#i have nitpicks but no MAJOR complaints. overall very excited for the rest of the season

[helaenahightower]

okay i watched the hotd ep 1 leak last night, slept on it, and just watched it again and i think i like it more than the got pilot

#i have nitpicks but no MAJOR complaints. overall very excited for the rest of the season #felt like it laid a solid foundation of who these characters are and where they're at emotionally to build off of #also the writing for the female characters felt markedly different to got in a good way even just in one episode #the sex scenes were also handled better i think. less shock value and more trying to say something about the characters involved #my biggest fear was them making daemon too likeable but that went away during his first scene with rhaenyra #he's a menace to society and matt smith did a great job. the twitter girlies will hate it though

[silver-wield]

Final Fantasy 7R review

I finished the game this morning and I already have regrets that there’s nothing left for me to do besides replay and anxiously wait for news of the next installment. I want more. I want to not have finished it yet. I need to know what happens next, not just in the updated story, but with the game mechanics, too. I’m happy the team is taking their time to make the game as good as it deserves to be, but on the other hand I wanna throw a toddler tantrum demanding the rest of my game! 

Beware, spoilers.

The bad stuff

To be fair, not a lot from where I’m sitting. I’ve seen people bitch about textures and how the scrap yards don’t look dynamic enough and some stuff is flat, but seriously, why are yall looking at the walls? They’re the least interesting thing about the game and you’re just nitpicking. The graphics overall were amazing and I stopped multiple times just to rotate the camera and take in this massive city we actually get to really explore for the first time ever!

I have to admit a slight disappointment in the amount of space, verbally, that was happening. There were times where I expected characters to make comments and they said nothing. Things were overlooked or just not addressed and it wasn’t even anything plot related, just a point where there could have been dialogue and it didn’t happen. It wasn’t often, but those few times the air was left dead I noticed it. The most notable time was in chapter 17, right after Sephiroth appeared on the gangway. Now, I get them being too shocked to say anything when he’s right in front of them, but after, when they separate and fall into two groups? Nothing? No comment? Tifa, I definitely expected to say something in a shocked tone, but even after they found Cloud again, she didn’t mention it. It was like the moment didn’t happen. I know the other times nobody else but Cloud saw him, but this time they saw him, and he’s linked to Tifa’s past too, so she definitely should’ve had some kind of comment in that empty space.

That was the only major point, but other small ones were when people were talking and one character remains silent. The only one I expect to never speak if he doesn’t have to is Cloud. Because it’s Cloud. Everyone else should have something to say. Like when they climbed the stairs. If you took the stairs - I was all done in from so many fights and just wanted a break - then you got hilarious commentary from Barret, Cloud and Tifa. It showed how close they’ve become. Cloud made a joke! His second one of the game! If you missed the first, it’s likely because you obsessed over him going on about money all the time and saying that’s all he cares about when he’s with Tifa. So, yeah, after being shown how the group can talk to each other and banter I’m hoping Square adds more chatter to the next game. I know some people prefer less chatter, but this is a group of people who are supposed to be shown as friends, so conversation is important.

The other thing that got on my nerves was the mechanics of the weapons upgrade. Unless I missed a shortcut, having to go out of each one and then into the next one instead of just switching over to the next weapon’s skill tree. It took a long time to level things up and I wish there was an option in the auto to just unlock every skill one at a time, so they’d do it on auto without me having to go in there. And the ATB. That got on my nerves. I’m lazy af, so I’d like for action to just pause whenever someone’s atb fills so I can give them a command and then go back to the battle instead of having one eye on all the atbs. It’s probably more classic than Square wants to go with it, but having that as a battle option would be nice and a further throwback to the old style of gameplay.

The good

Everything from chapter 3 onwards. The intro chapters were good, too, but I really just wanted to dig into the game and that didn’t happen until chapter 3. The VAs killed it! Graphics were amazing! The weapon abilities were fun and added something different to the regular gameplay style of just grabbing the next strongest weapon. Side quests were enjoyable and I wish there was more of them, especially a save the citizens for after the plate fell. That really would've hammered home the tragedy.

