#the main character lives in a skyrim-esque world | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

elddansurin · 5 years

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i filled out that entire got damn OC meme not once but four times for my main TES OCs because you know what? i have that power.

featuring: Gavriil, my dragonborn, Serras, the dragonborn’s weird boyfriend/travel companion, Lleris, my Nerevarine, and Gerrick, a non-vestige 2E OC who lives out the aldmeri dominion questline. this thing is long as shit behind the cut, but idc if anyone reads it, i did it for me.

1. It’s a little unreasonable for everyone in a Middle Ages-esque fantasy to be perfectly literate, and writing with quills was considered legitimate labor! How well can your oc read and/or write? How detailed is their quest log/journal, if they keep one at all? -Gav: He's extensively literate and very well read. He keeps a pretty detailed journal going, though it's kind of a hybrid of field notes/emotions log. He does a lot of alchemical research when traveling, so he might have a few pages of notes on reagents, field sketches, etc, then another five pages of intrusive thoughts. His biggest fear is they'll be published after his death and everyone's just gonna be like "huh." -Serras: Just barely literate. He's got very childlike printing abilities, can barely spell, and struggles reading any big words. He's extremely self conscious about this. He doesn't keep any journals, but he writes letters about his adventures to his father every now and again. -Lleris: Again, quite well read. He does a lot more reading than writing, and his journaling is kind of the equivalent of writing notes on his arm. -Gerrick: I'd say he maybe has around an 8th grade reading level. He's got the core stuff down no problem, but as soon as technical jargon or anything too esoteric kicks off, his eyes glaze over.

2. How educated is your oc? Did their parents teach them, did they have a tutor or were they apprenticed to a master, or did they attend a university? What university? What are they educated in? How long did their education take? (Learned skills like blacksmithing count here too!) -Gav: Overly so. He has the education/research equivalent of phD, I'd reckon. All the best schooilng daddy's money could buy. -Serras: He was "home schooled" by a man with no resources undergoing a 30+ year nervous breakdown. So like, it's shitty that Serras is as uneducated as he is, but kind of understandable, given the situation. -Lleris: Also more or less home schooled, but at the opposite end of the spectrum. His aunt (the person who raised him), was a fucking genius. Balls-out eccentric, but a genius. -Gerrick: He was raised and educated by kind of an ensemble cast of characters, so his education is fairly well rounded and extremely based in practical over theoretical. He later joins the mages guild, but he uses that less as an opportunity to pursue higher education, but moreso a way to figure out how to sling a better lightning bolt

3. Does your oc have any kind of crafting skills that either aren’t in-game or don’t have as much importance in-game as they would in real life? (For example, can your oc sew or weave, etc? Are they skilled in any kind of art? Can they make jewelry or work glass? Are they musicians? etc) -Gav has a practical knowledge of most crafts necessary for a sad bachelor life. He can cook well enough to keep himself fed, he can patch up most of the wear in his gear, but nothing that would really impress anyone. I'd imagine, in another lifetime, he played the lute. Not sure he'd remember how at this point, though. -Serras is extremely crafty. He'd an extremely resourceful cook, he can repair just about anything, and he's a natural outdoorsman. Dude's had a lifetime of learning how to do a lot with very, very little. Art is kind of a hobby for him that he doesnt get to indulge in quite as much as he'd like. -Lleris can barely function on his own. He cannot cook a damn thing, when his clothes tear he throws them out, and he almost dies of exposure on more than one occasion. It's a sad sight to behold. -Gerrick is fond of roughin it. His life skills are exactly as honed as they need to be. Not much, but enough to keep him alive and scrappy.

4. What pantheon does your oc worship? If they worship the Cyrodiilic/Imperial pantheon, does that include Talos? If they secretly worship Talos, how do they justify hiding it? -Gav: Pretty straightforward believer in the Altmeri pantheon. He's especially devout to Mara, though he's got a long way to go toward internalizing the whole "love yourself" thing -Serras: He's never really figured out what to believe in. Way back in the day, his family was heavily involved in House Indoril, and when the Tribunal kind of fizzled out, they were all pretty lost and not exactly stoked to go back to worshipping the "good" daedra. That more or less carried down to Serras, although he's not even aware of his ties to House Indoril or any of that Tribunal stuff. He has a learned fear of any sort of daedra, courtesy his father. -Lleris: He's pretty tight with Azura, natch. -Gerrick: Dude straight up does not care, but will absolutely pay lip service to Auri-El if it makes him look good.

5. How religious is your oc? Do they come into conflict with others over their beliefs? If their patron deity told them to do something extremely undesirable or against their moral compass, would they do it? Would your oc sell someone’s soul for a corn chip? -Gav is devout enough to have taken a shake at becoming a priest. Didn't pan out, because he couldn't deal with the pressure of being any kind of authority figure, and he's been kind of having a crisis of faith in the midst of his most recent extended nervous breakdown. As soon as he starts clearing his head again, he pretty much goes back to being pretty dang devout. -Serras is struggling to figure out his moral compass on his own. He wouldn't mind being religious, but growing up in a non-religious setting can make it hard to just start believing in something. -Lleris becomes way more into Azura worship as the whole Nerevarine thing plays out, and he would absolutely fuck things up in her name. His sour opinion of the Tribunal is absolutely influenced by Azura’s grudge. -Gerrick, again, does not care. His morals are his own, and no one's going to talk him into doing something that doesn't align with his own beliefs about life.

6. Does your oc have a family of origin? How many members of their FoO are still living? Do they have a good relationship? How much contact does your oc have with their FoO? How in-the-loop is your oc’s FoO about your oc’s being Dragonborn/HoK/Nerevarine? -Gavriil's immediate family are all still alive (except his sister, who died before he was born), and they have not been in contact in like, 200 years. None of them even know if he's still alive until a few years after the whole Dragonborn thing starts making its way back to Auridon. His parents are just kind of like "huh." and then continue to never bring him up in conversation. His younger brother eventually seeks him out to try and forge the relationship they never got to have. -Serras has a codependent relationship with his father. They love each other a lot, but their relationship was very, very unhealthy. That's the major reason why he ended up leaving home, because he finally realized the only way to heal the unhealthy dynamic was to learn how to be his own person. He has a pretty good relationship with his (maternal) aunt. His mother is still alive, and he has three half-siblings he's never met. None of them ever end up meeting. His mom never does figure out what happened to her firstborn. It is what it is. -Lleris is completely on his own at this point. His parents died when he was barely a year old, and he went to go live with his wacky aunt abroad. Those two were thick as thieves, but when she passed, Lleris was legit on his own. -Gerrick and his weird pirate family are all still on good terms. Both of his parents are still alive and although they dont see each other often, it's a grand old time when they finally do.

7. What social class was your oc born into? Did they change classes at all? How? -Gav: Super, super upper-crust. His family was nobles marrying nobles all the way back, and Gav just couldn't cut it in that world. His slump into absolute poverty is gradual, but pretty vicious. He does eventually pick himself up out of the gutter, but I'll go more into that a few questions down. -Serras: He was born into a weird, backwoods cult and spends the next 30-something years of his life living an extremely hand-to-mouth existence either in some slum or the legit middle of nowhere. Dude wasn’t exactly born into privilege. -Lleris: He was born into House Telvanni and lived a pretty well to do life until he was in his early 20s. After his aunt passed, he lived a few months as a street urchin before being arrested, then he slogs across Vvardenfell for like three years, "re-joins" House Telvanni and starts living a cushy life again, then gets tossed onto an Akavir-bound boat with a bag over his head. Takes a bit of a while before he lives the high life again after that. -Gerrick: Outlaw from birth. He was the son of the ship’s captain and her then-lover, and he was raised by the entire crew, more or less. He grows up to become, of all things, an Eye of the Queen. Yeah.

8. How politically active is your oc? Are they obviously influential, or is their influence more subtle? -Gav willfully keeps his head in the sand when it comes to politics, especially in places he doesn't think of as home. It's not an accident that he started moving further and further away from Summerset as the Thalmor became more entrenched in local politics. He absolutely does not touch the Imperial/Stormcloak tension. And honestly, even when he was at the height of his Dragonborn influence, no one wanted his opinion about the war, because not a single person in Skyrim wants to hear what an Altmer has to say about Nord politics. -Serras has a lot of opinions about the way Nords treat non-Nords, but he has pretty much no political agency. -Lleris starts out mostly entangled in Telvanni politics and helps his bff Aryon sack Gothren. He also tries and mostly fails to rub elbows with Neloth, because Neloth. Later on down the Nerevarine rabbit hole, he starts getting more and more vocal in general Morrowind politics, which culminates in him "volunteering" to go "explore" Akavir. -Gerrick, surprisingly for someone born a pirate, he canonically carries out the Aldmeri Dominion questline from ESO, so yeah he's just a little bit involved in politics.

9. What unplayable faction would/did your oc join, if any? Why? -Gav is associated with the Mage's guild, or I guess was associated. Which by the way? Bullshit that the guild was written out. But also, since I absolutely headcanon that enough of House Telvanni survives the Red Year to rebuild outside of Vvardenfell, I also imagine Gavriil worming his way into House Telvanni after he busts ass out of Skyrim. He never becomes very involved in House politics, he's more interested in going back into academia. Which he does. He more or less spends the rest of his days chillin in a mushroom house in Morrowind, writing books about levitating and shit. -Serras briefly had a stint with the Skyrim thieves guild, but he cuts ties pretty quickly because he is pretty disgusted with robbing from the poor to give to Maven Black-Briar. -Lleris has always had ties to House Telvanni, though he does have a brief stint with the Mages Guild before they are like holy shit, please leave us alone forever. He later swings by Solstheim as an old man to bother Neloth, who is like holy shit, please leave me alone forever. -Gerrick may not actively be a pirate anymore, but he is on pretty good terms with a bunch of them.

10. How trustworthy is your oc? Would they ever change opposing factions? -Gav: He's pretty much your lawful good kind of guy. He's decently loyal, even if only due to constant, overbearing guilt. At very worst, he'll just disappear rather than fulfill an obligation, but he'd sooner die than double cross anyone. -Serras: This is a guy who's mostly looking out for himself and the ones closest to him. In otherwords, Gavriil and/or his father. Probably not wise to put too much trust into him otherwise, because he's not exactly loyal if he's not actively benefitting from the arrangement. That said, he's not too much of a double-crosser, but don't trust him not to steal from you then lie about it. -Lleris: His loyalty can be bought. He won't feel too many qualms about changing sides if it benefits him more. So far, no one's offered him a better gig than being a champion of Azura, so it'd take a lot to get him to betray her. -Gerrick: His trustworthiness is super situational. He's in tight with Ayrenn, because you can't get much better than being the queen's go-to guy. He's smart enough to know not to betray her or the people involved with her. For the average person that he meets? Might be best to sleep with your eyes open around him. Patty is pretty much the only other person he wouldn't stab in the back at the drop of a hat. Outlaw roots, and all.

11. What is your oc’s main source of income, if they have one besides plundering tombs and adventuring? If they’re mercenaries, are they part of a company? Does your oc own their own business, and if so, what is it? -Gav has no source of income. Most of what he earns in his time in Skyrim is from acts of charity. For a few months, he pulls a legit job copying old texts for a bookseller in Solitude, but that only lasts as long as his precarious mental state will allow. Apart from that, he's pretty reliant on Serras's money. -Serras steals almost impulsively. He doesn't exactly keep a steady income, but its enough to keep both him and Gavriil in good supplies. Mostly. That they're both living off the land a lot does help. -Lleris does a lot of odd jobs where ever he goes. That and he has a bit of a history of pawning high ticket items that don't exactly belong to him. Keep your eyes on your soul gems when he’s in your house. -Gerrick lives the high life when he's actively working for the queen, but between Queens Eye stints, he's mostly earning a mercenary's salary. And he picks a lot of pockets. Why do I have so many thief-y characters?

12. Is your oc good with finances? Bartering? How long can they keep the money they make? -Gavriil: Not at all. At least not anymore. His parents never really taught him the art of finance to begin with, and his whole "functional" alcoholism thing makes it a bit hard to hang onto his money. He does get a bit better with time, but it DOES take time. -Serras: He's very good at knowing what things generally cost. Not worth the risk of stealing something that doesn’t get a good return. -Lleris: He can spend pretty loosely, but he also earns a fat cut with all the daedric weapons he gets his hands on. Him and that mudcrab merchant are pretty familiar with each other. -Gerrick: Generally earns a lot more than he spends. His standard of living is not particularily high, so even when he's "living large," he's not living THAT large.

13. Does your oc have any particular rivalry or mutual dislike with any NPC? -Gavriil has a really reluctant relationship with Delphine. He doesn't particularily respect her, and she's not impressed with who he is and who he chooses to be. That said, they do both realize they have some level of dependence on each other, right up until Delphine gives him the ultimatum about New BFF Paarthunax. After that he's like "lol bye" and they never see each other again. -Serras hates pretty much everyone in Skyrim for some reason or another, but they're all extremely one-sided relationships, because no one knows who the fuck he is. -Lleris is in the shit with virtually everyone in the Mages Guild, as well as anyone in every other great house. Both because of his connections with House Telvanni and, well, Lleris can be hard to be around sometimes. -Gerrick had always had a bad feeling about Estre and the fucking second she shows her ass, Gerrick's all “I FUCKING KNEW IT.” Estre wishes Gerrick would just die because who the HELL is this half-Maormer pirate asshole who's suddenly playing way too big of a part in Summerset politics.

