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hannigramficrecs · 3 years

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Newly Added Fics 5/16

Hello everyone, sorry again for the slight hiatus! I’ve replied to all the messages in my inbox (at least the ones that were sent to me before this past friday), so if you asked me something before that, be sure to check out my replies!

As usual, I’ve emboldened the fics I really liked and italicized the ones that are incomplete.

Looks Like Love by luvkurai [words: 5,987] — (AU)

After his sister's wedding, Will kisses his childhood housekeeper (and first love).

Betrothed by slashyrogue [words: 3,932] — (AU)

In one month he would marry a total stranger.

Titan Arum by ProxyOne [words: 64,614] — (AU)

Will is a botanist, working in the greenhouse of the local Botanical Gardens. He is getting his life back on track after his divorce, but he can't help but notice someone who keeps coming back to his greenhouse to draw, day after day. A man who seems to have been paying very close attention to him...

Find Me In The Dark by Rising_Phoenix [words: 40,131] — (AU)

After a fateful accident, the marriage of Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter has reached its end. Grief and the inability to stop them from falling apart has brought an irreconcilable distance between the formerly deeply devoted couple. While Hannibal is apathetic towards his husband, ignores him, and is withdrawn, Will has started an affair with fellow teacher Francis and drowns his desperation in more and more alcohol.

Light of All Lights by whiskeyandspite [words: 20,377] — (AU)

Dracula-like fic without any of the vampires

The Stage Just For You by CarnivalMirai [words: 6,494] — (AU + Age Gap)

Will has landed himself the role of Odette for world-famous choreographer Hannibal Lecter's rendition of The Swan Lake.

There Will Be Bells by Entropyrose [words: 36,639] — (A/B/O)

In Georgian England, male omegas are very rare diamonds. Baron and Baroness Graham have a plan to build their wealth and social status by offering their son Will's hand in marriage to a mysterious older Duke, an Alpha named Lord Hannibal Lecter. Will's personal feelings need not apply.

Alpha Mart by slashyrogue [words: 63,164] — (A/B/O)

Will needs an alpha. After years of fake knots, half-assed suppressants, and his own damn hand during heats he’s reached the end of his rope. He doesn’t do dating so he decides to waste his life savings and hype with the current trend. Alpha Mart.

Enchanted By Your Name by CarnivalMirai [words: 9,207] — (A/B/O + PWP)

“Now, my husband would prefer it if I got the job done quickly.” He says, slashing down the back of each gag as he passes each man, watching as the silk falls gracefully to the floor. “However, I want to have some fun. Considering you’ve troubled my husband so much… it’s only fair, right?” One of the men whimpered fearfully. Or: The name "Will Graham" is a name you'll only ever hear once.

I've Been Building Black Ships by cloudsarefluffy [words: 8,116] — (A/B/O + AU)

Alpha Hannibal moves to the States with his sister Mischa after being overtly done with the fancy life of a count, and his blind omega neighbor gives him an insight into love that he never quite expected.

A Rare Find by hit_the_books [words: 5,379] — (A/B/O + AU)

Life as an omega bookseller can be quite lonely. However, as the owner of Graham’s Books, Will Graham is reasonably content. That is until he meets—long-time customer and crush—Doctor Hannibal Lecter in person for the first time. Attraction blossoming between them both, Will agrees to a dinner date with the good doctor.

We All Have a Hunger by 1ntothew1ld [words: 12,260] — (A/B/O + Age Gap)

Hannibal will ensure a properly slow and painful death for an alpha who allowed a beautiful young omega to go to waste as this one has. Too skinny for his own good, a stuttering and humble mess. The likes of the omega in front of him belonged at Opera houses and in million-dollar mansions, not scrounging for his next meal. Meek and afraid in some disheveled row house. When he finally looked back up the alpha had to conceal the utter punch to the stomach that meager glance was, blue eyes full of innocence but also hunger.

The Doctor Is In by Kummerspeck7 — (A/B/O + PWP)

Will nearly scoffed. "You can't expect me to believe you'd want anything other than a delicate flower to adorn your side, keep your ostentatious home, bare you the exact number of children you want--No more, no less-- all while being available at your whims." "Not at all." Hannibal disagreed. "I would no more put a wilting flower in my home than in a bouquet given as a gift. Tell me, Will, is that how you are treated? Forbidden from work, cloistered inside and used at Mr Brown's discretion?" "My Alpha's discretion." Hannibal looked pointedly at the curve of Will's neck, free from a single scar. "Not yet he isn't."

