Why You Could NEVER Make Mass Effect Now...

[@ArtOfDyingWell]

The sad thing is the stories aren't just bad because they're too safe, they're bad because they're infantile. Then you look at the writers on social media and you find out the writers are literally children in adult bodies. No ability to control their emotions, incapable of grasping advanced or nuanced concepts, and the inability to sympathize with another persons outlook without resorting to tribalism. No wonder the writing is bad, and Thomas Mauler put it best.

[@Grogeous_Maximus]

To be honest, both sides are equally infantile and unreasonable. Screeching leftists, who think it's fine for corporations to use minorities to sell shitty video games, and on the other side we have the rage-oholics. Both sides are fueled by outrage, as a dumbass "culture war" generates clicks and engagement for EA.

[@toppyali2348]

This comment is fabulous

[@MikeThaDevil]

I see what you did there. They are indeed rudimentary creatures of blood and flesh.

[@SeventhheavenDK]

Great way to describe this.

[@XGifuX]

Dude every single Bellara scene has that Disney music playing. Taash goes around bullying people like Emmerich for no reason. Neve and davrin (and maybe demon man) are the only remotely sane companions absolutely pitiful writing

[@MjollTheLioness-o4y]

I no longer even want remasters of the old games. No telling what new BioWare would change or remove from the old games. I'd rather they never touch them at all.

[@spellandshield]

Consider it a blessing that DAO won't be remade.

[@Adam-r6s2c]

@@MjollTheLioness-o4y I call them Demakes, no respect for the art of the originals

[@bharathvasudevan6383]

@@spellandshield I'm sure the intro to the Krogan you gave in this video is more than enough to scare away the ''modern audience''. But imagine how they would react to how the Krogan are talked about in Mass Effect 2. Remember the dialogue you have with Warlord Okeer, and how he is trying to create a ''perfect Krogan''? That bit was eugenics put as bluntly as possible. Every perfect Krogan would stand atop the dead of their inferior predecessors and become so strong genetically that the genophage would end up being ignored, because it not only massively reduced Krogan numbers, but also produced weaklings that led to more coddling that the collective human teats. Every perfect Krogan that would result would be like a lance that the galaxy would fear the same way they feared the Krogan hordes before the genophage. Then there is the conversation Shepard has with the Krogan Shaman on Tuchanka. It was like something Nietzsche would have said. He says things like ''Tuchanka kills the weak, torments the slow and destroys the stupid. Survival is an honor and here, Krogan thrive!'', or that the Krogans covered the planet with their civilizations only to burn it down, making them stronger each time. This was needed to perfect the Krogan and help them reach their apex, at which point the Krogan would become unstoppable. He also says that he performs rites as a Shaman to be attuned into the Krogan nature, which was one of violence and death, implying that he considered these traits to be a virtue. Bioware is never getting anywhere close to creating narratives or lore like this in the upcoming Mass Effect game.

[@Mrvideogameoficial]

@@spellandshield Tecnically some aspect of krogan are never specified if are trully inate or cultural. like if a male babby krogan was raised by a salarian or asari if he would become as agressive as the average krogan raised in a traditional krogan culture. i think in the lore they turn vorcha raised by asari more friendly. but you are right that if in the lore say inatte more aggressively those people would freak out ... well they already freak out if you blame cultural diferences let alote point biology diferences even in alien ...

[@spellandshield]

@@Mrvideogameoficial It is heavily implied by their environment and where they evolved.

[@MagnustheRad]

On point video. The vailguard writers made it clear that conflict,hate, and anything like it has no place in their game. If they cant handle something so basic as two Dragon age companions arguing, how can they hope to tackle a universe with multiple species with a rich history caked in blood and conflict?

[@DerdOn0ner]

They banned it from the game, but practice it IRL instead 😂

[@MarkFin9423]

That's the inconvenient truth about these activists. You cannot reason with them, you cannot argue with them, being civil with them is only something these activists will take advantage of to push you out of society, work, and making a living so they can "log you off" in a more passive aggressive way so they can pretend they are not enacting out of malicious intent. These people do not want to hug it out, they want everyone who do not agree with them to "log out". The only real civil discourse that is possible at this point is to bring arkham asy--ms back because we are not dealing with reasonable down to earth people, we are dealing with people who need to be kept in str---y jackets.

[@mattrussell8309]

Its not like they're professional writers they're just the budget team they threw on the game when they relised that no one would buy the thing as a live service they where trying to turn it into after getting rid of the original team creators back when it was called dread wolf.

[@jaffarebellion292]

You couldn't even be a blood mage in Veilguard because one of the writers thought it wasn't something a "hero" should do, despite every prior entry offering blood magic as a playable subclass. Guess Bioware just thought it was too "icky" for their digital safe space.

[@necatiozkan7238]

I agree with you to some point but, new Mass Effect is being written by different writers and the head writer is the women who wrote Guardian's of the Galaxy 2021 and new Deus Ex games, which both these three games written excellently in my opinion, so I believe or hope, new Mass Effect won't be like Veilguard because the writer of new ME knows how to write a story on Sci-Fi universe, she knows how to handle universe where there are a lot of species and relations between each other. Let's wait and see.

[@Darkfie1d]

Nothing scares me more than these incompetant hacks bastardize the Mass Effect franchise...

[@spellandshield]

Scion of Xerxes....it will be saved by its nonexistence and for that we shall be grateful.

[@MjollTheLioness-o4y]

As a huge DA fan I feel for ME fans. The same writers who just took an ideological dump on DA are being moved over to ME now. You have my sympathies friend.

[@MEMETIZER]

They will.

[@Mr.Sadman0]

They already did with Andromeda.

[@mikeg5039]

Sadly its already doomed. Everyone at bioware was replaced with dei hire cat ladies or wokies. Sad day when they shut the entire studio down

[@michalvoh]

Whole Asari race will *somehow* be an allegory to the "trans issues", bet on it.

[@Kross415]

They already gave them multiple pronouns on Andromeda and Liara is she/they on the tabletop game. Anything you can imagine for ME5 is guaranteed to be worst 🤣

[@majuli8420]

I mean, yeah, the Asari do have that non-binary thing going on. But if was handled in an interesting way, but so hamfisted..

[@Grogeous_Maximus]

It already kinda was, but the games were tasteful and subtle about it.

[@mikeity2009]

@@Grogeous_Maximus No it wasn't, Inserting your delusional headcanon into something does not make it so. Stop with the tumblr brainrot.

