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING ALTERNATIVE GAME MODES) payload race, mannpower, pass time, and miscellaneous game modes.

but tf2 doesn’t only appear in game form! i remember i was hella confused about what exactly tf2 was for the longest time because of this, so next, let’s break down what it manifests as: a video game, a comic series, and animated shorts (both official and fan-made). source filmmaker (sfm) is the animation program valve developed and uses to animate their shorts. a few years ago, this program was made free to the public, so there have been maaaaany many fan animations and posters made over the years about tf2 using the program. so many, in fact, that valve decided to start holding an annual tf2 film festival, called “the saxxy awards” (”saxxy” coming from “saxton hale,” a dude we’ll touch on ina bit). the festival is an opportunity for animators to showcase their skills, and SO many seriously amazing projects have come out of them. i recommend checking out winglet, uberchain, mag magnet, krunkidile (specifically his “TSA” series), py-bun, and nonamesleft, they are all very skilled animators who are also quite active in the community! there are so many more amazing sfm animators, but my brain is just about fried (it’s almost 4am), so i can’t think of them right now, but keep an ear open for whenever this year’s saxxies roll around and you’ll discover more no problem!

let’s move onto what it’s about: the story takes place in the 1970s, and centers around 9 mercenaries who have been hired to fight in a “war.” the “war” was started by 2 bitch ass rich ass brothers who got their wealthy father to buy an enormous expanse of land in new mexico and move their family there. the brothers hated each other with a petty fury, and their father hated them both because the land they convinced him to buy….was absolutely worthless! so when he died, he gave their family munitions company “mann co.” to his closest aide (barnabus hale), and left them both nothing but that enormous plot of worthless gravel-filled land (hence the name “the gravel wars”) to fight over. and they’ve been fighting over it ever since. the bros got played, but they are so single-minded in their sibling rivalry that they don’t care.

it’s on this land where most of the in-game maps are located. the brothers’ names are redmond mann and blutarch mann (hence the team names red and blu). in-game, you play on either red or blu. on both sides, you can play as any of the 9 mercenaries, scout/soldier/pyro (offense), heavy/demoman/engineer (defense), or sniper/medic/spy (support). it’s never really touched upon in lore how both brothers managed to hire the same mercenaries to fight, and it probably never will be, since it is just an in-game mechanic. but it does still beg the question. in the shorts, it’s shown that they literally fight clones of themselves (like in the game). in the comics, certain mercenaries are shown on blu team, while others are on red. there are a lot of fan theories, but generally it’s just said that “they fight each other” (interpret as you will). the world may never know.

each of the mercs are referred to by their job title (i.e. heavy weapons guy, sniper, medic, etc.), but they have their own real names oc (except maybe pyro). however, we don’t know all their names yet. they each have really unique personalities and skills that have built them to be these memorable characters. which leads me to where you should start:

i would say go to the team fortress youtube channel and just start working your way through the videos. Start with the “meet the ____” videos, cause those will give you a sense of who the 9 mercenaries are personality-wise (and sort of lore- and gameplay-wise, too). on that channel, you’ll also find some shorts that don’t have to do with any particular mercenary. these shorts were made to coincide with the various in-game updates that have happened throughout the years (the most recent short being “jungle inferno,” released just a few months ago).

once you’ve gone through all of that, and if you find you wanna dive deeper into the lore of tf2, you could start reading the tf2 comics. i highly recommend them, they’re all written very well, have a great sense of humor, and have a surprisingly extensive and intriguing storyline. you can find them all here. the comics are broken up into sections: tf comics, update comics, and the saxton series. the saxton series are some silly vintage comic book covers that feat. ya boi saxton hale (current owner of mann co. and grandson of barnabus hale. also i didn’t mention this before but mann co. supplies the gravel war effort. jsyk). the saxton series isn’t really lore relevant. but the update and tf comics are. i highly recommend starting from the bottom of the page and working your way up. pay attention to the date the comic was uploaded (beneath the comic icon and title), and just read them in chronological order from oldest to newest. that way you won’t get confused or not know who’s who, what’s happening, etc. it’ll basically be like you were along for the updates without having to put up with the wait! speaking of which…

currently we’re all on the edge of our seats waiting for the next and final tf2 comic. been waiting for over a year and counting…

the last comic came two years after it’s predecessor, so….let’s just say you’ve got time. and plenty of it.

OKAY SO I THINK THAT JUST ABOUT BRIEFLY TOUCHES ON EVERYTHING U GOTTA KNOW. the rest of the story is lore stuff that you really should read in the comics. it’s worth it, trust me. and you just gotta experience the game for yourself. you can add me if you want (send me your steam profile) and we can play some. i’m always down for a few rounds :)

anyway, i hope this was helpful and not too tedious to get through. most importantly, i hope it encouraged you to get into tf2! it might seem daunting or a lot of stuff to take in at first, but it gets easier once you get a foothold. and you might decide that you don’t really care for the lore, only the game. or vice versa. but however you choose to enjoy it, it’s a great thing to experience, and i hope you choose to. i hope i helped at least a bit!

#asks #tf2 #tf2 crash course

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zydrateacademy · 6 years

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Review - Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey

Some of my readers may recall that I found Origins to be lackluster, or at least my review gave off that impression. I believe one of my quotes was, “An extra year of work and this is all they could come up with?” I’m going to be honest, while I did have a good couple dozen hours on Origins I feel that kind of opinion was premature. I actually found Origins to be quite fun, and I would go on to play and beat it up to three times, including a full playthrough on my YouTube channel. Origins was fine and the combat was fun. Odyssey comes to us with a lot of the same ‘feel’. The combat is largely the same but with some tweaks, and I’ll get onto that shortly. I do have some vague gripes but I’ll attempt to salvage what little I know of the game’s story to start people off with.

Also, there will be spoilers in this review. We return to Layla Hassan, the vaguely ‘rogue’ Abstergo employee that found Bayek and Aya in the previous game. Apparently there was a bit of a timeskip or there’s even more lore I’ve lost out on not reading the comics, because there’s some implication that she went full on rogue and is in hiding from Abstergo, now. I’m not even really sure what her motivations are anymore other than a more classic artifact hunt, from the precursor race that has haunted the series. She finds the spear of Leonidas which has the DNA of two siblings, which she can use to hunt through their memories due to an upgraded Animus, as opposed to digging through one’s own ancestors. I still find it a bit odd. In the first couple of AC games, it was implied that the precursor race and their technology was a mostly recent find and the two secret societies were practically scrambling just to get their hands on one. Here in Odyssey, we’re practically tripping over them. The main antagonists have one that is some kind of mind-reader. The spear of Leonidas turns out to be one. There’s a series of mini quests where you find a half-dozen “Apples of Eden”. Remember that? From The first three games? The entire plot centered around one, and now we get several! So we’re put in the bodies of one of two protagonists, Kassandra or Alexios. Most sources I spoke to have chosen Kassandra, and there’s some consensus that her voice acting is stronger. I admit my choice is a bit more personal. I, like many people, are starved for proper female protagonists. Evie in Syndicate was plenty of fun but the game still forced Jacob gameplay on you from time to time. Playing as Aya in Origins was mostly a gimmick, only in naval combat (a precursor to Odyssey’s current style) and during some of the finale segments. She wasn’t customizeable, couldn’t change her gear or anything so again, mostly a gimmick. Yikes, this is a lot of negative for what is really a good game! Maybe I’m getting it out of the way? I did say there are several improvements, so let’s get down to the mechanics of the game. There’s a lot of them, now.

