[A Pleasurable Headache] Anything else you're interested in is not going to happen if you can't breathe the air and drink the water.
A wedding to attend. Walls to pain. Words to write. So it’s straight into things this week.
Links
# 20 years ago, The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind changed everything
https://www.polygon.com/23037370/elder-scrolls-3-morrowind-open-world-rpg-elden-ring-botw
Cue the ‘omg I’m old’ memes. Morrowind is 20 years old this month. It is the first game I can say I was truly obsessed with. To me the game embodied a freedom not found in any other game of the period. For example, GTA never let you knowingly (or unknowingly), break the plot of the entire game with your actions.
The Polygon article, by Bianca Ryckert, celebrates this openness and some of the absolutely byzantine decisions made in terms of the games structure and design. The article, rightly in my opinion, draws a line through to Elden Ring as the game’s modern day successor.
Somewhat related is Khee Hoon Chan’s piece over at The Gamer entitled The Beauty of Oblivion’s Map. Oblivion was the sequel to Morrowind of course. I took an entire week off to play the sequel IIRC. Chan’s piece argues Oblivion‘s true MVP is the game’s map. The map contained flaws, contradictions and leaned in heavily to the notion of skeuomorphism. Again, it may be stating the obvious, but the closest present incarnation is Elden Ring‘s own map.
If I had a quid for every time I found a proposed destination atop a distant ridge or mountain…
Elden Ring_’s best bosses and locations drew inspiration from an unlikely source
https://www.inverse.com/gaming/elden-ring-irish-mythology
Staying with Elden Ring, Cian Maher at Inverse points out an unlikely source for some of the game’s characters and geography – Irish mythology.
“Even characters with names from other etymological origins, like Malenia, are distinctly Irish-coded. Her flowing red locks and prosthetic arm clearly reference Nuada Airgetlám, a legendary Irish hero. Airgetlám means “silver hand,” and refers to the fact Nuada lost his arm in battle and had it replaced with an artificial one by Dian Cecht. This was a necessary measure, given that only someone who was physically whole could lead the illustrious Tuatha dé Danann.”
Samantha Greer at Gayming also has an excellent piece on Elden Ring, discussing how queerness is rooted into the very fabric of the game’s narrative.
Whose Legend Are We Becoming?
https://bulletpointsmonthly.com/2022/04/22/whose-legend-destiny-2-the-witch-queen
Bullet Points Monthly has featured heavily in this newsletter previously. This article, by Kaile Hultner, discusses the game’s identity and ambition as a ‘power fantasy’. Such notions will always mean someone has to be powerless. Hultner uses this idea to discuss one of the game’s many factions, The Fallen, a group initially used as cannon fodder in some of the game’s initial tutorial missions.
Due to the ever-evolving nature of the game however this same faction now have a much more nuanced back story and representation. But, due to Bungie’s decision to ‘sunset’ certain missions, part of this nuance has been lost. The old tutorial missions however remain, painting an odd narrative where an entire species functions as both an ally and something to be shot at and destroyed in the pursuit of XP and loot.
“What does this tell us about the ideological space Destiny 2 operates in, where context about an alien species that affords us deeply complex, emotionally connective, and, for lack of a better term, humanizing knowledge about them can be seen as ephemeral, but the mission establishing them as our first enemy is vital to the experience of a Guardian’s “first day on the job?”
Winston Churchill, Imperial Monstrosity
https://www.currentaffairs.org/2022/04/winston-churchill-imperial-monstrosity
Alex Skopic at Current Affairs discusses Tariq Ali’s new book, Winston Churchill: His Times, His Crimes, a book I am extremely looking forward to.