[@trucid2]

The Asari are non-binary because they don't even have the male/female dichotomy.

[@Crazy_Gamer_OG]

The background lore of the ME series is really impressively written. The Rachni Wars, The Krogan Rebellion, The Qunari Exile, The First Contact Wars, etc. It all is just so interesting how detailed and far into it they went.

[@unknowniam121]

Quarians* I wished the Qunaris exiled themselves from all the BS though.

[@Dankus_Memeus_II]

You mean Quarian exile

[@gamecounselor]

Interesting times in gaming, back in the late 2000s early 2010s. The modern golden age of gaming to me was 2007 to 2012.

[@redrave404]

Another aspect about the Krogan and Tchunka that many seem to forget or ignore is the Krogan did independently develop nuclear weapons and nuked their planet to be barely habitable. Coupled with their naturally high birthrate (1000 young per female per year), the Krogan were doomed to extinction "naturally" before the Salarians uplifted them with space travel to settle more habitable worlds. Imagine the outcry from some circles trying to draw parallels with colonialism.

[@username12120]

They got uplifted because the Citadel needed bodies to throw at the Rachni, anything after that was an unheeded consequence. The Salarian's don't have an altruistic bone in their bodies. So the parallel with colonialism would be more egregious. You're getting into some Ottoman Janissary corp shit.

[@mustafaozturk2542]

If you can draw parallels to your history and your experiences with life, then the story is written well.

[@DanielSan1776]

it was either the Brutes from Halo or the Krogan who did it TWICE got to the Nuclear age, nuke the planet into the stone age then did it again lol

[@Ale-dd3ek]

The uplifting by the salarians was still a terrible idea Since they needed an army to throw against the Rachni they didn't Brother to actually improve Krogan society They Just gave them sci fi weapons This doesn't justify Krogan actions of course

[@Not-Ken-Molestina]

No quite. They brithrate wasn't effected by the krogan civil war. They would not have died out. That why the citadel approved the sterilisation the the species.

[@ProbusVerus]

I saw a cover with Wrex and the words "sanitize it all" and was imagining him with a big ass flamethrower burning down everything....I guess this is exactly what should happen anyways in BW... Anyways I 100% agree with you, you wanna know how ME5 will be? Take Andromeda and quadruple down on the shallow writing.

[@kingleech16]

I remember Andromeda having one quest that was really fun, bordering on silly. I think it was one of the companion quests, anyway I really enjoyed it, and would have been fine with the whole game being a different tone from the original series. What killed me was that they wanted to still have the BIG THINK mantle, and they completely botched the writing for those scenes so badly I was wishing the annoying Salarian bureaucrat in charge of things would just start using chemical weapons on the “cool, independent free-thinkers” the player was clearly supposed to sympathize with.

[@psycomaticpenguin]

We need flamethrower wrex to solve all our problems at this point, tbf

[@SirUlrichVL]

Modern write up of the Wrex Virmire showdown Wrex "Help me out Shepard! The line between friend and foe is looking real thin," Shepard "Oh I'm sorry if you seemed annoyed Wrex, don't worry we'll ensure you get fixed. No one is about to blow your head off with a shotgun, right Ashley!" *Ashley lowers her shotgun* Ashley "Right!" Wrex "Oh... okay, want to get some noodles when we get back to the Citadel?" Shepard & Ashley "Sure!" Well said Spell&Shield, spot on with your comments

[@JLF-cn1rr]

...I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Good job. And screw you, too.

[@eastbow6053]

this is from dragon age veilguard (no i am not kidding you) i wanna help you here yeah thanks shut up haha oki this is what mass effect would have been if this creatures took the ip

[@kingleech16]

I imagined this in my head as one of those cheesy G.I. Joe PSAs. Made me smile more than it probably should have! 🤣🤣🤣

[@zeehero7280]

The noodles only work with Grunt!

[@americancapitalist9094]

I’m so tired of this kind of humor in games.

[@deathbycognitivedissonance5036]

You are the first person to bring this up and it's very important. You are 100% right, just not safe enough.

[@Grogeous_Maximus]

You could make Mass Effect now, you just need to have actually good writing, that isn't condescending to the player

[@LordVader1094]

@@Grogeous_Maximus Which is exactly why you can't make Mass Effect now.

[@jbdxiii]

Some idiot would say the Krogan are "black coded" or something.

[@SamuelCatsy]

Nah, definitely going to be Palestinians.

[@ThriceGreatHermes-c6p]

That would be a compliment.

[@SamuelCatsy]

@@ThriceGreatHermes-c6p Not in the way Bioware will do it. They'll do it in a way where the metaphor is so tortured it barely makes sense. Children being bombed by the IDF does not equal giant lizard warrior guys unless you're a slacktivist looking to put weak real-world allegories into games where it'll be woefully out of date by the time ME5 comes out.

[@gameoverinsertcointocontin8102]

That already happened with Orcs. Now DnD put in 'Mexican Orcs', cookie-baking gheyy dwarfs, whheel chair wizards and it still isn't enough, it has to do 'better'.

[@cl8804]

i would; that's me

[@FilmCritictheone]

6:20 the genophage was meant to return the Krogran to pre-spaceflight birthrates not completely sterilize them. The Krogran were adapting to the genophage so Mordin Solus modified the virus back to 1 viable birth out of 1000

[@TFAric]

Small correction, the genophage was not supposed to sterilise the entire population. Mordin's work was to modify the genophage to keep it working as the Krogan did evolve to fight it. Him standing by his work in 2 and changing his mind in 3 is his big character arc.

[@Kellbellgurl]

I believe it's not really the politics. It's the self righteous "pick a side" identity behind the politics. There are people that put their identity behind an idea and make it their whole identity. So if you try to debate them on that "identity " that is a threat and attack on them personally. So usually there is no talking to them. They are the same people that will destroy art and history for their own sakes. The people that believe in critical thinking and having fun need to push back or all fun will be ruined by these jerks. Thanks for the video.

[@followertheleader]

Can you imagine modern bioware allowing us to punch a reporter? Not happening.

[@DanielSan1776]

between the reporter & Conrad Verner, these "side quests" have more influence & continuity than 3 ENITRE GAMES going into Dragage Failguard

[@GreenDinoRanger]

Only if that reporter is white, male, and a bigot...