The combat is a lot more fluid and reminds me of the days in Unity where you actually had to think about how you fought. In Origins, I basically dodged everything and used the heavy attacks exclusively. That’s been tweaked here, as I feel Kassandra’s dodge is a bit shorter range and the full on dodge puts her much further away from the enemy that is desirable so you must decide what kind of dodge to use and when, but mostly it forces you to learn how to actually parry. Parrying has been in pretty much every AC game but this time it actually opens enemies up for combo attacks, wherein you can mix and match light and heavy attacks, and there’s eventually a perk to pick up to give you bonus damage if you do exactly that.

You have three kinds of damage trees you can actively focus on this time around. Between Hunter, Warrior, and Assassin, which are all self explanatory. Rather than keeping them all even, you can actually choose to focus on one style over another. I am personally trying to keep my Assassin and Warrior lines fairly even. Stealth is, as in Origins, incredibly powerful but you won’t be able to one-shot enemies anymore if you are under geared or have been neglecting your spear (which is your blade in the absence of the hidden one). Open combat is however, extremely common so I can’t imagine going full Assassin and being able to get much done. Maybe by better gamers than I. Moving on, the world is... extremely large. I’m not sure how much larger than previous games they’ve claimed but it’s probably true. Adding to that fact is Fast Travel is only linked to Synchronization points rather than any and every city or major outpost. With a further lack of those, you’re forced to run or mount your way through the world and I’m here to tell you... you’re going to actually want to. Most of the world’s various points are in fact, relevant to something. Ancient ruins have tablets as loot that you’ll need to upgrade your ship. Alpha animal dens typically have high amounts of leather, mines have metals. Many points even have clues against cultists (which I’ll get into later), legendary gear or just fighting will lower the power level of the region which unlocks Conquests, a fun full-battle gimmick which again, I’ll describe shortly. Basically, there’s almost always a reason to actually explore a majority of question marks on your map as you’ll walk away with something that’s worth your time. Browsing my map just now, I can see I’ve skipped a few but I imagine something will take me to them in the future.

This game has a couple of new features that mixes things up. We’re in the Peloponnesian War, which reflects as an actual game mechanic. Every region is controlled by either Athens or Sparta. Your character is a mercenary and can choose to fight for either side at any time without any consequence, and you’ll be forced to after a certain point. I picked up a contract (which are constantly spawning quests, so there’ll never be anything to not do) that required me to kill three Athenian region leaders. Unfortunately, I had been favoring Sparta up to that point and all the regions within my level at the time were all controlled by Sparta. I had to kill and weaken my own favored people in order to shift the control so I could do it all over again against a different faction for epic gear and rewards. Doing all of this unlocks conquests, where are full on battles where you fight hordes of your chosen enemy faction while dealing with captains, bosses, and mercenaries that like to pop up during them. It’s probably the more fun of the new mechanics but I can already see it as just ‘going through the motions’ at a certain point, but they’re worth doing due to the amount of experience they offer.

Speaking of Mercenaries, the game has a bounty and “Wanted” system, reminiscent of earlier games. In games like AC2, your wanted meter affected how quickly Ezio got caught by patrolling guards. In Odyssey, you get hunted by enemy mercenaries which you can choose to kill or knock out and recruit them to your ship’s crew. There’s even an entire tier system as your character earns their way up a “tier” listing and eventually become the top dog. It’s all very similar to Shadow of Mordor’s orc hierarchies but it’s a less complex variant. They all have their unique names, backstories, and weaknesses but there are no over-bosses and nothing you can really do to manipulate their flow. You can only really control your bounty meter, which you can pay it off or kill the sponsor who hosted the contract against you. Beyond that, it lends to some interesting encounters. One merc helped me against a legendary animal quest, but more often than not they’ll come swarming when I’m trying to stealth or fight through an enemy fort, usually resulting me in fleeing. When they show up, it almost always complicates matters so unless you’re actively hunting for the gear they carry, it’s best to keep your bounty as low as possible.

Also having the same ‘feel’ as Shadow of Mordor’s orc mechanic is the Cult of Kosmos. I only found this story arc, maybe an entire fifteen hours into the game but that’s because I spent several doing nothing but exploring the map as my level allowed. Still, it’s a very interesting idea. Once you discover their existence you’re given an entire menu to hunt them down, and doing so is necessary to power up Leonidas’ Spear, alongside several very powerful legendary sets of armor. The idea is that you don’t have all of their identities unlocked and cannot track them all immediately (though it does give you a handful of freebies to get you started). Instead, you have to explore the world or actively investigate some of the clues they give you. This one is fairly straightforward;

However I once had one that said he was in a “Wolf’s Den” in a certain region, so I had to do some actual footwork. Another was near Athens and just told me to “help people nearby”, which turns out that I just had to do several side quests before their identity was revealed. So some of them are locked behind the story, you won’t get them all right away. It’s a very interesting way to go about it. As I said earlier about the world, you might just trip over some clues as you’re out exploring. While some cultists might be locked behind story, there WILL be some just actively wandering the world and you might not know you’re killing one until the “confirm cultist kill” message pops up. Next we have the naval combat, which I have mixed feelings towards. Black Flag is the series golden boy in terms of naval combat, and is one of the best games in the series if you can stomach the more lackluster main story missions (though the story was great overall and I liked Edward’s arc). While there’s certainly some complexity to be had in Odyssey’s ship combat, I still find it a bit more flighty and fast paced, but not in the best way. In BF, the ships felt... meatier. While not being slow, they were big and they hit the waves in a convincing manner. In Odyssey and even Origin’s own special segments, everything just hauls ass and cuts through water like it’s not even there. Even ramming is considered a major part of ship combat and frankly, I’d prefer the balancing flow of firing volleys and bracing against their own shots at the right time. You even get extra rewards if you manage to cleave a ship in two when you’re finishing them off.

I’d rather just shoot stuff, honestly. It still retains its enjoy-ability and I don’t at all ever hate going out to sea, I just don’t like more extended fights and I’m still not sure which of the three actions nets the most rewards; Cleaving, Boarding, or Shoot N’ Loot? I’ll figure it out eventually. So there’s a couple more of points of contention before I summarize.

It can be glitchy at times. I did a Spartan Kick againt an alpha lion for him to clip into the rocks. The game lacks the movement control Unity once had, so holding shift while trying to run away has Kassandra mount every brazier, stick or overhang which can lead to me losing more health than I’d like when fighting stronger enemies. There are some reports of people not getting legendary items (which only ever drop the once). You have to manually save, because right now it’s all cloud saved so if that gets lost or corrupted, you could lose dozens of hours of progress and that kind of thing causes gamers to quit. It’s not nearly as bad as Unity’s release but there are the occasional game breakers which I’ve yet to experience, thankfully. Finally, I’m a bit iffy on the leveling speed. Using very simple math based on my level and hours placed, I net around one level per hour. There was plenty of exploration within that but I was still actively doing stuff, clearing forts and the like. The world is massive and there’s plenty to do in general, I just feel like there’s a lot of footwork to get anything done. Since enemies scale with you (at 50, all regions will be at least 46, where the rewards cap out), I feel the level locked regions are a bit pointless. This ties into a current bout of controversy, so let’s dive into that before I summarize.

