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Tales from the Tabletop: My Greatest Play
Posted a year agoHere I am posting another journal that's more of me just typing out thoughts for the fun of it, here to be read by whoever feels inclined. Hopefully I can at least make this a bit of an entertaining read.
Those that know me know I'm a fan of tabletop board games and I've played a good variety over the years. While I have no shortage of memories of fun board games, there are some games that stick out to me because of really memorable moments from those games. While left to my own thoughts I remembered a moment from one game that (as far as I can remember) probably takes the trophy of "my greatest play".
The board game in question was Twilight Imperium, where I had gathered five of my friends to play it with me for the first time over my Birthday. For those that don't know, Twilight Imperium is a game of galactic conquest for 2 - 6 players, played on a large board of hexagon tiles, each tile representing a sector of space that has planets, asteroid fields, or other spacial anomalies. Every player takes control of a unique race, each with their own special racial/faction abilities, and attempts to prove they are worthy of leading the galaxy by gaining 10 victory points through completing objectives that are revealed over the course of the game. Players build and move fleets to conquer planets and battle each other for control over sectors of space but the game is as much of a social experience as it is a 'war game'. You can trade resources with other players, make deals, offer agreements, and at the end of each round everyone comes together in a Galactic Council to cast votes on whether new galactic policies or laws will pass or fail. And that's about as quick an explanation of what the game is and how it works as I think is needed here.
For anyone curious that knows the game, here were the races involved in this particular game. This was everyone's first time playing:
The Federation of Sol (Humans. Played by me!)
The Xxcha Kingdom (space turtles)
The Barony of Letnev (angry blue people)
The Yssaril Tribes (little green goblins)
The Emirates of Hacan (lion-people merchants)
Sardakk N'orr (bugs)
I won't go over every bit of how the game played out from start to finish but suffice to say that we got into the game pretty quickly. Everyone moved out from their home systems to start expanding their territory and gain more resources. Several players made a beeline for the central planet of the whole board: Mecatol Rex. Mecatol Rex is basically Twilight Imperium's version of Coruscant from Star Wars. It's the center of government in the galaxy and once it's been taken, the Galactic Council will start meeting at the end of each game round. I didn't have an easy path to Mecatol so I focused on securing my territory and trying to complete the first few objectives that had been revealed.
I made a peace deal with the Xxcha Kingdom to my right by offering not to try invading and starting a war with them (though we did have a bit of planet control deals going on between us that nearly broke out into war when I had to hold onto one of their planets for one more turn than I originally planned to). The Sardakk N'orr were to my immediate right and my peace agreement with them was basically me offering whatever they wanted to ensure that they didn't immediately start attacking me for extra territory. Thankfully, my pleading worked and the bugs directed their aggression towards the poor space goblins.
The other side of the galaxy quickly devolved into mass combat, with the unfortunate Yssaril Tribes getting beat back by the Sardakk N'orr and the Emirates of Hacan. Hacan and the Barony also frequently got into skirmishes with each other. There was never peace between those two but rather breaks in the fighting as both sides needed to rebuild their fleets to go at it again. But eventually the Barony and the Sardakk rose as the two most prominent military powers in the galaxy. The Barony in particular had amassed a rather terrifying fleet that would undoubtedly win almost any straight-up engagement. They were a threat to everyone so it became a careful dance to not overly antagonize the Barony while still not letting them have their way completely.
It was around this time in the game I made my play.
I don't consider myself a very 'smart' or 'clever' player when it comes to board games. Especially games that involve some level of tactics or social interactions. I'm very much the kind of player that will try to use brute force to solve a problem or only risk a battle when I've got overwhelming numbers or an obvious advantage. I'm also pretty easy to read so any attempts at deception in social games are hard for me to keep hidden. I act very much in the now and not so much thinking about the turns ahead. And the players I was playing with were objectively 'smarter' than me and were very good in board games themselves. But this was our first time playing Twilight Imperium so we were all still learning how best to play the game.
I'm putting this out there just so that it's clear that I don't often make smart plays or what I think are smart plays. But in this instance, I remember this as being the smartest, most clever play I'd made in a game like this because one choice caused the rest of the game play out exactly as I planned.
I had built up a sizeable fleet of my own and was sending it to take control of Mecatol Rex while some of my smaller fleets protected the main body of my territory. Control of Mecatol Rex would provide me strong voting power in the Galactic Council phase of the game, but it would also give me a victory point every round to keep pushing me towards a victory. The problem was that I had to move my main fleet to the tile right next to the Barony's main fleet. If they decided to attack me it was going to be a bloodbath. I had more fighters in my fleet to take hits and protect my Flagship and other big ships, but the Barony had more raw firepower. If it came down to a fight it could have gone either way but the scales tipped closer to the Barony and I would lose my strongest fighting force and best chance to work towards a victory, and no doubt Xxcha and Sardakk would take advantage and snatch up my unprotected systems while I recovered.
However, at the end of the same round that I had moved my fleet close to theirs, an Arms Reduction directive was brought up before the Galactic Council. If passed, this policy would force everyone to destroy all but 2 of their Dreadnought ships and all but 4 of their Cruiser ships. The Barony's main fleet had 5 dreadnoughts in it and multiple cruisers. Everyone else either had 3 or less dreadnoughts so the directive wouldn't hurt them much, if at all. When this directive passed it would cripple the Barony's strongest fleet and leave them vulnerable. Voting began and one by one everyone cast their votes for the obvious choice, with the Barony using all their votes to push against the directive from passing.
In Twilight Imperium, control of planets gives resources to build ships and ground forces but planets can also provide a number of votes to put towards the Galactic Council. So the more planets you control, the more potential voting power you have in order to swing new policies, laws, and directives in your favor.
It came to my turn to vote. Already most of the players were celebrating their apparent victory while the Barony player was already slumped down in defeat. The choice was obvious: send a little support in passing the directive and the Barony wouldn't have a strong enough fleet to stop me from taking and holding Mecatol Rex, they would need time to recover, and they'd be too busy defending from the Hacan trying to take their territory.
But then I had a few thoughts.
By this point in the game I hadn't done anything to upset the Barony player. I hadn't attacked their systems, I hadn't made any debilitating deals with their enemies, I had made it clear I wasn't bringing a fleet to take their planets, and they didn't seem to show much interest in taking Mecatol Rex for their own. So if they weren't interested in going after me, why should I be worried about their fleet? Maybe this was a chance to get good will with the player who had the biggest stick?
Without saying a word I cast my votes against the directive. The other players immediately stopped their cheering and immediately began asking what I was doing. I simply answered "I have a plan". With the planets I had under my control combined with what the Barony controlled, the two of us had enough votes to outnumber the four other players and the directive failed, allowing the Barony to keep their fleet and their fighting strength.
I never made any deal with the Barony player, and he never asked me to do what I did. I didn't want to say anything and tip the others off to what I was trying to make happen and risk the wrath of the other players for my choice. Wordlessly, I had nudged a gun over to my enemy and my actions helped ensure enough unsaid goodwill that he would point that gun at anyone but me. He was already obsessed with fighting the Hacan, and the Barony keeping their fleet would keep those two fighting each other for the rest of the game. In addition, it meant there was a rival military power that the Sardakk N'orr couldn't ignore, and it forced them to keep the bulk of their forces in the parts of the galaxy that were closer to the Barony rather than me and my main territory. If they wanted to take retribution on me for my choice they would have to move their fleets out of ideal positions just to get some attacks on me, leaving them vulnerable not just to the Barony but any other players that might see undefended territory as easy opportunities.
At the same time many of the other players now had their eyes, worries, and military might focused on the Barony. The Barony was strong but being attacked from multiple sides of their territory from multiple different enemies would whittle them down until they weren't a threat. And it came with the added bonus of other players keeping their attention on the Barony instead of me. I'd given them the weapon and also set them up for the fall at the same time.
There was no guarantee that the Barony wouldn't immediately turn on me and attack at the start of their next turn. Like I said, there was never a deal made and what I did was an enormous gamble that could backfire in my face tremendously. But during the next round when it came to the Barony's turn, they moved their fleet away from mine to get into a better position to fight and defend from the Hacan. I moved in to Mecatol Rex and took out the meager Yssaril Tribes force that defended it's space and ground, taking control of the center of galactic power in the galaxy to start gaining additional victory points.
My risky gamble had paid off. While the Barony, Hacan, Sardak, and Yssaril all exhausted their forces fighting each other, the Federation of Sol quietly completed more objectives and secured vital territory. With one simple choice, I set entire galactic powers on a course that they didn't even know I had put them on. It felt amazing and was by far the most clever game playing I've ever done and remains my greatest play in my tabletop gaming history. At least for now.
My only rival in for a victory was the Xxcha Kingdom who managed to equally fly under the radar. And the way that game ended with the Federation and Xxcha both on the cusp of victory was a story all of its own. But maybe that'll be for another long journal.
Those that know me know I'm a fan of tabletop board games and I've played a good variety over the years. While I have no shortage of memories of fun board games, there are some games that stick out to me because of really memorable moments from those games. While left to my own thoughts I remembered a moment from one game that (as far as I can remember) probably takes the trophy of "my greatest play".
The board game in question was Twilight Imperium, where I had gathered five of my friends to play it with me for the first time over my Birthday. For those that don't know, Twilight Imperium is a game of galactic conquest for 2 - 6 players, played on a large board of hexagon tiles, each tile representing a sector of space that has planets, asteroid fields, or other spacial anomalies. Every player takes control of a unique race, each with their own special racial/faction abilities, and attempts to prove they are worthy of leading the galaxy by gaining 10 victory points through completing objectives that are revealed over the course of the game. Players build and move fleets to conquer planets and battle each other for control over sectors of space but the game is as much of a social experience as it is a 'war game'. You can trade resources with other players, make deals, offer agreements, and at the end of each round everyone comes together in a Galactic Council to cast votes on whether new galactic policies or laws will pass or fail. And that's about as quick an explanation of what the game is and how it works as I think is needed here.
