#Metaverse contest

[saturnsfather]

dawg i have GOT to write a character study about goro’s feelings towards akira throughout the course of his confidant route and the game because im replaying it and taking notes and Holy Shit. I Have Some Thoughts. me when im in a Compartmentalization Contest and my opponent is Akechi Goro

[p5x-theories]

Palace Rulers

(last updated 7/13/25!)

This post will be a quick rundown of each Palace ruler in the main storyline of the game so far. Note that characters with plot-relevant Shadows, but that did not have their own Palace, are instead on the NPCs info post!

The first Palace ruler is Takeyuki Kiuchi; his Shadow is also known as Cupid. Kiuchi is a confirmed Menace, known as the Subway Slammer (Collision Man in other languages), who violently runs into women while passing through train stations. He used to be a baseball player, but was forced to quit and become an office worker instead. His Palace takes the form of a baseball stadium. He is linked to the sin of Lust.

Kiuchi’s distortion revolves around blaming women for the problems in his life, after an elementary-school-aged Motoha embarrassed him while he was still an athlete, and later a scandal with a woman got him kicked off the team. He’s stated to have mixed together feelings of lust with a desire for domination/“revenge”, and treats women the way he does as payback for the women that he believes wronged him in the past.

After talking to his Shadow, it’s revealed he considers baseball the only thing he was ever good at. When he thinks there’s nothing left for him, Motoha reminds him what he actually liked about the sport, then convinces him to turn himself in and start fresh, and maybe get back into helping coach kids’ baseball teams later on.

[In Wonder’s visions, Kiuchi pushed a mother and her baby down a staircase, killing the baby. When he’s later arrested, he seems to be having a breakdown about being a murderer, and how there’s no coming back from this for him.]

His Treasure was a giant golden baseball in the Metaverse, and turned into an everyday rubber baseball in the real world.

The second Palace ruler is Hiromu Miyazawa; his Shadow is also known as Aegipan (or just Pan, in other languages). Miyazawa is a confirmed Menace, related to the vicious bad reviews he gives restaurants, leading to their closure. He’s a popular food critic, and is also known as the Flavor Swordsman. His Palace takes the form of a Japanese castle-themed movie set. He is linked to the sin of Vanity.

Miyazawa’s distortion revolves around his desire to be an actor, and his inability to get protagonist roles or be taken seriously in supporting roles due to his appearance. He explains he had to throw away his pride to get roles, and eventually moved into food reviews instead because people liked his harsh reviews, so he got more fame and money. This pursuit of money eventually led him to extorting restaurants for good reviews. His Shadow is obsessed with being the protagonist of the “movie”.

After talking to his Shadow, it’s revealed he treats the chefs that he reviews so badly because he’s jealous that they still have pride in their work, and are genuine to themselves, when he gave up his own pride and dreams. The ramen Shun made for him made him feel this so strongly he cried. Shun tells him he can start over and be more honest this time, after turning himself in, and Shun will treat him to ramen again even if he’s penniless.

[In Wonder’s visions, Miyazawa won the rigged contest he challenged Shun to, which led to Shun being declared an official phantom based on Miyazawa’s lies about Shun’s behavior. He mocks Shun even as Shun is informed his father figured died of a heart attack in the hospital.]

His Treasure was a golden film reel in the Metaverse, and turned into a movie ticket in the real world.

One of the rulers of the third Palace is Kumi Katayama, class 2C’s homeroom teacher (the class Wonder and Motoha are in), as well as their math teacher. She seems to be the math teacher for class 2D (Shun and Tomoko’s class) as well. Her Shadow is also known as Kiskil-lilla. Katayama is a confirmed Menace, known as the Rush Rider, who bikes recklessly and injures people while dressed as a Cyler Eats deliverywoman. Her Palace takes the form of a dam that is being pushed beyond its limits and falling apart, though it’s later discovered it isn’t solely her Palace. She is linked to the sin of Wrath.

While she’s somewhat strict and no-nonsense during class, she seems softer outside of this, and asks Motoha and Wonder about Shun when Miyazawa’s video worries her. Shun seems to regard her highly, saying she’s a passionate person, and trusting her to listen to him. Katayama is also shown repeatedly to care deeply about the wellbeing of all her students, both present and former, and will go out of her way to help them. After Akashi (see next) comes to Kokatsu and begins to target her with his new policies, she becomes more desperate and stressed. Her Shadow reflects this, being painfully puppeteered by Shadow Akashi into attacking her students against her will.

Katayama is also revealed to have been a famous delinquent as a teen, and friends with Masa. This is presumably when she cultivated the biking skill that she now uses as the Rush Rider, and it's mentioned she once biked all the way out to a dam when having a bad day. After talking to her Shadow, it's revealed that she desperately wants to be a good teacher, but fears she's too caught up in what she wants, rather than what the students truly need. Still, her care for her students is entirely genuine, to the point where Shadow Katayama would rather die than attack them.

[In Wonder’s visions, Shadow Akashi sends so much electrical power through Shadow Katayama, to force her to keep fighting the Phantom Thieves, that the real-world Katayama dies.]

Her Treasure was a copy of a manga about bad teachers in both the Metaverse and real world.

Katayama was confirmed to be getting a Confidant added in Version 4.4.1.

The second ruler of the third Palace is Kei Akashi, an educational consultant who comes to Kokatsu Academy, later revealed to be blackmailing Dean Yamanashi to get this position. His new policies target Katayama in particular, as he’s using her as bait to draw out the Phantom Thieves. His Shadow is also known as Demogorgon, and while he is a Palace ruler, he ultimately acts as more of a parasite, preying on Katayama and using her as an energy source (later attempting to do the same with Dean Yamanashi’s Shadow as well). During his Shadow fight, he's confirmed as a Menace, the Unscrupulous Consultant. He is linked to the sin of Gluttony.

It’s later revealed that Akashi used to work at a TV station, filming documentaries about dams, and was screwed over by a superior he trusted that stole his show pitch. After Akashi lost everything, a distorted voice (implied to be Magatsukami) approached him and influenced his worldview, convincing him this world is eat-or-be-eaten and his only option was to “eat” others before they can “eat” him. Akashi dedicated everything to this person, and basically only went on living for their sake, leading to his distortion.

After the Phantom Thieves defeat his Shadow, Akashi is confirmed as a phantom in the real world, and a strange whale and Shedim appear in the Metaverse, and force his Shadow to go berserk. The Phantom Thieves still manage to beat him in the end, with Riko in particular convincing Akashi to keep living, but then Akashi is attacked (implied to be another person’s Shadow turned berserk) in reality, and the next day he's reported as dead on the news.

[In Wonder’s visions, they don’t get through to Akashi, and he attacks Riko with a knife in the school hallway right in front of Wonder and Motoha, implied to kill her and then likely himself.]

His Treasure was the trophy that his show pitch won (which he was never given, due to the theft) in the Metaverse, and turned into his old TV station ID card in the real world.

The ruler of the fourth Palace is a woman named Takami Shimotsuna. She's the editor-in-chief of a large, famous publishing house called Shuubunsha, and particularly known for writing articles for Shuubunsha's gossip magazine, the Weekly Bakuro. However, it's an open secret there that her articles and "scandals" are all fake, just inflated and twisted versions of the real facts meant to ruin people's lives and sell magazines as she sees fit. Her Palace takes the form of a fantastical, castle-like anthill, of which she is the queen ant, and all her coworkers are her worker ants. She is linked to the sin of Pride.

[miyamiwu]

There are a couple explanations i can think of for the phone cameras used earlier than they should be in link click.

Explanation One: since it’s a fictionalized version of the world (bridon instead of london, they’re in a fictional city in china, people have powers etc) they might have just decided smart phones existed already because they just wanted them to.

Explanation Two: a similar type of full screen phone did exist in 2009, and the marriage by contesting episode was supposed to be like a special episode to honor a real couple so they may have just.. not bothered with the real world continuity for that one.

Explication three (not a serious explanation): due to time travel, the smart phone was invented way earlier because cxs went back into the past as himself at one point and just him having a smart phone changed the past asfjldjshdzvmkls

Anyways ur post has caused me to go on a deep dive down a rabbit hole of the development of smart phones in china lol

[OP is responding to this post]

ajdgjhgsdjf just doing my part to keep the fandom discussions alive 🫡

but re: #1: I guess the world of Link Click is fictional to some extent…but it’s also very real in ways it doesn’t have to be.

Like, in s2e2 (or 3, not sure), they had Liu Jing mention the metaverse with some business partners. Season 2 is set in 2021, and that’s the year “metaverse” became a buzzword because of Facebook renaming itself to Meta.

And apparently, COVID also exists in the linkclickverse…

So, if Link Click can incorporate such timely real-life events in the show, I don’t see why they’d just hand-wave the details on the smartphones

Explanation 2 seems more plausible, but can somebody with a copy of S1E5.5 give me a screenshot of the scene where the couple allegedly took a photo with their phone. I remember my brother also commenting how it was odd because the phone was too modern. However, the one I have in my copy is this:

They took a photo with a Polaroid camera.

My season 1 copy is something I recently redownloaded, though, because my original copy got corrupted for some reason. Maybe the team also realized the mistake and fixed it by replacing the phone with a camera?

[kfkr1ze]

[002-B01] Hateful 5

Summary — ✈︎The students have now become official members of HAMA Tours. Now, they are filled with excitement about their upcoming activities.

Characters— ✈︎ Akuta, Kiroku, Nanaki, Muneuji, Ushio, Kafka, Renga, Ten, Yukikaze, Liguang, Yachiyo

Location: mahorova Lobby

Female Student A: Oh, fufufu! As expected of Yumenosuke-san! Not only are you intelligent and athletic, but you’re also good at telling jokes!

Female Student B: I’m so glad we can spend time together like this in mahorova[1]!

Yumenosuke: I too am honored to be speaking with both of you wonderful ladies. It’s rather unfortunate that our only way to meet is in this metaverse, what with myself being away at my villa in Switzerland… Good thing that summer vacation is around halfway over.

Next up on our itinerary is to plan how we should spend the rest of the timeーー Let’s have a discussion about it!

Female Student A: I fully agree! What are your plans, Yumenosuke-san?

