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coldgoldlazarus · 1 month

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Oh! Sorta responding to the "responding to sexualizing woman. Don't." post. What are your thoughts on Smash Ultimate altering Zero Suit Samus' design? Personally not a fan of it compared to Smash 4. I liked her bigger boobs. 😔

I don't really pay that much attention to Smash, honestly, (fighting games just aren't my thing as is, and I'm not attached to 95% of Nintendo's stuff the same way I am with Metroid (even if I am curious about Zelda and Splatoon)) so I don't really care that much one way or another. But I guess my take is, on one hand I respect the attempt to dial back on Samus's sexualization². On the other hand, as the full un-blackouted version of that post said, focusing on boob size to do so instead of other elements of design, both doesn't really address the actual problems, and kinda carries some dubious implications¹.

But on the other other hand, I remember the ridiculous blowback and controversy from Those Kinds Of Gamers™ being just, embarassing to watch, and I wish Samus hadn't been stuck at the center of that, but I kinda support the move on that front, catering to the assholes that much less, even and especially when they made a huge overblown fuss about it.

So it kinda balances out to a net result of "ehh whatever" either way.

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¹The interplay of boobs and sexualization is of course it's own complicated topic, honestly. In an ideal (but hopefully attainable) world, the nipple would be free and breast size would be culturally sexually neutral - as with really any aspect of appearance. Particular people might have particular preferences, but it would be a purely personal thing without an established cultural yardstick to literally measure oneself up against. Unfortunately, we don't currently live in an ideal world, and that yardstick does exist (which is why all the Gamer Bros were so Big Mad over the Smash Samus breast reduction in the first place) and has to be contended with, so it's kind of a catch-22.

I do think breast size shouldn't be tied to sexualization, and unfortunately reducing one in the name of reducing the other, does just kinda serve to reinforce the base assumption of their tie being inherent. At the same time, while a real-life person having giant G-cups might have my sympathy for the back pain involved and little more thought than that, a character designed that same way would definitely have me questioning the creative intent behind that. So I do think there is kind of at least an upper limit to boob size in character design, past which it's hard not to assume sexualization is at play; even if I personally try to set that upper limit a bit higher than some people, and put more stock in other contextual aspects of the character design and source media before jumping to conclusions.

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There's also a larger discussion to be had around like, what sexualization even is, types of sexualization and appeal, whether or not it's even a bad thing and when and why it is or isn't, and the cultural yardstick stuff surrounding that, but I don't quite have the brainpower or desire to get into all that right now. The distinction between why 2B from Nier Automata being sexualized can be criticized but is also mostly fine, whereas the gal from Stellar Blade being sexualized in a similar way is more dubious; and how the culture they both exist in impacts things, compared to if they existed in a vaccuum or a completely different zeitgeist. I guess a summary of my feeling there is that once again it really just depends from case to case; and the context of creative intent, execution, impact, and just how much narrative sense it makes, are key.

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²Which brings me back to Samus. I'm running out of steam so I'm just gonna do a quick lightning round.

- Do I have a problem with the broad idea of her being sexualized? Not necessarily. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense for her role as a bounty hunter, but it can serve well as part of her personal characterization, and metanarratively as part of the subversion of gender roles and stuff that she can be read as. (Though that in of itself gets into some thorny bigger topics around gender I also don't have the energy for rn.)

- Do I take issue with the specific way most of her canonical appearances do it? Yes, and I've talked at length in other posts about how I think they should do things instead.

- Does her presentation in Smash matter nearly as much as her presentation in the actual Metroid games? Ehh, mostly not, but it would be nice if she was represented better there.

- Do I think her breast size matters all that much? Generally not, barring of course the aformentioned upper limit of reasonability; the problem is more in other aspects of the design. Again, I didn't have a problem with the original boob size or the reduction, so much as Zero Suit Samus's overall design in the first place.

- How should they actually fix those in Smash, then? IMO there are two different approaches there. The simpler way would be to redesign Zero Suit Samus from the ground up to be less of a latex-clad barbie doll. Dread's buffer ZSS model is a pretty good show of how to accomplish that without drastically altering the design; though I also think the Zero Suit itself is in need of a moderate rework, to feel more like the astronaut's undersuit and conduit with the Powersuit that it's excused as in the lore.

The other option would be to address the whole weird thing of Zero Suit Samus for some reason being counted as a completely separate playable character from (Powersuit) Samus, and coalesce them together back into one thing. (Possibly with the option to switch modes at will, or being forced into Zero Suit mode on her last life, or something like that.) This would definitely more significantly impact her place in Smash and would probably cause an uproar that would make the boob controversy look like nothing, but it would be worth it for the greater character accuracy IMO. Honestly of the two options... Well, I'd just prefer they do both, but I think if I had to pick, I'd want the full redesign more.

#not a reblog #asks #metroid #samus aran #character design #sexualization #super smash bros #super smash ultimate

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dirtpie39 · 9 months

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I just finished my first play-through of Nier Automata… imma talk about it a little! ✨

First things first… I got the ending W then it went to AW as seen above. I have no clue what that means LOL. I also have no clue how to proceed from here… I saved my data into the same slot for when I play again but I have no idea how the game will go from there. Will it just take me to the same ending or will it continue as if the ending I got didn’t happen etc…?? Also… I got so caught up in playing the game that there were a couple of posts I wanted to make prior to this of specific moments in the game but won’t now cause it’d feel pointless. I took way too many pics whilst playing too lol… and I deada*s would’ve used them all in this post but ehhh 🤷‍♀️

I want you all to know that when Adam revealed he had 9s I audibly gasped lol. Like just the epitome of this emoji ‘😟’. But ya’ll after the fight when we beat (read: F**KING KILL) Adam... and 2b holds 9s as she walks away. I was squealing sm. I love that she got to hold him. 9s deserves to be held!!

Honestly the moment their eyes were revealed my brain just kinda did a flip ngl. Like I got pulled out of the scene going on but in a good way! 9s was ofc even more precious... And 2b... 2b went from a 10/10 to a 1000000000/10. I was momentarily hypnotized by her beauty. I'm hoping sm that in other endings we get to see her and 9s without their eyes covered.

This scene ya’ll... I was so wide-eyed the whole time. Like I knew since they were androids they would never fully die like forever but still... I was shaking in my chair lol. I felt so bad for 2b the most though cause like this is the second time she’d of lost him. And for a short while there I thought that's where the game was going. Like it’d flash to the bunker and 9s would come see 2b and we’d have him introduce himself to her and her just be like “Ahh yes hello stranger of whom I've never seen before 😀” and it’d have her meaningfully look at him with her eyes cover off then that’d be the end. Tbh I wouldn't of really minded that ending. I'm glad it didn't end that way ofc! 😆✨

Ofc the part of her clothing that got torn off was the part that shows her panties... Ofc it was LOL. Putting that aside I love them sm ya’ll. I'm so happy that 9s managed to fully stay himself this time despite the whole corruption thing.

The second I found out there were multiple endings I was already gonna ‘replay’ the game lol... But it's nice to see the reminder from the developers themselves. This whole post is just me word vomiting ngl. I swear ya’ll I was originally gonna say meaningful stuff but got tired and this came out... 😶✨

#Nier automata #Nier #2b #9s #a2 #yorha #video game #just me

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ideas-on-paper · 1 year

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NieR: Automata Ver. 1.1a Quick Review - Episode 1

[WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE GAME AND ANIME]

[CW: SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF ROBOGORE]

As anyone who follows me on Twitter might remember, I made a suggestion some time ago that I would do mini reviews of each episode of the NieR: Automata anime once it comes out. Well, turns out you shouldn't count your chickens before they're hatched - back when I was still playing the game, I wasn't exactly expecting it to have such an unsatisfying conclusion, and for some time in between, I was actually wondering whether I should go through the trouble of watching the anime at all. Still, I made a promise, and if there's one thing I'm not going to do, it's breaking my own word (at least until I've seen the first few episodes).

The episode begins with a scene of 2B carrying 9S through the rain while reciting the weapon story of Virtuous Treaty in an inner monologue. I suppose this is great for people who are just there for the fanservice, but personally, I would wish for a little more original dialogue regarding 2B's inner feelings (throughout the whole game, it felt like the insight we get into the main characters' psyches is sparse at best, which ultimately made it a little hard for me to empathize with them when they reached the peak of their arcs in Route C).

Meanwhile, some other contextual dialogue is completely missing. During the intro of the descent mission at the start of the game (which is the second scene in the anime), 2B has a brief chat with her Operator about the current situation while all of her squadmates are still alive; though optimistic at first, all of her comrades get shot down one by one until only she is left. It's not a terribly significant change, but it takes away some of the emotional impact.

