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quordleona03 · 11 months

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8 shows for your mutuals to get to know you better

I was tagged by @marley--manson

Blake's 7 - I once described my relationship with Blake's 7 as like the one you might have with your first girlfriend. You came out together! You two were the first lesbians each of you had ever met; You share so many lesbian firsts together. You split up before you were even going to uni, you may not see each other very often now, but there's still that sweet, sweet, unforgettable first attachment. That was me for Blake's 7. The first show I ever wrote fanfic for. The first show for which I had a proper fannish obsession. The first show for which I ever spent three days weeping and writing obsessively after I was left in a state of misery and shock after the fourth season finale . I have a complete set of B7 DVDs sitting on the shelf above this computer. I haven't actually watched them but sometimes I offer them flowers.

2. Doctor Who. This was my very first convention - the Doctor Who 20th Anniversary Con at Longleat, Easter weekend 1983. My parents asked me what I'd like to do for Easter, and were more than a little startled when I told them, but they paid my train fare and my con membership and let me go and I had my very first experience of fandom standing in those queues. I have dipped into and out of Doctor Who since I first watched Tom Baker flaunt his ever so long scarf.

3. Star Trek: TOS - and the original four movies. I watched these without as much obsession, but - I read James Blish's novelisations, I still have a collection of the good Trek novels on my shelf, I once organised a group reading of the Price of the Phoenix at a slash con, I have written Spock/McCoy fanfic (it's the Mirror episode, mostly) and I have been to K/S cons. I quite like DS9 and ST:tng too - I've written fanfic for tng - but Star Trek before it needed a TOS label was the first fandom I got to share with friends in person, as opposed to friends I knew by post and fanzine and at cons.

4. Cagney & Lacey. I loved this show. So did my mum. This is the only fandom I ever shared with my mum, and we loved it the same way: two kick-ass women who were best friends and also the only two women cops in their precinct. I was not conscious enough of racial issues in the US at the time I was watching it to be conscious that the New York Cagney and Lacey moved in was very unexpectedly white at all times, but I'm afraid I would see it now. On the other hand, if anyone can point me at *good* recordings of the episodes I would love to watch them again - my mum had the complete set recorded on VHS tapes and, well, gone with the dinosaurs and my late mother's estate.

5. The Professionals. Such a British show. Written and aired well before the anti-drunk driving campaigns, Bodie and Doyle and Cowley drink to excess, show no signs of being drunk, and then drive fast cars and wave guns around after drinking to excess. I wrote Bodie/Cowley fanfic for it because at the time I discovered the fandom, it felt like every Bodie/Doyle story and then some had already been written (and were still being written) but also because I really adored the way Gordon Jackson and Lewis Collins interacted with each other. Cowley and Bodie were both ex-soldiers doing a secret-police job: Doyle was a former cop transferred to CI5: the best fanfiction written covered the brutality and the danger and the kind of personality that thrived on it. The political viewpoints expressed by Bodie, Cowley, and Doyle were so far from being mine that it felt reckless to write them, and I enjoyed that: but the background to the story - 1970s UK/London - was so close to my real life (1980s/1990s Scotland/SE England) that it felt sometimes impossibly easy to write.

6. House MD I had been vaguely aware that Hugh Laurie had moved to the US and was doing a show about a doctor in an American hospital and I was entirely uninterested - US doctor/hospital series (with ONE exception) had never appealed to me. And then I saw a poster, at the bus stop, on my way home. It is a rule that anything she see advertised on public transport is bad, but I looked at the unshaven and somehow agonised face of Hugh Laurie, whom I remembered well from quite other series, and I though: Okay, I'll give this a go, and I watched one episode - somewhere in the first season, I do not recall which one, oddly enough: and I was hooked. I never wrote much fanfic for it, but Greg House and his coterie of characters - Wilson, Cameron, Chase, Foreman, and Cuddy - and to a certain extent the later ducklings - were formidable ingredients for story telling. I own every season on DVD.

7. The West Wing. I have been a politics nerd for most of my life, and a friend who was aware of this tempted me into watching an early episode of TWW (it may even have been the pilot episode) by telling me it was a drama about politics - not so much about elections, but about the behind-the-scenes work that makes politics. I watched it from season one, and I own every season on DVD.