For anyone curious that knows the game, here were the races involved in this particular game. This was everyone's first time playing:
The Federation of Sol (Humans. Played by me!)
The Xxcha Kingdom (space turtles)
The Barony of Letnev (angry blue people)
The Yssaril Tribes (little green goblins)
The Emirates of Hacan (lion-people merchants)
Sardakk N'orr (bugs)
I won't go over every bit of how the game played out from start to finish but suffice to say that we got into the game pretty quickly. Everyone moved out from their home systems to start expanding their territory and gain more resources. Several players made a beeline for the central planet of the whole board: Mecatol Rex. Mecatol Rex is basically Twilight Imperium's version of Coruscant from Star Wars. It's the center of government in the galaxy and once it's been taken, the Galactic Council will start meeting at the end of each game round. I didn't have an easy path to Mecatol so I focused on securing my territory and trying to complete the first few objectives that had been revealed.
I made a peace deal with the Xxcha Kingdom to my right by offering not to try invading and starting a war with them (though we did have a bit of planet control deals going on between us that nearly broke out into war when I had to hold onto one of their planets for one more turn than I originally planned to). The Sardakk N'orr were to my immediate right and my peace agreement with them was basically me offering whatever they wanted to ensure that they didn't immediately start attacking me for extra territory. Thankfully, my pleading worked and the bugs directed their aggression towards the poor space goblins.
The other side of the galaxy quickly devolved into mass combat, with the unfortunate Yssaril Tribes getting beat back by the Sardakk N'orr and the Emirates of Hacan. Hacan and the Barony also frequently got into skirmishes with each other. There was never peace between those two but rather breaks in the fighting as both sides needed to rebuild their fleets to go at it again. But eventually the Barony and the Sardakk rose as the two most prominent military powers in the galaxy. The Barony in particular had amassed a rather terrifying fleet that would undoubtedly win almost any straight-up engagement. They were a threat to everyone so it became a careful dance to not overly antagonize the Barony while still not letting them have their way completely.
It was around this time in the game I made my play.
I don't consider myself a very 'smart' or 'clever' player when it comes to board games. Especially games that involve some level of tactics or social interactions. I'm very much the kind of player that will try to use brute force to solve a problem or only risk a battle when I've got overwhelming numbers or an obvious advantage. I'm also pretty easy to read so any attempts at deception in social games are hard for me to keep hidden. I act very much in the now and not so much thinking about the turns ahead. And the players I was playing with were objectively 'smarter' than me and were very good in board games themselves. But this was our first time playing Twilight Imperium so we were all still learning how best to play the game.
I'm putting this out there just so that it's clear that I don't often make smart plays or what I think are smart plays. But in this instance, I remember this as being the smartest, most clever play I'd made in a game like this because one choice caused the rest of the game play out exactly as I planned.
I had built up a sizeable fleet of my own and was sending it to take control of Mecatol Rex while some of my smaller fleets protected the main body of my territory. Control of Mecatol Rex would provide me strong voting power in the Galactic Council phase of the game, but it would also give me a victory point every round to keep pushing me towards a victory. The problem was that I had to move my main fleet to the tile right next to the Barony's main fleet. If they decided to attack me it was going to be a bloodbath. I had more fighters in my fleet to take hits and protect my Flagship and other big ships, but the Barony had more raw firepower. If it came down to a fight it could have gone either way but the scales tipped closer to the Barony and I would lose my strongest fighting force and best chance to work towards a victory, and no doubt Xxcha and Sardakk would take advantage and snatch up my unprotected systems while I recovered.
However, at the end of the same round that I had moved my fleet close to theirs, an Arms Reduction directive was brought up before the Galactic Council. If passed, this policy would force everyone to destroy all but 2 of their Dreadnought ships and all but 4 of their Cruiser ships. The Barony's main fleet had 5 dreadnoughts in it and multiple cruisers. Everyone else either had 3 or less dreadnoughts so the directive wouldn't hurt them much, if at all. When this directive passed it would cripple the Barony's strongest fleet and leave them vulnerable. Voting began and one by one everyone cast their votes for the obvious choice, with the Barony using all their votes to push against the directive from passing.
In Twilight Imperium, control of planets gives resources to build ships and ground forces but planets can also provide a number of votes to put towards the Galactic Council. So the more planets you control, the more potential voting power you have in order to swing new policies, laws, and directives in your favor.
It came to my turn to vote. Already most of the players were celebrating their apparent victory while the Barony player was already slumped down in defeat. The choice was obvious: send a little support in passing the directive and the Barony wouldn't have a strong enough fleet to stop me from taking and holding Mecatol Rex, they would need time to recover, and they'd be too busy defending from the Hacan trying to take their territory.
But then I had a few thoughts.
By this point in the game I hadn't done anything to upset the Barony player. I hadn't attacked their systems, I hadn't made any debilitating deals with their enemies, I had made it clear I wasn't bringing a fleet to take their planets, and they didn't seem to show much interest in taking Mecatol Rex for their own. So if they weren't interested in going after me, why should I be worried about their fleet? Maybe this was a chance to get good will with the player who had the biggest stick?
Without saying a word I cast my votes against the directive. The other players immediately stopped their cheering and immediately began asking what I was doing. I simply answered "I have a plan". With the planets I had under my control combined with what the Barony controlled, the two of us had enough votes to outnumber the four other players and the directive failed, allowing the Barony to keep their fleet and their fighting strength.
I never made any deal with the Barony player, and he never asked me to do what I did. I didn't want to say anything and tip the others off to what I was trying to make happen and risk the wrath of the other players for my choice. Wordlessly, I had nudged a gun over to my enemy and my actions helped ensure enough unsaid goodwill that he would point that gun at anyone but me. He was already obsessed with fighting the Hacan, and the Barony keeping their fleet would keep those two fighting each other for the rest of the game. In addition, it meant there was a rival military power that the Sardakk N'orr couldn't ignore, and it forced them to keep the bulk of their forces in the parts of the galaxy that were closer to the Barony rather than me and my main territory. If they wanted to take retribution on me for my choice they would have to move their fleets out of ideal positions just to get some attacks on me, leaving them vulnerable not just to the Barony but any other players that might see undefended territory as easy opportunities.
At the same time many of the other players now had their eyes, worries, and military might focused on the Barony. The Barony was strong but being attacked from multiple sides of their territory from multiple different enemies would whittle them down until they weren't a threat. And it came with the added bonus of other players keeping their attention on the Barony instead of me. I'd given them the weapon and also set them up for the fall at the same time.
There was no guarantee that the Barony wouldn't immediately turn on me and attack at the start of their next turn. Like I said, there was never a deal made and what I did was an enormous gamble that could backfire in my face tremendously. But during the next round when it came to the Barony's turn, they moved their fleet away from mine to get into a better position to fight and defend from the Hacan. I moved in to Mecatol Rex and took out the meager Yssaril Tribes force that defended it's space and ground, taking control of the center of galactic power in the galaxy to start gaining additional victory points.
My risky gamble had paid off. While the Barony, Hacan, Sardak, and Yssaril all exhausted their forces fighting each other, the Federation of Sol quietly completed more objectives and secured vital territory. With one simple choice, I set entire galactic powers on a course that they didn't even know I had put them on. It felt amazing and was by far the most clever game playing I've ever done and remains my greatest play in my tabletop gaming history. At least for now.
My only rival in for a victory was the Xxcha Kingdom who managed to equally fly under the radar. And the way that game ended with the Federation and Xxcha both on the cusp of victory was a story all of its own. But maybe that'll be for another long journal.
Random Thoughts from a Star Wars Nerd: What's Old is New
Posted 2 years agoI haven't made a journal in years and I'm not sure why I decided to do it now. Out of the blue I thought it would be fun to type up my thoughts, opinions, and ideas on stuff I'm a fan of. Plus, it's a good exercise for me to practice getting ideas that are on my mind out into a a more concise and organized format. That's got to be good for something, right? I don't how many of these I'll make and I don't expect anyone to actually read them. I'm doing this more for me than anything else.
That said, don't expect angry rants here. It's easy to talk about things to dislike and be angry about and there's more than enough people across the internet who make it their job to do just that. I'd much rather focus on talking about things I enjoy or just general thoughts. There's definitely a need for more positive content out there. I'm not looking to change people's minds on anything, just to ramble about whatever has popped into my head.
Anyways, on to the topic of this journal. Expect a rambling deluge of nerd talk from here on.
One of the things I've really liked seeing over the years since the Disney takeover of Star Wars is the reintroduction and reinterpretation of many of the most popular Legends characters and stories into the current canon of Star Wars. For those that don't know, every book, comic, and storyline that wasn't the movies or Clone Wars TV show was relegated to a secondary "Legends" canon when Disney took over the franchise in 2012, and all future content released would be part of the new canon of Star Wars. As big of a Star Wars nerd and fan that I am I haven't seen or read every book and comic out there and probably never will. But I'd always hear about the most popular ones. Now with the Disney-canon, I've found it really cool and fun seeing how they bring those older stories and characters back in and how they fit into the new canon.
I'll talk about a few of the most interesting ones to me, but be aware of potential spoilers ahead.
