kind of weird how parts of your soul are left in various locations without any warning… like yes i’m always at the top of that hill, sitting at the bus stop, in the cool light of the Japanese restaurant, standing at the pier etc etc
No because what the actual fuck was that decision?
You mean to tell me months—if not YEARS—of development.
…and your solution was to throw the ENTIRE SIXTH LOVE INTEREST into the trash?
ARE YOU SERIOUS?
I'm not saying people shouldn't have been angry about the 731 reference. They absolutely had every right to be. Unit 731 is one of the darkest chapters in history and if that reference was made carelessly, then yes, people deserved an apology and an explanation.
But explain to me how Valko became the sacrificial lamb here.
Who exactly does this help?
The people who were hurt by the reference? They still deserve accountability.
The people who were excited for Valko? Congratulations, you just told them to go fuck themselves.
The developers who spent who knows how long creating an entirely new LI? Their work gets deleted overnight.
So what was the goal here?
Because this doesn't feel like taking responsibility. It feels like corporate damage control.
Fix the story.
Rewrite the chapter.
Delete the offending reference.
Delay the release.
Fire whoever thought using 731 and 611 was acceptable if you have to.
But deleting an ENTIRE CHARACTER because of a mistake in ONE PART OF THE GAME is such an absurd overreaction that I genuinely can't wrap my head around it.
I'm just so unbelievably disappointed. because Infold's response was somehow even worse than the original mistake.
We lost a character.
The developers lost their work.
The fandom lost something people had been excited about.
What an absolute fucking waste.
while everyone is upset, please refrain from making xenophobic comments about chinese people/lads players!! it’s reductive and makes me uncomfortable, and i’ll be deleting any that i come across.
Actionable Ideas for Challenging Infold Over Valko's Release
A lot of LADS fans are really upset over Infold's decision to shelve Valko. This is my attempt at creating action items for fans wanting to do something but are unsure where to start.
Here are some methods for giving Infold feedback:
Sign this petition and this petition
Reply to their posts on X (Twitter)
Comment on their Instagram posts
Comment on their Facebook posts
Comment on their YouTube videos
Join their official Discord Server and voice your dissatisfaction
Leave a 1-star review on the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store
Complete the survey in the Love and Deepspace app by selecting the box/pencil icon in the top right corner of the home screen
"Suggest" Valko's release in the Love and Deepspace app by going to Settings > More > Support, then select "Suggestion"
(If you want to be slightly passive-aggressive) On 9 July, go to Settings > More > Support, then select "Bug Report" and fill out the report stating that the promised Valko content is missing
Remember: if we want Infold to listen to us, we MUST remain civil and demonstrate our affection for the game. I highly doubt they will be intimidated by non-CN players, which means we are held to a different standard. What is effective for them will not be effective for us.
With that said, remember these do's and dont's:
Do repeatedly submit/post/send your feedback over the next few weeks. Email them today, in a few days, on 9 July, and in the weeks after. Post on their social media every day. Overwhelm them and show them this isn't going to go away over a few free Wishes.
Do prepare to CONTINUE submitting/posting/sending your feedback over the next few months. Infold needs to see that we won't let this issue go. Schedule emails to be sent to them over the next 3 months. Draft X posts today and copy and paste them to post in a few months time. Draft your long-form in-app feedback in preperation for the update and the upcoming banners. Create reminders to check and comment on their posts weekly. Don't let them get comfortable. Be a dog with a bone (lol).
Do maintain a polite tone in your feedback (even when you are issuing a threat like leaving the game).
Do specify your current disappointments, long-term criticisms, and expectations for the future of the game should you continue to play.
Do clearly isolate your long-term issues with the game from the current issue of Valko's release. Make it clear that those issues are not resolved by delaying or permanently canceling Valko's debut.
Do talk positively about whatever you can (ie. enjoying other LIs, enjoying the content of the Main Story itself, appreciating the worldbuilding, etc). This may feel difficult, but it demonstrates that you are a passionate player. Infold can assume that a player so invested in the game would need something drastic to push them to leave.
Don't use profanity.
Don't reference CN players.
Don't bring up Infold's past mistakes. We need to stay focused on the current issues.
Don't criticize anything about Valko's teased content. This one may be unpopular, I know. If Infold is pulling back Valko's release, I don't think it's likely that they will be willing to invest any more time and money into his development. If they continue to get more and more criticisms about him and don't care to change anything about him, they will never release him. I'm not minimizing any fan's concerns; I'm suggesting we choose a priority.
If you are unsure where to start, here are some talking points:
Express your excitement over Valko (bonus points if you give reasons why). Did you come back from a long hiatus for him?
Express your disappointment over not having Valko in the game. How will it impact your enjoyment of the game?
Describe how you prepared for his anticipated arrival.