Teenage Wildlife by writtenbyizzy [words: 10,163] — (Age Gap + Sugar Daddy)

While reluctantly prowling Grindr for a sugar daddy to pay for his dog Bean's vet bills Will comes across Hannibal, and gets far more than he bargained for.

Just As Poised As I Remember by CarnivalMirai [words: 5,721] — (Age Gap + School)

When Will was in high school he had an incredibly handsome psychology teacher-- tall and sharp with a thick European accent. And now, a decade later, said psychology teacher-turned psychiatrist... just swiped right on him.

We Can Chase the Dark Together by K_R_Closson [words: 16,615] — (Fantasy)

Will tips him and Hannibal off the cliff. Instead of hitting the water, he wakes up in his bed, several years in the past. His first, and only, priority is to find Hannibal again.

We Killed a Dragon Last Night by inameitlater [words: 88,150] — (Fantasy)

Will remembers falling. He wakes up months before Jack got him to work for him. Months before he met Hannibal for the first time. Free from his past he decides to change events and meet Hannibal again.

My Only Constant Is You by TheSilverQueen [words: 25,369] — (Fantasy)

Hannibal Lecter is an immortal who can never die. Will Graham is a time traveler who can never stay in one place. Perhaps that is why they are perfect for each other.

Motinos Kalba by Lyla_Joy [words: 6,040] — (Fluff)

Five times Hannibal Lecter spoke Lithuanian on accident and one time he meant too.

You Make Me Feel (Good) by sourweather [words: 7,190] — (Fluff)

Will Graham has sensory issues. The world gets too loud, he gets overstimulated easily, but most of all he hates being touched. He never expected someone to work so hard to make him comfortable, to be so patient with him.

Pick Me Up by sourweather [words: 6,053] — (Fluff)

Will doesn't go to bars much. He doesn't end up needing a ride home much. But when he does get drunk, he always wants to ask Hannibal to pick him up.

Hard to Get by JSinister32 [words: 5,561] — (Jealousy)

Will and Hannibal had been broken up for six months. When confessions are made during a work function, can they find it within themselves to forgive?

Polar Opposites by Lyla_Joy [words: 19,513] — (Kidnapping)

“Says the cannibalistic serial killer who knocked me out and is now holding me hostage,” sassed Will. The Ripper didn’t smile but his eyes crinkled in the corner. “Please call me Hannibal.”

Fate Is A Keen-Eyed Hound by LydiaFearing [words: 5,890] — (Mischa)

Hannibal may be a successful, charming psychiatrist but Mischa worries that her brother is lonely so she gifts him a puppy. Hannibal reluctantly falls for his little dog but wants to get involved with time-consuming FBI work and not just anyone can be allowed to look after his pet. Luckily, Alana can recommend a boarding kennel in Wolf Trap.

The Significant Other: The Will and Hannibal Edition by house_of_lantis [words: 18,431] — (Murder Husbands)

After their terrible and abrupt break up, Will and Hannibal attempt to maneuver through their social circles, side step ongoing gossip, and deal with the fact that Will knows the truth of Hannibal. Through impossible odds, Will and Hannibal do find their way to each other again.

Dancing with the Beast by proser [words: 86,347] — (Murder Husbands)

In order to catch a mediocre serial killer, Will must pose as Hannibal's date for a series of pretentious social events. Hannibal is dramatic and jealous as ever, and Will is having a great time without the encephalitis. Of course, it's a love story.

Arriving at the Crossroads by HigherMagic [words: 7,558] — (Mpreg)

"You haven't been my psychiatrist for a long time," Will echoes. "But you've been my friend. You've helped me. With…" He gestures vaguely to his head. "When my brain was on fire. On consults. When it's dark and I need a guiding light." "It pleases me very greatly to be a source of comfort and reassurance for you, Will," Hannibal says. "I have wanted to be that for you, for a long time."

The Hanged Man by justhavesex [words: 13,076] — (Mpreg)

Will Graham had never wanted children before, but he had never considered it to be a consequence of his omegan brain not finding anyone worthy, but the moment he had met Hannibal Lecter he had been filled with want. In which a dinner party one-night stand results in a pregnancy that changes Will's entire life.