8. M*A*S*H I became obsessed with MASH in two phases - first one about twenty years ago, which sparked a period of about five years writing fanfic: and again, I'm not sure why, in lockdown - suddenly the characters walked back into my mind and I started writing MASH fanfic again. Who to tag, who to tag: @jaelijn @topshelf2112-blog @cplredberet @blistersonmefingehs @bbjkrss-blog (but don't feel obliged unless you want to)

#Blake's 7 #Star Trek: TOS #The Professionals #Cagney & Lacey #Doctor Who #House MD #The West Wing #mash tv #fanfic #fannish obsessions

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alfvaen · 9 months

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Cellular Peptide Cake

I don't remember when I first saw Star Trek, but I was definitely quite young, maybe five years old. I was born in 1971, so only a few years after it went off the air the first time, but still playing in syndication. The first episode I remember clearly might have been "Operation--Annihilate!", and I imagine I found those plastic fried-egg cell things to be quite scary at the time. I watched it sporadically for years, and I'm not convinced I saw every episode for a long time. I was also reading James Blish's Star Trek episode collections (and the Alan Dean Foster equivalents for the animated series) from the library, where they were filed down in the kids' section for some reason. To some extent those books and the actual episodes blended together in my head. In particular I remember Star Trek 9 and the episode "Obsession", which I never saw for years and years, but I knew how it went. Some of my favourites were ones that maybe haven't held up particularly well, like "Court Martial" and "Specter of The Gun" and "The Savage Curtain", but in general I watched them pretty indiscriminately, had no concept of which ones were from which season or anything like that. I did watch some of the animated series too, but not nearly as much.

I of course saw the first movie when it came out, and had the soundtrack album; I started reading the novels that came out afterwards, too. (I suppose I had read some of the earlier ones, like "Spock Must Die", already as well, but mostly the newer ones.) I saw most of the rest of the movies too (I still haven't seen all of Star Trek V); Star Trek IV was my favourite. I also got the book "The Making of Star Trek" which lots of interesting behind-the-scenes stuff about how the series came to be.

And then TNG came out. I was kind of iffy on it at first. I missed "Encounter At Farpoint", but luckily a friend had it on tape so I watched it a little while later. As a "gifted child" two years younger than my classmates, I had some issues with the character of Wesley Crusher, finding him painful to watch most of the time. I stopped watching it with any consistency and it became an occasional thing. But I gradually became fond of it, and enjoyed most of the episodes I watched, though again I lost track of which ones were new or old. At some point I got a book which had a list of all the TNG episodes, which helped me fill in some of the gaps. (There was a period where they had TNG reruns on one channel late at night after Jerry Springer, and I caught up on a lot there.) I wasn't as fond of the TNG movies, though; "First Contact" was the best, but even that was never a favourite. I haven't rewatched any of them, though.

Deep Space 9...my wife and I tried it when it came out, watched a few episodes, but I think "Move Along Home" mostly killed it for us. I've seen about half a dozen episodes since then--the tribbles one, the "O'Brien replicant" one, and some of the mirror universe ones. One day perhaps I'll make a concerted effort to get back into it. It’s possible I won’t just consider it to be a Babylon 5 ripoff.

But we did try Voyager when it came out, and it may be the only Star Trek series (or, at least, the only post-TOS pre-Discovery series) that we never gave up on. Oh, we did miss most of Season 2 because we lost access to cable channels for a year, but we went right back to it when we could, and watched it to the end. I don't recall it having nearly as many standout episodes as TNG, but it was a lot more consistent from the very beginning, at least.

"Enterprise" we also tried but it didn't hold our interest. Not sure if there was any big reason, but one thing that low-key bugged me was always when stuff taking place before TOS didn't feel continuous with it. Like, TNG and Enterprise both used "offline" a lot. TOS never did...and yet it was chronologically in between them. It makes sense out-of-universe that TOS wouldn't have used terminology that didn't exist yet in the 60s, but it felt wrong in-universe. Same thing with the visible tech level differences between Discovery and TOS later. (And let's not even mention the periodic Klingon redesigns.)

