#its a long character list but i pride myself on my ability to balance them out | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tatiletotesamaze · 4 years

Text

(found this while looking for something else. I can only assume it’s related to my big ethics essay considering what’s at the bottom, but even my digital file keeping is akin to post-it notes and scatted pieces of paper.)

"If the Empire is to have my life, why can't I have a say in how long they should have it? If I can decide what to do within it, why not outside it?" Rochester looked uneasily to Simone. She stared back at him, placid as a river sheathed in ice.

"If you get that," she said after a while. "Why can't I get that?"

"You should. I should. We paid our dues." Maybe everyone has.

For (contrived purpose) Wilhelm, Rochester and Qiu find themselves on a planet recently instituted with new leadership Imperial. In disguise they are not Imperial citizens and are treated harshly by the enforcement officers. Rochester area this as an injustice to the empire as he knows it: a corruption of the ideal of progress under Imperial leadership, the use of sith ideology outside of context. Wilhelm, being off a lower class, sees it as rote. There is a brief discussion on the ship about relationships: the expectation of Rochester to have had the marriage with Stion'n (or some other appropriate woman) before the intervention of Sith, Qiu remarks she gave eggs to the eugenics programme and Willem points out he "failed" an exam on 97/100 and did not get invited to the programme despite surpassing colleagues in areas untested. As they prepare to leave Rochester involves himself in a riot against the planetary governor, believing that they will be replaced for their failings. It's some weeks later, on another planet, he learns of the retribution meted out against the populace, and sees the extent of the propaganda used.

"If there's no reward or punishment for unjust acts and likewise for just, or that for this moment we not consider them and think only of the act themselves, why act justly? Or unjustly?"

"Nothing?"

"Nothing at all."

Rochester shrugged. "I can't think of anything."

"So nothing in the act itself is preventing you?"

"You said no external factors. Aren't my own feelings external factors to the act?"

"So the justness or unjustness of an act is not in the act itself?"

"I don't know. Is a human life different to a leaf, if we don't consider consequences?"

"A 'human' life?"

"Sorry, a person's."

"And we consider consequences?"

"Aren't those the external factors? I wouldn't be rewarded for saving a murderer from drowning but rather punished for it?"

"Is a person's life not inherently worth something?"

"Beyond their being a murderer?"

"I think we might be getting off track."

"Well, if you remove consequences of the action, doesn't the action then become amoral?"

"How so?"

"There's no question of justice when I wave my hand, but if I strike someone with it, then the question arises. But if there's no consequence to myself or the person I hit, where's the need to question its justice or morality?"

"So, you think the justness of an action might stem from it taking place in a system of consequences and reactions?"

"I suppose so." A little uneasy. Unsure of his answers and thoughts for the road ahead was unpaved and long, and shrouded in ignorance.

It is, in the Imperial culture, just that the Sith might rule as they do for they are favoured, might is within their nature and the weakness self correcting in their system.

It is to be above one's station if, being not force sensitive, one attempts to exercise that rule of might.

The empire as a tool of sith has the might to be right, but its citizens within must act appropriately. As all citizens are equal, they are to act equally to each other (but they aren't equal, class and breeding are paramount, where it is merit one might advance but first merit is birth). To act as a sith is to put oneself on their footing, and thereby in their court. So that all citizens are equally protected from the Sith court, no citizen must enter it.

Under the sphere of philosophy comes the ministry of education which, in its entirety, covers education from childhood to adulthood, propaganda and censorship. Censorship in part extends the role of sith who search for heretics by ensuring that texts published to have anti-Imperial sentiment. This might include, but is not limited to, characters engaging in un-virtuous or sinful acts who do not get their comeuppance (see Hayes code) or who are otherwise depicted sympathetically, expect where they are sith and act in a sith manner (that is virtuous to a sith but not a citizen). Less so on core worlds but common on those conquered is the existence of illegal printing presses (sometimes actually paper and ink) that create anti-Imperial leaflets alongside unapproved works or uncensored versions of sort after works. Even though romance is a common genre in the empire and many books are sold cross borders, the Cabinet censors parts or rewrites whole chapters to better suit "Imperial tastes".

Virtues of the Empire:

Loyalty

Of the citizen:

Honesty

Integrity

"Strength of will"/perseverance

Charity to children

Courage

Pride (in the empire and ones achievements)

Wisdom

Temperance of action and feeling (self discipline)

Orderliness *at once keeping stuff in order, but also understanding one's place in the empire

Will to excellence *the best me and the best I can do makes the empire better as a whole or the the best I can do for the empire is the best me

cleanliness *don't smell

Unity *not necessarily friendliness, but not rocking the boat as it were

"In all ones actions and duties to uphold the standards of the Empire"

Timely - to know when best to be serious and to be jovial. Also, be on fucking time

Respectfulness

Of the Sith:

Cunning

Wisdom

To live one's truth (the existential ideal)

Strength

Will to power

Justice (upholding Imperial laws and ideals)

Magnificence

The Sith might also be expected to perform the virtues of the citizens listed above, particularly those of being timely, orderly and clean. When in the presence of Sith of higher standing, or of citizens of high standing particularly those of the military or intelligence, then such actions will also be expected.

