@idSoftware Thank you for your work. Eternity and Dark Ages have strayed too far from the theme and style of DOOM. I hope the next game will return to the space science fiction industrial style of 2016 and DOOM 3, preferably with cold, thrilling, and exciting combat.
@TheDoomDominion@tomwarren Instead of relying on the DOOM Slayer story for the next installment, we could introduce new protagonists like those in DOOM Slayer 3 and 2016, featuring marines who can fight alongside Tagat and hordes of demons, and return to the cold and thrilling space sci-fi style.
When one thinks of the word "Maid" in Azur Lane, the first character that most likely comes to mind for the majority of players is Belfast.
Why? To answer that question, I think it's necessary to first talk about the organization she leads: The Maid Corps.
If there's one thing the Royal Navy is known for, it's having maids for every taste and preference. There's such a wide variety of archetypes and personalities that it's hard not to find at least one you particularly like.
That being the case, why does Belfast stand out above the rest?
As I mentioned before, the Royal Navy has maids of every kind, some more... peculiar than others, to put it mildly. Yet, despite their quirks, each of them strives to fulfill her role as a maid the best way they can. However, none of them embody that role quite the way Belfast does.
The reason is simple, within a group full of colorful personalities, the calm, unflappable professional becomes the rarest and most appealing for many players, myself included.
Belfast perfectly embodies what one would expect from a maid. She is diligent, elegant, serene, exceptionally competent, and emotionally mature in a way that makes her feel like the adult in the room, even among her fellow shipgirls.
When she speaks to the other Royal Navy maids, there's a natural authority there. She's simply someone everyone instinctively trusts to take charge.
She's the kind of person who makes you think, "Everything will be fine" or "If she's here, I can trust her with anything."
If, for whatever reason, the port decided to hold a competition to determine which Royal Navy maid serves the Commander best, Belfast would win it effortlessly and without breaking a sweat.
Belfast's appeal lies precisely in witnessing a maid in the truest sense of the word, someone who is almost impossibly diligent, with a nearly superhuman commitment to the duty.
Even so, there is one thing that gradually slips beyond even her control: her feelings for the Commander.
At first, Belfast treats him strictly as her Master, whom she must serve and attend to his needs in the most professional and dutiful manner possible.
However, as they spend more time together and her affection for him deepens, Belfast no longer limits herself to fulfilling her responsibilities as a maid. Instead, she begins to serve the Commander because she genuinely wants to and enjoys doing so.
The change is subtle, but it's unmistakable. Belfast starts paying close attention to the Commander's habits, preferences, and way of thinking. She remains several steps ahead of whatever he might need or want, to the point where one begins to wonder if Belfast knows the Commander even better than he knows himself.
This gradual evolution is reflected especially well in her "Special Touch" voicelines. At first, Belfast scolds the Commander for his behavior, though she accepts it because, as she puts it, it is her duty. Later, she softens, reminding him that such behavior is inappropriate while implying there's a proper time and place for intimacy. Eventually, she even begins to find his slight perversion endearing, quietly enjoying the attention he gives her.
The fact that the unflappable Belfast finds your perverted antics endearing is genuinely heart-melting when you think about it.
Even on important occasions like Valentine's Day, unlike more straighforward characters, Belfast doesn't turn the day into an explosive show of emotions or a grand declaration. She acknowledges that her feelings are already known and that the date is simply another opportunity to demonstrate them through actions and her own sophisticate but affective way of doing it.
This is why the romance with her feels so special. It's the slow, steady warmth of someone who has already decided you are worth serving with her whole heart, and who shows it every single day through quiet, consistent excellence.
Belfast doesn't just make you feel taken care of; she makes you feel safe in a way very few other shipgirls do.
The other Royal Navy maids excel within their own niches, but if you want the authentic Royal Navy maid experience, there's still no one who does it better than Belfast.
She truly earned the title of Head Maid, both within the game universe and in the hearts of many of us.
#AzurLane #アズールレーン