The Sequel Trilogy/The Dark Empire
I don't know if reinterpreting The Dark Empire storyline from the comics was the original intent of the Sequel Trilogy when they started out. There's been so many rumors, reports, and stories of what the plan was for those movies or if there had been a true plan from the beginning that it's all pretty chaotic. Ultimately it doesn't really matter to me. I just think it's cool to see a modern take on that story since it had a lot of cool elements in Legends.
In the Dark Empire comics, Palpatine returns from the dead in a clone body many years after the battle of Endor. He secretly builds up a massive military force at a planet hidden from the rest of the galaxy while letting remnants of the Empire keep the New Republic busy. He then unleashes his military might upon a weakened galaxy, including the Eclipse-class dreadnought equipped with a superlaser and a space station (called the Galaxy Gun) that could fire across the galaxy to destroy a planet. He also managed to turn Luke to the dark side for a time. In the end he's defeated by the classic group of heroes and peace returns to the galaxy.
Does some of that sound familiar?
It wasn't until Rise of Skywalker that it became clear where inspiration for the overarching story line may have come from. Instead of Imperial Remnants/Dark Empire we had First Order/Final Order. Instead of the Galaxy Gun there was Starkiller Base. Xyston-class Star Destoryers instead of World Devastators, Resistance instead of New Republic, and Ben Solo/Kylo Ren turning to the dark side instead of Luke Skywalker. I'm sure there are a couple more examples but that's enough comparisons that I personally consider The Sequel Trilogy the new version of the Dark Empire, even if it's overall storytelling ended up being rather choppy between movies.
The Mandalorian/The Dark Trooper Project
While The Mandalorian's main plotline is definitely its own thing, season 2 took one of the coolest elements of the old Dark Forces video game and added it back into canon. Dark Troopers made their first, and main, appearance back in 1995. Since then, they've appeared in only a few other games since but never made any kind of on-screen appearance, yet the concept and look of those cool Imperial war droids made a lasting impression. Fast forward to 2020 and we finally get to see new canon's version of the Dark Troopers on screen and they were awesome. However, instead of them being a major project that the Rebellion had to put a stop to (while also introducing Kyle Kataran, a character that has yet to be reintroduced in some way), these Dark Troopers were just the pet project of an Imperial Remnant force. They don't ultimately play a huge role other than being a threat at the end of season 2 of the show, and are never seen again, but that's really all they needed.
Ahsoka TV Series/Heir to the Empire
This is probably the most obvious comparison and reinterpretation. Heir to the Empire was the first of what's considered the "Thrawn Trilogy" of books, which were also (from what I remember) the first storylines made for Star Wars that took place after Return of the Jedi. In it, the last Grand Admiral of the Empire returns to the galaxy and attempts to bring the Empire back into power, nearly succeeding before being defeated in the end. The character of Thrawn was brought back into Disney canon during the Rebels TV show back in 2016. While slight changes were made to his origin he's essentially the exact same character from the old books. Now in 2023, the Ahsoka TV show goes through the motions of bringing Thrawn back to the galaxy. Season 1 of the show is pretty much setup for the larger story I assume is coming, but I'm excited to see the Thrawn Trilogy done in the new era, with new characters standing in for ones from the books, like our new cast of heroes (Ahsoka, Sabine, Ezra, Din Djarin, and others) up against the bad guys instead of our classic heroes (Luke, Leia, Han, Lando), or the Nightsisters standing in for the dark Jedi that helped Thrawn in the books. I really enjoyed the show and I can't wait to see the story unfold.
That said, don't expect angry rants here. It's easy to talk about things to dislike and be angry about and there's more than enough people across the internet who make it their job to do just that. I'd much rather focus on talking about things I enjoy or just general thoughts. There's definitely a need for more positive content out there. I'm not looking to change people's minds on anything, just to ramble about whatever has popped into my head.
Anyways, on to the topic of this journal. Expect a rambling deluge of nerd talk from here on.
One of the things I've really liked seeing over the years since the Disney takeover of Star Wars is the reintroduction and reinterpretation of many of the most popular Legends characters and stories into the current canon of Star Wars. For those that don't know, every book, comic, and storyline that wasn't the movies or Clone Wars TV show was relegated to a secondary "Legends" canon when Disney took over the franchise in 2012, and all future content released would be part of the new canon of Star Wars. As big of a Star Wars nerd and fan that I am I haven't seen or read every book and comic out there and probably never will. But I'd always hear about the most popular ones. Now with the Disney-canon, I've found it really cool and fun seeing how they bring those older stories and characters back in and how they fit into the new canon.
I'll talk about a few of the most interesting ones to me, but be aware of potential spoilers ahead.
The Sequel Trilogy/The Dark Empire
I don't know if reinterpreting The Dark Empire storyline from the comics was the original intent of the Sequel Trilogy when they started out. There's been so many rumors, reports, and stories of what the plan was for those movies or if there had been a true plan from the beginning that it's all pretty chaotic. Ultimately it doesn't really matter to me. I just think it's cool to see a modern take on that story since it had a lot of cool elements in Legends.
In the Dark Empire comics, Palpatine returns from the dead in a clone body many years after the battle of Endor. He secretly builds up a massive military force at a planet hidden from the rest of the galaxy while letting remnants of the Empire keep the New Republic busy. He then unleashes his military might upon a weakened galaxy, including the Eclipse-class dreadnought equipped with a superlaser and a space station (called the Galaxy Gun) that could fire across the galaxy to destroy a planet. He also managed to turn Luke to the dark side for a time. In the end he's defeated by the classic group of heroes and peace returns to the galaxy.
Does some of that sound familiar?
It wasn't until Rise of Skywalker that it became clear where inspiration for the overarching story line may have come from. Instead of Imperial Remnants/Dark Empire we had First Order/Final Order. Instead of the Galaxy Gun there was Starkiller Base. Xyston-class Star Destoryers instead of World Devastators, Resistance instead of New Republic, and Ben Solo/Kylo Ren turning to the dark side instead of Luke Skywalker. I'm sure there are a couple more examples but that's enough comparisons that I personally consider The Sequel Trilogy the new version of the Dark Empire, even if it's overall storytelling ended up being rather choppy between movies.
The Mandalorian/The Dark Trooper Project
While The Mandalorian's main plotline is definitely its own thing, season 2 took one of the coolest elements of the old Dark Forces video game and added it back into canon. Dark Troopers made their first, and main, appearance back in 1995. Since then, they've appeared in only a few other games since but never made any kind of on-screen appearance, yet the concept and look of those cool Imperial war droids made a lasting impression. Fast forward to 2020 and we finally get to see new canon's version of the Dark Troopers on screen and they were awesome. However, instead of them being a major project that the Rebellion had to put a stop to (while also introducing Kyle Kataran, a character that has yet to be reintroduced in some way), these Dark Troopers were just the pet project of an Imperial Remnant force. They don't ultimately play a huge role other than being a threat at the end of season 2 of the show, and are never seen again, but that's really all they needed.
Ahsoka TV Series/Heir to the Empire
This is probably the most obvious comparison and reinterpretation. Heir to the Empire was the first of what's considered the "Thrawn Trilogy" of books, which were also (from what I remember) the first storylines made for Star Wars that took place after Return of the Jedi. In it, the last Grand Admiral of the Empire returns to the galaxy and attempts to bring the Empire back into power, nearly succeeding before being defeated in the end. The character of Thrawn was brought back into Disney canon during the Rebels TV show back in 2016. While slight changes were made to his origin he's essentially the exact same character from the old books. Now in 2023, the Ahsoka TV show goes through the motions of bringing Thrawn back to the galaxy. Season 1 of the show is pretty much setup for the larger story I assume is coming, but I'm excited to see the Thrawn Trilogy done in the new era, with new characters standing in for ones from the books, like our new cast of heroes (Ahsoka, Sabine, Ezra, Din Djarin, and others) up against the bad guys instead of our classic heroes (Luke, Leia, Han, Lando), or the Nightsisters standing in for the dark Jedi that helped Thrawn in the books. I really enjoyed the show and I can't wait to see the story unfold.
Elder Derg...Not Quite
Posted 6 years agoI don't think 27 gives me the title of "Elder Derg" quite yet. But what it does give me is an excuse to eat all the cakes and to go do all the fun stuff I don't always have time for. Also a reason to be lazy in between all those fun things!
The Years Start Coming and They Don't Stop Coming...
Posted 7 years agoAnother year older, another year wiser. Or at least that's what they say. I definitely feel a little older but not quite hitting that "wise" step yet. Give that another... 10? 20 years? Besides, I'm still plenty young or at least I feel I'm categorized in that "still young-ish" age range at 26.
Now I shall do everything I can possibly fit into one day of celebration. Including as much cake as I can get my hands on.
Now I shall do everything I can possibly fit into one day of celebration. Including as much cake as I can get my hands on.
Update: Where are the Stories?
Posted 8 years agoHello there everyone! I want to start this journal update off by saying thank you to everyone who's watching my page! There's over 500 of you now and that feels awesome! Thank you all!
But with that many wathers, I feel I should be posting content to make watching this silly white derp of a dragon worthwhile. I can only occassionaly get picture commissions, so stories are really the only thing I can produce on my own. In the past year I had been focusing more on the new full-time job I got and it cut into the time and motivation I had for writing stories. But with a better plan for working on stories during the weekend instead of after work during the weekdays and a few friends nagging me to keep working on stories, you'll be seeing more content coming from me. I already have a couple in the works and a few others planned.
The hope is that once I get back into writing stories again, it'll be easier for me to find the motivation to just keep writing story after story.
