Why Are Wlw Books So Angsty And Deep All The Time Like Where Is My Casual Wlw Romcom Or My Fantasy Lesbians,

why are wlw books so angsty and deep all the time like where is my casual wlw romcom or my fantasy lesbians, space bis and trans princesses like not every wlw has some lost love in some town in the middle of nowhere

Signature Weapons

So, I don’t think anyone will argue with me when I say that a lot of Fantasy stuff draws pretty heavily from Tolkien’s work. Like, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Humans… regardless of your particular brand of Fantasy thing, odds are they’re gonna follow a lot of the same rules and tropes as established by J.R.R. But one thing that I rarely see emulated/copied/whatever is the idea of a Signature Weapon.

‘Cause, like, if you think about the LotR books or the Hobbit (admittedly the only 4 Tolkien books I’ve read, but I feel like most people fall into that category), the gang doesn’t really swap out their kit too much. Like, once Bilbo gets Sting, he kinda sticks with it, and then once it gets passed to Frodo, that’s just what Frodo uses from then on (until he gets kidnapped by a spider and it becomes Sam’s for a bit but that’s not really important). Aragorn maybe swaps swords while he’s in Ranger mode, but then once he gets his Legendary Family Weapon, that is his. I mean, hell, in the books he straight-up calls Sauron out by using one of the Palantir and, rather than showing himself, he shows the sword. That sword is the symbol of him and his office as future-king. That sword is him. There’s a running theme that the weapons used by these characters are, in a sense, extensions of themselves, a part of who they are, and not something to just be swapped out on the fly.

But nothing really follows that trope. More specifically (for the sake of my personal interests), no games follow that trope. Like, unless you are very high level (in whatever system/game you’re playing), odds are you’ll be constantly swapping out your weapons. Every time you beat a boss/encounter/whatever, you’ll check the weapons you got vs what you had and, if there’s something better, surprise, time to swap.

And, like, I get it. Of course that makes sense. Obviously you want the best stats and whatever, but also, like, it feels inherently wrong to me whenever I (or one of my players) is like “Well, I used this +2 Longsword to kill that dragon and that was cool but, hey, here’s a +3 Longsword so time to throw out the old blade!” Again, I understand it from a mechanical perspective, but it kills me from a narrative perspective.

Because, like, (and let’s talk Pathfinder here for a moment) yeah, you can upgrade that +2 Longsword to be better than the +3 one. Or just equal! But like, to do so requires the proper feats (either for yourself, a party member, or an NPC ally/shopkeeper), a fair amount of downtime (1 day per 1k gp of cost), and a fair amount of money. Getting that +2 Longsword to a +3 would cost 10k at a vendor (or 5k if you can do it yourself), which would also take 10 days, which is often a lot in Fantasy Time. Whereas, hey, when you killed that dragon, it had as part of its loot a +3 Longsword for free (which, by the way, only sells for 9k gp so even if you sell it that doesn’t cover the cost of upgrading your old sword).

Like, maybe it’s different for other systems, but I know in most RPG video games, I’m constantly swapping out my kit for better shit (Diablo and Diablo-like games are notorious for this, actually). But I almost always feel bad for doing so. ‘Cause I really like the idea of the Tolkien-style Signature Weapon. “Ah yes, this is my blade, DudeSlayer, that I have used to slay a thousand dudes!” (we can’t all be Tolkien-tier wordsmiths but you get my point, I hope). And, like, a lot of the time I try to do that in games, even when you’re clearly not supposed to. Like, in Elder Scrolls games, even if I don’t keep with the same weapon for a long time, I often have weapon racks and display cases in my home that I store my old swords and stuff in. Because, like, think about it. Even if it is just, like, a random sword that you found in a ditch somewhere, that is a sword that the Dragonborn used, and in a hundred years that sword will be Legendary.

I don’t really know if there’s a good solution to this. I mean, for most games/parties I don’t think this is even really a problem that needs solving. It’s just always been a thing that’s kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I’ve homebrewed a few rules in my own games (though I don’t think they’ve really come up yet), but nothing’s really clicked in a way that seems right. I know that Matt Mercer has done a lot with the Vestiges in Critical Role, which as a kind of leveling-up weapons/armors/misc can kind of fix this issue. 