Microtransactions are still a thing. People are exhausted but we expect it from Ubisoft. While it’s mostly cosmetic, there are sets of gear you can buy that have their own stats and bonuses as legendary sets have their own boost when you wear all five pieces. They aren’t any more powerful than other gear, though having a full legendary set right off the bat will certainly give you an edge. The main debate is that the scaling for endgame becomes a bit skewed and I’ve heard from some players that the last few levels are a hell of a marathon to level through. The story offers a permanent 50% experience and money boost (including a variety of cheaper, more temporary ones) which some reviewers have stated does actually make the game better. I imagine such a boost probably makes questing a better incentive and thus leveling quicker. One reviewer made mention of “Pay to play the game less” I find incredibly inaccurate and they probably haven’t actually played (because of course!). As an actual player, I will say the game is massive. The story is long, the regions are large, and you can’t exactly just sprint through the main story and ignore everything else. Especially when several of those “everything else” can be a lot of fun! Even at level cap, you’re probably still hunting those last few cultists, switching some regions to your favored faction, ekeing out those ship upgrades, getting money to fully upgrade your legendary set, or even finding a full legendary set that suits your playstyle the most if you haven’t already. There’s a lot to do and while offering a permanent boost for 20$ is certainly a bit scummy, the “pay to play less” is a horrendous misunderstanding of the game. The game is good! It’s an improvement on Origins in several ways and for once I actually enjoy exploring the variety of question marks that litter my map. I’m only halfway through the world, there’s so much I want to do, armor sets that I wish to acquire to suit my more stealthy playstyle. The world is gorgeous and photo mode has returned to accentuate that fact. There’s no assassin order nor are there Templars, just a cult you’re set out to destroy for some personal slights. You’re a mercenary and the world is yours. Odyssey will also be receiving some support and attention as they won’t be releasing one in 2019, so for a game we’ll be ‘stuck’ with for a couple of years, we’re in good hands.

#Assassin's Creed #Assassin's Creed: Odyssey #Odyssey #AC:O #ACO #Ubisoft #Uplay #Gaming #pc gaming

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kaediisarchive · 4 years

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✧༺ 𝐅 𝐀 𝐍 𝐃 𝐎 𝐌 𝐋 𝐈 𝐒 𝐓 ༻✧

Ok so since I’m really starting to branch out here with Skarlet in terms of verses, AUs, and crossovers, here’s a list of fandoms I am familiar with and would be comfortable writing in.

If something isn’t listed, that doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m not interested in writing with that fandom, just that either I may not be as familiar with it so we need to talk a bit or I might have straight up forgotten to put it on here, so you’re always welcome to ask about fandoms! (And if your muse is from a fandom I’m unfamiliar with but we already have a compatible verse, then we’re good to go, too. If not, we can figure something out!) I’m also going to list at the bottom some fandoms I am certain that I’m not interested in interacting with, for whatever reason, to avoid some potential awkwardness.

This list is always subject to change. And again, just because something may not be listed, don’t let that dissuade you from approaching!

Very familiar with, already have / in the process of making verses for:

Mortal Kombat (Skarlet’s canon)

Dragon Age (played all games and have read the comics, but not the books)

Elder Scrolls (have played Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, and ESO)

Devil May Cry (have played all games, watched the anime, and read the manga ages ago)

Silent Hill (most familiar with 1-3 and Homecoming, though 2 is the one I remember best because I replay it often; have also played 4 and Downpour but I don’t remember them too well, but I try to keep up with the lore from all the games because the horror mythology of SH is neat)

The Last of Us (played both games and the DLC expansion; not fond of part two so while I’m okay with writing during/after it, I’m also willing to completely ignore its existence lmao)

Very / Moderately familiar with, do not have a verse currently but I am willing to make one:

Until Dawn (or other real world based horror settings)

Marvel / MCU (mostly the MCU tbh as I’m no expert on the current comics timeline, but I’m down to write in the comics too!)

DC (same as Marvel, mostly; also there’s crossover opportunity as DC and MK have done an actual crossover before)

Game of Thrones (mostly familiar with the show, though I have read the first book and want to read the others whenever I get the time)

Star Wars* (my knowledge is limited to the movies bc there’s just SO MUCH Star Wars content out there tbh, and I will admit I’m a little iffy with interacting with the SW fandom due to the toxicity I experienced when I joined a few years ago, but I’m open to interacting with SW muses so long as the mun isn’t toxic. Basically just be nice to me and others and we’ll be good fam)

Resident Evil (I’ve played 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7, though 5 and 7 are what I remember best as I haven’t played the others in years. My lore knowledge isn’t the most complete because there are so many games I haven’t played and I haven’t kept up that much, but I’m still willing to write in the setting.)

Only mildly familiar with, but still interest in:

Soul Calibur (I’ve only played 5, but honestly the characters and the lore have me really interested.)

Overwatch (haven’t been able to play it, but I’ve interacted with people from the fandom in the past and it was fun, so I’m def open to it again! Also lore videos are available and easy for me to catch up on if needed, so that’s a plus.)

Hitman (recently played Hitman 2 and I absolutely loved it, pls come to me with your Hitman muses)

Lots of others tbh. Ask me if you aren’t sure!

Fandoms I WON’T interact with:

Mostly anything that’s mainly geared towards younger children. There are some fandoms I love like ATLA and Pokemon that I won’t interact with here because this blog is full of mature content and those fandoms deserve to be safe spaces for their intended audiences.

Undertale and related media

13 Reasons Why

Riverdale / usually anything else that centers around teenagers and high school

Five Nights at Freddy’s and related media

Creepypasta muses like Slenderman, Jeff the Killer, Ben Drowned, etc.

Supernatural (the show, not the genre)

Anything related to true crime. I don’t normally like to fandom shame but seriously what the fuck.

Anything else that goes against my rules.

#[psa]#[ooc]

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crystalnet · 7 years

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Mystery Corner #3 The Shinji Ikari Detective Diary

As All-Hallow's Eve approaches rapidly, mystery and murder enthusiasts everywhere are getting extra revved up for this most sacred of seasons. If you happen to be of an Otaku persuasion, then your options for consumable media around this time include one of the many more gothic-tinged bodies of lore out there like D-Gray Man or Full Metal Alchemist. Maybe Witch Hunter Robin. Or one of the more grizzly cases in Case Closed would suffice. Hey some people even claim Nightmare Before Christmas as anime, and who am I to argue. But if your favorite series happens to be something like NGE-- a series that is certainly dark-as-fuck at times but couldn't quite be described as gothic or even all that spooky-- Have no fear, because that's why this double-volume mini-series exists-- for the sweet spot of a certain Venn diagram that tracks those who are NGE-heads versus those who crave all things Mystery, and if you are the overlap, then click right on through!