I Don't Even Like Lana Del Rey by perpetuallycaffeinated [words: 4,328] — (PWP)

The tension and low thrum of arousal were making Will speak impulsively. He knew this, but he’d just finished his drink. There was nothing he could use to stop the question, blunt and presumptuous and rude. “So, what, you’re my daddy?”

A Bad Combination In The Dark by perpetuallycaffeinated [words: 1,957] — (PWP)

When a nerve wracked Will Graham accidentally cuts his hand on Dr. Lecter's letter opener, things quickly get out of control.

The Best Bait by sourweather [words: 3,327] — (PWP)

Will is a good fisherman, he knows which bait to use for his catch. Will seduces Hannibal at a party by being sexy.

Whimsy by justheretoreadhannibalfics [words: 3,001] — (School)

Doctor Hannibal Lecter is standing in as a teacher while Professor Graham is out of town on a case. The students start to kind of like him, and become very invested in his love life.

Callipygian by ProxyOne [words: 2,260] — (Season 1)

Hannibal has a lot of sketches of Will, which he normally keeps safely away. One day though, Will shows up unexpectedly and Hannibal is caught unawares, and unprepared.

L'appel Du Vide by sourweather [words: 5,413] — (Season 1)

Will is hiding things from his coworkers. From himself. But Doctor Lecter knows.

Friends Don't Frame Friends: A Lesson for a Clueless Cannibal by LadyFelixTristis [words: 5,041] — (Season 1)

Ear? What ear? Will Graham doesn’t try to thwart Hannibal Lecter’s plans for him. He just does. By accident. And then on purpose.

For All My Pride, You Were the Fall of Me by nobetterlove [words: 13,212] — (Season 2)

After being released from the BSHCI, Will grabs the dogs he can't live without and leaves without a trace

Letters to God by CarnivalMirai [words: 4,698] — (Season 3+)

Will writes letters to Hannibal every day after his incarceration. But they never make it.

Blankets, Coffee Cups, and Christmas Morning by sourweather [words: 6,352] — (Season 3+)

Hannibal wants to enjoy the domesticity. The love, the closeness, the being Known. But something about his life with Will makes him want to lash out.

All These Fictionary Tales by ProxyOne [words: 18,492] — (Season 3+)

After the fall, Hannibal is presumed dead. Will has been declared dead. But Will isn't willing to believe that Hannibal would just abandon him like that

Seduction by BloodunderMoonlight [words: 7,086] — (Season 3+)

“For fuck’s sake, Hannibal.” Will glared at him, brimming with wrath he had only seen behind Will’s gun. He had no doubt Will would draw out a knife from beneath the duvet or pillows, but clearly words were enough to make him gobsmacked—“Are you a fucking virgin or monk? If all these can’t get you to bed then I don’t know what can.” Hannibal stood gaping at Will.

Blood, Cedar and Dog Hair by sourweather [words: 3,351] — (Season 3+)

Something terrible happens while Hannibal is in prison. Something he never prepared for.

Hidden Potential by sourweather [words: 20,789] — (Soulmates)

The first time you make eye contact with your soul mate, you see a vision of their greatest accomplishment. They call it your Peak. Unfortunately for Will Graham, his soul mate's Peak is a vision of blood and horror. Fortunately for Hannibal Lecter, his soul mate's is too.

Karoliai by slashyrogue [words: 4,577] — (Sugar Daddy)

Will works at a jewelry store. He has worked there for three months and sold less than any other person there. His boss tells him to sell something by the end of the day or he may not have a job tomorrow. If there was one thing Will hated more than having to talk people into buying jewelry they didn’t need, it was trying to do it two days before Valentine’s Day.

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swimfuel · 3 years

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okay humanstuck thoughts under the cut

i owe a lot of this to @/rhythmic-idealist's kankri/vantasposting bc holy shit theyve got such a big brain (ill link to their individual posts when im on desktop since im using this to keep all my thoughts straight and i agree with most of what they say wholeheartedly)

general status quo stuff:

signless works in an extremely demanding career involving helping others (i'm leaning towards an attorney who works with organizations and does pro bono work), and is also extensively involved in social justice work outside of his job... he is very rarely home

he loves and cares for his children deeply and tries to express it whenever they're face to face, but the couch in his cramped and messy office has seen far too much use over the years for him to have been able to say it enough

