#bri blabs

[brigriv]

squall tier list 💯✨

[brionnnne-moved]

"Chainsaw Man is ugly". Yeah, I think that's kind of the point, actually. Hell, I think the griminess, the ugliness of it, is actually what adds substance and character and feeling. Like. Whatever. You don't like it. You think it's ugly. Fine. Okay. What I can't really understand is... Why is that a bad thing?

[xfilesrph]

Arin Hanson and Dan Avidan are separated by the McElroy brothers by only one degree because they BOTH had Weird Al on their shows as guests so basically what I’m saying is, when are we going to get the McElroy brothers/Game Grumps crossover that we all deserve??

[brigriv]

FFXIV 🌱 tips for people with social anxiety from someone who actually has bad social anxiety.

A lotta guides sum up with "Just do your best and have fun!" which is true of course. I'm here to share some details from a VERY shy person's experience that might help you loosen up a little.

⚠️ (Take my advice with a grain of salt PLEASE.)

⚔️ DPS: for the really shy/anxious

Pros - mistakes are very recoverable, you engage with mechanics more often but learn them faster

Cons - low defense/survivability, complicated rotations, longer queue wait times

Priorities - damage, mobility

🌱 Very good to start with. With such few responsibilities, learning an MMO for the first time will be easier to digest. Recommended starting class: Archer. Later on, Dancer is very easy. I play it on days when I'm feeling too nervous.

-> If you play badly, it's generally overlooked. But if mobs are taking too long to die, folks might start pointing fingers.

🛡️ TANK: for the studious

Pros - mistakes are mostly recoverable, high survivability, easy rotations, often stationary, you set the pace for the whole team

Cons - your KO can lead to failure if healer is unprepared

Priorities - lead, attract enemies, stay as still as possible, position mobs and bosses "correctly"

🌱 Good to start with. Read up on your responsibilities for a less stressful time. Majority of the community is very patient, especially if you speak up. Gladiator is the standard choice. Marauder can self heal in later levels, great for solo play.

-> If you play badly, people will probably speak up with advice. Don't take it personally. Nice people genuinely want you to learn. -> Whenever I mentioned I didn't know the way, someone else gladly took up the lead.

❤️‍🩹 HEALER: for the confident

Pros - damage rotation is one button, quicker queue wait times

Cons - your KO usually leads to failure (unless there's another healer or phoenix down), can get boring or suddenly stressful, your reaction time determines the fate of the party

Priorities - predict incoming damage, quick reactions, damage in between

🌱 Good to start with if you enjoy babysitting. You still need to damage and be spatially aware. Be familiar with how each Tank plays (by playing them or research) for a better time. Conjurer (the only choice at first) is more forgiving with reacting. Sage is the other easy one: get past the confusing ability names, realize how simple it is to have one or two regen/shield up at all times (generally) and be okay.

-> There are two ways to play badly (other than purposefully letting people get KO'd): not DPSing (which prolongs fights) and/or saving OGCDs only for emergencies (which may cause emergencies). -> A good tank should slow down if you can't keep up.

🌟 OTHER TIPS:

For keyboard users, being good at typing really helps (as in, you know where the buttons are without looking).

MOST people are patient. You're allowed to type in chat about your concerns or state that you're new.

Typing quickly under stress? -> Set up macros to send pre-made messages fast.

Don't let max-level rotation guides stress you out. Perfection is for difficult content that requires things like DPS checks. Find guides for your current level and below first. I don't know the optimal rotations, but I understand my combos and the "ABC - always be casting" rule.

"Always be casting" = if you freeze up and don't know what to do, at least press a damage button.

Free Companies benefit from number of people. So... join a big FC and get lost in the crowd, you're less obligated to talk to them.

[brigriv]

random but it's keeping me awake e_e (topic: ff8 skin color)

I've been off and on about Rinoa's skin. Lately I'm trying to adjust to lighter "canon" tones. But at my core she is quite tan or "medium" I guess. It looks so much better than the pale white she actually is imo. But like she is clearly light skinned in all media. Why can't I get over it, lol... >_> It's not just her, Irvine and Zell and Selphie and Seifer should all be tan too, hehe!

My gripe is this: I ended up agreeing to stick to canon with my comic (I even toned down my ot4 influence for the sake of less bias)... But for fan art... I wish I could darken her skin. I hope that's not strange. =_=;

I betcha Tumblr would tell me to do what I want and not overthink it, haha. ^^

[brigriv]

Here we go: my long-winded response to whiteashrose's FFVIII fic.