The story

I’ve seen people - mostly OG fans - bashing the new elements. Sure, the whispers are a weird angle to come at it from, but the explanation for them, that they’re trying to maintain the OG storyline, made for an interesting twist on a 25 year old story. Sephiroth’s early appearance was just something that had to happen, along with a Jenova fight, because, come on, this section of the OG was like 3hrs worth of content and this is 40hrs, so ofc they had to include new things and it matches with the new storyline and I think people need to release their death grip on the OG storyline and enjoy this game for what it is. 

I found the ripple effect(?) interesting too. From what we learned, the OG happened in the future. If things hadn’t changed that’s the future everyone was heading towards. Ok, cool, pretty simple. 

This timeline had small changes. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie survived!? Or did Wedge finally get shoved off a building at the end, I really couldn’t tell if he bought it that time, but if he did I’m mad cause he was adorable. The plate falling didn’t have as big a casualty number as originally, either. And Hojo almost spilled the beans to Cloud early, but was cut off, and that’s the other thing Cloud ignored in dialogue afterwards, but it’s Cloud, so we’ll give him a security pass for that. The others ignoring his Ptsd induced freak outs isn't cool though and I expect Square to fix that level of callousness towards him from the others.

Those are the only two changes from the OG. Sephiroth showing up early instead of in Nibelheim doesn’t really matter. He’s his usual cryptic asshole self and his goal is unchanged. The team just knows he’s the big bad earlier now and have a solid goal instead of just randomly wandering after they leave Midgar. So, yeah, does Biggs, Wedge and Jessie living make a big difference overall? Will that ripple from them being alive make further changes?

We also saw that Zack survived because of our team, but the Zack in their timeline is still dead. I think we saw it this way because the planet is trying to find a way to prevent being hit with Meteor and ending up with geostigma, so the OG timeline, everything was still bad. Our timeline gives possibilities for a slightly better future and then the timeline behind it - the one with Zack - offers even better odds, not that we’ll see that. That’s the timeline I think Aerith will live through, so that way Square can say Aerith lives, just not in the game we play now.

Shipping

I’m not into wars, so if you love Aerith, cool good for you, I was focused on building affinity with Tifa and Square didn’t disappoint! There were so many romantic moments between them! And damn do they have chemistry! I squeed at such a high pitch the dog next door started howling! All the small touches, longing looks, affection, support, trust and OMGOSH IT WAS JUST THE BEST!!! They were so damn cute!!

I have no idea how the game changes if you focus on Aerith and to be honest I don’t want to. I think that’s what I love about the options for that. You can choose and no one can say your choice isn’t valid. 

One thing though, I would like an end to it because it’s 25 years of people arguing and it’s made the entire fandom toxic af and it’s actually the reason I avoid most of the final fantasy discourse because people can’t be civil to each other. Square should finally say once and for all that Cloud/ is canon and the other isn’t, instead of throwing a bone to them and being all “maybe if things were like this”, like no, pull on your big boy pants, Square, man tf up like Barret on a mission, and tell people who is the canon pairing in this damn game so people can just stfu and enjoy playing it without getting flamed.

This is why I want a FF8R because at least there’s no doubt who the couple is in that one.

Smol stuff

I’ve seen complaints about new characters being 1 dimensional, but they’re new characters in a game series that’s a trilogy, so they’re likely gonna appear again. Roche seemed added not just to give Cloud a boss to fight in the bike event, but also to show there’s other SOLDIERs beyond Cloud and Zack and the ones from Crisis Core, which not everyone has played.

Same goes for Leslie. I liked that dude and I’m interested to see him pop up again. His design wasn’t the typical bad guy henchman, easily disposed, thank you very much for playing. He has a story and I’m betting that’s not the last we see of him.

Again, same goes for Cloud’s infantry buddies. I’ve not played CC, but I get they’re from that, so will we see them again at some point? What about other CC characters?

Best Bits

Cloud in a dress. “Nailed it, thank you, moving on.”

Cloud dancing. Boy got moves and I wanna see him dance again!

Cloud/Tifa. Complimenting her like a smooth mutherfucker.