14. How well-liked is your oc? What is their reputation, if they’re well-known? Are they simply liked/disliked, or are they respected but feared, or personally liked but not taken seriously, etc? Do major factions consider your oc an important player? -Gav: People have such mixed reactions to him. They usually hear about him well before they meet him, and at first they're like oh shit!!! Dragonborn!!!! Then they meet him and they're like uuuh he's a weird homeless dude with blatant unaddressed trauma. Kind of wish he wasn't the one who was going toe to toe with all these dragons. -Serras: Who? -Lleris: House Telvanni loves him. Except for like, Gothren, who gets killed by him. And Neloth, who never did get that robe of drake's pride. And Dratha. As for the rest of Vvardenfell, people start slowly warming up to him as he becomes more certifiably Nerevarine. Then they get real sick of him again. -Gerrick: His reputation is tied firmly with how someone feels about Ayrenn. If they like her, then Gerrick is unconventional but damnit, he gets the job done. If they oppose Ayrenn, then Gerrick is symbolic of everything that's wrong with Ayrenn and her foreign policy.

15. Does your oc have a horse/other mount? A pet? How did they get this animal? If they were given the animal, do they have the money to maintain it? How careful/careless are they with their animal? What do they do with their pets while adventuring, especially on dangerous quests? -Gerrick is the only one, and he has a giant stag mount that kind of comes and goes. He also has a constant clannfear familiar, which is, you know, conjured.

16. Does your oc take their time as they travel, or are they purposeful? How do they survive in the wilds, especially if they aren’t hunter-types? How dependent is your oc on civilized society? -Gav and Serras both spend ample time in the wilderness, even if civilization might be available. Gavriil enjoys keeping a low profile more and more as the whole Dragonborn affair goes on, and toward the end, he's keeping his head down as much as possible. Serras is fine with it because that's just what his life's like. -Lleris makes a beeline from town to town and will take silt striders whenever possible. He doesn't know how to hunt or dress game, he can barely pitch a tent, and more often than not will just sleep on the bare-ass ground like an idiot. Again, he has almost died of exposure on more than one occasion. -Gerrick could disappear into the wilderness for months and be just fine. He could be equally fine spending months in the middle of a major city. He's flexible.

17. What does your oc like to eat? How much food do they eat? Can your oc cook, and can they do it well? -Gav used to be a super picky eater in his earlier years. Now he'll eat anything that'll keep him alive. Too much grain alcohol has dulled his sense of taste. He knows how to decently fire-roast small animals, but he's not exactly an inspirational cook. -Serras is a fan of good food. One of the biggest inspirations for him teaching himself how to cook was so that he could eat good food on the reg. He can make a little go a long way, in terms of quality of ingredients. -Lleris is the kind of guy who'd burn spaghetti. -Gerrick is a pretty decent cook. His specialty is hearty campfire shit like stews and chowders.

18. What does your oc wear in the city/settlements? In the house? When travelling, but not adventuring or expecting combat? Do they vary their clothes depending on what hold/city they’re in? If they don’t, why not (e.g., if your oc wears the same outfit to tend their garden or lounge around the house as they did to meet Ulfric or Elisif, why?) Does your oc have a good or bad sense of fashion? How many clothes does your oc have? -Gavriil has one outfit, the same tunic and threadbare enchanted robe he's worn for the past dozen or so miles. It's all he's got, babey. -Serras has more outfits than you'd expect from the kind of guy who lives out of a tent 10 months out of the year. He likes to look cute. Also, he's almost always wearing a scarf, because he's pretty sure that's just what Dunmer do. -Lleris's outfit of choice is flowing, elegant mage robes, daedric boots, and pretty much nothing else. Naked under your robes seems like a pretty Telvanni thing to do, if we're being honest here. -Gerrick wears roguish pirate garb fairly often during the adventure phase, but he does have some fancy threads when he's in the company of royalty.

19. How picky is your oc about their gear? Do they have different equipment for different adventures, or is it the same suit of armor for everything (not counting upgrades like from steel to ebony)? -Gav, again, has one outfit. He does swap out his tunic after one is shredded/absolutely drenched in his own blood, but the robe has been with him for years at this point. He cannot be assed to enchant a new one. -Serras is not particularily picky about what his kit looks like. He's usually fine with a bit of leather armor, but he opts for pauldrons more often than not as, again, he's convinced that's just what Dunmer do. -Lleris won't wear it if it's not cute. -Gerrick is surprisingly discerning about his gear. He has a very high standard for what his weapons should look like, and everything needs to be properly enchanted if he's gonna be using it.

20. How does your oc acquire their clothes, and from where/whom? -Gav's robe is an old piece he enchanted himself when he was a bit more put together, and the rest of his outfit is more or less charity. Like hey, couldn't help but notice you got nearly torn in half by a dragon, can I offer you this shirt? -Serras's clothes were all honestly bought with money he earned from pawning stolen goods. Hmm. -Lleris will always make the time to shop for cute outfits when he gets to a big city. The boots? Conjured. -Gerrick's things were mostly honest purchases, but not all of them. He's not above pulling a pair of nice boots off a dead man's feet.

21. Can your oc swim, and how well? Have they ever swam in the ocean, or only lakes/rivers? Remember, it’s much harder to swim in the ocean than in a lake! If your oc is an Argonian, do they take special advantage of it somehow (e.g., do they go diving for fun/for profit, do they instinctively hide in the water, etc)? If your oc is a Khajiit who can swim, how do they get their fur dry? -Gav was born by the sea and as long as the water is warm, he loves to swim. The rivers and lakes in Skyrim are all too damn cold for him, even in the summer, so he water walks more often than he swims. -Serras is a decently strong swimmer, though he's never actually seen the ocean. Rivers and lakes, though, no big deal. -Lleris can barely swim and will water walk 99% of the time he encounters water. Even though he knows a water breathing spell, he's never actually used it. -Gerrick was born on a boat and is half Maormer. He fucking knows how to swim ok.

22. How easy/difficult is it to rob your oc? Pickpocket? Bribe? -Gav: Too easy. He's got nothing of value to take, so his guard is at like, 0. -Serras: He's a pickpocket by trade, he knows all the tricks. You'd have to be pretty fucking crafty to life something from under his nose. Even if you did, you can be sure as shit he'd steal it right back. -Lleris: He's been robbed a handful of times. -Gerrick: It wouldn't be impossible to pick his pocket, just very difficult and very unwise.

23. If your oc is part of one of the more morally questionable or outright evil factions, how do they justify it to themselves? Do they still consider themselves as morally good? How well known is their affiliation to these groups? Do they have separate personas (e.g. Dragonborn to some people, Listener to others)? Do their family/friends know? If they have separate personas, how do they keep their less than righteous activities secret? -Gav, despite being provably morally good, deals with a lot of completely unjustified guilt. He doesn't think of himself as that great of a person, because he feels too selfish. -Serras doesn't really hide that he's a thief by trade, at least to anyone who knows him. He's had his shot at honest work, and he just couldn't cut it. And well, a dude's gotta make a living somehow. He tries to keep his mind clear by only stealing from people who can afford to have things go missing. Or just if he hates them. Either way. -Lleris is very hush-hush about any work he's done with the thieves guild. He doesn't consider him to be affiliated with them, moreso that they stay in fleeting business arrangements, arrangements which become less and less frequent the more involved he gets in Telvanni politics. -Gerrick having pirate roots is something of an open secret. Part of his appeal as an Eye is his roguishness, and it's not exactly hard for him to work with shadowy sources. He'll never deny his heritage to anyone who directly asks. Not many people have the gall to do that, however, so rumors do fly.

24. How helpful is your oc, and why? Are they helpful or kind even during difficult situations? Are they pragmatic, or do they have a hero syndrome? -Gav has a weird obligation on/off switch. He feels guilted into helping people in certain situations, while he can walk away from others with a clear conscience. When the guilt hits, he will go so far against his own interests to help people, even if he's actively suffering as he does so. Even then, god does he hate being recognized as some kind of hero. Nothing he does in Skyrim makes him feel like a hero, and he actively lives out the world's most aggressive case of imposter syndrome even after Alduin fucking dies. He immediately leaves Skyrim after Alduin's death, because he can't live with the recognition he feels he fell dick first into. No one knows or cares who the Dragonborn is in Morrowind, so he busts ass to the eastern border the second his ass gets back to Nirn. -Serras historically doesn't go that far out of his way to help people, unless they're someone he already cares about, or who he owes some kind of debt. Part of his Growth is slowly taking up his father's mantel as a healer, and dedicating the rest of his life to helping people. Big claps for Serras! -Lleris has such a bad hero syndrome. The fucking second he gets the impression that he might be Nerevarine, that's how he's introducing himself to people. He does get to play big damn hero for a little while after the events at Red Mountain, but the novelty does eventually wear off, at least for the people around him. Well into his second or third century, he'll still bring up that time he was Azura's champion and killed not one, but two living gods. For like the thousandth time. -Gerrick can help or hurt. When he's helpful, he's super fucking helpful. He's your fucking MVP. But the second you cross him, he’ll be out for blood. And while he does have a reputation that often precedes him, he doesn't exactly milk it.

#if this cut doesnt work for you: im so sorry #OCs

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chroniclerwabba · 6 years

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Anyone who knows me or has seen my blog knows that I have great issues with modern Warcraft’s storytelling. I’ve spoken at length about retcons, character inconsistencies, forced conflict, rushed development, and a lack of balancing. But the real problem with Warcraft’s story and characters is something much more than that. Those are all major issues that make up the bulk of why modern Warcraft and Blizzard have fallen off. But the real issue IMO is one that genuinely saddens me.

There are no heroes anymore.

What I mean by that is that a lot of the characters have the amazing powers like fel magic, nature, and the Light. But nobody feels like a hero, is my main problem. You have more noble and neutral characters that teeter on heroic like Anduin, Khadgar, Thrall, Tirion, Vol’jin, and Velen. But you don’t get to explore characters like Khadgar, Anduin, Vol’jin, Tirion, and Velen vastly enough to really get into their mindset of why they believe in the greater good and putting conflict aside. They just say “war is bad and we need to stop senselessly fighting each other to rebuild” and just leave it at that. They might be right, but you don��t get to see the gears turning in their heads. Tirion was much more developed in his heroic altruism, but they fridged him off at the beginning of Legion. The most we still have is Thrall, but he’s been rendered largely irrelevant to the current plot and panned by fans on account of being such a focus for so long.

Illidan is pushed prominently as a hero by Blizz, but he really isn’t. A lot of the defenses for his heroism greatly fall apart when put into proper context. He does a lot of really bad and questionable things to get his goal when there are many other more productive and effective ways to do the right thing. Everyone else has been rendered down to warmongers who want to kill the other faction and purge their people. Even Jaina, who was the poster child for Alliance heroism. She had all the right in the world to want Garrosh dead, and I backed her up all the way. But then she borders on drowning the entirety of Orgrimmar and all its civilians, including the orphaned children. Anduin has a touch more setup to being a heroic character (mostly in the expanded lore but regardless), but now he’s being railroaded into an Alliance versus Horde conflict in BFA. When they pulled this conflict back in MoP, there was at least that moment where the Alliance and Horde felt like they could make some progress, and the Horde could finally catch a break to get its shit together. Now the Horde has once again been railroaded into being the antagonistic force because of a warchief nobody trusts but for some reason is complacent with because they needed to artificially inject conflict into this story without taking more time to slowly develop it.

In Warcraft 3, there were lots of characters were heroes, and you got to actually see why they become heroes. Jaina, Uther, Medivh, Tyrande, Malfurion, Cairne, Thrall, Rexxar, Kael’thas. Even Grom and Illidan had their chances to be uplifting heroes. In modern Warcraft, everyone is a warmonger that wants to kill, enslave, destroy, and pillage either for vengeance, xenophobia, nationalism, or greed.

There’s nobody to root for. There’s nobody to believe in.

I think a lot of this is because of the shift in modern fantasy writing, where everything is grimdark war and violence. There’s nothing wrong with this necessarily, as everyone occasionally wants to check their brain at the door and roleplay and root for “deuz vult skyrim for the nords crusader man” and “zug zug lok’tar monster boy.” But all of this came at the cost of believing in goodness or something greater. It came at the cost of altruism and love. That’s why Lord of the Rings is so timeless and cherished by many, because it retains that sense of goodness, hope, belief, and the pursuit of these things for the greater good even in the face of overwhelming adversity and despair. Lord of the Rings was about finding hope and love even through war. Blizzard and many other fantasy writers forgot about this and what ultimately made the mythos work, and I believe this is why fantasy is starting to stagnate and many people I know hold less of an interest in it.

And anyone who says “it’s warcraft not peacecraft” doesn’t at all know what they’re saying. Warcraft 3 was when the series stopped being a Warhammer retool and another Tolkien-esque knockoff and became its own thing. Warcraft 3′s heroes were the Alliance, the Horde, and the kaldorei - three factions who were greatly flawed but ultimately good and trying to overcome things greater than themselves via cooperation.

The Horde had been enslaved by the Burning Legion and forced to commit mass genocide against Draenor and Outland, and their story was about Thrall leading them away from this sordid past, reclaiming their semblance of honor by fighting not only for themselves but for the greater good, and finding a place where they can build instead of destroy.

The Alliance had grown massively divided after the Second War, distrustful and going on their own. Gilneas, Stromgarde, and Quel’Thalas pulled out, their refusal to cooperate and aid one another ultimately leading to their downfall at the hands of the Scourge. Had they remained unified and worked together, more of them might be left. It was only with Jaina’s journey to Kalimdor and working with the Horde that the Alliance still lives.

