The 'Shroom:Issue 218/'Shroomfest Highlights
'Shroomfest Highlights
Written by: Ninja Squid (talk), Waluigi Time (talk), and Sparks (talk)
Staff Notes
Hello everyone and welcome to 'Shroomfest Highlights!
With the eighth round of 'Shroomfest now behind us, it's time to reflect on some of the best moments from the epic battle between Fantasy and Sci-Fi, expertly led by Sparks and Waluigi Time, but also by all of you! This round has been a blast, and we want to thank each and every participant for being part of it, whether by voting, endorsing a team, or actively participating in the debate itself. We really appreciated how the discussion remained respectful and healthy throughout the event, which helped make this experience so enjoyable!
More importantly, we'll also be covering the outcome of the ongoing battle between Sparks and Waluigi Time concerning the movie that the 'Shroom staff will be watching. (Hmm... maybe my proposal for a Xenoblade Game Night eventually won here? You never know what a ninja might be plotting behind the scenes... Mwahaha! Actually, maybe I shouldn't have written that...) And, of course, we will also reveal the final results of 'Shroomfest, so you will now find out which genre is now crowned the best according to the laws of the 'Shroom Congress. Still, no matter which side you were on, we hope you made some valuable discoveries that helped you appreciate both genres.
Suffice to say, it's been a fantastic experience, and we are absolutely looking forward to creating more moments like this with you there 'Shroom readers! So, stay tuned.
See ya!
—Ninja Squid, Judge
Team Fantasy
If we're talking about power scaling and battles, Zeus one time pranked a couple of us with a bracelet he said was supposedly to increase our height. Well, we ended up kicking his ass for that ruse.
All I'm saying is that I'm not scared of a Death Star. Not too much anyway.
Theoretically you could set a DnD campaign anywhere, even in space if you so desired. However, I think it works best when a campaign is set up in a fantastical world of the DM's own creation! Of course there are also some campaign settings written by certain publishing companies, but many of these also take place in worlds that lean into the fantasy and magical aspect of DnD.
Speaking of magic, there are some really cool spells in DnD that have all kinds of neat effects. You can use spells to create water, set secret traps for your enemies, heal your allies, and more! (My personal favorite spell, at least in combat, is Moonbeam if you're wondering) If you can think of it, there is probably a spell for it. Lots of classes in DnD have access to these spells! My current favorite is Druid, I really like having the powers of nature at my disposal, many of which come from different spells. Also a big fan of some of the subclasses they added in the 2024 Players Handbook. They beefed up some of the spells in the new book too!!! Magic and spellcasting my beloved......... (Can you tell I mainly play spellcasters oops)
You have lots of options for character races that lean into the fantasy aspect too!! Elves, dwarves, dragonborns, tieflings, just to name a few!
After being defeated by the Villainous Sci-Fi Empire lead by Cosmic Lord Waluigi Time the Fantasy Resistance seemed to be in peril.
To make matters worse however, the feindish general Feathers Mcgraw of the Sci-Fi empire proposed a surprise attack on May 4th when the empire would be the strongest and the fantasy team would be weakest.
All appears to be lost but the great king sparks isnt willing to go down so easly thankfully an opportunity has presented itself and the fantasy team is ready to finish the fight once and for all.
We have a wide assortment of cool weapons to use! Bows, swords, cannons, and more! What does Sci-Fi have? Not anything that doesn't make the noise "pew". At least we have variation in our weaponry!
Team Sci-Fi
However, what I really want to argue is the potential function of science fiction. What I mean by this is, what can science fiction do as a genre that fantasy cannot? Fantasy is regularly a moral genre, it's true; heroes learn lessons intrinsic to how they should learn to experience the world. Fantasy can also explore material that is analogous to real-world concerns, particularly where questions of race and gender are concerned. But the thing is, fantasy is not the world we experience. We are not building ourselves towards magic. We are building ourselves towards technology - the speculative realm of sci-fi.
So what does sci-fi uniquely do? It allows us to critically examine the trajectory of our lives and humanity's collective pursuits. This is why so many dystopian novels - "1984", "Fahrenheit 451", "Brave New World", "The Giver", "The Hunger Games" - are planted firmly in the realm of speculative science fiction. It's a genre that encourages us to ask questions of ethics and morality, while we ever-approach the realities that these books speculated about. There's a reason why so much speculative sci-fi is taught in classrooms. Sci-fi holds a mirror to the world we experience, and demands that we reckon with how technology influences who we are and how we act (assuming we aren't talking about a sanitized franchise monopoly, anyway). Fantasy can make us raise questions too, but I'd argue that the ones raised by sci-fi are much more important, especially in a current-day overrun with technological surveillance, a devaluing of the natural world, and AI generation galore.