The "reboot"/"Kelvin timeline" movies were okay but didn't wholly in me over either. They seemed a little gimmicky sometimes. The third one actually felt most like actual Star Trek to me. I haven't rewatched any of those either.

Of the newer series...we watched three seasons of "Discovery" and may have given up on it for now. At least, it's on hiatus for us. The series-long arc thing takes some getting used to, the continuity issues do bother me a little, and some of the stuff just seems outlandish. The spore drive? The giant tardigrade? (Does it never occur to anyone that you can't just make a tardigrade bigger and expect it to have all the same characteristics? Square-cube law, anyone?) I like most of the characters, though, and the Harry Mudd time-loop episode was enjoyable. We haven't tried "Strange New Worlds", and we only watched one episode of "Lower Decks" before deciding it wasn't for us.

"Picard" we've seen two seasons of, though not the third yet. Once again with the season-long story arcs, but it is interesting how they pick up some of the dangling plot threads from TNG and weave them into other stuff.

Honourable mention has to go to "The Orville", which is the Star Trek which is the most Star Trek without being Star Trek. (Like that Firesign Theatre joke: "Benjamin Franklin--the only President of the United States who was never President of the United States.") It's most like TNG, but with characters who swear more and have more juvenile senses of humour. Again, I haven't seen the latest season of it, but I enjoyed the first two and will probably get back into it at some point.

But it's TNG that I'm always going back to. TOS I can't take seriously any more, for some reason; I did just rewatch it, partly in step with listening to the Mission Log podcast about each episode, but for the most part I feel like I'm done with it. The animated series...well, I'm still revisiting that one, but I suspect it's not going to hold up that well either. TNG...the first two seasons are highly spotty, but after that it gets really consistent. It is more episodic than modern shows, but that just means that individual episodes can be experienced on their own with greater enjoyment. DS9...I've heard a lot of good things about it, and I'm sure if I can just get over that initial hump I'll enjoy it just fine. Voyager...that one does demand more of an in-order watch, and there is that entire season I've mostly missed. Enterprise...well, maybe, one day.

Right now we're doing a TNG watch-through (skipping the really bad episodes, mostly) with the family. Looking forward to it.

#star trek

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queer-as-used-by-tolkien · 3 years

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Siblings

I've made several posts about Blish's distinct older-brother vibe (which, come to think of it, is unique; we barely even have any other characters with siblings) and one or two headcanons from their childhoods and Blish kinda taking care of Gorrik.

But it works the other way, too; we're never told explicitly, but it's heavily hinted that Blish had a degenerative condition similar to Taimi, which is why he's inside a golem that Gorrik built. (I don't think his condition is identical to Taimi's, though; he's probably only a few years older than her, but he's already transitioned to living full-time as a machine. And Taimi had a period where her condition was in remission, we don't really know.)

And we all understand that Blish used to be an asura and we never treat him differently because of it (except at the very beginning, I remember some cringey dialogues). But Taimi needs Scruffy, and her condition isn't even that advanced yet (or at least, not that we know of - after radio silence on her end throughout all of the Icebrood Saga), so I imagine Blish would have needed something similar (perhaps more and more as his condition got worse).

But anyway; a few nights ago, my youngest sister (Miss Pretty's Twin) got an asthma attack. This happens sometimes, badly enough that we have a little machine about two hands big that converts a certain liquid medicine into mist which comes through the mouthpiece, and after twenty minutes or so of breathing it in she's fine, at least for a few hours.

She hadn't had an attack in a while, and it was the middle of the night, so I had to sneak into our parents' room to find the machine and hopefully not wake them up (plan failed, she was tired and scared and fussing rather loudly), and then I sat in the kitchen with her and held her in my lap to try and calm her down (and also hold her nose so she would actually breathe through the mouthpiece) and provide some physical comfort. After a minute or so she calmed down and I was just sitting there holding her, and the machine was whirring rather noisily (but not noisily enough to wake people up).

But I realized this is probably an identical situation to something that's happened between Blish and Gorrik before. I've already said Blish has a strong older-brother vibe, but Gorrik all but exudes protectiveness.

But it's really kind of sad; not in any way I can articulate, but I guess the whole concept of Blish living inside a golem is sad, and when you think there was all sorts of other things he probably had to live with before that...

