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beccatoriaSo, something awesome happened today that I am going to share with YOU, interwebs, because I love you.
A friend's been dating this awesome person for a while which is great, because when your friends date awesome people, you get to make new awesome friends. Now, this person is pretty quiet, likes to listen to everyone else more than to herself, but from a few comments, I knew that she wasn't really a big fan of comics, they made her kinda uncomfortable - I am pretty sure she classed them in the same category as lad's mags other stuff that's basically porn you can read on the train. Like I said, she's a quiet person, a few comments from her constituted a forceful opinion.
The thing that's interesting to me about this, though, is that her opinion wasn't formed in a vacuum. It's not like she had a media stereotype in her head. The guy she's dating - our friend - reads a lot of comics we lend him and doesn't read a huge amount of books beyond that. I haaaate gratuitous cheesecake and shitty depictions of women in mainstream cape books, and the books our mate was reading reflect that - but we were mostly lending him mainstream cape books, and it made me realise how numbed I am to how they look.
And damn, man, it just made me sad. And also nostalgic for those days when I didn't really read cape books, I read whatever trades were available at the library because I was a broke teenage girl and didn't even know where the local comic shop was. And honestly, it's rose-tinted spectacles of enormity if I say that none of that shit made me uncomfortable or made me wonder why I was reading it or didn't have shitty depictions of women - not to mention how confusing it is to read like ONE trade from near the end of Marvelman, because hell if I knew what order things were sposed to be in - but...that's when I fell in love with the medium, even though I spent the ten years after that wandering in and out.
And I wanted to do that for my new friend. So when it was her birthday, just recently, I thought to myself, fuck it. I am going to buy her a comic. I am going to buy her a comic that a) features a woman as a main character, b) is not drawn in an exploitative manner (and that will be defined broadly), and c) is self-contained.
So first I went and got depressed at how difficult this was. I basically had to write off superhero stuff entirely except for possibly Batwoman but I felt even that had too many ties to the wider DCU to be an easy entry point and besides, I wanted to show her that it's not all a genre where spandex is an entry requirement.
In the end I settled on the first volume of Fables. When I gave it to her I said, more or less, "this is a comic that will not make you feel like you need a shower." I honestly thought that would be an end to it - perhaps I'd get a polite "Oh, it was fun!" in a few weeks. I honestly suspected it might sit on her shelf gathering dust forever, and I would not have judged her for it.
Instead, I started getting texts about how much she liked it - how easy it was to read, how she wasn't expecting to be so engrossed she finished it in one sitting, how much fun it was and what should she read next.
Today she dragged her boyfriend shopping for new comics; I got a panicked text from him - they didn't have the next Fables! What did I suggest instead! - I missed out on answering because I was at my new job where I'm still nervous enough I don't let myself check my phone unless I'm on break - but apparently she bought the first volume of Madame Xanadu because she thought it looked cool.
And that's my story, interwebs. Just one more of the million examples of how it's not that chicks don't dig comics, they just don't dig exploitation.
A friend's been dating this awesome person for a while which is great, because when your friends date awesome people, you get to make new awesome friends. Now, this person is pretty quiet, likes to listen to everyone else more than to herself, but from a few comments, I knew that she wasn't really a big fan of comics, they made her kinda uncomfortable - I am pretty sure she classed them in the same category as lad's mags other stuff that's basically porn you can read on the train. Like I said, she's a quiet person, a few comments from her constituted a forceful opinion.
The thing that's interesting to me about this, though, is that her opinion wasn't formed in a vacuum. It's not like she had a media stereotype in her head. The guy she's dating - our friend - reads a lot of comics we lend him and doesn't read a huge amount of books beyond that. I haaaate gratuitous cheesecake and shitty depictions of women in mainstream cape books, and the books our mate was reading reflect that - but we were mostly lending him mainstream cape books, and it made me realise how numbed I am to how they look.
And damn, man, it just made me sad. And also nostalgic for those days when I didn't really read cape books, I read whatever trades were available at the library because I was a broke teenage girl and didn't even know where the local comic shop was. And honestly, it's rose-tinted spectacles of enormity if I say that none of that shit made me uncomfortable or made me wonder why I was reading it or didn't have shitty depictions of women - not to mention how confusing it is to read like ONE trade from near the end of Marvelman, because hell if I knew what order things were sposed to be in - but...that's when I fell in love with the medium, even though I spent the ten years after that wandering in and out.
And I wanted to do that for my new friend. So when it was her birthday, just recently, I thought to myself, fuck it. I am going to buy her a comic. I am going to buy her a comic that a) features a woman as a main character, b) is not drawn in an exploitative manner (and that will be defined broadly), and c) is self-contained.