Cloud/Tifa Battle couple. They were my absolute favourite fighting combo and definitely kicked all the ass!

Cloud/Tifa. All the shipping bits, but especially jumping off the train and then trusting her to go kick Corneo’s ass. That’s how you show you know your girl

Wedge. Kitty momma

Biggs death. Damn you, Square, you got me all choked up.

Red. Specifically the bit where he highfived Barret with his tail lool

Barret. “Damn it, Red.”

Reno. Just Reno in general killed me. Love his conscience though and that he’s not a 1 trick pony.

Tifa/Aerith. Had more chemistry than Aerith/Cloud. Yeah, I said it. 

Barret and Marlene. Such a good daddy! His expression with her was like a whole different person!

Aerith bitchslapping a would-be rapist with a chair.

Cloud/Tifa/Aerith teamup to threaten Don Corneo’s balls - though I only include Aerith since she was there and she was about as threatening as a cupcake.

Conclusion

I want moar! I really hope the next one comes out soon! It’s not the same as OG, but has the best bits of OG along with something new to bring in a new generation of fans. The alt timeline angle feels fresh and open to possibilities and I’m excited to play this game for what it is, instead of comparing it and demanding for the OG like a crusty whisper lool

#final fantasy 7 remake #ffviir #FF7R review spoilers #FF7R spoilers #FFVIIR game review #I fucking loved this #I'm just sad it's over for now

[tdrcharmschool4]

Charm School Homework #3: Trashion! Looking Good and Feeling Fine! - Critiques

For your homework, the faculty of costuming Toni and SALLY both asked our girls to create accessories out of unconventional materials with their own step by step guide on how they made it from start to finish! Let’s see how they did!

Erica Strada

Analyse: FLURSE! Finally, something for Letha to carry all her worldly possessions in! Although the flurse isn't really a ~practical~ accessory, it's cute, and I like that you were Extra™ and made the matching garment. The compact is cute too, but when you put it all together, it's kind of muddles the concept a bit, like what is this animal print compact doing with this nautical explosion? I think the compact may have been a more successful addition to this if you had just left it as the shells you used for a base, or even painted the shells to match the color story of the other accessories. All in all, I think you made some cute stuff, and most importantly, you showed that you can get creative and crafty! As we move forward, just remember that it only pays to be extra if it adds to the overall concept and doesn't detract from it! Good job with this homework, and good luck on your test!

SALLY - Hello Erica! I love this take on an accessory – very cute and very you! I think the compact is a unique idea – the gag would’ve been if you actually had something in the compact like a mirror or some bronzer, but nevertheless, smart idea! The flower purse... I’m not really buying that – only because you’ve lost some functionality with the idea of a purse being a paper lantern. I think the lantern would’ve been more suited to being a fascinator or headpiece in my eyes, just because of how it matches with your garment. My problem with this is that while you still used unconventional materials for your compact, you used a conventional material to cover it. My only nitpick! You could’ve gone full mermaid fantasy and gave us pearls all over the fabric, rhinestone the hell out of it to make it more exciting than it is already! My advice to you is to keep asking yourself if you can add anything else and if it’s hitting your brand. This combination is on your developing signature style, it’s really cute and I know that you’re such a glampy character, but it needs a little extra kick! Good job!

Kushboo

Analyse: I am so fascinated by this, and not in like a punny "haha fascinator--fascinated lolol" sort of way, but just like, I am so intrigued looking at it. Just based on the pictures, I would never have been like "oh, that's a blending sponge and some cotton swabs," but here we are with this cute little hat. I think it's definitely a statement piece and could see it being part of a very chic outfit. It doesn't necessarily scream a certain concept at me, but that's ok. Sometimes something can be cool based solely on the fact that it looks cool, and I would love to see you build a whole look around this piece, because the playfulness of the shape with the rather subtle color story I think gives you a lot of room to have fun with a look. Great job, and I look forward to your test!