But this is sad in a sibling kind of way, since Gorrik is the younger brother; I get the vague sense he shouldn't have to deal with that? Older brothers are supposed to be champions; the ones that lead the charge to go exploring, and the younger brother kind of follows in wide-eyed awe and how amazing their brother is.

Blish is a champion in a different sort of way, of course, but it wouldn't have been the same for Gorrik and he kind of never had that experience?

I don't know, my brain is kind of clogging up and isn't doing the normal concept -> words transition.

But like - Gorrik's always depended on Blish for things like emotional support, not to mention his genius, and Gorrik's always helped and supported Blish with his physical condition, partly because Gorrik looks up to and respects him, but also because he really, really, really just simply needs his older brother.

#gorrik #blish #it's just sad #plain and simple #and like after Blish died #I could absolutely see Gorrik doing a Ceera and blaming the Commander #Blish was his whole life you know #and like it's basically canon we don't care so much #we're more worried about Taimi #and SHE is more worried about Kralk #and Aurene #and we only knew Blish for two episodes #but this was Gorrik's BROTHER #Gorrik needs him #gw2 #ls4 #a star to guide us spoilers

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the-rhiview-blog · 6 years

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After a long three-month stretch, ArenaNet finally delivered the second episode of Living World Season Four: “A Bug in the System.”

Two weeks ago, ArenaNet’s Mike Z took to the forums to address the player base, admitting that though he had hoped to be announcing the release date of the newest adventure in Tyria, due to complications the team was forced to delay. Eager to reassure players that the dreaded content-drought was not to be overly extended, he promised we would be seeing the reveal of a teaser trailer within a week’s time, followed by the live episode shortly thereafter, on March 6th.

ArenaNet delivered on that promise, though not without a slight hiccup on launch day. Players logged in to start on the next stretch of story, eager to see what the dastardly Palawa Joko had in store for us … only to find nothing new to play!

Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long. It seems Joko’s plot to defeat all of us mighty Commanders extended to preventing us from progressing the story…

Sure enough, after the brief delay, the patch landed and the bright green story icon did its little happy dance in the bottom corner of our screens.

Warning: SPOILERS for Guild Wars 2’s Living Story Season Four lurk beyond this point!

Living World Season Four began in “Daybreak”

Remind Me Where We Left Off…

It’s been a little while since Season Four kicked off with “Daybreak,” so no worries if the details are a bit hazy at this point.

Following the world-shaking (literally) events of “Path of Fire,” new threats have arisen to challenge the Commander and their fractured guild, Dragon’s Watch. The Elder Dragon, Kralkatorrik, absorbed the lion’s share of Balthazar’s power following his defeat, leaving it as the most powerful threat Tyria has ever seen — a force of primordial rage infused with the dying fury of a god and misappropriated bloodstone magic.

What could go wrong?

“Daybreak” sees the Commander’s reunion with fan-favorites, Taimi, Rytlock, and Canach. The quartet have little time to savor their victory, however, as the Brand inexplicably erupts around them, tearing through Amnoon.

The battle against the Crystal Dragon’s forces has begun.

In the aftermath of the free city’s destruction, the Commander must face the reality of what vanquishing the war god has wrought. But not all is doom and gloom. Another old friend appears to aid in the struggle and lend her (greatly increased) strength to the war now brewing…

Our baby girl’s done some growing up…

Aurene, the Scion of Glint whose champion the Commander has become through fate and chance, is no longer the bouncing baby dragon we all went gaga over after she hatched in Season Three. Like Kralkatorrik, she got caught up in the backlash of Balthazar’s death and absorbed a portion of his power. The result is a much larger … ahem, mount-sized … adolescent dragon who seems to have developed a mind of her own.

With Aurene’s help — both on the battlefield and with the visions she shares through her bond with the Commander — the battered warriors of Dragon’s Watch leave the Branded remnants of Amnoon behind. A course is set for the Isle of Istan, where Aurene has revealed there is a new and more immediate threat.

King Joko the Inevitable, the Undying, the Feared, the Beloved … is back.