Making Platforming Games

Author: Kynan Pearson (Lead at 343 Industries/Retro Studios: Halo 4/5, Metroid Prime 2/3, Donkey Kong Country Returns.)

Want to make your own platformer? Then consider to check out the Big List of Game Making Tools.

More Articles about platformer design can be found on PlatformerPower.

A. INTRODUCTION

Background of this Guide

I’ve had quite a bit of interest from people wanting to hear some advice on making side scrolling platforming games… So I’ve taken some time to write up some of my thoughts on making a solid, traditional, 2D or 3D side scrolling platformer.

It takes a lot of time and effort to make something look and feel great. I’ve always loved platformers and have tried to keep up with all of the most significant releases and the most interesting independent ones. I still continue to play platforming games when something big or unique comes along. I’m surprised how often I see games that have tons of potential but just miss out on a few details that prevent them from being legendary. I want there to be more definitive, iconic, polished and memorable side scrollers, mostly because I want to play them and get swept away.

I’ve decided to put together a quick reference list of the things I try to thinking about when creating a side scrolling platformer as well as the things I look for when playing them. Some of these elements don’t apply to everything since the mechanics can be so diverse between games. I’m pretty much going to talk about games that have run and jump gameplay with additional systems here and there.

Don’t Underestimate

It’s never easy to make a polished game. Anything you plan to do is going to take 3-4 times longer and require more effort than you will anticipate at first. You’ll get better at predicting how long something takes to do with experience but even the most experienced developers often make the mistake of underestimating the time and resources it takes to make something polished.

Nothing is “a given” or trivial. Everything matters. A 2D/3D side scroller can actually be harder to make than other genres because every single screen requires unique configurations if you are trying to make something solid and memorable. Making games takes work and making great games requires even more. Experimentation takes time and it’s going to take time to figure out what works. Even if you’ve made platforming games before, each game has its own unique qualities. It does get easier with experience and there are some general rules/philosophies that work in most situations.

Broad Appeal

In some ways it’s actually easier to make a weird or quirky game.  You can do whatever you want and the mechanics can be as unique as you want them to be. If you aren’t trying to make a game that has broad appeal then move on to the next section. To be broadly appealing then a game should be accessible in gameplay and even in visual theme. It’s really hard to be definitive, elegant and iconic. That’s why there are so few platforming games that stand the test of time.

B. FOUNDATIONS: CAMERA, JUMPING, RUNNING, COLLISION

Those are the foundational elements that I believe need to be right. Particle effects, Sound, Animation, Graphics and the way things sort with one another are all incredibly important too. If you do anything poorly then the game can suffer so just remember that there might be more to fix when addressing a problem with the feel of the game.

Foundation 1: Camera

Your camera is your game – The camera in a side scrolling platformer is one of the most important parts.

Camera Smoothness – Your camera needs to be stable and smooth.

Camera Center – In most solid platformers the camera shouldn’t keep the character in the center of the screen.

Camera Falling – If you have “falling to death” then the camera shouldn’t scroll down when a player falls in a pit. The bottom of the screen should equal death if you want to make it clear to players. It also shouldn’t move up when the player jumps unless the character is going off of the top of the screen.

Camera Locking – You should try lock your camera to a single axis so that it’s only moving left to right or up and down in any given section of a level that players have control. This means you will reduce the amount of camera shifting and keep a frame of reference.

Camera Shifts – Players don’t feel confident when speed running or being reckless running at full speed if the camera shifts around when they jump. It makes for a less consistent experience and doesn’t feel as solid as some of the best platformers of all time.

Levels Support Camera Style – Build your levels to support a particular style of camera.

Foundation 2: Jumping

The Jump Needs to Feel Great – The jump is everything! 

If the jump doesn’t feel right then the game will suffer and more often than not fail. The Team will try to come up with “band aid” features thinking the game needs more in order to be fun. If your game isn’t fun just running and jumping then you messed up and need to get that part right before moving on. (This is usually the most significant problem in a platforming game that isn’t good) Here are a few tips for making a jump feel good.

Jumps too floaty –  If the jump is too floaty then it’s harder to land on enemies and platforms reliably. This will cause players to miss time their jumps and they will get impatient waiting for the character to come down.