My interest in these NGE spin-off manga started back when I recently got re-obsessed with the anime and was consuming everything I could. The series after all only amounts to 26 measly episodes, a movie-length remix/recap, a minor masterpiece of a feature length, and three re-telling/remaster/re-animations films (which are controversial among deep fan circles). That might actually sound like a lot, but what I'm saying is that it might be easier to be obsessive about a Shonen, so that you don't have to worry about ever even being able to see all the episodes due to the sheer amount (Case Closed is my example of a series that feels Infinite due to its sheer size). It's kind of like some other big animes like Cowboy Bebop-- if you've seen all 26 episodes and watched the big movie, then what next?

Well the answer is the manga. For one thing, the series was adapted into manga by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, and it's excellent and offers a more in-depth look at certain characters and plot-lines which the anime's length didn't allow time for. It spans 14 volumes and didn't wrap until 2010 and I highly recommend it, but if you aren't in the mood to retread the same story-line once again (especially if you just watched the Rebuilds..) then you still have options. Enter the spin-off manga. It's a weird breed of manga that only seemingly exists only for this franchise. I am probably wrong, but at least as far as selections of manga at American retailers go, I've never to my knowledge seen another series spawn multiple spin-off manga series.

First of all, the biggest one is the Shinji Ikari Raising Project manga. This is the lowest-brow of all of them and is outright soft-core porn. I could see picking up one issue maybe, but it's literally just a light-hearted romp through what I would describe as a slice-of-life version of the NGE universe. The focus here, instead of on angels and psychological meltdowns, is the camaraderie, and sexual energy between Shinji and his various classmates. Read this only if you're really into this thing and have an anthropological interest.

Next is the Campus Apocalypse series. This one was serialized into four volumes and an Omnibus, all put out by Dark Horse (most of these are, I assume they sense there is a market, and that's why these are even released here). Written by a certain Mingming, this one is much more serious in tone than SIRP, and focuses on transforming the lore from one centering around mechs and aliens to one that centers around demon-slaying teenagers and powerful visitors from another world. It has a gothic feeling, and so it'd fit in well around this time of year in addition to the one I'll be focusing on.

(Legend of Piko Piko is just the latest odd-ball spin-off put out by Dark Horse...)

Besides these, there is the Comic Tribute edition put out by Dark Horse, a collection of NGE satire and the similar light-hearted volume written by a Tony Takezaki. The latest series being released is the Legend of Piko Piko Middle School (two volumes)-- a version of the lore in which the young pilots must hone their skills using video games. And then there is the Detective Diary series. So why so much of this stuff exactly? Well like I said, if you find yourself going down an NGE rabbit hole, then this kind of stuff can be irresistible despite better judgement, and clearly Dark Horse is aware of that. I'm personally grateful for these editions though, despite the fact that a lof of this stuff amounts to fan-fiction that happens to be fully illustrated with often-times lovely artwork. While I recommend the mainline manga series the most, I can also say that both Campus Apocalypse and the Detective Diary are solid, if insubstantial. Detective Diary's tone is somewhere between the seriousness of Campus Apocalypse and light-hearted tone of the comedic and overtly sexual manga series previously mentioned, which puts it squarely in breezy but not-devoid-of-narrative territory. Basically, this version of the universe involves Shinji coming to work for a detective agency run by Kaji, who he starts living with in order to pay off a debt. Instead of mechs, the eva are revealed to be spirit/djinn-type figures who can be summoned by the characters a la Shaman King.

In the two volumes that make up the series, Shinji interacts most heavily with Kaworu, and the specific kind of yaoi-type energy between them is played up very heavily, so that this almost functions as the coded, gay version of the Raising Project manga. It never goes that far though, and the students are mostly busy solving low-stakes mysteries, none of which get nearly as involved or complex as something in say Case Closed.

It's still a relatively fun--if light and low-calorie-- read though. I wish that this was on-going, and that they really honed in on what an NGE detective series could be, because if it had mysteries that were as satisfying as Case Closed, that'd be something I'd be willing to come back to again and again. As it is, this is low-ambition enough to go through once and that's about it. I was left wanting it to have been even just slightly more serious, and wouldn't have minded if it was a little closer to Campus Apocalypse, but I can't complain.

This is one of the more satisfying re-imaginings of the NGE lore, and while I'd rank it third-place overall (behind the mainline manga and Campus Apocalypse), I can't deny that I got a kick out of seeing Shinji, Kaworu, Rei and Asuka and the rest of the gang (Toji and Kensuke are here too) in a more light-hearted setting, and it's fun to see what all the evas look like when rendered as humanoid spirit-beings. If you're just a mystery-fan and not so much a hardcore NGE-head, then I'd stay away from this, but if you like NGE too much and also sort of like detective/mystery-type narratives, then this is a fun distraction.

Anyway, next week we'll be talking about my favorite historical fiction/mystery series but for now, I hope everyone has a great week on this most spooky of weeks, and as for our spotlight detective this week, it's going to none other than Inspector Zenigata of Lupin the Third fame! Zenigata-kun has always made an excellent cat to Lupin's mouse (or is he the mouse?) and his skill as a detective is just adequate enough to keep him hot on Lupin's tail, but never hot enough to actually catch the guy. In fact, some of the more interesting pathos in the series revolves around the feeling that if Zenigata could actually catch Lupin, that it might not actually be as satisfying as the chase itself. Indeed, the man's entire raison d'être seems to be chasing after Lupin and in a way, his sheer verve for catching Lupin seems to be the thing that has kept him going all these years, just as Lupin's desire to escape his grasp similarly becomes a way-of-life for Lupin.

I'm just fascinated by these cat-and-mouse relationships in which two figures are thrust into an unending rivalry by which their lives are both threatened and also preserved-- like a nemesis and their prey locked in an endless waltz, desiring only the destruction of their opponent while also loving the enemy for the very unending purpose which they provide one another. Batman and Joker, Sherlock and Arsene. Cicero and his dear Catiline. And of course, Lupin and Zenigata. We see it time and again, and Inspector Zenigata sure makes one great side to the coin that is the Lupin/Zenigata dynamic.

Last week's spotlight on Goro Akechi had us talking about the great Kogoro Akechi of Japanese mystery fame, and Zenigata is similarly named after a character from another big name in Japanese mystery novels-- Kodo Nomura. His wildly popular stories starring a certain Zenigata Heiji are set in the Edo period of Japan, with Zenigata being a crime-solving policeman who throws coins-- or zeni-- at the criminals he investigates in order to subdue them.