So first I went and got depressed at how difficult this was. I basically had to write off superhero stuff entirely except for possibly Batwoman but I felt even that had too many ties to the wider DCU to be an easy entry point and besides, I wanted to show her that it's not all a genre where spandex is an entry requirement.
In the end I settled on the first volume of Fables. When I gave it to her I said, more or less, "this is a comic that will not make you feel like you need a shower." I honestly thought that would be an end to it - perhaps I'd get a polite "Oh, it was fun!" in a few weeks. I honestly suspected it might sit on her shelf gathering dust forever, and I would not have judged her for it.
Instead, I started getting texts about how much she liked it - how easy it was to read, how she wasn't expecting to be so engrossed she finished it in one sitting, how much fun it was and what should she read next.
Today she dragged her boyfriend shopping for new comics; I got a panicked text from him - they didn't have the next Fables! What did I suggest instead! - I missed out on answering because I was at my new job where I'm still nervous enough I don't let myself check my phone unless I'm on break - but apparently she bought the first volume of Madame Xanadu because she thought it looked cool.
And that's my story, interwebs. Just one more of the million examples of how it's not that chicks don't dig comics, they just don't dig exploitation.
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Date: 2012-03-19 10:12 pm (UTC)Re: vidding it - I think the armour upgrades will depend on the settings the playthrough used - for instance some people play sans helmet, particularly for cut scenes. Mainly I'm worried that a few I've seen as potential sources of footage have the annoying eye-electronic headgear things which DO stick around for cut scenes. I'm less worried about changing armour (which I figure would come off as changes of clothes) than I am about something visually on the face of a character I'd have to handle changing slightly from source to source already anyway. Ah well, we'll see how it goes...
Not all that familiar with games and who does what, but judging by her work here, I can see why everyone would be wanting her on their team.
Guuuuuh, I keep watching spoilerrific clips from the end of Mass Effect 3 where she's just so beat up and exhausted and fangirl swooning over the awesome of her acting.
In other voiceactor news I also nearly fell over when I realised I'd somehow missed the fact that the actor who plays Kaiden (whom I have a ridiculous attachment to mainly just because I already knew it was the same voice as Carth from Knights of the Old Republic, who was a ridiculous video game person in every way possible and thus I loved his whiny self and made him run around the entire game in his underpants), is THE SAME GUY WHO IS JIMINY CRICKET IN ONCE UPON A TIME. My mind, it was blown.
I don't think they've actually released a deluxe bonus-material-included version of ME2 yet, actually, so you probably would have to download, but glad to hear you're enjoying it enough you want to!
YAY YOU FINISHED THE FIRST ONE! :D Congratulations! I have to confess though, I sort of killed Ashley on purpose. I...don't really like her much. *dodges rotten fruit* Her views on space racism disturbed me but I was well up for changing her mind until that weird, long, creepy story about how heartwarming it was when her sister beat up her boyfriend for attempted sexual assault and then decided not to turn him into the police because he started crying. o.O That said, I do have her alive in my second playthrough (when I play as a renegade dude), because in my first playthrough I ended up with Liara because Kaiden dumped me after I suggested a threesome (which was clearly the solution to EVERYTHING). But...the tragicomedy of my Mass Effect Romantic Choices is...an entire post for another time. All I'm saying is, when you get to ME2, WATCH OUT FOR YOUR SECRETARY. She will trade you sexual favours in exchange for feeding your fish. ...I was scared.
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Date: 2012-03-20 04:08 pm (UTC)ooo I am swooning in advance! Also hoping I'll get to go to earth. Pretty miffed that hasn't been an option yet. Especially if the location is Not New York Or Washington For Fucks Sake.
Jiminy Cricket? Hah. Awesomesauce. My mind will have fun with that later while playing hee.
Nope, I just had a code for dl the Normandy landing site and a couple of weapons, but I got the rest as well. I'd already started playing though, so not sure if it'll be included in this round?
Weeeeell. "Finished" is a strong word. I did all the story stuff. I'm so ridiculous about these things. When they say it's urgent and I have to get there right away, I have a very hard time not rushing off. I know it's ridiculous, and yet! I'll do all the side assignments next go though. I'll be doing the renegade thing too, so then I can be all "relax, bub. I'll do it in my own damn time."
Ew I don't remember that conversation with Ashley. Basically my deep reasonings for using one and not the other=ovaries before brovaries. I am so very very bad at being tactical. Just like the weapons confuse me in ME2. I mostly just leave them alone(though doing research). I did really liked the Quarian, so sad to see she's unavailable now *pouts* But yay the Krogan is back! I actually installed the no scar system thingy for the medical bay so he could get his face fixed up.