Thwarted time and again, the Commander battles their way across the sumptuous island. Joko’s grasp on the people of the region seems unbreakable, despite assistance from the small force of Sunspears who rally to the outlander’s cause. Efforts to liberate incarcerated innocents, salvage the knowledge of an historic library, and a daring prison break bring the Commander closer to seeming-victory.

The abduction of Taimi shakes the resolve that has led the group so far, but ultimately leads to the heart of the undead tyrant’s plot.

A journey to the Sandswept Isles

Sounds like … bugs!

Though the Commander managed to rescue Taimi, the little asura was badly shaken by Joko’s abuses. It’s a fool who underestimates this genius’s backbone, however! Despite the quiver in her voice, Taimi shares that Joko is setting an evil plan into motion. She doesn’t know the details, but it has something to do with … bugs.

Now, if you’re a Guild Wars: Nightfall veteran or are up on your GW history thanks to content creators like WoodenPotatoes, this will likely tip you off as to what Joko is up to. The Commander is in the dark, however, so more on that later.

The story thread gets picked up in Episode Two, “A Bug in the System.”

Stumped by Joko’s goals and unable to prevent the endless incursions of Awakened forces into Central Tyria, the Commander is left with no viable options until a recovered Taimi reaches out with the news that she’s unearthed the identity of a scientist working with the lich’s Inquest minions — who also happens to be an old school chum of hers.

Following this lead, the Commander sends for Rox and (the still-sulky) Braham and heads to the Sandswept Isles. Together, they raid the Inquest lab Taimi’s information led to and uncover a horrifying clue to Joko’s plan. Used as test subjects for a virulent pestilence, the lab is filled with the dead and dying.

One survivor possesses the strength to fight back against her captors, though, and the Commander joins forces with her, fleeing the nightmare.

The “Mysterious Charr” turns out to be Boticca, a representative of an offshoot sect of Charr who’ve made their home on the Sandswept Isles. Though they are reluctant to help the Commander in their mission at first, the Olmakhan Tribe are persuaded to lend their support by the brutal assault of Inquest forces from the fortress-lab of Rata Primus.

With Braham at their side, the Commander charges into the breach, taking advantage of Captain Sayida’s new airship and unleashing Aurene on the Inquest.

Rata Novus is already under siege when the Commander arrives…

The group arrives to find the place in chaos.

The complex is overrun with both Inquest and Awakened forces fighting one another. The Commander must push through the confused mess to locate the scientist Taimi spoke of, racing against time to save his life before Joko can destroy him and make off with the truth behind Rata Primus’ evil experiments.

Though Blish and his brother, Gorrik, are saved, the Commander is too late to prevent Joko’s forces from claiming the product of the Inquest’s research — a plague that threatens to annihilate life in Tyria, leaving the undead monarch to claim the world for his kingdom.

Joko himself has arrived to retrieve the plague personally. His taunts infuriate the Commander, but there is no way to undo the lich’s work. Triumphant, Joko leaves his newest henchman, Lonai, to deal with the group, sparking a battle that yanks the combatants through the unstable tunnels of space and time.

Volatile magic, churned up by Joko’s schemes, grabs the combatants and lands them first in the midst of Divinity’s Reach, threatening the innocent lives of the Human capital. Soon enough, they are displaced once again, landing in the fiery heart of Mount Malestrom; then the frost-bound Shiverpeaks, where the Claw of Jormag frustrates the battle with its interference.

Finally, the exhausted warriors are dropped unceremoniously on a rocky island in the middle of a star-filled sea of nothingness.

Ready to face Lonai once more, the Commander finds the need for violence is short-lived this time. Joko’s champion falls, leaving the Commander and their Norn compatriot lost amidst an endless ocean of infinity.

Lost among the stars…

Fortunately, Blish and Gorrik are able to locate them and transport the unnerved duo back to Tyria.

Victorious, but disheartened by the knowledge that Joko has the means to unleash the terror of epidemic on all living creatures, the members of Dragons Watch know their work is far from done. New clues must now be followed to unearth a means to defeat the lich-king of Vabbi once and for all…

Rhi’s View: An Excellent Addition to the Story

With only the second episode out, to-date, Living World Season Four is young. We’re at the stage in the storytelling where we have more questions than answers and the plot is only getting more tangled the deeper we dive into it. “A Bug in the System” is immensely satisfying in it’s contribution to the developing story of the Commander.