A large part of movies and games is immersion and putting yourself into a world, so it raises the question, which world would you rather see yourself in?
Imagine yourself in the lush, green, natural landscape of your typical medieval fantasy world, with knights and dragons in abundance. Now imagine what the plumbing's like.
Yeah maybe there's a chance that there's a xenomorph on my spaceship but at least I'll be able to have a hot shower. Team sci-fi for sure.
—Ninelevendo (talk)
Overall, I would never be able to say with 100% confidence that one genre is definitively better than another, because both of them are important, and both scratch a differnt itch. There is significant overlap in any individual work of art. As explored in this very post, there's elements of sci-fi in fantasy works, and aspects of fantasy in sci-fi. They both involve complex world-building, mystery about the world they are written in, real-world influences, etc. Both can have strong messages about environmentalism, technology, society, etc. More than any specific genere, I'm specifically Team: Good Stories.
With all of that in mind, I got really passionate writing about both to explore what it is about them I personally enjoy the most. I also like to make sure everything gets a fair shot, so I'm going to officially vote for the underdog with Endorse: Sci-Fi. It's possible I'll feel differently if you ask me tomorrow, or a week from now, or a year from now. What brings me over the edge with this decision today though, sci-fi's tendency to get my mind into a deep philosophical approach to things, and start asking questions about the present and future, and ourselves.
If I had to sum everything up, I got my answer with what about each genre appeals to me beyond the aesthetic. I love fantasy because it can show me that against all odds, there is good in the world with good people fighting for it. I love science fiction because it makes me think about what is a good world, and how can I be a good person that works toward that better future.
—Meta Knight (talk)
'Shroomfest results in, Ninja Squid out of ink
| RESULTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| FANTASY | SCI-FI | |
| 49.38% | VOTES | 50.62% |
| 60.87% | ENDORSEMENTS | 39.13% |
| 51.28% | EFFORTS | 48.72% |
| 2 | 1 |
|---|
'Shroom Research Lab: Hello, everyone! After last month's report on the movie night debate between Sparks and Waluigi Time, we here at the 'Shroom Research Lab have been hard at work researching the conclusion of this dramatic event. Luckily, we recently discovered a box of old props which shed some light on how it all ended, so without further ado, we present our findings.
After the Staff Movie Night debacle, Waluigi Time and Sparks spent the next several weeks canvassing the city for supporters. As the time for a climactic showdown between the teams drew nearer, both of them were putting the finishing touches on their plans to decide which movie would be screened in The 'Shroom's theater - Waluigi Time's sci-fi classic Invasion of the Uncomfortably Slimy Space Creatures, or Sparks' fantasy favorite Kingdom of the Ponies: Magic Prevails!.
Although Waluigi Time's efforts didn't net him as many supporters as he had hoped, he was undeterred in his efforts. After all, a recent trip to the toy store resulted in a bountiful haul of LED-powered laser blasters with cool sound effects, Technetium's plan to dress up the squad in alien and robot costumes was in full effect, and Yoshi the SSM was making significant progress on a spaceship prop for everyone to ride in. Waluigi Time reasoned that even if Sparks had an advantage in sheer numbers, the sci-fi spectacle they were planning would guarantee victory.
What Waluigi Time didn't expect, however, was that the plans of Sparks and his supporters had taken a much more tangible route as they prepared for the big showdown. Boo1268 cackled with delight as he pored over old tomes full of magical spells, DryBonesBandit brought in specially crafted replica weapons of the medieval era, and Sentient freedom helped to bring it all together with the team's battle strategy. Sparks even managed to recruit the legendary warrior Xiahou Ba to his cause, who was more than eager to meet these supporters of the mysterious "sci-fi" on the battlefield. To top things off, Sparks was preparing what he called a "special surprise", one that would surely settle the debate once and for all in his favor.
Finally, with all the preparations complete, the day for battle came. Planning their arrival for a time of day when as many pedestrians would see it, Waluigi Time and his squad of aliens and robots in all shapes and sizes rolled down the street in the completed prop spaceship, with flashing lights and sound effects galore... only to find themselves met by an army of knights and wizards coming from the opposite direction. Waluigi Time smirked at the sight of them - the fantasy supporters had played right into his hands, and would soon help him prove that sci-fi was superior. He ordered his team to charge forward as they leapt from the spaceship, blasters repeatedly flashing and filling the air with noisy sound effects.
