Stormgate is, to use the developers’ own words, a “next-generation” RTS game that is currently in the Early Access stage of its release. For those who aren’t in the know, real-time strategy emphasizes building bases and commanding an army of various units, and Frost Giant Studios counts among its number some of those responsible for such hallmarks of the genre as StarCraft II and Warcraft III. While the “sci-fi and fantasy” setting clearly cribs ample inspiration from its predecessors, recent developments beg the question of when the Human Vanguard faction is supposed to exist in relation to the initial invasion by the demonic Infernal Host. To ask it plainly, is Stormgate set in a postapocalyptic world?
The most obvious place to find our answer would be the official site’s homepage, which I’ve already cited above (all following emphasis has been added):
These resilient soldiers have harnessed futuristic technology to rebuild their civilization after surviving an Infernal Host invasion – a devastating near-extinction event.
The Vanguard’s own faction page:
The Vanguard was formed to serve as humanity’s last bastion of defense with Earth on the brink of extinction. Representing the greatest scientific minds, toughest soldiers, and most brilliant strategists from around the world, the Vanguard stands resolute against the invading Infernal Host.
And, finally, the Media Kit page, which explicitly presents the setting:
The story takes place hundreds of years in Earth’s future, in an all-new post-apocalyptic game setting where science fiction and fantasy collide.
So why the confusion? While much hay has been made about the game’s art style, many detractors have pointed specifically toward the Vanguard’s general aesthetic as being too shiny and polished in light of their position as “humanity’s last bastion of defense” after a “near-extinction event.” It would seem that the present visuals don’t actually match up with this postapocalyptic setting, but digging further into Frost Giant’s other posts it appears that fans are being told two distinct things.
Make no mistake, I am very excited for it. Seeing the Amazonian on the silver screen for the first time is also the primary reason I’m seeing BvS in the next few days, and a Wonder Woman t-shirt that I shamefully purchased at Hot Topic [shameful for the store, not the product] is the only merchandise I have bought and plan on buying [the poster on the right was free]. In spite of that, or maybe directly because of it, I ended up with a number of thoughts about the promo picture released. While the first point is the shortest and has nothing to do with my gender, the ones that follow may be defended by readers who can better relate. Which is to be expected, and that I hope people feel comfortable doing if they want to. 
Culture War Reporters 
What Happened to Comic Book Resources?
“Change is good.” That’s a slogan I very vividly remember from a McDonald’s commercial around the turn of the century. A classroom full of kindergartners is shocked to find out that the Golden Arches are now serving white meat chicken nuggets, and are silent as one of their members takes the first tentative bite. Once she speaks those three words they break out into cheers, ecstatic that their beloved nuggets are just as delicious as before. Change is good. Or, more accurately, it can be.
This past Tuesday I was going through my handful of comic book news sites only to find that Comic Book Resources [also known as CBR], the fourth and last on the list, was borderline unrecognizable. Instead of seeing-
-like I was used to, I was greeted with-
While I was taken aback by the seemingly sudden redesign, the truth is that if I’d been more observant I would have seen this coming from a long way off. Continue reading →
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Tagged Albert Ching, Axel-In-Charge, CBR, column, Comic Book Resources, comic books, comments, criticism, design, editor, feature, forum, In Your Face Jam, internet, journalism, list articles, listicles, news, pipeline, redesign, site, The Buy Pile, The Mission, Tilting At Windmills, Valnet