his habits of working himself to the point of exhaustion are handily passed down to his kids btw

the kids had to grow up quickly because signless was out of the house so often and so consistently—kankri, who was already pretty high-strung, has to learn to take care of himself and karkat

they grow up near ms firuzeh maryam, who's their pseudoaunt/grandma (she took in a nine year old kavana vantas when she was about twenty), but they just call her ms rosa

they spent a lot of time in the maryam house growing up, with miss rosa's two nieces. porrim is a year older than kankri, while kanaya and karkat are the same age

kankri grows kinda sensitive to people trying to mother him since it rubs against the notion that he's the "adult of the house" and that he can take care of himself and karkat just fine

(and it also kinda underlines the fact that kankri has no idea what he's doing at the best of times)

and ironically enough, kankri becomes overbearing and naggy towards karkat in his own right, which forestalls them becoming close in any brotherly sort of way

they grow up really just... unable to communicate with one another clearly

karkat develops his ornery exterior in response to kankri's constant stream of opinions and frantic attempts at making up for the presence of a guardian in the house

i think there would actually be some really interesting parallels with rose in this au.. maybe i'm drawing from my own experiences as well but i think he'd begin to assume that every time his brother opens his mouth, he's going to criticize karkat

but instead of reacting like rose with the "making yourself more of a puzzle"/passive aggressive stuff, he gets a more defensive/hackles raised/"argue with you before you can argue with me" approach

and the thing is that they do love each other and would take a bullet for the other etc etc etc.. but they don't know how to express it because they've fallen into these shitty patterns

and it really doesn't help that kankri has grown somewhat resentful of signless over the years... that mix of resentment and fear and love gets more extreme and more polar every time signless gets injured during a political demonstration

i think kankri and signless would also be slightly closer than karkat and signless, as signless' job really only started to ramp up when karkat was less than years old and kankri was in his early double digits

kankri autistic btw its word of god (i am god)

karkat has a pet crab. its name is also karkat. he vents his frustrations to it.

i feel like the vantases exemplify both the best and worst parts of their aspects with one another as well... the strength of their bonds keeps them together and grounded, but TOO grounded. [insert Blood rant here]

the Blood rant:

i define Blood as bonds, responsibility, and the "core". if Life is the fertile soil and everything living on a planet's surface, then Blood is the gravitational core of the planet keeping everything together

i also think Blood, Heart, & Mind work in tandem to define a person just as blood serves to connect the pieces of the human body... Heart is the soul and the self, Mind is the application of one's self through active choices (agency), while Blood defines both the self and the choices one makes in greater detail [and, as an aside, Life provides the physical spark of life needed to keep the heart pumping blood]

OKAY wow that got tangential anyways

SO BASICALLY! too much Blood makes you stagnate, so for example:

kankri is split between staying home with karkat or going to college across the country and being truly unbound for the first time in years

another crisis of Blood: signless is caught between his empathy and responsibility to the whole world and his responsibility to his own children

okay so here's more status quo stuff:

the maryam and vantas kids grow up together and its hilarious because you'll see them all together and its just like (girlboss) (girlboss) (physical manlet) (emotional manlet)

the maryam girls are actually miss rosa's nieces but she took them in when they were both pretty young

the pyropes know the vantases well enough considering pyrope senior and sign have known one another from their respective legal practices for years, but they live on the other side of town

the leijons lived in town when kankri and meulin were very young, but they moved and travelled for a long time before coming back and reestablishing their roots

the captors (psii being one of sign's oldest and closest friends) move into town with the peixes family pretty early on though

the condesce is.. a horrible spouse and guardian, to put it plainly. she's very emotionally manipulative and isn't averse to smacking people around, including her own family. she moves herself and her perfect little family into town so she can properly oversee a new business venture close by

feferi is one of the best young swimmers in the country and has a pretty good shot of getting onto the olympic team.. a lot of this drive to be perfect and to be better results from the condesce's unrelenting pressure and thinly veiled resentment throughout her whole life

so yeah psii, )(ic, feferi, and sollux all live together and it's really not great for anyone involved. (meenah ran away years ago, and crashed on aranea's couch for a pretty long while—mituna moved out with latula for college before psii and the condesce got married)

it gets bad to the point of sollux staying with the maryams for two months while the adults try to sort out that absolute clusterfuck and get the divorce proceedings going (meenah finally convinces feferi to get out and come stay with her and aranea for the duration as well)