Here's the list of upcoming tales:
- The story of the first meeting between Azar and
character Verdori. (Currently working on)
- A story about two dragons that encounter a determined knight, with very expansive results for the two mighty reptiles. (Started)
- A possible story featuring Azar and
with both dragon and Owlgon ending up rounded due to shenanigans
- A horror story about a man who finds something horrifying in the woods outside his home when his wife goes missing. I've always enjoyed good horror stories, and I've been inspired to write one of my own after listening to one of
stories read on a popular CreepyPasta YouTube channel. If I like how it turns out and it gets enough readers who enjoy it, I'll try another.
But with that many wathers, I feel I should be posting content to make watching this silly white derp of a dragon worthwhile. I can only occassionaly get picture commissions, so stories are really the only thing I can produce on my own. In the past year I had been focusing more on the new full-time job I got and it cut into the time and motivation I had for writing stories. But with a better plan for working on stories during the weekend instead of after work during the weekdays and a few friends nagging me to keep working on stories, you'll be seeing more content coming from me. I already have a couple in the works and a few others planned.
The hope is that once I get back into writing stories again, it'll be easier for me to find the motivation to just keep writing story after story.
Here's the list of upcoming tales:
- The story of the first meeting between Azar and
character Verdori. (Currently working on)- A story about two dragons that encounter a determined knight, with very expansive results for the two mighty reptiles. (Started)
- A possible story featuring Azar and
with both dragon and Owlgon ending up rounded due to shenanigans- A horror story about a man who finds something horrifying in the woods outside his home when his wife goes missing. I've always enjoyed good horror stories, and I've been inspired to write one of my own after listening to one of
stories read on a popular CreepyPasta YouTube channel. If I like how it turns out and it gets enough readers who enjoy it, I'll try another.Happy Halloween!
Posted 9 years agoHappy Halloween everybody! I hope you all get plenty of candy, chocolate, and other goodies while dressed up as your favorite costume! I might not be going trick or treating, but that's not going to stop me from nomming plenty of candy.
Anyone that dresses as a dragon gets extra cookies from me if they come trick or treating.
And for those that like listening to the spooky side of things on a night such as this, here's a link to two different spooky/creepy stories for your enjoyment. I love listening to scary stories and creepypastas on Youtube, so I'll share a favorite of mine with you this Hallows Eve as well as one that may strike a chord with the artists and writers out here on FA.
Both these stories are a bit lengthy, but I promise that they're still fun to listen to.
The Horror from the Vault: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HURzsrZjTm8
- Good ol' Lovecraftian spookiness. Not from Lovecraft himself, but something like this would fit right into that mythos I think. What do you think it is that came out of the vault?
Picture This: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-smU0trfk0
- A dark horror story based more in reality, but something I felt would strike a chord with with artists and writers here on FA. Slight warning, this story does bring up the topic of depression and some dark themes.
Anyone that dresses as a dragon gets extra cookies from me if they come trick or treating.
And for those that like listening to the spooky side of things on a night such as this, here's a link to two different spooky/creepy stories for your enjoyment. I love listening to scary stories and creepypastas on Youtube, so I'll share a favorite of mine with you this Hallows Eve as well as one that may strike a chord with the artists and writers out here on FA.
Both these stories are a bit lengthy, but I promise that they're still fun to listen to.
The Horror from the Vault: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HURzsrZjTm8
- Good ol' Lovecraftian spookiness. Not from Lovecraft himself, but something like this would fit right into that mythos I think. What do you think it is that came out of the vault?
Picture This: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-smU0trfk0
- A dark horror story based more in reality, but something I felt would strike a chord with with artists and writers here on FA. Slight warning, this story does bring up the topic of depression and some dark themes.
Please Vote for the Derp! :D
Posted 9 years agohttp://www.furaffinity.net/view/20972676/
is holding an inflation/stuffing tournament and I'm hoping to make it all the way to the end for victory! I'd really appreciate a few more votes just to see if I can make it to the final round!
And thanks to those that already voted for me. You're all awesome!
is holding an inflation/stuffing tournament and I'm hoping to make it all the way to the end for victory! I'd really appreciate a few more votes just to see if I can make it to the final round!And thanks to those that already voted for me. You're all awesome!
They did it! Star Wars actually did it!
Posted 9 years agohttps://www.youtube.com/results?sea.....son+3+reaction
Skip to 1:44 to see what I'm excited about.
They're finally bringing Grand Admiral Thrawn to the screen! That music! That voice acting! It's such an awesome time to be a Star Wars fan!
For those that don't know, Grand Admiral Thrawn is the main antagonist of a very popular trilogy of Star Wars books written many years ago by Timothy Zhan. The book trilogy is one of the most loved Star Wars books of all time, and Thrawn's character is done great justice. Set after the Events of Return of the Jedi, Thrawn takes the remnants of the Imperial fleet and single-handedly brings the galaxy to it's knees. And he's been one of the biggest fan favorite Expanded Universe characters of all time.
Ever since Disney started rebuilding the canon of Star Wars, so many always hoped we'd see some sign of Thrawn being re-canonized. They did it all right if this trailer is true to the source! They even seem to have kept his most famous trait: the fact that he can look at the art of a species, and from that he can figure out how they'll fight, what they're beliefs are, what their culture is like. And with just that look at their art, he's able to outsmart his enemies time and time again.
Skip to 1:44 to see what I'm excited about.
They're finally bringing Grand Admiral Thrawn to the screen! That music! That voice acting! It's such an awesome time to be a Star Wars fan!
For those that don't know, Grand Admiral Thrawn is the main antagonist of a very popular trilogy of Star Wars books written many years ago by Timothy Zhan. The book trilogy is one of the most loved Star Wars books of all time, and Thrawn's character is done great justice. Set after the Events of Return of the Jedi, Thrawn takes the remnants of the Imperial fleet and single-handedly brings the galaxy to it's knees. And he's been one of the biggest fan favorite Expanded Universe characters of all time.
Ever since Disney started rebuilding the canon of Star Wars, so many always hoped we'd see some sign of Thrawn being re-canonized. They did it all right if this trailer is true to the source! They even seem to have kept his most famous trait: the fact that he can look at the art of a species, and from that he can figure out how they'll fight, what they're beliefs are, what their culture is like. And with just that look at their art, he's able to outsmart his enemies time and time again.
Ask Me Anything
Posted 9 years agoI thought I'd do this just out of curiosity's sake. Plus, it's fun to chat with people. So feel free to ask away. We'll see if this gets any traction.
Story Trades/Commissions Coming Soon
Posted 9 years agoHello everyone! As some may know, I still greatly enjoy writing stories but haven't had much time to do so due to my schedule being all over the place the last few months. The good news is that I finally have a regular full-time job which will provide more consistancy and stability to my schedule. What this means is that I"ll fnally have time to put into writing stories again, and I'm looking forward to it.
I also really want to get more stuff for my own gallery here on FA, in addition to posting the occasional story for fun. So I'm going to be opening trades for stories, for anyone that's interested. Also, I'm going to be living on my own in an apartment for the foreseeable future. And while I"m very excited for that opportunity, I will be tight on cash. So I think I'm going to be opening cheap story commissions for those that are interested. Keep a heads up for prices on that, though I promise they'll be simple (probably something like $10 per 1000 words. I see a lot of people doing that.)
So yeah... that's about it. Ta da! Now share in some birthday cake.
I also really want to get more stuff for my own gallery here on FA, in addition to posting the occasional story for fun. So I'm going to be opening trades for stories, for anyone that's interested. Also, I'm going to be living on my own in an apartment for the foreseeable future. And while I"m very excited for that opportunity, I will be tight on cash. So I think I'm going to be opening cheap story commissions for those that are interested. Keep a heads up for prices on that, though I promise they'll be simple (probably something like $10 per 1000 words. I see a lot of people doing that.)
So yeah... that's about it. Ta da! Now share in some birthday cake.
I tolerate a lot of things in Star Wars...
Posted 9 years ago... but lightsaber helicopters/sabercopters really push the line of ridiculousness. Really hard to take a bad-guy seriously when he starts flying away like a video game character. And it's done multiple times in the same two episodes.
http://i.imgur.com/Z7apJGL.gif
http://i.imgur.com/Z7apJGL.gif
Update: The State of Things
Posted 9 years agoHello everyone! Updates like this aren't common from me (especially considering this is the first), but I feel to some people I owe a bit of an explanation as to what's been going on lately and why things haven't been quite the same. Thankfully I know that not everyone wants to read paragraphs of information, so I promise to keep this as short as I possibly can.
There are a couple of questions that I will now answer to the best of my ability, and hopefully they provide a little more information as to why things have been the way they've been these last few months.
What's going on with you?
I graduated from college back in May of 2015. I spent five years of my life working through daily education with the promise that it would practically guarantee me a job in my chosen field after I graduate.
It's been nine months since then and I still haven't gotten a full-time job in my field. I have spent day after day sending out resumes and getting in contact with people that might help me get a full-time job. Currently I'm at a part-time job that claims will help me get into a full-time job in my field. But the job isn't that great, and it doesn't pay well. The minimum-wage pay has left me living paycheck to paycheck, and the lack of anyone even interviewing me for a full-time job isn't making anything better.
The last several months have led to a considerable amount of stress in my life, and I haven't been able to handle it well. I've moved away from my family and into a friend's family's home for this part-time job. And I"m not sure how much longer their generosity of letting me stay is going to last. The friend I've moved in with gained a full-time job since I moved in, so I don't see him much at all anymore because of our differing schedules. Outside of chatting with people online, I don't have anyone to hang with in this city that I barely know.
Why haven't you posted up any new stories or commissioned pictures in so long?
