My current vidya-related fascination is Western RPGs from that weird liminal space of design from between 2001-2004, where the genre was just starting to leave PCs behind but hadn’t quitestarted being designed with consoles in mind first.
What I mean by that is that RPGs of any kind almost invariably have commands, UI, and perspective that’s meant to accommodate the particular type of control you’re using. Games are almost always designed so that how you physicallyinteract with the hardwareis reflective in how you interact with the software.
One of the reasons Real-Time Strategy games are so incredibly rare on consoles is that virtually all of them from 1993 onward drew direct lineage from Dune II, whose then-novel mouse controls took direct inspiration from the click-and-drag interface used by the Apple Macintosh. While some RTS games did exist prior to widespread adoption of mouse controls, Dune II had such a foundational influence on how games of its kind played that mouse and keyboard is practically in the very geneticsof Real-Time Strategy. Any attempt to separate mouse controls from the long-since-codified design of RTS games is going to end up feeling awkward and clunky, as Halo Wars learned the hard way.
So that brings us back to Western RPGs. Prior to around 2000, any RPG that wasn’t by a Japanese developer was assumed to be made for PCs first, and that came with all the design conventions appropriate for a mouse and keyboard. But back in the early aughts, there was beginning to be something of a shift. Throughout the late 90s the genre of RPG had been firmly defined by a “J.” So as the subsequent PS2 and Xbox era started up, we saw more PC-centric developers from the “W” side of RPGs begin to make the shift to consoles. Consoles were still largely new territory for these developers though, there were still some odd holdovers from PC game design in the games they put out.
Having recently started playing through both Knights of the Old Republic and Baldur’s Gate, what really struck me right out the gate is how these games play near identicallyfrom a purely mechanical standpoint. They’re both real-time-with-pause games that put a high degree of emphasis on party management, positioning, and timing your characters’ abilities through the use of queued commands. But KoToR also crucially changed the way you viewedyour characters’ actions, with the game now being seen through an over-the-shoulder camera that follows whichever character is currently selected.
This shift in camera made it mucheasier to follow the action from where the average console gamer saw it, which was on a CRT television placed some distance away from a couch. Without this simple change in how the game is viewed, it’s likely KoToR would have never even been a viable product on the Xbox.
At the same time though, Bioware’s assumptions of a mouse-controlled game still bleed into the menu designs, UI, and even some of the basic gameplay mechanics like moving to an object in the world by selecting it. Bethesda’s Morrowind was likewise made much more Xbox-friendly than their previous RPGs, mostly by way of the greatly reduced number of buttons needed for play, yet it also retained a lot of clearly PC-centric design elements in the status and dialogue menus. The end result was this very brief point in time where RPGs were in an awkward growing phase, between the designed-for-PC RPGs like Baldur’s Gate and Fallout 1, and the designed-for-consoles RPGs like Mass Effect and Fallout 3.
In the past several years there’s been a big push to revive the older, more PC-focused RPGs with titles like Pillars of Eternity, but that weird in-between period where RPGs were not quite made for consoles but also not quite made for PCs is something I genuinely don’t think we’ll ever see again.
Writer friends, I discovered a fun website today. It’s called “I Write Like” and here’s the description:
Check which famous writer you write like with this statistical analysis tool, which analyzes your word choice and writing style and compares them with those of the famous writers.
Nobody’s stopping you from taking 4 tablespoons of butter, melting it in a pot, and adding two tablespoons of minced garlic. Nobody’s stopping you from letting that garlic saute for like two minutes, or from then adding in two tablespoons of shaved parmesan. And nobody will stop you from stirring half a pound of al dented pasta into that buttery mess, cracking some pepper over it, and feasting on the garlicky spoils gained from such labours.
Nobody’s stopping you. The cops can’t even arrest you for it.
I love these beautifully created diagrams that explain the relationship plants, soul and fungi have… its an amazing world living right underneath the ground we walk on.
Just watched a chat between James Cameron and Denis Villeneuve (the director of Dune) and here are some interesting snippets from JimCam:
As the story evolves, part of Avatar will take place on Earth
The 3rd movie is way too long right now and JimCam is struggling to cut it down
Movies 2 and 3 have basically been produced like a 6 hour miniseries. They were filmed 100% concurrently. A few scenes from the 4th movie were also filmed at the same time
The child actors are “allowed to age 6 years in the middle of the story on page 25 of movie 4.” Completely unrelated reminder that it takes a little over 5 years for the ISV to travel from Pandora to Earth :3c
James Cameron mentioned that one of the advantages single movies have over movie franchises is that the audience can’t be sure if the characters are all gonna survive. When movies are serialized with no clear end in sight, the audience knows the characters are gonna survive because the characters have to be in the next movies… which I agree with considering I felt absolutely nothing at the death in Spider-man: No Way Home because I was so sure they would just undo it
“I’m not afraid [of the advent of streaming services], I like change. I’m a child of the 60s, I like it when things are chaotic. But, uh, what we cansee is an expanded form of cinema. I wanna do a movie that’s 6 hours long and2½ hours long at the same time - the same movie. And you can stream it for 6 hours or you can go and have a more condensed, immersive version of that experience in a movie theater. Same movie - just one is the novel and one is the movie.”