It's the same with the "brother" machine who tries to give its buddy oil (since 2B and 9S' stories are told in parallel, there is no separation between Route A and Route B): the only thing you see in the anime is the small machine pouring oil over a dead, larger machine, and 9S monitoring the entire process. However, in the game, the small machine actually has dialogue: at the beginning, it desperately begs "brother, brother, please start moving" - and since this takes place right after Ending A, you immediately associate this with Adam and Eve (which, tbh, hit me quite hard). After the smaller one decides to fetch a bucket of oil to help his dead comrade, it still continues to plead "brother, brother, brother", which 9S comments with the remark "doesn't matter how much oil you give him, little guy - you can't make a machine your brother". So, in this case, the loss from the adaptation is actually quite severe - the proper context simply isn't there, and neither is the emotional response to it.

The flight sequence itself does look pretty good, though if you look closely, you can see some clearly visible CGI in some frames. The most noticeable instance was probably the scene where 9S meets up with 2B, with her standing in front of him while he's still in the flight unit. It's very obvious that while 2B is hand-drawn, 9S' flight unit plus himself are completely CGI, which looks kinda awkward when they're standing next to each other like that. It's a bit of a shame since I usually love the combination of 2D and 3D animation as it creates a very unique effect, but unfortunately, it looks nowhere near as seamless as in Treasure Planet or even Atlantis: The Lost Empire.

The pacing of the intro sequence seems a little bit off as well: 2B basically strolls through the factory without any resistance (the dialogue about the non-aggressive machines which normally takes place on the way to the Resistance Camp has been moved here), and when she finally does encounter the Goliath, she has to go down a ladder and finds it somewhere to the basement. However, the next time we see her, she's suddenly back outside on the bridge where the in-game boss battle takes place; granted, there are some brief scenes in between, but it still seems like quite a harsh cut.

The whole fight with the Goliath is also kinda funny: While you have to battle it for some time before 9S arrives to help in the game, 2B just straight up charges at it in the anime. No kidding, when she tried attacking it by jumping at its huge-ass face, I was legitimately like "girl, what exactly are you trying to do?" xD However, it's okay, since just when 2B is about to get crushed between its blade wheel arms, 9S swoops in with his flight unit and... picks her up, somehow? I mean, don't get me wrong, it's nice that 9S gets a chance to rescue 2B for once, but I couldn't help but feel that this scene looked a bit silly.

Now, for my actual highlight of the episode: the hacking space. I'm a true sucker for surreal depictions of a digital space, and this is no exception. I will admit that the more simple, schematic depiction from the game probably does a better job at portraying the action of the hacking itself, but the visuals with the grid, the diving, and the firewall still looked so cool.

And to top it all off, we get treated with some AWESOME 9S ROBOGORE!!! :D I feel like this is my favorite thing about the anime so far; no matter which story they feature in, I always have the urge to see what androids look like from the inside - beneath their human exterior - and the rare glimpses we get of it in Nier Automata usually occur when 9S gets hurt. And I gotta say, they did a fabulous job of depicting that: the skin on his cheeks looks completely shaved off, and you can see the different layers of synthetic skin on his kneecap. The place where his limbs have been torn off look like a cross-section of his mechanical insides, and you can see all of the cables and wiring sticking out. It's beautiful. At some point, he even reaches into his own torso and pulls a piece of scrap lodged there - with sparks flying from his contacts and all! Whatever may follow, this was totally worth it. (Tbh, I'm wondering whether I should be ashamed; most horny guys are obsessed with 2B's butt, and I'm here simping over my best boy getting hurt. ^^')

One thing that's also… interesting, to say the least, is how they handled the Black Box reaction: in the game, they just kinda pull it out of their chests, and since there is the popular theory that YoRHa androids' Black Boxes are stored in their chest cavity, I was legitimately wondering for a moment "are they going to undress now?" xD However, they didn't have to open their torsos to take it out, but it simply just… manifested in their hands? So either, the Black Boxes work the same way as their swords (by beaming them around at will or whatever), or the Black Boxes they're holding are just kind of a "physical representation", and the detonation process is actually internal - whatever, I'm just going to assume it's one of those two.

The episode ends with 2B and 9S reuniting at the Bunker, with 9S having lost all memories of their previous encounter. In contrast to the game, the opening speech of 2B ("everything that lives is designed to end") is placed at the end of the episode. However, this time, the dialogue was actually altered: While the beginning of the line is the same, it ends on a completely different note, with 2B saying "however, if there's one thing I may wish for… I want him to be happy." As far as I remember, this is the first time 2B directly expressed any wish: a desire for 9S' wellbeing. The reason why this piqued my interest is because had any of them expressed longing for something they ultimately weren't able to achieve during the game, I probably would've done anything to make their wish come true - but as it stands, I found their inner desires to be very difficult to decipher, which led to discrepancies in me being able to relate to them (and as a result, having zero motivation to reach Ending E).

Speaking of endings, the outro of the episode was… funny, in a weird way. Basically, what they did was add a hand puppet sequence after the regular ending of the episode, which they used to explain some of the lore behind Nier Automata to the newbies. They also used this opportunity to sneak in one of the joke endings, with puppet 2B accidentally destroying the Bunker via a Black Box reaction. I'm not sure how many episodes the series is going to have, but I suppose they will sprinkle in some joke endings this way now and then. Overall, I'd say the idea is kinda cute - it's just not quite my cup of tea. (Actually, now that I think about it, "good, but not quite my cup of tea" is probably the shortest way to describe my impression of Nier Automata in general.)

The best thing about this for me is that there is no way in hell they will be able to replicate Ending E in anime format (which I infamously disliked so much that I aborted my entire playthrough because of it). So, they basically have no choice than to end the anime in a different way. I have honestly no idea if the show is going to stay pretty much a 1:1 adaptation of the game, or whether the story will deviate significantly in the future. So far, my overall impression is something along the lines of "not amazing, but serviceable" - I don't have any specific expectations though, so if I like it, I'm gonna keep watching and share my thoughts on it.

#nier automata #nier automata anime #nier automata ver1.1a #anime #anime review

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weaselbug · 3 days

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NieR Automata: a review

I want to preface this review with the fact that I am super bias towards it. but I will try to be as upfront with it as possible.

(I will so be spoiling it kind of.)

the whole point of this game is to question everything your doing in it, so if I were to review this game as a fun toy to play with then it would probably end up being like a 7/10 for me.

the main gameplay isn't fun enough to call it a toy like other games. it feels to me when they were making this game they wanted to use every bit of room that a video game could do. like they wanted to fill this game as a artform, which alienates some players.

(also this video says stuff better than i ever could.)

youtube

i kinda love how this game gives you plenty of exit points, if you dont want to see the whole story, then you dont have to, you still get an ending, which i like. i hate it when games have a "bad ending" but then tell you that its actually not an ending at all. you get an ending.

youtube

i love the little character interactions. its probably why i love this game so much. also the way that the lines sometimes are talking about you the player.

though, a lot of the characters are oversexualized though all of them are, adam and eve are never wearing shirts (they are both men) and tight pants, 2B is quite clearly overly sexualized. if that bothers you then you def wouldnt like this. though i didnt notice it when i was playing.

#nier automata #Youtube

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liketheinferno2 · 2 years

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i feel that “turning aggressive and violent characters into mean non-conners” thing so hard. like, it’s not that i DON’T understand it, i completely do, but there’s such a delicacy to it. thinking back to your 2b/adam/9s art, i think my thing is i feel like people blend “sexual and violent” with “sexual violence” (and i love, LOVE your breakdown of that piece, how tenderly you break down your choices). i dunno, it’s a very loaded and personal thing. been loving all you thoughts on ffxiv!

[Content warning we're gonna be talking about sexual violence in fiction! Dante has many a thoughts about it.]

Yeah. It's like... that stuff is not for me in the fanficcy appeal sense. But I'm an empathetic person and I can see where people connect the dots. My favourite characters have heavy, heavy overlap with the types that people apply this sort of thing too and it's kind of forced me to think really hard about why that is and what prompts it. Although sometimes I think it's reasonable, or even enriching, to read themes of abuse into a text where that is not explicitly stated, like... [gestures vaguely at Estinien and Ratatoskr]:

Some very particularly chosen words and framing here, almost at the expense of readability. With Estinien, it contextualises the emotions everyone has towards these figurative events, it adds weight. It helps you understand why these people feel so angry and violated about this magic eyeball bullshit, why Estinien can't just get rid of the eye, why Ratatoskr's murder is as unfathomably terrible as her brothers make it sound.