Jumps too fast – If the jumps are too fast then players will tend to land in front of enemies or platforms since they will jump early. This often results in characters that jump into the sides of platforms on the way their way down.

Good Jumps – My opinion is that a good jump is responsive, weighty and forgiving. It should go up fast, have a little hang time and then drop pretty hard. (this is personal preference and can change based on the type of character and game)

Air Control – If you allow air control during a jump then test to see if players can recover from a bad jump while in midair. If they almost never recover then you should increase air control. If they recover even if they react very late in the jump then you might have too much air control. It’s a balancing act.

No Air Control – If you don’t allow for air control after a jump then you need to build you levels on a measured grid using very strict standards. Play a lot of Super Ghouls and Ghosts.

Styles of Jumping – there are 2 major styles of jumping to choose from.

Digital – If you jump and let go of holding a direction on the dpad or stick then the character stops on a dime and drops down without any inertia. This is really precise and feels gamey.

Velocity Based – This jump retains inertia in the air. If you jump while moving and let go of holding a direction on the dpad or stick then the character will continue moving without slowing down. Players will have to compensate against the inertia to slow their movement. I personally prefer this method as it gives the character a sense of weight. (play 2D Mario games for an example)

Power of Jumping – Jumps can be fixed so they always jump a consistent height or they can be controlled so that the longer you hold the button the higher the character jumps. I personally prefer the second method since it gives you the ability to add more variety to levels in regards to jumping.

Jumping Forgiveness Systems – Jumping also can have forgiveness systems such as:

Ledge grab – allow players to catch a ledge when impacting just below the edge.

Wall jump – allow players to recover when hitting a wall just below an edge.

Allowing late jump – allowing a short window of time where players can press jump and get a jump even if they barely ran off a ledge.

Edge assistance – Bump players up onto a platform they barely miss if they haven’t fallen below the edge.

Sliding up – allow players to wall skate up in order to slide up and over the edge of a platform if they hit the wall just below the edge.

Foundation 3: Running

Running isn’t required to make a great side scrolling platformer but it gives players a more layered experience. 

Allowing players the ability to increase their speed through the use of a run button or a mechanic is a major foundational element to some of the best platformers of all time. This allows the game to be played in 2 completely different ways.  Players can play the game in a controlled, easy and consistent manner by just moving through a level by default. If a player can chose to increase their speed then you allow them to enter a “risk vs. reward” scenario. They can jump farther and move faster but the cost is that they will have less time to react to obstacles and enemies as they come on screen. This means there is an increase in adrenaline when you play by moving faster. This speed increase provides players the ability to feel a greater sense of accomplishment when “flowing” through the level at high speed. This will also make it easier to implement a time attack mode since there will be a greater range of times between players who run and those who proceed with caution.

Foundation 4: Collision

A platforming game is only as good as the character, enemy and world collision and the interactions that contact provides.

Level Collision – Level collision should be very clean and precise. The art should match the collision as much as possible since this is what players see. Build your game around standards.

Hitting Head While Jumping – Players don’t like to hit their head while jumping unless there is a reason to do so. Don’t build low hanging areas that players will jump into unless you have a mechanic that uses this. It’s frustrating to miss a jump because you bumped into some collision hanging down over a ledge you were trying to jump to. Especially if it’s because the developer thought it looked better and not because there is a gameplay reason.

Walls and Edges of Platforms – Walls and the edges of platforms should be totally flat so that if players jump into them while grinding into them then they can slide up them without hitting their head on some lip or overhang.

Falling Off A Ledge – You always want to know when you are going to fall off of a ledge so try not to round edges or get crazy with the art. This goes hand in hand with the representation of the playable character. The characters art should match the collision as closely as possible so that players know exactly when they will fall when approaching and edge.

Enemy Collision – Enemy collision can make or break your experience. If you are coming down on an enemy that you can “BOP” then you should get the “BOP”. If you are getting hit by the enemy when it looks like you should be hitting them then you need to fix the problem by implementing the damage or bounce state differently.

Enemy Interaction – Interacting with enemies should feel consistent and predictable so don’t move their collision around erratically or animate them outside of their collision bounds.

