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Derek

@astralcitymini.com

620 followers 430 following 2.8K posts

Professional editor and arcade romanticist in Chicago. Digital explorer. 🗺️ Café connoisseur. ☕️ Audiophile. 🎧 I post mostly about video games and gay shit. 🏳️‍🌈 he/him

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Derek @astralcitymini.com · Mar 29

Announcing the launch of Astral City Mini, my personal blog featuring short-to-medium-form writing about video games, their music, and related miscellany.

astralcitymini.com

Astral City Mini

High-fidelity writing and state-of-the-art critique double your reading enjoyment!

astralcitymini.com

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 1h

Thanks! Yeah, she’s there as a support ability. You activate it and her illustration appears with an animated flourish. Nothin’ crazy. But we Brandish-heads take what we can get (read: two tiddies)

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 1h

It’s a good question! I’m not part of the “core” team, so the particulars are unknown to me, but the publisher did reach out to me and offer a credit + physical/digital copies + a very small nominal payout for my contribution. That’s all I have visibility on.

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 1h

I know! Which is all the more reason I’m glad to hear you got it. Let’s play sometime!

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 16h

QUEEN

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 16h

Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga is a special project. It lives thanks to the hard work and contributions of many people, most of whom carried its torch much further and longer than I ever did. I sincerely hope it reaches the audience it deserves.

store.steampowered.com/app/1794880/...

Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga on Steam

Finally, the walls between Falcom's legendary RPG series, Ys and Trails, are broken for the ultimate dream match up! Fan-favorite heroes and rivals clash in battles once thought impossible, with suppo...

store.steampowered.com

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 16h

...emulating Jess Chavez's work on Estelle, which I would put to use years later working on Cold Steel IV and Reverie. In many ways, my career has been a series of circles. Each of these I've only drawn with the support of countless others along the way.

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 16h

It's been so long that I can't even remember who approached who about getting involved in the fan translation—I think Shawnji or Flame messaged me on Twitter or Discord? In any case, I'm glad it happened. I hardly contributed anything compared to the others, but it was valuable practice...

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 16h

For me, Ys vs. Trails was for a long time the flagship title in Falcom's tantalizingly rich unlocalized oeuvre. I played the Japanese version in that heavy period of anticipation before Trails SC made its English debut, which only heightened my fascination with these stories and characters.

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 16h

Many moons ago, in the nascent stage of my career, I did a small amount of scenario editing for what would become the Geofront's fan localization of Ys vs. Trails in the Sky. Now that project has finally coalesced into an official, sanctioned release. I'm grateful to be credited alongside this team.

A screenshot of the credits for Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga.

Programmer
Nate "Ribose" Book

Programmer, Non-Scenario Editor
EnDavio

Video Editor
Jack "Chuji" Mills

Contributor
flamethrower2

Special Thanks
Derek Heemsbergen (that's me!)

Reposted by Derek

Schtolteheim @schtolteheim.bsky.social · 23h

I was honored to help beta test for Ys vs. Trails! Thank you so much to @refint.games for having me, and I hope you all enjoy the game as much as I did! Looking forward to the launch stream tomorrow!

Reposted by Derek

Matthew Finch @mrcoolmanist.bsky.social · 22h

Happy Ys vs. Trails in the Sky day!! I loved the brief period I QA tested it in the Geofront and to see it come out officially was neat. I got to participate a bit in the console network test for the release and it's superb. Refint did an awesome job.

Reposted by Derek

Errant @errantsquam.heckingsne.cc · 23h

Hello! I worked on the achievement icons for @refint.games's Ys vs. Trails :)

The format is a lil' different from Studio Pom's, since I wasn't provided a contact until the tail end of the process, but I think they ended up reading pretty well on Steam. hope y'all enjoy regardless!

(1/5)

#falcom

Reposted by Derek

aly ☯️ yada yada, noise cancellation @straylize.bsky.social · 22h

Five (FIVE?!) years ago, a couple of friends asked me to help beta test Ys. vs Trails in the Sky - never did I think it would lead to getting to see my name in the credits roll, or that it would end up bringing other opportunities.

Grateful to be here, however limited my work actually was!

Reposted by Derek

Mel, the Herohom ( • `ω´ • ) @herohommel.bsky.social · 21h

Happy Ys vs. Trails launch day! I had the honor of authoring the digital art book that comes with the Limited Edition version of this Falcom fighting game!

Thank you, @refint.games for the opportunity! I poured my heart into it!

FGC friends: SEE ME. Yes, it has rollback netcode. ;)

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 1d

I cannot imagine how you must feel to still be there. 🫂 That does fucking suck.

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 1d

Absolutely adding this spot to my list! I forget we live so close to one another, too... 👀

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 1d

I really hope the situation turns around. I know you’ve been working so incredibly hard to bring Ghost to life. In lieu of platitudes, know that you have Jeremy and I to support you as your friends.

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 1d

A very handsome friend!

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 1d

And it was so, so much stupider than I expected.

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 1d

I put my hand up on your…hoop
When I stroop, you stroop, we stroop

A stroopwafel atop a mug of coffee.

Reposted by Derek

Rae Loren @aspwriter85.bsky.social · 1d

ICE has been verified in Rogers Park today - sharing this again.

Rae Loren @aspwriter85.bsky.social · 28d

I'm heading to the burbs today and refreshing myself on SALUTE. ICE hasn't been spotted as much in the city but has been very present in the suburbs.

An screenshot displaying "SALUTE"
with information on if for how to spot and report ICE in Illinois

REMEMBER SALUTE

Provide as much information as possible when reporting or boosting potential threats. Spread information - not panic!!

S

Size / Strength How many agents? How many vehicles? "4 agents, 2 SUVs, no license plates"

A

Activity / Action

What are you seeing? A raid at a workplace? A traffic stop? Are they using force? "Harassing workers in my shop"

L

Location / Direction Address? Intersection? Nearby landmarks? "at Fillmore and Maple in South Oak Park"

U

Uniform / Clothing What are they wearing? Do they have masks?

Vests? Badges? What do they say on them? "Civilian clothes that say DEA on the back"

T

Time and Date What is the time and date of the sighting? "11:15AM on September 4"

E

Equipment / Weapons

What equipment/weapons? Are they using them?

"They have hancuffs and batons"

PROVIDE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS YOU CAN WHEN REPORTING OR BOOSTING POTENTIAL THREATS. BE AS SPECIFIC, CONCISE, AND PRECISE AS POSSIBLE

You have a right to document in a public space. This is particularly important if there is ICE activity or activity by law enforcement.

The best way to document is to use your phone to take video of what is occurring

The best practices for taking video safely are:

Stay and record at a safe distance

Hold your phone horizontally so you get as much of what is occurring as possible in the video.

Try to get the whole scene showing location and time

Narrate what you are seeing. You can describe where you are and what you are seeing or maybe what occurred prior to your beginning the recording.

Do not post or share the video on social media - connect with a PASO Westside Rapid Reponse. Or contact the Family Support Network at 855-435-7693.

IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE DUE TO ICE DETENTION, OR TO REPORT ANY SUSPECTED ICE SIGHTINGS, CALL 855-435-7693

Visit icirr.org/fsn for hotline and Know Your Rights info

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 1d

It’s her 必殺技!

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 1d

Okay!

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 1d

What a spread. Happy birthday!! 🥳

Derek @astralcitymini.com · 1d

We do our best! You occupy the same space!