TheRedStranger

4 hours ago, Mike Arcade said:

Much like Sonic Mania, this Plus Expansion has been officially announced! Now with a playable Amy Rose, all 12 Game Gear games, and Knuckles in Sonic CD! The latter of which REALLY should have been included in the first release.

Any thoughts? Let us know.

I like how they are bringing some solidarity to classic Sonic. 10 years ago you could play the classic games a million different ways on a million different platforms, which was both a blessing and a curse. Think about it, each port was slightly different in its qualities and novel features. This port maximizes the possibility space of these games with new gameplay features, while also making one consistent Sonic Classic product. They needed to do this for quite some time. Just need to add Sally Acorn. XP

Tabletop roleplaying has a tendency to be trend towards some vanilla flavors and genres. Everyone seems to have played mediaeval high fantasy with dungeons and dragons and all sorts of magical hijinks. Yet what else there? And more importantly how can we nuance the genre, gameplay, and tone of settings we love, but are getting a bit stale? 
 

My new system I am working on is setting agnostic, so it can be anywhere and any time. Hear some rough ideas you can add to and comment about if you like. And feel free to share your own. These are just a few present-approximate ones I have been working on. 

 

Note I am starting with these because they are the most challenging to do. Innovating on the present and how it could be different and interesting rather than a vanilla fantasy world or some space opera really makes you think deeply on what makes a world and it’s unique snap shot in time unique.  It’s challenging to try and make the “everyday” interesting. 

1. Late End of the Cold/Post-Soviet Era (1990s-2000s): Description: The world quakes at the fall of the iron curtain, and finds itself wrapped in the fiber-optic frenzy of the Information Age. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War leaves the resources of a fallen superpower ripe for exploit by evil actors, and hardliners and proxy-states aggressively scramble to maintain some semblance of their old glory. As old alliances are fall, new tensions rise. Nations forced together by a common enemy or forcibly bound to one superpower or the goeth find themselves at ethnic and social odds again, and struggle to rebuild and find their place in a laze faire world.  Terrorism, balkanization, hardliners, a rat race for loose weapons of mass destruction, and the social challenges of mass and uncensored information and unrestricted travel, both vex the world and give hope to a world wide network of free trade, cultural exchange, and mass-communication.
 

Unique Challenges/Limitations: Political and economic instability, preventing nuclear war or the black market proliferation of WMD’s, hardliner coupes and conspiracies, anarchy and criminality, balkanization, national fragmentation, and nationalistic tensions, rapid technological change, struggle reuniting long divided nations, holding authoritarian power players accountable, environmental degradation, unveiling hidden crimes against humanity.

Opportunities: Decreased isolation and increased cultural exchange, new forms of media and communication, scientific and technological advancements, expanding markets and trade, the end of socioeconomicly oppressive regulations and rules, increased transnational accountability of rogue nations.

Expected Characters: Politicians, peacekeeping soldiers, intelligence operatives, terrorists, entrepreneurs, engineers, investigative journalists, businesspeople, humanitarians, and police.

2. Peak Globalism Era (1990s-2000s): Unique Challenges/Limitations: The rise of multinational corporations, organized labor challenges, fierce economic competition, exploitative trade deals, political polarization, rapid cultural change, the rise of the internet, and global environmental issues.
 

Opportunities: The spread of democracy and human rights, the rise of freedom of information and social media, spread of medicine and technology to poor nations, increased cultural exchange and the promises of pitfalls of immigration and diversity.

Expected Characters: Businesspeople, activists, journalists, humanitarians, politicians, hackers, celebrities.

3. War on Terror Era (2000s-2010s): * Unique Challenges/Limitations: Global terrorism, military conflicts in the Middle East/ Isolationist States, political polarization and propaganda, surveillance and privacy concerns, government overreach, militarization of police, tensions due to the naïveté of globalism/pluralism. 

Opportunities: Advances in military technology and strategy, increased human rights and democracy, international cooperation and diplomacy, the rise of the smartphone and social networking.
Expected Characters: Soldiers, intelligence operatives, diplomats, activists, journalists, doctors.

Global Recession : Unique Challenges/Limitations: Economic recession, foreclosure crisis, high unemployment, increasing income inequality, homelessness and housing insecurity. Opportunities: Push for affordable housing policies, community activism and organization, advances in sustainable and eco-friendly housing, innovation in real estate and finance.

Expected Characters: Homeowners facing foreclosure, real estate agents, property managers, tenants, community activists, government officials, developers, investors, homeless, jaded criminals.