Yumenosuke: I’ve already completed all my assignments within the first week of the break, so I intend to use the remaining time I have to place all of my resources into ensuring the success of the open campus event happening at the end of the month.

Female Student B: Woow! That’s amazing, Yumenosuke-san! We should all follow your example.

Female Student A: We definitely should. I’ve just been so caught up in my LashColle lately…

Yumenosuke: LashColle… Is that an abbreviation for “Eyelash Collection”? Unfortunately, I’m not the most knowledgeable person about the world of eyelashes, so I may be a little behind.

However, I believe that the grand prize for a LashColle contest held recently was won by my Uncle. He won by an overwhelming majority, if I recall?

Gannosuke: You would be correct. I also won the audience award as well.

Good evening, it’s wonderful to meet you ladies. I am Yumeosuke’s Uncle, Kuraku Gannosuke.

Female Student B: You’re that person who’s been lingering next to Yumenosuke for a while now… Wait, are you that famous eyelash artist?

Female Student A: Congrats on your award, sir! Amongst the others, your work was the most boldest, colorful, and most decadent of them all…!

Female Student B: Seriously. Actually, it feels like your style was pretty different from all your previous work!

Yumenosuke: Hm…? Did something occur to your mindset recently?

Gannosuke: I wouldn’t see that exactly, but just the other day, I had a once in a lifetime encounter on the island. There is no doubt that “he” has influenced my inspiration.

Yumenosuke: Oh! Then that’s wonderful. I wonder what kind of encounter it wasーー

Student Council Member: President Kuraku!

Yumenosuke: What’s the matter? You came in extremely loudly.

Student Council Member: This is really serious! Please check the latest news!

Yumenosuke: …!? It says… Current high school students have been appointed to be Ward Mayors!?

Student Council PR: What’s more, although  this information has not been released to the public yet, according to my mother who works in the news department, the people who are going to be appointed areーー…

Female Student A: Out of everyone they could’ve chosen, they chose those Class 1 students who may have been involved in the explosion at the old school building…!? Ah, I’m starting to feel faint…!

Female Student B: Are you okay, Yumenosuke-san? Your face has gone extremely pale…

Yumenosuke: …Kh!

(Ward Mayor 0 knows fully well how influential Ward Mayors are in the political world, and yet he chooses those students!? It’s clear to me that this decision was made by personnel who haven’t done any thorough research… This is unforgivable!)

(What’s more, this is the Ward Mayor position…! This position was written directly in my “Yumenosuke Kuraku’s Life Plan ー Chapter 3: Ward Mayor Edition”! It was mine…!

(I cannot believe those barbaric bombers who blew up that old school building could get a job such as this without putting in any real effort! How dare they ruin my perfect life plan… How dare they…)

Gannosuke: Are you alright, Yumenosuke-kun?

Yumenosuke: …Please excuse me.

I have sudden business to attend to, so I will be seeing myself out!

Gannosuke: ………

Location: HAMA House Living Room

Kaede: Everyoneee! The press release came iiin!

Akuta: Ohh!! Seriously?! What’s it say, what’s it say～～～?

Nanaki: Hey, Akuta. Sit down properly when you’re eating.

Ushio: Hmm… This Moving-in Soba is pretty good.

Muneuji: Agreed. Even my mother, who is particularly picky about Japanese food, would enjoy this 100% buckwheat soba.

Kiroku: …Slurp slurp…

Akuta: Umm let’s see… “Curwent hishchool shutends…”

Yachiyo: Ah, should I read it out to you all? Since you’re all busy eating right now…

Renga: That’s a good idea. ーーHey, you guys. Hand over the press release.

Kaede: Sorry to ask this of you, Yachiyo-kun. Thank you!

Yachiyo: “Current highschool students were unexpectedly appointed as Ward Mayors for HAMA districts 5-9.”

Liguang: ………

Yachiyo: “The goal is to incorporate a fresh set of values from people of the younger generation, who will lead the way of the future, into tourism in HAMAーー”

“We are pleased to announce that current high school students have been appointed as Ward Mayors for districts 5-9 under the orders of Ward Mayor 0, also known as the CEO and President of HAMA Tours, Oguro Kafka.”

Yukikaze: ………

Yachiyo: “The upcoming debut tour will feature a Hospitality Live, similar to the first tour given by R1ze, which featured the Ward Mayors 0-4 and ended with a great success rate.”

“In addition, an inauguration ceremony will be held on the first day of the tour, so we can expect this tour to be packed with many events.”

“Furthermore, this tour will also feature their school, one of our very own symbols of HAMAーー”

Ten: This soba’s super good.

Yachiyo: “Hama Asunaro High School. Thus, they will be holding a collaboration event with the school’s open campus.”

“This will be a tour that can be enjoyed by fellow students and parents alike, as well as the general public, so please do come by and check out the tour.”

ーーThat’s the end!

Kaede: Reading the press release really makes it feel real and just gets me even more motivated.

Akuta: Seeing stuff like “A special Hospitality Live planned for the tour” makes me get SUUUPER excited～～～!

Liguang: Kid, don’t shake the table.

Nanaki: Ah, sorry, I’ll make sure to scold him properly later.

Renga: But y’know, I get feeling excited for it… Well, as much as I do get it, what about the actual content? The concept is really important.

Kiroku: …Our…concept…

Ushio: So what’s the plan, our dear Idoitake-san?

Akuta: Neh?

Muneuji: The leader’s job is to come up with things like a concept, isn’t it? Do you have any ideas for this?

Renga: W-Wait! You high school students. ーーWe’d get it if you guys aren’t sure what to do, since you’re novices at planning and all.

If you’re feeling troubled, I wouldn’t mind taking the time to lend you a handーー

Akuta: Act・ual・ly, I already got a plan!

Renga: Whaーー

Liguang: It’s pointless to try to act like a senior now.

Ten: Isn’t it nice that you don’t have to give away your free time, Renga-san?

Renga: …Uh, y-yeah, I guess.

Kaede: ーーThen, once you all finish eating your soba, let’s start finalizing your move in!

All 5: ‘Kayyy.

Nanaki: Alright, so we got our room assignments. Akuta, Kiroku, and I will share a room together. 

Akuta: The room name is “TOGURO[2]” huh. We should do some sorta coil pose or something later.

Kiroku: …Mm…

Kaede: You’re okay with the room assignments too, Ushio-kun?

Ushio: Since it’s Muneuji, I don’t have any problems. I do have a problem with the room name, though.

Muneuji: “Neigh[3] Clan” is an interesting one. Should we do some sort of duo horse pose together too?

Kaede: (The names of the rooms from the original inn sure are strange…)

Nanaki: Well, I’ll start bringing up my luggage then. Let’s go, Akuta and Kiroku.

Kiroku: Mhm…

Ushio: ………

Yukikaze: What are you staring so hard on your phone at? Have you already finished putting away your luggage?

Ushio: The elevator’s full right now, so I’m just waiting for everyone to be done already. I’m just using my free time to ego-search after the news got released.

Yup there it is, slander. Reported.

Yukikaze: ………

Ushio: …You think this is stupid, don’t you? I do too. It doesn't really matter.

Yukikaze: No, I don’t think it’s stupid. I’ll help you.

Ushio: …You’re curious, huh?

Kaede: (I don’t think it’s curiosity. He’s just trying to be kind, Ushio-kun…)

Muneuji: Uu-chan, could you please move over a bit? I need to put this there.

Kaede: Wah! That’s a lot of luggage…!

Yukikaze: It really is a massive amount. …But, it doesn’t look like there’s any luggage there.

Kafka: Isn’t it amazing? All of these are congratulatory gifts that were sent by Muneuji’s family.

Kaede: Wow〜 There’s a lot of giftsーー from appliances to luxury sweets!

Kafka: Seems like we don’t have to worry about needing supplies for a while. There’s even some tea time snacks I could have with Chief.

Akuta: Lured by the smell of food, a wild Akuta has arrived from the second floor!

Ushio: What are you, a dog…?

Akuta: Can I have some of this gold leaf castella? Hmm, I wonder if I could get rich if I gather all the golden leaves?

Kaede: Ahaha, I don’t know about that.

Ten: Speaking of family, what’s your home life like, Akuta? I’m sure they were ecstatic to hear you became a Ward Mayor.

Akuta: Mm, nah my Uncle’s pretty much holed up at work so we haven’t really talked about it yet. Munch munch…

Kaede: Your Uncle?

Akuta: Yeah, he’s looking after me right now. He’s an anime director, Isotake Taiji.

Kaede: Oh… is that so…?

Ten: Isotake Taiji’s that famous animator, right? Even if he wasn’t, people working in the anime industry got it pretty rough.

Kaede: (Good move, Ten-kun…! He managed to work the conversation around the complicated subject and continue talking like normal…!)

(Now that I think about it, the relationship of the guardian who signed the consent forms for the study trip definitely said “uncle��…)

(I didn’t really think to ask him about it, but that’s why, huh.)

Renga: Oh, Akuta! So you were here! I was looking for you!

Akuta: Mgh?

Renga: I-I wanted to talk about the concept! I thought you might’ve been acting cool in front of the others earlier so… I can get that… Um…

A concept isn’t something that you can put together so easily! I’d know, as the Morning Squad’s leader, soーー

Akuta: Nah, it’s fine. But, thank you for the nice offer!

! Nanaki and Kiroku came back just in time.

HEY, ASU HIGH STUDENTS! ATTENTIONNN PLEASEEE!

Please gather here tomorrow!

Renga: …Uu.

Akuta: We’re gonna show those people who treated us like idiots with the BEST concept ever!

Renga: I-I… I’m in the know… so…

Kaede: (I’m gonna have to comfort him later…)

Previous — ✈︎ Masterlist — ✈︎ Next

Notes — ✈︎

Just in case you don’t know, mahorova is the metaverse space in 18trip ( made by Raito and Nayuki )

TOGURO means coil, but I kept it as TOGURO since it’s romanized on the room key images and many people just call it TOGURO online ( at least from what ive seen LMAO ). iirc the names are based on the chinese zodiac, with R1ze’s rooms being based off the tiger and rabbit, so I’m assuming this one is the snake.