[@gamecounselor]

It's not even Bioware. It was bought by EA, and then EA drank the kool-aid and allowed their writers to be controlled by special interests.

[@arkeshn729]

They'd let us punch a blonde hair land developer with a comb over

[@atraxian5881]

After many years I made a new character in Mass Effect 1 and oh boy, Ashley and 50%+ of the renegade responses would never pass the current-day politically correct filter, if Veilguard is any indication.

[@galacticironmike4516]

Which is such a shame, as I really enjoy Ashley's character. I feel like she is one of the best written characters in the trilogy.

[@kregy7509]

​@@galacticironmike4516after Tali and jack she is my favourite romance.

[@galacticironmike4516]

@kregy7509 for me she alternates with Tali for 3rd and 4th, after Wrex and Garrus. Then Mordin is in 5th. Haha just realised you said Romance , I thought you meant favourite Characters. Now I am trying to Imagine a Wrex romance.

[@gamecounselor]

Back then, gaming was considered dumb to corporations and the people who attempt to run the planet. Steve Jobs may have destroyed this world by putting a computer in everyone's hand.

[@doctorogre1777]

You couldn't make Mass Effect or Dragon Age because of... one ideology's... views on genetic determinism in fantasy races. Stripping away racial social traits, especially the negative ones, makes the entire exercise toothless and soulless. We already got a taste of it in Andromeda, and a big fat helping of it in Veilguard. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if this idea is why Starfield didn't have alien races. I'm not a WoW player, but I'm curious if it too has had all the races' personalities homogenized and neutered in current year.

[@gromdal9293]

In wow that happened 15 years ago. Wow was huge downgrade from WC3, they always wanted as large playerbase as posible, so villans were always BIG BAD unlike WC3. WC3 to WOW transition was like DA to Veilguard story and tone wise.

[@shoopoop21]

@@gromdal9293 Remember all those people who said that the MMO thing was to pay the bills, and the next good warcraft game was around the corner?

[@Lowdian]

@@shoopoop21 Oh, I remember. I think it was in WoTLK or in Cata when they finally realized WC4 was never going to happen.

[@gamecounselor]

Also, Mass Effect original ideas (not all) were inspired by Christianity. Commander "Shepard" (Christ is often called the Shepard and we are His sheep.) The Council were a "Trilogy." (The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit) The Reapers are taken from The Reapers in the book of Revelations in The KJV Bible. When Shepard asked why Legion was called Legion and not Geth. Legion even quoted from the Bible in the conversation. Mark 5:9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” (Many Geth in one body like the man who was possessed by many demons.) There are many more in the game as well, but the references were never pushed down our throats about them. Legion never told us he believed in Jesus. I think only Ashley was the only one who tells us she believes in God and she only did that in Mass Effect 1. That certainly won't be allowed in modern day gaming. In today's gaming, Christianity isn't popular by the ones wanting to control the storylines of games. Not saying people should be forced to love Christ, that wouldn't be love anyway. But, the people who most certainly don't love Christ, don't want to have to see or hear about Him in games even in a subtle reference to Him. They hate God.

[@RebeccaRuth-d2t]

First it was films, then blogging, then music, then books, and now it is gaming. These people have been killing art for a while now. As a woman, I don't know who to trust anymore. Women hate me because I don't agree with their hatred of men. Men don't talk to me because they think I'm like the new feminists. I've learned to just be alone and be fine with it. I do my art in my space and share it with no one because there is no one I trust. It is political, but it goes a little deeper then that. It goes to hate and division in everything. Good on you for saying how you feel.

[@TheGrimmCommoner]

I would argue it started at the university level, then blogging with Tumblr and Reddit. Video media like films and tv shows got hit next and the virus spread from there.

[@gamecounselor]

"Because It's all a part of the plan." ~The Joker There are very evil people in this world, trying to have us hate each other, and have less children. I believe the very powerful elites who I won't name here want to reduce the Earth's population. They think the planet is going to die. Even if they are right, they have no proof. Just theories and ideas and the fear or the unknown the drives them towards their desperation of their goals. Also, when money is no object to you. What do you do? "They" mess around with other people's affairs to have fun. We are puppets in a play. Get use to it. Find faith, find some measure of happiness that keeps you sane, and live within your means. The less you need the more you have. I'm not telling you what to do. But, you sound like me. I handle reality by keeping to myself as well. I'm good with that. Though I do talk to the homeless often and try to comfort them by giving them attention when many would not.

[@helmaschine1885]

We exists and our enemies calls us terfs. 😂 Some are radical men hating feminists, others ar just anti queer politics in general. Just stay anonymous online so the psychos can't find you and you'll be fine.

[@SPOOKYTIMEZ2077]

After seeing B-Tier Mutineer’s video on trans representation in DATV I don’t think the issue is that Mass Effect can’t be made today. The issue is that current day BioWare is clearly not capable of handling these tough subjects. I know that Mike Gamble said the next mass effect will have a dark tone but I won’t expect the writing to be good unless I’m proven otherwise. Also exodus will definitely have many uncomfortable topics that will be brought up in the game but I trust the writers will handle them well and I hope many other RPG’s that tackle uncomfortable topics will do the same. I think it just really depends on how good the writing is that will determine if the game will be shrouded in controversy or if it will be drowned out because of how good the game is.

[@spellandshield]

B-Tier's video was good. Exodus still has potential, the evidence points to it, however what is worrisome is that some of the activists have already been seen working with Archetype. If their influence can be minimised then it can still be good.

[@SPOOKYTIMEZ2077]

@ Everything I’ve seen so far hasn’t given me the impression that activist have taken over the game, but unfortunately anything is possible. Even if it does end up being bad I’m still looking forward to Humanoid Origins game and Outer Worlds 2 so it won’t be the end of the world when it comes to Sci-fi RPG’s for me.

[@spellandshield]

@@SPOOKYTIMEZ2077 Kala is working directly with Archetype...there is an example.

[@SPOOKYTIMEZ2077]

@@spellandshield Never got the impression she was an activist of some kind, she seems pretty chill from I’ve seen on her videos and live streams but I could be wrong?

[@Grogeous_Maximus]

@@spellandshield Plenty of writers consult with activists or whatever to call them. That's not the problem. The problem is that Bioware asked for a game that was as anti-anti-woke as possible, because apparently they think that pissing people off is good marketing and generates clicks. I'll be surprised if they manage to release ME5 before EA axes their studio.