Temperance (self discipline) - the Sith rule and control their emotions. Though one might become powerful through unbridled rage, one might lose oneself to it and lose one's mental faculties including (ironically) the _will_ to power, making one un-Sith-like.

As ever, these virtues are not to be practiced in excess nor be shied from. Life in the Empire is a balancing act.

The Empire contains three formal classes, four if slaves are considered.

There are the Citizens, which one could class all as for they all live within the Empire, but Citizens are those who are born to Imperial families, typically within core Imperial worlds. They have the force of longevity behind them, their presence and purpose within the Empire is inherent. They have the tried and true Imperial education, in mathematics, warfare, literature and the sciences. They all hold in some form a military position. A teacher can be called upon to fire a gun, as a baker can be expected to fix a tank. Full time military service is performed by all citizens for four years, and after that either continue within the military system or return to perform other vital roles within the Empire.

De facto citizens or the Treatise'd. Those living in planets the Empire has conquered, by war or through the Treaty of Coruscant. Formal expectations of them are the same, however Citizens oft treat them, not necessarily with contempt but not with high expectations. Citizens see their lack of Imperial education (something being rectified but sorely lacking in the adult generations) as a fault that prevents them from performing the best they can for the Empire (see the virtues). This disregard for their own experiences, talents and cultures does, to put it mildly, chafe the De Facto citizens.

The Sith. They can learn philosophy. It's not the most popular subject, but many who do involve themselves in the Ministry of Education, and by extension the Bureau of Propaganda and the censorship cabinet. Philosophy is a poor subject for citizens, as it gives one the ability to ask questions and not necessarily accept the answers given.

Rule consequentialism (not utility as this implies Bentham et al, but "to the betterment of the Empire" that is, does this action benefit the Empire, how so, to what extent) and virtue, as outlined. As the legal system must exist for the society to function there are of course pre-existing rules.

For an example from the game, murder. It is implicitly stated that murder is _not_ allowed (the quest of the acolyte sith ganking civs) through much of the society, up to the Dark Council, where it seems to be a matter of not getting caught (a virtue of the Sith is therefore cunning; Darth Thanaton's adherence to tradition in the face of the easier route is seen as an eccentricity ultimately turned weakness).

Education in the Sith language starts at an early age. For those who are sith born to sith, it is a natural process of learning as with any mother tongue. For those who have force abilities at a young age, or are believed to be likely of showing them, this is a more formal education one might expect on a school setting, starting also at a young age. Obviously this approach favours those who have the opportunity to learn and whose abilities can be either reasonably expected it recognised. Those who come into their abilities late, or come from de facto worlds, or even are slaves, may never receive this education. The ability to speak the sith language is a merit. This is how merits play out in the Empire, and how their meritocracy works. Birth is a merit, opportunity and privilege also.

#swtor #long #headcanon #dont @ me

2 notes · View notes

curserp · 4 years

Photo

below the cut you can find the accepted characters from this round of applications ! all of these were INCREDIBLY difficult decisions for me to make, and every single app i read clearly had so much love and care put into it, and even though the choices were hard, i feel lucky that i got to make them at all !

to those listed below, please complete everything on the checklist page--- you have 24 hours to contact the main, but if you need more time, please let me know !

congratulations, JAMES “JJ” PALMER ! your curse has been successfully registered as #0272463 / ARACHNE !

when you feed a person’s ego so constantly of course they’ll become engorged and drunk on their own greatness. she’s only parroting what she’s been told, how can she be wrong for it ?

jj is exactly everything i was looking for with arachne. her struggle between power and pride is so evident, and it’s that fatal flaw that drew me to her--- she’s brilliant, dangerously so, and it makes sense as to why the gods feared her as they did. jj is smart, and she’s strong, and i can’t wait to see how she weathers everything that’s coming for her.

congratulations, LOURDES CLEMONTE ! your curse has been successfully registered as #0276372 / CASSANDRA !

the problem is, she will never be full so long as she continues to slice herself straight down the middle and allow everyone else to feast.

cassandra was one of the hardest decisions i had to make, but i just kept coming back to lourdes. your app was straight up art, and i’m in awe of how you’ve created her. she’s exactly the right sort i wanted for cassandra ; part tragedy, part unjust fates, part inevitability, and i got so caught up on her backstory that i forgot i was only reading an application.

congratulations, FRANCES “FRANKIE” RAMONA MARTINEZ ! your curse has been successfully registered as #0323357 / DAEDALUS !

you didn’t need them anyways. you were fine on your own. you had your own puzzles to solve, your own discoveries to make. you didn’t need anything else.