The room name is “ヒヒン" or hihin.  It’s the sound effect of a neigh. I believe this one is named after the horse zodiac.

[remastered-feedback]

Photoshop and AI: An unintentional masterclass in cynicism

(You can also read this post on my blog/personal site!)

My feelings are very mixed on the topic of AI, mostly because I believe it is being grossly misused right now. It has incredible power to improve our ability to utilize large amounts of data, whether by allowing more effective, intuitive command processing, by utilizing that data to generate more reliable statistical predictions, or countless other legitimate uses that can actually make people's lives and interactions with technology easier and better. This isn't blockchain or web3 or the metaverse or any of the other digital snake oil that's been peddled in the last few years, there are real, powerful use-cases for AI to make the world better.

And instead of using it for any that, because the technology is primarily in the hands of out-of-touch executives at massive conglomerates, we're using it to try and eliminate jobs, gut creative work, and invent self-driving cars that totally don't commit automated hit-and-runs.

What I want to talk about today is a commercial that Adobe, one of these out-of-touch corporations trying to push AI into places nobody asked for it, has been pushing the last couple months, because I feel like it has no idea how depressing and soulless a depiction of AI's utility it has wound up presenting.

The premise for the video is pretty simple. Now you and your child - because let's be honest most small children will need an adult's help to use photoshop - can use generative AI to create your own fantastical images! On its face, this seems like a perfectly reasonable sales pitch to make.

And yet I find it an extremely depressing premise, because the AI isn't being used to accomplish some impossible task the child could have never done before. It is being used as a substitute for the child drawing the art in-question themselves.

The pitch Adobe is making is that the world is better if your child's drawing were automated and done by a machine, and that is...just so, so depressing.

I loved drawing as a kid. This sort of "Me in a magical garden with bears and cats and a castle" idea is the kind of thing I would've spent an entire afternoon having a blast coming up with. All the cats would've had names and personalities, as would the pegasus!

And all of that is just handled by a click of a button and an algorithm, and that's...sad to me. Sure it probably looks much "better" than the small child's handiwork. The kid would probably draw a bunch of stick figures and blob cats around a rectangle with triangles on top for a castle. In terms of looking "professional" it's not even a contest.

But basing the merit of the child's drawing on that completely misses the point to me. A child's drawing isn't supposed to be a masterpiece, or a professional quality work you can publish. It's an opportunity for a child to be a child, to have fun and enjoy the act of creating. Foster and learn a creative pursuit that could become a lifelong passion. None of that happens with a couple keyword searches and a click of a button.

More than anything though, there's no excitement. No joy. A child's drawing may not look impressive, but there is love and passion in it, an excitement and earnest joy that shines through even absent any fine detail. The drawings my parents saved from when I was a little kid aren't impressive visually, but they were truly labors of love. I loved making them, and I had a ton of fun doing so. That was the real value. Not something that looks like the dust jacket of a grocery store paperback's, but a kid getting to make something they loved, bringing their idea to life, and crafting every bit of it with a passion and glee a lot of us lose as adults. They didn't save those drawings because I was Rembrandt at seven, they saved them because every one of them had every ounce of care and focus my tiny hands could muster, and that meant the world to both them and me. Far more than any spit-shined generation.

That enthusiasm and wonder are truly, genuinely magical. This whole ad posits that we're better off replacing them with an AI generated amalgamation, because Dall-E's interpretation of "A pegasus on a castle" looks more "professional" than the drawing your kid spent an hour on. It fundamentally misunderstands the purpose and beauty of children creating art, and that is just...sad for what is ostensibly an art company.

I can tolerate marketing your AI features to professional adults. I mean shit, when I used to be a photographer, I'd occasionally use tools that amounted to primitive AI to fix red-eye and similar issues. There's some valid sales pitches to make there. But marketing it based on its ability to replace a child's drawings is just so unbelievably cynical, divorced from the whole point.

Every time I see it, I don't think to myself "Wow, what a cool feature," I think to myself "Wow, how jaded and out of touch was the marketing team to think that this was anything other than depressing?" It reeks of people who're so concerned with making every single thing have a neon shine and a mirror polish that they're completely oblivious to the human element that makes art worth making and consuming in the first place.

Which, thinking about it, makes a lot of sense given the features they're touting here.

[l-in-c-future]

Book Reading: Eastern Perspectives of Humanistic AI 2a: Philosophical perspctives of the contest between AI and natural intelligence

The "Happy" Experience Machine and its derived philosophies

The basic questions from these schools of philosophy are around:

Can machine programmed VIRTUAL experiences set in the metaverses fully satisfied ALL happiness pursuance of human beings?

If so, can the VIRTUAL programmed machines' experiences fully replaced REAL LIFE experiences?

Does the pursuance of happiness become the SOLE pursuance of human needs?

Imagine you are the lead characters in the Matrix movie or Total Recall movie being presented with the following scenario described by psychologist and philosopher Joshua Greene, what will be your choice?

"You wake up in a plain white room. You are seated in a reclining chair with a steel contraption on your head. A woman in a white coat is standing over you. 'The year is 2659,' she explains, 'The life with which you are familiar is an experience machine program selected by you some forty years ago. We at IEM interrupt our client's programs at ten-year intervals to ensure client satisfaction. Our records indicate that at your three previous interruptions you deemed your program satisfactory and chose to continue.

As before, if you choose to continue with your program you will return to your life as you know it with no recollection of this interruption. Your friends, loved ones, and projects will all be there.

Of course, you may choose to terminate your program at this point if you are unsatisfied for any reason.

Do you intend to continue with your program?" (Source: Wikipedia)

In the second scenario, there is a machine through which you can plug into your brain that can provide whatever desirable or pleasurable experiences you want by stimulating your brain to induce pleasurable experiences that you cannot have in real life but give you pleasures that are indistinguishable from real life experiences.

Will you prefer the machine stimulations or real life experience?

Behind the hypotheis of the debate of a fundamental philosophical question:

What IS happiness?

Then WHETHER there is something justifiable as "ethical" (and moral) hedomnism by an IMAGINED CHOICE between happiness in everyday real life and an apparently preferable simulated reality?

The classical utilitarians "pleasure is the good", which leads to the argument that any component of life that is not pleasurable does nothing directly to increase one's wellbeing. Accordingly, ANYTHING that serves the means to increase one's happiness FEELINGS and PERCEPTIONS are 'good enough' to be justified. A theory that is behind EVERY invention of the technologies metaverse, virtual reality and augemented reality and many robotic technologies. (e.g. the famous robot lovers (HER) depicted in movies, science fictions and in Japan's case, machine stimulations to simulate the pleasures of sexual activities, etc.)

Robert Nozick reasoned WHY human beings may choose to reject the happy machine experiences basing on the arguments and conclusions that:

IF experiencing as much pleasure as we can is ALL THAT MATTERS to us, THEN we have no reason not to plug into the experience machine. ]

Experiencing as much pleasure as we can is NOT ALL THAT MATTER to us.

Nozick provides three reasons not to plug into the machine.

We want to do certain things, and not just have the experience of doing them. In the case of certain experiences, it is only because first we want to do the actions that we want the experiences of doing them or thinking we’ve done them.

We want to BE a certain sort of person.

Plugging into an experience machine limits us to a man-made reality (it limits us to what we can make). There is no actual contact with any deeper reality, though the experience of it can be simulated.

Through the hypothetical happy experiences machine, Nozick refuted the Hedonists' view that the things that will make a person happiest both long term and short term is the highest and greatest value everyone holds. Therefore, people may still refuse to be plugged in.

In order to provide some sort of empirical evidence where Nozick didn't verify, philospher Felipe de Brigard asked 72 US university undergraduates whether they would like to disconnect from the machine given that they were already in it.

About their "real" life, they were told one of three stories:

(a) nothing;

(b) that they were prisoners in a maximum security prison; or

(c) that they were multimillionaire artists living in Monaco.

Of those who were told nothing of their "real" lives, 54% wished to disconnect from the machine.

Of those who were told they were prisoners, only 13% wished to disconnect.

This implies that one's real-life quality impacts whether it is preferred to the machine.

Of those told they were rich inhabitants of Monaco, half chose to disconnect, comparable to the proportion given no information about their "real" life.

De Brigard attributes his findings to status quo bias. He argues that someone's decision not to step into the machine has more to do with wanting the status quo than with preference of the current life over the simulated one. (Source Wikipedia).

Why are these different views important in the context of the wrestling between AI and natural HUMAN intelligence?

Going back to Maslow's pyramid of human needs: from the most basic physiological, safety, social, rising up to the higher needs of self-esteem and self-actualisation. What makes an individual climb up the pyramid? Humane centred thoughts schools conclude that humans are INTELLIGENT AND SPIRITUAL beings, these NATURAL characters and instincts drive us to pursue higher level of needs. The natural cognitive intelligence of human beings are products of human minds, hearts, souls and spirits.

Since human beings have higher needs, the questions become HOW such needs are best served FOR the benefits of HUMANS?

Then it comes to whether, how and what human invented technologies, including AI, can BEST created and applied to SERVE HUMAN NEEDS AT THE TOP OF THE NEEDS PYRAMID.

The arguments and justifications for humanistic AIs are based on the fundamental thoughts that technologies are there to serve and assist humans to better met the higher levels of needs WITHOUT displacement of human values, identity and dignity.

Utaritarians hold a different view that as long as whatever and 'whoever' provides the best functional and utilitarian values, anything is justified as means to the end. Therefore, whether that 'whover' is a human being to achieve the ultimate ends DOES NOT matter. If a machine or any technology can do the jobs, utlimate full displacement of humans in the process doesn't matter.

