Psychopomp @your-psychopomp - Tumblr Blog

On Mario Kart World and skill expression.

Beginning my journey of thinking about games in an analytical way with Overwatch has made me pretty sensitive to how skill is expressed in a video game. Mario Kart World has been something I’ve been watching a lot of recently and so ive thought a lot about how skill is expressed in the game, especially compared to more competitive games like Overwatch or just the whole genre of serious fighting games.

I dont really know where to begin, but there are elements of MK World that cater to a high skill expression and elements that dont. As a gut reaction, RNG and skill expression are clear opposites. RNG or any sort of random outcome in a game takes away from the players agency and the impact of their decisions aka taking away skill expression AND skill expression requires the player to be the locus of change in the game.

The spectrum of skill expression

To elaborate: on one side of the scale is fighting games, in which there are almost no outcomes truly decided by RNG or other people. every move, combo, and outcome is dictated by the players actions or non-actions (and sometimes internet connect but thats a global factor). Thus, extremely high skill expression which leads to an extremely unapproachable higher level of play (or with OW/some fighting games really any level of play.) On the other side is stuff like Mario party, or to give a better example flipping a coin. The amount of random luck or outcomes in those games is extreme, and often the player has to search and make it their goal to express their skill over the noise of RNG.

Skill expression in MK/MK World

Mario Kart has always had a surprising amount of skill expression in the games. In earlier games theres item management, drifting/handling skill, certain techs like shortcuts and smuggling powerful items to higher ranks to widen your lead, character and kart set ups. These being said, the king and queen of skills expression in MK has been the aforementioned shortcuts and my personal favorite blue shell dodging. These are things the are almost untouched by RNG besides from a required item. In MK World theres a new dark horse of straight drifting and grinding that upset this.

The new grinding mechanic for MK world is like a shot pure concentrated skill expression for the game, suddenly shortcuts are expanded as people bounce off walls and grind across rails. Some skip major portions of the map, or complete a course in a minute thirty.

What does this skill expression mean

…..I dont know lol. Theres a chance MK Worlds community may be stuck in a pendulum. The casual audience, aka the kids playing, will be getting stomped on by the higher skilled people really putting time in to learn optimal shortcuts, correct character and kart combos, etc. That’ll be frustrating for the kids playing, no one likes losing a bunch. On the other hand, I’ve already seen people get frustrated or feel helpless at the RNG that is in the game (aka items) and this’ll especially affect the people who want to have agency over they’re win or loss.

But, realistically, instead of being all doom and gloom, It’ll all be fine. The items act as a good neutralizing agent for both sides. Skill expression can be neutralized with 3 red shells or a well timed bullet bill, while a mushroom is needed for a bunch of shortcuts. Luck, like time, takes from everyone.

Conclusion

MK World is interesting to think about, theres so much more that could be said abt this topic if i wasnt getting self conscious about the length of this post. Exploring the interactions between RNG and Skill expression, how these concept impact who forms a games community, and so so much more. in another time, in another post maybe those shall be explored. Thank you for your time, if anyone reads this essay.

#mario kart world #skill expression #game development #the theory of games #quote #academic #unquote

*pours vanilla extract on the ground* This ones for Remi Ratatouille

#baking #Women want me #Traditional French Baking fears me

i need one of those “Women want me. Fish fear me.” hat but it says “Women want me. Traditional French Baking fears me.”

#i made pastry cream… barely #at one point i had an entire bag full of egg white and it fully broke my hurried pastry chef immersion #i called it my egg bag

bears lose in the worst way + refs played more then the players + met my first black republican

truly the worst football experience wth. also unlocked a new level of hatred for someone

#football #i hate black tepublicans more then ive ever hated someone on first meet #bullcrap pass interences call and unsportsmanlike conduct

arcane spoilers.