SALLY - Hi, Kushboo! I absolutely adore your creative ingenuity in this challenge, honestly really well done. The hat, I opened the picture and I couldn’t clock the unconventional materials until I saw the step by step, really genius work for me. The fact you worked with painting a sponge and q-tips too it’s crazy, and the ascot element I get so much. My advice is to the get into taking a small step back and sizing up what goes well with each concepts, my only nitpick with your submission due to it being great was that the concept became a bit confused, I did get Ascot but also the addition of your Q-tip Blender decoration turned it into a Judy Jetson 80s vibe? This isn’t really a bad thing honestly, it’s just that when it comes to picking things to go with your accessory, play around a bit with what you particularly see, maybe you’ll surprise yourself with the outcome! Good job! 

Luna

Analyse - You: How can I push myself even harder? Me: Be extra AF You: ~DOES THISSSSSSS~ I am in love with this, it looks SO cool, and the addition of the light and crystal I think really breaks up all the paper-ness of the rest of it. I really have nothing negative to say about this. You might think about adding something more to the paper parts, be it some sort of color or stones or glitter, just to be EXTRA extra, but like I said, I'm not mad at this submission at all. Great job, and I can't wait to see where your creativity takes you for the test!

SALLY - Hey, Luna – first things first, I wasn’t expecting this straight up! I love how you’ve used a very simple material and created a complex shaped headpiece from it, and I’m kind of glad you have actually got a solid foundation too! I saw the crown and I wasn’t as nervous and I think you utilized building on a base really well here. This is such a strong conceptual piece and the fitting on your face must’ve been a meticulous touch that I commend you for! The added LED effect is so charming and actually adds colour to it which is a great job. My following advice from this homework is to really keep up this effort. Not a lot of young queens find their footing this early on in charm school, and it’s nice to see how much effort you’re putting into each thing you do! Good job!

Marina Lumiere

My accessories are made entirely of a parasol. The parasol had this cool wooden structure that kept it together, and I wanted to replicate it. I hot glued the wood to a lace choker I had, and I then covered the choker with the fabric on the top of the parasol. I then separated the remaining wood from the parasol and used the fabric on my head as a scarf. I admit that I’m not much of a DIY person but I hope you like my accessories!

Analyse: Hello, Marina! I think you've got a cute base idea here, and you've kind of deconstructed the parasol in a creative way, but I don't see much of a transformation. I think going forward, your main challenge is going to be really trying to get creative with your submissions and making sure that they're executed to the best of your abilities. I know you said you're "not much of a DIY person," but especially in situations like this, that's the name of the game. Even if you're a person that doesn't do a lot of crafty stuff, there are so many resources on YouTube and Pinterest and the rest of the internet that you really have no excuse to not push yourself 137% with anything like this. All of the deans and myself are a treasure trove of information, and chances are, if there isn't one of us who has personally made something you're trying to do, a few of us will have good tutorials for it anyways. Push yourself going forward, because I want you to reach your full potential in this competition! Good luck on the test!

SALLY - Hello Marina! I think you have a wonderful take on your colour story here, but unfortunately I don’t really see much of a strong enough concept accessory wise. For me, your step-by-step lacked in any explanation and I couldn’t really follow that well – if it wasn’t for your description you sent in later on, I wouldn’t have known otherwise. Keep in mind that with step-by-steps, we need to know what you’re gunning for! The end goal! I kind of got what you were doing afterward, and I do like the effort you’ve put in, but I just don’t see much of a concept with what you’ve made. My advice to you is to really push your creative ingenuity, for me I see your choker being a full spoked wooden Elizabethan collar and your hat more of a pillbox piece than a headwrap? Popsicle sticks would’ve helped give more volume to your spoked necklace and perhaps creating this headpiece decked out in flowers and rhinestones might’ve elevated your concept a lot more. Good job!

Nikita Nox

Analyse: BITCH, YESSSSSS! THIS is a ~concept~ and I live for it. I think you know the main problems come in the construction (i.e. back support), and that's definitely something to think about when you're making looks. I know I've run into that problem a few times of making something without really thinking through how it was going to be functional, so moving forward, just make sure that you plan that out when you're getting ready to make a look. Pipe cleaners are tough, because they can get the job done, but they can also read very crafty sometimes, so just be careful with things like that; make sure the construction and execution matches the intent. All in all, I think this is a great submission and a very solid start to what could be a very cool look! Great job, and good luck on your test!