Such thinking DOES NOT discern quantitative and qualitative differences between humans and machines.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 5.14

Holidays

Anti-Stalking Day (Ukraine)

Armed Forces/Amateur Radio Crossband Test Day

Carlsbad Caverns Day

Childhood Apraxia of Speech Awareness Day

Drunk Driving Memorial Day

Engineer’s Day (Chile)

Fahrenheit Day

Ferdowsi Day (Iran)

Formal End of World War II (Netherlands)

Hague Convention Day (Liberia)

Hastings Banda Day (Malawi)

Help Clean Up Your Street Day

IgA Nephropathy Awareness Day

International Centaur Appreciation Day

International Day of Prayer for Eastern Christians

International Dylan Thomas Day (a.k.a. Dylan Day)

International Ring 14 Day

Kamuzu Day (Malawi)

Mary Seacole Day (UK)

Midnight Sun at North Cape (Norway)

Molecular Gastronomy Day

Motorcycle Riders Day

National Dance Like a Chicken Day

National Day of Safety for Tow Truck Operators (Canada)

National Decency Day

National Good Hair Day

National Metaverse Day

National Mills Day (UK)

National Night Shift Workers Day

National ODP (Operating Department Practitioners’) Day (UK)

National Om Day

National Travel Insurance Claims Day

National Underground America Day

National Unification Day (Liberia)

Online Romance Day

Resistance and Liberation Day (Lebanon)

Righteous Among the Nations Remembrance Day (Ukraine)

Skylab Day

Smallpox Vaccine Discovery Day

Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day

Stars and Stripes Forever Day

Tobacco Fatwa Day (Iran)

Underground America Day

World Farmers Day

World Verbal Dyspraxia Awareness Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Brewster's Day

Buttermilk Biscuit Day

Condensed Milk Day

Marshmallow Fluff Day

National Brioche Day

Nature Celebrations

Bond with Your Dog Day

Columbine Day (Decisive Victory; Korean Birth Flowers)

International Chihuahua Appreciation Day

Mallard Day (All-Souls College; Oxford, UK)

Peony Day (Paeonia officianalis)

Rose Day (South Korea)

Thai Buffalo Conservation Day (Thailand)

World Topiary Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Flag Day (Paraguay)

Israel (Declared, 1948)

Jamestown, Virginia (Founded; 1607)

Paraguay (from Spain, 1811)

South Dakota (State Constitution adopted; 1889)

Tavil (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

Wintroopstan (Declared; 2015) [unrecognized]

2nd Wednesday in May

CBDC Day (Canada) [2nd Wednesday]

Donate a Day's Wages to Charity Day [2nd Wednesday]

Hump Day [Every Wednesday]

National Day for Staff Networks (UK) [2nd Wednesday]

National Nightshift/Third Shift Worker Day [2nd Wednesday]

National Numeracy Day (UK) [Wednesday of 2nd Full Week]

National Receptionists’ Day [2nd Wednesday]

National Root Canal Appreciation Day [2nd Wednesday]

National Stationary Day [Wednesday of Stationary Week]

Wacky Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Watermelon Wednesday [2nd Wednesday of Each Month]

Website Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Workout Wednesday [2nd Wednesday of Each Month]

World Facilities Management Day [Wednesday of 2nd Full Week]

World FM Day [Wednesday of 2nd Full Week]

Weekly Holidays beginning May 14 (2nd Full Week of May)

None Known

Festivals On or Beginning May 14, 2025

Carabao Festival (Philippines) [thru 5.15]

Midnight Sun at North Cape (North Cape, Norway) [thru 7.30]

Nantucket Wine & Food Festival (Nantucket, Massachusetts) [thru 5.18]

Royal Windsor Horse Show (Berkshire, UK) [thru 5.18]

World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (Memphis, Tennessee) [thru 5.17]

WRO Media Art Biennale (Wroclaw, Poland) [thru 6.15]

Feast Days

Augustus (Positivist; Saint)

Baabra Sheep (Muppetism)

Baisakhi (Vaisakhi; Sikh)

Boniface of Tarsus, the fourth of the Ice Saints (Christian; Saint)

Carthage the Younger, Bishop of Lismore (Christian; Saint)

Christ’s Ascension (Christian; Commonly accepted date, 33 CE)

Engelmund of Velsen (Christian; Saint)

Erembert (Christian; Saint)

Festival of the Midnight Sun (Norse; Everyday Wicca)

Gefjon’s Blot (Pagan)

Gemma Galgani (Christian; Saint)

Izumo-taisha Shrine Grand Festival begins (Shinto; Japan)

Mars Invictus Festival (Ancient Rome)

Mary Mazzarello (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Matthias the Apostle (Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion)

Michael Garicoïts (Christian; Saint)

Mo Chutu of Lismore (Roman Catholic Church)

Monty Python Day (Pastafarian)

Ninefold Chant (Celtic Book of Days)

Pontius of Cimiez (Christian; Martyr)

Return to All-Day-Life (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Tamar (Georgian Orthodox Church Saint; Georgia)

Victor and Corona (Christian; Saint)

Wonder Warthog Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 4 (Xin-Si), Day 17 (Gui-Wei)

Day Pillar: Water Sheep

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Full Day (满 Man) [Inauspicious]

Holidays: None Known

Secular Saints Days

Pierre Victor Auger (Science)

Sidney Bechet (Music)

Antonio Berni (Art)

Jack Bruce (Music)

David Byrne (Music)

Eoin Colfer (Literature)

Sophia Coppola (Entertainment)

Bobby Darin (Music)

Richard Estes (Art)

Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit (Science)

Thomas Gainsborough (Art)

Robert Greene (Social Science)

Henri Julien (Art)

Rudolf Lipschitz (Mathematics)

George Lucas (Entertainment)

Robert Owen (Social Science)

Al Porcino (Music)

Tim Roth (Entertainment)

Zutty Singleton (Music)

Robert Zemeckis (Entertainment)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 22 of 60)

Premieres

The Adventures of Robin Hood (Film; 1938)

All This Useless Beauty, by Elvis Costello (Album; 1996)

Andy’s Dog Day(The Gumps Walter Carlson; 1921)

Barbie Girl, by Aqua (Song; 1997)

The Bee-Deviled Bruin (WB MM Cartoon; 1949)

Bone Dry (Hot Dog Walter Lantz Cartoon; 1927)

Carte Blanched (The Inspector Cartoon; 1969)

A Cat, a Mouse and a Bell (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1935)

Coffee and Cigarettes (Film; 2004)

Combat Rock, by the Clash (Album; 1982)

Conan the Barbarian (Film; 1982)

The Cricket in Times Square, by George Selden (Children’s Book; 1960)

Cupid Gets Some New Dope (Powers Cartoon; 1917)

Dud the Circus Performer (Paramount-Bray Pictographs Cartoon; 1919)

The Einstein Intersection, by Samuel R. Delany (Novel; 1967)

Fisherman’s Luck (Paramount Pictographs Cartoon; 1916)

Goldielocks and the Three Bears (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1934)

Good Bye Lenin! (Film; 2003)

Hallowed Ground, by Violent Femmes (Album; 1984)

Happy Polo (Aesop’s Sound Fable Cartoon; 1932)

A Hard Shell Game (Mutt & Jeff Cartoon; 1921)

Hatch Up Your Troubles (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1949)

The Hebrides (a.k.a. Fingal’s Cave), by Felix Mendelssohn (Concert Overture; 1832)

Hello Everyone, Nice To Meet You, We're Midori, by Midori (Album; 2008)

Here’s Your Eyesight (Goldwyn-Bray Pictographs Cartoon; 1920)

Hide and Seek (Fleischer Talkartoon Cartoon; 1932)

Hollywood Party (Mickey Mouse Disney Cartoon; 1934)

Hungary Hoboes (Ub Iwerks Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Disney Cartoon; 1928)

Hyde and Go Tweet (WB MM Cartoon; 1960)

It’s Got Me Again! (WB MM Cartoon; 1932)

I’ve Got Ants in My Plans (Ant and the Aardvark Cartoon; 1969)

Jesephslegende, by Richard Strauss (Ballet; 1914)

The Last Roundup (Gandy Goose Terrytoons Cartoon; 1943)

Lemonade, by Beyoncé (Album; 2016)

Letters to Juliet (Film; 2010)

Little Old Lady (from Pasadena), recorded by The Everly Brothers (Song; 1964)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Film; 1999)

Mighty Like a Rose, by Elvis Costello (Album; 1991)

Mildred Pierce, by James M. Cain (Novel; 1941)

Miss Nanny Goat on the Rampage (Paramount-Bray Cartoon; 1916)

Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf (Novel; 1925)

My Dinner with Andre (Film; 1999)

Now That Summer is Gone (WB MM Cartoon; 1938)

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, by Dr. Seuss (Children’s Book; 1960)

Paint It Black, by The Rolling Stones (Song; 1966)

People Got To Be Frees, recorded by The Rascals (Song; 1968)

The Platters, by The Platters (Album; 1956)

Plenty Below Zero (Fox & Crow Fleischer Cartoon; 1943)

Pots and Pans (Aesop’s Sound Fable Cartoon; 1932)

Puddy’s Coronation (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1937)

Pudgy Picks.a Fight (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1937)

A Quiet Little Game (The Gumps Walter Carlson; 1921)

Robin Hood (Film; 2010)

Sailing the Seas of Cheese, by Primus (Album; 1991)

School Days (Flip the Frog Ub Iwerks Cartoon; 1932)

So Like Candy, by Elvis Costello (Song; 1991)

Stars and Stripes Forever Day, by John Philip Sousa (March; 1897)

The Submarine Mine-Layer (Paramount-Bray Pictographs Cartoon; 1917)

Swinging His Vacation (Goldwyn-Bray Pictographs Cartoon; 1920)

Tropical Fish, featuring Farmer Al Falfa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1933)

Troy (Film; 2004)

20,000 Laughs Under the Sea (Sullivan Cartoon Comedy Cartoon; 1917)

Unbelievable, by EMF (US Song; 1991)

Vapor Trails, by Rush (Album; 2002)

Washington Confidential, by Jack Last and Lee Mortimer (Book; 1951)

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen (Novel; 2011)

We Will Rock You (UK Musical; 2002)

Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, l.k.a. Women’s Army Corps or WACs (Female Army Branch; 1942)

Woody Dines Out (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1945)

Today’s Name Days

Bonifatius, Christian (Austria)

Mate, Matija, Matko (Croatia)

Bonifác (Czech Republic)

Kristian (Denmark)

Edith, Eede, Eedit (Estonia)

Tuula (Finland)

Aglaé, Matthias (France)

Bonifatius, Christian, Corona, Ismar, Pascal (Germany)

Aristotele, Isidoros (Greece)

Bonifác (Hungary)