That will tie in with next week's look at the under-rated historical-mystery genre, but for now let's give a tip of the hat to Inspector Zenigata, and wish that his designs may always be adequately foiled! Happy Halloween Detectives~

#mystery corner #mystery #corner #nge #neon genesis #shinji ikari detective diary #detective #inspector zenigata #lupin the third

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pixelgrotto · 7 years

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I believe in video game stories I quite like experiencing a story through the format of a video game. I’d even go so far as to say that aside from reading, it’s probably my preferred method of digesting a narrative. (I’m not as big on TV or movies - shocking, I know!) I think a lot of this appreciation comes from the fact that as a long term PC gamer, I was exposed to many point ‘n click adventures at a young age. These were games that fancied themselves as controllable books, with “author” names frequently placed front and center on the box art. The Secret of Monkey Island was specifically a Ron Gilbert game, King’s Quest VI a Roberta Williams jam. And boy, did growing up with these games give me an appreciation for the excitement that interactive storytelling could generate. After my six-year-old self had successfully guided Alexander of Daventry through the catacombs on the Isle of the Sacred Mountain and defeated the minotaur keeping Lady Celeste hostage, I was a fan for life. (Note: Clicking that link and watching the whole scene might induce eye-rolling, since it seems dated in this day and age, but trust me, King’s Quest VI is still an awesome game.) But not everyone had the same experiences as I did growing up. For a prominent segment of the population, story in games doesn’t really matter, and it never did. In fact, it seems that every other month on NeoGAF, a new thread will pop up on video game stories, and inevitably it’ll spark a debate where a whole mess of posters echo things like “90% of all game stories suck” or “story in games doesn’t matter to me because if I want story I’ll watch a movie or read a book.” Then there are hot takes on the pitfalls of game storytelling by Twitter personalities and academics that occasionally appear in mainstream outlets like The Atlantic. Case in point - one that started a controversy last month with its clickbaity headline “Video Games Are Better Without Stories.” I rolled my eyes when I read The Atlantic article, mostly because it’s written by an academic who’s previously written stuff in a similar vein that I didn’t agree with, like “Video Games Are Better Without Characters.” The internet arguments that emerged surrounding his newest piece made me pay a little more attention this time, though. In a nutshell, Ian Bogost’s thesis is that the systems within a game should come first, and the ability of players to manipulate these systems to manufacture their own narratives is where the medium’s true strength lies. In other words, emergent gameplay trumps traditional storytelling.

This isn’t necessarily a bad point. After all, some of the most prominent and popular games in this day and age either keep plot in the background or totally ignore it in favor of focusing on mechanics that give power to the players, letting them create their own stories that stick out in their head more than any pre-engineered script could. Dark Souls does this well, with unforgiving combat and an atmosphere that makes everyone playing it feel like they’re stuck in their own personal hell. The newest Zelda game, Breath of the Wild, does it too, keeping story to a relative minimum and encouraging players to experiment with Link’s items and abilities instead. And then you have competitive games like League of Legends and Overwatch, which leave their story components out of the mix completely. But despite all of these titles not placing story as their biggest priority, it’s kinda obvious that large segments of their fandoms feel differently. Just type “Dark Souls story” into YouTube and you’re assaulted with a staggering number of videos, and the encyclopedia of fan-assembled lore on the Dark Souls Wiki page is a force to be reckoned with. Breath of the Wild has inspired spectacular discussion on where it falls in the wonderfully convoluted timeline established by Hyrule Historia. League of Legends has a whole website devoted to its lore, and Overwatch has comics and animated shorts that fans gobble up with frightening veracity, often while begging Blizzard to release some sort of campaign revealing more background behind the Omnic Crisis. If anything, this unquenchable thirst for lore shows that despite gameplay coming first when it comes to interactive entertainment, at the end of the day, human beings still love a solid story that contextualizes gameplay, and game designers who want to create big narrative-driven experiences shouldn’t cease their efforts. Emergent gameplay is great, but going by Ian Bogost’s suggestion that games should SOLELY focus on this assumes that 1) all players want the sort of system-heavy games that he prefers (SimCity, for example), and 2) that the “traditional” route of telling a story within a game can never compete with film and literature.

I find the argument that games can never move or shake you in the same way that movies and books do to be awfully defeatist. It’s also an unfair comparison, since games are a much younger medium that face the challenge of conveying a plot around characters that can be controlled. Books and movies don’t have to deal with this, and endlessly asking questions like “where’s the Citizen Kane of video games” is both using a (frightfully overrated) yardstick from one medium to unfairly judge the efforts of another, and ignoring the unique strength that games do bring to the table - the ability to generate investment and immersion by making the player feel like he or she is an integral participant in the plot rather than a mere observer.

The sensation of feeling like I was part of the action is what gripped me to King’s Quest VI as a child. It’s what grips me to the best story-driven games out there, the ones that realize that they have this strength and capitalize upon it. The potential that games have for immersion is unsurpassed, and while it’s true that the medium is capable of producing plenty of schlocky, C-grade plots, the same could easily be said of books or movies, especially when you consider all the young adult fiction and superhero films that pass for quality entertainment in this day and age. Those who think all video game stories are garbage are more often than not cutscene skippers who are simply too impatient to give games a chance, biased individuals who are too used to experiencing stories in more passive forms of media or quite simply people who need to play better games. Because once you start judging the medium on its own terms and take the time to do some digging, there are many fine stories to be found out there - The Witcher games (which are arguably a tad superior to the books that spawned them), Deus Ex, the Quest for Glory series, the Gabriel Knight games, the Monkey Islands, The Last Express, Planescape: Torment and even a little game from Taiwan named Detention which could have been an indie movie, but arguably was more effective in reaching a wider audience on Steam.

Games don’t necessarily need to bring narrative to the forefront, as successes like Overwatch prove. But I’m glad that certain titles and developers do seek to accomplish this goal, because there are fans out there who believe in interactive stories and want to see this medium continue conveying bigger and better tales. I’m one of them, and I won’t stop being one of them. I’m a product of Alexander of Daventry, Geralt of Rivea, Guybrush Threepwood and all the other great characters inhabiting high quality video game narratives, and their stories are going to stick with me as long as I live..no matter what opinions pretentious contrarians publish on the internet.

Header image of Geralt with a book is from a larger wallpaper available on CD Projekt Red’s website. You can see the big version here.

#pixel grotto #musings #video games #king's quest #the witcher

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femmescripter · 7 years

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Announcement - Batman Beyond Slash Serial

Heya, folks! I hope that you guys are all doing well. I know for some that you all endured a last minute snowstorm surprise courtesy of Elsa, Jack Frost, Iceman, Sub Zero and Mr. Freeze. So I hope you guys are staying warm.

Anyway, I have a very special announcement to make. While I’m sure most of you remember this, I want to ask this just to be sure. Does anyone remember the old 2000 era DC animated series Batman Beyond? You know, one of the shows that used to come on the old KidsWB channel that you would actually wake up at seven AM/eight AM central on a freaking Saturday just to see and enjoy with your Pop Tarts and milk or a bowl of CoaCoa Puffs?