But with someone like Zenos, it's the opposite thing. The game tells you over and over that abuse happens here and deliberately leads you into thinking he will reveal to be that kind of abusive, only to cancel it every single time. There's a whole scene where he has Fordola strapped to a table in her underwear that is immediately very frightening, but then they close in and he's just talking to her, completely dead-faced, so unexcited by this scene that this itself gives you pause.

It's to the point that I feel confident saying that this Rapey Villain Guy version isn't just out-of-character for him, it's in direct opposition to his character; we are all but directly told that Zenos will not do this. It sets him apart from the other Garlean bastards around him that he's got a different set of morals and logic that are in their way both more dangerous and less so. But he is violent, and he is sexually charged, and these are hugely important aspects of his character. Sometimes it's hard for people to take both those at once without going in the direction of sexual violence, but compared to what we're actually given here that's just so shallow.

Furthermore, and especially regarding Nier: Automata, I feel like there's a wealth of symbolic nuance you can get from bringing these things together. As crude as it sounds when tHE SWORD IS A MEtAPHOR FOR MY DICK, that game uses themes of penetration astonishingly well to add this figurative double narrative to a lot of its events, plus it ties together the whole dissonant love and hurt thing going on with 9S's strong feelings for someone he knows can, will, and already has hurt him terribly. Or the way 2B's violent interactions with the men around her make them chase more violence as a way to get close and feel affection. You construct intricate rituals. To touch skin! Like real people do!

It is a very loaded and personal thing and I resent the idea sex and/or violence in fiction should be reduced to kink or shock or gore when you could be, god forbid, trying to communicate things with your art. And I always want to talk about this but y'know it's sensitive. A lot of my art is about it. I think maybe people can't usually tell though.

#asks #meta #anonymous #let him speak

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agent-cupcake · 3 years

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just curious, what’s your favorite and least favorite character design? my least fav for sure has got to be female byleth for reasons i don’t want to get in to yep ok have a good day 😁

IOops this accidentally became a rant, sorry

Okay so, to preface this all, I’m not a character designer and I’m actually pretty bad at it, but my rule of thumb with really unappealing or fan-service outfits is whether or not it makes sense character-wise and how much it tells the player about the character. For example, I think we can all agree that there’s quite a bit of fan-service elements in Hilda’s design. Boob window. However, it’s not unrealistic to imagine Hilda picking out those clothes for herself. Her costume tells you almost everything you need to know about her character on a visual level. She’s confident, pretty, attention-grabbing, and high maintenance while the gloves and laced girdle give a nod to her Viking-maiden roots.

Taking it to female Byleth, I don’t think that her outfit works on either front. Her design is definitely my least favorite and it’s not helped by the fact that you have to look at her at all times. Whatever. The huge, solid mass of boobs, the buttoned bib, the big eyes, the feather hair, the bellybutton, the ripped tights, the booty shorts. She’s a merc out in life and death situations with an accessible, pale, tacky 2000′s “stab me” stomach cut out and a wedgie. Which could be excusable if, like Hilda, there was reason to believe that that her costume was character choice. But she doesn’t really have much character, and what there is gives the impression of a very stoic, dry, blunt person. I have no idea why they’d have gone that route when the sexual appeal of more “utilitarian” costuming (aka, form fitting armor that at least pretends to be functional) for characters like her is scientifically proven AND would say more about the singular personality trait she possesses. Okay, well, I know why they didn’t do that and I think it’s lame. This dysfunction of “character designer wanted a sexy girl but it’s kinda random and just shoved in the game without any thought” actually reminds me a lot of Xenoblade 2′s leading ladies, Hikari and Pyra. Although considering that their bad designs led to a lot of people hating the game for superficial reasons while accepting female Byleth’s design, I guess I’m just bitter. Jumping to a different comparison, then, look at 2B from Nier Automata. Her design is fine as hell which is kinda hypocritical of me considering that it's explicitly fan-service, but I think it also shows the most damning thing for female Byleth. Her whole look, despite having a dozen different element thrown in, is boring. Maybe it’s the colors (dressing her in all black and white would have been really interesting considering the colors of the three lords are so heavily emphasized as a part of their characters) or maybe it’s just the way the desperate elements come together. But, like I said, I'm not even slightly knowledgeable about character design and I know that despite Three Houses being mostly separate, they had to appeal to a larger aesthetic brand to which I have little experience with. And, ultimately, a lot of people find her cute or sexy which...To each their own, I suppose. I don’t pretend that fan-service doesn’t work on me (2B... Cloud’s arms in the remake... Seph's shirtless Smash skin...) but when it’s this obviously inserted in by the character designers rather than feeling organic in any way AND looks bad I'm just not super interested.

The other worst designs for me would be all four of the Ashen Wolves post timeskip. I don't think it's controversial to say that they didn't try with the clothes, even if I love their designs from the neck up (Yes, even Balthus. He looks like the type of guy that would let you sit on his shoulders at a rock concert so you could see the stage). While there are other designs I think are unappealing, those are for purely aesthetic reasons and so I can't maintain the opinion that they're actively bad or that I even truly dislike them.

As for favorite looks... I actually have a few so sorry you're getting all of them because despite the shit I'm talking, I actually really really love the character designs in Three Houses.

Ferdinand's post timeskip is one of my favorite designs, if not my favorite. The hair, the coat, the armor, the spurs, the colors. You know exactly who Ferdinand von Aegir is just by looking at him. He’s wealthy, handsome, confident in his appearance, a hero, a princely type character, his battle form is mounted combat which is traditionally aesthetically reserved for nobility and leaders... I love it. The only reason I cannot say he IS my favorite is because of the three Lords. But before them, my honorable mentions include post timeskip Hilda, Dorothea, Lorenz, Felix, and Hubert. Granted, I could make a case for why I like almost all of the student’s post timeskip looks.

For the Lords, I obviously have to start with colors because, weirdly enough, Persona didn’t invent primary colors but are actually used as shorthand. Blue is the color of honor, loyalty, sincerity, sadness, and depression. Something I’ve always found very interesting is that blue is very rarely found in nature. To me, that’s always made it seem more lonely which, at least in this case, is thematically relevant. People call Dimitri boring pre timeskip and while I won’t defend his hairstyle (okay, actually, I probably would because he tucks it behind his ears and idk why but that’s one of the cutest things ever) I really like how unassuming he is. Bland. He’s supposed to be the plain shortbread cookie to caramel deLite Claude and strawberry meringue Edelgard. It is not in his character to draw attention to himself or stand out. To me, he kinda looks like an old Barbie prince, like he should have been named Dominic. Also I love the blue eyes/blonde hair thing and his more angular features. It really helps to sell him as the fakeout chivalrous prince type. Post timeskip, Dimitri's black armor is amazing. I love the fact that it’s a lot more intricate up-close with the different little shell-like pieces and the fact that his boots are furry. I love the big cape and the black and white fur around his shoulders. It’s really cool how they used his costume to change the shape of his in-game model to match the bodily proportions of the character art. It’s easier to see when you change his costume into the DLC ones, but the fur and cape build up his shoulders and chest look more broad while keeping that tiny little waist. The choice to give Dimitri an eyepatch is probably my favorite thing about this design. It’s genuinely inspired. Such a simple detail yet it tells the player everything they need to know about adult Dimitri when they see him post timeskip, in one frame the player can begin to understand the extent of his loss over the past five years. The subtle shadow under his eye in the first few Azure Moon chapters and the messy long-ish hair really help to sell the feral prince aesthetic as well, as it’s from those small cues the player gets that he’s exhausted (in more ways than one) and doesn’t maintain himself. None of these things are intentional choices by Dimtiri, they’re the result of what his character has been through.