[@Kross415]

Oh, we will have Krogans, they will just retcon them. They'll make the cure option canon and make them teddy bears now that they can have kids easier.

[@MikeThaDevil]

"Tell Kesh I love her" Thats not how it works bioware you're supposed to know that already.

[@zeehero7280]

I always cure it. but wrex always survives cuz he's too good to lose. Wrex is the one krogan who can lead them to a better future (along with Eve) They will never be teddy bears but they could channel their battle rage to become peacekeepers alongside the Turians, and defenders of galactic peace and prosperity.

[@zeehero7280]

There is no canon. the Trilogy is over and the story is complete. Canon is what the player chose, individual to each

[@Kross415]

@@zeehero7280 That's completly wrong, ME5 is a sequel to the trilogy that takes place in the same galaxy with returning characters and the cannon is whatever they let you chose from previous decisions or what they set as cannon choices. Any fantasy universe has canon.

[@ejmoreno270]

@Kross415 Upon subsequent playthroughs of even the original trilogy I find the tonal differences between ME1 and ME2/3 to be too great to consider them part of the same series. I now approach ME2/3 as if a totally separate author/studio picked up story after the first installment; as if the originator had died. Similarly to how Halo fans view the shift between Bungie and 343. While we can all agree that Halo 5 was a game that was completed and sold that borrowed plot lines, characters, and gameplay elements of previous Halo games. It itself was not one and is not held up as an example of Halo by the broader community. In effect, the ‘Halo paint’ as it were is best viewed as a cynical marketing strategy rather than as someone’s artistic vision. You can dismiss all this as head cannon that muddles discussion of the series to the point of schizophrenia, but I maintain that it is a correct interpretation. If enough fans of the work agree then it becomes the default one. Even if you don’t subscribe to my specific head cannon, hopefully you can at least see the value in not allowing publishers to tell us what is and isn’t an authentic entry in a series. The Dune series has the set of books written by Frank and then the set written by his son Brian. Despite being called Dune and the later set supposedly being based on his fathers original notes, it’s a perfectly run of the mill opinion within that fandom to not consider the latter set cannon.

[@zqrahll]

The Mass Effect series was a trilogy of games that ended more than a decade ago. Anything beyond that doesn't count, as Andromeda proved that the Bioware that we loved is gone.

[@phoeni3902]

I can't stress enough how deeply I resonate with everything said at the end of this video, about how it's futile to show grace to the graceless I've experienced this firsthand at a book store I used to volunteer at, it's popular among leftists and during my time there I encountered some of the most horrible people I've ever had the misfortune of interacting with, these people are disingenuous cowards, liars and misandrists. I was literally nothing but kind to them, I'd even go out of my way to buy treats for the staff/volunteers room, and yet they'd still treat me like dirt because I'm male, regardless of my character. These people hardly even knew me and yet they'd openly discuss their contempt for me, discriminate against me and belittle me. And they got away with literally all of it, because the manager was also an awful person. I am no longer willing to tolerate bullies.

[@TheRuggedEagle]

Always interesting to see KZbinrs slowly come to this very same realization/standpoint after (some play it safe for) years

[@dnaseb9214]

Mass Effect Andromeda already ruined the krogan. There isnt anything left.

[@gamecounselor]

Their voices were softer sounding, and they made them smaller in build.

[@BingBangPoe]

That's why I'm getting very optimistic about Exodus, which is being made by the former BioWare members who created Mass Effect. Interviews have shown they're definitely not shying away from the complex storylines, characters, races, and cultures that made Mass Effect so iconic.

[@usgpillarofark3980]

Isnt the studio that just closed?

[@umapessoaqualquer3688]

Remember, they put the Krogan on Andromeda... and we had peaceful Krogan scientists and a bothanist Krogan

[@mustafaozturk2542]

They also made warlord Okeer to be a scientist as well. Grunt was hated for being a tank breed, but Wrex and the Shaman were ready to accept him. Wrex's point in ME1 about "no Krogan scientist" immediately retconned.

[@TheAngryXenite]

​@@mustafaozturk2542I mean, Wrex wasn't speaking authoritatively that there existed zero krogan scientists, he was pointing out that the mental image of one was so ridiculous because their society was circling the drain. Intelligent Krogan do exist, the issue is that they don't value scientific work and don't reward those among them that would be interested in trying their hand at it. They're an entire culture who is so fixated on being great warriors, mixed with their despair over the genophage, that they have no vision of the future. The two krogran scientists you meet demonstrate this perfectly: Okeer is a genius geneticist and biologist. He could do so many great things with his gifts, and what does he do instead? He focuses on building a perfect warrior who he can use to settle his old grudges and serve as a prototype for an elite army that will rend the galaxy. The krogan scientist you meet on Tuchanka? He's actually angry that Wrex has him developing "pointless" things like improved methods of sanitation, healthcare, or crop production when HE wants to be developing weapons. They're intelligent men who could absolutely do great things, but they're still stuck in the mindset of nihilistic barbarians and so all of their efforts are wasted.

[@mustafaozturk2542]

@@TheAngryXenite You don't need an authority to confirm information, Wrex in ME1 basically stated no scientist information to you and then in the second game, you started to see scientists in the Krogan society. Because Wrex's nihilistic view for his society retconned as well. Wrex stated he lost hope for his people yet he was in a leader position in the second game. They just retconned some views to fit it into a certain narrative, they were focusing on the genophage story so much, they had to change views of the characters.

[@TheAngryXenite]

@@mustafaozturk2542 "Because Wrex's nihilistic outlook was retconned as well" My brother in Christ, character development isn't a retcon. He still held those views historically, but Wrex decided to give the Krogan another chance because you, Commander Shepard, gave him *hope* through your own efforts to stop Saren. And again, you just don't understand how dialogue works if you think Wrex making an offhanded comment about Krogan society was meant to be literally true rather than that it was a generalization based on the fact that Krogan collectively did not value science. "Wrex said there were NO Krogan scientists, but yet we found TWO in the entire series! RETCON! RETCON!" is the peak of midwittery. If the Krogan had possessed an actual academia and research programs above the level of literally a few guys being given resources by warlords, maybe you'd have had a point.

[@briandaniels2408]

Holy mother of mercy....AMAZING video! I couldn't have said this better myself. PLEASE keep doing what you are doing. PLEASE continue to fight for our beloved hobby. I feel exactly the same as you my friend. Bring us great games back with great, deep, rich characters and story.

