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Anonymous asked:

Sent this ask a while ago but I think Tumblr ate it so here it is:

In which stage of game development are relationships between characters decided? Asking this because I recently found an old Final Fantasy VII relationship chart and originally some characters were supposed to have completely different bonds compared to the ones they ended up having in the actual game. These seem to be quite important plot points, so I assume that final decisions should be made before creating cutscenes? Or you can change stuff later if devs come up with better ideas?

The importance of the narrative depends primarily on how important the narrative is to the game. For a game like Overwatch, where the core gameplay is team pvp, the narrative is a lot less important and things like relationships are generally prioritized. It matters more that each character fills the specific gameplay needs of a team-based pvp shooter than it matters that these characters are brothers or that group has a rivalry with this one. In a situation like Overwatch, the narrative tends to be more like the glue that holds the bigger parts of the game together - it's decided on later once the big decisions have been made (e.g. we are locking in a flying rocket character and a fast teleporting character).

The important thing to think about when it comes to development is that we can't build the game sequentially, we have to build as much of the game in parallel as we can. This means we have to start work on the things that take the longest as early as possible (e.g. building environments, creating animations and rigs, building the technology), and then do the things that take less time to complete later. For features like cutscenes, it depends on how much difficulty it takes to build the cutscenes. In the original FF7, the FMV sequences were set in stone. Making changes to pre-rendered FMV was untenable, so everything in the FMV sequences had to be locked in very early on in order to get it all done on time. The in-game bits - the low-poly characters moving, talking, and animating - were cheaper and easier to build, so they could be changed significantly later in the dev cycle. Today such things would be much more difficult due to the necessity of voice acting and the difficulty of getting the voice actors back into the recording booth.

When we're in deadlines, we have deadlines - this is the last day for us to make changes to the feature we're working on. That could mean combat, it could mean itemization, it could mean summoning magic, it could mean narrative, it could mean cutscenes/cinematics. After that deadline passes, we commit to fixing bugs with what we have and not making any more changes or additions, no matter how good the ideas are. If we can always make changes forever, we'll never ship the game. As the inestimable Dolly Parton said, "Sometimes you need to to tinkle or get off the potty."

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#game production#narrative design#how things work
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Anonymous asked:

Could you do a shipping chart for Lifeweaver from Overwatch? He’s still very new but is already really popular

Hi anon! Unfortunately the sample size is too small for this analysis. Lifeweaver is shipped with Symmetra in 5 stories, Ramattra in 4 stories, Cole Cassidy in 2 stories, and has some 1 story fics with many characters. Please ask me again when Lifeweaver gets some more attention in fanfic!

#lifeweaver#overwatch
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Unfairly Maligned Games, Vol. 1

Games I loved that got low scores, review bombed, or have some other weird negative stigma attached to them that I think is unfairly earned.

NOTE: I don't believe in giving games a number score or a letter grade. Maybe I'm just bad at criticism or very easy to please, whatever.

Battleborn [2016]

One of my personal favorite games of all time, Battleborn was advertised as a hero-based PVP shooter with MOBA mechanics that unfortunately came out right alongside one of the biggest games of the PVP shooter genre ever released (Overwatch). Thanks to this poor timing, Battleborn - along with several other similar but different games - was doomed to failure, choked to death by Blizzard's infinite marketing resources and predatory Free Play Weekends that just mysteriously happened to occur on the same weekends as its "competitors" major updates, DLC releases, promo events, etc. Battleborn is no longer available to play ANYWHERE as of January 2021; so few people played it after it was review bombed as "the game your mom bought you when you asked for Ovewatch for xmas" (yes Blizz fans used that fucking Simpsons meme TO DEATH, it's their one joke they have about Battleborn) that the game's servers had to be shuttered so the money could be funneled into Gearbox's much bigger cash cow release at the time, Borderlands 3.