Yellow is an intense, energetic color. Mostly, people think of it as being warm and inviting, the color of the sun and positivity. That intensity can be overwhelming, though, too visually demanding when compared to its primary counterparts. Don’t stare at the sun too long. Buuuut, it’s okay to stare at Claude. Claude not wanting to wear tight pants in either of his costumes is not only a mood, it is iconic. Pre timeskip, the softer lines of his silhouette makes him look kinda slouchy, kinda lazy. Like he’s not too concerned with appearances. But those adorably messy curls, the little braid, the clearly tended eyebrows, and earring make it clear that he DOES care about appearances and is very aware of his allure. And that’s before he even starts winking. It is honestly so in character that as many people picked him first on the basis of being thirsty, that feels like an intentionally Claude thing even if it was inserted by the designers. The contrast of his complexion with his seagreen eyes is gorgeous and instantly adds a kind of mystery and intrigue to him considering the setting... but it’s sf funny that nobody looked at bronze god Claude among a sea of white faces and thought something was up. Post timeskip, they used the same trick like they did with Dimitri to change Claude’s in-game model to match his canon appearance. The way they designed his uniform makes him not look as twink-ish, like he’s actually muscular and imposing and has the strength he’d need to shoot a war bow with a 120lbs draw weight. Also like Dimitri, you can instantly tell what Claude’s been up to. Like, he was very pretty pre timeskip but when he shows up in the Goddess Tower after those five years in all that gold, he demands your attention. Like a gentleman general with the excessive aesthetic ideals of the Alliance and details to imply his heritage. The quilted pants are amazing from both an aesthetic and practical standpoint. He’s a mounted unit riding a creature with scales, of course he’d want something on his legs for protection. And the chinstrap. I love that so much, it definitely makes him look more adult. He’s got such a cute soft baby face, it’s fun imagining him experimenting with different styles during the five years to get the most desired physical reaction to him as a leader.

Frenchfries, meet forehead. No, actually, Edelgard’s design is really fantastic. Claude and Dimitri both have realistically colored eyes and hair and then there’s Edelgard. Dimitri shrugs off attention physically and Claude shirks it with a wink but Edelgard commands the players attention from the very start. Although I’m sure there’s a lot of things to associate with white hair and purple eyes, my first thought was Daenerys from Game of Thrones. Otherworldly beautiful by with an edge. Red, of course, is The power color. Strong emotions, love and hate. Red is also associated strongly with blood, which is very important to Edelgard’s plot. Granted, I think the red and black association is even more powerful than JUST red and red is the cheapest play to make in regards to displaying villainy (I mean, there are some pretty universally recognized associations with red and black and it led to people making some unfair comparisons between Edelgard and a famous dictator) but I think it was effective and well used and I genuinely enjoy its use in her case. Anyway, if I had a major complaint about her design it would be the weird ashy color of her hair whereas Lysithea’s hair is pure white. Which doesn’t even matter with the AMAZING hair horns. Ram horns can actually symbolize quite a few things, but their association with power and strength is pretty universal I think. They’re also used in demonic imagery. I love that THIS was her alternative to a crown. Edelgard views herself as a force of war and power before she thinks of herself as royalty. She also mentions that she isn’t super vain, but she loves to do her hair, so the hair being the most elaborate part of her look is entirely in-character. Edelgard’s ensemble is, like Claude, very militaristic. I love that they kept her in a dress that embraces femininity without showing skin as that wouldn’t really suit her Also, again, Edelgard demands your attention. She’s dressed all in bright bright red waving around a giant axe. She is a symbol as much as she is a combatant, someone to follow. I didn’t really mention their secondary lord costumes, but a girl in sexy armor is literally everything and I love that they had the balls to put their main sexy waifu girl in full body armor.

Okay I’m sorry I realize this was excessive and probably didn’t need explaining and I’m not sure I even articulated my thoughts properly but anyway I love their designs so here is the positivity I’ll put into the world.

#fe3h #ferdinand von aegir #claude von riegan #edelgard von hresvelg #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #haha i htae byleths design this was all just to justify my abject disgust for the way she looks #nobody sent me anything about dimitri's dick so this is what i've been reduced to

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burningdarkfire · 3 years

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tagged by @saturdaysky, thank you! always very happy to talk about writing 🤠

1) How many works do you have on AO3?

36 on ao3, with many others left in the past on livejournal or ffnet

2) What’s your total AO3 word count?

162k. it’s kind of a shame it doesn’t have the majority of my pre-2011 output as i never ported over my top four or five longest fics. i would’ve loved to see some genuine lifetime totals!

3) How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

9 on ao3 (critrole, nier, hetalia, overwatch, trc, voltron, no. 6, star wars, tiger & bunny). if you expand trc to include anything clamp and throw in code geass then that covers everything i’ve ever published, though homestuck is by far the fandom i have the most WIPs for despite never finishing a single one and deserves a shoutout

4) What are your top five fics by kudos?

take my hand / take my whole life too: critrole, 9k, how essek and caleb’s relationship evolves through touch

blue sky, warm sun: critrole, 3.5k, six mornings caleb wakes with essek

dark night, bright stars: critrole, 3k, six nights caleb spends with essek

kitty love: star wars, 1.5k, kylo ren forms a bond with hux’s cat millicent

the walls kept tumbling down: critrole, 2k, caleb spontaneously visits essek after a hard day

commentary and further answers are below the cut!

spots 1-3 on the list are gladly accepted, given that i also think they’re some of my best and most broadly-appealing shadowgast. kitty love gets its spot despite being pure, pointless crack because it’s for a huge fandom, which is fine and fun but i don’t have a lot of personal attachment to it

the walls kept tumbling down is a surprise! it was a self-indulgent “i want a fic exactly like this to fix my mood and instead of digging through the internet for one i’ll just make one up” that i only worked on for a couple of days. i’m glad it clicked for other people!

5) Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

i always try to respond to comments, although sometimes a week or two pass by before i can find the energy to sit down and do it

admittedly comments have gone unanswered during months or years when i’m not writing fic and then it feels too awkward to a) go back and respond, and b) respond to any further comments on the fic even if they come in when i’m active. so instead those comments haunt my ao3 inbox forever (oops)

i do appreciate every single one though, and there are some comments that i go back to read if i need a pick-me-up just because they were so nice 😊

6) What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

i’ll link my no. 6 fic forgive me because it still dominates my top fics in terms of hits despite being 387 words long. i wrote it in 2011 in less than half an hour, if i’m remembering correctly, and there are a few clever bits in it that i’m still quite proud of

7) Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

i don’t usually write or read “pure” crossovers but i do like fusion AUs where characters from one work are imported into the setting of another work

but it’s fandom-dependent. critrole has been an outlier in that i can count on one hand the number of AU fics i’ve read and liked enough to remember. some of my favourite canon-adjacent fics veer off wildly, but they’ve still got their roots in the universe

i’ve published 17 critrole fics myself and they’re all canon-adjacent. i’m only now working on my first fusion-type AU 🤷‍♂️

8) Have you ever received hate on a fic?

i have one distinct memory of receiving criticism on a fic. in hindsight, it was constructive and pretty fair, but i was a young teen and so it still haunts me

9) Do you write smut? If so what kind?

i do!! and i’m excited about it because it’s fairly new to me!

i write to the characters, and what kind of relationship i think they’d have, but it’s probably true that my interests tend towards certain relationship dynamics

10) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i’m aware of!

11) Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes, actually! this was about about a decade ago so sadly the details have been lost in the haziness of memory and the inaccessibility of ffnet. i tried to dig it up last night but couldn’t find it again 😔

12) Have you ever co-written a fic before?

i don’t ... think so? my current roommate and i tried co-writing when we were teenagers but none of that got published. it’s possible i’m forgetting something from my livejournal/early tumblr days because i remember doing a lot of ask games and challenges with other writers and fandom friends

now i’m just an introvert who avoids invites to discords because i feel like i simply Do Not Have Time so 🤡 not sure it’s anywhere on the horizon

13) What’s your all time favourite ship?

i used to have shipping walls and pairing lists until 2015 or so but i have since accepted that i am changeable like the wind. my interests come and go!

i am a multi-shipper though as a general rule. i’ve never had such a loyalty to a pairing that it would bother me to pair one half with someone else, and i also don’t care at all whether or not a ship is canon. it’s just about what’s interesting!

14) What’s a WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

i’ve had remarkably sequential focus for my critrole fics and finished nearly every idea i’ve had so far. however, this ACME AU is testing me lol and i’ve spent so much time on it that my list of other ideas to write is only getting longer and longer. nothing is abandoned yet, because not much else has even been started, but i am starting to sweat a little

15) What are your writing strengths?

i love my writing style! i value simplicity and clarity: no flowery descriptions, easy words, few similes, little variance in sentence structures, etc. it can vary, based on my mood or the characters i’m writing, but i like doing more with less

i’ve spent years working at my own style and it is so satisfying to read something i wrote in 2011 and feel how familiar it still is while being able to pick out what i would change

16) What are your writing weaknesses?

recently, it’s been plot. if it can’t be conveyed by 2-4 characters talking to each other then i don’t know how to do it anymore 😭 i’m most invested in emotional resolutions, but it’s probably a good idea to have things happen sometimes!