The kaldorei were the ones that brought the Burning Legion to Azeroth in the first place, sundering Kalimdor into four pieces and killing millions through the class divide between the Highborne and the common kaldorei. They withdrew into Ashenvale to hide from what they did, letting Kalimdor fall into disrepair at the hands of the quillboar, harpies, and centaur. The tauren were hunted to near extinction for 1,000 years, and they had helped the kaldorei fight the Legion during the War of the Ancients. The kaldorei turned their backs on their ancient allies. Their story was about confronting what they had brought to Azeroth so many years ago and working with the others to correct their mistake, even at the cost of their own immortality.

Warcraft 3 was uplifting because you got to see how far the factions and characters came from where they started off. Nowadays, modern Warcraft has this “push me pull me” dynamic with the Alliance and Horde, only cooperating together at the last minute without anyone bothering to stop and ask why they work so well together and how much more they accomplish side by side rather than at each other’s throats. You can have a good war conflict, but it has to be paced properly, not have rushed characters, a more cohesive narrative not spread out across expanded lore, and making it less one-sided by constantly sandbagging the Horde as the antagonists and the Alliance as being so flat and pushing back.

There isn’t a Captain America or Spider-Man like hero in Warcraft. There doesn’t need to be a character that unique or ornate like those examples. But the way those characters are written and portrayed - their heroism and belief in the greater good and hope - is what helps add depth to universe ripe with conflict and is what is sorely missing from modern Warcraft.

The war part of Warcraft is not why the series was memorable. Both the fans and Blizz forgot this.

“The roots will heal in time... as will the entire world. The sacrifices have been made. Just as the orcs, humans, and night elves discarded their old hatreds and stood united against a common foe, so did Nature herself rise up to banish the Shadow... forever. As for me, I came back to ensure that there would be a future, to teach the world that it no longer needed Guardians. The hope for future generations has always resided in mortal hands. And now that my task is done, I will take my place... amongst the legends of the past.” -Medivh

#mine #long post #world of warcraft #warcraft 3 #battle for azeroth #blizzard entertainment #this explains why i write jur the way he is #warcraft #in my opinion

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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30 Best Nintendo Switch Games

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After four years of the Wii U, we were eagerly anticipating its successor. While there were plenty of great games on the doomed platform, the Wii U just never caught fire with the public at large. But four years into the Switch’s lifespan, and Nintendo has turned things around dramatically.

Instead of winding things down, the Switch shows no signs of slowing down, with plenty of excellent third party games in its library, as well as more than a few innovative titles from the Big N as well. The platform has also been a great way to bring underrated Wii U gems to a broader audience of Switch adopters. With a rumored 4K upgrade on the horizon, there’s a good chance that the Switch may even have another four years ahead of it,

But for now, these are the very best games available for the portable-console hybrid:

30. Untitled Goose Game

2019 | House House

Anyone who’s even been to a pond can attest to one simple fact: Geese are dicks. Untitled Goose Game lets you finally live out the fantasy of being one of nature’s most annoying creatures, flapping, honking, and generally being a nuisance to the residents of a fair English town. The only thing missing is the goose poop covering everything in sight.

Untitled Goose Game is a short but sweet experience inspired by classic stealth games that adds just enough charm and innovation to make it one of the best indie games on the platform.

29. Dark Souls Remastered

2018 | FromSoftware

There’s not much more that can be said about Dark Souls that hasn’t been said about this revolutionary action RPG title already. Its tough-as-nails difficulty, foreboding atmosphere, and esoteric storytelling have made it a fan-favorite and critical darling.

The Switch port doesn’t change much. It’s actually a visual downgrade from the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions without the benefit of 4K resolution, but being able to play Dark Souls on-the-go more than makes up for that. This may not be the best version of Dark Souls, but the gameplay still stands up, and like a lot of Switch ports, being able to finally play the game on a handheld makes it a worthy pick up.

28. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

2017 | Ubisoft

“What if Mario starred in an XCOM game?” might sound like the basis for some very ambitious fan fiction, but somehow Ubisoft pulled it off with Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. The Rabbids actually fit into the Mushroom Kingdom pretty well and the Rabbid impersonations of Mario and company are hilarious.

Even if Mario games aren’t typically your cup of tea, the tactics featured in this turn-based strategy title add a layer of difficulty rarely seen in the plumber’s resume. If you aren’t careful, the corrupted Rabbids will repeatedly hand you your ass on a platter.

27. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

2018 | Nintendo

The Captain Toad levels were the best parts of Super Mario 3D World, one of the few well-reviewed Wii U exclusives that haven’t yet made it to the Switch. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker delivered more of what people loved, this time for the 3DS.

Ignoring traditional Mario-style platforming for isometric puzzles that bar jumping, getting all the stars in every level of Captain Toad is genuinely challenging but rarely frustrating. Captain Toad also stands out as one of the better Wii U ports for the Switch, thanks to a number of new levels, although many of them are only available as paid DLC.

26. Starlink: Battle for Atlas

2018 | Ubisoft

Starlink: Battle for Atlas is a fun space shooter bogged down by a confusing and frankly unnecessary toys-to-life gimmick. The basic premise equates to a sort of smaller scale No Man’s Sky, but with highly customizable ships and weapons.

The big draw for the Switch version is exclusive Star Fox content, missions that feel like the animal-themed space combat game people have wanted from Nintendo for years. They’re certainly better than Star Fox Zero. The retail version even comes with awesome Arwing and Fox McCloud toys.

With gamers largely burned out on the toys-to-life phenomenon, Starlink didn’t exactly light up the sales charts, but it did sell best on the Switch and is scratching that Star Fox itch.

25. Hollow Knight

2018 | Team Cherry

Nintendo basically created the Metroidvania genre, but the company has been remarkably stingy about releasing new 2D Metroid games. Thankfully, Hollow Knight is here to fill the void with its insect-filled underground world. While there have been many takes on the Metroidvania formula over the years, a Tim Burton-esque aesthetic gives Hollow Knight a unique edge over the rest of the field.

Of course, Metroidvanias are only as strong as their maps, and Hollow Knight’s giant, secret-filled levels are easy to get lost in for hours. And then there’s the Dark Souls-inspired combat, which requires both patience and skill to master. We can’t wait for the sequel.

24. Xenoblade Chronicles 2

2017 | Monolith Soft

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is not for casual gamers. The main story alone takes more than 60 hours to complete and you’re looking at well over 100 hours of gameplay if you dig into the side content. Its systems, particularly the Pokemon-style Blade system, aren’t very user-friendly and require time to truly understand. But for those who are willing to keep with it, or who enjoy complex stories and mastering all the intricacies of a JRPG, there are few games of this caliber available on the current crop of consoles. And none of them are on the Switch.

23. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

2019 | Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is arguably the very best game for the original Game Boy, held back only by the portable’s lack of buttons and color. The Switch-exclusive remake easily rectifies those issues, and improves on this classic with so much more, including customizable dungeons and a delightful new art style inspired by children’s toys.

The core Link’s Awakening experience remains as enjoyable as it first was back in 1993, with the deceptively small Koholint Island giving way to nine labyrinthine dungeons and some of the best puzzles in the entire series. This is a great example of a remake done right.

22. Stardew Valley

2017 | ConcernedApe

There’s something oddly relaxing about farming games that Stardew Valley taps into better than any other game in the niche genre. Maybe it’s the especially calming music, the charmingly well-written characters, or just being able to live out your agricultural dreams at your own pace. Whatever the exact reason, Stardew Valley has garnered millions of fans since its original release.

Part of the appeal is the regular updates. Just when you think you’ve seen everything, ConcernedApe will add new content to keep the game fresh. And while Stardew Valley is a fantastic experience on any of the numerous platforms it’s currently available on, being able to play it anywhere on the Switch arguably makes it the definitive version.

21. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

2019 | Nintendo

The Switch’s success has allowed many Wii U games to enjoy a second life. With their brief levels, Mario games have always been perfect for handhelds, and with its pitch-perfect controls and heavy nods to Super Mario Bros. 3, New Super Mario Bros. U is arguably the best side-scrolling Mario game of the last decade. The Switch port even includes all of the New Super Luigi U content previously only available as DLC and a new playable character, Toadette.

20. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

2017 | Bethesda Game Studios

We probably didn’t need another version of Skyrim, and the Switch port doesn’t look that much better than the original 2011 release, but as with other ports of older games, the ability to play one of the greatest RPGs anywhere is a good reason to double (or triple) dip. And there are a few cool unlockables though amiibos, like the Master Sword.

It’s impossible to ignore such a classic RPG on the Switch, especially now that you can play it on your lunch break or on the bus. But seriously, Bethesda, you can stop porting Skyrim now. Get to work on The Elder Scrolls VI and maybe bring that to the Switch.

19. Pokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu/Eevee

2018 | Game Freak

The Pokemon franchise has been around so long at this point that the Let’s Go games are actually the second remakes of the original 1996 Red and Blue games. That’s okay though, as even the last remakes were released on the Game Boy Advance in 2004. By 2018, it was time for a new coat of paint.

Let’s Go freshens things up with modern 3D graphics, wild Pokemon that are now visible in the overworld, and Mega Evolutions from more recent games. The biggest change is the most divisive: motion controls for catching Pokemon. It can be a little silly at first, but it actually adds to the game’s charm.

18. Luigi’s Mansion 3

2019 | Nintendo

Luigi has long played second fiddle to his more famous brother, but after three spooky solo games, he’s built up a successful franchise in its own right that ranks up there among Nintendo’s best. If the previous Luigi’s Mansion games had a flaw, it’s that they got a little repetitive. Luigi’s Mansion 3 thankfully fixes that problem with a massive 17-story hotel with plenty of puzzles to solve and ghosts to trap. And while Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a fantastic single player experience, what really gives it legs is its co-operative modes for 2-8 players, making it the best ghostbusting game since, well…Ghostbusters.

17. Octopath Traveler

2018 | Square Enix

Square Enix’s love letter to 16-bit RPGs might just be better than the classics. Octopath Traveler boasts an innovative battle system that tweaks the typical turn-based formula and unique “HD-2D” graphics that are unlike anything else in the genre. It’s easy to lose several hours playing in portable mode or at home on a big screen. And while the story drags a little bit at times, it’s still worth playing to the end to see how the tales of all eight protagonists play out.

16. Astral Chain

2019 | PlatinumGames

PlatinumGames’ streak of creating the best and most unique action games in the industry continues with Astral Chain. Everything that has made the developer’s past titles like Bayonetta and Nier: Automata instant classics is on full display here, from the massive set pieces to the bonkers anime-inspired story of humanity making its last stand against an interdimensional threat.

And while you’d think those previous efforts pushed combat in an action game to its limits, Astral Chain’s innovative gameplay finds way to introduce new twists to the Platinum secret sauce. Here, you control both your main character and a fully customizable tethered Legion to maximize combos. This is the perfect game to tie you over until Platinum finishes up Bayonetta 3.

15. Bayonetta 2

2018 | PlatinumGames

The first Bayonetta was a sexy, stylish take on action-adventure hack and slash games, with some of the smoothest combat around and a badass protagonist. Bayonetta 2 doesn’t mess with the winning formula but adds more combat options and some of the most ridiculous setpieces ever put in a game, like a battle on top of a moving fighter jet. If you’re looking for something a little less family-friendly on the Switch, look no further than this hectic action game.

14. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

2018 | Retro Studios

The original Donkey Kong Country trilogy is a highlight of the 16-bit era, but in hindsight, it was more beloved for its graphics than its gameplay. It was only once Retro Studios took over the series that the franchise began to live up to its potential, with super smooth platforming and levels more creative than even some of Nintendo’s Super Mario games.

While Retro’s first Donkey Kong Country game on the Wii was a little too punishing, Tropical Freeze got the balance between challenging and frustrating just right. The game was originally released on the Wii U, and the Switch port adds Funky Kong as a playable character. This is an excellent platformer to play with a friend, too!

13. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

2021 | Nintendo

Super Mario 3D World is a top-notch Mario game, so it was always a shame that it released on a platform as underwhelming as the Wii U. The genius of the game is how it so perfectly combines the best elements of 2D and 3D Mario games. Levels have clear beginnings and endings, and ultimately you just need to climb the flag pole at the goal, but there’s also plenty of room for exploration to track down every last green star. Plus, the cat suit is one of the weirdest and best power-ups in any Mario game.

Everything that made the original Wii U release a must-have remains the highlight of the Switch port, but the addition of Bowser’s Fury, a new adventure where Mario and Bowser Jr. must quickly complete missions before the arrival of a giant, enraged Bowser, makes this one well worth a double dip.

12. Pokemon Sword and Shield

2019 | Game Freak

Sword and Shield may not be the best games in the long-running Pokemon series. Arguably, the lack of some older Pokemon (even after two big expansions) is a pretty big mark against it, but the eighth generation still has a lot going for it thanks to more streamlined gameplay, a massive open-world, and the fact this is the first time a mainline Pokemon game can be played on a home console. That’s something that fans have been clamoring for since the series’ inception back in 1996.

So no, you can’t quite “catch ‘em all,” but you can still have a great time battling the gym leaders of Galar in the seemingly never-ending quest to become the very best.

11. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI

2018 | Firaxis Games

Despite the Switch’s early success, it’s still home to relatively few third-party console exclusives, but Civilization VI alone almost makes up for that deficit. This is an uncompromising PC port with 24 different civilizations available from the get-go, and all of the features from the original version. It also works great with either a controller or touchscreen controls. If you’re looking for a 4X strategy game on the Switch, Civilization VI is the one.