Remember now? Great. Now onto my point of this announcement... I’m going to rewrite the Batman Beyond series in my vision, like I’m doing now with Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated on Fanfiction. Net. And just as I have done with that series fanfiction remake I will be featuring slash in this take of mine. But it will have three special themes to it; 1. Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics. 2. Terry is the son of Clark Kent(Alpha) and Bruce Wayne(Omega). 3. Since the DC Company couldn’t budget for it, I will make the fourth season we never got. In my take I will feature various forms of DC lore throughout the comics, movies, games and TV shows of the franchise. This idea has been in development for at least two and a half years so be assured that I’m not cutting corners. It may seem confusing at the beginning of the series, but as Dirk Gently said it’s all connected. Everything will come full circle throughout my takes on the original three seasons of Batman Beyond and my vision of what I think season four would be. Granted DC may not use slash of Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics like I am...but you get the idea! I will be posting the story like an episodic series would appear on TV, starting sometime in April at 9:30PM/10:30PM central with encore showing at 11:30PM/12:30AM central every Sunday. Some episodes from the original show will be combined, allowing certain characters to appear earlier than usual, and to fill the void I will include episodes I made up. I’ll be posting on Fanfiction. Net, deviantArt and Archive of Our Own. Then after the episodic chapter has aired I’ll hold a Q&A session here on Tumblr, and you guys can ask any and all questions you have about the current episode. As the series fanfic progress you’ll see familiar faces, new faces and learn things you may or may not have known about DC lore. Also, while I will be featuring as much DC lore as I possibly can, this series will center mostly around the events of the Batman Arkham game line. Don’t worry though - the reason of how everyone forgot that Batman is Bruce Wayne will be explained later on. To differentiate between the seasons each one will be a story of it’s own with a side title that comes after “Batman Beyond”. That’s about it, folks. I hope that you enjoyed my announcement! Oh, and be on the watch with my Fanfiction. Net, deviantArt and AO3 profiles. I’ll be posting some chapter updates soon enough. And just to wet your appetites, here is a summary sneak preview of what to expect for season one. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Terrance Wayne-Kent, or Terry, is many things. A loving son, a loyal friend and a light that brings a shine to dismal Neo-Gotham. He is also an Omega, taking after his Omega parent Bruce. And like his second father Terry isn’t the usual Omega who preens and expects to be waited on. In fact you might say he waits on the city of Neo-Gotham, and does so in the same way as Bruce did so long ago. For the past two years Terry has been more to the city than just it’s New Favorite Son. He has been protecting Gotham as their new Batman, the Knight of Tomorrow. Because of his heroic persona Terry usually guards his heart whenever he deals with Alphas. But that all changes when he has a fateful encounter with the handsome Alpha half-blood son of Green Lantern and Hawkgirl, Rex Stewart aka Warhawk. Watch as two successors of lofty hero legacies battle together, taking on the worst of the worst one night at a time, and slowly but surely fall for each other. Coming to your computer in April 2017, it’s “Batman Beyond: The Heir”. @scumashslanderson @sumi-ink-ninja @superbatheadcanons @supervampirebat @onimi18 @bbb35 @katsuyacrimson @lucy-dont-give-a-fuck @nanihoosartblog @bramblerose4

#special announcement #batman beyond #personal take #fanfiction project #superbat #alpha/beta/omega dynamics #terry mcginnis #rex stewart #night flight pairing #dc media lore #fanfiction.net #deviantart #archive of our own #q & a session

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jiveammunition · 7 years

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hello! i dont really have the means to play overwatch but i would like to know more about the characters' stories are there any comics or other stuff based on the game? ty!

Yup! Blizzard has made it really easy for people who don’t play the game to actually get into the Overwatch universe and learn about the characters and story! There are plenty of lore materials you can access, which Blizzard has put out for free on their official website: PlayOverwatch.com! (Please note that links will be different for you depending on what locale you are in. As I am in the US, all links included are for the US locale.)

There are short animated videos that give some story into select characters, which you can watch on their YouTube as well as the Overwatch Official Website. The YouTube playlist is kinda backwards, so I recommend using the official website first. Some of the characters also have Origin Story videos which are exactly what it says on the can.

There are also comics that Blizzard has on their website that you can peruse.

Additionally, Overwatch also has a blog that not only has game updates, but occasionally articles from the Overwatch universe that often tie into the story/progression of the game.

Ideally, to get a good sense of the timeline/pacing of the story, you’ll want to look at stuff in the following order (personal opinion and also based on Blizzard’s release schedule):

Cinematic Teaser “Are You With Us?”

Cinematic Teaser: We Are Overwatch

Cinematic Trailer

Animated Short: “Recall”

“News” Article: Overwatch Is Back

Animated Short: “Alive”

Comic: McCree - Train Hopper

Comic: Reinhardt - Dragon Slayer

Comic: Junkrat & Roadhog - Going Legit

“News” Article: Lucio’s Synesthesia World Tour

Comic: Symmetra - A Better World

Comic: Pharah - Mission Statement

Comic: Torbjorn - Destroyer

Animated Short: “Dragons”

“News” Article: Fading Glory: On the Trail of Jack Morrison

“News” Article: Weapon Stolen from Watchpoint: Grand Mesa

“News” Article: Lumerico Vison for Mexico Revealed

Animated Short: “Hero”

Origin Story Video: Soldier:76

Comic: Ana - Legacy

Origin Story Video: Ana

Comic: Ana - Old Soldiers

Animated Short: “The Last Bastion”

“News” Article: Lumerico CEO Under Fire

“News” Article: Lumerico CEO Steps Down

Origin Story Video: Sombra

Animated Short: “Infiltration”

It’s important to note that since the closed Beta, Sombra’s existence had been kept under wraps and slowly leaked to the fans via an ARG that spanned the course of several months. Through this ARG, fans were given insight into Sombra’s personality through the clues she left, as well as the goings-on with Lumerico, a corrupt company in Dorado, Mexico (supposedly Sombra’s hometown). I’m a little too stupid to actually explain the workings of the ARG itself, but you can read a summary here, or watch a video about what was involved.

Additionally, there are other character materials in existence, but they mostly center around in-game events. They’re not crucial to the Overwatch story itself, but they do give very important and very interesting insight into some of the characters (such as in the reveal of Tracer being one of the LGBT+ characters in the Overwatch universe through her comic) and their relationships with each other.

Comic: Junkrat - Junkenstein’s Revenge

Blog Entry: Mei’s Adventures

Comic: Tracer - Reflections

That’s about it for everything that Blizzard has provided and made available to us fans so far. I’m sure there is definitely more lore and tidbits about Overwatch out there - reveled through panels from Blizzcon, interviews with the staff/creators, and social media interactions - but I don’t have those handy at the moment. (If other people wish to reblog this and add anything I’ve missed, please feel free!!)

I really hope this helps, Anon! If you choose to join the Overwatch fandom, I bid you the warmest welcome and hope you enjoy your stay!! Please don’t hesitate to ask me any other questions! I’ll do my best to answer you, or direct you to someone who can. :D

#jive answers #overwatch #overwatch lore #overwatch story summary #overwatch resources #Anonymous

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markgottliebliteraryagent · 5 years

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Video Game Artists/Graphic Novelists Arey & Fy

Alejandra Green and Fanny Rodriguez are casually known as "Arey and Fy." They are the authors of the popular webtoon-turned-forthcoming graphic novel Fantastic Tales of Nothing, in which a vast continent with ages of lore, traditions and conflict plays host to the adventures of an unlucky boy as he travels from the Mourning Prayers to the Courts of Power and probably gets in more trouble that he can handle. Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins will be publishing. Alejandra "Arey" Green is a concept artist and animator from northwest Mexico. Arye likes to think of herself as patience in the flesh, a lover of the sea and surfer of whales (although she'll deny that). Fanny "Fy" Rodriguez is a user interface designer and illustrator from northeast Mexico. She never sleeps, is a mountain enthusiast, and has weird taste in music (she won’t deny that).

What initially attracted you both to the comic book arts medium of storytelling? Do you also feel that the fantasy genre affords a vast canvas for storytelling?

AG: Working on a comic format for storytelling pretty much conveyed what we both enjoyed doing- both graphic and written ideas.