SALLY -  Hi Nikita! I think this concept is really strong – it looks really exciting and I think that it’s very unique! Personally, I love food concepts, food makes me happy so this number makes me beam. The support (if that’s really a potato I’ll be honestly shocked) is super strong on the fascinator, but I’m nervous about that showgirl’s tail! What you could benefit from is using a Thrifted belt to kind of hot glue or attach to the popcorn bucket on your waist (they do that in VS for heavier wings!) so that you don’t have what I call Awkward Arm Pose when you don’t affix something to something else right. My advice is to always think “is my concept draggy enough?” I can visualise a look being in a club for like a pageant night or something, but the peacock tail would need a lot more bags – you want all the eyes on you, and the further it, you need to negate the negative space in your tail! Good job!

Ophelia Waters

For my accessory, I wanted to create a bouquet-like headpiece centered around origami flowers! I started with a base of a styrofoam ball used for fake flowers and a headband, hot-glued together, and then embellished with two type of origami flower patterns, held on using floral wire!

Analyse: Hello! This is so cute, and right away, you can tell the time and effort that went into it. My major complaint is that the monochromatic nature of the accessory is a little simplistic, and I would love to see some color on it. Your construction of it is solid, and honestly, sometimes that's the hardest part is figuring out how to get a piece to even work in the first place, so you've already tackled that battle. I think the next thing to focus on is just making sure that there's a interest in it beyond the construction. Maybe using different colors of paper for some (or all) of the flowers or adding some paper feathers made with a fun paper. You could also play around with some fun patterns of origami paper. Basically, I think you've got a great start to an idea here, but I just want to see you take it to the next level and really give us a fully realized concept. Good job, and good luck moving forward!

SALLY - Hey, Ophelia! First off, I’m in love with how you presented this accessory, it’s very simplistic and elegant and it seems to match your drag aesthetic! The flowers look less like origami and verge on realistic in your final pictures, and the foundation looks sturdy. I commend you for using wire in this – and the combination with foam in this holds up the wire really well. My only problem is that, when it comes to using paper, I do expect people to kind of go a bit further than just use white, white is quite a simplistic conceptual colour and this ties in with my advice going forward! If you feel as if your concept is looking a little too safe for your own liking, think about what else you could add to give it that extra push – for example, if you were to  add paint splatters to your flowers in an obscene manner, that could elevate the concept further. Always question little things like “if i add X here, would it work?” and don’t be afraid to run it past anyone really! Good job!

Shillelagh

Analyse: Hey, Shillelagh! First, I think it was a cool and unique idea to make a weapon as an accessory. It's definitely a different route and shows creativity. I wish the creativity went past the initial concept though. I can't help but feel a little let down by this, especially compared to some of the other submissions. We can only tell you so many times that we want to see more effort, but at the end of the day, this is a bat wrapped in tape with some poinsettias glued to it. You've proved to use that you can have the creative ideas, but you really need to make sure that you have the execution to match, and if that were easy, everyone would be doing this. Push yourself. Try harder. I know you have it in you. Prove me right.

SALLY - Hello, Shille! I’m gonna commend you for choosing something quite out of the box and stylistically different than an actual accessory. It reminds me of like an RPG-like weapon and I think the additions are cute, but! I do feel as if you could’ve pushed it a lot more. I can kind of see a small transformation to what you used as a foundation base for your bouquet-like club. I would’ve loved to have seen you really pile on a lot and tried to transform the baton into something crazily draggy – you could’ve added anything to this to make it a completely different concept (a pearl strand to make it rococo, maybe you could’ve painted the flowers a different colour to make it seem alien and added more crazy weird things, etc.) My following advice is to plan and stick to it, I know a lot of queens in TDR that go into challenges having two or three plans and can’t really stick to one. I know you have so many ideas and we talked about them, you’ve just gotta trust your gut and make sure you slay everyone! Good job!

#tdr #tdrcs4 #homework