[@katalinkoszegine4268]

I agree with most of your thoughts, I simply resist to give up hope, even after big disappointments. No matter that (for me, sadly) shallower sequels, adaptations or implementations get financed and produced, there is a seemingly growing number of the audience that eventually votes with their wallets. And that cannot be ignored from the production side, either. Yes, there are eg. bad Star Wars movies and series, but there is also a Rogue One and Andor. The ME games are great material, and I truly hope that they will find the competent and caring crew to make the series with the hard and risky questions and characters imported.

[@thefadedhero9824]

Been watching your other channel for years, can't believe I never knew of this one. Love gaming commentary, glad this channel got recommended to me.

[@eran5005]

Let's not forget how the Krogan females are basically relegated to 'breeding camps' because they have to concentrate their efforts just to be able to skirt extinction. Let's see all the DEI writers tackle that little tidbit of Mass Effect lore in a mature and sober fashion.

[@kregy7509]

Funny how that was the females idea, so that they can be safer. Not that female krogan wouldn't rip you apart herself

[@Vo0Do0o]

Mass effect is doomed. All these devs that made DA:V are now making MA:5

[@red-merlin]

13:55 I've been saying lately, particularly with veilguard as the backdrop, would you still keep the same energy if instead of pronouns and a certain inclusive companion, instead you have a side kick come up named Donald Trump or they looked and acted like him. Would you be fine with him as a companion that you could not kick off the team, you could not insult, disagree, argue with or even ignore. And in order to progress the story you have to do his quest to make him king of ferelden, All your dialogue options are to agree and affirm he's right. That's he's the only hope ferelden has to survive. Let's Even draw a further parallel by invalidating the previous lore and say that this character Trump was the only instructing the warden/hero of ferelden all along. And he uses current day terms like make fetelden great again. "Oh the Blight is eradicated? That's Fake news" lol. I asked people how they would like it. Or if they would be stubborn and claim it's fine with them, would they hold out against people that said "i simply can't enjoy my time trying to immerse myself in the other world when this character is shoved in my face" Some of these dishonest journos have been trying to use metaphor or other games including politics as some kind of dunk on gamers. Obviously politics is fine, even fun to navigate. As long as it's within the confines of that world. Very distinct difference between that and real world politics making it into a game. Especially am established ip that never had anything to do with any of that stuff. I'm not against a game that would some how be about Trump or God and the bible or woke stuff. As long as that's the point of the game. That's the universe it's built upon, a fresh ip. It's what it's being sold as. We've seen new ip's recently marketed as woke and people don't want what they were trying to sell. So yes, no one ever said you'll be successful to create your own ip with current day politics in it. They just said stop putting that stuff in my beloved ip's that has no business being there

[@thesecondhat4717]

You should really take a look at the DA:TV artbook, it tells a whole 'nother story about what the game was meant to be with regards to the narrative.

[@lordofgingers]

Yea I always pick up the art books to see what didn’t quite make it. My book is on the way looking forward to diving in

[@lostzephyr2191]

I'm beyond sick of the activist developers. Reality sucks, I play games to take a break from reality, and they do their best to make my games no different from the shitty reality I'm trying to take a break from. Blacklist them all from the industry.

[@visnoga5054]

Turns out fiction is the only place where nonbinary works.

[@crackedhammer4612]

I feel like religion can be used and work in some games such as maybe having an entire faction of Christians or Buddhists etc

[@bobidybilly]

Dude, the illusive man theme in the background of this goes hard, felt like commander shepherd himself was rallying the Normandy

[@DxV04]

This refresher on ME lore was great. It is easy to forget what raw universe was created. Very cyberpunk before cyberpunk.

[@noctoi]

(whispers) Cyberpunk was invented in 1988 😭😅

[@gameoverinsertcointocontin8102]

@@noctoi Long before. The film Blade Runner basically codified the visual style and a bit later 'Neuromancer' really defined the genre. The Cyberpunk TTRPG is very much based on the Sprawl trilogy from William Gibson. I can really recommend it, if you want to understand Cyberpunk as a genre.

[@someonefromthefuture5269]

I expect that next ME title will suffer from all the issues DA:V suffers from and more besides.

[@matthewwebster3143]

Preach! This message hits the spot and is basically exactly how i feel and my experience with unreasonable and sometimes stubbornly idiotic, trying to understand them and be kind and charitable and have that turned back on you, to the point where you have got to wonder why you keep trying to take the high road, good games and to escape from reality is all we want.

[@MrPawsPause]

The nostalgia in your voice…I miss you running with Kronner1 back in the days. Glad to know you’re still with us.

[@gibster9624]

Starfield really went out of their way to actually make me enjoy being a villain. You could have characters disagree with you in Mass Effect, but they were also adults and could compartmentalize your decisions even if you did something as effed up as burning Zaeed alive. Not in Starfield, tho. in Fallout, if you stole something, your morally righteous character would understandibly dislike it. But in Starfield if you didnt bow to your overlords at every waking moment all of your squadmembers would see it as an afront and constantly contest you on it, ahe entire time, you are looking for the dialogue option that easily articulates why your decision was right, and they make you look like an even bigger A hole. I wasn't a well read person when Mass Effect came out and listening to Shepard use a very logical argument to pass a speech check used to feel enlightening, like when talking a person out of committing suicide. They weren't always spot on with it, but when they were, it was very satisfying. They showed they could cover very difficult themes and provoke thought in the player rather than telling the player how they should feel.

[@SamuelCatsy]

Even if they were instructed to keep the politics out of it the writers they have now are so awful the game will be like a toxic cocktail of Big Bang Theory and Marvel dialogue. Veilguard was just the natural progression of Andromeda. Every clip of Veilguard that I've seen that isn't the real world politics stuff (which is it's own realm of awful) sounds exactly like Andromeda dialogue.

[@Kross415]

Like I said in another of your videos, if you're a gamer you can't escape the war because the games you play are affected by it. It is what it is.

