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I have a confession: I play video games on narrative mode. “Narrative mode”, in case you’re not aware, is the new setting that is taking the gaming world by storm. In the beginning, games tended to have three difficult settings: easy, medium and hard, or if the designer was feeling polite: casual, normal and experienced.
Some games added layers of greater difficulty with modes called imaginative names like “nightmare mode” or less imaginative names like “very hard” or “extra hard”.
In recent times, some game designers have started adding especially easy modes for people who just want to experience the story or the exploration. Horizon Zero Dawn, The Witcher 3 and Mass Effect Andromeda, all games in which the pleasure is as much in the journey as the destination, have modes designed for people who just want to be able to wander through fields of robotic dinosaurs, troublesome elves or villainous aliens without having to worry too much about combat.
I have lots of excuses for playing on narrative mode – I’m a busy person who doesn’t have time for difficult video games, I sometimes play while catching up with people on the telephone, and so on – but the truth is that I play games on the easiest available setting because I am dyspraxic and as a result getting my hands to do what my brain wants it to do is often a somewhat fraught process. The promise of narrative mode is that if you bash x enough times, however inexpertly, eventually the monster you are fighting will take pity on you and die and you can get back to roving the countryside collecting chaos emeralds or whatever.
The problem is that not all narrative modes – whether they’re called “story mode”, “very easy mode” “beginner” or “sweet Jesus, Stephen just how much handholding do you need” – are created equal. Some make it harder to access plot-related scenes: the Kingdom Hearts franchise makes it much harder to unlock the best ending if you play on easy mode. As I discovered when I started babysitting, a surprisingly large number of games for children do this, a particularly stupid and cruel thing to do both to a six year old and to anyone who looks after a six year old, who will regularly be forced to complete the most difficult levels in order to unlock the best ending of a game.
Others go too far in the opposite direction and have no real challenge at all. The problem with Mass Effect Andromeda is that the narrative mode is really no challenge at all while the higher settings are far too difficult: what the story modes of Horizon Zero Dawn and The Witcher 3 get right is that they are easy enough to actually complete if like me you are rubbish at gaming, but they actually feel challenging.
The reason why easy or narrative modes are often so badly designed is there are some people in and around the gaming industry who think that the point of video gaming is to be the very best – but actually the point of playing video games is to have a good time. For some people, having a good time means taking out the Thresher Maw without taking damage and putting it on YouTube, and that’s fair enough, but for other people it means a battle that is just challenging enough for them or simply getting to enjoy the story and the scenery.
That’s why Xbox’s decision to bring out a controller for people with muscular disabilities, that can be bought in any store rather than adapted at great cost by charities, is great news and not just for people who will be able to enjoy video games more easily. It’s an acknowledgement that gaming is, as Playstation’s slogan puts it, for the players. Not the good players, not the most able-bodied and fast-moving players, but for everyone who wants to have a good time.
From: Meghan Markle
To: Meghan’s ‘Maids
Hey Ladies (in waiting, lol)!
I am so incredibly chuffed you all will be in our little wedding on May 19!! I believe the royal wedding planner has already reached out to all of you, but I thought it would be fun to go over some last-minute details here! I know lots of people/the international press is making a huge deal out of everything, but it’s still just me, your girl Meghan, and my fiancé, His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales. I promise I’m not one of those Bridezilla types!!
Here are a few last minute details:
Time to be there: The wedding will start at NOON, so please be at St. George’s Chapel no later than 2:45 a.m. for hair and makeup. As you know, my wedding dress and overall look isn’t being revealed until day-of, but for all of you I’ve enlisted the Queen Mother’s royal hairdresser and the royal makeup artist to create uniform complementary looks for all my ‘Maids. She is in her nineties, but she knows vintage!
Dresses: I know people have thrown out a lot of “Let’s wear something in the key of Pippa’s dress from William and Kate’s wedding!” in our group texts, but I’ve selected a much more fun dress that I think you all will love! Honestly, I’m jealous I can’t wear it myself! You know how the 1980s are back and everyone is wearing high-waisted jeans now? Well! In homage to that, your bridesmaid dresses are actually modeled after Princess Diana’s bridesmaid dresses, and they are so cute!
