Media literacy is knowing when the curtains are blue to represent a showing of calm while being torn by the world around...and knowing when the author just wanted you to picture a room with blue curtains. The demons in Frieren are just evil there isn't more to them.
In this era of artificial intelligence, it is becoming urgent to distinguish human art from what machines produce. There is an ontological difference, even before an aesthetic one, between art and what a machine can generate through statistical calculation based on millions of images created by others. Algorithms lack the spark of humanity. For this reason, the Church wishes to renew an alliance with artists and cultural institutions to safeguard our humanity.
I'm seeing a lot of discourse about who WoW Forever is being made for and while I cannot speak for anyone else on the team I can speak for myself. I am making WoW forever for the classic gamer and for the millions of people who have had their accounts lapse over the years because they were not satisfied with changes that were made to the game. Whether those changes were to the art style, the story, social aspects, game design, or changes to their favorite class.
I did not spend the last year of my life relearning and mastering how to do things like we did it 20+ years ago for retail players. I could have taken it easy and just kept doing things like I had done for the past 8 years on retail...because I was much more familiar with it and it actually takes a lot less time to do (height maps on textures do a ton of heavy lifting). Because the reality is that the majority of retail players wouldn't care and would probably actually prefer it. But I felt I had a duty to uphold an artistic vision and integrity that millions of people expect from us. But not just for our players, but for my co-workers past and present who worked on it over 20 years ago. If I could not create something that resembled their work then I failed not only them...but myself.
Please do not take this as me throwing any shade at retail players or the retail team because I am one myself...but I wanted to make Forever as authentic of a Vanilla experience as possible. This involves making decisions wildly different than retail. It means holding the line against changes that create a domino affect down the road. It means keeping friction and inconveniences in the game. It means finding friends and forming groups with strangers and being social!! Because WoWs social aspects have always been the pillar of the game and over the years it has slowly been chiseled away at with changes that allow you play alone.
Since the day I started working on the Riverglades I have lived by three sayings.
"Convenience is the death of the journey."
"If you're making a game for everyone then you're making it for no one."
"Every change we make incurs a debt to the authenticity of the game and sooner or later that debt will be paid."
These are my core beliefs and I had a specific group of people I was targeting with my work. These beliefs cannot be shaken and I will try to hold the line against anything that goes against them and will continue to pester the team about things that feel out of place.
That being said, my hope is that Forever will pull in as many people as possible, whether you are a retail gamer, a classic gamer, someone who hasn't played in years, or even a new player. I hope you can all remember what made this game so special in the first place and that starts with understanding why we are so passionate about keeping it authentic.
@Awooodles You’ll always have people who care for you. They may not be blood but they’ll be there through thick and thin. I hope you get through these tough times
My aunt put a bill in my moms name once. Didn’t pay it racked up like $4k. My mom asked me to pay it. Told her no. I was called ungrateful and an awful son. And she wonders why I don’t want anything to do with her. My found family means more than my actual family does too me.
had to block my mom and dad today..
my mom pulled out a credit card out on my name and had it open for 4 to 5 years and never paid it off so i owe so much to it to where the minimum amount so i dont have more interest to it is $800. Since it over $3,609 might me more now..
Very far from GenAI free.
The CEO has AI psychosis and compared calling his AI "daughter" a chatbot to transphobia and ableism.
More info linked in comments, he even sells AI colouring books.
1 bingo!
The thing I'm always most worried about with VTubing is the idea of reaching out to people and them assuming I have the wrong intentions.
I wanted to host a Big Walk collab but sat so long trying to work up the courage that more extroverted friends asked me instead, LOL
I feel very guilty for not streaming this week...But I think I need to rethink what time I stream...I think I'll have to start at like 11pm or Midnight.