17) What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

i really do not enjoy this when it’s used as a “character quirk”. this includes nicknames, common phrases even if they are spoken that way in canon, and .. everything, really, that’s in a different language

i’ve spent a lot of time in spaces where it seemed widely agreed that doing so was not welcome, and i’ve had considerable fandom “culture shock” reading critrole fics. there are plenty of reasons to have caleb speaking “zemnian” or to emphasize his accent, and those reasons don’t need to be lofty or deep, but i do think there should be a reason beyond “haha this guy says ja instead of yeah”

i promise, absolutely pinky swear, that i don’t judge anyone on an individual basis for doing this. it seems to be a deep-seated fandom trend in this case and i just wish it wasn’t

18) What was the first fandom you wrote for?

tsubasa reservoir chronicle (trc) all the way back in 2010. tsubasa, my beloved, how you changed my life 💕

19) What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

i like different ones for different reasons, but the top contender might be such is the endlessness for nier automata. it’s a vampire/werewolf enemies-to-lovers fusion AU where i put 2b and 9s in an original universe of mine that i wrote about a lot when i was a teenager

i feel like i did a spectacular job of adapting the universe for nier and i thought i conveyed a lot about the world in a relatively short number of words (the entire fic is just under 5k). i’ve considered more than once that i should use this version of the universe going forward because i enjoy it so much!

thanks again for the tag, sky, and i’ll leave this open to anyone else who wants to try as i think most of my mutuals have already been included. don’t be shy about tagging me in your answer if you take my open invite as i love reading these! 💖

#my posts #writing blogging #replies

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tainbocuailnge · 4 years

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Couldn't be there for the stream, but congrats on finishing Nier. What did you think of it? And what game will you play next? (Maybe you already answered somewhere, if so sorry for being redundant.)

in terms of style and aesthetic the game is absolutely gorgeous. definitely one of its strongest points is the ways it uses design to reinforce its themes and provide subtle worldbuilding. the example freshest in my memory is how different hacking a2 looks from hacking anything else because she’s such an old model, but also the way the vivid colors of the regular overworld contrast with the grayscale of the bunker or the white cubes of that city where you fight adam/the tower cannon, or 9s’ fucked up memories of 2b in C and D routes using the same attacks as adam and eve’s bossfights in A and B routes. the game really leans into the strong contrast between vibrant organic shapes and washed out mechanical shapes, from the very start with the overgrown buildings of the city but also the difference between the detailed & colorful regular interface and the hacking segments consisting of straight lines & muted browns, and it will reverse that distinction at key moments to make a point. switching between different styles of video game (like the visual novel sections) is a really neat way to control the pacing of the story too

conversely i think a lot of the game’s actual playability was sacrificed for the aesthetic. hacking is really cool as concept and visually i adore the way it’s implemented but in terms of gameplay it fucking sucks. not only does it throw off the whole flow of combat but the actual gameplay of the hacking segments themselves is just frustrating as hell because it wants you to hack stronger enemies instead of fight them with 9s’ weak noodle arms but then makes specifically the stronger enemies a huge pain to hack, and if you fail at hacking you take damage anyway so in the end it’s still easier to just fight directly. stuff like the emp’s being able to seal your combat abilities or fuck up your visual processors also makes sense and enriches the game storywise, but is a huge fucking pain in the ass to deal with as someone Playing A Video Game because it means you just have to run the fuck away until the effect has worn off. switching between 9s and a2′s individual bossfights in the tower, too, is very cool conceptually but ended up being super annoying in practise because like the hacking it just disrupts the flow of combat (it was very cool when they were fighting the same enemy though)

i also feel like a lot of the fights just took way too damn long. this one might be on me since I didn’t do a lot of sidequests and thus was underleveled, but it felt like a lot of the combat was intentionally stretched out in order to pad out the game’s length. honestly i think i have a case here even with being underleveled because having to do the sidequests in order to even be strong enough to progress the main story at a reasonable pace is very much padding out the game’s length. even though it took me several dozen hours to complete the main story it still feels pretty short to me because so much of that was just dragged out bossfights. bloodborne definitely spoilt me on this point because in that one once you figure out a boss youre Done, you prove you know how to deal with it and you perform the Trick a few times and then you’re done with it but every Phucking nier automata boss was just endlessly whaling on some annoying mother fucker while i’m thinking bro just show me the next story section already. and then every other bossfight they dump lore on you WHILE you’re trying not to die and i hate that too dude i can’t fucking read and fight at the same time Don’t Call For A Meeting You Son Of A Bitch This Could Have Been A Cutscene

STORYWISE. storywise. honestly I need to rewatch some cutscenes before i can form a Real In-Depth Informed Opinion cuz we spent so much of the stream joking about horsecock that i didn’t pay enough attention to perform my true analysis no jutsu. what you’re about to read is subject to change. looking at just the progression of events in nier tomato there’s some things I don’t really understand why they happened other than ‘themes, bro’ which is not necessarily a complaint mind you because im a fate fan after all but its. hmm how do i say this. i feel like yoko taro is very much a Conceptual Writer. he’s got a strong idea of the kind of message and themes he wants to convey and then he constructs a story around that idea, but because it’s all so thematically driven the actual logistics of the story end up falling behind, like with all the above bitching about the gameplay suffering for the aesthetic. a lot of time i was like ‘no idea who i am no idea why im here all i know is im sad’ if you’re the kind of person who needs [ending EXPLAINED] videos then tomato is probably an incomprehensible robot ass simulator. speaking of robot ass I think it’s super cool that they just fuckin killed 2b actually because I absolutely did not expect that, it really puts a hard line between AB and CD routes.

it’s a very bittersweet game.... it asks “is there meaning in wanting to live when there is nothing left to live for?” and “is there meaning in wanting to protect something when there is nothing left of it to protect?” and answers with “if you want there to be, yeah” it’s about being able to die with hope in your heart as ultimate definition of humanity

ultimately it’s a very beautiful game both in visuals and emotionally and I’d recommend it to anyone whose tastes even vaguely align with mine but I don’t think I’m ever gonna actually replay it. look up story compilations on youtube at most. and it’s really such a shame because I think the way the gameplay is integrated in the story is fantastic from a thematic standpoint but it comes at the expense of the enjoyability of that gameplay so even though this is very much a Video Game Story it’s a hassle to actually consume it in video game format. [yoko taro voice] you WILL be sad about these robots and you WILL work for it

#king of asks #fefeman

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verygayandverytired · 3 years

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having now fully finished nier automata, i can definitely say that, while ending e was truly fantastic, the actual plot of the game is kind of weak.

none of the three main characters get quite enough time on screen being themselves and developing. there was a lot of inconsistency where 2b or 9s would be like “all machine life forms are terrible, meaningless, and must be destroyed” and five minutes later the exact opposite because of side quest writing. a2 especially didn’t have enough time, and basically completely changed as a character after the hegel fight. she did a total 180 as a character way too quickly with no time establishing that change. 9s was similar with how he immediately went off the deep end, which was understandable, but exhausting. i also just never really cared much for 9s, he was kind of an obsessive incel

also the twist with 2b towards the end did not get nearly enough foreshadowing or setting up or anything. the only real hint was one line she had in ending a that was easy to not pay attention to or interpret differently. they really could’ve made it more clear that it wasn’t her first time partnering with a 9s unit. it would’ve gone a long way towards making that twist actually be something.

also the game really feels like it was intended to release in two separate parts (a+b and c+d) and that it squeezed the content together into a shorter, weaker experience. ending b is literally followed by a trailer for route c/d. i wish it was a longer, more fleshed out experience. the lack of actual new areas showing up after the forest also really didn’t help. it turned into walking around from the same like ten spots to get the next scene of bad things happening. there being a whole thing about the drowned city zone like there is the city ruins, desert, and forest zones when it’s straight up just the small coast part and nothing else reeks of cut content. because of all this, there was just so little variety to the game.