C. DEVELOPMENT TIPS

Now that we’ve covered the foundational elements I wanted to just list out a few other helpful tips that don’t get into as much detail. 

If you have any questions about the meaning of any of these or need clarification then email me or leave a comment and I will try a give you a response if I can. These are all my personal opinions and philosophies so don’t worry if you don’t agree. I’m just trying to provide guidance if you don’t feel you know what is right or wrong.

Use Measured Jump Distances – Don’t require maximum jump height or distance on any jump unless it is a jump to an alt route or secret. You should always give a bit of buffer room in case players jump early or late so that they still land comfortably. If they are jumping up onto a ledge then they should come down onto it and not just barely slide onto the top from below. This way they feel that they came down and connected with the platform after a successful jump.

If it is awkward then fix it – If you make an interaction or a level sequence that feels awkward then you should probably remove it and replace it with something that feels better. This can be things like bumping a player before a jump or having them land in a weird location. Play the game as if you are making mistakes and see where you’ll end up. Taking the awkward moments out of your game makes the game feel more polished and can be the difference between an ok game and a fantastic one. It doesn’t take much to make people feel bad about the experience. It’s ok to reword and redo something until it is right.

Names Matter - What you call something when it is being created defines it. A level called generic level 01 has less potential to be good than one with a name like Laughing Bouncers. Words have power and they define things. When you hear words describing something they will inspire people to do more.

Take the Easy Path – There are things that are easy to do and there are things that are hard to do. If something is hard to do then it will take lots of time and generally be more difficult to change or tweak. There is a good chance you can do something easy that gets you similar if not superior results. Plus you can see the results more quickly and refine/polish it with the extra time you have.

Give it Character - Everything you create is an opportunity to have character. A round creature is more interesting to bounce on than an object more often than not. It doesn’t have to be alive to have character but you want it to be memorable.

Make it Memorable - Every level should be remembered and defined by a “single” thing that stands out. This could be a gimmick type or a moment. If too many ideas are used then you won’t remember any of them.

You’ve got to keep em’ Separated - Background separation is important. You should never be confused about what a playable area is and what background elements are. If you can’t interact with it then it should be a different color or brightness than what you can. If people try to jump onto background elements thinking they are playable area then you have failed and you should fix the problem.

Landmarks - Sometimes a really slow moving landmark in the background is more memorable than lots of different elements. Take Rygar for example. The most memorable level element in the game is sun right in the middle of the screen at all times. One large ball of light stands out in your memory more than any of the other background details. It probably took less effort than other levels too.

Good Ideas - a good idea can be reused multiple times. A bad idea makes you struggle thinking how to use it more than once and work hard trying to implement it in the first place.

Out of Sync – Sometimes having elements (level obstacles) that are timed differently and feel out of sync with each other make for more interesting gameplay sequences. Imagine you have 3 pillars bobbing up and down. Even if they are all moving the exact same heights you can change their timings to spice them up. A good example would be having one completing its movement in 3 seconds, the next completing its movement in 9 seconds and the last one completing its movement in 6 seconds.

Memorable Repetition – Sometimes doing the same thing over and over and over again can be memorable so long as it doesn’t happen all the time.

Breaking Patterns – A great technique for making a memorable sequence is to establish a gameplay pattern and then break it when players begin to predict and expect it. (little little big, little little big, medium big big big little)

Everything Matters – don’t ever use filler content. Every screen is an opportunity to do something new. If you have a section of the level without anything interesting then put a secret cubby there with hidden pickups.

Secrets – Use secret cubbies to hide things often and in obvious places. If you see people accidentally bumping a wall when they play a level then put something they will find there. You can set up situations to attract people’s attention.

Split Paths – If you have 2 different routes in a level make sure that the player can see both at all times.  It often sucks to play a level that branches where you lose sight of your other choice. Some people will be bothered and really want to go back and see what they missed. This takes them out of the moment and disrupts the flow of the level. If they can see both paths at the same time then they will be able to see if they missed something of interest and aren’t forced to worry or stress about it. They can choose to overlook it or move on.

Motion Matters – Moving things are more memorable than static things. You can create all kinds of interesting configurations to play on using different movement patterns and shapes. Try to keep things consistent and understandable in a level. You want players to get into a rhythm of understanding. Using too many different configurations of motion can end up being a random mess.