[@jamesabernethy7896]

This video randomly came up for me this morning and as far as I know this is the first time seeing your channel. A really well-presented video with a lot of dignity in the delivery, some straight forward talk too but without the need for constant vitriol. I love Mass Effect and the Dragon Age Origins. I still thing the first games in each are the best. I would be similar for Tali, if they tried to write for her or the logs that were found in ME2... Nobody would be able to keep her at arms length and then have their own prejudices challenged by simply growing. I only experience Avatar: The Last Airbender well into my (alleged) adulthood. An element that stuck out long before it was brought up with the live-action version was Sokka's sexism, which he very swiftly outgrew with some life lessons and life experience. It also made the other's appreciation of him as a non-bender more meaningful. So much was lost with those small touches. While I have always tried to treat people with respect, I have never hid my own opinions and values. I will never understand the people who wish to victimise themselves by injecting intersectionality into everything. I also agree on the point where people of faith need to inject religion into everything. They talk as though they have a monopoly on morality, that fathers only love their children because of God, or that being charitable is only done by Christians.

[@trollguess]

my guy is using illusive man theme on the background I likeeee it. It has made the video look deeper

[@Suzanne_sf]

I would say EA/Bioware is the issue. I think that other companies still like to make games like earlier games. For me, I wish you could be harsh with the replies in DAV. Even when I play a good character, sometimes I still need to argue, I just do.

[@spellandshield]

CDPR is possibly next on the chopping block. We'll see though.

[@Adam-r6s2c]

@@spellandshield CDPR are gone, SBI = death.

[@Adam-r6s2c]

The way I see it Bioware haven't existed for over a decade now, I highly doubt most of the same designers are working there anymore.

[@mikeg5039]

Its so awesome your views on what makes good games and issues in modern gaming are exactly like mine. Fantastic channel 🎉

[@apres-lachute8718]

Screw Mass Effect...Exodus is where it is at!

[@DxV04]

Yes we are!!! You precisely described them.

[@anzolomyer4584]

from 1:52 to 6:45 is a REALLY compelling summary. makes you reeeeally want to play Mass Effect again lol. But whatever!! Story schmory. Just give Wrex 7 outfit choices, and a scene where you can kiss him with the stars as a backdrop, and I will buy your super digital deluxe edition 😎😎

[@tribacioustee2846]

The idea that everything must be contemporary is such Soviet swill. The times will change, and good art will remain timeless while contemporary art will be as enriching as a freak show museum monument

[@AICW]

Glad to see someone can recognize one of the origins where this style of propaganda came from. Soviet movies were filled with this kind of "wink wink nudge nudge" contemporary messaging.

[@necasperaterent29386]

I'm really excited for Exodus by the original Mass Effect writers. If anybody can reincarnate what made ME special, it's them.

[@NostalgicGamerRickOShay]

What I would give for someone, like say, Elon Musk, to purchase ALL of BioWare and rehire ALL the staff that made Mass Effect 1 and 2. I don't want another universe. I want Mass Effect. An unwoke version of the ME universe. Even ME3 was a disaster because they replaced many of the key staff, especially the writers.

[@D00dman]

@@NostalgicGamerRickOShayMy first Mass Effect was ME2 back in middle school 2010 and, damn dude, that fucking game was amazing. It’s the best one to date.

[@Mesterlock]

Great takes, great video.

[@zackzebedi561]

I'm totally cool with politics being in games, even stuff inspired by the modern world, but the problem is they do it in a very shallow manner that has no deep meaning and doesn't invoke any deep thought or conversation. And they also include politics in a very sanitized way that doesn't reflect real world issues, they reflect what an armchair observer thinks the real world issues are.

[@Adam-r6s2c]

The reason I fell in love with Dragon Age Origins and the Witcher 2 was the dark, despair ridden grittiness of the world's. They had all the ugliest sides and darkest emotions of humanity in them. I distinctly remember feeling a sense of being respected as a gamer for them actually writing in some real tangible stuff like that. It felt like art. Everything has and is regressing. All they kept and amplified is the sex side, amplifying it to perverse and laughable levels like a virgins fantasy.

[@-Zikade-]

Yes. Entertainment being political is nothing new. Some of the greatest classics have tons of social commentary. However, it matters a great deal HOW you implement those themes. You can do it in immersive organic thoughtful ways like in older BioWare games... or you can do it like the Veilguard and just force it in the most ham-fisted manner with zero regards for how it even fits into the game's universe. Just throw around modern day terminology all willy nilly and have all the dialogue be as if the game is directly preaching at YOU instead of the characters having any natural conversations with each other. It's bad writing, it breaks immersion, it's juvenile and annoying.

[@tomigun5180]

The problem is that it's Marxism. Marxism tends to take real issues and claim "I will solve it." while it never could. Don't even want to. It only wants to mislead people so that Marxists can have power, infinite power.

[@samjudge1240]

I agree what you said, and because of the current environment now, I wouldn't even try to look forward of a Mass Effect like game, let alone a new Mass Effect itself.

[@Blood4Baphomet]

Well said and couldn't agree more. Such a shame we find ourselves here with our favourite IPs 😔

[@yosharian]

Banger of a video, same as the last one

[@PlainDoll]

The illusive man ost brings so many memories

[@josephmarch7142]

Mass Effect ended at the Third installment. Any attempts to resurrect it would be a farcical. You have to keep in mind it's that people of the day write these stories and they come with their preconceptions of what good storytelling is. Some of the writers believe fundamentally that video games are vastly influential as an art form, and must reflect the most idealized form of modernism. Language, observation, conceptualization have changed over 10 years, so even if they tried to faithfully reproduce it, it would be a shade different. Additionally the average fan has a lower media literacy rate, so your needs of storytelling change, not to mention shareholders, activists, social media etc. Dragon Age is a great example of this, and it's not by accident that Veilguard is the weakest of the entry because of internal and external forces. Compare the Qunari from Dragon Age 2 to what we have today is a dramatic shock, and there were all the of same themes in terms of sexuality, violence, romance. But the language changed, how does this generation show affection? How do they show support? How do you show that you're the good team? This is a specific and general issue. The Mass Effect games were made pre-social media, with an older generation of writers who grew up on different media, and spoke/thought about the world differently. Even I as an aged RPG Fan and Game Developer am subject to this, and it's not for trying. It's a finished franchise and it'll be watered down and santized to a point where it's a glorified pixar film. Where do we go from here? Honestly it's going back to fundamentals, it's building the genre again from the ground up.

[@DarkKing009]

Like the lack of slave rebellions in Dragon Age 4. Or slaves and enslaved elves in general. And joying the old Elven gods that would have been interesting. Slavery was in the background of every Dragon Age of 1, 2, and 3. But we go to the capital of the slave trade the Dragon Age universe and nothing.