They spent 6 years developing simulcam technology for the first Avatar so they could film the actors directly in the CG environment. Part of the reason the sequels were so long underway is just that simulcam technology wasn’t good enough for JimCam’s vision and all the underwater stuff he wanted
The sequels have a “messianic throughline” that’s partially inspired by Dune. There’s a scientific explanation for every single thing that happens, but you don’t have to accept the events in a secular way. You can choose to believe in spiritual explanations instead/in tandem with the scientific facts.
Here I am with the first part of July’s themed week in “Lyrical Love”! Today’s subject is a song by the Japanese metal band Unlucky Morpheus, precisely Black Pentagram, lead-track of the single with the same name came out on 29th December 2016. This song is fundamental for the band’s path, as it launched them in a new musical frontier, extending their unique concept in a new and refreshing level.
THE MUSIC
The song starts with a strong rhythm and a great guitar work, bringing out intense and compelling notes, along with screamed vocals; then Fuki takes up the scene, with charismatic and efficient vocals, empowering the melody along with Jill’s beautiful violin, in an impactful track, easy to appreciate and hard to forget.
Lyrics (Romaji)
Usu murasakiiro no kiri no naka ikudo mo mite ita yume no shiro tsubasa haeta inu no tōboe wa anata o michibiku shito no koe
Seija ni shi no senrei o higan o sukuu mukui o
Akumu o miseteageru hitai ni kizanda kuroki hoshi o futatabi mezameru toki anata no kokoro ni yomigaeru
Dare yori utsukushī yūjin wa kagami ni utsutta tsumi no iro abiru hada ni nijimu senketsu ga watashi no sakebi ni ko tamashī suru
Seija ni hi no sensei o higan ni sukuu akui o
Noroi o kashite ageru sono mi ni nagareru ōke no chi o futatabi mezameru toki anata o tsukatte yomigaeru
Takaki tō no itadaki e chijoku o kakusu yō ni wasure rareta tamashī wa kono hi o machiwabite
Seija ni shi no senrei o higan o sukuu mukui o
Akumu o miseteageru hitai ni kizanda kuroki hoshi o futatabi mezameru toki anata no kokoro e
Tobira o hiraku ga ī akuma to chigitta sono akashi o karada wa tsuchi ni kaeri anata o kuratte yomigaeru
Watashi ga anata ni kawatte ikiru no
Lyrics (Translation)
Within a purple fog It is seen a castle of dreams for long An howl of a dog with spread wings The voice of the disciple will guide you (I)
The baptism of death to the living An arranged reward for a dear desire
I will show you a nightmare A black star carved in the forehead In the moment you wake up again Your heart will revive (II)
Who more than a sweet friend The color of sin reflected in the mirror Fresh blood strains on the skin My scream will recall the spirit
The saint makes a crimson oath The malice will haunt the nirvana (III)
I will lend you a curse The royal blood flowing in the body In the moment you wake up again It will revive you
On the top of the high tower For hiding the shame The forgotten spirit Impatiently waits this day (IV)
The baptism of death to the living An arranged reward for a dear desire
I will show you a nightmare A black star carved in the forehead In the moment you wake up again It will be in your heart
Open well the door The proof that there’s the devil The body returns to the ground Eat and revive
I am you Rather live (V)
THE WORDS
Written by the singer Fuyuki “Fuki” Tenge, the song features a simple layout, with a language taking inspiration from gothic world and from several religions known in the world, fitting with band’s concept. The single where the song is featured sees a focus on the theme of feelings, as shown even in the b-sides, Dead Leaves RisingandViolet, respectively dealing with the sense of absence of the loved oneandthe love as an hope for the future. The title-track takes the concept of feelings in a darker turn, focusing more on a new beginning from a painful existence, represented through the metaphor of initiation to a faith, where the soul is sold in exchange of a new life, acquired through the death. And now… let’s analyze the song!
I) The text starts with an image which brings straight to the gothic atmosphere of the song; the protagonist sees a castle of dreams behind a purple fog (Usu murasakiiro no kiri no naka/ikudo mo mite ita yume no shiro, in Japanese culture the purple is synonym of mystery, dream, magic, death, penitence and unconscious, all themes linked to the song, and the castle is a metaphor of human mind), where a dog with spread wings is howling (tsubasa haeta inu no tōboe wa,the winged dog is a likely reference to Simarĭglŭ, a mythological figure of Slavic culture, seen as a guardian of life), defined as the voice of a disciple, inviting the reader to follow him in his guidance (anata o michibiku shito no koe, the disciple likely represents the coscience).
II) The voice leads to the baptism of death for a living one, the reader (Seija ni shi no senrei o), where the reward, already arranged, is a thing wished for a long time, salvation (higan o sukuu mukui o); the author, which is the one who is guiding the reader, will offer him a nightmare (akumu o miseteageru,here meant as a manifestation of all fears and pains), and will have a black star carved in the forehead (hitai ni kizanda kuroki hoshi o,the pentagram of the title, a magic symbol of protection against evil) and when the time of reawakening will come for him, his heart will revive (futatabi mezameru toki /anata no kokoro ni yomigaeru).