Iconic – Everything you make in your game can be memorable and recognizable. If you put any item, enemy, object, level detail or character from your game on a shirt would it be appealing? Could you tell which game it came from immediately? Does it surprise you? Does it have personality? Do you remember it? Can you make it more interesting or funny?

Don’t Band-Aid – Super Mario Bros. was a good game with run, jump, and fireballs alone. If you feel the need to create something completely new then look at your core mechanics and see what could be improved.

Interesting Pickups – You can use pickups such as coins, rings, bananas, etc. in order to make levels more interesting and keep players occupied. Collecting these pickups should have a reason and provide a benefit to the player. If you give them too many too often then they aren’t valuable. If you give them too few then they are a frustration. You can use interesting configurations of moving pickups to make a level more memorable. Pickups can move up and down, move on a path, rotate, bounce, disappear, or any number of other things to differentiate one group from another. You’re pickups don’t always have to be static in place.

Pickups as a Guide – You can sometimes use pickups to guide players to play in a certain way but you don’t want to abuse this. If pickups always show the perfect route then you are basically playing the game for players instead of letting them use their own timing. You can guide players into secret locations or help them time a hard jump by using pickups.

Use a Definitive Idea – Try to pick an idea for a level and stick to it. Jack and the Beanstalk is more memorable than Jack and the 12 beanstalks attached to 3 buildings, a tower and 2 busses moving over a river covered in oil and burning. (Even if the second version sounds more original to you!) People tend to forget levels that use too many different ideas. You want to be able to say “it’s the (insert a memorable word) level” when communicating with friends.

Use Other Senses – a level element can use other player senses in order to be interesting. You can find interesting ways to use how players see something. You can mess with time, gravity, music or any other number of elements in order to make something cool and unique.

Even Pacing isn’t always Good – If something stays the same difficulty the whole time then it’s not interesting. Mix up the difficulty to keep players interested and involved.

Getting to the end is the reward and not the challenge - Difficulty should often ramp more like this: Easier, Hard, Medium. There should always be some element that has a bit of challenge otherwise players might not feel connected. Ease them into the unique mechanics of the level. Challenge them in the middle giving them a hard situation to deal with and then ease off and let them show off a bit towards the end.

Restrictions Create Gameplay – Often times preventing a player from doing a specific action can allow you to create new gameplay sequences. For Example: Placing spikes on a low hanging ceiling will kill players if they press jump. This means that you can now force players to deal with a unique situation only using their movement. This means you can mix up the gameplay from the standard style and provide interesting challenges that require more specific movements.

D. CLOSING THOUGHTS

I know there are going to be certain games and certain situations where these tips won’t apply or aren’t going to work. These are just a few of the things I try to think about when making platformers. You are the only person who will know what is best for your game. Let me know if you have found this interesting or useful and feel free to ask questions if you’d like any more information.

I love platformers and could talk about design philosophies related to them for hours. I have plenty more to add to this but it’s already long enough. I personally find it easier to talk about these elements than to write them down so I may end up recording something with friends later.

Thanks for reading.

Note: Article originally appeared on Kynan Pearson’s Blog Substractive Design and was republished with permission on PlatformerPower.

Icon Source: Icons made by Delapouite (Video Camera, Jump, Info) and Lorc (Treasure Map, Sprint, Anvil Impact). Available on game-icons.net

Image Source: Donkey Kong Country Returns screenshot from mobygames.com

A tradition

In peacetime, the ruler grows their hair long. In war, they cut it short. A ruler with long hair is held in great esteem, for defending the peace. The traditional declaration of war is for the ruler to send their cut-off hair to the enemy ruler. The statement carries greater weight the longer the hair: to receive long hair says that you have angered one who is slow to anger, that you have incurred a wrath not easily woken.

the phrase “curiosity killed the cat” is actually not the full phrase it actually is “curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back” so don’t let anyone tell you not to be a curious little baby okay go and be interested in the world uwu

When Your Partner Has Anxiety: A Meltdown Guide

This Meltdown Guide was created to help those of you who are in love with people who struggle with anxiety and depression, feel like you can actually be helpful when your partner seems to be spiral…

Reacting To A Partner In Crisis

Depression, anxiety, and panic attacks should be treated with the same mindset as someone who has just been launched off their bike into a gravel pit. It hurts, and it’s gross and can be a bit frightening, but it will pass, wounds will heal, and it’s not a big deal, except for right when it is happening.