Sour grapes aside, Battleborn was in many ways the game that many people actually wish Overwatch was now. In addition to the PVP game, Battleborn had a co-op campaign mode - complete with a story, cutscenes, and unique character dialogue depending on who you brought to each mission - which could be played for character XP (ability tree unlocks), random gear loot (for use in either campaign mode or PVP), and character cosmetics. The 30 playable characters were wildly varied in terms of design and gameplay, and yes I have to point it out every time, Battleborn had both "cute tiny animal in a mech suit" and playable black women BEFORE Overwatch did. The game also featured a very impressive and highly slept-on visual aesthetic that felt like every Saturday Morning Cartoon I ever grew up with from the 80s/90s, featuring a wild blend of 3D and 2D animation that all the other hero PVP games WISH they could have matched.

And damn, dude. If you like Lore in your video games, there was a TON of material written for this one. And I'm not just talking about supplemental media like a comic or a wiki or an interview about cut content or whatever. I mean there was a metric FUCK TON of additional world-building material right there in the game. Each character came with a set of challenges you could complete which would give you the usual XP and money, but also unlocked a fun little tidbit of Lore about the universe. These came in the form of short stories, recorded conversations, email logs, forum posts, shipping manifests, and even fully voiced segments explaining details about each character, who they were, why they were fighting this war, and some fun little ways of explaining how their weapons or abilities worked. For example, Reyna holds her laser pistol on its side, gangster-style, because she wanted to use a very specific gun model, had its internal parts stripped out so she could use an ammo clip of a much stronger caliber than that model was supposed to be capable of, but in order for the chamber to reload correctly, the gun had to sit a bit cockeyed. And that fun little nugget is just sitting there, right in the game, for you to discover! It's fucking cool as hell!

Now I know you're itching to make a joke about there only being like 15 people who even played the game. Yes, I've seen the Active Player Steam charts meme. It's true, Battleborn had a very small, but also very dedicated, community. Despite that, there were so few people playing that we all ended up making friends with each other pretty quickly. It was one of the friendliest PVP communities I'd ever been a part of. We knew there weren't many people online, so we created an environment that felt comfortable for players new and veteran alike. Many of us are still friends today, outside of the game. Because there were so few people online, we also got to play regularly with Gearbox devs and game writers, and even one of the voice actors responsible for at least three of the game's characters (plus a few NPCs!). We organized and hosted our own events, got official backing from the devs for Double XP weekends, held art jams and hashtag celebrations. Hell, I even used my love of this game to jumpstart my serious foray into music by making an entire album of songs for its characters (complete with a bunch of commissioned fan art from the community)!

(art by Leaddybum)

So yeah. Rest in peace, Battleborn. You were ahead of your time and the hate and harassment you got from The Gamers was completely undeserved. I will always keep hope alive that you'll come back to us some day. Maybe as a sequel, maybe in a new format. There was so much more left to explore in that universe.

May our battle never end.

#unfairly maligned games#battleborn#ask me about this game motherfucker#TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS GAME#I dare you to come at me cause I will preach my love of this game forever and a day#also it's 2023 and OVERWATCH STILL SUCKS SHIT#FUCK YOU BLIZZARD
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overwatch shipping chart go brrrr (prolly forgot some ships but oh well)

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ship chart with spuriken bc the hyperfix is strong yall

explanation for some:

- the “cis man (?)” is because i am a gender queer cassidy truther, like the whole name change just kinda feels like a deadname lol

- i truly believe that cassidy and genji are so awkward in social situations, just going off the voice lines in game they both handle conversations very passively.. almost as if theyre avoiding conflict.

- i did however classify their extroversion and introversion based on if they gain more energy from being around people or vice versa. definitely see genji actively seeking breaks from group settings especially after missions and cassidy immediately understanding and checking on him a bit later (blackwatch buddies!!!!)

- genji is big spoon, cole is a big ass heater you already know it

- genuinely think that throughout the entirety of blackwatch, cassidy was immediately head over heels but out of respect for his situation and general CSD (chicken shit disorder) he never had the balls to admit it. genji on the other hand saw cole as attractive but only saw him as a cute coworker. i feel like something clicked like he just saw him in a different light for a split second and he immediately had to get his feelings off his chest.

- i dont think they fight all too often, sometimes over moral differences (like hanzo’s redemption..) but are quick to understand the other’s point of view and come to an easy conclusion.