Commissioned pictures cost money. Money that I just don't have these days. Outside of free requests, don't expect many commissioned pictures to be posted until things improve for me monetarily. And it saddens me to say that, as there have been many opportunities to get commissions from artists I greatly enjoy. But as things stand right now, I just can't let myself spend money on more pictures for the time being.
My inability to get stories posted up in quite a while is something that's disappointed me personally, but there's little that can be done about it. Even though my stories are all "short stories", they still take a considerable amount of time and effort for me to complete. Because of my inconsistant work schedule, plus personal problems I've been dealing with daily, it really has shut down a lot of my creative writing ability and drive to write stories. I've always struggled a bit to get a story from idea to written words, and the stuff I'm currently going through isn't helping.
I have several story ideas planned. There are a few friends I want to write stories for, a few fun inflation/wg stories, and the next chapter of Arm's Race are all partially complete. So there is some good news.
Why haven't you messaged me in so long?
This goes out more to the friends on FA and watchers who have messaged me through notes or skype and I haven't messaged them back in a while or have been inconsistent on when I message them. To them, I'm really sorry, and I'm trying to improve. Ever since graduation, my daily schedule hasn't been the same. The times I was available to talk with some people are gone now, and it's rare I get a chance to speak with them. So with some people, it's just hard for me to keep in contact given time zones.
On top of that, the personal issues I've been going through have left me sort of "shut down", and I end up only messaging a few select friends when I am around to chat with.
I will, however, try to remedy this and get back to more people. Get in contact with people that I haven't been good about responding to or at least saying hello to. There are plenty of friends I miss chatting with and hanging around with, being the derpy fun dergin I tend to be.
In Conclusion
Things are a bit tough for me right now. But it's on me to make things better and I'm going to keep working on it each day. I have stories in the works, but it may be a while before I get them posted up. And I promise to double down on getting back in contact with people I haven't been messaging or chatting with enough.
There are a couple of questions that I will now answer to the best of my ability, and hopefully they provide a little more information as to why things have been the way they've been these last few months.
What's going on with you?
I graduated from college back in May of 2015. I spent five years of my life working through daily education with the promise that it would practically guarantee me a job in my chosen field after I graduate.
It's been nine months since then and I still haven't gotten a full-time job in my field. I have spent day after day sending out resumes and getting in contact with people that might help me get a full-time job. Currently I'm at a part-time job that claims will help me get into a full-time job in my field. But the job isn't that great, and it doesn't pay well. The minimum-wage pay has left me living paycheck to paycheck, and the lack of anyone even interviewing me for a full-time job isn't making anything better.
The last several months have led to a considerable amount of stress in my life, and I haven't been able to handle it well. I've moved away from my family and into a friend's family's home for this part-time job. And I"m not sure how much longer their generosity of letting me stay is going to last. The friend I've moved in with gained a full-time job since I moved in, so I don't see him much at all anymore because of our differing schedules. Outside of chatting with people online, I don't have anyone to hang with in this city that I barely know.
Why haven't you posted up any new stories or commissioned pictures in so long?
Commissioned pictures cost money. Money that I just don't have these days. Outside of free requests, don't expect many commissioned pictures to be posted until things improve for me monetarily. And it saddens me to say that, as there have been many opportunities to get commissions from artists I greatly enjoy. But as things stand right now, I just can't let myself spend money on more pictures for the time being.
My inability to get stories posted up in quite a while is something that's disappointed me personally, but there's little that can be done about it. Even though my stories are all "short stories", they still take a considerable amount of time and effort for me to complete. Because of my inconsistant work schedule, plus personal problems I've been dealing with daily, it really has shut down a lot of my creative writing ability and drive to write stories. I've always struggled a bit to get a story from idea to written words, and the stuff I'm currently going through isn't helping.
I have several story ideas planned. There are a few friends I want to write stories for, a few fun inflation/wg stories, and the next chapter of Arm's Race are all partially complete. So there is some good news.
Why haven't you messaged me in so long?
This goes out more to the friends on FA and watchers who have messaged me through notes or skype and I haven't messaged them back in a while or have been inconsistent on when I message them. To them, I'm really sorry, and I'm trying to improve. Ever since graduation, my daily schedule hasn't been the same. The times I was available to talk with some people are gone now, and it's rare I get a chance to speak with them. So with some people, it's just hard for me to keep in contact given time zones.
On top of that, the personal issues I've been going through have left me sort of "shut down", and I end up only messaging a few select friends when I am around to chat with.
I will, however, try to remedy this and get back to more people. Get in contact with people that I haven't been good about responding to or at least saying hello to. There are plenty of friends I miss chatting with and hanging around with, being the derpy fun dergin I tend to be.
In Conclusion
Things are a bit tough for me right now. But it's on me to make things better and I'm going to keep working on it each day. I have stories in the works, but it may be a while before I get them posted up. And I promise to double down on getting back in contact with people I haven't been messaging or chatting with enough.
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Posted 9 years agoTo all my friends and watchers on FA, Happy Holidays! Whether you're spending it with family or friends (online and/or offline), I wish you all the best. May your gifts be plentiful and your holiday meals delicious!
Hopefully "Santazar" left some nice new invention or device under the tree.
Hopefully "Santazar" left some nice new invention or device under the tree.
Nightmares Confirmed to Still be Scary
Posted 10 years agoI don't know if I should be impressed or scared that my own nightmares have an almost "refined" quality to them now on the very rare times they show up. It isn't some scary monster chasing me or bloody horror scene with body parts everywhere I see, but more subtle things. More "real" things. Maybe my mind is trying to emulate my liking for "higher quality" horror films that provide genuine scares. Who knows.
Either way, I'm still feeling shaken up by what I saw in my most recent nightmare. O.o
Either way, I'm still feeling shaken up by what I saw in my most recent nightmare. O.o
Halo 5 Guardians: Review
Posted 10 years agoWell now that I've had time to play through the campaign and multiplayer of Halo 5 for the last two days, I think I can sum up my thoughts on it to give anyone who reads this an idea of whether or not the game is for them. And since I'm hoping to one day get a job that focuses on the culture around video games, I thought it fun to at least practice my amateur reviews here. Especially since I currently don't have the equipment or programs to make a video review for YouTube. A video would be easier to do this with but meh, I want the practice of writing a review to.
I'll split this into two sections. The first will be a more general review free of any spoilers in the campaign. And the second part farther down will have some more specifics that will include a few spoilers. So just be aware of that.
Gameplay
Halo 5 introduces several new mechanics into the Halo game series. All of which are meant to make your character more mobile and feel like a super-soldier wearing power armor. The abilities added were a clamber mechanic so you can climb up ledges you wouldn't have made by just jumping, an evade mechanic to boost short distances in any direction, and the ability to "ground pound" from the air to smash any player or AI unfortunate to be caught below you. One more new addition is the "smart-link", which is basically a fancy word for the zoom function that the game has always had. Only difference now is that every gun can zoom in, whereas only a few select guns could in previous games.
Many people were afraid that the new mechanics were going to make Halo feel, well, not Halo. Some thought it would make the game feel more like Call of Duty or Battlefield. But surprisingly, they blend in very well. They do help gameplay speed up and offer new options of verticality with the clamber mechanic. Instead of taking the same path over and over to get somewhere, you can find new pathways to climb up to and surprise the enemy. The evasion mechanic can give your spartan more survivability by escaping a firefight your going to lose.
Halo gameplay has also always been all about the weapons, and Halo 5 does not disappoint. NOw more than ever each weapon has a more specialized function. It's all about picking the right weapon for the job at hand, whether that be shooting through Covenant and Prometheans, or taking on other players in multiplayer. What weapons you choose to arm yourself with are completely dependent on both your preference, and what sort of battlefield your in.
Look and Sound
Halo 5 is the first title in the series that was built for the Xbox One system. And they definitely took advantage of it. The game looks amazing. Graphics don't make a game, but they certainly help when they're good. The locations in campaign range from snowy tundras, a desolated glassed planet, a vibrant jungle world, and the rocky home world of the Elites. Each environment is unique and there is a lot to see in it.
Campaign
Let me start by saying that the campaign was fun. I enjoyed playing through it from start to finish and I'll definitely be replaying it several times over just for the fun of it.
But oh dear... that ending. I won't spoil anything here but... it's not good. It's going to cause a bit of uproar from the Halo fans that care about the story.
Anyways, the campaign of Halo 5 has you playing as both Fireteam Osiris and Blue Team. Osiris consists of a group of Spartan IV's specialized in handling the most difficult of missions. Though early in the game, their mission becomes hunting down the Master Chief and the rest of Blue Team to bring them in. Blue Team has neglected orders and disappeared (absent without leave) and it's up to Osiris to bring them in. The hunt for Master Chief will take players from the glassed planet of Meridian, to the rocky shores of the Elite homeworld Sanghelios, to the wild world of Genesis.
Your enemies through the game are the classic Covenant, and the Prometheans that were introduced in Halo 4. Though the Prometheans have gotten a few new units to fight against and the Knights now function a bit differently than they did in Halo 4. Battles really shine when you're fighting both enemies at one time, as the Prometheans focus on being very agile and swarm with numbers while the Covenant have such diversity in their enemies. Fighting each faction individually is fun, but isn't as engaging as fighting both together. Though those moments are few and far between.
One of the campaign's biggest strength's is that the levels really open up. With the new mobility mechanics, there is now more than one path to take to get to your objective. The levels feel more like wide open arenas than shooting corridors, and the multiple paths to vantage points or hidden weapon caches makes each replay feel a bit different.