frankie took daedalus in a direction i wasn’t expecting, and for that i am honestly thankful. her story of loss makes perfect sense for this skeleton, and i loved your incorporation of the database into her life ; even here, now, she’s being used for her abilities in the way she’s grown used to. she incapsulates her curse and its classification so well, the echoes of loss all through her app, and i’m interested to see how she handles it all as she is brought in with the others.

congratulations, ISABELLA “ELLA” ABRUZZO ! your curse has been successfully registered as #0043536 / HELEN !

it was as if you’d been born amidst a storm, and ever since then, you were housing an unparalleled hunger for something you couldn’t have.

helen was one of the skeletons i was worried about, because even i wasn’t sure how they could be properly adapted into the right character, but you showed me right up. ella’s app is perfect, and as i was reading it i suddenly found myself wondering how i could have thought of helen in any other way. she’s got a multifaceted way about her that just works, and i can understand each choice she made, even as she ran--- she got stuck in my head, and i’m so excited to see more from her.

congratulations, CASPIAN BARDOT ! your curse has been successfully registered as #0052766 / JASON !

those who call you a traitor, cold, ruthless, are left behind in the wake of your victories, returning triumphant with your golden fleece in hand every single time. this may be the story of your victories, but make no mistake: it is also the mourning song of those left in your wake.

jason was a tricky one, for me. there’s this balance of heroism and ruthlessness, valiance and brutality, and caspian stuck that divide well. he’s lost plenty, and will likely lose more--- as is often the fate of a hero ---but still he’s fighting, keeping his head above water despite it all. i was worried i would find myself unsympathetic towards the jason skeleton, but caspian showed me otherwise. now i’m just curious to see how he’ll carry it all going forward !

congratulations, JANUARY ST. JAMES ! your curse has been successfully registered as #0063332 / MEDEA !

he promised you so much, the sun, the moon and the stars, if you would be his willing knife, and once he had no more need of knives and spells and war, he turned his back on the lowly desolate thing that had held onto him.

january blew me away, honestly. medea could have so easily been one-note, and yet you brought out a dynamic to her that had me rereading her story more than once. she feels very real to me, especially in all the care and additions to her app that really made her stand out--- even your take on a few of her connections had me excited to see where she’d go. january could take her curse, her future, in so many different directions, and i’m so interested to watch her do so.

congratulations, MERCY JONES ! your curse has been successfully registered as #0064327 / MIDAS !

tears in your mouth, you’d come to realize that besides ugly, the doll that had followed you from the shoebox to each and every monster house, you hadn’t a thing in the world that was yours. except your ambition. and you kept your ambition in a stash behind the pillows.

i adore mercy, and isn’t that just exactly fitting. your golden girl jumped out at me, from her origin to her prayers for a curse to her current handling of it all. her curse came to her not out of sheer greed, but desperation and some thoughtlessness, and the gods played a trick on her for it. she’s not selfish, in the expected way of the word--- just hungry, and wanting more. she’s so different than any other character i saw, and that’s perfect for midas.

congratulations, ADELAIDE WU ! your curse has been successfully registered as #0067466 / ORION !

maybe one day you’ll feel like a nebula once more, but for now you are a meteor, aimlessly floating in space, with nothing to do but sit and watch the way the moon is forced to surrender to the sun.

as you mentioned in your app, people have always loved the story of orion and it’s earned something of a cult following, and i can understand why, now. adelaide’s love story is inherently tragic, as any involving the gods will be, yet i never found myself thinking of her as foolish--- her whole story leads into her eventual affection for artemis, and i couldn’t help but root for them even though i know they’re both doomed--- and i’m curious to see how she manages this eventuality with artemis.

congratulations, THADDEUS BAILEY ! your curse has been successfully registered as #0072747 / PARIS !

thaddeus couldn’t control himself at all ; it just kept pouring out of him, and all he could do was let it. he left the building alive, covered in soot, knowing that he was responsible for his family’s destruction. alone, again. a killer.

paris was a tough call to make. thaddeus was unexpected to me, and at first i was hesitant, but the further i got into his app the more i fell in love with him. him being something of a plaything to hera, her using both him and his father, fit paris perfectly, and it makes thaddeus understandable to me--- he’s not a bad person, just dangerous, and confused, and used. i can’t wait to see his story unfold even further into this new chapter !

congratulations, SAINT GRAVES ! your curse has been successfully registered as #0777387 / PERSEUS !

in legends, heroes are often killers, and you are not exempt. not many people understand the toll that so much blood on your hands takes on you, even if it is the blood of monsters. it takes a monster to kill a monster : it’s what you see in the mirror, and no matter how many beg to differ, your curse is fact.

aside from cassandra, perseus was my most difficult decision, but i just couldn’t shake saint. his app was clean, well thought out, and i felt like i was reading a myth of his own. he suits perseus perfectly, which is honestly bad news for him, but made for such a compelling read, tragic as it was--- and i’m excited to see how he carries his fate into his future.

#curseadmin #accepted.

6 notes · View notes

skyland-logos · 6 years

Text

Zodiacs; The Follow Up

This is the continuation for my previous post about the sides. Their Zodiacs.