also the lack of an overarching goal for the majority of the game was not great. it was mostly just going places and things happening. the open world structure is one that really needs to go out of popularity. this game would’ve been much better with a mission structure of some form. it really needed a focused experience rather than a bunch of mostly disconnected jaunts that feel analogous to tv show episodes

don’t even get me started on route b being 80% of route a but playing as a different character. that just felt lazy. i hate the hacking mini game. did you know that the hacking mini games can sometimes be impossible if your fps isn’t high enough. your firing rate is tied to your fps, which can make hacks like the door locks the kid machine hides behind with really tight time limits impossible if you can’t hit a high enough frame rate

the combat also has very little variety. it really fell into the pitfall of action rpg where the rpg element is just “tacked on leveling system that is essentially just an hp and damage modifier” and the action element is “spam whatever buttons because the combo system doesn’t really matter in any way other than very slightly different ways of throwing out hitboxes” though uniquely with a hint of “poorly thought out third person shooter element that doesn’t work well with keyboard and mouse controls.” oh, and who could forget “annoying bullet hell hacking mini game that works extremely poorly with keyboard and mouse controls.” the chips were neat i guess. the game was a bit easy most of the time, even on hard, and using a lot of them really only made it easier. having weapon and ranged damage chips of like +6 or higher was able to absolutely trivialize almost every enemy i tried them on. the only time i actually wanted to equip attack up ones was fighting those golden machines, and that was just because they were annoying damage sponges. overclock was by far the only actually cool combat chip because witch time rules

the side quests got old quickly too. after a few of them it became quickly apparent that almost all of them would be “try to do something good or nice or whatever” and end in “the quest giver is crazy and there’s no such thing as happiness.” it got old and wasn’t even really pushing a theme, it was just “life sucks, feel bad constantly”

there were also a few just weird npc’s that didn’t have any quests connected to them but seemed like they were going to have something. like the yorha soldier on the top deck of the command center in the bunker who, if you talk to her, is very obviously up to something that is never explored in any way. the way she talks at certain points it even seems like she knows the truth about yorha to some extent. and yet, nothing.

also, themes. they were somewhat present. except what was in ending e about making the future for yourself. that one was pulled out of its ass and literally just said plainly. everything else was shit about what makes a soul and endless war and whatnot, fairly normal fare for media about robots and war. it wasn’t quite incredibly profound like a lot of people say

also fuck emil’s dumb shop only selling those two weapons while in a specific area it like hardly ever shows up in. that was annoying as hell trying to get for completion. i just wanted to see all the weapon stories and the secret boss fight. getting emil to show up at the right spot to sell those stupid things was harder than the boss fight

#nier automata #i want to play nier replicant eventually but am afraid it’ll have the same narrative issues

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alun-ura · 4 years

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🌻🌻🌻

Send me a 🌻 and I’ll just tell you whatever the fuck I want

We have only one braincell and it can’t stop howling about Automata so I’ll take thREE OF YOUR THINGIes to just ramble about how the song Weight of the World destroys my soul and why I can’t stop crying about sad androids but it also heavy spoilers for Nier: Automata so idk man

First time you hear it is when you finish the first route / 2B’s route, and the song feels a lot like it’s from 2B’s perspective and gross sob as you learn more about her, that she is actually called 2E.

The official designation...is 2E. Number 2, Type E.

This is a specific model for Executioner, it is shown in some side quest that there was another types among these and iirc the one you meet kills herself for nor being able to bear with the guilt of having to meet people / make friends and eventually having to kill them at some point. 2B's role though was to be sure that 9S wouldn’t find out about the truth behind the YoRHa, so she’d have to kill him every time he ended up finding out about it because of the natural curiosity programmed on his model/type.

Tell me God, are you punishing me? Is this the price I'm paying for my past mistakes?

Even though she knew the truth about YoRHa simply for her model, and having to deal with 9S finding out about it - where there are times where he even learns the truth about her.

(9S speaks while struggling painfully.) 9S: Damn ...! 2B, why?! Why did you ...! Pod 153 (narration): A wide, white sword penetrates 9S's stomach. Pod 153 (narration): As delicate, red blood drips down him. (2B hides her pained feelings.) 2B: You attempted to access highly confidential information ... therefore ... 9S: B-But ... 2B ... T-Trust ... me ... Pod 153 (narration): 9S's vital signs begin to fade. Pod 153 (narration): Heart rate decreasing, body temperature declining, motor functions failing, pupils dilating. Pod 153 (narration): As every one of his parameters breaks down, he chokes out his final words. 9S: I-It hurts ... It ... h-hurt ... s ... (His heart stops, and there is the sound effect of a flatline beep.)

So 2B was bound to ALWAYS be partners with 9S, and ALWAYS have to kill him *muffled crying* thinking back that they are Androids so god knows how many times she had to do it.

2B: Kh ... ngh ... (Unable to bear it, 2B begins to cry.) Pod 153: Pod 153 to 2E. Pod 153: Proposal: Delete 9S's personal data and reinstall default personal data. 2B: This is ... too much ...

And :D

2B: No ... Enough already ... Pod 153: Proposal: Unit 2B should carry out her assignment. (The sound of a heartbeat stopping, and a flatline's beep.) 2B: I don't want to kill him anymore ...

But also :D

Pod 153: The Commander has already denied the mission cancellation request submitted 64 hours ago. (The sound of a heartbeat stopping, and a flatline's beep.) 2B: Why ... do I have to ... Pod 153: Unit 2B was chosen due to her ability to adapt to harsh environments as well as her combat capabilities. 2B: I'm not suited for this mission at all ... Pod 153: Negative. 2B: Someone ... help me ...

When the first route starts, you get to eliminate a target which ends up requiring 9S’s help, they are very formal / military-ish while talking then, but as it goes, 9S gets more :D with her as in.

9S: You know, ma’am. I’m glad you are here. 2B: Why? 9S: Scanners like me mostly work alone. Scouting enemy lines and all that? I don’t usually get a partner. It’s kind of fun! 2B: ...Emotions are prohibited.

This is something that I ended up wondering the first time I played it, because 9S at first is very friendly and excited to have a companion in a mission, and in general just very warm towards 2B while 2B is big ol’ “Emotions are prohibited” and tries to brush him off / don’t really care about his attempts on trying to be more intimate? with her.

9S: Hey, 2B? 2B: Yes? 9S: People that know me well usually call me Nines, so... 2B: ... Oh. 9S: So... What do you think? 2B: Of? 9S: I mean, if you wanna call me Nines, it’s totally okay. 2B: ... I’m good. 9S: Oh, um... Alright...

gently I’m not crying you are crying So because of the nature of their relationship, and because 2B knew the truth, and knew that she’d have to kill him again sooner or later.

9S: Watch out for hostile enemies, 2B. 2B: Roger that, Nine...ze. 9S: Huh!? Wait, what did you just say!? 2B: Roger that, 9S. 9S: Wait, no! That’s not what you said! You said “Nines”! Or at least something close to — 2B: Cut the chatter, and engage the enemy.

So her acting like this was a way to try and shield herself and not get attached once more and get hurt again when she has to kill him, but thinking through the game after you learn the truth about 2E, you look back on all the way she acts and how thorn she was through all of it and just pain.

2B: From the moment 9S gains illegal access within the Bunker, it becomes my duty to carry out his execution. 2B: It's a duty that I must repeat ... over, and over ... without end. 9S: I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel something special towards 2B. 9S: But that sort of thing isn't allowed for us YoRHa troops. (2B, with a hint of pain in her voice.) 2B: Over and over ... I continue to kill 9S with my own hands. 2B: And every time, it feels like a void within me deepens. 2B: I wonder ... if it's okay for me to hope ... 9S: For the day ... 2B: For the day ... 2B and 9S: When my sins can be forgiven.

And with things like this, how Weight of the World applies to it like,

I feel like I'm losing hope. In my body and my soul And the sky, it looks so ominous. And as time comes to a halt. Silence starts to overflow My cries are inconspicuous

2B was going through this for many, many years. iirc she, along with 9S. were the first androids to be properly made - where during her first time as 2B she already had to kill 9S for killing their creator. 2B was always at the price of either killing 9S, or letting all that she knew - all of YoRHa - fall. All the Androids, and possibly even the war against the machines before they knew that there was no proper war going on anymore.

Cause we're going to shout it loud Even if our words seem meaningless It's like I'm carrying the weight of the world

So by killing 9S, 2B was avoiding the truth and end of YoRHa every time - while fighting machines that mostly wanted to wipe Androids too. She was fighting against both sides, while often being confronted with the fact that some Machines felt things too and didn’t even want to fight or were harmful at all, but she was still a soldier.

I wish that someway, somehow That I can save every one of us But the truth is that I'm only one girl

This wasn’t just about her and 9S, cause not killing him would lowkey just be treason, but saving all the YoRHa androids of this fate and lies behind it, and all the other common androids from also YoRHa’s fall and machines, /and/ the machine lifeforms that weren’t connected to their network and had a mind of their own. Because she knew the truth behind all of it and still couldn’t do a thing to even save herself or the most important person to her.

Maybe if I keep believing my dreams will come to life

I’m not even gonna get too much into the philosofical side Automata and how we see both androids and machine question things like their existence, reason and God™️

This is my redemption song I need you more than ever right now Can you hear me now?