in terms of relationships i think latula and porrim were really really close in high school, and probably had some kind of unacknowledged thing going on for a while that never actually turned into anything because latula and mituna were going steady

kankri has had a crush on latula for years but never acted on it for similar reasons

meenah still carries a lot of that give no fucks attitude (it's developed moreso as a defense mechanism here) and can't understand why feferi refuses to leave the condesce with her

okay back to VANTAS MANPAIN i also think that karkat feels the weight of a lot of expectations on his shoulders as well

he feels responsible to live up to the example his dad and his brother set, even if it's to his own detriment—and kankri's oblivious rambling about his grades and his teachers and all his clubs certainly aren't helping the matter

kankri is one of those overinvolved kids taking a million AP's while simultaneously shitting on the collegeboard at every single step

hes this super overachiever anal retentive perfectionist type dude and (just as karkat preemptively criticizes others to forestall their criticisms of him only to harshly criticize himself) kankri subconsciously holds the people around him to the same expectations he holds for himself

so karkat also develops this sense of lacking which, in combination with everything else, culminates in self loathing and thinking he has to solve everyone else's problems and getting horribly mad at himself for every little mistake

GOD i have a lot more but lemme post this before i accidentally close out of the app and lose it all

more little details:

vriska's mom and terezi's mom HATE each other like HATE HATE HATE one another it's so bad

karkat wrote a ten page review of my immortal in middle school

jade is one of nepeta's best online friends

sollux can't raise one eyebrow at a time.. karkat gives him so much grief about it

the vantases eat a lot of shitty renditions of persian dishes until karkat learns to cook because literally the only person in the world with a CHANCE of getting KANKRI VANTAS to make an EDIBLE DISH is miss rosa

kanaya is really good at persian dance too but is VERY VERY embarassed to perform in front of people.. however porrim definitely is not

karkat has insomnia while kankri just stays up stupidly late for assignments that really shouldnt be taken that seriously.. but they both have the same rumination/sleep anxiety thing where your brain goes insane with horrible and depressing scenarios as you try to sleep

and more ideas that i thought were interesting but idk how to fit in the context of this au:

signless and disciple getting married pretty late in life after having been in love for years, the vantases move in with the leijons and karkat suddenly has two sisters

nepeta and karkat are both juniors at this point, meulin is probably in her third year at a local college nearby while kankri is about to start his second year at a university pretty far away

the kids in general honestly but ill figure it out

more random hcs this time with kids:

kanaya and rose get into a flame war online that gradually settles into elaborate courtship rituals

also nepeta + jade online besties

also bec can inexplicably still teleport

the first sbahj movie comes out and the next six months of dave strider junior's high school career are absolute hell

actually hc that dave senior goes by d strider professionally. the d stands for a lot of things

aradia and dave frequent a lot of the same forums but never end up really interacting

meanwhile karkat and john frequent a lot of the same forums and DEFINITELY end up interacting. this turns into grudging (at least on karkat's part) friendship after they find themselves fighting for their lives defending an objectively shitty movie together on the same thread

#humanstuck #vantas family #.

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moonlitoutpost · 6 years

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The Paragon Conundrum

Epic Games recently announced that it would be opening a treasure trunk of high quality assets for free-use on the Unreal Engine, from their visually applauded, yet rarely played game Paragon. This news comes in the wake of official notice that the game would be closing its doors in late April. Combined, this headline has ignited a wave of passionate people to start their own projects and efforts to preserve this playground where so many memories have been shared. Whether that be through attempting to recreate a parallel rendition or by sculpting a new evocation. Regardless: the floodgates have officially been opened. The materials are there, and the architects are at the ready. It’s a rare moment when the drive to create is met with the exact ingredients that one would really want. It’s a strange opportunity. Unlike a board game missing a few bits and bobs; a bout of Clue with Colonel Mustard and the candlestick suspiciously absent, all the pieces are in play and all it will take is for the right people to set it up. In any other scenario, without Epic's blessing, this would be a fast track to getting a cease and desist. For what a month ago seemed to be a closed book, now suddenly seems to be a lot more open ended. With a lot of different projects, each with different goals, the question that’s begged is what will be learned from the past?