In the last post, I finished it off by saying the following;

Patton; Libra

Roman; Leo

Logan; Capricorn

Virgil; Virgo

Now, I am going to talk about how these seem to fit the best, for me, with the sides. Let’s start off with Patton and go down the list that way.

I see Patton as a Libra because I have a friend who acts like a real-life Patton that is a Libra and references off of a few websites I researched off of. Libras love balance and peace.

They try to avoid any conflict and want balance in their lives. He apologizes to Thomas when he realizes that he and Logan were talking over each other and making it hard for him to make decisions. Always tries to help out whenever Thomas is having a dilemma and tries his best to add in what he can.

“ Libra signs can sometimes seem wishy-washy when they are asked to make a decision” which makes them seem like they’re absent-minded or lazy, but in the end their decision will benefit most people. Yet, a “Libra representative has to be careful when talking to other people, for when they are forced to decide about something that is coming their way, or to choose sides, they suddenly realize that they might be in the wrong place and surrounded by wrong people”. He somewhat freaks out under pressure when he is told to do something and slowly follows along because he usually follows his heart, so when he is told something to do, it slowly goes through him to do it

They only really seem unhappy when they are treated unfairly because of their likeliness of fairness. I see this more when he gets left out and joins back in randomly which happens a few times (”potato” and patty-cake with Valerie) where he just kind of does what he wants.

“Libra are often self-sacrificing for the good of the team or the family”. He keeps his own emotions, besides happiness, inside for the sake of everyone else and to keep them happy. Cares more for the others more than himself.

They also like to have a say in things, but don’t want to be in charge. This is what Patton do a lot of the time when he and Logan fight or when he joins bantering between the others. He mostly puts small inputs of his own thoughts into the group conversations.

They can be; “Cooperative, diplomatic, gracious, fair-minded, social”, but they can also; “Indecisive, avoids confrontations, self-pity”. I think you can kind of see these in his personality a lot more since they are the strengths and weaknesses.

Next is Roman;

I see Roman as a Leo but there are other zodiacs that you could pick that would work for him.

“Leo likes the big picture, not the small details and fine print. Things that are too complicated, involved, or boring, they have no patience for.” He tends to push the others ideas out of the way when ever they are long and boring, but when he has the reigns on the project or dilemma, he usually tries to face the big picture than the smaller problems.

“Leos, not unlike the lion of a pride, need to be adored. If they are ignored or go unrecognized for some contribution they will feel hurt. All Leos like to know that they have been seen and appreciated.” Hint to “Not talk about me?” and when he complains that he wasn’t in the latest video.

“They are dramatic, creative, self-confident, dominant and extremely difficult to resist, able to achieve anything they want to in any area of life they commit to.” Roman is very much so dramatic, creative and self-confident like Leos are and he tries to help Thomas so he can achieve his goals in life that he commits to.

“They are natural leaders and don’t often do well in situations where they have to take orders from others.” “Able to use their mind to solve even the most difficult problems, they will easily take initiative in resolving various complicated situations.” “Self-confident and attractive, this is a Sun sign capable of uniting different groups of people and leading them as one towards a shared cause, and their healthy sense of humor makes collaboration with other people even easier.” He does try to help the group by finding out new ideas and different ways to go about a dilemma. He also has a great sense of humor, if you do find his name calling as humor, plus he also likes Patton’s jokes.

“They are in search for self-awareness and in constant growth of ego.” “As for love, I’m in between princes and princesses, I am on a solo quest to save...myself.”

Thirdly, Logan;

I changed up Logan’s a few times since he was hard to find one for, yet he seems more like a Capricorn.

“They are masters of self-control and have the ability to lead the way, make solid and realistic plans, and manage many people who work for them at any time.” “Highly intellectual, good with numbers and analysis, this sign is not often loud, but they are most definitely the muscle and the power behind the very successful machine.” “Capricorns are the superheroes when It comes to making realistic, logical decisions. Their ability to cut through the red tape and see the bottom line is what makes them a real asset to any relationship or occupation where teamwork is valued.” You can view “Losing My Motivation” for that where it does show all of these ideas in his personality.

“Capricorn people are the type that are goal oriented and driven to succeed despite all odds.” “They will work long and hard hours toward a purposeful goal. Achievement is everything to a Capricorn.” He tried to do these things in “MOVING ON, Part 1/2″ where he is mostly goal driven to figure out the best way to help Thomas move on. He also does this in “Losing My Motivation” and “The MIND VS. The HEART!”.

“Unfortunately, this element also makes them stiff and sometimes too stubborn to move from one perspective or point in a relationship.” “Its influence makes these people practical and responsible, but also cold, distant and unforgiving...” He shows his stiff/stubbornness in “The MIND VS. The HEART!” when he tells Morality that, from a logical standpoint, he is fine though Morality says not to speak over Thomas, but continues to banter with him over this. Also, from the outlook of him, he seems cold and distant because he isn’t a feeling.