His confidence, however, quickly melted away as Boo1268 and Zange, in full costume, began to amaze the onlooking crowd by casting magical spells. Not mere parlor tricks or special effects, but genuine magic, and the plastic toys of their opponents hardly looked impressive in comparison. Meanwhile, the legion of knights charged forward, fully prepared for battle with their actual weapons. Sparks had already ensured that they wouldn't hurt anyone in the process, but their silly props and cheesy costumes? Oh, those were fair game, and ripe to be sliced and diced.
But speaking of Sparks, where was he? He wasn't leading the charge, and Waluigi Time simply assumed that his Sub-Director had simply chickened out at the last minute. No matter, though, the fantasy army may have had the upper hand, but Waluigi Time wasn't about to let his chance for victory slip by. The sci-fi squadron's costumes were in tatters, many of their blasters lay broken on the sidewalk, and they certainly wouldn't be able to compete against the genuine articles of the fantasy supporters... but they still made a good distraction.
As his supporters attempted to keep up the attack, Waluigi Time fell back, sneaking into The 'Shroom headquarters and grabbing Sparks' DVD from the basement. The battle was lost, but he could still win the war, and in a final act of defiance, planned to drop it three stories off the roof to shatter on the pavement below. Soon, he was perched on the roof, and called out to everyone below. "Hey everyone, look what I got!" he shouted, holding the Kingdom of the Ponies: Magic Prevails! DVD over the edge of the building before simply letting go of it - only for it to fall directly into the waiting claw hands of Sparks, riding on a majestic white pegasus.
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to!" Sparks exclaimed, having anticipated some trick from the sneaky director. With the movie safely back in hand, Sparks flew high up above the building and took the opportunity to do some tricks with his dazzling steed, to the wonder and amazement of the crowd below. Even some of Waluigi Time's own supporters couldn't help but take in the show being put on in the sky. Finally, Sparks landed in front of the building to the cheers of his army. After everything that had happened, it was hard to dispute that Kingdom of the Ponies: Magic Prevails! would be the perfect choice for the first Staff Movie Night.
The following week, the staff of The 'Shroom all got together for a movie night, for real this time. Even Waluigi Time was there, bruised ego and all, and as he watched the film, he realized something... Kingdom of the Ponies: Magic Prevails! was actually a pretty fun movie. He definitely wouldn't be admitting that anytime soon, though.
'Shroom Research Lab: And that concludes our report on the incident regarding The 'Shroom's first Staff Movie Night. Now we will have to put these props back under safekeeping, some of our researchers have been playing with DryBonesBandit's swords in the break room. That's a work injury just waiting to happen, they're still really sharp after all this time. Anyways, it sure seems like there's always something interesting going on with this crew, so stay tuned for more research updates in the near future.
Leader's Notes
YAY! Kingdom of the Ponies: Fantasy Prevails! is so much better on the big screen!
Team Fantasy won the 'Shroomfest, something that wouldn't have been possible without your support! I sincerely thank everyone who supported Team Fantasy throughout the debate; all contributions - no matter their size - helped secure the victory! We prevailed over Team Sci-Fi, just like how magic prevails in my favorite film. Funny how that works right? Perhaps it was the Twilight Sparkle plushie that brought us good luck! Maybe it's magical...
Of course, Team Sci-Fi helped make this event the most fun it can be! I loved seeing everyone passionately talk about their interests and support their side. Even though you didn't win, I hope you had fun. That's the point of 'Shroomfests in general - to have a blast! Hopefully this past month brought excitement and joy to all of you!
Kingdom of the Ponies: Magic Prevails! is the kind of movie you can have on all day, every day without ever getting bored of it. That's certainly what I'll be doing in the future, although I should check out Waluigi Time's Sci-Fi film Invasion of the Uncomfortably Slimy Space Creatures... I'm open to trying new things (uh, seeing new films in this case). Eh, we'll watch that the next movie night. After thinking about it, The LEGO Movie would've been a good compromise film. I mean, who doesn't like Princess Unikitty and the 1980's space guy Benny?
Before I go, how did you all like the 'Shroomfest? If you have anything you want to talk about, whether it be questions, feedback, comments, suggestions or anything along those lines, please contact Waluigi Time (talk), myself (talk), or Ninja Squid (talk)! We appreciate hearing from the viewers on how to make 'Shroomfests even better. See you next time, whenever that may be!
—Sparks, Leader of Team Fantasy
| The 'Shroom: Issue 218 | |
|---|---|
| Staff sections | Staff Notes • The 'Shroom Spotlight • Poochy's Picks • 'Shroomfest Highlights • Credits |
| Features | Fake News • Fun Stuff • Palette Swap • Pipe Plaza • Critic Corner • Strategy Wing |