Over the course of a Sergio Leon’s endorsed development period, Paragon adopted a somewhat of an open door policy, often turning to the players to get their feedback. While beneficial in some regards, it also acted as a double edged sword, leading to any significant change feeling as though it were controversial. The game found itself in the midst of an identity crisis when it made a major overhaul in May 2017, revamping many core systems and changing many tentpole design principles. You could be mistaken to thinking the versions were two separate games, resembling more sisters not twins.

As time went on, the divide in the community remained ever-present throughout the various iterations, never quite recovering. The people playing it were often at odds with the people making it, essentially boiling down to two schools of thought. The first: who hooked their sled to the revamped, faster paced, streamlined, product touted by Epic as the way of the future, and believed that while not perfect, it was a step in the right direction. The second: those who adamantly disagreed with the new world order, feeling the changes made it more accessible, cheapening the overall experience, and longed for the drawn-out escapades and the auxiliary systems, in favor of being rewritten by the former

It really underscores the sour relationship between the player base and Epic games. The beta was plagued with these issues, despite the fact that not everyone saw them as issues.

Countless points of contention ran rampant:

An arcane deck system that more often than not kept new players from playing and only created busy work for those who weren’t initially turned away.

A never-quite-there travel system.

Having to find the in game items through random rolls, deterring anyone who was looking to take it serious in a competitive sense.

Stalemate inducing orb-prime dunks (Roshan equivalent/DOTA).

What the purpose of towers should represent

The concept of harvesters.

The speed of game ranging from hour plus matches to just barely 15ish minutes.

Having to pre-select items before a match which might have only found relevance in a thriving esports dynasty.

And balancing that often made comebacks difficult

The amount of disagreement throughout Paragon’s development stems from never having one unanimously celebrated version; a chimera at heart, always confused of what it should be. As dysfunctional during its roughest periods, as during its successful ones, it only makes it that much more difficult for someone looking to make a new one. If there’s nothing everyone can agree on, where are we going?

It requires someone with a steady hand to say ‘here’s what was good in last thing, and here’s how we can make it better’; a concept of course, that’s anything but unheard of. And for games, that’s especially true. It’s hard to ignore the connective DNA that runs between certain titles, or even certain auteurs. Whether it be the jump from King’s Field to the Soul series (FromSoftware-Miyazaki) or the evolution from Brendan Greene’s Day Z mod to his inignorable PUBG. In their heart, both knew that the original concept was sound, but maybe wasn’t mainstage ready. A few minor tweaks here and there, cutting the unnecessary, unneeded and unpolished, in a way that made it so good, in a way that protests, even demands, that you look again.

Taking the Paragon run with an acute eye, extensive play testing has been done. Now is the time to really look at something from an unbiased, point of view, and ask what will make this a good game? What they change and what ideas they retain will be integral in how this succeeds. And some of these things might be dealbreakers for the original audience these project’s are vying for.

There’s a handful of concurrent projects all developing in an effort to clot the void, and each shows that people have different thoughts of what they think it should be. For instance, there are a handful whose soul purpose is to produce a 1:1, carbon copy, specifically trying to recreate the nostalgia-paved utopia of the scraped original map. This also includes the Chinese Paragon servers, whose current standings are operating in a black-box capacity. To a different degree, there are others who desire to put they own spin on it and use Epic’s past work as a blueprint. One of the early ones is a single-man project run by user RocketMania, who appears to be spitting the difference, combining some of the released assets along with some original work.

Perhaps the most prominent group to lay claim to carrying the torch is Visionary Games, a rag tag collective of individuals, whose goal is to make a game inspired by Paragon. In our research, we found them quoted as saying “We are not remarking Paragon…We are making our own game learning from what Paragon did right and wrong”. (Discord PigMayor VKassistant) That’s what you want to hear from people making a spiritual successor, yet they still haven’t divulged what that entails. In an effort to forge their own path, they’ve also stated that they will not be using any of the original game assets, despite Epic’s allowance. While they're saying the right things, the picture is still a bit opaque.

It’s tough to make a game, no matter how experienced. But this poses a harder challenge than what it may already mean seen. For this to work, the developers/successors need to strike a zen like moment. They have to over come the hill that it has to be better than the last one, it also has to attract new people to it. It has to be similar but not too similar, different but not too different. Throw on top of that it's a MOBA, which requires a relatively large pool of players to draw from consistently, across multiple time zones, in order to even play the game in a reasonable clip for matches, that could run upwards of an hour, It's safe to say you have your work cut out for you.