10. Diablo III: Eternal Collection

2018 | Blizzard Entertainment

Diablo III is one of the best games of the last decade. The Switch port is late to the party, but if you really want to slay demons on the go and don’t have a laptop handy, this is the perfect way to play the classic action RPG.

The Switch version adds a handful of Legend of Zelda items, including a Ganondorf costume. It’s not an earth-shattering exclusive, but it’s an easy excuse to sink a few more hours into this game.

9. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

2019 | Nintendo

Nintendo is still mostly known for accessible games that appeal to a wider audience. But then there’s Fire Emblem, a series of hardcore tactical RPGs where every battle can mean permanent death for you and your allies. While still true to its roots, Three Houses takes some liberties with the typical Fire Emblem gameplay. There are still plenty of battles to be fought, but the first half of the game largely takes place at a monastery where you’re a teacher preparing your students for war. And the long-used “weapon triangle” has mostly been replaced with the need to equip the best weapons for each character, adding a new layer of strategy.

As if all that didn’t make for dozens of hours of gameplay, the ability to choose which of the titular three houses you belong to has radically different consequences for the game’s story. It takes a very long time to experience everything that Three Houses has to offer.

8. Super Mario Maker 2

2019 | Nintendo

Super Mario Maker 2 is the definitive Mario game, building on its already near-perfect predecessor with new power ups, a world maker, and assets from Super Mario 3D World. The star of the show is the almost endless supply of user created levels that constantly surprise with twists on other genres and some of the most fiendishly difficult levels ever devised. And if you’re the creative type, the course maker remains one of the most intuitive modes in any game, allowing you to design perfectly playable new levels in just a few minutes.

Even if making Mario levels isn’t you’re thing, Super Mario Maker 2 includes a surprisingly fun story mode of 100 original levels that stand toe-to-toe with anything else in the legendary franchise.

7. Hades

2020 | Supergiant Games

Rarely do story, gameplay, and atmosphere mesh together as well as they do in the rogue-lite Hades. You play as Zagreus, the prince of the Underworld, with the simple goal of escaping from the monotonous life you’re forced to lead under your apathetic father. You’ll die a lot during this quest, but each time you’ll get a little stronger and gain new abilities from the gods of Olympus that keep the experience fresh. Hades knows exactly how to leverage its setting, perfectly capturing each deity’s unique personality and abilities.

The rogue-lite gameplay is also well suited for short bursts of gameplay or marathon sessions, making it a perfect fit for the Switch, which is currently the only home console its available on. It’s easily the best third-party game on the system, and one of the best reasons to pick up a Switch if you haven’t already.

6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

2017 | Nintendo

Mario Kart 8 is the best kart racing game ever made. That was true with the original Wii U release and it’s true of the Switch port, which includes all previously released DLC and adds a few new characters and a completely reworked battle mode. Each and every track has its own challenges and the addition of anti-gravity racing is a nice update to the formula.

With tracks and characters from F-Zero, The Legend of Zelda, and Animal Crossing, Mario Kart 8 also feels like the most complete Nintendo racing game of all time. There’s really no reason for a Switch owner not to have this one in their collection.

5. Splatoon 2

2017 | Nintendo

Nintendo has never developed a multiplayer shooter like Call of Duty or Halo. Odds are it never will. But the Splatoon series is just as good as those shooters, especially the second installment. Like with the original, the focus of Splatoon 2 is to use a variety of paint-spraying weapons to cover as much of each level as possible. It’s actually a lot more fun and creative than most of the high-profile shooters out there.

Splatoon 2 adds quite a few new levels, weapons, and unlockables. There’s also a sizable single-player mode, and a ridiculously fun cooperative mode called Salmon Run. If that’s not enough content, Nintendo released the lengthy Octo Expansion DLC in 2018. A copy of Splatoon 2 could occupy a Switch gamer for months.

4. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

2020 | Nintendo

For a lot of people, Animal Crossing isn’t just a game. It’s life. New Horizons was always highly anticipated, but its release at the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdowns made it a much-needed escape for millions of people. Birthdays, graduations, and weddings couldn’t be held in-person, so many were celebrated within New Horizons. Even President Biden and Hong Kong democracy activists set up their own islands.

Even without the specter of Covid-19, New Horizons would still be one of the best games on the Switch. Nintendo has been perfecting the franchise for two decades now, but this version of Animal Crossing is easily the best yet, allowing for near-limitless customization of your own little world. And yet you’re still free to play at your own pace, without any of the pressure of the outside world. The ultimate appeal of Animal Crossing continues to be that it allows us to live our ideal lives.

3. Super Mario Odyssey

2017 | Nintendo

Is Super Mario Odyssey the best 3D Mario game? It’s hard to argue otherwise. Odyssey borrows its level structure and progression system from the beloved Super Mario 64, which Nintendo had largely ignored for the last two decades. Several new twists on the traditional 3D platforming formula, like the ability to throw your new hat buddy Cappy at enemies to take control of them, make Super Mario Odyssey feel incredibly fresh. There probably won’t be another platformer this good on the Switch.

2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

2018 | Nintendo

Super Smash Bros. has remained wildly popular since it debuted in 1999, and there’s always been a lively debate about which title is the best in the series. Melee arguably has the best mechanics, while Brawl’s Subspace Emissary boasts the most complete story mode. The Wii U game looks fantastic, but the Ice Climbers and Snake were sorely missed.

Ultimate tries to satisfy the fans of each game by including every character who’s ever appeared in the series (plus a few new ones), more than 100 stages from throughout the Nintendo universe, a deep adventure mode called World of Light, and interesting tweaks to even the oldest characters in the roster. If Ultimate isn’t the perfect installment of Smash Bros., we don’t know what is.

Further Reading: Super Smash Bros. Characters Ranked

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

2017 | Nintendo

Breath of the Wild is the perfect marriage of traditional Legend of Zelda 3D gameplay and innovative new systems. The world and story are unmistakably Hylian, yet the game puts a major focus on exploration and experimentation to an extent never before seen in the series.

Yes, the number of weapons have been cut down drastically, but the handful of abilities — like freezing time and creating ice blocks — create even more ways to complete the game’s challenges and traverse its world. And you will want to explore every last inch of Hyrule’s beautifully realized world.

For almost two decades, Zelda games closely following the formula established by Ocarina of Time, one of the greatest games ever made. Breath of the Wild throws out almost all of the concepts that Ocarina pioneered and redefines Zelda as something more open-ended and exciting that will hopefully continue to evolve over the next few years.

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nekoladyproductions · 6 years

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Pacific Rim 2: Uprising Thoughts and Feelings (Spoilers)

First thing off the bat: not nearly as good as the first film but I don't judge things based off of it's predecessors. I like to watch things as individual movies due to a number of reasons, one of them being so I don't overhype myself and end up hating a franchise because of one product not living up to par. Okay? Cool.

I want to get the cons out of the way first because that's the easy part. The look of the film is not nearly as impressive as the original, which is strange considering the previous film came out half a decade earlier. The colours don't pop as much and the camera work has lots left to be desired. There were strange zooms and pans that didn't work out for the movie and made some serious scenes not so serious due to the strange camera work. Most of the time, however, it wasn't interesting at all.

Not enough kaiju. Like. Three kaiju. And a mega kaiju. How dare.

Too many characters I don't care about. Like the nerd kid who died. I don't even remember his name outside of "Boob Job Kid" because his father is a plastic surgeon and the fact that people will proceed to call the movie racist because he was the only Indian recruit. 😐 (Sucks he died though because he was a cute character regardless, even though it was hella obvious he was going to be the one to go down because of how wimpy he was and some foreshadowing.) There's also Vik, a hard ass girl who's friendship works like brawling in Skyrim and who coincidentally looks like my ex girlfriend and has the same haircut. A bunch of others too idgaf. They should have stuck with Jake, Nate, Amara, Shao, Hermann, and Newt. Those were the ones who mattered, not the bajillions of other characters.

I do not judge a movie based on special effects, and here's why: it does not impede my overall enjoyment of a movie. I am a fan of old movies with practical effects, and most of the time, even though real materials were used, they look fake, and most of the time faker than CGI. I also watch almost exclusively animated films, which aren't realistic looking at all. Movies, especially ones that do not take place in our reality (Nightmare on Elm Street, Marvel, etc) cannot look like real life no matter what you do, so I find it tiring whenever someone complains about the graphics. I care about immersion with characters and writing. The visuals are only there to represent objects and creatures. I have never, and will never, judge a video game by it's graphics nor will I for a movie unless it is something along the lines of The Amazing Bulk, in which they didn't put any effort in at all. The CGI was not a problem for me, nor did it put me out of the film.

...

Except for one occassion, when Newt was looking out onto the drones and the camera panned out. It looked very out of place and that was jarring for me, but that was the only instance of the visuals in the CGI department pulling me out. Everything else looked fine to me. Then again, I might be biased because I enjoy much more rough looking films. I don't like too much polish.

The pacing, however, was hot garbage. The action scenes were perfect but everything else was... Not. The kaiju didn't come in until much later. Normal scenes were either too long or too short, and all scenes that were meant to be emotional were much too fast, like with our two gay science buddies and the family getting crushed. Like, bro. With the timing and look of the scene it was borderline comedic.

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The characters are weaker here, I am not going to lie. Hermann, Shao and Amara are the only good guys with motivations that are easy to follow through without any confusion. Jake isn't a very good protagonist. A lot of his story is quite vague, and his past with Nate is fuzzy and possibly homoromantic if you "turn your head sideways and squint". Amara is a young girl of roughly 15 who labouralsy built her own mini Jaeger called "Scrapper", and became involved in the training program after being caught by the cops for building an unregistered Jaeger. She built the Jaeger because she had a hunch that the kaiju would come back. I mean, being 5 years old and watching your entire family getting stomped on by some macro scalie's wet dream would make anyone paranoid of another attack coming.

I'm gonna get this out of the way; the Jaegers were not used for normal civilian police work as I've seen at least one Tumblr user put it. That is ridiculous. The only logical way to stop a Jaeger is with a Jaeger. The one time saw the blue beauty bot come out to play is when Scrapper was found by the cops and tried to escape detainment. The drones were also being placed on military BASES around the world in case of another kaiju or more homemade Jaegers started popping up, not to flatten a robber or punt a rogue helicopter in Saudi Arabia.

Back to characters.

Gottleib isn't a fucking mechanic/chemist. Like, I get it. They needed someone who worked closely alongside Newt after he went corporate, but Hermann even said life science isn't really his schtick. He's many things, but that field of science was N-- ohhhhhh. Fuck. I forgot that they linked brains for a moment. Oh my god while typing this I just got smashed with a wave of fridge brilliance. Never mind.

Oh, but as I said, Hermann has motivation and is the only character outside of the main villain to be quite passionate in the movie. He was an absolute treat to see on screen, and was the true hero of the film. But that's a pro, not a con. Sorry.

There is one thing that truly upset me in the film and I am sure most of you know by now, but Mako died in a helicopter crash very early in the film before she was able to get more than a few lines of dialog. I get that they wanted a tragedy early on, but it was just so disrespectful to can one of the main characters from the previous film in such a gruesome fashion. Not to mention her message was more or less a MacGuffin to get the Gipsy Avenger to a secluded space to duke out with Obsidian Fury for that sweet, sweet tomato surprise.

The reason why the kaiju came to fuck shit up is dumb but also makes sense in a way. People have pointed out that Mt. Fuji is not the only place to get ahold of rare elements but the plan was to blow up the mountain and chain react with other volcanoes, so the logic lies that it is easier to go to a volcano that already has the minerals needed rather than meticulously searching for other places with these specific materials and then go somewhere. It wasn't specified what these materials were EXACTLY, so whether or not the monsters could have just kamakzied at Yellowstone is unknown, or rather kept intentionally vague so there wouldn't be even more plot holes added to the pile.

If you want to know what the hell I am talking about, the film explains that the Precursors sent the kaiju that teleported from the rim were all on their way to Mt. Fuiji to cause a huge volcanic domino effect, cover the earth in volcanic ash, and kill all life as we know it for the Precursors' gain, which is still largely unknown. Kaiju blood isn't just pretty, but it reacts violently with certain rare terrestrial elements and minerals. Mt. Fuji is the only place in the world that is not only an active volcano, but has such a high concentration of what the Precursors need that sending these large beasts on suicide missions will guarantee success on killing all life on the planet with as little hassle as possible. It's easier to go to a small grocery store with everything you need in one place versus going to a mall with a bunch of different stores spaced out with everything you need in different places and in different amounts.

Once again, kinda dumb, kinda generic, but it makes sense once you break it down.

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Some are saying that the movie sucks the military's dick, and yeah I can kinda see that but not really. I might be desensitized at this point due to the sheer amount of military cock-sucking Hollywood does but I am just not seeing it here. Independence Day and Michael Bay films are super obvious with their gross idolization of American armed forces. I don't think a single, real military branch was even mentioned in the film and the fighting was controlled by some military-esque figures, sure, but the movie featured two rascals growing up to being responsible in battle. Once again I just might be desensitized at this point so if anyone has any points they want to give they can elaborate in the notes. I'm genuinely interested.

Okay, now we're getting into some actual spoilers here.

Shao was set up to be the villain of the film. She is a woman who owns a weapons manufacturing company that created remote controlled Jaegers that are safer for use and easier to handle. With how things were going, the film led us to believe that her company was remote controlling other decommissioned Jaegers so that hers would get approved and she gets loads of money.

H O W E V E R

When Gipsy got a hold of the rogue Jaeger, Obsidion Fury, and peeled back the helmet, it wasn't a human or a computer. It was a kaiju brain. Oh dear.

