Alicia
@whimsicott.pmd.social
She/it, profile picture by @sabletide on bird app, header by @faunsipaws on the same place.
Reposted by Alicia
no more customers. the world has moved beyond the need for customers
November 28, 2025 at 6:14 PM
no more customers. the world has moved beyond the need for customers
Reposted by Alicia
Getting stuck causes players to explore the world.
Dying causes players to think about what they're doing.
An "impossible" situation causes players to learn how the game works and eventually achieve the impossible.
We need to be able to design *some* games around these fundamental ideas.
Dying causes players to think about what they're doing.
An "impossible" situation causes players to learn how the game works and eventually achieve the impossible.
We need to be able to design *some* games around these fundamental ideas.
November 28, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Getting stuck causes players to explore the world.
Dying causes players to think about what they're doing.
An "impossible" situation causes players to learn how the game works and eventually achieve the impossible.
We need to be able to design *some* games around these fundamental ideas.
Dying causes players to think about what they're doing.
An "impossible" situation causes players to learn how the game works and eventually achieve the impossible.
We need to be able to design *some* games around these fundamental ideas.
Reposted by Alicia
Part of me feels like Dark Souls wouldn't have caught on if the first game had difficulty settings. It'd be "cheap", "pointless", etc.
Arcade games had a relatively granular difficulty option via credit feeding and it played a big part in them written off as "button mashers"/"quarter munchers".
Arcade games had a relatively granular difficulty option via credit feeding and it played a big part in them written off as "button mashers"/"quarter munchers".
November 28, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Part of me feels like Dark Souls wouldn't have caught on if the first game had difficulty settings. It'd be "cheap", "pointless", etc.
Arcade games had a relatively granular difficulty option via credit feeding and it played a big part in them written off as "button mashers"/"quarter munchers".
Arcade games had a relatively granular difficulty option via credit feeding and it played a big part in them written off as "button mashers"/"quarter munchers".
Reposted by Alicia
I know it's more reassuring to believe that people in other countries spread racism in the west but the truth is they just found ways to profit off the racism that was already there
November 28, 2025 at 9:54 PM
I know it's more reassuring to believe that people in other countries spread racism in the west but the truth is they just found ways to profit off the racism that was already there
Reposted by Alicia
Free Turkey via Wall.
November 27, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Free Turkey via Wall.
Reposted by Alicia
You can defeat the final boss from the minute it is presented. Choosing to do everything else merely reinforces that you want to spend more time in the world and wish to push things off to further that.
November 27, 2025 at 12:18 AM
You can defeat the final boss from the minute it is presented. Choosing to do everything else merely reinforces that you want to spend more time in the world and wish to push things off to further that.
Reposted by Alicia
Additional point: Clair Obscur's third act is a thematic loop about how delaying the inevitable isn't healthy. You may feel temporarily good, you might even feel like a God among ants, but all you're doing is becoming a rotting husk and running away from inevitability.
Seeing other narrative design people say that Clair Obscur had a bad 3rd act or bad ending(s)…I just can’t follow you there man. That shit ruled. Sorry. You break the combat wide fucking open and then get your choice of doing genocide or walking toward Omelas and saying “torturing that child rocks”
November 27, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Additional point: Clair Obscur's third act is a thematic loop about how delaying the inevitable isn't healthy. You may feel temporarily good, you might even feel like a God among ants, but all you're doing is becoming a rotting husk and running away from inevitability.
Reposted by Alicia
Players have been conditioned to believe that there is always a perfect middle ground that can be struck in every tough situation. No!! Make me choose between one broken fucked up person’s pov and another’s!!
November 27, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Players have been conditioned to believe that there is always a perfect middle ground that can be struck in every tough situation. No!! Make me choose between one broken fucked up person’s pov and another’s!!
Reposted by Alicia
Seeing other narrative design people say that Clair Obscur had a bad 3rd act or bad ending(s)…I just can’t follow you there man. That shit ruled. Sorry. You break the combat wide fucking open and then get your choice of doing genocide or walking toward Omelas and saying “torturing that child rocks”
November 27, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Seeing other narrative design people say that Clair Obscur had a bad 3rd act or bad ending(s)…I just can’t follow you there man. That shit ruled. Sorry. You break the combat wide fucking open and then get your choice of doing genocide or walking toward Omelas and saying “torturing that child rocks”
This is not true, most of these supposed "whole" versions of common phrases are invented centuries after their original use. This kind of folk etymology is only one-upped by "did you know [word] is originally an acronym?" "factoids" as the most fake pieces of etymology trivia around.
Periodic reminder the WHOLE phrase is "the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb".
Your found family is stronger than those who gave birth to you. The bonds you form are Stronger than those tied to you. You didn't consent to being born. You don't owe them shit.
Your found family is stronger than those who gave birth to you. The bonds you form are Stronger than those tied to you. You didn't consent to being born. You don't owe them shit.
Repeat after me:
You don't owe anything to family that impedes your peace and well-being for the sake of "holidays."
"Blood is thicker than water" doesn't mean shit if the blood is poisonous while the water nourishes, sustains life, and promotes growth.
Your chosen family is more than enough.
You don't owe anything to family that impedes your peace and well-being for the sake of "holidays."
"Blood is thicker than water" doesn't mean shit if the blood is poisonous while the water nourishes, sustains life, and promotes growth.