[@username12120]

I had heard that the team behind this released iteration of DA4 are made of people who had not and did not play any of the previous game nor familiarize themselves with any of the setting notes or lore bibles. So that's why you've got Qunari who look like they walked out of the Netflix Original costuming department, the toothless Tervinter, among other head scratching oddities in the world and characters. I don't recall where I'd heard that, and for all I know what I read was all nonsense, but man doesn't it make sense when held up against what they put out?

[@Adam-r6s2c]

Yep, the take on Elves in the OG trilogy was really interesting and another thing deemed too unsafe for modern audiences lol

[@mustafaozturk2542]

In ME2, there was a slave Quarian. Who was an AI tech engineer, and you were supposed to talk with a company to buy this slave. They referred to this as "indentured servitude!".

[@rogierb5945]

You description of the genophage is slighty inaccurate. The original version of the genophage already allowed limited reproduction. The problem is that Krogans were adapting to this original genophage, overcoming its effects, so Mordin was tasked to create a new genophage that would restabilize birthrates.

[@spellandshield]

Right, been a while, had forgotten, cheers. Does not change the main point of the video though.

[@rogierb5945]

@@spellandshield Indeed. Completely agree with the point made in this video.

[@Adam-r6s2c]

I ended up buying Rogue Trader as well and I blame you for my wallet emptying haha. I was wondering if you'd recommend the Pillars of Eternity games?

[@spellandshield]

Have you not seen my top CRPG video? Go check it out...but in short, I would but there is more detail on the video.

[@Adam-r6s2c]

@spellandshield I'll watch it today :)

[@ivanesparza9246]

what game are you playing ? how are you playing as krogan

[@jonathanturull8508]

I completely agree with this. Another series that has been touched already is Deadrising. The deluxe remaster is a sanitized poor remake. Some good additions but they took a lot out that added so much color to the game. The newest version they made is a sanitizer Grey color of quality.

[@Loreofw0rlds]

The most annoying thing is that Mass Effect is by no means an apolitical game. The politics and themes in the game are, as you said, very difficult, and you can pull from them some very meaningful and difficult truths about many different things. But people will see the Krogan and immediately think, "This is an allegory and because it is an allegory, it is problematic." People will see a black Space Marine and think, "This is an injection of DEI standards in my game, and because of that, it is problematic." People fail to see the broader strokes of what a game will try to tell them, and instead go to war over relatively pointless details. It's truly a shame.

[@Ryan_Mercury]

Fascinating analysis. Many thanks, Spell&Shield! In retrospect, Mass Effect had a very mature tone. Hope they'll come back to senses and hire real writers.

[@echoesofmalachor3700]

I think you’re spot on. The level of heavy handed and distorted allegory will be extreme if this show actually airs

[@NostalgicGamerRickOShay]

2:00 They are supposed to be turtles crossed with crocodiles, made humanoid.

[@larsmuller97]

My only hope now is that bioware gets shut down asap and the ip is taken by people with a passion for it like Larian did with Baldur's Gate.

[@0x8badbeef]

Things are turning around. It takes many years to make a game. So we won't see those changes for a few more years. Games that are about to release we won't see those changes. We each like Mass Effect for different reasons. I watched several interviews with the devs. The interview that resonates with me was the one with Casey Hudson. One of the things he wanted was when he was growing up science fiction didn't explain their science well. Science just came out of thin air. He wanted to make sure that wasn't the case with Mass Effect. Another thing I like about Mass Effect is it doesn't paint a dystopian future because of humanity like most science fictions. When I game I generally overlook the story and the personalities, so I am not sensitive to what people are complaining about. I game for the mechanics. How the game feels in my hand. Good animation is what I look for and how characters respond to input is what matters most to me. I generally skip through conversations after reading the closed caption, and I skip the cutscenes. I rather game than gaze.

[@trevorsebastian1341]

Remember in mass effect 2 when you had to take control of joker while the crew were getting kill/kidnapped? It seems like a good way to show what’s it’s like to be a person with disability. People screaming, intense music, EDI telling you where to go, that was such an intense moment though very short, it seems like nowadays they would rather tell and not show. I don’t think we would be capable of seeing something like this again in today’s age.

[@ThrobbGoblin]

Andromeda proved that they completely lack competence in creating a worthwhile product. Now they're attempting to mask the lack-of-quality through outrage-marketing, by molding these franchises into a blatant soapbox for the theater-kids to preach from. Being able to dismiss all criticism of world / writing / story / characters as 'reactionary outrage-mob whining' is very important to modern studios- because it means that games can be thrown out on to every platform with guaranteed 8/10+ reviews from every major news outlet, and every KZbinr with 1m+ subscribers.

[@timhawley69]

Honestly its definitely terrifying as the bioware we knew does not stack up against the bioware now they are a pale shadow of what the games represented and all political nuance will be neutered for heavy handed messages it makes me nervous that bioware may actually die especially as its floating around that if the next mass effect doesn't do well they might put respawns head developer in charge at bioware as their games have been popping off not to mention the layoffs that will definitely happen if it does bomb

[@noonesomeone669]

What is missing in wider discussions about games or other pieces of popular culture is an overall decline in writing quality and nuance. Progressive messages have been common in mainstream culture for decades. What differs today is not their inclusion or politics in general rather how it done. Any nuance or allegory was abandoned for ham fisted writing. Much of it is self insert fan fiction written in a style echoing young adult fiction. Narratives are simple, group conflict for protagonists is kept to a minimum, contemporary slang is incorporated, morality is simplistic, the tone is light, etc. What we have seen in the past few years are key writers coming from a generation where young adult fiction and youth targeted media in general preceded them. For the age bracket beginning to take over key positions there was never a time when they were forced to fully draw from and read adult focused texts.

[@astroboy6515]

For every video I see regarding the Mass Effect Amazon series, I will share a Mass Effect fanfic thats worth your time instead. "Shepard's New Team"; a crossover fanfic with team fortress 2 being Shepards' first recruits during ME2

[@Mrvideogameoficial]

4:46 tecnically the cidadel races could the same with the vorcha that are even more adaptable than the krogan unless the vorcha were discovery latter by the cidadel races .. but they dont say that in the lore ...

[@ravenroc1784]

The voice of reason. If only more people in the gaming biz thought as you do we might get good games again.

[@sofajockeyUK]

We have Mass Effect 5 to look forward to. It'll be a few years though...

[@MidratsSnack]

Well bezos said that his son told him not to mess up lotr and they ruined it. I don't expect ME to be good by Amazon Studios. There's a chance budgetwise if they go the animated route.