“For this reason they tend to take life very seriously and are not tolerant of those who do not.“ He seems to not like Roman and Patton’s outlooks on life because they are dream/fantasy-like shown in “Growing Up” and “Alone on VALENTINE’S DAY!”.

“They are natural born leaders, politicians, mathematicians, and diplomats. Capricorn people tend to guard their hearts closely and well. To get close to a Capricorn may take some time, but once achieved, well worth it.” “Because they are so dedicated to the big picture and the minute details, they can seem dull to others, who don’t understand the active internal nature of the Capricorn. While seeming almost emotionless on the surface, the Capricorn’s mind is always running on overdrive” Shown in “MOVING ON” parts one and two it shows all of these things that are told above. He gives Patton a new jacket since they have slowly become closer and he seemed emotionless to the others while he was actually running over things quickly to try and help Thomas’s loss

“Capricorn have a dry sense of humor and their sarcastic wit is only appreciated by those who find humor everywhere.” “-Because you’re an airhead” “-You malodorous scent-urion,oh!”

“Often they can be the less imaginative of the signs and refuse to face the facts about a situation because it would signal that they were wrong about something (which they hate).” “They will learn from their mistakes and get to the top based solely on their experience and expertise.” Roman: Yes, You were completely right! Logan: I know. Roman: meaning you were right about initially being wrong. Logan: *sterner* I know.

Finally, Virgil;

It was hard to figure out Virgil’s too! Yet, I found that Virgo fits him pretty well and...Virgil...Virgo. Pretty similar words.

“Virgos are always paying attention to the smallest details and their deep sense of humanity makes them one of the most careful signs of the zodiac.” “Constantly worried that they missed a detail that will be impossible to fix, they can get stuck in details, becoming overly critical and concerned about matters that nobody else seems to care much about.” “Virgo people are mild mannered on the surface, but underneath there is a flurry of activity. Their minds are never quiet; always thinking, calculating, assessing.” “They loves making something out of nothing.” This is what Anxiety mainly can be, an overthinking/worry in your mind that makes small things big. Virgil does that to Thomas a lot when he makes mistakes, going to parties, unstable sides, or sometimes...whenever. Remember “My NEGATIVE Thinking” and “Taking on ANXIETY”.

“This is a sign often misunderstood, not because they lack the ability to express, but because they won’t accept their feelings as valid, true, or even relevant when opposed to reason”. This seems the case when Virgil’s character was finally fully developed. He was often misunderstood as “The bad guy”. He was pointed out for many problems due to him causing Thomas anxiety. That’s why he hopped out of the group in “ACCEPTING ANXIETY”. He didn’t want himself to bother or get in the way of the sides and Thomas anymore.

“This sign would do well to carefully consider the situation and the task before agreeing to take it on.” “Virgil: I've got a bad feeling about this Thomas;I've got a bad feeling about everything that's why we're doing this” he is usually forced into situations before he can agree on it because Thomas and some of the sides choose to just press on without giving Virgil a thought on how he’s feeling besides Logan, and sometimes he, too, also does that.

“They do not tend to be loud or bossy, but are brilliant strategists and an asset to any team.” In “Losing My Motivation”, he helps out Logan by giving him some ideas about who the culprit is. He can be very essential to the team when they aren’t forgetting about him and teasing him.

“They are not loud ‘look at me’ signs, but rather prefer to be the strong, silent type.” This shows up in “The Sanders Sides 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS!” where they go to sing and he doesn’t want to while his fight or flight acts up. Along with that, he thinks his gift for Patton is dump because its not as amazing as everyone else, yet it still has a nice compliment in it. (A misleading compliment)

“Virgo are opinionated and have no problem sharing their opinions, even when they should not.” Think of “My NEGATIVE Thinking”, “Am I ORIGINAL?”, “A New Year of Lying to Myself... In Song!! “, and a lot of other videos because he is one source of Thomas’s reasoning.

Now, that’s my own opinion on why they are those zodiacs personality wise not by date, so if you needed references for a fic or an idea for their personalities, I hope this helped. That’s all folks! Thanks for reading! This took longer than expected.

references are here and here.

#roman sanders #patton sanders #virgil sanders #sanders sides #logan sanders #zodiac

15 notes · View notes

entergamingxp · 4 years

Text

Final Fantasy XI Interview – Director and Producer Reveal Experiences and Hopes, Special Message to Western Fans

May 16, 2020 4:45 PM EST

With the 18th anniversary of Final Fantasy XI, Director Yoji Fujito and Producer Akihiko Matsui look back and forward at the long-running MMORPG.

This year marks the 18th anniversary of Square Enix’s long running MMORPG Final Fantasy XI. To celebrate the incredible milestone, I was able to interview Director Yoji Fujito and Producer Akihiko Matsui and get some insight into both the past and present of the game, Fujito and Matsui’s history before they worked on FFXI, what the future entails for the title, as well as a special message to Western fans.

Allisa James: When you first started development for Final Fantasy XI did you ever think you’d see the game continue for eighteen years?