The characters are fairly interesting too. Team Osiris is comprised of all new characters (with the exception of Buck who was features in Halo 3: ODST). They're a fairly interesting cast of characters and their banter among one another during missions helps give more insight into their personalities and how the team works together. It took a while, but they started to grow on me, since it's odd not to be playing as Master Chief through the whole story. But you better get used to playing as Fireteam Osiris because you play as them for 85% of the story missions. Master Chief and the other members of Blue Team are also interesting characters, but you play so little time as them you don't get to know them as well as Osiris.
However, one of the campaign's biggest flaws is that it doesn't live up to expectations. Halo 5's marketing made it sound like the campaign was going to be a galaxy-wide hunt for Master Chief. It isn't. You "hunt" across three planets.
The marketing campaign also made it seem like players were going to have to question whether or not Master Chief was a still a hero. Try to make it seem like the main character of the franchise has gone off to a darker path. It doesn't. Not once did I feel like I had to stop and think about whether Chief was doing the right thing. He always does the right thing and the game even makes that clear without any potential for mystery.
There was a whole audio series called "Hunt the Truth" that was very impressive in it's own right that many thought would play into Halo 5. It doesn't. There's not a single mention of it or reference to it.
To sum up the campaign: it was fun and fairly good even if it felt a bit disjointed at points. But the story never lives up to the story 343 industries most likely wanted to set out to tell. All in all, it might be one of the weaker campaigns of the Halo franchise.
Multiplayer
What Halo 5 lacks in campaign it more than makes up for in multiplayer. Multiplayer is now split into two modes: Arena and Warzone.
Arena contains almost all the classic Halo game types with a few new additions. Slayer, Free for All, Capture the Flag, SWAT, ect. It's all there (except for Infection, which I pray they're going to bring back later). The new mobility mechanics only help the multiplayer experience become more fun and intense. Every map is adjusted to accomodate the ability for spartans to clamber about to higher vantage points or to reach unsuspecting enemies. Arena also does away with the customizeable loadouts of Halo 4 and instead returns the series back to the roots of starting with predetermined weapons, focusing players on getting power weapons on the map and keeping map control
The only downside to Arena currently is that there aren't any real memorable maps. The Halo series has always had at least two or three multiplayer maps that become icons of the game and the series, but Arena doesn't seem to have that yet. But maybe DLC will add in some that will be big hits, who knows?
Warzone is a gametype that is completely new to the Halo franchise, and possibly the whole first-person shooter genre. It's a 12 vs 12 game mode where each team tries to capture and hold bases on the map. You get points for holding bases and killing enemy teammates, and as the games go on more powerful weapons and vehicles become unlocked for use.
But the biggest addition that makes it stand out is the addition of AI enemies that frequently spawn during the Warzone matches. Covenant and Promethean enemies alike will spawn to wreak havoc on the maps. But your team can gain significant points for eliminating these AI enemies and their "captains". Warzone isn't so much about being really skilled at killing things, but knowing when to shift focus. A team's ability to know when the best time is to stop trying to take a base to go kill an AI boss, or when to use your gathered points in the match to spawn a powerful vehicle or spawn with a powerful weapon, is what determines who wins a warzone match.
And when everyone starts runnign around with power vehicles and weapons, and the AI comes in causing chaos, that's when Warzone is at its best.
The only minor complaint I have about multiplayer is the REQ system. When you finish a match in Arena or Warzone, you get REQ points to use to buy packs of cards. These cards provide unlocks for weapons and vehicles to requisition in Warzone, or asthetics to change your spartan's armor appearance. The good side of this system is that it keeps everyone from having infinite access to power weapons and vehicles in Warzone, keeping things under relative control instead of allowing everyone to keep spawning with rocket launchers and tanks. The only minor downside to this system is that it can take a long time to get weapon and vehicle unlocks from these card packs. And if you're just unlucky and don't open a pack with some of the good power vehicles or weapons, you won't have access to those weapons in Warzone until you do.
Final thoughts on multiplayer: It is a really fun and natural evolution of the Halo multiplayer experience. There aren't a ton of game modes, but the ones that are there are tons of fun and will definitely keep you coming back for more.
Final Thoughts
If you're already a Halo fan, you'll enjoy Halo 5. If you're unsure, Halo 5 doesn't really do anything extraordinary or new that will suddenly make you a huge fan. It does a lot of things good, but doesn't have the extra push to make those things great. Overall, a fun but lacking campaign, and an excellent multiplayer.
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Okay, this should be far enough down the page. Time to discuss a few things I liked and didn't like that are spoilers.
- 031 Exuberant Witness
With the story direction of Halo becoming so much more serious and dark, I really started to miss characters that were more fun within the seriousness of the events happening. The previous Halo trilogy had Sgt. Johnson and 343 Guilty Spark to add fun commentary and banter throughout the stories, making the player more comfortable. With Halo 4 and 5, there haven't been any characters to help ease the tension. Without that bit of relief, the story just feels more and more depressing and it's hard to get enjoyment out of it. And I was starting to feel that during Halo 5's campaign.
Then came along 031 Exuberant Witness.
Exuberant Witness is the Monitor of Gensesis and she quickly shot up to one of my favorite Halo characters. Her naieve and perky attitude (plus her odd obsession with doors and opening them, which I found hilarious) helped make things feel a little less dark. Definitely a character that was needed to be introduced into the new trilogy. Especially since 343 Guilty Spark was killed off in Halo 3. I really hope we see more of her in the next Halo game.
- The Death of Jul 'Mdama
So here's a character that had a major role in Halo 4. He's the leader of the Covenant Remnant (also known as the Storm Covenant), he showed that he was more cunning than most elites (using deception and cunning plans where as most elites just charge in for glory and battle to attain victory), and he had a rather tragic backstory that was expanded on in two books that took place before Halo 4. And then he's killed off in the very first level of the game.
This was an interesting villain and I was curious as to what was going to happen to him after Halo 4's Spartan Ops left off with a cliffhanger. In short, at the end of Spartan Ops (basically a second campaign within Halo 4), Jul 'Mdama had half of something called the Janus Key (shows the location of every Forerunner technology in the galaxy) and the UNSC had the other half. Jul also had Dr. Halsey in his capture, but Halsey's last line to Jul is "I want revenge", signaling her hate of the UNSC since they tried to execute her. I was really looking forward to see how Dr. Halsey helping the Covenant for revenge was going to turn out, but it was never expanded on. And then they kill of Jul in Halo 5 after never explaining what happened to the Janus Key or if Halsey was still out for revenge.
Talk about trying to tie up loose ends.
For a character like this who has such deep hatred of humans (for good reason), and has been the leader of the Covenant remanants for over 10 years, you'd think they'd make his end something more dramatic. I would have liked to see him die in a final battle with the Arbiter during the missions on Sanghelios. That would have been cool and more fitting. But no, killed off without much of a fight.
And then the Covenant is defeated for good later in the game. Guess that's the end of that faction. They kinda glossed over that major event.
- Cortana as a Villain
So I already know this is going to completely divide the Halo community. Or at least, the ones who care about Halo lore.
Yep. Cortana survived her apparent death at the end of Halo 4 through a miraculous deus machina event. When the Didac't ship blew up, she was blasted into slipspace and ended up, somehow, in the Forerunner Domain (basically the Forerunner's super network that controls all their technology). She's cured of her rampancy and suddenly has the plan to bring peace to the galaxy by using the Guardians to force peace on everyone. Basically, her terms become "either accept peace or be destroyed". And she's managed to recruit hundred of other AI's to join her with the promise of both peace and everlasting life (since AI's in the Halo universe go rampant and "die" after seven years).
So yeah, that's a thing.
My problem isn't with Cortana being a villain so much as it is the way she becomes the villain. Everything we know about this character leads me to believe that she would never, ever choose to force peace on everyone in the galaxy with the threat of death. That's not in her character at all, and she's never shown signs in any previous games that she would want to do this. She's smart enough, caring enough, and clever enough to know immediately that what she's doing is wrong. But no, the writers decided "nope she's doing this all for the greater good".
In short, this villain version of Cortana doesn't work because it's not a path her character would ever take.
My only hope is that one of two possible theories is true in order for her character change to make any sense:
1. Cortana is still rampant despite saying she was "cured" of it. As such, the Cortana we are experiencing is still insane rampant Cortana, which would explain her actions better.
2. Cortana is being controlled by another, much more powerful entity. If this is true, my hopes are that she's being controlled by either the Didact or Mendicant Bias.
I suppose what bothers me the most about Halo 5's story is that it basically looks at Halo 4 and says "none of what happened here matters". Cortana's heroic death is suddenly made meaningless and a major villain from Halo 4 ultimately lead up to nothing and is removed without a second thought. Here's hoping Halo 6 ties things together better.
I'll split this into two sections. The first will be a more general review free of any spoilers in the campaign. And the second part farther down will have some more specifics that will include a few spoilers. So just be aware of that.
General ReviewGameplay
Halo 5 introduces several new mechanics into the Halo game series. All of which are meant to make your character more mobile and feel like a super-soldier wearing power armor. The abilities added were a clamber mechanic so you can climb up ledges you wouldn't have made by just jumping, an evade mechanic to boost short distances in any direction, and the ability to "ground pound" from the air to smash any player or AI unfortunate to be caught below you. One more new addition is the "smart-link", which is basically a fancy word for the zoom function that the game has always had. Only difference now is that every gun can zoom in, whereas only a few select guns could in previous games.
Many people were afraid that the new mechanics were going to make Halo feel, well, not Halo. Some thought it would make the game feel more like Call of Duty or Battlefield. But surprisingly, they blend in very well. They do help gameplay speed up and offer new options of verticality with the clamber mechanic. Instead of taking the same path over and over to get somewhere, you can find new pathways to climb up to and surprise the enemy. The evasion mechanic can give your spartan more survivability by escaping a firefight your going to lose.