I have had, um, absolutely no romantic shenanigans at all. lol I did have one conversation with the secretary, where it was very clear she was lusting after the aliens. So I was all "have at it, lady. that is one service I will not be providing my crew with". ...I'm actually more worried for the fish now. (or not. I seemed to have killed it.) No clue what the romantic options are, but if Jacob is available, I plan to climb that like a tree. Next round when I'm a Renegade I'm guessing Jack will be my go to.
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Date: 2012-03-20 09:59 pm (UTC)You don't get to go to Earth in ME2, but you do in ME3 although not for all that long. Skirting spoilers, but it is neither DC nor New York.
The DLC should show up just fine in your game even if you've already started. It's designed so that people could buy it later, go back and load up their saves when they'd COMPLETED the game and go BACK and play it if they wanted, so don't worry.
I love your justification for being slow about things as a Renegade! :D I'm the opposite of you though, I can't leave stuff unfinished! I feel I Didn't Save Someone or something! But I think it'll make for a more interesting and personalised experience for you when you get through to 2 and 3 though, because as the series continues, what side-quests you do and don't do have more and more effects on what happens to various characters (both in large and small terms) and sometimes in ways you wouldn't expect. Like in ME3 some characters survive or die certain scenarios partially based on what you did or didn't do for them in previous games. Again, skirting big spoilers, but I remember a moment I actually had to look up on the net to see if I'd deducted what had happened correctly is when one minor character you've met a few times in previous games shows up in ME3, then you think the character will die, but gets saved by a TOTALLY DIFFERENT minor character you had the option of interacting with once in a previous game and - if you encouraged her into the line of work she is now in - saves the guy, but if you encouraged her into a different line of work, the guy dies. CRAZYSAUCE.
Basically my deep reasonings for using one and not the other=ovaries before brovaries. I am so very very bad at being tactical. Just like the weapons confuse me in ME2.
I REALLY REALLY WANTED THAT TO BE MY REASONING TOO. But then she just got space racist creepy and I had to ditch her.
I did discover, however, that it's perfectly possible to play through all the Mass Effect games using only a single gun and not knowing what the hell you're doing as long as you leave it on casual. *thumbs up*
Your fish will be fine as long as you feed them between missions. I'm mostly bitter because I did this OBSESSIVELY until Kelly offered to feed them for me in exchange for dinner that I am going to STUDIOUSLY INSIST WENT NO FURTHER. And what happens when I get back from my next damn mission? MY FUCKING FISH ARE DEAD. So I bought more immediately and...she did seem to feed those. But ::sideeye::
Jacob is a romance option, yes. So is Garrus, and I gotta be honest if I coulda done that in ME1 I would have been ALL OVER HIM, except then I get to ME2 and the game tricked me into monogamy with a paragon interrupt! (Okay, it didn't, but I felt too filthy and unheroic to break up with anyone...seriously, I need to make a post at some point about the trials of my Mass Effect relationships. They seem to be a series of accidents or examples of terrible judgement. Like when I slept with Miranda instead of Jack. I still don't really know why I did that. Maybe my Guy!Shep was hankering after a brunette space racist? Though I gotta be honest, I like the idea of Jack more than her execution.)
Seriously, my relationship with this game is like: OMG THE TECHNOLOGICAL NARRATIVE META, IT IS SO DEEP! Wait, whut, kissing? Ahahahaha lolz that's awesome. Oh no, wait, what did I dooooooo?!!
I actually installed the no scar system thingy for the medical bay so he could get his face fixed up.
THAT IS ADORABLE. (Also that's a totally different Krogan...) :p Although you can meet up with Wrex later.
And don't worry, Tali, the Quarian, comes back too. She's my FAVOURITE. I want to adopt her.
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Date: 2012-03-22 10:48 pm (UTC)The DLC showed up just fine. Though I wish I could do more with the Shadowbroker Lair(although the short vid clips were amusing hee). Why won't they just let me be a
ninjamaster spy already?Oh the consequences of my actions are already impressing me(just opted to save a residential zone on a planet over the industrial/military zone, meaning they'll have to leave the planet. Wondering how that will bite me in the ass later), so really biting my nails to see what'll happen in ME3. Like, Rachni invasion? oooops. hehe. *sheepish* say, remember that time I saved the Universe? like, the whole damn thing? I just wish the paragon/renegade points weren't alway top/bottom on the conversation wheel. It would be even more awesome if they were a mix and match thing, so people would have to put more thought into their choices.