Corona, Costanzo, Mattia (Italy)

Aiva, Duda, Elfa, Krišjānis, Krišs (Latvia)

Bonifacas, Gintarė, Teisutis (Lithuania)

Karsten, Kristen, Kristian (Norway)

Bończa, Bonifacy, Dobiesław, Jeremi, Jeremiasz, Wiktor, Wiktoriusz (Poland)

Isidor (România)

Irina (Russia)

Bonifác (Slovakia)

Matías (Spain)

Halvar, Halvard (Sweden)

Ashleigh, Ashley, Ashlie, Ashlyn, Ashlynn, Ashton, Berk, Berkeley, Bourke, Burgess, Burke (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Bruce Day

National Sidney Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 134 of 2025; 231 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 3 of Week 20 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Huath (Hawthorn) [Day 2 of 28]

Chinese: Month 4 (Xin-Si), Day 17 (Gui-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 6 Bashans 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Jasmine (May 1-14) [Day 14 of 14]

Hebrew: 16 Iyar 5785

Islamic: 16 Dhu al-Qada 1446

Julian: 1 May 2025

Moon: 96%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 22 Caesar (5th Month) [Augustus]

Runic Half Month: Ing (Expansive Energy) [Day 1 of 15] (thru 5.28)

Season: Spring (Day 55 of 92)

SUn Calendar: 14 Magenta; Seventhday [14 of 30]

Week: 2nd Full Week of May

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Taurus (Day 25 of 31)

Sidereal Zodiac: Aries (Day 31 of 31)

Schmidt Zodiac: Aries (Day 29 of 31)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Aries (Day 1 of 39)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Aries (Day 1 of 37)

Calendar Changes

Ing (Expansive Energy) [Half-Month 10 of 24; Runic Half-Months] (thru 5.28)

May (a.k.a. Maius; Julian Calendar) [Month 5 of 12]

Taurus (The Bull) begins [IAU Current Boundaries Zodiac Sign 5; thru 6.21]

Taurus (The Bull) begins [1977 IAU Current Boundaries Zodiac Sign 5; thru 6.19]

[drnecolii]

Fuck AI art (with all offense)

That one ai "artist" on Twitter that made the ginger girl and black cat image talked about the controversy surrounding their image, claiming that art basically won't die out with the rise of ai 'art' "just like how painting didn't die when photography was invented". Only difference is ; people don't have the audacity to call photography "realistic painting" and they surely don't send photographs to a painting contest.

You see where I'm going with this?

To the people that will try to defend ai 'art' ; it is in my personal, along with the other thousands (perhaps even millions or billions) of people's opinions, that ai "art" is not an actual art form. AI isn't and will never be art. To AI artists ; I'm not sorry to tell you that you didn't make actual art, you just gave a robot a command and it complied. To create art is to create it yourself and put in genuine effort, not have a device make it for you and claim you have "art block" whenever you don't know what to type in as a prompt. You're contributing to the death of the arts and the fact that the world is becoming more and more dystopic with each passing day. And this is coming from a human artist with 6 years of experience that continues to try to progress and improve. Do us a favor, dump out ai "art" and nfts out the window, get out the metaverse as fast as possible, and pick up a pencil/paintbrush/pen/whatever you find comfortable to use to make some actual art. It might be hard at first, but trust me when I say it's genuinely so much more fulfilling and satisfying to create something with your own hands rather than have a robot do it for you.

As much as I respect and genuinely enjoy hearing other people's opinions and thoughts, which you're absolutely free to do since it's a basic human right, don't bother to fight me, send me threats or anything like that in the comments or my personal dms because you'll get blocked, ignored, have your comment deleted, perhaps reported if it gets to an extreme point, or all of the above.

Tldr ; AI "Art" isn't actual art, and as much as ai "artists" try to defend it and say that it is indeed art, I beg to differ. Coming from a human artist.

[tokiro07]

Cipher Academy ch.46 thoughts

[Welcome Home, Cheater (Affectionate)]

(Contents: shipping, Yosaimura analysis, Kogoe analysis, Anonymity analysis, predictions)

Whoa whoa WHOA! You're telling me that Nakigara, the girl we'd never met whose face we couldn't see was actually Anonymity this whole time??? Who could have possibly seen that coming?!

But seriously, the only thing surprising about this reveal is the speed. We've been in the metaverse for, what, five chapters now? And we're already seeing both Anonymity and Yosaimura come back? We knew we'd see them, but I figured it'd be more of a last-minute twist, y'know?

Not that I'm complaining, of course. As everyone knows by now, Anonymity is easily, without contest or any moment of wavering, my best girl in this series, and I'm always happy to see her. Yosaimura's definitely top five for me too, though her place is still being determined, but getting yuri moments with Anonymity definitely helps her standing

I mean, did you see the look on Anonymity's face when Yosaimura took her hand??? There's no straight explanation for that. Also, the official Cipher Academy Twitter posted a color image of Yosaimura recently, and shockingly (serious), Yosaimura's a blue girl! I had her pegged as a blonde or a silver, but nope, she's an icy blue, not unlike Kogoe, making a nice contrast with Anonymity's burnt orange. On top of that, they've got a real butch-femme look going on, especially in their last panel what with Anonymity putting a flower in her hair. Actually, if anyone is good with flowers, can you ID what kind of flower she's got? That's not a kind of lily, is it? Is it???

Anyway, yuri goggles off, there are actually a good few topics to discuss in this chapter, short as each one is. The first thing I want to address is that we've seen a good chunk of the floors between 1 and 200 now and there hasn't been a single sign of monsters or creatures, it's all basically been escape rooms, which comes with pros and cons. Naturally, it's not that visually interesting to just present everyone with a puzzle and ask them to solve it, but on the flipside, the fact that we've only seen like two of the actual puzzles in action up to this point is a pretty clear indication that the puzzles aren't what we're meant to be focusing on here: this is a character study. Koshibai teaching Iroha to have fun with the metaverse, Iroha sharing a chunk of his backstory, Yugata challenging Kubinashi, everyone coming up with their own strategies for advancement, Yosaimura defending Anonymity, these are all character-driven story beats, whereas the puzzles themselves would be plot-driven story beats, and the former is always going to be a lot more engaging

However, this chapter DOES give us a bit of a glimpse into what kind of fantastical visuals we could get to see as we go deeper into the metaverse. Dekiai's virtual body allows her to effectively shapeshift, so there's no telling what kinds of modes that she or the other AIs might be able to take if they end up becoming the encounters for our cast as we go forward. Here's hoping that Nisio and Iwasaki let us see more of that; I love these character interactions, but I really want some more inventive visuals like Anonymity's false nameplate getting cut in half diegetically

Next, Yosaimura gave us a couple of fascinating glimpses into her character and backstory. We now know that she was telling the truth (or at least partially) in chapter 2 when she said she wanted to avenge her older brother, as she actually does have a deceased older brother, Gokaku Yosaimura. Whether she's actually trying to avenge him, or if she's doing so for the sake of her younger brother, is unclear, but Gokaku is dead, as confirmed by Kogoe being in possession of his bones. I don't know what "unsinkable air graveyard" means, whether it means a graveyard aboard an aircraft or a graveyard at sea kept afloat by air, but the fact that Kogoe was using them as leverage suggests that Yosaimura wasn't able to reach and salvage them and has likely been visiting an empty grave this whole time

Of course, when offered said bones, Yosaimura gets pissed, showing her first big display of emotion in the series. More interestingly, this is the first show of anger that Yosaimura claims to have ever experienced. If that's true, she honestly handled it well, as she was clearly able to restrain herself from actually hurting Kogoe. Sure, she was extremely threatening, with easily the scariest face I've seen from anyone in this series so far, but she ultimately got across the lesson she was trying to impart to Kogoe

Speaking of, Kogoe's tendency to manipulate people when a more straightforward approach of just asking for help would be more useful speaks volumes about her. Iroha was pretty trusting of her up front, presumably so was Toshusai, and Yosaimura acquiesced once Kogoe was honest about her feelings. Kogoe clearly has lived her life thinking that she needs to have leverage over people to get what she wants, that she needs to have a contingency plan for every occasion (spreading the glasses weapons throughout Class A instead of putting her all behind one candidate), and that she needs a sense of control over every aspect of her life. Visually this is represented succinctly through her Earth-shaped glove, putting the world in the palm of her hand, and narratively this is reflected through her status as a warmonger, controlling the flow and development of the world via the cessation and triggering of "inconvenient" and "convenient" wars

Yosaimura's reaction immediately makes it clear to Kogoe that this is not someone she can control, at least not with her usual methods. Yosaimura saw through Kogoe's intentions, that she thought she could control her by dangling the right carrot in front of her nose, and let her know that was not going to fly here. Of course, no one likes to be manipulated, but other people might find Kogoe's offers to be opportunities to take advantage of - not Yosaimura, though. To her, it was an obvious attempt to control her coming from someone who didn't understand what it means to ask for help. Yosaimura correcting Kogoe instead of either walking away or outright harming her speaks to an immense level of patience and forgiveness on her part, especially if she really doesn't know how to control her temper from a lack of experience

I'm sure Kogoe will continue to be manipulative going forward, but I hope that this moment will come to mind for her going forward and serve as the beginning of a lengthy character arc for her

Speaking of brief moments coming back in a character's development, Anonymity refuses to thank Yosaimura for helping her, only to remember that she did the same to Iroha before he jumped out of a tree with her tied to his back. This memory prompts her to thank Yosaimura after all and even go so far as to apologize for her behavior during Leaky Poker

The really fun thing about this, though, is that while it could mean that Anonymity is growing as a person and learning to associate her usual nasty behavior with unsavory consequences, it could also just be indicative of her "anything goes" personality, having the moral principles of a jelly donut and the willingness to betray herself in the interest of self-preservation. Of course these aren't mutually exclusive, and she might self-preserve herself ass-backward into positive character development, or she might end up doubling down and burying herself into a deeper hole until someone (likely either Iroha or Yosaimura) needs to yank her out and force her to see how much of a nasty personality she has. Either way, she's always been a riot to watch, and after this display, I know she's going to continue to be for the foreseeable future

It does look like we're going to be taking another break from them, though, with this chapter mostly serving as a way to tell us that they are also pieces on the board to account for while we focus on other groups. Next time, though, we're apparently going to be seeing a Karigane/Hanagoromo team-up against Iroha/Koshibai/Kasuri, which ostensibly they've done before. Was it against another student or group of students? Has someone else been eliminated? We haven't seen Aen, Mengatasuzume, or Togenanafushigi yet, and all of them were between Kasuri's starting floor and now, so unless they snuck past or were let go, there's a chance that any of them got knocked out by this duo. Of course, it's also possible that them being a duo is something that's been true from before the expedition - in fact, how do we know that Hanagoromo didn't have someone on the inside helping her hide under all of those tables during the first arc?