Global Pandemic:  (2020s-present): Unique Challenges/Limitations: Major pandemic, economic recession, political polarization and disinformation, social unrest. Opportunities: Technological innovation in healthcare and communication, increased focus on public health and safety, reimagining of work and education. Expected Characters: Healthcare workers, essential workers, politicians, scientists, activists, journalists.  

Populism Era (2010s-20’s):

Unique Challenges/Limitations: Global economic recessions, political polarization, political corruption, deep-state conspiracies, multi-polarization, declining standard of living and modern indentured labor, cultural decline and fake-news, social media addiction and detachment from reality, radical progressivism and reactionist traditionalist factions, natural disasters and ecological and resource crises, global pandemics such as the Covid Crisis, lock downs, and dreams of restoring old empires through invasion.

Opportunities: Advancements in technology and industry, increased social and economic reforms, national self-reliance, growth of new industries and worldviews, rise of early general AI and bioengineering.

Expected Characters: Businesspeople, politicians, activists, journalists, scientists, doctors, soldiers, freedom fighters, and refugees. 

New Gilded Age - The New Gilded Age is marked by a bizzaro economy, where the lines between government and private companies are rapidly dissolving. Legacy media outlets and corporations try to maintain their aging hold on their intellectual property and use their power to suppress, censor, and manipulate culture, current events, and even history itself. The surface-internet is curated and consider by many “dead.” And the power dynamic is uneven, with the influence of large corporations and their lobbyists in government creating an imbalance that favors their interests. In this checkered economy, there is a shortage of workers due to an aging population, while automation threatens certain types of jobs. This leaves many people unemployed or underemployed, with some labor sectors experiencing a shortage of skilled workers, while others are left without job opportunities

Unique Challenges/Limitations: Widening wealth inequality, population decline and aging, increasing political polarization, environmental degradation, job shortages and problems with automation, corporate authoritarianism, corporate-manipulation of government , technology monopolies, decreasing job security, and lack of affordable housing, cybersecurity crises. Opportunities: Technological innovation, increased global connectivity, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, environmental activism, artistic expression, and advocacy. Expected Characters: Tech executives, politicians, wealthy philanthropists, computer scientists, hackers, environmental activists, journalists, small business owners, and artists.  

The Meritocracy Era (2030s-2040s): Description: After decades of social and political upheaval, society attempts to find a new balance between individual rights and social harmony. The focus on identity politics gives way to a new era of post-woke thinking, where individuals are judged on their actions rather than their identities. However, the transition is not smooth, as some groups feel their concerns are being ignored or marginalized, yet instead engage in attempt at isolation and cession rather than trying to take over society. Activists, community leaders, politicians, social workers, and educators must navigate this uncertain landscape while trying to seize opportunities for greater social cohesion, micro-generation and self-reliant societies, a renewed emphasis on community and shared values, patriotism, and a focus on addressing societal issues rather than individual grievances. Unique Challenges/Limitations: After decades of social and political upheaval, society is attempting to find a new balance between individual rights and social harmony. The focus on identity politics has given way to a new era of post-woke thinking, where individuals are judged on their actions rather than their identities. However, the transition is not smooth, as some groups feel their concerns are being ignored or marginalized, yet instead engage in attempt at isolation and cession rather Opportunities: Greater social cohesion, micro-generation and self reliant societies, a renewed emphasis on community and shared values, patriotism, a focus on addressing societal issues rather than individual grievances. Expected Characters: Activists, community leaders, politicians, social workers, and educators.  
 

Bio-Revolution-

Second Space Race -  (2030s-2050s): Unique Challenges/Limitations: Limited resources and technology, harsh and dangerous environment, distance from Earth and isolation, potential conflicts with other spacefaring nations or corporations, potential ethical concerns regarding the treatment of colonized planets and their inhabitants. Opportunities: The potential for scientific discovery and exploration, the creation of new industries and economic opportunities, the establishment of new societies and cultures, the potential for international cooperation and diplomacy. Expected Characters: Astronauts, engineers, scientists, colonists, diplomats, explorers.

@Mike Arcade @WarTraveller

 I am starting with just you two. I am using a custom rule system. It’s novel style. Prose are rewarded. You have one main action, reaction, an interaction with the world around you, and are free to talk at least a full paragraph a turn. Internal dialogue and prosey feels stuff can be a bit longer. I will decide if I need to get on you for being to “purple” about your characters feelings and thought life. You know the drill. Explained a lot on Discord.

If there is a lot of back and forth in the writing, I will blend it all together smoothly in a Google Doc I will post up here.

Time to make our character sheets. Now, are we going original characters? Or the “dragged into this new reality” type of play, where you play your own selves? I rarely do this - but I recommend the latter for this game. 