Bah the romancing, it is harrrrd. Mordin is singing me showtunes and telling me other species hit on him all the time, Garrus out of the blue suggests we go work out our frustration in our private quarters, but I'll be damned if I can get my assistant to feed my fish(btw, damn you for luring me into using conversation options that has the word "embrace" in them), and Jacob didn't so much as bat an eye until I showed up in that fancy dress from the Thief mission. Imma go be lesbian cross-species asexual partners with Tali, thank you very much. That that, social norms. (unless banging someone gives me an achievement? cause then it's back to Jacob) I am however NEVER sleeping with Miranda, due to her Cerebrus loyalty(Jacob I see as someone who can be swayed, but not her). When I go Renegade I might, but that makes sense in an emotionally detached/keep your enemies closer/eh just a bit of fun kind of way. But then the Renegade character would probably have too much fun making her lower her guard and then ask gross questions like does she come with a vibrator function.
Oh hey, apparently there's an add-on in the works, since so many fans were disgruntled with ME3's ending. Yay?
no subject
Date: 2012-03-22 11:37 pm (UTC)I know what you mean about the paragon/renegade options too. One thing I liked about ME3 was that it changed to being more of a "reputation" system, where some things add to paragon and some to renegade but some just add to your overall reputation (which increases your bar with the same ratio of paragon/renegade) and having the special paragon or renegade options generally comes with your reputation rather than your skill in one of the other. I'm also not sure if they gave me renegade points or not, but the overall emotional tone in ME3 did make me choose a fair number of fatalistic, rather than aggressive responses on the "renegade" area of the wheel when talking to my teammates and I was actually really satisfied with the responses I got and didn't feel they were out of character for my heroic Shepard. Stuff like...like acknowledging someone's probably gonna die instead of being perky "keep fighting and we'll win!" or admitting that I would have been willing to kill Person X if I'd really had to rather than insisting I'd always magically find another way?
It's interesting that you talk about the lack of having to think about your choices though, because, well, to jump ahead a bit in your comment - I think that plays a very big role in why some people are disatisfied with the ending. Without spoilers or pressure to eventually agree with me, I actually adored the ending and have...deeply mixed feelings about Bioware's response. My hope is that they are adding to the existing endings with more context rather than adding any alternate endings, which I believe is what their statement implies for...well a whole host of reasons. I'm gonna make a post about it...possibly even later tonight. Or at least try and make some kind of post about it - I'm not sure I could contain all my thoughts in one.
Re: romancing: mwahahahahahahaa! Actually I've never really had trouble getting people to pay attention to me, more I have trouble ever actually following through with romances in the way I at all intended. Becka's Hilarious Mass Effect Romantic Mishaps is...another post I need to make. But first I need to see what new and inventive ways ME3 finds to screw up my GuyShep's playthrough (other than denying me my ORIGINAL thwarted goal of seducing Kaiden because I went and dun killed him when I realised I couldn't in ME1...)
You DO get an achievement for teh sexxing though, so you may wanna go back and hook up with Jacob. ;)
TALI IS MY FAVOURITE but she will forever be my adopted daughter. For some reason - and I admit this has nothing to do with the game - in my head she is forever 12 years old. *facepalm*
Thinking about it now, I think my Renegade Shepard went for Miranda not Jack because I felt less...I don't know, exploitative that way. I though, being in-character, he'd get his Renegade kicks out of err, conquering that challenge, and Jack was broken enough I didn't really feel right entering a relationship with her I had no intention of taking seriously. But I was kind of fine with breaking Miranda's heart. And I wanted the achievement since the game guilt-tripped me into monogamy (well, terrifying-fish-secretary-excepted-monogamy) with my FemShep playthrough and you get no achievement for sticking with Liara in the Shadow Broker DLC.
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Date: 2012-03-23 05:45 pm (UTC)I'm still on the second game. I'm only playing in short spurts now because I'm dealing with the husks and they freak me out! They just crawl out from everywhere and swarm you and it is not awesome. I just have to take breaks because of the stress.
Really glad to hear about the Reputation System having changed. And yes, my Shep has also been choosing some of the less positive responses here and there(as well as utilized the Renegade option a couple of times) because that's how I realistically see her responding to those situations.
Oh, you do? Great! That ups the odds that I'll like it as well. I know a lot of people are annoyed by abrupt/dark/open endings, but not me :D And no, it really doesn't sound like some kind of alternate ending is forthcoming, just more... "closure" is the word they used, I think? And yay I saw you posted! Just steering clear until I'm all caught up(honestly that might not be until Summer gets here).
I love Tali so much! I just wanna explore the Universe with her and talk about history and technology.
RoadSpace trip! \o/Ah yes, that makes sense re: Jack vs Miranda. Ahh yes the Liara thing. Nothing's happened there since the "catching up" achievement. Maybe that's after I go through the Omega 4 Relay or something? Not sure if that's the big finale or if I have to go back and do something else after.
Btw, after this I am totes going to go for Dragon Age as well *glomps Bioware*