That's all I'll say on the subject for now since we don't have anything more to go on, but I hope that they'll become our next yuri coupling, I really like Hanagoromo and I really want to like Karigane if she'd only get a bit more shine. Fingers crossed that that's what we can expect from ch.47!

[cipser-wisepurpleowl]

How I Define Roblox's Eras

Something that has been reoccurring is the eras people like to apply on the platform by their experiences. So, I give my stance on how I define these eras:

The reason why labeled them as such is due to the various aspects that make up that era like games, fashion, etc. I may not explain much but hope it helps.

Dynablocks (2003-2006):

The starting point of the platform. This era can mainly be considered as the developmental/concept era where there weren't any players as everything was much limited until its initial release.

Classic Roblox (2006-2009):

This is when it started to open its doors by September 1st as the name 'Roblox' became finalized and allowed players to create accounts. This era gave us the famous Crossroads along with some gear like the rocket launcher and trowel during 2006. This was the same era that introduced Roblox badges and contests where users can participate in-game or on YouTube. As a whole, Classic Roblox can be considered as a simplistic era where there isn't much in complexity but creative to an extent based on limited resources.

Old Roblox (2010-2015):

This is where the platform started to turn up a notch during the early 2010s as things were evolving from the simplistic era from games to the platform itself. Events came to a rise plus the start of the Egg Hunt tradition, packages were starting out, features like the recorder and screenshot were released, dynamic lighting, sponsorships, and much more. This era could be considered as the niche yet advanced era since it wasn't booming with popularity until 2016 but still had a fair amount of players.

Pre-Modern (2016-2019):

This era could be summed up as the steady experimental era since R15 made its way along with some changes towards the logo, login page, and GUI. This era can also include the Dev-Hunt as it first appeared with some mixed receptions plus with Rthro making its appearance through concept. Why this is considered "pre-modern" is due to some of the changes that may or may not placed a hand towards the post-modern era as this includes the growing popularity the platform received.

Post-Modern (2019-2020s):

This era can be considered as the popular phase era as the platform reached one billion users and made its name known. The platform reached a point where its more advanced than the Old Roblox era in terms of its functionality within its games and platform such as voice chat, emotes, UGC, Premium, and more. Although, there were some sacrifices such as the Egg Hunt and Audio Update as the former faded with a metaverse event while the latter were replaced by non-copyrighted music. Though, this era is still ongoing as of October 2023 and we'll see how this goes out.

[sonicasura]

Persona 5: Ramón's Comeback

I wasn't going to leave this post alone especially since I began playing Persona 5 Royal. Do know keeping up with multiple social links puts a dent in your wallet to make maxing them out easier. I'll delve into that later though as it's time expand on this concept.

Ramón appears in the world of Persona 5 after CLH Season 1 events come to a close and halfway through Kamoshida's Palace. For how he ends up there... You can say his heart cried out and something answer the call.

The Castle of Lust Palace definitely isn't a place Ramón wanted to wake up in. You can predict his reaction to what seems to be teenagers being constantly tortured or the obviously inappropriate decor. Thus the Phantom Thieves next infiltration turns into a run-in with a furious Ramón using real tommy guns on Shadows.

(For any oblivious Rayman fans, the action in Persona 5 takes place within the Metaverse. A realm of cognition where someone sees or thinks can become very real. Like realistic fake weapons being able to function similar to the real deal. Palaces are a dimension created when someone's heart becomes heavily distorted and their behavior turns very dangerous in the real world.)

Believing they could help each other, Ren/Joker convinces the Thingamajig to come with them. An arrangement that leads Ramón to join the Phantom Thieves. Since he doesn't have a Persona, the Limbless uses various gadgets to aim for Shadow weakpoints. Ramón's codename will be Enigma as that what he is. Now he has three reasons in why he joined the Phantom Thieves.

The first one is to keep the group from getting into a mess they can't get. Every member of the Phantom Thieves are children who are still trying to find their path in life. He also the only(non-Persona) adult that can help them out in both worlds without drawing a crowd.

The second is to find a way back to Eden. Even though this world's better than the dystopian nightmare he calls home, there are things Ramón has to do. He can't risk losing the only chance to fix Eden's corrupt society especially since his imposter is still on the loose.

The true reason however is redemption. Even if Ramón wasn't directly involved, his obliviousness to Eden's true nature had hurt so many innocent people. He CHOSE to look ignore the red flags and share their propaganda until Bullfrog showed him the ugly truth. If protecting these kids and changing the hearts of the corrupt is something he needs to do then Ramón accepts.

That doesn't mean the Thieves nor their Personas are gonna leave him alone. It isn't hard to see how broken Ramón is. Just like them, he is someone who also became an outcast to society and bears a tale just as tragic.

Thus Ramón gets dragged into so many shenanigans. Whether it be heavily dressed up to walk in public or passed around houses so he always has a roof under his head. Ramón does help which member he's staying with in some way. The Limbless is usually a tutor since Ann and Ryuji aren't the only ones who need help when it comes to their grades.

Sojiro does let him stay after he finds out about the group's identity although it took sometime to get used to Ramón's peculiar appearance. Can't forget a good chunk of older Ren/Joker's Confidants that get dragged in once he maxes them out. Ramón and Iwai would be a terror together though.

Also considering he's an adult, the man always gets dragged in more mature conversations with the team's Persona. Ramón absolutely butts heads with Carmen on multiple occasions and ain't afraid to call her a broad. She thinks its hilarious though thus teases the hell out of him.

Do not leave Ramón alone with Captain Kidd as those two probably have a drinking contest. The Limbless needs to work on handling his liquor healthily if his bad days are proof. And sailors love their booze.

Ramón is a sad drunk kind of guy to me. Thus Arseńe listens to his liquor fueled sorrows and tends to bring tea or water so the hangover isn't harsh. Any info about Ramón's life is heavily filtered since 'cow sushi' is a bit much for their minds.

Zorro makes sure the Limbless doesn't get in over his head. Ramón tends to be quite hotheaded and the Persona knows what trouble can come with unstable emotions. Someone had to keep Morgana out of trouble when it was just them.

The more he helps the group, Ramón will slowly grow alongside them. Forming bonds he never thought would happen and come to terms with his inner demons. It is only when Ramón learns to accept himself completely shall his own Persona emerge.

When it comes to the Arcana, he represents the Aeon Tarot. Fitting since the negative side to this is ignoring the truth and accept corruption like he done as Eden's newcaster. The more Ren/Joker strengthens his bond with the Thingamajig, he'll gain abilities which revolve around combat items alongside counter based techniques.

Ramón's Persona shall be the Almighty Element Augustus, specifically James Augustus Hickey the father of Indian Journalism. My personal take on what his entry could be.

'A pioneer of Indian journalism, James Augustus Hickey launched the Bengal Gazette from Calcutta in 1780. Augustus' writings commented on the inefficiency of the British administration in India. His newspapers served as watchdogs against those in power thus influencing contemporary thought and awoke civic consciousness among the people.'

Things are definitely gonna ramp up since Ramón will gain the abilities that his videogame persona acquired with every Palace he conquers. Our group of high schoolers are about to have a powerful and quite protective parental figure. Also if he could, you know Ramón definitely adopt certain thieves when those moments arrive.

That's all for now! Until next time folks, I'll see you in the crossroads between Leblanc and Eden.

[sucrostorm]

this is a really specific question and it's wild that i have to put more than two seconds of thought into it. big fan, this is sick. OKAY so:

our contestants are Haru Okumura (Persona 5) and Calliope Mori (Hololive)

Realistically, no matter how strong you interpret Death's Apprentice Calliope Mori (since there's no metric to the full extent of What She Can Actually Do), she'd win by a long shot 9 times out of 10 against Phantom Thief Haru Okumura. HOWEVER, if the fight takes place in the metaverse, or Haru is just Allowed to have her persona, Haru'd potentially come very close, if not tying. If we wanna get MORE specific, the profile pictures are Haru Okumura in regular clothes (and therefore without her persona or any effective weapons), and High-School Student Calliope Mori from HoloTrials: Case Covered.

MEANING THAT (assuming the entire cast of HoloTrials is nerfed, and significantly less supernatural than the original Hololive characters) real world Haru would DECIMATE HoloTrials Calli if necessary. HoloTrials Calli looks a little lanky to me (and the only thing special going for her seems to be that she's in the music club???), while Haru does heavy lifting for gardening and chops firewood in her free time. Even if Haru's axe is only a model in the real world, she'd probably find a way to do some real damage with it if necessary. TL;DR The depicted characters at max canon power, Calliope realistically wins every time. As they are, directly taken from the pfps, Haru easily beats Calli up.

I'm curious let's go

[aiandblockchainchronicles]

Crypto Marketing for NFT Projects: Best Practices and Case Studies

As the NFT ecosystem continues to evolve beyond profile pictures and speculative trading, one factor remains constant — the need for strong, strategic marketing. In a landscape flooded with new drops, art collections, metaverse assets, and utility-based NFTs, even the most innovative project will struggle without a clear marketing strategy. For NFT creators, marketers, and founders, the key to success lies in blending crypto-native marketing tactics with creative storytelling, community-first engagement, and data-driven distribution. This blog explores the best practices for NFT marketing and breaks down real-world case studies to offer practical, actionable insights.

Why NFT Marketing Is Different from Traditional Digital Marketing

NFT marketing isn't just about reaching users — it's about building belief in the value of digital ownership. Unlike traditional products, NFTs operate within decentralized ecosystems and derive value from scarcity, utility, community perception, and social proof. As a result, NFT marketing relies on cultural momentum and psychological engagement rather than conventional conversion funnels.