I thought about working on a short film of sorts as a personal project around that time. However, animation is both resource and time consuming for only one person to work on. Funny enough, I had never been attracted to comic books up until now! The idea of trying out a new medium for me to explore was too exciting to ignore. This is honestly a new world for me and I cannot be more grateful to Fanny for dragging me in.

Either be fantasy, science fiction or any other genre; I believe any subject can be explored into an endless road of possibilities for storytelling as long as the characters, their actions and growth appeal to the audience.

FR: I’ve never gave much thought about it until now, I have notebooks from 7th grade where I did some comic panels and a friend did the next and so on. I guess I’ve always been attracted to the idea of telling stories through pictures more than only words, you not only tell the story you give the reader the idea of what you imagine creating it.

Definitely, fantasy and other fiction genres are only limited by the creator (and sometimes, the page limit marked by the editor).

Having worked with animation studios, what has been each of your favorite projects to work on and why?

FR: We didn’t work in big animation studios, but for my part I’ve been more involved on web design and development until I met Ale. We met in a video game outsource studio, where we worked on concept art and design for mobile, PC and console video games. You can even find our names in some credits (as an outsourcing studio, sometimes there’s only the mention of it and not the artists) like Heroes of Dragon Age, Plants vs. Zombies, Agents of Mayhem, Darksiders 3 and Prey 2. More than a project, my favorite part was when I got to be the leader of the 2D art team, working with a lot of amazing and talented artists and learning from them and the process of creating assets for video games.

AG: What a dream it would have been! Although I don’t think I would’ve had the opportunity to work on Tales of Nothing if I ever worked for those companies. (Or even meet Fanny)

I did however, worked with a small animation team for a feature film project in which I had the pleasure to meet amazing artists and friends within the industry. Visual development has always been my favorite part when working on the animation field, which I learned a lot from.

During my time there, we had the opportunity to work on a short film for a national contest (we made it to the finals!) and I have to admit, working on the credits illustrations/design was my favorite part!

“...you can’t rely on the platforms alone to get your work known.”

Your forthcoming graphic novel, Fantastic Tales of Nothing, began as a popular webcomic. Do you now regard publishing online via webtoon sites such as Tapas and Line Webtoon to be a springboard for discovery and success? Are there any limitations to staying within the webcomic ecosystem where one is published only digitally?

AG: Tapas did made it easier for us by promoting Tales of Nothing through their app and webpage’s Spotlight sections. However, when using such tools one should be careful and keep in mind their terms and conditions, and how your work can be affected by it.

Most webcomic authors I know use such platforms as a segway to self-publishing through funding campaigns, once the project has reached a popular audience on its own, especially when starting a new project.

FR: Both platforms are great ways to publish if you can’t create your own website, and make your work accessible to their the public that it’s always looking for something new to read. However, you can’t rely on the platforms alone to get your work known. As Ale said with Tapas Spotlight with Fantastic, we were lucky on that.

I don’t think there are limitations, if you want to continue publishing your comic online for free there are paths you can take to support you, like Patreon, Kofi, Kickstarters for publishing, Gumroad, etc. More than a limitation, you gotta know it’s big work what you going to do, constantly and that’s something some new artists and readers don’t grasp sometimes.

I'm reminded of Nimona, Boxers & Saints and Anya's Ghost when I look at your graphic novel Fantastic Tales of Nothing. Are there any comics or graphic novelists that have influenced your work, or are there any comic creators you both just read for pleasure?

FR: I’m more a video games than a comics/graphic novel person. I grew up (and still are) playing video games like The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy and more, they became a big influence for me to start drawing and writing. Art-wise I look up to a lot of artists, maybe all artists is a better statement. When we started Fantastic Tales of Nothing I took a lot of influence from Mary Blair, Eyvind Earle and Vincent Van Gogh for painting the backgrounds. On writers, maybe I can say Espido Freire and Douglas Adams.

I read for pleasure, a lot of things! Started a compilation of short stories by Ursula K. Leguin, a couple of friends gifted me Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones and The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang that I already binge read past week. I’m also following/reading some comics like Saga by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples, Coda by Simon Spurrier & Matías Vergara, and Isola by Brenden Fletcher & Karl Kerschl.

AG: I’m fairly new to this whole graphic novel/comic world, so my collection isn't as big as Fanny’s. My all-time favorite author has been a manga artist, Hiromu Arakawa on Fullmetal Alchemist and Silver Spoon. Last year I had the pleasure to meet both authors Ale Gamez and Axur Eneas through their latest novel Mas Alla de las Ciudades. I also bought Nimona after you, Mark, mentioned it to us, lovely stories worth checking out!

“...it was so amazing seeing all the work we have done finally take form.”

It's hard enough writing a story...does telling a story with illustrations add more work and present its own set of challenges, or do you each find it to be liberating?

FR: Yes definitely! Trying to communicate the actions and moods we are thinking about certain scenes it’s a big challenge but it’s great at the same time. I’ve learned so much because of it and still am. When we finished the rough version of the whole book to send to our editor, I contained my tears; it was so amazing seeing all the work we have done finally take form.

What do you find that working in a collaboration offers that working as an individual storyteller cannot offer?

FR: There are so many things. First, you’re not alone; you’ve got another person’s point of view that helps you see things that you wouldn’t have noticed if you were working by yourself. When you have troubles, or are stuck trying to illustrate/write something, the other can help out by guiding or giving advice. Working with Ale, it’s the absolute best, and I’m not saying it only because she’s my best friend, both of us are very different in the way we solve problems, paint and think. I’m very emotional and impulsive; she’s more centered and practical. I like to think we complement each other and that makes our work easier for both of us.

How did you find your current literary agent and go on to get published with the Katherine Tegen Books imprint of HarperCollins? How exhilarating did it feel to learn that you'd be getting published?

FR: Okay, this one is a funny story: we thought you were spam, Mark! When I got the notification and saw the big box of text I was about to delete it, but then noticed it wasn’t like the usual spam we got. I shared the comment with Ale, both of us being very skeptical about it. So, before answering you we did a little digging about you and Trident Media Group. It took us a moment to think about it, but at the end we said, “Why not?” We weren’t expecting such a quick reply, either.

When we finished our first call with you, we were blank, in a good way. Imagine when you called us, I think it was a month later, telling us Katherine Tegen was publishing us; we were blank again! Looking at each other in disbelief with a dumb smile on our faces, quite nervous of overreacting with you on the line. After we finished the call with you, both of us began to laugh. I think we didn’t do anything else other than smile and worry for a bit, then smile again. Nothing was done that day (no pun intended).

If you could each be any character in any fantasy or comic book world, which character would you be and why?

FR: I can’t decide. Not because I would like to be on many worlds, mostly because I kind of like it here. But if I have to choose something, maybe I’ll be the Doctor, just to be able to travel through space in time. Explore the universe, meet historical figures and just experience ancient times for a little bit. Oh, how I would love to see what a dinosaur really looked and sounded like.

AG: Most of Arakawa’s female characters have a strength to strive for, I’d definitely choose Riza Hawkeye and her will to give all her best to achieve her goals in supporting the people she cares for.

“The right literary agent can help you take strides of progress when seeking publishing opportunities...”

Do you have any advice for unpublished graphic novelists hoping to get their work published?