Yoji Fujito: When the FFXI team got together twenty years ago, we had no idea about anything that would happen that far into the future. All I knew at that time was how truly ecstatic I was to be able to work on developing an MMORPG, especially after having been inspired by Ultima Online. It never crossed my mind that I might find myself still working on that same game after all this time.

Akihiko Matsui: The overall direction from our producer at the time was that we’d be working on the project for a period of three to five years. However, I knew I needed to dedicate myself so that we could keep going for longer than that, and honestly, I did think that we could keep FFXI going as long as we did well. I feel that I can take pride in these results because they show how we as a team were able to create something very successful.

AJ: Can you describe your first experiences working on Final Fantasy XI when you joined the team? How have things changed over the years?

YF: Prior to working on FFXI, I had only worked on standalone, package (non-digital) titles, and with those games, the final stages of development were always filled with onslaughts of bug fixes and a rush to make final tweaks and adjustments. In working on FFXI, it was truly revolutionary at the time to be able to apply changes even after release by pushing out patches.

With physical package games, all of those final adjustments I mentioned are set in stone once the final build is created, and there were times when I was left lamenting certain things after the fact. We’re now in an age where it’s normal for even just your standard package game to receive bug fixes or additional content later on through patches. I think it just goes to show how times have changed.

AM: I remember back when we were in the beta testing phase when we were beginning to see a lot of the overall game take shape, there was a time when other development team members would come to discuss the battle system quite often, keeping me from making progress on my own work.

Developers are gamers themselves, after all, so I completely understand that feeling. At the same time, I was also in crunch mode and still had things left to do. It ended up that I would have no choice but to start going into the office at night and going home in the morning to be able to focus, and I kept that lifestyle up for a while. It was exhausting, so I won’t be doing that anymore.

AJ: What are some unique or interesting experiences you’ve had with developing and maintaining Final Fantasy XI? Are there any stories that come to mind that stick out in your memory?

YF: Two things come to mind here: Content that the development team creates will not always be played or experienced by the players in the exact way they envisioned. The economy of an in-game world actually ends up mimicking the characteristics of real-world economies quite a bit.

AM: This may not be what the question was getting at, but a lot of people who I’ve had the chance to work with from other companies, as well as other departments within our own company, now introduce themselves to me by saying that they used to be an FFXI player or that they are a current FFXI player. I try not to show it on my face, but honestly, it makes me very happy.

AJ: Can you share any insight on the reasoning behind including a mechanic that had players lose EXP and even level down when dying?

AM: This type of system was adopted mainly due to concerns that players could potentially harass others by intentionally KO’ing their own character if there was no risk associated with doing so. There were also others on the team who felt it was necessary for different reasons as well. That said, looking back on it now, I do feel bad that the penalty was more severe than was probably necessary.

AJ: Do you have any plans to revisit the various jobs and re-balance them in any way? Do you feel the current balance suits the gameplay you are hoping to bring players in Final Fantasy XI?

YF: I don’t think there will ever come a day that we feel like we’re done balancing the game. This is because the degree to which a job is needed is determined by whether that job possesses the skills and abilities required to get through in-game content, and also because player trends change. Therefore, sometimes we’ll directly adjust jobs if necessary, while in other instances we’ll modify the game content in order to achieve balance.

As far as our current balance goes, in general I feel there are no issues other than continuing to work on tweaking what would be considered endgame content.

AM: We adjust balance whenever necessary. There are many cases where issues stem from outside of the jobs themselves—for example, whether particular jobs can perform well when playing the most popular content at any given time. The game’s system is one that allows players to change jobs, so rather than making rigorous adjustments to ensure that the battle abilities for all the jobs are evenly matched with each other, what we prioritize most is that each job is fun and offers its own unique qualities in gameplay.

AJ: I’m aware you can’t comment on the current status of the mobile FFXI version still in development with NEXON. However, in a more general sense, can you speak on how the concept of a mobile title for FFXI came about in the first place?

YF/AM: Unfortunately, as this is a collaborative effort with Nexon, we are not able to provide any comments regarding this.

AJ: Are there any plans to bring Final Fantasy XI to other consoles such as PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, or Xbox Series X in any form?

AM: Considering the resources currently available to the FFXI team, rather than expanding to new consoles I would prefer to dedicate our efforts toward creating robust and fun content that will continue to provide for our current player base, but also be available to newcomers. With this in mind, we have no active plans for those particular consoles. However, it is never completely off the table, and if we do continue to see a strong demand from our players, we will of course consider.

AJ: Is there one feature or mechanic that you and the team always wanted to implement in FFXI, but couldn’t because it wasn’t feasible or workable? Any job classes that you wanted to add but weren’t able to?

YF: I wanted to provide a customizable UI system. This had actually progressed as far as play testing, but at that stage we encountered a flood of concerns surrounding maintenance costs on both the development side and for the end user (cost in the sense of time for the latter). Due to these fairly large increases as a whole, we ultimately decided to not pursue it any further.