You seemed to have noticed that I haven't really mentioned Newt very much in this little thoughts and analysis. As it turns out, he's the main villain in the film, and boy is he one hell of a bad guy. Whenever he drifted with the brain in the first movie, he got a connection. Then he shared it with Hermann, making it Hermann's first time... But not Newt. In a disturbing/funny scene in the movie, we get quite the shocker. Earlier he mentioned someone named Alice, whom we assumed to be his spouse.

It was that kaiju brain. He fell under control of it.

If you recall from the first film, kaiju work as a sort of hivemind that is connected through both our dimension and theirs. Whenever he connected with it, his brain was shortly apart of the hive. His brain couldn't handle the power of the brain alone. They took him, but slowly. He kept coming back for more and more, for a reason unknown--an urge, perhaps--until he eventually lost himself to the mind and became completely under their control. Possessed, if you will.

The reason why he sold out to Shao and went away from Hermann was to get private access to powerful robots that he can personally tamper without anyone noticing. He took brains harvested and studied on by PPD and implemented them into the robots in secret so that they can destroy the Jaegers owned by PPD and revive the portal into our own world. It wasn't him. It was the kaiju.

Pretty much no one was anticipating that. Some call it stupid, I was on the edge of my seat. Newt is my favourite character from the first film and I love me some villain angst so I was satisfied.

Okay, time for the pros. (Even though I cited some anyway)

The action kicked all kinds of ass. It was fast paced, yet you knew what was going on which is somewhat of a rarity in modern action films. No misuse of shaky cam, no editing tricks, no seizure-inducing jumpcuts that Nolan is infamous for, no 10 million missle follow-throughs like Bay (there was one though). It was fun, it was exciting, and the only colourful moments in the film. The camera work wasn't revolutionary, but it did serve its purpose and made the last/only kaiju battle something epic.

The acting is decent. I am not sure how old the child characters' actors are, but they were good for the roles they were in. Most child actors are quite shit--not gonna sugar coat it. That's actually one of the reasons why I'm avoiding IT and A Wrinkle in Time. John Boyega was of course charming and smooth, even if his character was quite shallow. Everyone knows that Hermann and Newt absolutely stole the whole show. Their acting was marvelous! Charlie Day does very well as a villain and I hope to see him in more antagonistic roles in the future. You believed him to be evil, but not quite there. You knew that he was there somewhere, but at the same time you believe that he means business.

Oh my god, that twist! At first, you think Newt is just kinda being douchey because he got so wrapped up in money but no. Oh no. All of the weird little things, the brushing off of Hermann but still wanting to be around him just later, inviting him to see his "wife". Having little glimmers of his past self but fading away. It all makes so much sense when the reveal is dropped. He said it in a way that he tried to come off nonchalant but his voice cracked and his eyes moistened. That's good ass acting, Charlie. Holy fuck. People underestimate you, and that's a shame. The movie wanted me to believe that he was being controlled by the enemy and I did. I fucking did.

He genuinely cares about Hermann, and confirmed by Charlie he has romantic feelings for him that are reflected by Hermann. During the confrontation he was trying to stop choking Hermann, and thankfully Shao came in and broke it up before he could do any further damage. Hermann stopping Shao from killing Newt because he knows he's still there, he saw it.

The photos on the desk, the yearning, the dialogue. Ten years away. They would have been together if it weren't for those accursed aliens.

The story itself wasn't too great until it got to the third act. Everything came together and everyone brought their all for it and it showed.

Dude the DeSiGnS. Those Jaegers were so sleek, dawg! Each one was really cool! My favourite was Scrapper. Everyone says that she's just BB8 but I say that she is a reference to old-school gundam where the younger members of a team would usually have the smaller bots. A lot of those characters tend to have faster moving mechs with much more evasive maneuvers and with a cuter design. I'm sure people are associating her with BB8 because both are cute and can roll. The kaiju weren't as cool looking with the exception of the Mega Kaiju that Newt stitched together with his machines.

Ohhhhhh, yes. There's a Mega Kaiju. If there were categories in this film, it would have surpassed Category 6. Fuck me man, probably Category 8 or 9! That fucker was HUGE! AND COOL! And scary. That thing took out three Jaegers and it had to take a Gipsy nose-diving from the stratosphere and hitting direct impact to kill it. The only way that Jake and Amara survived was Shao controlling Scrapper to smash-roll them into safety.

Oh yeah. Shao is a badass. Forgot to mentionnnnn.

The music, like with every film it seems, served its purpose to get us hyped when we needed to be and cry when we needed to. I've noticed that unless your score has a different genre (John Carpenter films,) has a catchy melody (Pirates of the Caribbean, anyone?) or has unique instrumentation (anything that graces Danny Elfman's fingertips) it tends to fade out into the generic. Orchestra is fine and dandy and all, but we don't keep flicking back to video game soundtracks because of its supposed grandeur. It gets stuck in our heads, keeps us coming back. Music ties us to our souls, man! And music ties a movie together.

Generic music makes a generic film. But at least it isn't shit, or barely there. Or so loud you can't hear dialogue, another problem most films have during big scenes.

In Conclusion

This film is not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. Most sequels aren't. This is a stepping stone movie. What's that?

A stepping stone movie is a sequel that isn't that great used to setup a bigger, better movie. This is the Iron Man 2 of Pacific Rim.

To be frank, there's a lot of similarities to Iron Man 2 in this film. Military fuckupery, evil corporate masterminds, extremists, drones. Lots of it. Even though Iron Man 2 sucks, it was the tie into Iron Man 3, arguably one of the best Marvel movies in the MCU. They are called stepping stones because most of the resources needed for the better project are used for the finale movie, but you need something to tide over the audience/help go into the other film if the plot needs some explaining to do that can't be done in one movie/set up certain things and concepts that simply cannot be done in one movie lest you want a clusterfuck a la Batman v Superman.

It isn't the greatest film, but it is not a dumpster fire either. It all depends on perspective. If you want your fancy tickled if you like stuff like Tokusatsu and action movies, go for it. If you just want a fun time, go for it. If you want to see something Pacific Rim but not something crazy good, go for it. If you are a die-hard fan, however, you may want to avoid it if you want to see it as perfect as the original. There are PLENTY of problems with the film and I understand when fans express their displeasure, but please for the love of everything lovely, do not attack others who do like the film.

Don't call them names, don't stomp on their opinions, and don't accuse them of being this or that because of two unfortunate deaths in the film involving POC with one of them being a woman. There are lots of POC in the movie and yeah it sucks that two nonwhite people died, but just remember to not immediately assume that something or someone is racist due to this. The last thing I want is someone to feel guilty by being shamed on the internet for enjoying a harmless movie that had an Asian woman and an Indian boy die in it.

All in all, I give this movie 6.5 to a 7 out of 10. Not the best, not the worst. Could have been either.

#movie review #movies #pacific rim 2 #pacific rim 2 uprising #spoilers #pacrim 2 spoilers #lady's thoughts #i thought it was decent #guillermo del toro

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thomasroach · 5 years

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Everything we Know about Elden Ring: Release Date, Action RPG, Souls-like, Open World

The post Everything we Know about Elden Ring: Release Date, Action RPG, Souls-like, Open World appeared first on Fextralife.

The next FromSoftware title has been revealed as Elden Ring, and fans of the Souls series have many unanswered questions about the title. In This Elden Ring: Everything We Know article, we summarize all the bits and pieces scattered through the wind, and give you some insight into possible release dates and features.

Everything we Know about Elden Ring: Release Date, Action RPG, Souls-like, Open World

Elden Ring has been in production since the end of the Dark Souls III DLC. This is in contrast to Sekiro, that begun production in 2015 after Bloodborne.

Elden Ring will release on PC, Xbox One and Playstation 4

Bandai Namco is publishing and has registered the Elden Ring IP

Elden Ring Release Date – From our observations The release window for this game is unlikely to match FromSoftware’s traditional March-April, and is more likely to fall into Dark Souls’ September-October release.

“Elden Ring is a third-person action RPG with a fantasy setting… gameplay is not so far from Dark Souls… Elden Ring belongs to the same genre.”

Plethora of weapons, magic and builds, and a focus on RPG elements. FromSoftware expects equipment variety to be larger than Souls in this regard.

No main fixed protagonist, players create the characteristics and personality of their character. This leads us to believe Character Creation is a given.

The World of Elden Ring is vast and interconnected. No longer a continuity of “levels”, players see vast landscapes in between the “dungeon-esque” areas.

The larger world scale allows for freedom, promotes exploration, and introduces new and exciting mechanics, such as Horse Riding and Mounted Combat.

Elden Ring is a “natural evolution of Dark Souls.” New mechanics needed by this larger world. Expect FromSoftware’s trademark challenging boss battles.

Towns won’t be full of villagers, merchants and the like. They will be ruins, dungeons and exploration hubs. As Souls there is no vast population of NPCs.

The NPCs the player finds are expected to be the most compelling yet in the studio’s work, thanks to Martin’s involvement in the Mythos.

George R. R. Martin has written the world’s mythos and Hidetaka Miyazaki has written the game story.

Story will be revealed through “fragments of environmental storytelling” as in previous Souls games.

Mythos and the present moment of the player are connected and exploration will lead players to understand why things are as they are.

There is no information at time of writing about multiplayer/online/invasions.

Mythos Vs Story

Without doubt the most unexpectedly welcome development we know is that the game is being produced in collaboration with George R. R. Martin. This has prompted a lot of interest outside of Souls fans, not least as the Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls game worlds had dark “Western” fantasy settings, and Martin is of course best known for the Song of Fire and Ice/Game of Thrones series. While we’re very curious to see what this collaboration will look like, we already know we shouldn’t be expecting a Martin-penned story. In an interview with Bandai Namco, game director Hidetaka Miyazaki explained the collaborative process involved Martin discussing Miyazaki’s ideas, and then writing the world’s backstory after that. Confirming this in discussion with IGN, Miyazaki explained that he felt the process of videogame design would be too constricting for the author. So while Martin has provided the “mythos,” the game story is all Miyazaki.

Not something we expected to happen, but a welcome development!

Elden Ring Trailer Analysis

Considering the E3 2019 debut trailer, this isn’t too surprising. While characteristically vague in typical FROM style, we can perceive some very Miyazaki-like themes. We learn from the voice over that the Elden Ring, “that which commanded the stars, giving life its fullest brilliance” has been destroyed, and also that the sky is burning. This of course brings parallels to the collapsing sun of the Souls universe, and how such sun would be commanding the stars, and giving life brilliance.

The tone is furthered by visuals of destruction and decay, including a severed arm, a woman slotting a prosthetic arm using her other decaying hand, and the blacksmith figure who appears desiccated, cracking and collapsing at the end of the trailer. This is classic FROM, with fin de siècle themes of a dead or dying world, of darkness overcoming the light. And let’s not forget Dark Souls was originally going to be titled Dark Ring, until someone smartened up that it might mean something unpleasant in some slang.

This might be an allusion to an actual real world mythos

The one-armed warrior might be inspired by Nuada Airgetlám (Nuada Silver Hand/Arm), an Irish mythos based around a deposed king that takes the throne back after ten years of rival oppression. This is significant in setting the possible inspirations for the game, which are said to be Gaelic, Celtic and Nordic.

We see in the trailer part of a golden curve apparently in splinters. We know from the IGN interview that the ring is not a LOTR style device, an actual wearable magical ring, but is more thematic, a force that “forms the rules and rhythm of this world. This also discounts possible connections to Fromsoftware’s Eternal Ring game – as in that game the Rings were indeed physical objects.

The shattered Elden Ring?

The Elden Ring of the trailer has, in spite of not being a physical accessory, been shattered. Of course the apparent blacksmith figure in the footage is deliberately provocative: is he the destroyer, or is he trying to fix something? We’re probably wrong either way! But what is interesting is that figure, and others, in apparent states of dissolution and yet still live, and of course there is that severed arm which is still twitching. Is the ring the cycle of rebirth? Or has its destruction prevented people and creatures from passing normally in some other way?

Characters look as mysterious as always

What we found interesting on that piece of speculation is Miyazaki’s revelation of exactly which of Martin’s books it is that he recommended to his team: not GoT, but Fevre Dream¸ Martin’s tale of immortal vampires seeking to remedy the curse of their existence. We’ve seen Miyazaki put death and undeath central to the Dark Souls world; could this be another area of inspiration and collaboration, in addition to the dark Western fantasy world we’ve just been introduced to?

The Elden Ring might well be a concept like the “Dark Sign” of the Souls series. The “linking of the fire” might carry over in a similar manner as the concept of Fire, Ash, Darkness and Rebirth is re-framed as a Ring and possibly a collection of ethereal, dimensional or, should the “Sun” theory hold true, cosmic rings.

Lastly on game theme, Miyazaki commented in the Xbox Wire interview that there was a theme of will, or ambition of mankind. Certainly the “Gaia damaged by human action” trope is extensive in JRPG world stories (including famously Final Fantasy VII) and this would fit Miyazaki’s style of dying world storytelling. However, he also said that was one theme, and a theme represented by one of the presented character artworks. There may be more, and you might want to explore the screenshot gallery here.

This artwork has more hints of the setting. And that really sort of looks like a bonfire coil poker.

