Title says it all. But since this is me we’re talking about, I’ve got to make use of this virtual space somehow. Luckily, I’ve got more to talk about than just Discord (however briefly). So let’s get to it -- featuring a game that’s bound to make it straight to the top of several GOTY 2018 lists. What is it? Read on to find out.
It’s not Dragon Ball FighterZ, though. Which isn’t an indictment of that game; it’s just that I’ve already posted on it multiple times, and I don’t need to do it again right now. On the other hand, base form Vegeta is on the way, so maybe I’ll have to revisit it again at some point. I wouldn’t mind firing off a Galick Gun or two. And in tandem, finding out what a “Galick” is supposed to be.
See? I’m good at filling virtual space.
I feel like a lot of my problems would be solved -- or flat-out not exist -- if I was a social media ace. But I’m not. Outside of one or two elements, a lot of modern technology is beyond my grasp; it’s only natural that I’m months, if not years late to any given party. I mean, back when Facebook was first gaining steam and I heard everybody raving about it, I basically just sat there going “The hell’s a Facebook?” Because I was (and still am) a creeper lurking in myriad shadowy corners.
Nowadays? Up until about a week ago, I spent days on end going “The hell’s a Discord?” Only this time, I got pressured offhandedly -- that is, my lack of net savvy was both exposed and served up as a grim reminder to me on multiple occasions. It’s just another example of me shooting myself in the foot (and then the face for good measure) because I’m not using various, free tools available to maximize my output.
So I’m making an effort. For real this time, I hope. Now I’ve got a Discord account, and a server too. Next step? Learning how either of those are supposed to work.
It’s probably less complicated than I’m making it out to be, of course. Based on cursory observations, it looks like it’s as simple as 1) finding a game/site/fandom with a Discord server, and 2) chatting it up. More specifically? It seems as if you can use servers to communicate in games -- make a server, invite your pals, and take the fight online in stuff like Overwatch with a specialized conversation system. Shout outs to Overwatch for first opening my eyes to Discord in the first place…and dealing me even more shame than usual.
So step one for me -- if only because Discord prompted me upon setup -- was to create a server. And I did. True to form, i.e. my Kamen Rider fanboy self, I named it the “Rabbit Hatch”. If my understanding is correct, what I need to do from there is send out invitational links to people. Not recklessly, I assume, because it seems like the sort of thing that’d invite hell upon me. But it would be nice to have more than one person not named Voltech44 in there, so the adventure begins.
If it seems like something that’ll work out for me, then I’d imagine that Rabbit Hatch will end up becoming a personal server, and I’ll have to make a server for Cross-Up in the future. That’s not an insult to anyone here; it’s just that there should be some division between my online self and my IRL self. But we’ll see how it goes from here. I might be thinking way too hard, and too far ahead -- counting chickens and all that -- so there’s no guarantee anything I say here will come to fruition. At the very least, I can see myself using Discord to join others’ servers and chats instead of using psychic electromagnetism to reel them into my virtual spaces.
If this Discord thing falls through? Well, it’s not as if I’m bereft of online options. I’ve been slacking hard on my social media efforts, and my general communication. There’s kind of a reason for that; I’ve been working on…a thing…recently and focusing much too hard on that. And if/when that reaches a semi-presentable format, there’s a good chance I’ll move onto another, different, and possibly better…thing. More and more it seems like my rule is “Don’t talk about it until it’s done”, which means I’ve got less to talk about online.
But I need to make the effort. Not just to build my brand and network with others. I need to be able to connect and communicate; if I can’t, it doesn’t matter how much I write, or what I produce. I’ll be at risk of losing my humanity. And I’d like to avoid that, if possible. Assuming it’s not too late.
This is getting heavy. Let’s talk about God of War. The new one.
My brother’s been getting on me day after day, and week after week, to give it a shot. I hadn’t; the plan was to finish NieR: Automata first, and my progress on either game was halted by the fact that he often uses the PS4 as part of his Street Fighter V ritual. (To be fair, I’m getting back in there too…for good or ill.) So yes, I’d been putting it off for months, and at most I could only give it the benefit of the doubt when people mentioned directly/indirectly how good it is.
But now I’ve taken the plunge. And to be perfectly honest, I was worried that it’d be another case of me and The Last of Us -- a critically-acclaimed AAA game that everyone loves (and woe to those that decried it), but one that personally ground my gears into powder. I didn’t want to deal with that heartbreak again. By the looks of things? I won’t have to.
I don’t think God of War (the new one) is bad at all. I’m not in love with it; it doesn’t leave me starry-eyed and ready to slap a 10/10 sticker on the box. But it’s good. Pretty good. Pretty interesting. Certainly, I see it as a better The Last of Us than, well, The Last of Us. If we’re doomed to have more games force us to endure the devs’ collective midlife crisis while simultaneously aping well-worn territory for the sake of faux-maturity and grasps at artistic merit, then I’d rather the winds of change follow this game’s example than that one’s.
I’ll refrain from saying too much about the game right now, because I want to play more and I should sleep on it before making any rash statements. But as for knee-jerk reactions? Combat’s intriguing, though I’m iffy about the camera perspective. Atreus > Kratos. World’s on-rails for now, but I’m OK with that and it’s still a hell of a looker. I can see the devs trying to toy with my emotions, but there are still moments where they pull it off. Suplexes are still rad, and always will be.
So that’ll come up fairly soon in a post, I think. Same for the Kingdom Hearts III X A Goofy Movie abstract (lol, I keep going back and forth on what to actually call it -- headcanon, a fanfic, a sketch, an outline, an abstract…). Also, I hope you’ll forgive me for indulging myself, but there’s at least one more post on my personal writing adventures that I kind of need to get out there. It may or may not lead into future output, after all, so please excuse my intermittent attempts to follow my dreams. Don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll find some way to make it interesting.
Guess that’ll do it for now. Hoping to use -- and get the most out of -- Discord in the days to come, assuming I can get past the training wheels stage. Have any experience with Discord? Feel free to tell me all about it in the comments. Tips, tales, trials, whatever; I’ll led you an open eye. By the same token, feel free to mention your username so I can potentially add you to my list. I’m not on 24/7, but I imagine most people in the world aren’t. So we’ll see how it goes.
Hopefully it’ll go well. Though if it doesn’t, it wouldn’t be the first time an online foray has gone awry. My first roleplay experience in a game not only featured someone trying to get me into an erotic session, but another person who dislocated their shoulder and had to go to the hospital.
That was an eventful night. And as always, a story for another day.
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