I also wanted to include some kind of setup that would allow you to own your own physical house, but it seemed like Vana’diel might end up becoming covered with adventurers’ residences if we did, so we decided to go with the Mog House instead.

AM: I wanted to include a feature that would trigger whenever a player did something incredibly impressive like defeating a powerful nemesis or crafting a high-difficulty level item. A bard would sing a song praising your feat, and it would be heard by players all around the in-game world.

Imagine if you defeated a dragon, and if other players knew about it before you ever told them: “Hey, you’re that person the bard was singing about, aren’t you?” That’s the epitome of what I think it would be like living in a fantasy world! I’ve still always wanted to include this feature, and I’ve already thought of how I could implement it, but it’s so low on the list of priorities… (cries)

AJ: In regards to the North American community in particular, it seems additional efforts have been made such as the PAX 2020 meetup. Would you say you are continuing to try and do more for the NA community, and are there any plans in mind for the future?

AM: Over the past several years, players in the west have been returning to FFXI, and as a result, we’ve been able to get more staff members who serve as the point of contact for western players. If you don’t mind that it’s just Fujito and me, we’d love to come say hello anytime, so please don’t hesitate to let us know!

AJ: Is there anything else you want to say to the Final Fantasy XI community?

YF: I was looking forward to seeing everyone at PAX East 2020, which would have been my first event in North America since I went to talk about MMM (Moblin Maze Mongers) for the Wings of the Goddess expansion, so it was very unfortunate that it had to be canceled due to effects of COVID-19. Once the stay-at-home restrictions are lifted, and if people are still interested, I’d love to get another opportunity to visit, so I’m going to do my best to keep the flames of FFXI burning bright until then!

AM: The western community has become increasingly more vibrant thanks to all the supportive players out there. Same as always, I want to keep implementing content worth challenging, while also keeping in close communication with you all. Thank you for all your support.

Today marks the 18th anniversary of #FFXI! Thanks for the amazing support all these years!

Producer Akihiko Matsui shares a few words on this auspicious occasion: https://t.co/divGGaW75h pic.twitter.com/dEhDoxeMWw

— FINAL FANTASY XI (@FFXI_EN) May 16, 2020

May 16, 2020 4:45 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/05/final-fantasy-xi-interview-director-and-producer-reveal-experiences-and-hopes-special-message-to-western-fans/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=final-fantasy-xi-interview-director-and-producer-reveal-experiences-and-hopes-special-message-to-western-fans

0 notes

buffster · 7 years

Text

Consequences (BTVS 3.15)

This is part of my ongoing Buffy Project, where I write notes/meta for every episode in an attempt to better understand the characters and themes of the show. You can find the full list here. Gifs are not mine.

Consequences is pretty single-minded in its focus on the fallout from Bad Girls. Buffy is feeling guilty and weighed down by the Deputy Mayor’s death (literally in her dream of drowning). Faith is keeping her from breaking the surface by not allowing them to tell. The body is found and Wesley sends them to investigate what happened.

The way you read both sides of the Faith Goes Dark storyline depends on your personal interpretation of the characters. Personally, I think Faith has too much pride and too little trust to admit to anyone that she did something wrong.

Faith: When you gonna learn, B? It doesn’t matter what kind of “vibe” a person gives off. Nine times out ten the face they’re showing you? It isn’t the real one.

No matter how good or trustworthy a person may seem, Faith doesn’t buy it. People are liars. Faith is kind of obsessed with getting people to admit things about themselves they’d rather not look at, but that’s another essay. In Faith’s mind her good qualities are the ability to remain “five-by-five” and detached. It’s her armor against the world, and taking responsibility would require laying it down. I also think that she senses that, though it could have been Buffy that committed the murder, it wasn’t and that makes all the difference. Killing him lit something in Faith that it wouldn’t have in Buffy; it sent her over the edge. And the other characters sense it too.

Buffy: I am trying to protect you, Faith. If we don’t do the right thing it will only make things worse for you.

Angel: She killed a man. That changes everything for her.

Buffy detaches herself from the incident. Faith’s the one with the problem here. So taking responsibility would require more than simply saying, “There was an accident. I’m very sorry. Let’s move on.” She’d be required to confront and admit her inner darkness and instability. I don’t think Faith can stand the thought of being that vulnerable. Instead she pretends she doesn’t care and mentions that she’s prepared to get on a boat and flee.

Faith: You’re still not looking at the big picture, B. Something made us different. We're warriors. We were built to kill–

Buffy: To kill demons. But we don’t get to pass judgement on people, like we're better than everybody else–

Faith: We are better. That’s right. Better. People need us to survive. In the balance? Nobody’s gonna cry over some random bystander who got caught in the crossfire.

I think this is part justification for her crime, part obsession with slaying that started long before Sunnydale. Becoming the Slayer must have been amazing to Faith. Suddenly she’s strong, she can fight back, she’s got a purpose, and she’s practically got a divine sign that she’s special. Pretty much the dream for someone with Faith’s life.

