The witch hat is a powerful symbol that holds deep historical and cultural meanings. Throughout history, witches have been associated with mystery, magic, and the supernatural. The hat has become a recognizable symbol of the witch, serving as both a representation of their power and a tool for conducting their rituals. One of the main features of the witch hat is its cone-shaped design. This shape is believed to originate from the traditional hats worn by women during the Middle Ages. At this time, women were often perceived as witches or practitioners of witchcraft if they deviated from societal norms or held unconventional beliefs.
It worked, too. In my Midnight Suns review, I wrote that it wasn't just the best Marvel game I've played, but one of the best superhero games full stop, precisely because it does such a fantastic job of selling you on that superhero fantasy. It's not a total pushover, of course - the sheer number of enemies you have to face with each passing turn does a great job of always keeping the pressure level nice and high. But yes, I must admit that I also probably didn't actually care too much if Iron Man ended up wiping the floor with everyone thanks to his brilliant missile strike cards, or if Magic was able to set up delicious, ricocheting portal grabs so I could drop a massive crane on top of my perfectly placed goon pile at the end of it. It just felt good in the moment, which is what Solomon and his team were striving for.
In fact, Solomon tells me his pursuit of the ultimate OP hero moves was so powerful at times that it inevitably led him to throwing some of the more hallowed hallmarks of tactical RPG combat out the window. When Firaxis were designing the moveset for each hero, creative director Jake Solomon says he and fellow lead game designer Joe Weinhoffer would take turns being point designers for certain characters.
At this time, women were often perceived as witches or practitioners of witchcraft if they deviated from societal norms or held unconventional beliefs. The conical hat was seen as a form of rebellion against established norms, making it the perfect symbol for those who were deemed as witches. In addition to its shape, the color of the witch hat also holds symbolic significance.
Why XCOM and Marvel's Midnight Suns will never be forever games like Diablo and Destiny
As you might expect from a roster of 12 Marvel superheroes (or 17, if you count the four extra DLC supes and its original, player-designed protagonist The Hunter), the lycra-clad buds of Marvel's Midnight Suns all look and feel substantially different from one another when it comes to combat. When Firaxis were designing the moveset for each hero, creative director Jake Solomon says he and fellow lead game designer Joe Weinhoffer would take turns being "point designers" for certain characters. "Joe was point designer on one hero, I was point designer on another hero," Solomon says, highlighting Magic and Iron Man as two of his own favourite heroes that he designed.
Both are what I'd call quite technical heroes, with Magic relying on careful battlefield placement to boot enemies into nifty magical portals, while Iron Man's most powerful abilities often only come from discarding other cards. But when I ask Solomon at GDC if he thinks he has a particular design 'style' that unites his crop of Marvel heroes, he says he loves being "bombastic".
"It would be that every character is overpowered," he laughs. "Typically, my feedback would be, as I'm playing through the game over and over and over again, […] 'This ability is underwhelming.'"
Underwhelming abilities are "poison" to Solomon. "If you're never going to take this ability, it feels like it breaks the entire hero. You really want the player to say these are all so good, I want to use this ability, I want to use that ability… So typically, it was always a case of pump it up, pump it up, make it more powerful, make it sexier, make it seem cooler, give it more effects."
In fact, Solomon tells me his pursuit of the ultimate OP hero moves was so powerful at times that it inevitably led him to throwing some of the more hallowed hallmarks of tactical RPG combat out the window. Things like, you know, making sure their heroes were all properly weighed up and balanced against one another.
"That's why a game like Midnight's Suns - also XCOM - in their current iteration couldn't be like a 'play forever' [game] like Diablo, for example, which is such a finely tuned game," he continues. "All the stats are so finely tuned and they're brilliant at that. Destiny, too - brilliant! But they have less leeway in terms of their design. I don't care if you said somebody could matrix out all the [Midnight Suns] heroes and their DPS and how powerful they are. They could score the heroes, and I guarantee they'd be way all over the place."
For Solomon, he's absolutely certain "there's clearly a best hero, and there's clearly a worst hero" in Midnight Suns, but levelling them out to make them more Diablo or Destiny-like wasn't ever a concern for him. "That's not our focus," he says. "We focused on the moment to moment of every time you get something, you go, 'Yeah, that's awesome.' I don't care how it matches up on a very, very fine level. We view it from more of a holistic level, they all feel generally equal, as opposed to something that's really finely tuned, like League Of Legends design or Diablo design."