- cole is totes easily jealous bc genji just has a way of creating close and intimate relationships with people and not realize romantic connotations. like his playboy past (and autism, dont even get me started) he genuinely is a great person to connect with, and sometimes cole struggles with recognizing that genji only has eyes for him. (autism x autism)

- after blackwatch it’s obvious the two spent a very long time separated, i think with the hiatus in their relationship they were slow to adjust post-overwatch reunion. like genji’s only outside contact was angela, so i do think he has the habit of stayinh alone in small nooks around the watchpoint where only cassidy is able to find him. but i do think they eventually get over it and get attached at the hip

- literally i mean, i do think their PDA levels are off the charts, not like make out in public but more like open displays. genji’s hand on coles waist, cole placing his hat on genji, leaning and resting on each other. i dont think it took the rest of overwatch long to realize they were not just close friends

#overwatch#overwatch 2#cole cassidy#genji shimada#spuriken#genssidy#mcgenji#i physically needed to talk about this its so crucial to me yall#i wanna be like ‘they break up every 4 days’ but in reality they are both grown men with awful pasts who just want to be understood#im gonna start posting my spuriken headcanons i need these out of my brain
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CHAPTER III PART I

Pom Pom Archipellica ⤬ February 9th 10AM 1706.

There’s something bittersweet about the departure from Pom Pom Archipellica for the crew. After all, most of their days were spent in relative peace and anonymity; there were no prying marine eyes and an abundance of peace that felt like the sweetest slumber after their stints in prison. And yet, to reach their desires, settling for the humdrum was out of the question. On the 9th, the crew sail aboard from their brand new vessel. 
The ocean welcomes them with a soothing calmness, the gentle waves lapping back and forth against the ship as it swims along the currents. Navigation was easier than expected and the crew seemed keen on exploring every crevice of their new ship. But it isn’t long before that too became a bore. The sea feels endless. The waves beckon like a never ending abyss as each day passed and the horizon remained unchanged. If the crew had been any smaller; perhaps they would have began to drive each other insane. 
Small incidents occurred on board, from a few rancid dishes to stolen soaps, the bickering and chatting somehow managed to remind them of what freedom was like. The simplicity of such things seemed mundane and the days that passed almost made them all forget of their time at Os Ferventis. Even those who were spared of the hell had been trapped in a seemingly endless wandering that led them nowhere. And yet now that they had gathered together aboard the Night Howler, something greater than Gods seemed to beckon them closer. 
“How much fucking longer?” CHILD OF FLAMES is antsy, having grown tired of the same watery view. 
“Shut up,” their designated navigator disgruntled by the interruption. MADAME MASSACRE continues to chart the sea while CROOKED HOUND steers. GOD KILLER and DEMON EATER overwatch the process, observing and awaiting any shift in view. 
“Feels like an eternity,” FLOWER OF ICE mumbles, swinging her feet from atop a table as she looks out. The horizon appears to be empty of anything until CHEMICAL PEARL shouts loudly in declaration at the sight of new found land. 

[ NOW ENTERING  MYLYDOS]

#chapter three.#chapter three: mylydos part I.#chapter three: mylydos.#all chapters.
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So, A few notes. I saw one of these today, so I decided to make my own. Some ships are missing, of course, but these are just the ones I currently know off. So once again, a few notes:

Note 1: My Otps/Ot3s:

Widowtracer/ Blueberry Lemon Tea

D.va/Sombra (I think it’s called Cyberbunny or Somb.va? Yes, I Know, weird ship)

Pharmercy

Overdads (Or Reaper76)

Note 2: The Sombra/Brigette ship and Ouihaw (Or Ashe/Widowmaker) ship are crack ships. Yes, I do actually like these ships, or at least think they are fine.

Note 3:

I am a multishipper, if you were wondering. Yes, I will be making fanart for a few of these ships, so if you want fanart of a rarepair (nothing under Please Don’t), I could make it for you. Tell me request under Ask Me Something!

#overwatch#shipping#widowtracer#blueberry lemon tea#cyberbunny#somb.va#pharmercy#overdads#reaper76#ships#ship chart#i am so sorry
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