Getting upset about it does not make it go away. It has already happened, and now it is time to take care of business. Get your partner to a safe space, and start wiping up the blood and picking out the gravel.

Non-proximity Dependant Tips to Support Your Partner With Anxiety

No matter whether you are with your partner or not at the moment of crisis, these five tips will help get you both through it.

DO remain calm. You are a fucking champion. This skill and these experiences will help you in every relationship, intimate or otherwise, that you will ever have, for the rest of your life.

Don’t ask them to make decisions. They may be incapable of making any at all. Whether it is deciding if they want to go to bed, what they want for dinner, or if they want a glass of water, assume all decision-making faculties have been thrown out the window.

DO take control. This can mean telling them to brush her teeth, put on pajamas, take a shower, eat their dinner, etc. Taking off the pressure of having to make decisions and having the foresight to complete simple tasks like plugging in their phone is HUGE.

Don’t assume they can ask for what they need in that moment. Also, don’t assume you have to be a mind reader. You don’t, just try your best. You know your partner.

DO try the proximal and non-proximal suggestions below if you are unsure of your next step.

Proximal Suggestions for a Partner in Crisis

       6. Sensations

Disclaimer: Always ask for consent when touching a person who is having a panic attack. They may not be able to answer fully, but be aware of their body language and the subtle cues that they don’t like what you are doing, or that touching them is making it worse.

When touching, I find that skin to skin is best, face to face. Alternate between whole-body holding/constricting and light back circles with head petting.

Blankets in a quiet, warm, and relatively low-lit atmosphere can be soothing.

Platonic-ish kissing is good but mostly appreciated on the forehead, head, and upper back and upper arms. Neck kissing is too sensitive and sticking your tongue in their mouth will be overwhelming and inappropriate.

Keep your voice low, either quiet or whispering.

Extra special holding technique: Cradling in any form is exceptional; particularly if it allows the one doing the cradling the ability to whisper, rock back and forth in some way, and allows for gentle stroking or petting of the non-sexual variety. Think holding a baby.

     7. Activities

Distractions can be good once the initial episode is over and it is time to recover. Music may be too emotionally triggering. I find cartoons are best.

Read to them, anything.

Bath or shower.

Do not fucking fall asleep. They will hate you forever.

Tell them about your day, or a mundane topic. Dumb facts about penguins or elephants work here. Do not expect a high level of participation but they are listening, and they do care. This is super helpful and can be very soothing.

   8. Nourishment

Start with a glass of water, and if that is good, move to warm beverages – NOT alcoholic, or super creamy or sugary.

Encouraging words, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Breathing together.

Make sure they have eaten in the last 3-5 hours.

When You Can’t Be There

You can’t always be there when the shit hits the fan. That is not your fault nor is it your responsibility to babysit your partner. When you can’t be there, here are some great tips to get you and your partner through it.

   8.  Sensations

Hearing your voice can be soothing. If they don’t answer the phone, leave a message. If you don’t know what to say or talk about, just talk about yourself or your day.

Send a photo of wherever you are, or whatever you are doing. This relays that you have stopped to take a picture to send it to them because you are thinking about them. You can also send a picture of yourself making stupid faces, or take a picture of a horrible drawing of a whale you just did. Anything that brings them back into the moment with you. You get the idea.

Affirmative statements.

    9. Activities

Be available. You’re in a relationship, and if you were going through stuff, you know they would be there for you. If you don’t want to make yourself available, you probably shouldn’t be in this relationship. Obviously, if you are at work, this is an exception, but don’t decide it’s not your concern. You are partners so act like it.

Make a plan. Don’t dwell too much on what is happening but tell them what is going to happen NEXT. Don’t ask for help making the decisions. Take the initiative to make the decisions about what is going to happen with the rest of their day. This will give them something to look forward to and is extremely helpful. Knowing that they will be taken care of is almost as good as being hugged right at the moment.

Go forth!