Though I felt the inclusion of the Order of Shadows was shoehorned in and the unexpected introduction of a new voice actress for Rox was a little distracting, Episode Two more than lives up to the expectations set with the concluding drama of “Path of Fire” and the murky waters churned up by “Daybreak.” We all knew Joko was coming back — Seriously, right? Did anyone actually believe he was going to be sitting in that cage for all eternity? — and it’s only fitting that one of the most dastardly villains in the franchise would pop back up just when Tyria’s heroes are facing the threat of a massively-OP Elder Dragon.

It’s so very Joko, isn’t it?

The tyrant’s brief cameo appearance wasn’t the only great thing about this episode … it wasn’t even the highlight, really! That’s just how good ArenaNet made this contribution to the story of Season Four…

The Charr of the South

If there’s one aspect of the new patch I saw discussed more than any other in Map Chat on launch day it’s the Olmakhan.

This small community of Charr is highly unusual, as Rox’s running commentary alludes. They were once part of the reviled Flame Legion. Fed up with the Fire Shamans’ villainy, the group left Ascalon behind and made their way south to the Sandswept Isles. Here, they built a new life away from their old Legion’s corruption.

The aesthetics of the Olmakhan are fantastic! There is a very unique feel to them that sets them apart from the Charr we’ve become familiar with over the past five years in Guild Wars 2. Added to which, their beliefs about families over fahrars, the place of a lone gladium lacking a warband, and the treatment of their temperamental cubs forms a depth the backstory you get when starting out as a PC Charr sadly lacks.

And the music! The piece added to the Season’s soundtrack for the Olmakhan is beautiful. The deep percussion paired with the strain of the pipes is immersive and keys players into the flavor of this culture’s identity.

And major appreciation for the smooth reference to Kalla Scorchrazor! If you’re playing as a Renegade these Charr are all the more interesting. Proceed with Charr Renegade role-playing in 3 … 2 … 1 …

The Unbreakable Taimi Schmidt

Taimi had a rough go of it in “Daybreak.” Her voice actress, Debi Derryberry, had us eating our hearts out over her character’s abduction and the torture Joko subjected her to. I mean, the range from utter terror to her tearful acceptance that she was about to die as bait for the Commander were equally gut-wrenching!

I honestly didn’t expect to hear from her this round … oh me of little faith.

Taimi absolutely does make her presence felt in “A Bug in the System,” not only via the ever-present communicator she sneaked in the Commander’s pack, but in-person aboard Captain Sayida’s airship. No matter the trauma she suffered at Joko’s hands, this little genius ain’t taking any personal time. She’s there every step of the way, offering helpful hints, if not as many punchy asides as we’re used to.

I applaud ArenaNet for refusing to pull their punches when it comes to this particular fan-favorite. She’s not the vulnerable little girl the Commander had to rescue from the Inquest in Dry Top, anymore. Taimi has done a lot of growing up as she’s traveled with us through the thick & thin of Elder Dragons, insane gods, and every madcap scheme we’ve come up with along the way.

She’s matured. More importantly, though, she bears the scars of the journey. Taimi suffered physical and mental trauma during her captivity in the last episode and the aftereffects are starkly clear in her voice. While it’s certainly heartbreaking to hear the once-peppy little asura sound so downcast, she’s proving that it hasn’t broken her, despite all the odds.

Go Taimi!

Oh, and can we take a moment to note that her iconic pink ribbon has not made a reappearance? Along with her new outfit, Taimi is rocking the sleek, more adult hairstyle we first saw after she removed it to leave a trail for the Commander to follow Joko. I’m a fan — what a great way to illustrate her character development!

Intervention Interruptus

Sooooo … Braham Eirsson.

Our favorite Norn (or least-favorite, depending on your feelings on “A Crack in the Ice”) still isn’t thrilled with us. Bitter in the wake of his mother’s death and holding a grudge over his perception that the Commander didn’t do as much as they could have during the campaign in the Maguuma Jungle, Braham does not greet their reunion with much enthusiasm.

Like any. At all.