III) The focus moves on a sweet friend, whose colors of the sin reflected on the reader’s mirror (dare yori utsukushī yūjin wa/kagami ni utsutta tsumi no iro, in Japanese culture the mirror represents the true essence of human soul, meaning that the sins of this friend corrupted the reader’s soul), and the blood coming from that sin is spread on his skin (abiru hada ni nijimu senketsu ga), so the author wants to recall his spirit with a scream (watashi no sakebi ni ko tamashī suru); then a saint will come out for making a crimson oath (Seija ni hi no sensei o, the crimson represents life itself) and the malice will haunt the nirvana (higan ni sukuu akui o,a metaphor for describing the order shaken by the chaos).
IV) The author will lend to the reader a curse (Noroi o kashite ageru), so that he will revive again, thanks to the royal blood flowing in his body (sono mi ni nagareru ōke no chi o/futatabi mezameru toki/anata o tsukatte yomigaeru); his forgotten soul will await with impatience that moment at the top of an high tower, presumibly of the castle of dreams mentioned early, hidden because of the shame felt for his mistakes (takaki tō no itadaki e/chijoku o kakusu yō ni/wasure rareta tamashī wa/kono hi o machiwabite)
V) In the final sequence there’s a repetition of the whole second part, followed by the ending lines; the author invites the reader to open well the door, behind which there’s the devil (tobira o hiraku ga ī/akuma to chigitta sono akashi o, of course the devil represents the sin and the temptation) and in that moment the reader’s body will get back to the ground, for then reviving again (karada wa tsuchi ni kaeri/anata o kuratte yomigaeru) and finally the reader completes his initiation, becoming like the author (Watashi ga anata ni) and so he can live again his life, without the weight of pain (kawatte ikiru no).
Faith implies that is found a purpose for living, despite the pain and the sin; Unlucky Morpheus, through a song made by images and strong symbols, bring a compelling message thanks to a energetic melody and piercing words, made by darkness and light at the same time, in a cathartic experience, under any aspect.
That’s all folks! See you with the second part in “Let’s Listen to”!
i truly find it so funny when i see someone on the internet doing a spot of recreational suicide baiting/hate mail/death threats etc and i go to their blog and it’s all pink and cutesy with edits that say stuff like “radical softness” “be brave and be kind” all surrounded by flowers and stuff. like how do you sleep at night
Satirical map depicting Russia as an aggressive octopus during the Great Eastern Crisis, 1878.
Forget all that, I want to spend more time on the 1870s fashion ideals being represented by Italy. Those roller skates? That frog shaped handbag? The color coordination? Nobody contextualise this for me.
I had “laser cutter” course with other students yesterday and it was really fascinating and everyone got license for participating(That’s what the machine is cutting in the video)
You know what bugs me about soulmate aus? So, I’m assuming that this whole “the first thing your soulmate says to you blahblahblah” is a worldwide thing. So many of the aus I’ve read have a quote at some point that addresses how tragic it is when people have soul words that say something like “hi” or “‘sup” which makes NO SENSE! In a world where the first thing you say to people is THAT important, WHY GOD WHY would the culture still use standard greetings? Who the fuck is still saying hello at this point? Everyone in these worlds would surely develop a personalized greeting different from everybody else’s to prevent confusion. Like how no 2 racehorses can have the same racing name? The best part is that every time people met someone new for the first time, they would try to say something that no one else had said. You’d have people meeting eachother at a job intetview, they’d shake hands, smile politely, then one of them would be like “Every Tuesday, I hard even grape purple farm house sunsets too” and this would be perfectly normal. Or you’d go up to the cash register at Starbucks and instead of saying “Hello, what can i get for you today?” She’d look you right in the eye and say “I don’t know what Space Jam is” THEN ask you what you want and she’d repeat that to every customer in the line for the rest of her career. And because they live in the AU, nobody would think it was weird.
op you are forcibly opening my third eye with a crowbar and i am here for it
Your honor. It’s true that a first glance at the evidence would suggest my client was responsible. But let’s look a little further, shall we?
I have here a reverse image search for the crime scene as well as my client’s photo.
And if you look closely at the results…
Theblogsanddates don’t match.
My client has been framed!
And why? Because their iconic “mischievous smile” makes for a funnier post, of course. But nothing, not even Tumblr notes, is more important than the truth!
I present to you: The original unaltered post and the true culprit!
oh also asmodeus’ technical truths are also so delicious cause it raises real implications just without the proper context to frame them. it was the primordials home first. the primordials didn’t want to the gods creations. the gods gave their creations access immense power that they very arguably were not (and still not) fully capable of using responsibly. in a war over who had dominance over exandria the betrayers choose the beings that lorded over the planet before the gods even arrived there. and the general sentiments about not understanding the truth of his creations - pain and suffering makes their creations goodness and light more meaningful, it evokes this sense of balance.
asmodeus isn’t good. he isn’t trustworthy. he’s hiding his intentions. he’s not right. but he made so sure to not be wrong either.