The police question Buffy and Faith. Buffy is nervous while Faith is all attitude and says, “I’m not the throw myself on the sword type”. Buffy finally goes to Willow, where things have been awkward. Willow is jealous of Faith, which you could interpret as a sign Buffy is her first lesbian crush or just simple worry over losing her first best friend. I read it as a little of both. Buffy confesses to her and decides to go to Giles, but Faith has beaten her to it. I think Faith tried to blame Buffy for the crime both because she didn’t want to face it and because she guessed (correctly) that Buffy would get less heat for it than she would.

Giles: She’s unstable, Buffy. She seems utterly unable to accept responsibility. Shows no remorse.

I know Buffy and Giles have discussed Faith’s instability before. The others don’t seem entirely unsurprised either. It begs the question–why not try harder sooner? Xander thinks he has a connection with Faith and shows up against the advice of Buffy and Giles. Unfortunately he lets her know he doesn’t for a second believe it was Buffy that murdered the Deputy Mayor, which sets Faith on edge.

This was a really dark scene. Faith immediately interprets Xander’s willingness to be on her side/help her as a bargain for a sexual relationship/bragging rights. She later tells Angel “That’s what they all say. Then it’s just let me stay for the night–I won’t try anything.” Her abusive references are so sad. I really wish we’d learned more about her past on the show. She assaults Xander.

Faith: I see. I want. I take. I forget.

Faith is turned on by sexual violence. She chokes Xander and is trying to kill him when Angel hits her over the head. I really don’t think enough attention was given to this incident for Xander or Faith. Xander can’t even speak when we see him later.

If anyone could have saved Faith here it was Angel. One of my favorite things about his character is his ability to read people.

Angel: I bet you’re not big on trust games, are you Faith?

Angel: But you’re not a God. You’re not much more than a child. And this path will ruin you. You can't imagine the price for true evil.

Angel: You and me, Faith, we’re a lot alike.

Faith: Well, you’re kind of dead…

Angel: Like I said. A lot alike.

Faith: Sorry, buddy. I’m alive and kicking. In fact, I’ve got a bodily function that needs attending to pretty quick here.

Angel: You’re not alive. You’re just running. Afraid to feel. Afraid to be touched…

He’s reaching her, partly because he understands her. He too has a very dark and at times hopeless view of humanity. He too wonders why he should bother being good in the face of all that darkness. He too had a wild side that he used to forget the pain at home.

Angel: Time was, I thought humans existed just to hurt each other.

But that’s when Wesley barges in and attempts to take Faith for the Council. I know he gets a lot of heat for that, but he believed he was doing the right thing. Wesley likes protocol and control. But he loses her literally and metaphorically.

Buffy tracks Faith down as she’s preparing to get out of dodge. But Buffy isn’t the right person to confront her because she’s too easily provoked. Faith is a dark mirror for Buffy and that terrifies her. And Faith knows it.

Faith: But that’s not it. That’s not what bothers you so much. What bugs you is - you know I’m right. You know in your gut. We don’t need the law. We are the law-

If I would have remembered this line I would have been more worried about Buffy in season seven. But Faith has landed on a truth…with all the isolation and responsibility of the Slayer comes a hell of a lot of power.

Faith: See - you need me to tow the line because you’re afraid you’ll go over it, aren’t you, B? You can’t handle watching me living my own way and having a blast - because it tempts you. You know it could be you-

Buffy punches Faith. Her fear and self-loathing of her inner darkness is already here and we see it go farther in season six. We never really got to see Buffy learn to accept her whole self and live with balance. Faith dusts Mr. Trick and saves Buffy. They go back to town together, but when they part ways Faith joins up with the Mayor. I think Faith was attracted to going darker and convincing herself her issues were the better way to be. To convince herself she was superior. She didn’t want to go to Buffy with her tail between her legs and constantly look at a bunch of people who had their shit together so much more than she did. Why not be praised for her flaws instead? There’s probably also a bit of pessimism that she could ever live up to “Little Miss Perfect” anyway. But that’s just my read.

Character Notes:

Rupert Giles: He doesn’t think the Deputy Mayor’s death is worth investigating. He tells Buffy slayers have accidentally killed people before.

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: He wants to investigate the Deputy Mayor’s death–he’s more cautious than Giles. The code word to talk to Quentin Travers is “monkey”.

Cordelia Chase: She says she likes a man with two last names (Wesley) probably because he sounds high class/rich. She seems to like her effect on him more than him as a person.

Willow Rosenberg: She cries when she finds out Xander slept with Faith. Still not entirely over him or just sad that he didn’t tell her? She thinks that maybe Faith should be behind bars.

#consequences #faith lehane #Buffy summers #willow rosenberg #xander harris #Cordelia chase #wesley wyndam pryce #Rupert giles #the mayor #deputy mayor #mr. trick #Buffy/angel #Buffy/faith #faith/xander #marti noxon

38 notes · View notes