He proves there are deeper layers to his personality beneath the juvenile resentment, however. Without hesitation, he answers the call to join the Commander in the fight against Joko. He even stands side-by-side with the leader of Dragon’s Watch through the embattled hallways of Rata Primus and the world-hopping struggle against Lonai. Like Taimi, Braham’s done some growing-up since we first met him during Scarlet’s War.

It was great to hear him awkwardly suggest that it was time to have a heart-to-heart. Even more, I liked that the discussion had to be tabled for the time-being, as Blish and his brother pulled them back to where they belong. This is a plot point that carries a certain weight, whether players are fond of it or not. Braham has to surmount his grudge with the Commander in order to move forward as a character — not just as part of Dragon’s Watch, but as Braham Eirsson. It shouldn’t be an easy conversation.

I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out as the Season progresses!

Theories Confirmed!

Who doesn’t love theorycraft?

There have been some doozies prophesied by the player base throughout the years. Some have born out, while others have proved disappointments. (And some have just been weird.)

After Balthazar met his downfall and we started heading into Living World Season Four, community theorists were busy dreaming up some spicy ideas to put to the test. “A Bug in the System” officially confirms two big ones, much to our delight!

Kralkatorrik Brands the Dead – CONFIRMED!

This theory cropped up the moment players started finishing “Path of Fire” and caught a look at the cinematic showing Kralk going on a Branding-spree. If you remember, a dead devourer was caught in the dragon’s wake and suddenly hopped up, sprouting electric purple Brand crystals all over. This, to many, was a dead (ha. ha.) giveaway that the Crystal Dragon had inherited Zhaitan’s dominion over death, allowing him to reanimate the deceased … with his own spin.

We got the official word through this latest part of the story that the theory is, in fact, true. It’ll be interesting to see how this ability plays out in the coming episodes and how Mordremoth’s latent power might come into it.

The Scarab Plague – CONFIRMED!

The ultimate outcome of “A Bug in the System” was the reveal of Joko’s intent. For players who had gone through Guild Wars: Nightfall, Taimi’s mention of “bugs” at the end of “Daybreak” was all they needed in order to figure it out.

One of the darker passages in Tyrian history was The Scarab Plague. It decimated the population of Elona and brought about the end of the Primeval Dynasty (remember Nahlah and Dahlah?). The disease was gruesomely lethal, so it’s sure to be the source of panic in the next Living World Episode.

If nothing else, it’s another nostalgic call-back to Guild Wars 2’s predecessor — a trick ArenaNet has shamelessly been relying on through the “Path of Fire” journey. We’ll see how much further they take it…

Some Other Tidbits

“A Bug in the System” brought us a new zone to explore, a new piece of the story to dig into, and the return of characters who haven’t gotten much love in a long time. Good on ArenaNet!

A few more stand-outs:

The Branded Mount Skins that went onto the Gem Store alongside the patch release are beautiful! The skimmer and raptor are especially well-done.

Did you notice the race-specific ambient dialogue in the Olmakhan village? My jaw dropped when I heard the two Charr discussing my character (a sylvari), one of them remarking, “Until yesterday, I didn’t know plants could talk.” Nice touch!

With a new Living World episode, comes a new Mastery! This time, we got “Bond of Life,” which allows players to share their character’s health with their mount when under attack and they don’t want to stop for a fight. Honestly, I think this is utterly lackluster. Fingers crossed for something more interesting next time…

As I mentioned earlier on, Rox has a new voice actress! I found it distracting, which took away from my immersion somewhat, I’ll admit. However, the voice is rougher and more mature. Like Taimi’s new hairstyle, I think this was actually a good choice that adds to the impression that Rox is growing up.

Where are Canach & Rytlock? We find out! Our new pen-pal, Canach, sends the Commander a letter to update them on what’s happening in Amnoon and Istan. While I, personally, prefer this dynamic duo in my party, we have to give some time to the other, camera-starved members of Dragons Watch.

Have you played “A Bug in the System” yet? Did you enjoy it? Tell me what stood out to you in the comments!

Guild Wars 2 got it's latest Living World update with "A Bug in the System." Let me tell you what I think... After a long three-month stretch, ArenaNet finally delivered the second episode of Living World Season Four: "A Bug in the System."

#ArenaNet #Guild Wars 2 #Living World #MMORPG #Review

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