But that's why it'd be a feel good moment for everyone if it worked out. The people wanted to you to have it, but the studio didn’t let you see it; too hot for tv and banned in your country. Opposed to just having one fan project to rally behind, you're now looking at 3+. Whereas a single game would have been the go-to destination of choice, Beggars are now being afforded to be choosers. If these games are able to overcome these obstacles then it's a real cool story, a real triumph with a history to it

For a community that gave the developers, for a game that they claimed to have loved, very little quarter when it came to making changes, would they be at all understanding of these potential caveats? We imagine it will be humbling for the people making it, and interesting for the people wanting to play it. Though the future is both open ended and unclear, these new iterations are giving the game a second wind. Everyone loves an underdog story, But not every underdog is necessarily a Rocky

—Originally written March 2018--

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trevorbailey61 · 6 years

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The Arcade Fire

Genting Arena, Birmingham

Sunday 15th April 2018

“They build it up just to burn it back down”. The large frame of Edwin Farnham Butler III is hunched over a small keyboard placed on the rotating central part of the stage as he delivers the words into the microphone in front of him. A quiet moment of reflection during the sensory overload that is The Arcade Fire’s return to this arena on the outskirts of Birmingham after a gap of nearly eight years. In the meantime they have conquered all before them, playing to audiences numbering tens of thousands in vast open air shows and headlining almost every large summer festival across the world. The words are from the song “Rococo” and as it was taken from their third album, “The Suburbs”, the one they were touring on their last visit, it was then a regular in their set. Its subdued tone and the cynicism in its lyrics, however, made it a awkward festival song and it rarely makes an appearance now, just twice before on the tour that began in the autumn of last year. The song uses the ornate, highly decorative but ultimately insubstantial art movement of the 18th century as a take down of the vapid, insipid hipster culture where modern kids are “Using great big words that they don't understand”. Whilst Butler’s words were directed those who in a desperate attempt to stay at the forefront of popular culture will discard music almost as soon as they have picked it up, it is tempting to also see it as a dig at those shapers of opinion who having loved them were starting to pick at every fault they could find; the knives that were already being sharpened then have found their target as the popularity of the band has soared.

Back in the middle of the noughties they announced themselves with “Funeral”, right up alongside “Marquee Moon”, “Are You Experienced” and “Unknown Pleasures” as being one of the great debut albums. As the title suggests, death formed its dominant theme; still in their early twenties, the grief experienced as ageing relatives passed away was all the more painful as it was being felt for the first time. Whilst sickness and death may form the backdrop, however, there was also a strong sense of rebirth and renewal, seen at its most powerful in “Wake Up” where Butler urges; "Children, wake up … before they turn the summer into dust”; a reminder that glory will only go to those who dare to seize it. The complexity of its emotions, the transition through life, death and rebirth and the staggering anthemic momentum of the music led to five star reviews and an almost universal top placing in the album of the year polls. With the follow up, “Neon Bible”, three years later, the mood had started to shift and with each subsequent album they have found it increasingly difficult to elicit the praise that was heaped on “Funeral”. Inevitably their most recent, “Everything Now” has received the most polarised reviews, some noting that it sees them at their most accessible whilst others saw a dark and joyless album where the social commentary lacked the insight they had shown on their debut. Needless to say it featured in few end of year polls. The naysayers have a point, there are moments on “Everything Now” where you have to question how a band capable of producing that glorious debut could have sunk so low. The clumsy synths of “Peter Pan” would easily be the worst thing they have ever recorded were it not followed by “Chemistry” which manages too be both cloying and corny without showing any irony or humour making it significantly worse; fortunately neither are played tonight. Then if all albums were judged on their weakest moments few would achieve greatness and even at their most transitional, there are still songs of majestic brilliance which, mostly, are the ones we hear tonight.