The article discusses the odd and disturbing reverence for Churchill here in England (I would imagine other parts of the UK are not so in thrall) and the utter unwillingness to discuss any negative aspects of his actions or legacy which called to mind some of the answers regarding British history in this legendary video:
“’Why do Irish people hate British people so much?’ We don’t hate British people. It’s only your government that we hate.” @KNEECAPCEOL answer all the stupid questions that Irish people get asked on the reg. pic.twitter.com/3AIGMeuUm7
— JOE (@JOE_co_uk) February 21, 2020
Britain Is Planning to Outsource Its Refugees to Rwanda
https://jacobinmag.com/2022/04/britain-rwanda-migration-asylum-seekers-offshore-patel/
Speaking of the wonderful British government…
The current cabinet have somehow convinced themselves that sending a number of refugees to Rwanda is a good idea, a decision that manages to be both stupid and inhumane.
It is not meant to desperately pander to the core Tory voter as January and an election loom.
Previous attempts at such a system in Israel and Australia were, unsurprisingly, not without huge fucking problems.
“Through the 2010s, the Israeli government ran a vicious campaign against African refugees, famously labelling them “infiltrators” and “a cancer in the nation’s body.” Kagame struck a quiet deal in 2014 with then prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow the Israeli government to fly Sudanese and Eritrean refugees to Rwanda.
Testimonies from some of those sent back paint a grim picture of zero support, violence, theft, and human trafficking. Most immediately left Rwanda and attempted to reach Europe. Netanyahu promoted and supported Kagame’s diplomatic initiatives internationally as thanks, but the deal still embarrassingly fell apart when Israel tried to scale up the deportations in 2018.”
“Twenty years ago, the Australian government was responsible for introducing the so-called Pacific Solution. This rotten legislation excised thousands of islands from the Australian migration zone, and saw the Australian Navy throw asylum seekers from Australia into detention centers in countries like Nauru and Papua New Guinea. These camps were run by for-profit companies for billions of dollars.”
Debunking Demand (IPCC Mitigation Report, Part 1 (Via the forever awesome Nothing Here newsletter)
https://www.drilledpodcast.com/debunking-demand-ipcc-mitigation-report-part-1/
This excellent, and informative, link discusses the recent IPCC Mitigation Report, and is the first in a three part series. The posts break down the report into sections, pulling out the most pertinent, interesting and alarming parts of the report for all to read.
Some choice cuts from the three part series:
“Lifestyle changes – In the next installment I’m going to dig into this deeper because what this draws on is the work of Dr. Kimberly Nicholas and others who have shown that the world’s wealthiest 10% globally can have a tremendous impact on greenhouse gas emissions through behavior change (don’t worry we’re going to have a nuanced discussion of the old false individual v. systemic debate – obviously these choices need to be enabled by things like public transit, bikable streets, and so forth). Chapter 5 states: “Individuals with high socio-economic status have high behavioural plasticity and capability to reduce their GHG emissions, especially in mobility by flying less and utilising electric two, three, or four wheelers, by becoming role models of low-carbon lifestyles, by investing into low-carbon business, and by lobbying for stringent climate policies.”
“Business models that protect rent extracting behaviour may sometimes delay political action.” Did the IPCC just call some corporations rent-seeking assholes? Yes, yes it did. And there’s more: “Corporate advertisement and brand building strategies may also attempt to deflect corporate responsibility to individuals or aim to appropriate climate care sentiments in their own brand–building.” Helllooo the IPCC is talking about greenwashing, freakin finally.”
At this point the gloves have come off and the IPCC are not fucking around. I’m not sure how blatant they can be.
Meanwhile, here in Britain, we are having our Don’t Look Up moment.
‘I think the children and the future deserve that.’
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 11, 2022
‘Just Stop Oil’ activists protested across London this weekend to demand an end to the fossil fuel economy. Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis means many people are paying more & more for fuel. Are oil protests justified? pic.twitter.com/mnnIFlJvQT
US climate activist dies after setting himself on fire outside supreme court
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/25/climate-activist-death-supreme-court-fire-washington
Wynn Bruce is not the first who has taken such drastic action. I don’t think he will be the last.
I am off to travel to ‘the north’, see you in two!