🍓✨ Break the Enchantment by whiteashrose

Wow, what a rush of emotions for a dearly awaited update. I missed the email notification, sorry for the late reaction!!

TL;DR -- To the author, it's a little embarrassing how much I really like your fic. 😂💖 (please click the "keep reading" button below to see my full post)

To everyone else who doesn't know -- I'm making a big deal outta this because it's a HUGE fic that deserves love, and I have hyperfixation tendencies. 😅

I feel so, so very privileged to know the rest of your story. 💖 Thank you for your time in explaining with such detail. I apologize for all my whining... I'm a fool... 😭

"I was never good at plots" EXCUSE ME?? Your writing is captivating. You inspired me to draw my fan comic! Inspired me to create my own, more fulfilling headcanons of the game! You transformed Ellone into someone a hundred times better than the original! (Even taking the romance part out, you made her interesting, you gave her a real personality.) Thank you for the refreshing ideas!

The reasons stated for not finishing the story, I completely understand and they are completely reasonable. Again, I'm in awe at the outline to satiate our curiosity. And really, with this final update, you finished the story. It's complete in my eyes. Cheers. 🎉 Thank you!!!

This author portrays every character pretty much exactly as I would wanna see them. And THANK YOU... your excerpt with Seifer gave much-needed depth to finally convince me of his redemption!!

I really like the Sorceress-born idea. I also like the OG's Hyne-succession idea. I like both. Maybe succession can potentially happen at birth, like, when it's just 100% impossible for a Sorceress to pass on her powers for some reason, it flows through the world and finds its way to a newborn candidate.

Whatever harassment the author received, shame on those people. Do you think the pairing is strange? Do you not like how Rinoa is portrayed? Go read something else!

⭐ On that note, I think I only have one critique:

Rinoa is probably a bit too antagonistic, thus I'm wondering if the mentioned "hostility" came from upset Squinoa shippers.

The story is perfect as is. Whiteashrose's more "aggressive" version of Rinoa makes sense for what this story is cooking. I see this as a thought-provoking "what-if" version of her! Which I find fascinating, and really fleshes out potential natures of Sorceresses in this world.

Though, I think the way Rinoa is portrayed makes her too obviously a "wrong" choice. Having her be just as sweet as Ellone could make the situation more compelling, I think. HOWEVER! In the author's version, I can see how Rinoa compares well with Seifer's character. Both kinda lose themselves in the Sorceress business, are too demanding in what they want, and suffer unfortunate results.

Lastly... I'm shocked Squall's name is never mentioned. I didn't notice at all, haha. To be able to do that successfully, very clever!!!

[brigriv]

FF8 fanzine idea: chanting "we are here" like Horton hears a freaking Who while SE ignores the game's existence 😅

okay but seriously, it would be fun to make something along the lines of "we the FANS have not forgotten" (albeit more subtle than that) or our own "happy anniversary!" since SE won't. if we can get a few free digital zines popping up at first, then maybe word will spread, leading into a bigger printed project. the FF9 fans sure have a lot of spirit, how about us?

[brigriv]

Ellone & Seifer's "I want this specifically" versus Rinoa and Squall's "enjoy the now" (and Edea & Cid's "according to plan").

Past, present, and future.

Ellone and Seifer are stuck with their (selfish) versions of an ideal reality: Ellone's happy childhood fantasy and Seifer's childhood knight fantasy. Stuck in the past, stagnant.

Rinoa and Squall learn to let go and let god accept reality. (Rinoa mostly already knows this and helps Squall learn.) Ya gotta put your past behind ya. Live in the present and flourish.

Edea and Cid follow future Squall's instructions. They (selflessly) prepare for the future, a "best" reality for everyone, while sacrificing truly being in the present. Constantly moving but not "living."

And maybe, Ultimecia is unable to accept the past, present, and future. Someone who hates where they are now yet isn't stuck in the past or scared of the future, but rejects reality entirely.

So, you could say Squall is the balance of all three. He snaps out of complacency to be mindful of the past, be thankful of the present, and be aware of the future all in healthy ways.

...

All this to say... The great debate of who best thematically to pair with Seifer: Ellone, imo. ^^