Jessica Mulroney: My BFF, and MoH, has generously offered to style all of you girls for a more cohesive look! I think I have to wear the crown jewels (so heavy! ugh!), but it might be fun if you all wear simple jewelry, perhaps something in the key of small stud earrings, no larger than 1/4-inch in diameter?
Priyanka Chopra/Serena Williams/Misha Nonoo: Can you all please confirm you’ve ordered the Princess Diana bridesmaid dresses by EOD?? If not, you’ll have to pay for rush shipping!
Kate Middleton: Let me know if you have any qs about being the guestbook attendant!
Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas: As you might have heard, two of Harry’s exes are attending the wedding which I am totally cool with! FYI, they’ll be seated at Table 829, the fun table made up of Harry’s fourth cousin the Duke of Teavana and Princess Michael of Kent.
Hashtags: I’m leaning towards: #WindsorTiesTheKnot or #TheNewBarackandMichelle or #MeghanAndHarryForever. What do you think??
So excited!!!! Let me know if you have any questions!! Boring legal talk: NDAs are attached, please sign ASAP!
Yay! That’s all I can think of! So excited you all will be in my wedding! As a PA once said on Suits, “that’s a wrap!” LOL.
Gotta go! We’re roasting a chicken!!
xoxo,
Meghan
From: Misha Nonoo
To: Meghan’s ‘Maids, Meghan Markle
Hi gals,
Could not be more excited for this event! I know some ladies (none of you, of course! Just in general) may grumble about a high-waisted dress ensemble but I actually have the figure for it! So I’m doubly excited, I suppose!
In terms of hair, would it be easiest if we came up with personalized vision boards for ourselves? For me, I’d prefer a mid-pony, but not sure how the rest of the girls think or feel about their hair. I know for many it can be a sensitive subject. Kate, I know you have to be extra cautious with how you style your tresses, as any damp squib of a look will no doubt end up in the penny-dreadful. Let us know if there’s wiggle room on that, Meggies?
Oh, that’s right, I did have one more small note, so tiny, practically invisible, haha, with the attached NDA. You’ll note that I initialed most every paragraph except one. I’ve passed it onto my lawyer for review but he suggested I bring this up in a casual space as to not make any trouble. Was wondering about the part where it says
…absolutely no guest, wedding attendee, friend, foe, or second cousin shall post any Instagram photography, Snapchat storybooks, or Facebook status updates. There will be thirteeen royal photographers present as well as dozens if not hundreds of local, national, and global media, therefore, we would really like you to kick back, relax, and enjoy this wedding like you would any wedding of any normal regular nobody!
As everyone here of course knows, I broke through the Instagram ceiling when I debuted my Spring/Summer 2016 collection on Instagram. Many people wonder, was this innovative or just because no one would give me a runway? To them I say, “what’s it to you?” Anyway, as a social media maven, I’d love to have free reign over my own iPhone during the event (sans the church, stuff, of course!). Hope that is not a problem! Feel free to resolve this off-thread, just cc my lawyer (currently bcc’d).
Let the countdown begin! Just a fortnight and a week away!
x,
Misha
From: Jessica Mulroney
To: Meghan’s ‘Maids, Meghan Markle
Hi all!
Wanted to follow up on Meggie’s note with a quick run-of-show update. I fear 2:45 a.m. is simply going to cut it too close. Can everyone make it by 1:45 a.m.? There will be tea and crumpets upon arrival, but please don’t eat them! A high-waisted dress is unforgiving. Maybe it’s best we all start juicing now. PM me and I can direct you to some of my favorite recipes (you have to try the double celery mocktail with celery garnish – so fun!).
As the “unofficial” wedding planner (but what the heck, let’s make it official if any of you get interviewed and asked about my role!) I wanted to remind everyone that there is a “no children” policy if your kids are under five.