Additionally, NFT audiences are often highly active on niche platforms like Discord, Twitter (X), and Telegram. These communities thrive on real-time interaction, transparency, and involvement in decision-making. A Web2-style top-down approach to marketing falls flat in such environments. Instead, NFT marketing thrives on co-creation, feedback loops, and native participation.

Successful campaigns also require a solid grasp of tokenomics, gas fees, wallet integration, and drop mechanics. Marketers in this space must understand the technical layers that support NFT utility, gamification, and long-term engagement — otherwise, even the best creative concept may lack traction among crypto-native users.

Building the Foundation: Community and Storytelling

Every top-tier NFT project begins with a story that resonates. Whether it’s an origin myth, a roadmap vision, or the artist’s journey, narrative provides the emotional and cultural scaffolding that supports community growth. Without a cohesive story, NFT collections feel disposable — just another JPEG in the sea.

But storytelling isn’t enough on its own. It must be supported by a strategy to build and nurture community. Most successful NFT projects launch a Discord server months before the mint, using this time to attract organic members, host sneak peeks, and onboard new users into the culture. Transparency, responsiveness, and shared milestones are vital. When users feel like early contributors rather than spectators, they become brand evangelists — the most powerful marketing asset in crypto.

Moreover, this approach also builds scarcity and demand. Limited whitelist spots, active moderation, and engaging events like AMAs or lore-building sessions increase anticipation. The key is to avoid hype for hype’s sake and instead focus on authentic engagement.

Best Practice 1: Twitter/X Growth with Value-Driven Content

For NFT projects, Twitter (X) is more than a social media channel — it's a discovery engine. Most NFT traders, collectors, and influencers spend significant time here, making it an essential channel for brand awareness and audience growth.

Instead of broadcasting announcements, projects that thrive on Twitter share insightful threads, visual teasers, community shoutouts, and collaborations. Successful accounts often comment on trends, engage with other NFT projects, and participate in cultural discourse. The tone should be accessible but crypto-native, balancing meme culture with mission clarity.

Some projects use Twitter to run “engagement farming” campaigns, such as giveaways, retweet-to-win contests, and whitelist competitions. While these tactics can inflate numbers temporarily, the best practice is to combine short-term attention with long-term retention through consistent content, value-sharing, and behind-the-scenes access.

Best Practice 2: Discord Activation and Gamified Onboarding

Discord has become the central hub for NFT communities. The platform allows for granular control over roles, access, and content delivery — making it ideal for managing whitelist entries, announcements, support, and interactive experiences.

Effective Discord marketing goes far beyond simply opening a server. Projects that stand out implement structured onboarding journeys, gamified participation, and incentives for contributing meaningfully. Role hierarchies, daily engagement tasks, fan art challenges, and lore-based puzzles are just a few ways to activate early users.

Bots can help automate tasks like level-ups, whitelisting, or drop countdowns, but moderation must remain human-centered. Moderators, community managers, and founders should remain visible, accessible, and open to feedback. In many cases, the tone of a project’s Discord server shapes public perception more than the NFT art itself.

Best Practice 3: Strategic Collaborations with Other Web3 Projects

One of the most effective growth levers in NFT marketing is collaboration with other successful projects. This doesn’t just increase reach — it builds trust. When a well-known project or artist endorses or partners with a newer NFT collection, it lends social proof and credibility.

Strategic collaborations can take many forms. Joint giveaways, crossover collectibles, Twitter Spaces, co-branded artwork, and even shared token utility all help bring overlapping communities together. The key is alignment — values, art style, audience, and utility should make sense together.

Projects should avoid collaborations based solely on follower counts or hype. Instead, meaningful partnerships that offer users a new kind of value — like exclusive access or unique holder perks — have the most lasting impact.

Best Practice 4: Influencer Marketing and KOL Endorsements

Key opinion leaders (KOLs) in the NFT space play a huge role in early discovery. But the days of paid shoutouts with zero context are fading. Influencer marketing now works best when it feels native and organic — ideally involving the influencer as a true participant in the project’s journey.

The most impactful KOLs are often those who mint early, provide honest feedback, and share their experience with their followers. Building these relationships requires effort and transparency. Cold outreach rarely works unless paired with genuine interest and a strong value proposition.

Many NFT marketers now involve influencers in the design or roadmap process, turning them into partial stakeholders. Whether it’s through honorary NFTs, exclusive drops, or even revenue sharing, influencer partnerships work best when the influencer’s community feels like they’re part of the experience — not just an audience being marketed to.

Case Study 1: Pudgy Penguins and Community-Driven Brand Expansion

Pudgy Penguins is a standout example of an NFT brand that successfully moved beyond its initial collection to become a recognizable Web3 IP. After an early rough patch and leadership change, the project refocused its marketing efforts on storytelling, community empowerment, and merchandise expansion.

The marketing strategy combined physical toys, viral memes, and real-life partnerships, making the brand approachable and meme-friendly even outside of Web3. Their Twitter content became iconic for its feel-good messaging and relatable humor, while the team built out commercial rights frameworks and launched a Shopify-native NFT tool.

The success of Pudgy Penguins came from balancing crypto-native engagement with Web2 brand expansion. Their NFTs now act as keys to broader experiences, proving that community-powered IP can scale — with the right marketing vision.

Case Study 2: Azuki and the Power of Visual Identity

Azuki leveraged high-quality anime aesthetics and a strong narrative identity to carve a niche in the NFT space. Their mint sold out quickly due to a well-timed campaign that teased lore, involved early influencers, and focused heavily on brand consistency.

One key element of Azuki’s success was its visual storytelling. The brand’s design language remained consistent across social media, website, and even physical activations. Their "Garden" concept created a mystique around the project, which was reinforced through merch drops, secret events, and token-gated experiences.

Azuki’s marketing efforts were tightly aligned with their community’s identity. They understood that their collectors weren’t just buying JPEGs — they were joining a cultural movement. This insight enabled them to build long-term loyalty and real-world brand equity.

Case Study 3: NBA Top Shot and Mainstream Onboarding

NBA Top Shot represents a case where an NFT project successfully onboarded thousands of users with no prior crypto experience. Built by Dapper Labs, the platform made collecting basketball highlights as NFTs feel familiar and fun for sports fans.

The marketing approach emphasized user experience over blockchain jargon. A slick interface, easy sign-up process, and fiat payment options helped break down barriers. Top Shot also partnered with the NBA and promoted the project across traditional sports media channels, expanding the NFT narrative to a mainstream audience.

What set NBA Top Shot apart was its ability to straddle both Web2 and Web3 worlds. While its technical foundation was blockchain-based, the storytelling was driven by nostalgia, fandom, and real-world sports culture. Its marketing team focused on emotion over technology — and the results showed.

Key Takeaways for NFT Marketers

As NFT projects evolve, so must the marketing strategies behind them. Community remains king, but the approach to building and engaging that community has grown more nuanced. Success depends on blending visual storytelling, real-time communication, strategic partnerships, and platform-native content.

The most effective NFT marketing isn’t just about filling a whitelist — it’s about creating a brand experience that people want to be part of. Whether it’s through memes, art, gamification, or utility, the emotional connection is what drives holders to stick around.

Case studies from projects like Pudgy Penguins, Azuki, and NBA Top Shot prove that NFT marketing can achieve both grassroots credibility and global reach. But none of it happens by accident. It takes planning, patience, and a deep understanding of what your community values — both culturally and technologically.

[apexcage]

3D Web Development Made Easy – Create, Deploy, Amaze 

Web development has come much further than the flat screens and the plain content. As a consequence of the emergence of immersive design, the 3D web development is creating a new standard of interactivity of users with the digital world. In Volnyn, we do not chase the trend but create the tools that establish it. Build with or without the web, or rather, in the metaverse or in the web, Volnyn’s platform enables you to create but does not burden you with intricacies of deploying and sharing interactive 3D web worlds.

The Evolution of the Web Is 3D

Internet users demand better of websites in the present day. Images ought to be engaging. Communications are to be in real time. and experiences ought to be lively. And that is where the 3D-first web development of Volnyn comes in.

Show Me Something I Can Play With: Put in motion, depth and layers which the user can navigate to, not merely see.

One-Click Accessibility: You can do all your 3D experiences right inside a standard browser; consequently, your projects are accessible anywhere.

No Heavy Installation Required: There are no massive engines or downloads, all is lightweight and on the web.

Real-Time Feedback: Preview can be updated in real-time with every design and deployment activity to the Volnyn platform or your realm.

This is the way into the future of digital presence that is fluid, potentially interesting, and really interactive.

Build Websites Like Worlds with Volnyn’s Tools

Volnyn is not just a playground; it is an entire capable ecosystem of web development aimed at immersive content. The creation of portfolio, an interactive store, an experimental gallery is quite facile and rapid.

Drag and drop layout tools: Place 3D models, user interface elements, and animation without having to code.

Animations and FX: Dynamic graphics, use of movement of the camera, change of lighting, and so on.

Cross-Device Compatibility: Make your site stunning on desktop, table and mobile devices.

No Hosting Troubles: Post your projects directly to Volnyn or export them to use personally.

The lines between web development and game development are fading away - and you are the controller.

Own Your 3D Web Projects with NFT Integration 

Imagine that your website, the contents of it, and even the experience had by the visitors could be turned into something that you own. That is possible thanks to as smooth integration with the use of NFT as you get control over your 3D content thanks to Volnyn.

Mint Pages or Assets as NFTs: Store, buy, sell cool design web pages and 3D blocks.

Interaction with NFT on the Web: Allow customers to get access to collectibles, experiences, or bonuses on the site.

Ownership: Prove that the appearance, organization or the use of your site belongs to you on-chain; it is your on-chain fingerprint.

Design Monetized Micro-Experiences: Have people pay to get special access, saveable downloads or integrated NFTs.

You can be an agency, spend all your time as a freelancer, or express yourself as a digital artist, but NFT integration transforms your pages into moving, priceless assets.

Collaborate and Launch with the Volnyn Creator Community 

3D building does not imply building by oneself. The creators, developers and innovators that reside at Volnyn explore what is possible on the web and go to the ultimate extremes.