Perhaps, the critics had been too successful in identifying the next big thing and as the band outgrew their indulgence, they began to resent the success that they had helped to bring about. The band were undoubtedly highly ambitious, eagerly moving on from clubs to concert halls, arenas and beyond, writing anthems to draw in these big crowds and producing ever more spectacular shows. It no longer felt as intimate and like many before, they found that those who had championed them at first turned increasingly hostile, “they build it up just to burn it back down”. The mixed reviews for “Everything Now” are right to identify its flaws but as they began the tour to promote it, the live reviews followed a similar pattern, a reluctance to identify the strengths and an over emphasis on any perceived weaknesses. There may have been some early tour teething troubles and the corporate concept initially used certainly distracted from the music but regardless of the the opinion as to their merits in the studio, there can be no doubt that The Arcade Fire are a formidable live act. Anything that fails to acknowledge that and the enthusiasm that they can generate in their audience makes it look as it the writer is out to be negative just because they can.

Formidable they are. From the the moment the faceless cowboy projection announces that they are about to arrive the build up is relentless in its intensity, heightening the anticipation and generating fervour in the crowd. The strains of “A Fifth of Beethoven”, a nod to the disco mood of their recent work, merge into the introduction to “Everything Now” as the announcer covers their awards and achievements in the style of a heavyweight champion. The boxing analogy is carried into the staging, performed in the round with roadies holding the ropes up as the performers enter the ring. Then seamlessly they pick up from recorded introduction for a spectacular “Everything Now”; each member of the band facing out from a different side of the stage, the drummer rotating around the middle; they were everywhere, Butler’s younger brother Will even abandoning his musical duties altogether to run laps around the stage. The song stands out on the album showcasing what they are good at; a simple hook to draw you in, a bright intoxicating melody, banks of strings and piano, ghostly backing vocals and a epic scale; live it was immense. It was a masterclass in how to start a concert and as the thumping introduction to “Rebellion (Lies)” was followed by the disco groove of “Here Comes the Night Time” the only doubt was whether they could maintain such a ferocious pace and supreme quality for the next two hours.

They could, of course. There were a few quieter moments, the relatively sparse “Electric Blue” where Regine Chassagne’s falsetto soars into the stratosphere, the repetitive and moody “Neon Bible” and the aforementioned “Rococo”, and these helped to highlight just how climatic the peaks are when the full force of the band is unleashed. The driving beat of “No Cars Go” hits its groove perfectly and the doomed romance of “Put Your Money on Me” is suitably brooding and even starts with Win and Regine having a smooch. The nine piece band regularly swap instruments so “Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)” sees drummer Jeremy Gara taking a break from his rotations as Chassagne takes the opportunity to pound out the rhythm. He returns to share duties on the folky swing of “The Suburbs” which segues wonderfully into the urgent overwhelming surge of “Ready to Start” before giving way once again to the Regine’s eerie falsetto in “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”. Light scattered from the opposing glitter balls on either side of the stage, an appropriate setting for the glam disco beat of “Reflektor” and the perfectly crafted “Afterlife” which followed. Even when it seems as if everything has already been thrown in they still manage to find something extra for the darkly flamboyant “Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)” before they eventually make their way out through the audience, shaking hands and posing for selfies as they leave. They are soon back to show that they can do restrained and sensitive with the sombre “We Don’t Deserve Love”, the delicate counter melody provided by striking empty wine and vodka bottles. As the refrain of “Everything Now” bookends the show, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, who had earlier played a superb support slot, return to add to a colossal rendition of “Wake Up”. With the chanted refrain echoing around the hall, the band leave as they had arrived, running the gauntlet of eager fans hoping to shake hands, grab selfies or just touch the conquering heroes. Even with the audience starting to move towards the exits, they still hadn’t completely made their escape.

As an introduction to “No Cars Go”, Butler notes how the song was crafted during their early days in Montreal where they performed it to just a handful of people. Over the years it has grown into the immense anthem that it now is, a perfect example of how their sound has developed to fit the scale of their live show. In that time it has been there as they have become one of the best live acts around, masters, as they showed tonight, of arenas but also able to expand their sound to vast open air venues. It would be easy for them to rest on their repertoire but whilst much of what they played tonight was recorded at least a decade ago, they are still able to add new twists and turns as well as seeking to push their boundaries in their new music. It may be the case that not everything they try comes off and the mixed critical reception to “Everything Now” may encourage them to be a little more ruthless with their creativity when the results are below the standards they have set. In avoiding the clunkers and toning down the mock corporate concept that proved such a turn off during the early days of the tour, they have shown that this self analysis has already started leaving nothing to distract from what was an incredible gig. Stunning, mesmerising and uplifting, the champ pulled himself off the ropes and delivered the knockout punch.

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