[@gamecounselor]

I agree with you on many points in your video. The problem is that video games use to be for the really smart nerds. Now anyone can play video games, because the "industry" make some of the easiest games you can imagine in today's standards and even P2W. You die in a game, no problem, you have a save state, or you just go back 2 minutes before you died and try again. Can't beat a boss? Pay the company 20 bucks and now you can. The reason why Mass Effect was enjoyable, it was a story that you made choices on and the result of those choices were shown later to you in the game. I feel most people do not want to replay an entire game if they do not like the choices they made. Whether time restraints, or laziness, or a lack of interest. People are not interested in the journey, but rather the results. We want everything now and we want it 30 seconds ago mind. We don't want to think or do any work to get the results. Just show us a movie and make us feel good mind. We have allowed ourselves to conditioned to be stupid be design on a large scale or a least pushed through the door of the area where stupidity lies. If, we started using our brains, the same people who push political agendas would fear the population. I believe in one form or another everyone including myself has received some sort of message to make us think or feel a certain way that helps the very powerful who desperately try to maintain controls over the world as we think we know it.

[@MuvvLuvv]

Not even a battlefield, a daycare.

[@cernunnos_lives]

Why can't we just make what we want and do pushups if anyone says something? It's ridiculous. You are absolutely correct.

[@Assassino275]

After what they did to the horn guys in dragon Age, I'd hate to see how they bastardize the Krogan. Hell, I mean look what Andromeda did to them

[@Optimusj1975]

Wait, I remember some things diferently. First the Genophage was NEVER meant for extintiction, and Mordin Solus adjust is pretty recent, less than 20 years, while the Genophage is there for over a millenium. Second the Krogan expansion didn't start until they blew up their own planet with nuclear weapons. Which turned impossible to sustain the amount of Krogan their species produced only at Tuchanka,

[@PincheRichard]

Everything you said in this video is true and I think a lot of us are with you on this topic.

[@machofreak123]

You cant argue with stupid when it comes to the far left. Its like negotiating with a little kid who is throwing a tantrum at the grocery store.

[@Adam-r6s2c]

Facts don't matter to them, just feelings and "my truth" what can you do against that? You can't reason with them.

[@MjollTheLioness-o4y]

Yep. You can't reason with unreasonable people.

[@Adam-r6s2c]

@MjollTheLioness-o4y my older brother and younger sister are woke. It's horrible, I have to constantly tread on eggshells with them, edit myself and censor my opinions or they would simply not talk to me. Fell out with my older brother who called me a Nazi for saying I liked Trump, didn't talk for a year until he apologised. Yet they feel completely empowered to bring up their nonsense all the time in conversation, there's no respect of my world view despite me showing them that deference. I feel like that's a microcosm of society.

[@Grogeous_Maximus]

I'm a leftist. I didn't ask for a video game that uses minorities and politics to piss people off, in order to generate clicks. Neither did my queer friends, who aren't playing Bioware games, either.

[@robertmorgenweck1242]

I call the krogan "turtle Klingons". I feel like that's a more apt description than "frog people".

[@Vagabond_01]

How do you guys feel about the Mass Effect series written by a Fast and Furious Director?

[@vanderau4047]

Wokeness destroys everything. Everything we like in the real world and even in our little gamer-sphere. You are so right! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this one!!!

[@Adam-r6s2c]

It's going to be absolutely catastrophic, forget the reapers it's the grifters incoming now

[@mikeg5039]

The only boss villain ill accept in a new mass effect is an alien version of mercante lol

[@Adam-r6s2c]

@mikeg5039 and her henchman Anita Sarkisian, patient zero of the woke-phage

[@ChattySisa]

I can feel your frustration and agree with you. Very tired of all this 'political correctness' from the real world impacting the video games for so many years now. I've also tried to be nice or at least objective at the start, but it's just not working. Anyone from these political activists expects you to completely just shill for what they're saying and if you dare to object to something, they're immediately starting to hurl personal insults and some name-calling. I'm done with such people. At this point I don't even want e.g. BioWare to make the next Mass Effect game. I used to be a big fan of the franchise, but seeing what they did now to Dragon Age - these are no longer the people who can create good games. BioWare has become ZombieWare - an empty husk of what it once was. The senior staff that has created the memorable great games is all gone, split across multiple studios and I'm rather looking forward to what they produce than modern-day ZombieWare. Thank you for the vid, for sharing your thoughts & time with us!

[@spellandshield]

Appreciate your comment Lady Sisa!

[@TheL0ngbeard]

To the ending of the video: There is no point in being charitable to people who view it as weakness and will hit you all the harder for it and will never show you the same courtesy.

[@mikechannel5026]

i loved mass effect listening to this memories came back. Loved the story and Shepard character.

[@S3rp3nte]

Didn't the Turians come after the Rachni's War? In fact they only join with the Council Species when fighting the Krogans.

[@Kornelius707]

When creative directors and writers leave, that's when it's time to put the franchise on the shelf. You are not going to get amazing writing and level design from a replacement dev who is probably a fill in for the next one....Bioware lost key members who were way more personally invested in the lore, personality, tone, and game design of DA and ME.

[@hughcurran6817]

Veilguard is my last bioware game. The writing sealed the deal for me. Its a shame I loved that studio and the games they made.

[@GreenDinoRanger]

I already had a debate that quickly turned into an argument with someone on reddit who was trying to push the narrative that the Krogan were complete victims that got used and then neutered by the council as a reward, despite the fact that the game codex and NPCs stated that the Krogans were hailed as heroes until they eventually started their own invasion. Couldn't get it through that person's head that the Krogan weren't completely innocent victims and the genophage was used after the Krogan escalated the conflict to the point that they were crashing asteroids into cities and killing millions of innocent people.

[@scottcurtis2193]

Could they make a mgs2 game today?

[@TheZamaron]

10:35 onward: So relatable. For roughly 10 years we’ve dealt with Progressive nut-jobs trying to hijack franchises for their own politics since Gamergate in around 2014. I miss the days when I could just watch or play something and not have to worry about politics. You give them a centimeter, and they TRY to take a thousand miles succeed or fail. I’m tired of seeing iconic IPs slowly ruined one after another. Luckily it seems politically they’ve been crippled, or will be come January. Culturally they still need to be beaten back, but it’s looking very possible.

[@olgagerman9216]

Golden insight