Elden Ring Gameplay Concepts

Open World & Mounted Combat

So far, so mysterious. Let’s move on to things we actually do know. First up, this is going to be Souls-like, FROM-like, Miyazaki-like Action RPG, as spelled out clearly in Twitter, YouTube, and all the interviews Miyazaki has granted. In terms of game world, it seems the intention is to build on the Souls experience but in a far broader world. The phrase “open world” has got people excited, but Miyazaki has qualified this, stating “there are many definitions to the term ‘open world,’ and I might not be phrasing it correctly, but we have simply tried our own approach to a game with a large, open field to play in.” So anyone expecting a Daggerfall-size Great Britain full of Souls enemies is likely to be disappointed. However, it does seem the intent is to do more than simply do away with loading screens between areas. The player will be able to ride a horse between locations, and indeed be able to do battle from horseback, which indicates an increase in scope.

World Composition

While this sounds more Skyrim-esque, there are key differences that once again point back to the Souls experience. For example, villages will not be NPC hubs for quest objective accumulation and trade: “Villages will be the dark dungeon-like ruins that you have come to expect from us,” according to Miyazaki. So it sounds like rather than have narrow, constricting battle areas linked by loading screens or long elevator rides, there will be those traditional “dungeons,” but they will be linked by an open world which will have its own battle character, as well as opportunities for further exploration and discovery of the world’s story. We’re looking forward to seeing how much variety these very different environments will present for combat, and to the contrast between the vast landscapes and the “detailed and intricately designed castles” we have been promised.

Character Creation, Equipment, Stats

And finally, on that note: character creation. Miyazaki stated in the Bandai Namco interview that “this title will include a wide variety of weapons, magic, and ways to engage enemies, that make it possible to provide users with a style of gameplay and strategy that suits them”. It was further emphasized that this was the largest project in terms of scale and that they expect the variety of equipment and combat approaches to surpass Souls titles. This is further reinforced by a call-out to “fun, action, melee combat” and “unique and horrifying” bosses.

Miyazaki also stated that “there is no fixed main character in Elden Ring. We mostly leave it up to the player to decide the characteristics and personality of the character they create.” That does sound like modern RPGs where there is a central role in the game but it is up to the player to design the look, making the central character a player avatar. Does that mean Elder Scrolls style levels of control from fatness to cheekbones? This is yet unconfirmed, with Miyazaki commenting the game contains “character customisation elements.” Not explicitly a “Character Creation” confirmation, but given that the game is said to evolve Souls, we see no reason why this would be scaled back, particularly if battle approach versatility is to be expanded.

Expect larger than life bosses and intense combat mechanics

Elden Ring Release Date and News

Many were left wanting with the cinematic teaser and the limited availability of interviews and replies. From here on out, fans are likely to hear about the game at four crucial junctions this year:

Playstation Tokyo Event on July 15th.

Gamescom 2019 in August.

Tokyo Game Show in September .

The Game Awards in December.

That said, Bandai Namco has a tendency to make their own announcements at times of convenience, such as the announcement of Dark Souls Remastered being unveiled in January at a Nintendo event. What is clear from the timeline, however, is that it is unlikely that the title will be released in March or April 2019. Were the game ready prepared for such, E3 would have shown gameplay instead of just a teaser, so we are about 6 months behind a typical release window. This would then push it back to the September-October window, so gameplay may only be forthcoming by TGS 2019.

If you don’t want to miss anything about Elden Ring, bookmark our Elden Ring News Feed, or the Elden Ring Wiki Homepage, where we will be sharing the latest information, news, gameplay and details on Elden Ring as soon as they are live. If you want to check out similar games, we suggest having a peak at Project Awakening!

The post Everything we Know about Elden Ring: Release Date, Action RPG, Souls-like, Open World appeared first on Fextralife.

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wishingfornever · 5 years

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1/8/18 – No Contact: Skyrim Rant

Just turned 12. I realized that my depression has returned. Or maybe it was triggered by my mom leaving? Perhaps this is just onset guilt? I don’t know. Regardless, suicidal thoughts… they’ve returned. I got really dizzy, like a weird sort of high where my body was just buzzing and I couldn’t focus my vision. It didn’t last long but it was unusual. Was while we were taking my mom to the airport. We had PDQ afterwards. Wanted to take my mom but there was no time.

It’s storming now. Thunder, lightning, and rain. I walked home in it. It wasn’t that bad. I didn’t really notice it. However, Max is scared. So, Adela is currently trying to convince him to go upstairs. It’s business as usual between us. She told me good night, I told her good night. Then I told Max good night, who looked at me seemingly confused. He likes to linger downstairs and have Adela call him upstairs.

My lips have split. My toes itch. Just… ugh… I’m not all that well right now, but I’ll get better. Not sure about the depression though. I posted a joke on Facebook. I guess it was more a cry for help, talking about visiting a psychiatrist and telling her “I want to fucking die!” and she responded, “Same, Fam.” I ended it by saying she gets me.

I do want to fucking die. I predicted I’d die at the age of 27. That’s in a few months. Can I wait that long? Maybe on my birthday.

Of course, that prediction… I was in high school at the time. Don’t remember where I got it from. I think I was being a typical Narcissist piece of shit, actually. Celebrities die at 27 all the time. Janice Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Kobain. Obviously, I’d suffer a similar time of death because obviously.

Thing is, I always believed I would die at 27. Even if I don’t become famous. Maybe if I do try to kill myself, this would be the year to do it, I guess. Hrm… Can I wait 7 months?

We’ll see.

Work was fucking horrible, btw. I don’t suggest it. Got two roses, one blue and one pink for me and Adela. If there were a yellow one, I’d have grabbed that. Blue was Esther’s color. It’s mine now, though. Such is life.

Current time… 9:20. Took max out, just came back. Last night, I had a dream I was in college. Second day and I had to leave in the middle of the first day when something came up. So, I had no idea where anything was. I bumped into the wrong class but found out where I needed to go from there.

I went to an advanced English class and the professor was Danny Devito. He was really mean to me. Like, he tried to throw something at me but I knew a bit before he did. He asked me a question before that and I couldn’t hear him. He started asking the class other questions and a student who had answered the first question originally told me one of the acceptable answers non-verbally. “Throw.” He was asking for a specific type of verb but it was dumb. I can’t remember the words used.

Regardless, I don’t like being late and I don’t like being publicly chastised. Who does?

The dream brings up a couple of things. Firstly, I do believe I need to go back to even a Junior University but I feel like it’s too late for me. Second, I couldn’t help but remember the story I tried to tell but couldn’t because my computer crapped itself. So, I guess I’ll tell it now that I have a day off.

It was either during the summer when I was going to high school. It was out, obviously, so my dad, my sister, and I went to Reno. Part of an appointment. Before we left, I noticed this white button up shirt hanging in my clothes and I decided to explore my style. I put it on and rolled up the sleeves, something I ended up doing for a little while as part of my personal design and do again for my formal-casual appearance (ie, what I wear for parties with friends as opposed to meetings with the CEO).

While at Reno, we get fuel at one of the places and we go inside this gas station to eat something. I don’t remember what it is. My dad notices that my shirt has the right side on top of the buttons. He and my sister point out that this shirt? It’s not my shirt, despite having several shirts just like it. It’s a woman’s shirt that belonged to my sister.

They tore into me. My dad, being so loud, ridiculed me in front of EVERYONE. I looked around and everyone was looking at us. They weren’t laughing but they felt bad for me. They pitied me. My dad and sister didn’t care. They didn’t notice. Even if they did, they wouldn’t care anyways.

During high school, I ended up wearing the same M65 camo jacket, even during the hottest days. I stopped exploring my fashion sense until the end of my senior year. It was heavy and hot and I hated that jacket but it’d prevent that disaster from happening again.

At least I learned about clothing and which side determines a masculine or feminine shirt. Still, between my dad and sister it wasn’t easy growing up. It’s not easy with them now, or at least not easy with my dad. He’s not the most kindest of individuals. Rather, he’s quite oblivious living in his own world and not realizing he’s tolerated because we live in an age where we must RESPECT our elders but quietly judge them in our heads.

Esther saw me yell a lot, usually while driving. Road rage is pretty bad, I’ll admit, but I’ll never yell at customer service. I know their job is hard because I work it. My dad? It feels like every time we go out, he yells at them.

I love my dad, but I don’t like being with him. He is oblivious of his own actions. I guess I was pretty similar last year, though. Ironic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1D2jEF4LO4

Random video. It made me smile. Maybe it’ll make you smile too?

Current time is 5:45. Just came back from walking Max. Full walk, too. I haven’t been able to do full walks due to my job and my mom being here. It went just as well as it usually does. I had a lot of time to think about… well, things.

If my life were to be made into a movie, specifically what happened between myself and Esther, I’d hope it were made into a musical. A sort of tragedy-esque musical, sort of like Les Miserables but with less disappointment. No offense to those who made it, but… I really wanted to like it. I REALLY wanted to like it but I couldn’t. My favorite characters died in dumb fucking ways and just… a bunch of little things. It could have been better. It had so much potential.

Sorry. Regardless, I’m not sure how well it’d be. Sort of mediocre in appearance. Tedious, really. And the names I thought of… “Obsession,” “Spectre,” “Midnight Spectre,” and other things… they come off as a bit horror based. Those were just a few I thought of. All from my perspective, of course. Not sure how Esther’s perspective would be, let alone Dennis’s. Though, I imagine his title would be, “Fucking Finally!” because hardy hardy har.

Ah, well. I doubt a movie would be made about my life. Besides, a little story telling tip: Is what you’re being shown the most interesting thing about the character’s life? If not, why aren’t you showing me that? Zero Punctuation taught me that. I should probably focus on that because I know I can get… tedious. A LOT of build up at times. Slow, even. I’m mindful of this. Working on it though… just not today.

I’m being bad. Watching an old movie. I thought it sounded dumb but it is apparently really good. Treasure Planet. Interesting concept, looking forward to watching it. There was this one movie that has a similar concept but was… dumb. Don’t recall what it was. Apparently, it did really poorly but was well-received by critics.

That’s life. Even if you’re good, that doesn’t mean you’ll do well. It’s better to be lucky than skilled.

Finished the movie. It was… actually better than I expected. Visually, it’s better than a lot of classic non-CGI cartoons. A mix of Early 1800’s and Late 1700’s style and design with scifi stuff. Of course, it should be early 1700’s and late 1600’s due to the source material, but whatever. A lot of questions though, like do the life boats have artificial gravity? Where did the barnacles come from? How does turning left or right at the helm move the ship up or down? I get that they can… breathe… space? Yeah, I get that they have oxygen in space and they have solar sails which accelerates the ship to perhaps faster than light speeds, but I can’t overlook everything. Where does the artificial gravity begin and where does it end?

Also, why the fuck does every Disney character have to be SUPER agile with amazing dexterity? Like, really? Look at the hunchback of Notre Dame. Tarzan. This main character. Others, of course. All slipping and sliding without a care for the world. Surfs up at Disney Animation Studios!

Seriously, it may have been cool the first time but now it’s just cheesy.

Like the Khajiit captain… well, she’s a cat person so whatever, but still. The captain shouldn’t be doing the rigging of the ship. What’s she doing up there? Stahp! Also, landing in heels? That surely must hurt, regardless of weight and feline agility.

Still, a decent movie. Better than Atlantis.

Anyways, back on Youtube. It suggested something talking about a multiplayer mod for Skyrim and how Bethesda, the company who makes Skyrim, doesn’t like the mod. There are some theories apparently how that would be competition for ESO. As someone who LOVES Skyrim to the point that my pen name was actually originally for a Khajiit I made from back in the day (my first character will always be a nord, but I have three other characters I roll with and the Khajiit is the most fun by far to just write for) allow me to say this: Skyrim doesn’t need Co-op. However, it’d be nice to have.

Skyrim doesn’t need to be an MMO. It doesn’t have to be. Part of the fun is just running around doing dumb shit and becoming A LITERAL FUCKING GOD walking around among mortals. The mods are AMAZINGLY FUN and adds a lot of life. I played Elder Scrolls since Morrowind. Jer got me into it. It was hard, at first, but it grows on you. Like a tumor.

Oblivion was SO much easier that it pissed me off. Skyrim easier still.

However, for co-op to work for Skyrim, it shouldn’t be a focus. As in, it shouldn’t have a spot lite. It should just be available. That’s the problem with A LOT of games with co-op, there is a lot of focus on co-op that there are two characters constantly running around and you’re dealing with a dumb AI for the entirety of the game. In Skyrim? The dumb AI is optional.

Thus, for a dungeon crawler hacker and slasher sort of game, there should be no focus for co-op. The gold shouldn’t scale, the difficulty shouldn’t scale, the quest items shouldn’t scale. Meaning if you do a quest for 100 gold then you get the hundred gold and have to split it with your teammate, preferably manually. If you get an AXE OF DISCO INFERNO, then you only get one. If you have a buddy with you, then you decide who actually gets the axe. If Skyrim had a co-op, it’d be me and Jer. Of course, there would have been a point where it was me and Esther too, but for this example it would be me and Jer. We’ve done co-op before and allow me to assure you it’s been fun.

With me and Jer, we have different playstyles so that makes things easy. Two players is fine. With four, it would involve Dennis and Shane. That’s the classic set up. However, it doesn’t need to be four. I think that’d be too much for play, honestly, especially considering how narrow the game can be at times. Two is the right number for co-op. Too much is wasted resources, imo.

That said, the intro to Skyrim is a classic. You’re a criminal! That’s how all Elder Scroll games begin. In jail. The best. This way, you’re reminded that you’re a piece of shit low life scum for being the main protagonist in a roleplaying game. You’re literally worse than Alduin could EVER be. Because his disasters are all scripted.