FR: Don’t hold yourself back because you don’t know this or don’t know that. You will only learn to improve if you do the thing, instead of having it as an idea wandering in your head. And share your work! Yes, there’ll be mistakes and critiques, learn from them instead of letting them get you down. How else will someone know you got this great story on your hands?

AG: Just do it! Keeping your work out there will open up possibilities for your growth as an artist and as an author. The right literary agent can help you take strides of progress when seeking publishing opportunities—don’t give up, be patient and keep on working ideas that can get you where you aim for.

What can we expect next from the world of Fantastic Tales of Nothing?

FR: Well, if everything goes alright, maybe more stories of the past and beginning of the world, also more adventures! Maybe outside Nathan and friends.

For now, in Fantastic Tales of Nothing, you got to pay attention to the little things; there’s a lot behind the world our characters known as "Nothing," about the people living there to their historical figures. That magic is simple but makes a lot of mess, that’s for sure. And definitely bad jokes, I hope to get better in time with my puns for the second book.

#fannyrodriguez #alejandragreen #fantastictalesofnothing #tapsas #tapastic #webtoons #linewebtoons #benjaminrosenthal #harpercollins #katherinetegenbooks #ktb #harpercollinschildrensbooks #ya #youngadult #comics #graphicnovel #markgottliebagent #TridentMediaGroup

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fyrapartnersearch · 5 years

Text

Fandoms! Ideas below!

Hey there!

Still searching for a few good partners, so I thought I'd make a bigger post here! This will involve ideas around certain Fandoms I wish to write within; though, with that said, if we both enjoy the same fandom and want to brainstorm a completely different idea, let's do it! I'm always open to discussion and brainstorming with anyone~

A few quick things about myself:

I'm 21+, if anyone was curious; been writing for four plus years.

I live in EST, and have a part time job.

Always aims for a post a day, if not more.

Personally enjoys writing in third person, past tense.

Open to GM/DM, if we end up in such a idea.

Contact Platforms: Email, Discord. Open to Others as well.

If you need anything else, feel free to ask~

Discord: TheOneWhoSits#3363

Email: [email protected]

Now onto the ideas I have; a small list of other Fandoms I enjoy will be at the end too.

Dragon Ball Universe:

The Adventures of The Great Saiyaman and Saiyawoman~:

Diving into Akira Toriyama‘s world of Dragon Ball. The world of ki, and seven magical orbs that summon a mythical dragon to grant a wish.

Ideally, I wish to focus on the characters of, Son Gohan and Videl Satan, but more so their secret identities: Saiyaman and Saiyawoman. Of course, if we want to start things out with just Gohan being a hero, and work towards Videl suiting up, also fine. Part of me enjoys the Saiyaman Arc, in the Buu Saga, with Gohan attending High School. Perhaps we can write this as an AU, where Buu never appears, and Gohan focuses more on School and Hero work; this might involve some OC villain creations along the line.

Or, if we would want to start, with both suited up, and working a hero team, that’s fine too. Perhaps taking a page from Either Xenoverse with some, timey wimey fun, having the two Saiya-warriors deal with the likes of the Ginyu force, or other beings who might challenge the two and their poses throughout time.

The aspect I really love about the Saiyaman persona, is the call back to Sentai and things of that nature. over the top poses, displaying a sense of Justice, a righteous attitude. All things I’d like to include, but with the fun Dragon Ball elements too: flying, powering up, dealing with huge creatures similar to Kajui.

Arrow-Verse (Arrow/Flash/Super-Girl/Legends/CW DC TV Universe):

Darkest Timeline(s): Sins of the Parents.

It seems, all the shows point towards some dark Future, since Nora Allen's arrival on the Flash, and Arrow's flash-forwards. I wish to write in an AU sort of future, that takes elements from all the shows.

I’ve come up with a few key things, I think would work best for this dark future setting.

Reverse Flash attacks, like the current future newspaper states, and that is the event where Flash (Barry Allen) goes missing.

After the Flash goes missing, Star City is invaded by Grant Wilson and his following:Majority of team arrow is taken out there- John Diggle, WildDog, Black Siren. Oliver loses his arm, and will to fight after a while (like in Star City 2046-Legends Episode.

Argus around the same time starts their ban and control over Meta humans, mostly due to the events caused by the Reverse Flash.This kicks off dampening and throwing meta’s into special jails. Argus basically becomes a Big Brother like figure. Also, Iris implanting a device in Nora to keep her powers hidden. (Until she discovers this, and removes it. Like mentioned in the episode.)

The Legends never show up in 2046, like they do in season one. So, team Arrow never gets the boost of encouragement.

And that’s where things would pick up. Like how Oliver, Barry and Kara are basically the main Trio of the Arrowverse, I‘d like a new generation to be front and center. John Diggle Jr (Conor Hawk/New Green Arrow), Nora West Allen (Xs), and perhaps someone from Kara’s blood line, close to her. Still thinking on that.

As for actually story beats, still working on that. I think a good place to start would be, the new heroes trying to reclaim Star City. A struggling to keep hope alive Conor Hawk, with help of a newly discovered Speedster of Xs. From there, they could move in fighting ARGUS after they become aware of Nora’s powers. Main mystery could be trying to figure out what happened to Barry Allen.

Not sure how interested people might be in this, but decided to throw my thoughts out here. Might need to workshop some dates, so J.J and Nora can work together.

Power Rangers (2017 Movie Universe):

A new Green Ranger emerges!

Not sure how many people here are fans, but I really enjoyed the 2017 Power Rangers movie! I loved the semi-updated characters and all of that! The film ends in such a way, that it can keep going.

Personally, I'd love to take things from the post-credit hint, at a new Ranger. A Tommy/Tommi, as I am open for the new Green Ranger being a woman, joining the cast. Of course, we'd have to discuss their updated back-story, and what not- how they got Rita's coin. Perhaps, since Rita was corrupted, the coin corrupts, or tries to corrupts the New Green.

We can take elements from the MMPR show, add villains like Zedd and whoever we wish from there.

This idea will take a bit more discussing than others.

Power Rangers: Super Mega Force/Gokiagers Reworked:

Fixing the anniversary season of Power Rangers.

I have nothing against the Mega Force cast, though I’d would have preferred if they were just that- Mega Force. For the Gokaigers adaption, that they would have gone closer to the source material, or at the very least if they felt like dropping the Space pirates, adapt the characters into a new team.

So, if anyone out there would like to re-work things, let’s get down to business! Perfectly fine with creating a whole new team, to replace the Mega Force Rangers, to have the Gokaigers like powers. Would probably help, if anyone reading this, at least knows both Super Mega and Gokaigers. Aha. We can keep to the Gokaigers personalities and basically write their Power Ranger Counter part, or go some other directions.

Perhaps, teenagers with similar traits- though a more rebellious group of teenagers, to match eh Pirate based suits. I’d like Gosei, and his Command Center a part as well. The Legendary battle to happen before the new team gets the keys. Also open for elements from BOOM STUDIO’S comic lore to be in place as well!

That's all for the ideas I have thoughts on. As promised, a small list of things I would be open to discuss, but have no solid concept at this moment (moment of writing this):

Persona 5

Star Wars (Disney's current Canon)

Kingdom Hearts

Akiba's Trip; the Animation

Pokemon (Games)

Thanks for reading!

#multiple paragraph #semipara #long term #email #dc rp #submission

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