Halo gameplay has also always been all about the weapons, and Halo 5 does not disappoint. NOw more than ever each weapon has a more specialized function. It's all about picking the right weapon for the job at hand, whether that be shooting through Covenant and Prometheans, or taking on other players in multiplayer. What weapons you choose to arm yourself with are completely dependent on both your preference, and what sort of battlefield your in.
Look and Sound
Halo 5 is the first title in the series that was built for the Xbox One system. And they definitely took advantage of it. The game looks amazing. Graphics don't make a game, but they certainly help when they're good. The locations in campaign range from snowy tundras, a desolated glassed planet, a vibrant jungle world, and the rocky home world of the Elites. Each environment is unique and there is a lot to see in it.
Campaign
Let me start by saying that the campaign was fun. I enjoyed playing through it from start to finish and I'll definitely be replaying it several times over just for the fun of it.
But oh dear... that ending. I won't spoil anything here but... it's not good. It's going to cause a bit of uproar from the Halo fans that care about the story.
Anyways, the campaign of Halo 5 has you playing as both Fireteam Osiris and Blue Team. Osiris consists of a group of Spartan IV's specialized in handling the most difficult of missions. Though early in the game, their mission becomes hunting down the Master Chief and the rest of Blue Team to bring them in. Blue Team has neglected orders and disappeared (absent without leave) and it's up to Osiris to bring them in. The hunt for Master Chief will take players from the glassed planet of Meridian, to the rocky shores of the Elite homeworld Sanghelios, to the wild world of Genesis.
Your enemies through the game are the classic Covenant, and the Prometheans that were introduced in Halo 4. Though the Prometheans have gotten a few new units to fight against and the Knights now function a bit differently than they did in Halo 4. Battles really shine when you're fighting both enemies at one time, as the Prometheans focus on being very agile and swarm with numbers while the Covenant have such diversity in their enemies. Fighting each faction individually is fun, but isn't as engaging as fighting both together. Though those moments are few and far between.
One of the campaign's biggest strength's is that the levels really open up. With the new mobility mechanics, there is now more than one path to take to get to your objective. The levels feel more like wide open arenas than shooting corridors, and the multiple paths to vantage points or hidden weapon caches makes each replay feel a bit different.
The characters are fairly interesting too. Team Osiris is comprised of all new characters (with the exception of Buck who was features in Halo 3: ODST). They're a fairly interesting cast of characters and their banter among one another during missions helps give more insight into their personalities and how the team works together. It took a while, but they started to grow on me, since it's odd not to be playing as Master Chief through the whole story. But you better get used to playing as Fireteam Osiris because you play as them for 85% of the story missions. Master Chief and the other members of Blue Team are also interesting characters, but you play so little time as them you don't get to know them as well as Osiris.
However, one of the campaign's biggest flaws is that it doesn't live up to expectations. Halo 5's marketing made it sound like the campaign was going to be a galaxy-wide hunt for Master Chief. It isn't. You "hunt" across three planets.
The marketing campaign also made it seem like players were going to have to question whether or not Master Chief was a still a hero. Try to make it seem like the main character of the franchise has gone off to a darker path. It doesn't. Not once did I feel like I had to stop and think about whether Chief was doing the right thing. He always does the right thing and the game even makes that clear without any potential for mystery.
There was a whole audio series called "Hunt the Truth" that was very impressive in it's own right that many thought would play into Halo 5. It doesn't. There's not a single mention of it or reference to it.
To sum up the campaign: it was fun and fairly good even if it felt a bit disjointed at points. But the story never lives up to the story 343 industries most likely wanted to set out to tell. All in all, it might be one of the weaker campaigns of the Halo franchise.
Multiplayer
What Halo 5 lacks in campaign it more than makes up for in multiplayer. Multiplayer is now split into two modes: Arena and Warzone.
Arena contains almost all the classic Halo game types with a few new additions. Slayer, Free for All, Capture the Flag, SWAT, ect. It's all there (except for Infection, which I pray they're going to bring back later). The new mobility mechanics only help the multiplayer experience become more fun and intense. Every map is adjusted to accomodate the ability for spartans to clamber about to higher vantage points or to reach unsuspecting enemies. Arena also does away with the customizeable loadouts of Halo 4 and instead returns the series back to the roots of starting with predetermined weapons, focusing players on getting power weapons on the map and keeping map control
The only downside to Arena currently is that there aren't any real memorable maps. The Halo series has always had at least two or three multiplayer maps that become icons of the game and the series, but Arena doesn't seem to have that yet. But maybe DLC will add in some that will be big hits, who knows?
Warzone is a gametype that is completely new to the Halo franchise, and possibly the whole first-person shooter genre. It's a 12 vs 12 game mode where each team tries to capture and hold bases on the map. You get points for holding bases and killing enemy teammates, and as the games go on more powerful weapons and vehicles become unlocked for use.
But the biggest addition that makes it stand out is the addition of AI enemies that frequently spawn during the Warzone matches. Covenant and Promethean enemies alike will spawn to wreak havoc on the maps. But your team can gain significant points for eliminating these AI enemies and their "captains". Warzone isn't so much about being really skilled at killing things, but knowing when to shift focus. A team's ability to know when the best time is to stop trying to take a base to go kill an AI boss, or when to use your gathered points in the match to spawn a powerful vehicle or spawn with a powerful weapon, is what determines who wins a warzone match.
And when everyone starts runnign around with power vehicles and weapons, and the AI comes in causing chaos, that's when Warzone is at its best.
The only minor complaint I have about multiplayer is the REQ system. When you finish a match in Arena or Warzone, you get REQ points to use to buy packs of cards. These cards provide unlocks for weapons and vehicles to requisition in Warzone, or asthetics to change your spartan's armor appearance. The good side of this system is that it keeps everyone from having infinite access to power weapons and vehicles in Warzone, keeping things under relative control instead of allowing everyone to keep spawning with rocket launchers and tanks. The only minor downside to this system is that it can take a long time to get weapon and vehicle unlocks from these card packs. And if you're just unlucky and don't open a pack with some of the good power vehicles or weapons, you won't have access to those weapons in Warzone until you do.
Final thoughts on multiplayer: It is a really fun and natural evolution of the Halo multiplayer experience. There aren't a ton of game modes, but the ones that are there are tons of fun and will definitely keep you coming back for more.
Final Thoughts
If you're already a Halo fan, you'll enjoy Halo 5. If you're unsure, Halo 5 doesn't really do anything extraordinary or new that will suddenly make you a huge fan. It does a lot of things good, but doesn't have the extra push to make those things great. Overall, a fun but lacking campaign, and an excellent multiplayer.
Opinions on Spoiler Stuff-
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Okay, this should be far enough down the page. Time to discuss a few things I liked and didn't like that are spoilers.
- 031 Exuberant Witness
With the story direction of Halo becoming so much more serious and dark, I really started to miss characters that were more fun within the seriousness of the events happening. The previous Halo trilogy had Sgt. Johnson and 343 Guilty Spark to add fun commentary and banter throughout the stories, making the player more comfortable. With Halo 4 and 5, there haven't been any characters to help ease the tension. Without that bit of relief, the story just feels more and more depressing and it's hard to get enjoyment out of it. And I was starting to feel that during Halo 5's campaign.
Then came along 031 Exuberant Witness.
Exuberant Witness is the Monitor of Gensesis and she quickly shot up to one of my favorite Halo characters. Her naieve and perky attitude (plus her odd obsession with doors and opening them, which I found hilarious) helped make things feel a little less dark. Definitely a character that was needed to be introduced into the new trilogy. Especially since 343 Guilty Spark was killed off in Halo 3. I really hope we see more of her in the next Halo game.
- The Death of Jul 'Mdama
So here's a character that had a major role in Halo 4. He's the leader of the Covenant Remnant (also known as the Storm Covenant), he showed that he was more cunning than most elites (using deception and cunning plans where as most elites just charge in for glory and battle to attain victory), and he had a rather tragic backstory that was expanded on in two books that took place before Halo 4. And then he's killed off in the very first level of the game.
This was an interesting villain and I was curious as to what was going to happen to him after Halo 4's Spartan Ops left off with a cliffhanger. In short, at the end of Spartan Ops (basically a second campaign within Halo 4), Jul 'Mdama had half of something called the Janus Key (shows the location of every Forerunner technology in the galaxy) and the UNSC had the other half. Jul also had Dr. Halsey in his capture, but Halsey's last line to Jul is "I want revenge", signaling her hate of the UNSC since they tried to execute her. I was really looking forward to see how Dr. Halsey helping the Covenant for revenge was going to turn out, but it was never expanded on. And then they kill of Jul in Halo 5 after never explaining what happened to the Janus Key or if Halsey was still out for revenge.
Talk about trying to tie up loose ends.
For a character like this who has such deep hatred of humans (for good reason), and has been the leader of the Covenant remanants for over 10 years, you'd think they'd make his end something more dramatic. I would have liked to see him die in a final battle with the Arbiter during the missions on Sanghelios. That would have been cool and more fitting. But no, killed off without much of a fight.
And then the Covenant is defeated for good later in the game. Guess that's the end of that faction. They kinda glossed over that major event.
- Cortana as a Villain
So I already know this is going to completely divide the Halo community. Or at least, the ones who care about Halo lore.
Yep. Cortana survived her apparent death at the end of Halo 4 through a miraculous deus machina event. When the Didac't ship blew up, she was blasted into slipspace and ended up, somehow, in the Forerunner Domain (basically the Forerunner's super network that controls all their technology). She's cured of her rampancy and suddenly has the plan to bring peace to the galaxy by using the Guardians to force peace on everyone. Basically, her terms become "either accept peace or be destroyed". And she's managed to recruit hundred of other AI's to join her with the promise of both peace and everlasting life (since AI's in the Halo universe go rampant and "die" after seven years).