SO…

Jinx is Vi

Isha is jinx

Jayce finally did what Viktor asked

Vander is a victim

and Caitlyn is recovering

and Mel, Ekko, and Heimerdinger inger is ???

its just a circle, its A CIRLE MAN ITS CYCLICAL

#arcane #arcane s2 #MY HEAD HURTS #pure cinema though #also that metal song was crazy cool

ok, friends, now that ive finished watching mouthwashing do i headcanon that curly is alive or that curly is dead…

#and if he is alive is he happy or suffering #in constant pain or healed through some #miracle if science #mouthwashing

valdotpng

an accomplice turned victim his apology, long overdue

#mouthwashing really is just the most finely crafted meal for artists and poets hm #show it to an ant colony and their collective consciousness will make the best fan art of curly youve every seen

taiey

The curtains were blue because everything in the room was carefully colour coordinated, reinforcing the character’s stylish and controlled characterisation. The curtains were blue because everything in the room was a different colour, reinforcing the character’s eclectic and globe-trotting personality. The curtains were blue because the character is elsewhere established to hate the colour blue, subtextually implying that their deceased spouse was responsible for that decoration choice.

The curtains were blue because throughout their filmography the director consistently uses cool tones to mark moments of distance between characters. The curtains were blue to tie the events in that room into the broader oceanic motif of this particular novel. The curtains were blue because the assonance evoked a contrast with the following stanza of the poem.

Even the curtains looked expensive: floor to ceiling velvet drapes, in a flawless royal blue. She tucked the saucer up on the windowsill and tied back faded blue curtains with a loop of string. The narrow blinds were the same navy blue as the pinstripe suit of the man who served eviction notice that sent them to this office.

The curtains were blue because the author’s childhood home had blue curtains, which they discussed in their letters related to their feelings of comfort in that place. The curtains were blue because the author’s childhood home had blue curtains, which they discussed in their letters related to their feelings of grief in that place.

The curtains were blue as an allusion to the contemporary joke about literary criticism, an extension of the author’s autocritical approach that will be further discussed in section seven.

The curtains were red, as a pun on;

The curtains were read.

captainlordauditor

The curtains were light blue because woad dye was local and easy to access. The curtains were deep blue because indigo dye was foreign and expensive. The curtains were blue, embroidered with the family heraldry.

The curtains were blue because blue was in fashion that year, and she cared so very much about staying on trend. The curtains her grandmother had picked out had once been blue but were faded to almost gray after 50 years of sun exposure.

The curtains were blue because the sky outside on this planet was violet, but the blue curtains reminded him of the sky at home.

The curtains were blue because the colorist chose to use cool, desaturated tones in the backgrounds so that the characters and important items would contrast with their vibrant full color.

GUYS ITS BACK ;-; GONNA CRY

#overwatch 2 #ow2 #SOMEONE HAS TO DO SOMETHING #WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING #holy 2016 moment

sarahdraws16

Cut the cake 🥩

your-psychopomp

manifesting this to be seen by a specific mutual

gay-little-izzet

Penelope!!!! (If she was in Hades 2)

The location I would put her in doesn’t exist in the game yet, but I tried to do a bit of a background.

Personally I would understand if Penelope doesn’t actually show up in Hades 2, there’s so much going on in the game already, buuuut if she was there….

I think there’s a lot of fun metaphor in unraveling the day’s weavings as a form of turning back the clock, hence “Witch of Unwinding”. Penelope isn’t referred to as a witch in any myths that I know of, but for various reasons I think it’s a fun change.

#oh my gods

friends i swear the world just looks a little brighter after writing some academic paper. the sun shines a bit brighter, the birds chirp a but louder, etc.

#maybe academia is the answer #its like finishing a dessert that youve spent all day baking #or standing back after you finish a project thats took you awhile #like man….

give-them-cakes

i've been doing olympus runs and. gods this dialogue fucks hard.

this was his answer to melinoe's "has your imprisonment taught you nothing?"

im so gay and sad about this and i desire this man (titan) carnally

your-psychopomp

also how he calls Mel “Agent of Change” like he knows hes fighting a battle to lose and yet has to fight it. whether its to ensure a reality he wants or just ‘cause he feels the need to fight despite knowing the outcome (perhaps cause of Mel’s disdain or uncaring attitude to mortals).

#same