Put some questions and projects on the forums: Gather constructive criticism or collaborate on larger projects.

Take Part of Monthly Showcases: Post your newest works in platform-wide favorites and contests.

Make use of Other Builders: Use tutorials, cloneable templates, walkthroughs that are available directly with top-builders.

Get Volnyn Features: The most outstanding projects could reach the whole community and make you more visible.

If you are new in the space or a well-experienced developer, this is where you will blossom.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

1. So exactly what is 3D web development?

 It is the procedure of designing websites or applications, with the assistance of 3D objects, interactions, and space design, which can be used to enrich user experience.

2. Is it possible to do it even when I do not know how to code?

 Yes! The visual tools provided by Volnyn enable non-developers to create appealing 3D as well as be effective as well as powerful to the professionals.

3. How are NFTs used in 3D web development?

 You can convert your assets, animations or web layouts to NFTs which become your own and can be traded or NFTs can also be used to introduce functionality onto your site.

4. Can my 3D site be run on mobile devices?

 Absolutely. Each project is made to be responsive and performance-optimized.

5. Must I serve my own site?

 No. You may immediately put it on the servers of Volnyn or export it to other sources.

Bring Your Website to Life with Volnyn

Forget flat pages. Say goodbye to static blocks. With Volnyn, 3D web development becomes a canvas where you can build vivid, interactive, and shareable digital worlds — without any barriers.

Start creating. Start owning. And start redefining what the web can be.

[jamesblogstapkor]

3D Web Development Made Easy – Create, Deploy, Amaze 

Web development has come much further than the flat screens and the plain content. As a consequence of the emergence of immersive design, the 3D web development is creating a new standard of interactivity of users with the digital world. In Volnyn, we do not chase the trend but create the tools that establish it. Build with or without the web, or rather, in the metaverse or in the web, Volnyn’s platform enables you to create but does not burden you with intricacies of deploying and sharing interactive 3D web worlds.

The Evolution of the Web Is 3D

Internet users demand better of websites in the present day. Images ought to be engaging. Communications are to be in real time. and experiences ought to be lively. And that is where the 3D-first web development of Volnyn comes in.

Show Me Something I Can Play With: Put in motion, depth and layers which the user can navigate to, not merely see.

One-Click Accessibility: You can do all your 3D experiences right inside a standard browser; consequently, your projects are accessible anywhere.

No Heavy Installation Required: There are no massive engines or downloads, all is lightweight and on the web.

Real-Time Feedback: Preview can be updated in real-time with every design and deployment activity to the Volnyn platform or your realm.

This is the way into the future of digital presence that is fluid, potentially interesting, and really interactive.

Build Websites Like Worlds with Volnyn’s Tools

Volnyn is not just a playground; it is an entire capable ecosystem of web development aimed at immersive content. The creation of portfolio, an interactive store, an experimental gallery is quite facile and rapid.

Drag and drop layout tools: Place 3D models, user interface elements, and animation without having to code.

Animations and FX: Dynamic graphics, use of movement of the camera, change of lighting, and so on.

Cross-Device Compatibility: Make your site stunning on desktop, table and mobile devices.

No Hosting Troubles: Post your projects directly to Volnyn or export them to use personally.

The lines between web development and game development are fading away - and you are the controller.

Own Your 3D Web Projects with NFT Integration 

Imagine that your website, the contents of it, and even the experience had by the visitors could be turned into something that you own. That is possible thanks to as smooth integration with the use of NFT as you get control over your 3D content thanks to Volnyn.

Mint Pages or Assets as NFTs: Store, buy, sell cool design web pages and 3D blocks.

Interaction with NFT on the Web: Allow customers to get access to collectibles, experiences, or bonuses on the site.

Ownership: Prove that the appearance, organization or the use of your site belongs to you on-chain; it is your on-chain fingerprint.

Design Monetized Micro-Experiences: Have people pay to get special access, saveable downloads or integrated NFTs.

You can be an agency, spend all your time as a freelancer, or express yourself as a digital artist, but NFT integration transforms your pages into moving, priceless assets.

Collaborate and Launch with the Volnyn Creator Community 

3D building does not imply building by oneself. The creators, developers and innovators that reside at Volnyn explore what is possible on the web and go to the ultimate extremes.

Put some questions and projects on the forums: Gather constructive criticism or collaborate on larger projects.

Take Part of Monthly Showcases: Post your newest works in platform-wide favorites and contests.

Make use of Other Builders: Use tutorials, cloneable templates, walkthroughs that are available directly with top-builders.

Get Volnyn Features: The most outstanding projects could reach the whole community and make you more visible.

If you are new in the space or a well-experienced developer, this is where you will blossom.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

1. So exactly what is 3D web development?

 It is the procedure of designing websites or applications, with the assistance of 3D objects, interactions, and space design, which can be used to enrich user experience.

2. Is it possible to do it even when I do not know how to code?

 Yes! The visual tools provided by Volnyn enable non-developers to create appealing 3D as well as be effective as well as powerful to the professionals.

3. How are NFTs used in 3D web development?

 You can convert your assets, animations or web layouts to NFTs which become your own and can be traded or NFTs can also be used to introduce functionality onto your site.

4. Can my 3D site be run on mobile devices?

 Absolutely. Each project is made to be responsive and performance-optimized.

5. Must I serve my own site?

 No. You may immediately put it on the servers of Volnyn or export it to other sources.

Bring Your Website to Life with Volnyn

Forget flat pages. Say goodbye to static blocks. With Volnyn, 3D web development becomes a canvas where you can build vivid, interactive, and shareable digital worlds — without any barriers.

Start creating. Start owning. And start redefining what the web can be.

[teravarna-artblog]

Unleash the Wild: Join the Nature Painting Competition Before It Closes!

Art without a hint of nature is almost unimaginable. Nature has been a constant muse as sombre mountain views, tranquil lakes, blooming fields, cloud-laden skies, as if mother earth is offering an endless palette of inspiration.

If you're the one who likes to translate the beauty of nature into vibrant brushstrokes, lines, or texture, it's time to let the world witness your breathtaking nature paintings. Enter a nature painting competition hosted by the contemporary virtual galleries like TERAVARNA or any other reputed art platforms, and share your vision worldwide.  

Surely, you don't want to miss your chance to showcase your nature artwork to win money and fame!

Whether it is a beautiful drawing of scenery, an abstract nature art, or a detailed mountain painting, let this be the moment to shine. Grab the deadline before it vanishes!

Why Nature is a Constant Muse!

Nature helps us to be rooted and grounded, inspiring, and making us feel connected to something larger than ourselves. Artists thus love to turn to nature as an emotional and spiritual repose. Think of Monet’s love for his Paris Garden of water lilies, or Georgia O’Keeffe’s desert blooms, nature paintings always have a timeless appeal for viewers across generations.

In the world of metaverse, the urge to connect art with the raw, untamed beauty of the earth feels even bigger. That’s why, a nature painting competition matters. Not just a contest, it’s a move to establish connection with the world around us through artistic expressions.

Who is Eligible to Enter?

Nature art competition hosted by an esteemed gallery like TERAVARNA is open to artists of all levels! No matter if you are a seasoned professional or a passionate hobbyist you can come up with your choice of mediums like acrylic, oil, watercolor, mixed media, digital, ink, or charcoal.

Create compelling paintings of nature, or share a nature artwork that captures the spirit of the earth, and bring them to the world at large.

Here are just a few categories of artwork that can be submitted:

Submit your scenery paintings or landscape art

Floral or botanical artworks

Wildlife paintings or photographs

Mountain painting and river scenes

Abstract nature art that evokes natural textures or colors

Come up with Mixed media works that explore eco themes

Or, do some minimalist or conceptual nature-inspired art

What are the Takeaways?

It’s not just about winning prizes; the competition aims to dig deeper than that. It will help you gain global exposure, credibility as an artist, and the motivation to keep creating.

Here’s what you can expect:

Winning Cash Rewards & Recognition:

Chosen winners will receive cash awards and official certificates of recognition.

Global Exposure:

Your nature-inspired art will be featured in an online gallery seen by thousands of art lovers, curators, and collectors.

Social Media Shoutouts:

Get your work shared across platforms like Behance, Twitter, Instagram with a strong art-focused viewership.

Permanent Exhibition Placement:

The top nature paintings will have their names included in curated digital showcases.

Creative Validation:

Through your inspiring nature artwork gets appreciation and acknowledgement on an international level. It feels good, right!

Get Inspired from the Unstoppable Wild

Still stuck for ideas? Get inspiration from the wild and steer your way to create marvelous nature paintings. Here are some themes to help you in this journey:

A beautiful drawing of scenery of the Autumn foliage

An abstract nature art inspired by irregular cloud patterns or rainfall

A moonlit night in a forest

Waves crashing against a stormy shoreline

A deer lingering in a snow-covered meadow

Blooming flowers or curling leaves to etch out botanical wonders.  

May be a mountain painting with mist curling around the peaks

Render them unique in your own style, be it abstract expressionist style, or a hard-core realistic, surreal, monochrome, or vibrant. These competitions aren’t about portraying objective truths about nature, but expressing how you find nature, in its raw, unadulterated form.

Simple Tips to Stand Out

Here are a few things to keep in mind when preparing your submission:

Tell a Story: Your nature artwork should stir emotions as a narrative, not just as a scenery drawing.

Use Originality: Avoid over-used nature themes, try something personal and unique.

Highlight Technique: Whether it's your brushwork or the elegance of your lines, let your skill shine.

Consider Composition: Good compositions attract gazes, so think about balance, contrast, and flow.

Think Beyond the Obvious: Not all paintings of nature need to feature trees and skies. There can be fungi, feathers, seeds that we overlook; look for details too.

Hurry! Submit Before the Deadline Drops Off!

Hear the ticking clock, it’s all about the deadline. The nature painting competition deadline of TERAVARNA art gallery is fast approaching, and once it closes, you'll have to wait for the next cycle.

So, don’t let your art go hidden in your studio. The world is ready to see your brilliant nature portrayals. Submit your nature paintings on time and be a part of an international art community that celebrates the call of the wild through a creative lens.

Come and unleash the wild within you through paint, passion, and perspective!