So yeah, that's a thing.
My problem isn't with Cortana being a villain so much as it is the way she becomes the villain. Everything we know about this character leads me to believe that she would never, ever choose to force peace on everyone in the galaxy with the threat of death. That's not in her character at all, and she's never shown signs in any previous games that she would want to do this. She's smart enough, caring enough, and clever enough to know immediately that what she's doing is wrong. But no, the writers decided "nope she's doing this all for the greater good".
In short, this villain version of Cortana doesn't work because it's not a path her character would ever take.
My only hope is that one of two possible theories is true in order for her character change to make any sense:
1. Cortana is still rampant despite saying she was "cured" of it. As such, the Cortana we are experiencing is still insane rampant Cortana, which would explain her actions better.
2. Cortana is being controlled by another, much more powerful entity. If this is true, my hopes are that she's being controlled by either the Didact or Mendicant Bias.
I suppose what bothers me the most about Halo 5's story is that it basically looks at Halo 4 and says "none of what happened here matters". Cortana's heroic death is suddenly made meaningless and a major villain from Halo 4 ultimately lead up to nothing and is removed without a second thought. Here's hoping Halo 6 ties things together better.
Gameplay Stream - Halo
Posted 10 years agoHello again everyone! As mentioned in my previous journal, I'll be streaming Halo stuff right up to the release of Halo 5: Guardians. Anyone is welcome to join to watch and chat (and play if you have the game too). Looking forward to seeing people there!
Twitch Link: http://www.twitch.tv/derpzilla88
Twitch Link: http://www.twitch.tv/derpzilla88
Halo Game Streaming Tonight
Posted 10 years agoHello all! Tonight another part of my favorite video game sci-fi franchise releases. Halo 5: Guardians!
As such, I will be streaming Halo gameplay from the Master Chief Collection up until Halo 5 releases. I have the game already downloaded onto my Xbox One and it will unlock as soon as the game is given it's midnight release. Afterwards, I'll be streaming Halo 5 for anyone who wishes to watch for as long as I can keep myself awake.
I'll be streaming using Twitch and I'll post a separate journal with a link to the channel. Stream will most likely be starting sometime around 10:30 p.m. (Central Time Zone) after I've come home from work.
Looking forward to anyone that wants to come watch and chat!
As such, I will be streaming Halo gameplay from the Master Chief Collection up until Halo 5 releases. I have the game already downloaded onto my Xbox One and it will unlock as soon as the game is given it's midnight release. Afterwards, I'll be streaming Halo 5 for anyone who wishes to watch for as long as I can keep myself awake.
I'll be streaming using Twitch and I'll post a separate journal with a link to the channel. Stream will most likely be starting sometime around 10:30 p.m. (Central Time Zone) after I've come home from work.
Looking forward to anyone that wants to come watch and chat!
Game Stream: Destiny, The Taken King
Posted 10 years agohttp://www.twitch.tv/derpzilla88
For anyone interested in watching me try out a brand new expansion for Destiny, and open for chatting, feel free to join in.
For anyone interested in watching me try out a brand new expansion for Destiny, and open for chatting, feel free to join in.
Gameplay Stream: Destiny, The Taken King
Posted 10 years agoI'm gonna try another gameplay stream for anyone interested. I"ll be starting it up tonight and probably do another tomorrow. I'll make a journal later with the Twitch link for anyone that wants to watch.
New Jungle Book Movie
Posted 10 years agoTrailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owgrkAQ-Log
Being that The Jungle Book is one of my favorite Disney animated movies, I'm really looking forward to this. It looks like it will be a more in-depth retelling of the original Disney version of The Jungle Book (though I'd love to see a movie version of the original book's stories). Hopefully it'll be a nice nostalgia trip with some new cool things to see. I'm just hoping that hearing all those familiar actors playing well-known characters won't distract me from immersing myself into the movie.
Oh, and Kaa is female in this version. Go figure. I think it can work.
Being that The Jungle Book is one of my favorite Disney animated movies, I'm really looking forward to this. It looks like it will be a more in-depth retelling of the original Disney version of The Jungle Book (though I'd love to see a movie version of the original book's stories). Hopefully it'll be a nice nostalgia trip with some new cool things to see. I'm just hoping that hearing all those familiar actors playing well-known characters won't distract me from immersing myself into the movie.
Oh, and Kaa is female in this version. Go figure. I think it can work.
I Bought Monster Hunter 4
Posted 10 years agoAm I cool now? Can I sit at the cool kids table with my MH4?
I decided to pick up MH4 because I was looking for some new gaming experiences that weren't as expensive as the $60 console games, and I've heard nothing but good things about it. Plus the monsters look really cool. I've only had time to play a little bit of the game, but so far it's definitely like nothing I've played before. It's a lot more difficult for a newbie like me to the series, I've had some difficulty getting the hang of things (I've had trouble taking down a Great Jaggia). But I think I'll get it down with some practice. I don't know all the hunting techniques yet, but maybe more of those will be taught to me as I progress through the game. So far I think I like it, but I haven't gotten completely hooked into it yet like I have with other games. But just give that some time.
I decided to pick up MH4 because I was looking for some new gaming experiences that weren't as expensive as the $60 console games, and I've heard nothing but good things about it. Plus the monsters look really cool. I've only had time to play a little bit of the game, but so far it's definitely like nothing I've played before. It's a lot more difficult for a newbie like me to the series, I've had some difficulty getting the hang of things (I've had trouble taking down a Great Jaggia). But I think I'll get it down with some practice. I don't know all the hunting techniques yet, but maybe more of those will be taught to me as I progress through the game. So far I think I like it, but I haven't gotten completely hooked into it yet like I have with other games. But just give that some time.
The Big 300
Posted 10 years agoI've seen others celebrate hitting certain numbers of watchers, so I wanted to do that too! Just saw that I hit 300 watchers and wow is that a shock. 300 different people all saw my page and thought "yeah, this looks like someone who will post neat stuff."
I can only hope I live up to that thought. That or they all just like seeing the big white dragon be made bigger in various ways.
In any case, thanks to all the watchers! 300 is huge to me and now I can mark that goal off my bucket list. Thankies much for the watches!
I can only hope I live up to that thought. That or they all just like seeing the big white dragon be made bigger in various ways.
In any case, thanks to all the watchers! 300 is huge to me and now I can mark that goal off my bucket list. Thankies much for the watches!
The Next Chapter of Life
Posted 10 years agoAt last! After five long years, plenty of hard work, and no small amount of worrying and stress, I have graduated from college! *pulls on another string separate from the birthday one and more balloons, streamers, and confetti fall from the ceiling*
Now I'll move home for a bit, relax for a few days, then get to work on finding a job. I'm so excited and nervous for what lies ahead. I know I won't be starting anywhere glamorous or extremely high-paying, but I'm really looking forward to doing work within my field. I'm looking forward to having something to do with my time, to earn money, and to get out in the world.
It'll probably be a few years before I get my "dream job", but I know exactly what it is I want to be doing. Here's hoping I keep on the path to reaching that goal. :D
*runs around in cap and gown*
Now I'll move home for a bit, relax for a few days, then get to work on finding a job. I'm so excited and nervous for what lies ahead. I know I won't be starting anywhere glamorous or extremely high-paying, but I'm really looking forward to doing work within my field. I'm looking forward to having something to do with my time, to earn money, and to get out in the world.
It'll probably be a few years before I get my "dream job", but I know exactly what it is I want to be doing. Here's hoping I keep on the path to reaching that goal. :D
*runs around in cap and gown*
Happy Birthday/Hatchday to Me!
Posted 10 years ago*pulls a string and hundreds of balloons and pounds of confetti fall from the ceiling*
Time for cake and presents! :D
Time for cake and presents! :D
If it's in a word...
Posted 10 years agoOr it's in a look,
you can't get rid
of the Babadook.
If you're a really clever one,
And know what it is to see
Then you can make friends with a special one
A friend of you and me.
A rustling sound then three sharp knocks
Ba-ba Ba-Dook Dook Dook
That's when you'll know that he's around.
You'll see him if you look.
This is what he wears on top.
He's funny, don't you think?
See him in your room at night,
And you won't sleep a wink.
Let me in.
I'll soon take off my funny disguise
(take heed of what you've read)
And once you see what's underneath...
You're going to wish you were dead.
The story of Mister Babadook from The Babadook. I'm glad that some movies remember what real horror should be like (not just endless jump scares). If I ever have kids, I'm totally going to read them this story just for the fun of freaking them out. Nothing like taking what at first appears to be a children's story and turning it evil to really scare the pants of someone. :P
you can't get rid
of the Babadook.
If you're a really clever one,
And know what it is to see
Then you can make friends with a special one
A friend of you and me.
A rustling sound then three sharp knocks
Ba-ba Ba-Dook Dook Dook
That's when you'll know that he's around.
You'll see him if you look.
This is what he wears on top.
He's funny, don't you think?
See him in your room at night,
And you won't sleep a wink.
Let me in.
I'll soon take off my funny disguise
(take heed of what you've read)
And once you see what's underneath...
You're going to wish you were dead.
The story of Mister Babadook from The Babadook. I'm glad that some movies remember what real horror should be like (not just endless jump scares). If I ever have kids, I'm totally going to read them this story just for the fun of freaking them out. Nothing like taking what at first appears to be a children's story and turning it evil to really scare the pants of someone. :P