Regardless, let’s talk what the co-op would be like for Jer and I. We’d have to make our characters at the same time. It’d be on Xbox 360 so no mods. He’d make a Dark Elf and I’d make my Nord. I’d take… FAR longer than him to make my Nord because I’m vain and every detail matters.

So, that’s a point against co-op.

Regardless, afterwards you go through the tutorial. Basically. Then you’re forced to choose a side. For him and I? We went Stormcloak because you were literally about to be decapitated by the man. So, even if you side with the Imperials later on, you should probably take your opportunity to stick it to him now. Not an issue.

But what if your friend is incredibly thick and runs to a trigger before you? That’d be another point against co-op. Thus, the best way to have co-op would be to not allow it at the start? Rather, because MAGICK is a thing, you should probably make co-op more lore friendly. But how? Make unlocking co-op a quest. A trivial quest, maybe, but just something to be able to fuel a wizard and have him bend space and time. Maybe he already has an Elder Scroll (which were originally really pointless but they became something more important in Oblivion and perhaps less important in Skyrim because they’re everywhere it feels like). Maybe because he has that Elder Scroll, he’s waiting in the starting town (NOT THE STARTING CITY WITH WALLS). I was thinking, “Maybe he can interrupt” or whatever, but that’d be giving co-op too much power. Rather, have him explain to a dumb villager on the way out of town why he needs this quest to be done.

Or, as an idea… what if the co-op was the quest. Like, you follow him to a nearby cave if you accept and he summons your friend to your world. Refers to this drift of existence as the host. Do it as part of science for the imperial academy. Then after he acknowledges that it’s possible, regardless of if you summoned someone or not, he’ll let you know he’ll be at the starting city with a friend of his. That friend could do the PvP stuff.

I think the Elder Scrolls missed out on some prime 6v6 team death match or free for all action. Like, in the Shivering Isles, there were these two factions: Dark Seducers and Golden Saints. They fought over places on the Isles in the futile attempt to win Sheogorath’s favor. That would have been a super fun sort of map think. Pre-selected classes like archer, warrior, and mage. Perhaps customizable classes like in Call of Duty? It’d be difficult to balance but would be super fun. And with the Civil War? Stormcloak vs Imperial? That would make for some good matches. Thus, if there is a second summoner he can focus on non-canon warfare combat based on canon topics like Golden Saints versus Dark Seducers or Stormcloak vs Imperials or whatever. The original can focus on academic pursuits by attempting to summon willing minds to share theories with. He’d be the more peaceful of the two.

This way, both accounts would have to reach a certain point. The host would be the trigger for certain events. Of course, maybe there should be a wall that slows down the guest or that pauses. Like, “The Threads of Fate Keep you from pushing forward” or something. And any loot they make, they should be allowed to take back into their world. Yes, meaning you could theoretically dual wield specific items.

However, they shouldn’t do what Fable does. They shouldn’t limit the weapons you get to force co-op on you. Rather, co-op should be ENTIRELY OPTIONAL. No achievements should be attached to it, that’s how little it means. If you can’t 100% the game by yourself, then you’re playing a bad game.

That said, you could try to prevent powerful overuse by saying, “This item’s return would destroy the fabric of your reality. It must stay” assuming you already have one. Or if you already completed the quest, maybe the game should do… something else? Not sure. Legendary artifacts are the hard part to account for.

Of course, mods would probably have to be TOTALLY IDENTICAL unless they’re cosmetic only. That’s a hard part with a game like Skyrim. It wouldn’t be an issue for me and Jer, however, who would have played on Xbox. I got the PC release relatively recently.

There could always be the option to merge worlds, I suppose. However, the problem with that is that if one player wants to play, they can’t without the other player. So perhaps the merging and unmerging of worlds? That’d be really difficult to program and account for, I fear.

Anyways, assuming it’s like how I described. Jer and I would basically go to the starter city, do our quests together, and perhaps discover we’re BOTH dragonborn! The dialogue would have to change to accommodate the both of us… or there could always be a shroud which makes the guest a difficult player to understand. As in, they’re acknowledged but they blend in with the rest of the world and hardly recognized. They can interact, but they’re never remembered because they’re not from that world. Someone would die but their friend wouldn’t remember the dark elf or nord who killed them but remember the Dragonborn who killed the others. If you do most your explanation at the quest, you can avoid explaining the rest. ;) Jer is usually a heavily armored magic user. Meaning we’d compete for armor but not weapons, really. He’d cast spells and I’d get in the way. Friendly fire should be optional, selected through the NPC who summons. “We can enhance his link to make your friend more attuned to this world but you’d have to watch your swings. Would that be alright?” or “We can decrease his link to make your friend less attuned to this world so your weapons will fly right through him as if he weren’t really there. He’d still be at risk of being hit by others, of course, but you wouldn’t affect him. Would that be alright?” I think we’d turn it on at first but after a few duels, we’d turn it off. Which would bring up the issue of… death. I play pretty… brutally. I don’t like getting rolled over, but I can appreciate fighting back. I like to hit hard but I also like to be hit hard. Meaning, I don’t like enemies with a lot of health but I don’t mind if they hit like a run away bus. Basically, if Dark Souls wasn’t so long.

The difficulty would have to be set to the host’s desire. The game would have to inform Jer that I changed the difficulty and he’d have to be okay with it. Of course, he wouldn’t mind anyways because he’s more adventurous than I. He starts his games on the hardest difficulty to get the achievements faster. He likes to get them, I really don’t care.

That said, achievements could be done similarly to Fable. Do something or be there with someone when something is done. That wasn’t a bad idea. Just… a lot of the rest was.

Concerning death itself, maybe include a system where you’re basically unconscious and if your friend dies then you die too and have to load a previous save. I like how the companions in Skyrim die, they can’t come back mid-battle. I mean… maybe they can, I haven’t tried casting healing spells on them now that I think about it. I only heal myself…

Dammit, Esther was right about me only caring about myself! D’oh! That was a joke, calm down. Anyways, that’d be interesting. Make restoration important to have. Run up, give them a health potion through a prompt or cast a healing spell on them to bring them back to the fight. Add a new healing spell called, “Resuscitate” or whatever which means “revive, but he’s not dead yet.” Have it able to be used on NPC’s who take a knee so you don’t have to wait for them to stand back up. It’d be… a very useless but convenient spell. Could attach it to a couple quests if needed, but it’d be target only.

Riding horses and instancing… I think it’d be cool if you could ride the same horse like in El Dorado. They shared a horse because… well, because they had to. Little fun fact, a symbol of the Templars was two men riding one horse because they were originally really poor. Not the point. The point is, it’d slow the horse down and only one person would be able to actually steer but it’d be nice for when you can only afford one horse. And the game gives you two quest horses. Jer can ride Shadowmere and I’ll ride Frost. I wish Frost were a white horse so we can complete our salt and pepper shaker look, but that’s life.

Instancing would be a bit more difficult. How Skyrim works is there is this thing called “Cells” which is perhaps the real reason why you start as a prisoner. Because you’re going from one cell to another. You never really become free, your prison just becomes larger. Such a beautiful sandbox.

I guess it wouldn’t be TOO bad because the next cell will be loaded for the xbox individually so Jer could run ahead. However, I’d have to be told “Slow down,” “Wait for me,” or “Dammit, Stephen, where did you go?” I have a tendency to run off in random directions and get lost.

When Jer finds me again, we’ll take time to consolidate resources. Interacting with Jer should open the companion trade thing on BOTH screens, with both of us being containers. However, they’ll get a prompt asking if they want something to be removed or added to their inventory. Or what items they want can get highlighted and when both people click on it, it moves over. That way, you can’t join someone’s game, steal their immediate shit, and run away. Of course, if something is placed in a chest, can’t help that. Or you could if you have a lock spell.

Which was available in Morrowind. Anyways, explaining people dropping from the game could be that the spell is somewhat unstable so if they lose connection, they can try rejoining? They have to talk to the guy in their world but if they’ve already played with the character before, they can just spawn in the cell on top of the host. I’d do a lot of dickish things, so I might stand over a ledge and try to have Jer fall off a mountain. To prevent this, maybe certain falls should just be insta-death. Have the life force connected so if Jer insta-dies, then so do I. It’d prevent shenanigans like that and explain why if you’re knocked unconscious and your friend dies then you die too.

Holy crap, I just made PUBG single player. Lel! That’s not a bad system. It works. Not sure how well it’d work in Skyrim. Yeah, and what else does PUBG do that might work in Skyrim? Guns? No… Not guns. Unless they’re flintlocks and even then.

Oh, I like how you REQUIRE healing. You can’t just wait to get healed. That’s something I appreciate. And you can only heal so far and need a different sort of healing, but that wouldn’t help in an RPG.

Rather, healing should require healing items or spells. It’d make the game less streamlined, but it’d be worth it and it’d make items where you CAN regenerate health very worthwhile. That’d be a technical healing item. :D Oh, and you wouldn’t have to fucking specialize in FUCKING EVERYTHING to reap the full rewards. Jer can be the alchemist and enchanter and I can just smith. That’d be nice. Better than nice, really. And, tbh, we don’t need an alchemist because I tend to pick up restoration. I basically play a Paladin berserker.

That’d have been helpful in Morrowind. I’d repair Jer’s armor and he’d enchant it. Oof, that’d had been nice.

Of course, in order to hit level cap of 81, you need to do EVERYTHING… which isn’t that hard, honestly. I don’t like how they basically gave you the option to prestige, though. I mean… yeah, I get it, but also no. And I don’t like the number 81. I think you should start at level 0 and then after the tutorial you become level 1. That way, the cap is 80. Just a thought.

Anyways, where would we be… Right, we already discussed cells and combat and then specialization which means we’re back in town. When the host is talking to an NPC, the guest should be able to just walk around. Meaning the host can talk to an NPC about something specific. If the conversation doesn’t keep going, the NPC should just say, “Seeya,” and return to their thing. Rather, they should do that sooner. Why? So the guest can run behind them and steal their shit while they’re busy.

It’d be more accurate than the bucket on the head to be honest. The one thing is, if a player doesn’t want the other player to be a thief they should be able to kick them. But, when they’re kicked, it loads the last autosave or could optionally load the one before that. So, if Jer is the host and is getting the next quest, I’m not in the back murdering people. If I am, he should get a warning saying, “Your friend just committed a crime worth 1000 gold” which isn’t a prompt just a line (because it could be part of a plan). “Your friend just committed a crime worth 25 gold” for when he steals something. If he gets caught, the bounty goes to you (hence the need of the autosave).

Concerning autosave, I think the game should only autosave when the hosts prompts an autosave by entering a new cell. If the guest enters a new cell first, it’ll save them where they are or what they’re doing. Or, if it’s easier for the game engine, they should just basically be frozen with the option to return to the cell until the host joins them in that cell. If the game engine will run fine without freezing the guest, then it should be an option limiting the freedom of the guest the same way you set the option for friendly fire. This means while I’m murdering innocent people in the next cell and Jer is comparing stats in the old cell, he brought that suffering on himself. Of course, he’ll be prompted that I’m committing crimes, but he didn’t limit my freedom.

If the freedom is limited then I shouldn’t be allowed to leave the cell entrance or go too far. Meaning, I might be able to stab some people or shoot some people with a bow, but I won’t just blitz and go to the city without him to murder even more people. If I do something that gives him a reason to ban me, he’ll press start and ban me from there. Or it could even be a spell. Some mods give you spells that control said mods.

Concerning cells that you enter through a quest like say we get kidnapped by pirates and we’re through in a torture device and we need a scripted rescue, it may require the need of a second torture device. Of course, the guest won’t get acknowledged. He’d be interacted with but forgotten. So, he’d be next to you but the bad guy would still yell at the main character while the guest watched. Like in Fallout 3 (different game, same studio) you’re taken by the bad guys and you’re in this… sort of bubble cell thing where you’re looking through a force field? Yeah, they’d have to redesign that cell to add any guests. And, the box where your loot is taken like when you’re arrested for crimes together, should have two separate boxes. One for you and one for your guest. However, this is totally unnecessary but if you go to jail, then both characters need to lose their things. That coding may be a bit harder than others but the gear would actually go in the same box lore wise. So, again, totally optional. But it would give the opportunity for a guest to rob the host. Thus, they’d have to load an autosave.

Still, probably won’t get that far and has a solution.

So, Jer and I are now in jail. We have two lockpicks because we both smuggled one in. Robbing the cabbage booth was harder than we thought. We’re in Cidna Mine now, so it won’t help us much. I guess we’ll either serve our time or do the quest early.

Jer opts that the quest needs to be done correctly. We find pickaxes and start mining.

We’re finally out, but we want to do a quest that doesn’t require us getting arrested again. Thus, we opt to do a quest that gives us something better than gold or weapons: Buffs. Certain blessings that stick with you as an active effect, meaning it doesn’t go away and stays with you for the rest of the game. Really worth getting. This one requires us to… break into a church, however. A lot of women. Women who worship Dibella, she who is beautiful and is dtf. Do we really want to piss off a goddess? Yes.

We break in but my clumsy nord ass mixed with his clumsy dunmer ass leads to us getting caught. We’re prompted by dialogue we can’t weasel our way out of. I’m the one who is spotted. However, because my soul is connected to Jer’s, they acknowledge me but are pushed towards him. Meaning if I’m caught, so is he in a sense on quests that require stealth.

That means you won’t be able to set elaborate ambushes. They’ll sense my presence if they sense his and vice versa. That should be explained by the co-op wizard. That’d save time on coding.