 @WarTravellerYou got those bootleg pics of "nurples the Enchillda?" XD

On 5/28/2022 at 12:21 PM, MoKat said:

Darn. So much for gettin' rid of Bill Gates, Hilary Clinton, Klaus Schwab & George Soros...

That is how you get a weird butter-fly effect where Mitch McConnell is the president. XP

On 9/20/2022 at 1:52 PM, MoKat said:

No errors today ^.^

Tell me if it happens again. I did some more upgrades. Next time it happens just send me an @. This flew right by me.

On 9/28/2022 at 2:55 PM, MoKat said:

Here's Why The PS2 Is Even Better In 2022 [Spawn Wave]

 

 

I saw this the other day and was fascinated by it. Combine this with an HDMI mod and its truly a formidable console. Though, I prefer to play mine classically on my CRTV.

 @Mike Arcade What type of GM would you say I am?

Watched my first anime all the way through, Yu-Yu Hakusho. It's the only anime that kept my attention and I have unironically enjoyed, and felt something for the characters. I really feel like it rushes away from its initial idea to quick, with the protagonist dead and needing to get his body back, which includes a random side character never seen again in the story with zero impact to the arc, and a random arson that never gets explained (though easily could have tied into some future plots). Some story elements are under-cooked, which is overcompensated for for some classic anime smaltz and flashy animation. And it does loose a lot of steam with its second main villain, and final arc becoming another tournament arc. But honestly, its a great cartoon with grit and intriguing characters, especially with their character dynamics and their dynamic character development. Screw DBZ...this show deserves a re-imaging. It's characters are just a blast, they just deserve more robust plots to keep playing with. That...and it needs a bit more detective work, seeing how Urameshi is a "spirit detective."

Ready for Halloween Stream? @Nagol

6 hours ago, MoKat said:

Heh, I'm not a fan of Sonic X

Me neither, and that is my generation. I came back to the fandom because of Satam. Heroes pulled me out and Shadow The Hedgehog. I wanted adventure and plot, not sugar or edge, as a I got older like with those those respective over-correcting titles. Out of that "tangled mess" of Sonic material he wished to normalize into one tapioca narrative, Satam was the core of identity of what Sonic can be. And he tossed it, ironically, that lead Sonic to be just what he criticized, tonally, a "tanlged mess" until the Modern era. Werehogs and kissing human's anyone? XD As much as I love all Sonic more than I did years back, I just can't depart from the truth that Satam Sonic is more Sonic than any other iteration.  Though I have high hopes for the postmodern era, the Paramount movies understands Sonic more than Sonic Team does.

The Downfall of Racoon City in the style of John Martin. I painted this one today digitally with the help of an AI (mid Journey) to emulate the textures of Martin’s work and compile a loose underpainting via a lot of samples. It's really speeds up the process. Going to probably project this and make an oil painting. I am actually considering doing a series of oil paintings done in the classic Style of History Paintings, yet instead of stuff from Greek Myths and such, doing modern myths on a grand scale. Click the image for the more high-res versions.

@Nagol@MoKat Thoughts on this?

Stuff I have lying around that I did or was commissioned to make. Oh yeah, I made our logo. XP

I will add some more stuff here and there. Honestly, wanted to make sure everyone else posted stuff first and foremost before I ever did. @Wulfsbane @Mike Arcade But if I waited for these two, I'd look like that skeleton by the time they did. XP  Do note I have detailed PNG's of these files that look less saturated and more detailed, but I may sell them as prints. The logo is PNG. Feel free to downloaded as a screen saver or whatever.

11x14cut4Jordan.svg

On 8/24/2022 at 3:30 PM, MoKat said:

You ask that after posting a video about -GM- styles?

Whoops. It que jumped to the next in the playlist. Thanks for catching that. Wanted to ask that as well though. What type of GM are you Kat?

Which type of player are you?

Trust me, you will have fun with this. Start looking to mediums and it will add a whole new dimension to your acrylics. That and pour painting could be another road to follow for more complexity for your  backgrounds. 
 

@Mike Arcadeand @Wulfsbane

Mokat is really showing you off boys. Where is your sketches and doodles? I’m waiting. XP

You are getting better and more prolific. I can tell it’s becoming easier for you to paint. It’s daunting at first, but once you start to get the feel for a medium and how it reacts, you really start to feel more comfortable with broadening your horizons. Your minimalist approach ironically is going to help you become a better artist. 
 

 I think you should experiment with dimensionality now in your paints. Time to break out the pallet knives. Perhaps a landscape with down references. Knothole perhaps? Satam has some gorgeous background cells.