It worked, too. In my Midnight Suns review, I wrote that it wasn't just the best Marvel game I've played, but one of the best superhero games full stop, precisely because it does such a fantastic job of selling you on that superhero fantasy. It's not a total pushover, of course - the sheer number of enemies you have to face with each passing turn does a great job of always keeping the pressure level nice and high. But yes, I must admit that I also probably didn't actually care too much if Iron Man ended up wiping the floor with everyone thanks to his brilliant missile strike cards, or if Magic was able to set up delicious, ricocheting portal grabs so I could drop a massive crane on top of my perfectly placed goon pile at the end of it. It just felt good in the moment, which is what Solomon and his team were striving for.
"The meta isn't as important in a single player game," he concludes. "I think that's the thing. We sacrifice the meta sometimes to make sure that the player's first experience of the game really feels awesome."
To find out more about the development of Midnight Suns as well as what Jake Solomon is doing next now that he's left Firaxis, you can read my longer, more extensive interview with him right here.
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Black is the color most commonly associated with witches, as it represents darkness, mystery, and the unknown. It is believed that witches often wore black hats during their rituals to channel their powers and tap into the energy of the universe. Therefore, the color black on the witch hat symbolizes the connection between the witch and the spiritual realm. Furthermore, the pointed top of the hat is said to represent the witch's ability to connect with and manipulate spiritual energies. The tip of the hat is often adorned with a buckle or other decorative elements, which further emphasize the hat's symbolism. These decorations can vary in meaning, but they often represent the witch's personal power, knowledge, and experience in the craft. Overall, the witch hat is a potent symbol that represents the power, mystery, and rebellion associated with witches. Its cone-shaped design, black color, and decorative elements all contribute to its symbolic significance. Whether used in folklore, literature, or popular culture, the witch hat serves as a visual representation of the iconic figure and their connection to the supernatural world..
Reviews for "The Witch Hat: A Fascinating Distillation of Occult and Pagan Traditions"
1. Rebecca - 2 stars - I was really excited to read "The symbolic meaning behind the witch hat" as I am always interested in exploring different interpretations of symbols. However, I found this book to be very disappointing. The author lacked depth in their analysis and failed to provide any substantial evidence to support their claims. Additionally, the writing style was quite dry and stiff, making it difficult to stay engaged with the content. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking a thoughtful exploration of the symbolic meaning behind the witch hat.
2. Paul - 1 star - "The symbolic meaning behind the witch hat" left me utterly unimpressed. The author's arguments were weak and did not convince me of any significant symbolism associated with the witch hat. It felt like a shallow attempt to cash in on the popularity of witchcraft and Halloween. I was hoping for a scholarly and insightful read, but unfortunately, this book fell short on all accounts. Save your time and money and look for more reputable sources if you're genuinely interested in the subject.
3. Emily - 2 stars - I must admit that I was quite intrigued by the title of this book, but the content failed to live up to my expectations. The author provided a rudimentary analysis of the symbolic meaning behind witch hats, leaving me unsatisfied. The book lacked depth and did not offer any new insights or perspectives. It felt like a stretched-out essay with repetitive arguments. If you're looking for a comprehensive exploration of the topic, I would recommend seeking other sources instead.
4. Michael - 3 stars - "The symbolic meaning behind the witch hat" had an interesting premise, but the execution fell short for me. While the book did provide some insights into the history and cultural significance of the witch hat, I found the author's writing style to be too academic and dry. The book lacked a cohesive structure and seemed to wander without a clear focus. However, if you enjoy dense and scholarly reads, this might be suitable for you. Personally, I was expecting a more accessible and engaging exploration of the subject matter.
5. Sarah - 1 star - I found "The symbolic meaning behind the witch hat" to be utterly unconvincing and poorly researched. The author seemed to rely heavily on unfounded assumptions and personal opinions rather than presenting strong evidence or historical references. I was hoping for a thorough exploration of the subject, but instead, I was left with nothing but disappointment. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking a credible and informative analysis of the symbolic meaning behind the witch hat.