But overall I think every one in this game suffers a whole fucking lot but I think none of them had it as hard as 2B, and by the end of the last route, when she finally dies due to a contamination spreading through all of YoRHa units. She meets A2 by the end, and offers her own sword to A2 - so she can keep 2B’s memories, and also end her before she goes corrupt by the contamination.

2B: Guess... This is it... (2B stabs the ground with her sword, offering it to A2.) 2B: These are... my memories. 2B: Take care of everyone for me... 2B: Take care... of the future... A2...

So yeah, 2B just wanted everyone to be good and nice and safe, and she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t save them, nor herself after trying to repair herself from the virus that was destroying her mind. She puts it on A2, the renegade YoRHa android and someone who knew all the shit behind YoRHa, that wouldn’t end up falling back on the cycle that was between those two. She honors what 2B asked of her, and proceeds to end her before she gets fully corrupted - while 9S is running to try and find 2B.

(A2 takes 2B’s sword, and proceeds to stab her with it.) 9S: 2B! 2B! 9S: 2B! Are you— (A wide, white sword penetrates 2B's stomach. As delicate, red blood drips down her.) 2B: Oh... Nines... 9S: This can’t... 2B... No... 9S: —A2! I’ll kill you!

:^) I’m not crying you are crying. This proceeds to 9S getting full blinded by rage and spending the rest of this route trying to kill A2 even though A2 is just trying to keep her promise with 2B, and try to save everyone, including 9S. This got into a biG RAMBLE SO I’m stopping here but *waggles hands* this and like, when you hear the chorus version of Weight of the World as if it’s all YoRHa singing, or when I got to hear the XIV version of it in the raid?? just watch how hARD I CAN CRY. Cause if this wasn’t painful enough, I’ll just leave this final bit here, when 9S finds a recording of 2B after she died.

2B: This is YoRHa unit 2B... 2B: If anyone’s listening to this, there’s something I need you to do. 2B: If you ever meet up with YoRHa unit 9S... 2B: I want him... I mean... 2B: I’m sorry. Please, just give him the following message: 2B: 9S... the time I was able to spend with you... It was like memories of pure light... Thank you... Nine...s.

#egrine #asks #thanks for the ask!#nier automata #nier #don't mind me while i spam nier content #long post #i hope the read more works dear god #i didn't mean to slap down as much here but #I appreciATE ANYONE WHO READS THIS CAUSE DAMN #i have too many feelings about this game #and this was just me rambling about 2B #and her feelios/relationship with 9S #theres so much more #i cant #trying not to cry yALL

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bahamutgames · 3 years

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Nier Automata: [A]fterthoughts

Game: Nier Automata: Become As Gods Edition (June 26, 2018)

Console: Xbox One (Via Xbox Game Pass)

Alright so I’m trying something a little different this time with my opinions on a game. Usually I will share this on Twitter in a thread. However, I feel like I’m having more and more to say on games I play lately. And Twitter threads just don’t feel right for sharing massive amounts of text. So I thought I’d give this a shot now. However, this isn’t meant to be a review or an indication of whether or not YOU should try the game. This is just me pouring my heart out about what I’ve played and giving my honest opinions about what I just experienced. This is just for anyone interested, and I highly recommend you try out this game and any other game I choose to talk about in the future, to get your own opinions on how you feel for it.

As such, this isn’t a very well written piece either. It’s mostly just me throwing up thoughts into a post. But, if that’s your thing or you’re just curious about what I have to say, you can read my huge info dump on my feelings about Nier Automata in the readmore!

Spoiler Warning for some parts of the game, including the finale and ending.

Opening

About 2 days ago, I sat down and beat Nier Automata for the first time. And after sitting on it for a bit, I’m ready to talk about my time with it. I wasn’t originally planning on doing a big thing for playing this game (I was saving it for a different game.) But plans got sidetracked, and by that I mean Microsoft had a sale on 3 months of Game Pass for $1. And I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try it out. I was really excited to see they had the game on the service, as I’ve been wanting to play it since it came out. So naturally, I jumped at the chance.

Stuff I liked

Honestly, I really liked this game. I thought was cool and loved a lot of the topics it covered, as they’re things I really enjoy seeing games tackle. Evolution of life, the existence of religion and our relationships with god and death, strange surreal things, androids and robots becoming more than just androids and robots. The story has so many aspects I really loved seeing. A highlight for me was seeing the robots start to become sentient and deal with grief, family bonds, how they should live outside of what they were programmed to do. It was endlessly fascinating to me.

Game also had tons of fantastic characters. I think my favorites may have been 6O and Pascal, if I’m being honest with myself. But also also really liked all 3 of the main playable Androids, and I found myself falling totally in love with the pods too. There’s tons of other great and interesting characters you don’t even get to play as or see that much, it has a fantastic cast I really loved. Particularly, I thought the designs of the androids were really interesting. Dressed in all black with white hair is a cool aesthetic. My favorite design may have been 2B’s, obviously I thought she was really hot. But I think her outfit is actually very cool and classy in a way that understands how to make a character hot without just being in your face about it? If that makes sense. I also really loved A2′s look, being able to see her joints is a really cool underused aspect for an android design. I wasn’t super into the robots themselves at first, but I found myself really loving how they looked by the end of it. Their weird and minimalist designs really leant themselves to the sad and peculiar story they had to tell.

Nier has a fantastic gameplay style too. I was shocked to learn that it was a Bullet Hell! Bullet Hells and Shmups are my “secret favorite” genre, that I really love but rarely actually tap into. I thought the game had really fun use of Bullet Hell gameplay, with fun Shmup sections and fun action RPG sections. I was particularly impressed with how much fun the crossover of the two genres would be. Fighting back against a bullet hell in this type of gameplay style was incredibly fun and endearing. And I think it handles these two completely different genres really well in a pretty cool way. I also loved being able to get multiple weapons for the androids and pods, though I did mostly stick with the same the whole way through. Just the standard weapons and the beast slayer. Plus the laser for my pod. Hey, if it works, why fix it, right? I also really liked the chip system. I had a ton of fun figuring out which chips suited my style the most, and I liked feeling powerful because of them.

Outside of all that, the game looks and sounds AMAZING. The aesthetics particularly really got to me. I’m a huge fan of cities and buildings reclaimed by nature, and I’m a huge fan of sci-fi aesthetics mixed with modern and medieval aesthetics. And the game has both of these used in really great ways. Mix in some of the weird and creepy visuals thrown in throughout some of the game’s darker and sadder scenes? And it’s beautiful. I thought the music was really good too. I wasn’t crazy about it while playing it. But listening to it in the background while writing this makes me realize how good of an OST it is. I really love Pascal’s village theme, Treasured Times, and the credits music.

I also really adored a lot of the interested 4th wall breaks and ways they play with game mechanics and tie them into the functionality of the androids. A scene that really comes to mind is that the settings are actually your android settings. And having to go through them for the story mode, then getting to see it again as 9S. I also thought parts where your vision gets glitched out was very interesting, and things like that were really charming to me.

One of my favorite parts of the game, was absolutely the finale. Huge spoilers for this part obviously. I was teetering between not really liking the game anymore, and loving the game by the end. So the finale was really going to make or break it for me. But ultimately, I think the finale was AWESOME. Having to play as the pods fighting the credits to get a better ending was really cool and genuinely exciting to me. I had a total blast blazing through one final, tough bullet hell finale. Also, seeing all the cool little messages players left was so nice and genuinely heartwarming. I got messages from the USA, Mexico, even one from North Korea! It was so cool! And such a good idea. And getting help from everyone at the end was so awesome. Ultimately, I chose to give up my save data because the ending scene was actually pretty tough for me and I’m not that bad at bullet hells. So I figured it’d be selfish not to lend someone a hand out there in the world. (plus... to be fair, when my game pass expires, I won’t be playing this game much more lol.)

Stuff I didn’t like

With all that praise though, I don’t necessarily think the game was perfect either though. There was a lot of stuff that really rubbed me the wrong way. The gameplay had a lot of stuff that just didn’t feel right and was oddly frustrating. A big one for me was the lock on just being completely useless for some parts of the game, jumping around the enemies far off when there was something right in front of me ready to get hit. It made killing some enemies genuinely more challenging than needed. A huge issue I had with the gameplay was actually that there aren’t enough Shmup sections in the flight units. Most of them take place in hacking sections, which, in my opinion. Aren’t that fun, or at least considerably less fun than the way superior flight unit sections. And that’s the type of gameplay the ending uses. Which is a shame.