If you could have a full conversion for one Tabletop RP for Satam, which would it be @Wulfsbane?

On 2/7/2022 at 12:43 PM, MoKat said:

Most recent project...

Dunno if I wanna add the eyebrows now; I kinda like how he looks without them.

Character design wise the lack of eyebrows create a tension and ambiguity, while eyebrows can convey extra emotion and thus character. With positive aesthetic signifies, like creamy and vibrant warm colors, and cutesy art, a subtractive design adds the ability for the viewer to interpolate positive emotions to the material. Look at Hello Kitty. In this case, a lack of emotional information creates a darker tension. You are not sure of the character's intentions, and that uncanny valley between a school and a happy bear, thrusts one in the "uncanny valley" where we don't know if the character is safe to be around, and we question their motives. I would say the choice is purely matters on what you wish to focus on, if you want to really show the internalness of the character, more emotional signifiers the better. Want to focus on the feeling of being in the presence of something spooky, go with ambiguity. 

On 7/27/2022 at 9:11 AM, Mike Arcade said:

So this new render for Sonic Frontiers came out recently. Gotta say it’s probably the best Official render of Sonic I’ve seen in years.

Really hope to see the world more populated and alive.

On 7/11/2022 at 2:31 PM, MoKat said:

Reading a checklist of autistic traits in girls and women was like reading a profile written specifically about me. I took a test online called the aspie quiz and had an unexpectedly high score. Thanks to being extremely lucky to have my husband’s work health insurance, I only had to wait a month for a diagnostic appointment where a clinical psychologist confirmed my suspicion that I was never lazy, spoiled, rude, dramatic or any of the other self-loathing labels now stuck to me with metaphorical superglue. I was autistic. And, according to the clinical psychologist, it was a miracle that I’d survived this far and carved out a place for myself in a society that isn’t built for me.

 It's common chatter nowadays that Autism is largely under-diagnosed in women. Yet with all the attempts at gender politics and such, I am not sure how scientifically accurate that claim is, compared to social movements that need intersectional narratives like that for political capital. It seems "political incorrect" to "genderize" autism but honestly, if men are indeed more likely to have it (like myself) then it could be a key empirical truth to better mitigating and understanding its issues. I would like to look deeper into that claim, given our current social milieu and its more non-scientific ulterior motives that could be there. There is a good case for many males to be under-diagnosed with certain mental conditions, such as BPD and GAD, and the hypothesis seems more intuitive, that men simply don't talk about their feelings as much to other people, and usually don't seek help for diagnosis. They usually try to "work out" their issues, rather than connect to others in a more social support group about said issues. Hence high-functioning and successful men having side issues like overeating and alcoholism (like Pelosi's husband), and more low functioning men expressing really making maladaptive choices (like your average school shooter, who is typically a man).

On 7/1/2022 at 2:09 PM, MoKat said:

Why Lightyear Bombed At The Box Office, And What We Can Learn From It [Slashfilm]

"Get creative"? Sounds like a euphamism for "go Woke" to me 🙃

So are they admitting this was a movie nobody asked for?

 

It did not do well at all. Some even called it Contemptuous.

On 4/27/2022 at 10:58 AM, MoKat said:

New paintings:

Really like the middle one. I think you should experiment with ink layers on top of your paintings. You seem to be trending towards a Japanese aesthetic. The tiger would be deeply accentuated by a clean black brush pen. 

On 6/21/2022 at 3:52 PM, MoKat said:

Since when was there a tank in the Backrooms?

 

Lot of weird stuff shows up in these internet trends, simply because there is no filter but time and collective reaction . There is no gatekeeper, so in the short term bad ideas get to float around a lot longer in the creative content like a bad flu bug. Good thing is that it filters out, and usually parody hilariously accelerates the process, almost like a weakened germ in a vaccine. So a creative idea on the internet that makes fun of itself basically acts like an inoculation against more stupidly silly ideas. It really helps you see what tone and feel the emergent material is really inclining  towards. It’s weird, unlike mass media creative content where it is more like building, and centrally planning, these new creative internet trends are more organic and more like farming and animal husbandry. You react to the crop and how it reacts to a very complex natural ecosystem. 
 

SCP had some really stupid concepts early in the making of the trend. For example Telekill was really overpowered and spammed against all telekinetic and telepathic SCP’s. Now it’s toxic to certain parts of people’s brains overtime, so there is good downsides to make it more like a Rock Paper Scissors conflict of what to use and when, or else something bad can happen. The parody’s and joke SCP’s thread really helped excellerate and proliferate critiques of such items, influencing them be deleted or reformed.