However, that’d make stealing harder to do. So it’d still require some coding to make that viable? Maybe? Hrm…

Regardless, the priestess sees me, points at me, turns to Jer, and runs to him to say, “FUCK YOU DOIN’ IN MY DOJO?!?” and he’d be like, “Whoops, this isn’t the bathroom!” Then we’d get the quest.

We’ll do the quest and afterwards, we BOTH get the buff. I take it back with me to my world and do the quest again. Does it stack? No, it does nothing because I already have it and the game tells me but also tells me that “Destiny appreciates your selfless sacrifice” which pisses me off but is a lore friendly way to say, “You did this for nothing because of co-op.” Leveling and looting can’t be static anymore. The world can’t freeze anymore when you pause or check your inventory. If you level, you need to have your friend be there to make sure you’re not going to get rammed by a Dwemer Centurion (which were FAR less scary in Morrowind; smaller as well). Which sucks for me, because I tried leveling in front of a Dwemer Centurion because I really needed to heal without magic or potions and that Dwemer Centurion decided not to wait for me.

Of course, I feel I should have been the one to trigger it waking up. Otherwise, I go right up to the gate. However, we talked about triggers earlier. I guess when prompted by a trigger, my character should just freeze and have a prompt saying, “You feel as if there is something ahead and decide it’s best to wait for your colleague.” So, I wait and let Jer know that the universe is about to fuck us. We make sure we’re ready, go forward and that’s when the Dwemer happens. Of course, I wasn’t ready because why would I be? I already told you I tried to level mid-fight.

As I put points in, my character is getting ragdolled. I can see the health drop from the screen and Jer is calling me stupid, either over the headset or in the same room. Now that I think about it, if it’s over the headset we’d be using my internet because I got Skyrim back in Amarillo plus Xbox live. My net was way faster than his.

Regardless, his is faster for some reason and he tells me I’m dumb. He tries to get it’s attention. But how? Attention of a hostile target in video games is colloquially referred to as “Aggro.” Pulling aggro means you’re getting the attention of a hostile target (referred to as a “mob”) and you’re fighting it. So, I have all the aggro right now. Jer? Not so much. He’s smart where I’m a dumb Nord.

Most times, a certain amount of damage can determine aggro. However, you could make aggro a spell. If you cast a “Fury” spell, it often enrages a target making a peaceful target into a warlike one. HOWEVER, fury is a worthless spell when you’re already in combat. Fury could be used to pull aggro as well, rather than trying to outdamage someone. The opposite of fury is calm which is used to make a hostile target into a non-aggressive target. Maybe that could be used to view the caster as a non-threat so in the event of singleplayer play, you’ll see no change as they stop attacking you. However, for multiplayer play calm would only affect you meaning if Jer couldn’t handle the Dwemer Centurion by himself and I managed to heal, he could calm the centurion down and regain his health whereas I could take over without say in the matter because I can’t cast spells.

There are some drawbacks. In Singleplayer, a calm spell wouldn’t help companions. They’d still fight their target. That would need some help and improvement. Anyways, we realize aggro isn’t working because I don’t remember if Dwemer Centurions and the like are affected by fear, calm, or fury. They’re robots, really, so I don’t think they are. Regardless, we manage to defeat the centurion without the need to try to calm it or enrage it.

We manage to get to a place with an elder scroll. Jer tries to progress but I backtrack intentionally by pressing the wrong buttons. I laugh and Jer sneers. So, he opens his spells and finds “Target Companion” and it freezes me from interacting. He’s used this before to be a total dick but I told him I’d leave if he kept doing it and it’s hours ago! So, I forget about it and start dicking around.

If the roles were switched, I should still be able to have that spell on my non-magic Nord. Reason being is because our souls are connected for lore reasons so the spell shouldn’t have magic and it shouldn’t even have to hit me. He casts it on himself basically and to release me from that spell, he casts it again.

We progress, find the elder scroll which I grab because he wasn’t allowing me to have fun pressing buttons. It’s fine, though. It’s a quest item that can’t be dropped but should be able to be shared. I’m able to give it to Jer but I don’t.

It shouldn’t be necessary.

We take it to this guy who needs it. He takes it off us for… reasons unknown as the guy I’m thinking of doesn’t usually. He takes it, though. And it comes from my inventory, even though I’m either in a different part of the room or even in an adjacent cell. Thus, quest items just need to be picked up considering they can’t be dropped.

Besides, if Jer is so important in his world then why is he carrying all his shit around? I’m destined to carry his burdens hurdy hur.

Irony is, that would require a bit more scripting to allow and the game might break. It’d have to check both inventories instead of just one.

Regardless, quest is done and we get the book that increases ALL your skill points. Like the buffs, does this increase EVERYTHING for each player? Does the host decide what to do with it and how the levels will be gained? No. Rather, the host uses the book but it doesn’t vanish. In order for the guest to use it, he must be given the book by the host. This could lead to some interesting developments like if the host doesn’t want to share? Of course when the guest returns to their world, they can’t just do the quest and level twice. I mean, come on. I believe it vanished in Oblivion. Not sure if it was in Morrowind.

All quest rewards go to the host. NOTHING goes to the guest unless the host allows them to take it in a trade. If the quest reward is lying around and the guest picks it up, then they pick it up. That’d be the only time when they get loot. When they loot it.

Jer and I would have a system at this time. In big rooms with loot on each side, he takes the left and I take the right and we work our way to the end of the room and continue. At the end, we go through our stuff and trade gear that we could use now or need later on. Even when we trade gear, the game doesn’t pause despite both of us being in a loot screen.

We make it out of the dungeon and back in town. LOADED with treasure. However, Jer needs to talk to some quest people. I, the guest, should be allowed to interact with shop keepers and other people who provide goods or services. Normally, if I try talking to someone, they respond with a disinterested “Hello” or a random fact. I can’t engage them in conversation. With those who can train or sell? I’m greeted by a message prompt: “Train or Trade” or whatever. That way, I don’t need to give all my stuff to Jer and he can sell on his own time. I have a higher speechcraft than him. The reason why is because I’m selling EVERYTHING the moment I can. However, his speech is really low. We realize this when prompted by a quest where bandits confront us. We’re outnumbered and these fuckers have muskets, despite being NPC’s on the Xbox 360. We’re baffled and recognize our imminent demise. We only have one auto-save that places us in this one room and the rest corrupted! How?! Well, not to fear. He is given a chance to explain things through… a speech check. However, he has no speech skill. I, however, do! With speech check, the guest should be taken into consideration despite not actually talking. That way, it’s not a near worthless perk tree. However, we both benefit from speech checks as a whole. However, perks concerning bartering? Perks where all merchants get 1000 gold immediately? No. That’s different.

With the investment, that should be shared among both players. That means there can be a pretty hefty investment if both of them get it. However, if they get the one that doesn’t require an investment? Then no. That should affect the individual and not the game. And the prices should also be determined by the individual, meaning if one player such as myself actually have better prices then it’s better for Jer to just make me his shop-bot and sell EVERYTHING. He just carries it to lessen the load.

Alright, so we are now selling loot. Still have some left over. Jer has a house now. I can’t purchase a house because the game ignores me and everyone refuses to talk to me. He’s married and I’m the best man, meaning I’m at his wedding. He waits so he can just get to the marriage and I have to wait with him. However, he knows I hate that so he says we can sleep in the inn instead. I thank him for not ruining my immersion and he tells me, “Please stop talking in that dumb Scottish accent and I’ll stop freezing you whenever you’re run off too far” and I agree.

So, we get a bed… but it’s only big enough for one person! But… we’re still getting a prompt? Oh, and it’s actually cycling through the hours! Guess they forgot about this part. Wait, we’re not well rested? “Shared a bed”? What does that mean? Oh, because we shared a bed with someone else, we get a slightly weaker buff. If the bed were bigger, it wouldn’t matter because the other person snores loudly! Probably me, tbh, but the game doesn’t say.

However, if there is an option to become… more than friends, then it should be lover’s embrace. ;) Funfact, Jer and I actually got married to one another in ESO. It’s great! I mean, it gives XP boost and was quite nice. Too bad the game was meh. Typical MMO stuff.

Anyways, he gets married. Had we become more than friends for that XP gain whenever we slept, then marriage shouldn’t be possible but marrying me should also be impossible. After all, the guy who would marry us wouldn’t be able to notice me or remember me. I’m just background noise.

He goes home to sleep with his lovely wife, one of the ladies from that Dibella Temple we ransacked and looted after receiving the blessing. He sleeps in their house and I sleep… with them. He get’s Lover’s Embrace. I get “Slept in the Guest Bedroom but Heard EVERYTHING” which gives me a debuff. D’oh! Kidding, but it would be interesting to see.

The next day, after sealing the deal, Jer discovers a black soul gem. Rather than go outside, he decides to MURDER his wife which I protest to. However, he casts soul trap on her and I cast soul trap on her as well. However, he doesn’t fill the soul gem. I don’t have a black soul gem, so her soul wasn’t captured by me, either. However, it would have been since I was the last one to cast that on her. If that’s how it works in the original game, I’m not sure. Not a lot of NPC’s cast soul trap, especially not ones with soul gems.

Angered by this, Jer kicks me. He and I play with other people, I do my own thing which is basically completing quests and he plays with Jake or Brian. They do some quests that I don’t do and have yet to do. After some time, Jer forgives me for ruining the reason why he murdered his wife and invites me back to his world. I see she’s still alive and was glad to see they finally settled their issues but noticed that Jer’s game was more ahead than me. He was even a higher level.

This concerns me. I’m 10 levels lower and the game increases the difficulty based on your level. Maybe there is a middle ground? No. The game should level to WHICHEVER player has a higher level. This may mean that lower leveled players can get incredible loot sooner rather than later, but it doesn’t remove the challenge from the game. I can get Daedric before I even see ebony. However, if I were a total cheat wagon, I’d find a way to COMPLETELY break the game.

That’s a theory of mine. If the goal is too distant, like level 100 in World of Warcraft, then people will take as many shortcuts as possible. If the goal is a bit shorter, then the grind won’t be so bad and people will be alright with it. If there are little cheats here or there or some corners cut, then that’s fine. So long as you don’t need to murder animals in the wild for three hours just to fight the next boss like in Final Fantasy. Don’t give a player a REASON to cheat and he won’t look for a way to cheat. Sure, some will, but the general experience will still be really good.

Sorry, I derailed a bit.

What else… The Civil War… well, that doesn’t matter because the host. It’s their game, you’re just being brought along for the ride.

Oh, we stumble upon a quest where certain things have to be done and they measure the arrows used. You get archery related stuff at the end of it. Agni is her name? Some isolated lady on a mountain. For that quest, only the host should be able to do it. It shouldn’t register shots from the guest, even if the guest uses the correct arrows.

That quest is a bit tough, mind you. I had trouble with it because I use melee items mostly. The bow had to be complemented with an ONSLAUGHT of arrows.

Regular companions should work as usual but friendly fire and all that jazz for the guest shouldn’t affect them. Really, the limit should be the dog and nothing else. The guest shouldn’t be able to interact with the companions at all. You shouldn’t really need them, tbh, but I do know of QUEST companions! Eh? Eh? Yeah, they suck. For the Companions… you get a Companion… as a Companion? Yeah, then you get locked in a cage. For that, I think maybe the guest should just teleport on you or something. That’s harder than triggers, tbh. x.x Companions shouldn’t be able to carry EVERYTHING either. Like, half their normal inventory if that. That’d be a bit much but it might be hard to implement without affecting Vanilla Singleplayer too much. The Elder Scrolls must be SP before MP so perhaps allow standard stuff if it interferes with SP? Oh, purchasing spells! That has to be done individually. Especially since the guest will be a literal resource drain. Of course… it already is done individually. Because you purchase items… Hrm, I believe I forgot that.

When confronted by the guards, one guard should initiate empty dialogue with the guest while another speaks with the host. If there is only one guard, then when the host is confronted, the guest should be auto-frozen.

I can’t think of anything else. It’s technically the next day at 12:16. If you read all that and thought, “Wow, this is really harsh for the second player” then you’re right. It should be harsh for the second player. The priority should be the host and the world they’re playing in above all else. If it feels like the co-op experience is tacked on, then I assure you that it’s better than a game that focuses on co-op play but allows singleplayer. I’d rather have Co-Op be an afterthought than the main meal. That’s the sort of thing I didn’t really like in Borderlands. Very reliant on other players.

I don’t want to be reliant. Playing with a friend should be a luxury, not a staple. If Jer and I get to fucking kill dragons then it shouldn’t end with a Disney song talking about the virtues of friendship and how I needed him all along or how he needed me all along. If Esther has taught me anything, you can’t rely on people being there every step of the way. Things happen and you’ll have to be able to rely on yourself.

Thus, the best way to do anything is to be able to rely on yourself before needing to rely on others. When you rely on others without being able to rely on yourself, you won’t be able to progress. You wait around, hoping someone will stop by to help you in your hour of need and you’ll delay your entire life just because you couldn’t rely on yourself.

Of course, my depression is coming back, so maybe I’m not the best person to discuss this with. Regardless, self-reliance is PIVOTAL in story driven gameplay like Skyrim. In games where you’re just another cog in a machine, then you don’t need to be good. You just need to be there. Look at Battlefield 3, 4, and the Battlefronts (Star Wars, the original Non-EA ones). You could be the best on both teams but your team would still lose. I’ve had games where I was the most kills AND most deaths. I was negative. But, that’s part of the machine.

So… yeah. It’s getting late. Tomorrow, I have things to do but I can’t remember what. Or rather, today.

Oh, shit. I have to write a tax policy for my region. DAMMIT!!! Good night. ><

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