Your chosen family is more than enough.
November 27, 2025 at 7:41 PM
This is not true, most of these supposed "whole" versions of common phrases are invented centuries after their original use. This kind of folk etymology is only one-upped by "did you know [word] is originally an acronym?" "factoids" as the most fake pieces of etymology trivia around.
Reposted by Alicia
Ourobobus
So this happened in Oslo yesterday. Four articulated buses got stuck in a roundabout.
November 26, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Ourobobus
Reposted by Alicia
Reposted by Alicia
every thanksgiving, me and my family eat thanksgiving dinner
November 26, 2025 at 5:00 PM
every thanksgiving, me and my family eat thanksgiving dinner
Reposted by Alicia
No. The Thing is a movie about a bunch of people who all distrust and hate each other trapped in one building as the tension between them slowly builds until it reaches a breaking point. It's a Thanksgiving movie.
Should John Carpenter's THE THING be officially classified as a Christmas movie? Let your voice be heard!
Is John Carpenter’s THE THING A Christmas Movie? Have Your Say
Should John Carpenter's THE THING be officially classified as a Christmas movie? Let your voice be heard!
dlvr.it
November 25, 2025 at 6:04 PM
No. The Thing is a movie about a bunch of people who all distrust and hate each other trapped in one building as the tension between them slowly builds until it reaches a breaking point. It's a Thanksgiving movie.
Playing Hat in Time for the first time since like 2018 and yeah it's still just as good and fun as it was on release. Amazing game.
November 26, 2025 at 5:19 AM
Playing Hat in Time for the first time since like 2018 and yeah it's still just as good and fun as it was on release. Amazing game.
Reposted by Alicia
Reposted by Alicia
Reposted by Alicia
Reposted by Alicia
Interesting post. Too bad Bridget did not appear until 2002's Guilty Gear XX. You poseur.
November 26, 2025 at 3:52 AM
Interesting post. Too bad Bridget did not appear until 2002's Guilty Gear XX. You poseur.
Reposted by Alicia
Like it's been a while since I left the industry but the mantra was usually 'the player/user is correct about how they feel, but has absolutely no idea what will solve that problem'
Your job was to fix that, not just yea or nay to community feedback.
Your job was to fix that, not just yea or nay to community feedback.
November 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Like it's been a while since I left the industry but the mantra was usually 'the player/user is correct about how they feel, but has absolutely no idea what will solve that problem'
Your job was to fix that, not just yea or nay to community feedback.
Your job was to fix that, not just yea or nay to community feedback.
Reposted by Alicia
I cannot imagine (poetic license ofc I can actually imagine it) a major developer thinking the only two options were 'do everything the player base says' and 'stick your head in the sand.'
One of the most important skills (imo) is synthesizing data and player input into good solutions.
One of the most important skills (imo) is synthesizing data and player input into good solutions.
One of the producers on Guilty Gear Strive said it was basically impossible to source player feedback on balance changes online because nobody had original opinions and would just parrot what the most popular content creators said and so they had to rely on data and I think about that every day.
November 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
I cannot imagine (poetic license ofc I can actually imagine it) a major developer thinking the only two options were 'do everything the player base says' and 'stick your head in the sand.'
One of the most important skills (imo) is synthesizing data and player input into good solutions.
One of the most important skills (imo) is synthesizing data and player input into good solutions.
I see a lot of posts about "online isn't real btw" or whatever and I have to assume that's some kind of delusional coping mechanism because uh. That's not been true for like a decade at least. Probably more than that. The fucking president of the United States is Twitter brained to his core.
November 25, 2025 at 6:00 AM
I see a lot of posts about "online isn't real btw" or whatever and I have to assume that's some kind of delusional coping mechanism because uh. That's not been true for like a decade at least. Probably more than that. The fucking president of the United States is Twitter brained to his core.
Reposted by Alicia
While it's true you can't fully trust player opinions on balance for this reason, devs in charge of game tuning must also realize that data lies too.
Balance isnt real. Only the perception of balance is. It's all vibes. Balance isnt a viable OR desirable goal. You want fun, variety, and retention.
Balance isnt real. Only the perception of balance is. It's all vibes. Balance isnt a viable OR desirable goal. You want fun, variety, and retention.
One of the producers on Guilty Gear Strive said it was basically impossible to source player feedback on balance changes online because nobody had original opinions and would just parrot what the most popular content creators said and so they had to rely on data and I think about that every day.
November 25, 2025 at 3:14 AM
While it's true you can't fully trust player opinions on balance for this reason, devs in charge of game tuning must also realize that data lies too.
Balance isnt real. Only the perception of balance is. It's all vibes. Balance isnt a viable OR desirable goal. You want fun, variety, and retention.
Balance isnt real. Only the perception of balance is. It's all vibes. Balance isnt a viable OR desirable goal. You want fun, variety, and retention.
Reposted by Alicia
But like sure, if I say that kids being denied transition care causes mental trauma and suicide, and someone asks me to explain that, I'll share the same exact study only to get the EXACT same refutation as the last hundred times I tried. Because not doing so hurts trans people. Apparently.
November 24, 2025 at 7:05 PM
But like sure, if I say that kids being denied transition care causes mental trauma and suicide, and someone asks me to explain that, I'll share the same exact study only to get the EXACT same refutation as the last hundred times I tried. Because not doing so hurts trans people. Apparently.