• In-game (farm for dias, bought packs, etc)
• On your devices (created storage space, bought a new device, etc)
• Financially (budgeted for buying packs upon his release, etc)
Describe how you engaged in fandom around Valko. Did you create fanart, fanfiction, or other fanworks? How much were you consuming fanworks showcasing him? Demonstrating how beloved he was before any real content of his being released indicates a warm reception if/when he is released.
What are the current issues you experience with the game? Be specific. Describe exactly how they impact your gameplay. Suggest a concrete way those issues could be resolved. Assert that Valko's release being postponed or canceled will not resolve these issues.
Express concern for the changes to their planned story arc his absence would create. Question if those changes would be as enjoyable as their original plan.
(If you're feeling up to it) Acknowledge the amount of time, effort, and money that must have gone into creating Valko. Let them know it would disappoint you to see it go to waste.
Infold made a terrible decision. We need to take action and let Infold know that a large portion of the LADS fanbase wants Valko to be released at some point. Let's try to remain positive where we can, engage in positive fandom, and do our best to make our voices heard by Infold.
I always have a sick feeling in my stomach when I see people continue to glorify and travel to Dubai knowing exactly how that city runs and how the UAE is profiting off of genocide in Sudan. It’s the same feeling I have looking at people partying in Tel Aviv knowing what is happening just miles away - they should both be treated with the same amount of disgust. Shame the people who glorify that city, shame the people who vacation there, shame the hypocrites who claim to care about Palestine while enjoying stolen gold. Hate the UAE for the same reasons you hate Israel, all genociders should never know a moment of peace.
I firmly believe that all identities are relational and formed through partaking in certain sets of actions. I also think when you’re isolated it’s very easy to lose track of who You are. I think this is why so many lonely/isolated people end up obsessing over labels and label discourse. it’s one of the only processes of identity formation you can partake in by yourself, in your bedroom. this is not meant as a value judgement, just as an observation as someone who was that lonely label-obsessed kid in the past
One of my biggest video game inspirations is a 10 minutes long freeware platformer from 2016. And it's a better piece of political art than everything self proclaimed "anti-capitalist leftist"s or whateverpunks have released up to this date
Liyla and the Shadows of War is a platformer choose your own adventure inspired game by Palestinian developer Rasheed Abueideh. You play as a Palestinian man at night as the city around you is being bombed, the platformer mechanic is jumping through the crumbling bombed infrastructure, and avoiding the bullets and missiles fired at you and other civilians. There's no music, only the sound of the night and everything fired at civilians. Your wife is hit and you have to leave her behind to run away with your daughter, not moving enough for any amount of time results in the deaths of both you and her. At the end of the game your daughter is injured and you are told the ambulance has the place for only one person. You prioritize your daughters health, the only choice given to you in the end, and they promise you they will take care of her, driving away in the ambulance- which is then bombed. That is the only ending.
When it released, Apple refused to list the game on the app store and refused to reverse the decision until severe public outcry
It is just more brave, political and inspirational to me than any cyberpunk game
Israel systematically targets the health of pregnant mothers and infants in Gaza. This is a reality every parent in Gaza knows. It has also been confirmed repeatedly by others. Pediatric healthcare professionals in Gaza have been bravely speaking out about how Israel is currently using restrictions of formula into Gaza to torture and kill Palestinian babies.
2. The Delectable Negro: Human Consumption and Homoeroticism Within US Slave Culture by Vincent Woodard
3. "Abolitionists turned the tables on Europeans by accusing them of being cannibals when they ate sugar tainted with the flesh and blood of slaves."
4. Zombies (which I would class as cannibals, since they were human and need to eat humans to live) have a root in Haitian folklore and represented enslavement.
adding that, if you can find it, cannibal culture by deborah root is about exactly this. the way the white western world is a hungry, destructive force that cannibalizes non-white cultures and creates wealth and status through the cannibal colonization of those cultures.
here's the intro
i almost think there's an essay in bell hooks' black looks about this too? yes! just checked, there's an essay called "eating the other"
Venezuela was hit by two earthquakes yesterday, a 7.2 and a 7.5. Many parts of the country have been reduced to rubble, and areas of Caracas have been flattened. Their infrastructure has already been under immense strain. Here's how you can help:
The World Central Kitchen has also opened donations to send assistance and resources to first responders.
Donate here.
It is a little difficult for me to format this information, as I am getting it through WhatsApp messages and Instagram reels, but I will be using this post to add collection centres outside of Venezuela. I will not be using this platform to spread information for those who are inside Venezuela as I know there are better platforms for that.
Most of the information I share will be in spanish and I also will not be doing any translation work. The addresses are clear and the items needed are universal in every catastrophe of this magnitude.
gummygunk
blakekathryn
tangentwithtanner
baratheonpilled
dailybridgerton