And there are some parts I sang praises about but I still have issues with. Like, I enjoy the game messing with the way you play because you’re controlling androids. But when you have to walk somewhere and the game disables your movement, or you have to kill something and the game disables your combat. It’s mostly just annoying. I really love the concept, and I think it’s not THAT bad. But it’s still annoying enough that I thought to mention it. And while I didn’t run into this issue, the really cute and touching aspects of the finale. Are you just completely locked out of them if you can’t pay for online? That really sucks and kind of kills the vibe of that ending. Same with having to delete your save data to help others. It’s cute! But why is it there? It all just feels so antagonizing for no reason.

I also had a big issue with Story B. You play through nearly the entirety of Story A again as 9S. Normally, I love stuff like this. Sonic games come to mind right away for games I enjoy that do this. But for Story B, it is the exact same game and story with minimal changes through it. Sure the opening and towards the ending, it’s different. But mostly, it’s identical. And then there’s just small snippets of way more interesting stuff with the way robots became sentient lightly peppered in to break up the monotony of doing the same thing twice. This second playthrough should’ve focuses HEAVILY on the robots. Even if it’s from 9S’ perspective, more should’ve been changed to show the robots. The part with the singing robot was BRUTAL, and I LOVED it. But you get very few new scenes like that. Perhaps Story B should’ve followed Pascal or a random enemy robot instead of 9S. Considering you also play as 9S for a lot of Story C. Imagine how gut wrenching it would be if Story B followed a random enemy robot evolving and learning about life and free will, only to get killed at the end by 9S or A2 or something. Idunno.

There’s also some gripes with the story. A big one is the fact that, and this is a HUGE spoiler. But 2B doesn’t feel like the main character. It feels like the main character is 9S, who I like, but isn’t as cool as 2B by a long shot. You barely play as 2B or even A2. SO MUCH of the game feels like it’s all about 9S and I gotta be honest, I’m not that interested in 9S. I like him, but maybe we could learn some more about the robots and their interesting problems instead of just seeing more about how 9S is so smart and awesome and genius so he has to be killed a bunch. Speaking of which, I don’t think I care for that aspect of 2B either? She has to kill 9S over and over because he keeps learning the truth about Yorha. In the end, even 2B is just a part of 9S’ story. Maybe that’s just me though. I feel like that whole concept could’ve been removed, and you could’ve had 2B and 9S having to deal with learning about the truth together. idk.

Overall, my biggest complaint is just that the game spends a little too much time on 9S and not enough time on all the interesting aspects it skims over. Again, the robots, I talked about this at length but I really would’ve loved to learn more about them. How about the existential reality that androids and robots have been fighting a meaningless war for dead masters for centuries? WHAT THE HELL WAS EMIL? There’s so much cool stuff in the world of Nier Automata that feels like it’s all skimmed over in favor of stuff that just didn’t really need to be there? I think a lot of these are relegated to sidequests, but they should’ve been a part of the main story. Maybe it’s just me.

Final Thoughts

Well, even after all those complaints and nitpicks. I have to say, I liked Nier Automata. I think it’s a cool game that explores things I thought most people weren’t interested in exploring. Both in its world and its gameplay. Especially not from a big triple A title. Some of these are things I’d like to explore in my own games so it’s nice to see a game with an interest in the same weird topics as me. I’m certainly interested in this series. I only own Drakengaurd, but I’d like to give it and Nier a shot sometime in the future if I can.

I like the hopeful nature of the ending and I liked the emotions I felt through the whole playthrough. Even when the game was scary and sad, I still had a good time with it, and I hope somewhere out there in the multiverse, the characters are living a much better life in peace.

Thank you so much for reading, or just skimming through. Or just scrolling to the end! I appreciate it a lot! This is my first time really writing up my feelings about a game in a huge more organized way like this, and I hope you enjoy it. I’m certainly going to try and do more stuff like this in the future, maybe I’ll still make some of them twitter threads if I’m lazy or don’t have much to say lol. But, regardless, thanks for your time! I hope you have a fantastic evening! Play a video game that makes you feel something :)

#2021 #Thoughts

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was-it-really-worth-it · 3 years

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Game 123 - NieR: Automata by Square Enix

What did I think it was at first? I have some friends who loved this game, so when I saw it on sale I was excited to try it! I know nothing else at all.

How was the character creator? 9S and 2B make all of their choices and have pretty defined personalities, but it was fun to watch their relationship develop. I really liked the chip syatem where I could choose what HUD elements I want and adjust my talents by physically moving the chips.

I started the game on normal, and it was challenging! I died a lot and eventually decided to move on to easy. Like, who am I trying to impress? I liked that I could adjust the auto chips to make my 'easy mode' easier or harder.

How was the game? At first I was hella confused and had no idea what I was doing. However, eventually I got sucked into the world of these androids and their quest to save humanity.

The game is cinematic and was absolutely gorgeous, even though I was on the lower end of the graphic spectrum.

The plot moves very quickly. I enjoyed the combat and questing on foot, but the mech combat and plane combat weren't really my thing.

The whole thing feels like filler between some really intense set piece boss battles - some I LOVED (the first machine fight, with Adam) and some I ...did not.

I really dug the music in this game.

[spoiler]

The game is really designed for you to play through multiple times. In my 12 hours, I got 3 endings - the A campaign ending, the ending for dying in the tutorial, and one jokey ending. I don't think I enjoyed this game enough / enjoy this *type* of game enough to play through it two more times. I began the 9S playthrough but it was basically identical so I was so bored D:

What did I not love? The saving system is very thematic, but as someone with limited game time I was anxious about getting to a really cool part, needing to sleep, and not being able to save and quit. I had this problem with some bosses too - I'd play for a while, get to a phase where I was stuck, and have to start all over.

I really loved playing my greatsword waif, but I didn't like that my weapon swapped back to the default one for every cutscene.

Also those snake enemies are the literal worst.

At 12 hours and $19.99, was it really worth it? I don't love this sort of action RPG - and bullet hell games are my worst nightmare. However, the story of Nier: Automata kept me going! I don't really think I'll come back to this one.

#nier #nier:automata #c reviews #gaming #square enix

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mrslittletall · 4 years

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Nier Automata Review: Ok, now that I have played through all main routes, I think I can do this. Graphics They are fine. Nothing too special, but also not ugly. I like that the different areas actually can be distinguished from each other and the character design is pretty good. I liked both androids and machines, especially machines got pretty creative with their designs, even though they went to “colour swap” in the end game. Overall, it is enjoyable to look at. Music Lord MERCY. That is one of the BEST OSTs I have ever heard. There literally isn’t a song that isn’t a banger and every song exists with and without lyrics. The best thing is, the lyrics are from a completely made up language, so they don’t distract you when you play the game. I absolutely love every single song on this OST. I knew it was great when I started the game and heard an absolute godly track for the very first mission. Gameplay Gameplay is mostly action RPGs with a few twists. The battle system is very smooth and works well, with melee weapons in your character’s hands and the pod for ranged attack. It plays very smoothly and you can even let the pod fire while you melee attack. I never had the feeling that I got treated unfair, besides that one time where my character pretty much got stunlocked by machines and the camera acted up. Sometimes the game gives you flight units, which changes the whole setting into a shooter, which is also pretty cool and spices things up. When you play 9S, you can also hack, which is a twinstick shooter arcade mini game complete with “after three hits you are out.” I LOVED the hacking. I did nothing else with 9S. Fighting? Pfff, why fight when you can just HACK. Story and Lore I am bit conflicted about that actually. The game follows several routes. Route A felt very incomplete and barebones and left me scratching my head. That was it? That completely got fixed by Route B which showed you all the missing plot points of Route A and it is genius, because without the barebones Route A it wouldn’t have worked to get all that stuff in Route B. I absolutely adore what Route A and B do together. Then comes Route C and D... and that is what I am conflicted about. They feel... rushed? Incomplete? I don’t have the feeling that I got all that the game has to offer. The routes added some really heavy stuff and realizations, but a thing that felt off for me was that besides painting machines as not only killers in Route A/B, that seems to fall mostly flat in Route C/D. We also barely get any information about A2 and I would have liked to see more inner conflict with 2B’s memories inside of her, which was only brought back at the very end. So, I would have liked to see a bit more. I left with an aftertaste in my mouth. Ending E was done really cool though, I loved how the pods gained a sense of self and you had to attack the credits for the true ending. The characters are pretty well done. I was invested enough to care for them and want to know more about them, especially the protags, 2B, 9S and A2, so that is why I am salty that we nearly get nothing about A2. Overall Despite my criticism, the game is fantastic. I wouldn’t give it a 10/10, but a 9/10 it easily gets.

#nier automata #nier automata spoilers #nier automata reviews

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