#Multiplayer Map Guide

[fogaminghub]

🔍 Ready to conquer the Citadelle des Morts in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6? Our new guide offers amazing secrets and strategies to help you through the first 10 rounds! Master the zombies and level up your game. Join us on this adventure! 

[rafeskai]

Game On | Gamer!Rafe Cameron x Gamer!Reader

First Game

Summary: One day, you step into the unfamiliar world of Call of Duty, unsure of what to expect. As the chaos unfolds, a smooth, teasing voice cuts through the tension, offering guidance and unexpected camaraderie. What starts as a random match becomes something more, leaving you intrigued by the connection forged in the midst of gunfire and strategy.

Pairings: gamer!reader & gamer!rafe

Warnings: N/A

Author's Note: Let me know if you guys like this concept and want more of it!

It was a late Friday night, the air crisp outside but warm inside your room as you settled in for your first-ever Call of Duty session. You had spent the last few weeks watching gameplay videos, trying to learn the ropes, but you knew tonight would be your real initiation into the world of multiplayer gaming. You weren't sure what to expect, but you were eager.

With your headset snug around your ears and your controller in hand, you queued up for a random match. As the loading screen began, a voice came through the headset.

"Yo, you new to this?" The voice was smooth, teasing, but also somehow welcoming.

You jumped slightly, not expecting someone to talk so soon. You had just barely gotten the game started, and you were still figuring out the controls.

"Uh... yeah," you admitted, not sure how to respond. "First time, actually."

"Nice, you're in for a ride," the voice chuckled, sounding amused. "I’m Rafe, by the way. And you are?"

"(Y/N)," you said, still adjusting your controller as the game finally loaded, your avatar popping into the map. "I’m hoping I don’t totally mess this up."

"No promises, but I'll try not to let you die too fast." Rafe’s laughter was infectious, and somehow, it made you feel more at ease. You were still figuring out the controls, but having someone to chat with helped take the edge off.

The match began, and instantly, you were thrown into the chaos of gunfire and explosions. Rafe’s voice came through again, guiding you.

"Alright, go left—watch your six!" he warned as you awkwardly navigated your character, trying to figure out how to aim and shoot without getting killed immediately. You managed to take cover behind a crate, heart racing as you peeked around.

“Got your back, just stay low.” His voice was steady, like he’d done this a thousand times.

You didn't need much guidance to know when things were going wrong, and in the next few moments, you found yourself at the mercy of an enemy soldier. But just as you were about to be gunned down, a shot rang out, taking the enemy out.

“Did you—?” you asked, astonished.

"Yep," Rafe replied casually. "Just wanted to make sure you didn’t get your first kill too easily."

Your heart skipped a beat, both for the adrenaline rush of surviving and for the way Rafe seemed to always be a step ahead. You were starting to get the hang of things, moving cautiously but with growing confidence.

Throughout the match, Rafe guided you like a pro, his voice always just a step ahead. You learned quickly—taking cover, timing your reloads, using the environment to your advantage—and before you knew it, you were a lot better than you had expected to be.

"Nice shot!" Rafe complimented you as you managed your first headshot, your fingers trembling in excitement as you took down an enemy from a distance.

“Thanks!” you grinned, surprised by how good it felt. “I actually got one?”

“Hell yeah, you did. You're not half-bad for a newbie,” he said, teasing, but there was a hint of admiration in his voice.

The match came to an end, with your team pulling off a narrow victory. The satisfaction of winning, even in your rookie status, was unmatched. As the post-game stats flashed across the screen, you couldn't help but feel proud of your performance, especially after Rafe’s guidance.

"First time playing and you’re already carrying the team," Rafe said, sounding impressed. "You sure you're a newbie?"

You laughed. "Totally. If you had seen me at the start, you’d know how lost I was."

“Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.” Rafe’s tone softened, and you could hear a smile in his voice. "You sure you don’t wanna team up again sometime? Could show you some more tricks of the trade."

You hesitated, the idea of playing again with someone as skilled as him both exciting and intimidating. But then again, he’d already shown he was patient with you.

"Yeah, I'd like that. Maybe I can return the favor next time," you said, feeling more confident than you had when you first started the match.

“Deal,” Rafe replied, his voice smooth with that easy confidence. "Till next time, (Y/N)."

© 2025 rafeskai | All rights reserved. My work is a work of fiction inspired by different characters, and no part of it may be reproduced or distributed without permission.

[infinity-lunacy]

Infold has dropped another optimization preview for 1.5 Bubble Season and it's JAM PACKED!

Glow Up & Recolor!

An upgrade will elevate the Glow Up experience: 5-star/4-star outfits and pieces unlock new color variants after being fully glowed up.

For 3-star outfits and pieces, glowing up won't unlock new colors directly, but you can now use materials in the dyeing feature to unlock additional unique hues.

Starting in Version 1.5, fully glowed up outfits will grant color variant pieces directly via the Glow Up interface. More outfits will gain this feature in future versions.

Camera Optimizations:

Vertical/Portrait Mode

Save AND SHARE up to 20 custom photo settings!!

Free Movement Mode: Nikki can move during photoshoots!

8 New Photo Poses!

Rotate and Edit Photos with stickers and text in game!

CUSTOM ABILITY STYLING!!

Nikki will be able to use abilities freely, unbound by specific outfits.

Some abilities require specific items to function (e.g., handheld items). For these, you can swap the design of the required item (e.g., choosing a different style of cleaning brush for the Default: Animal-Grooming ability).

Some outfits, like ​​"Daughter of the Lake"​​ and ​​"Spectral Mist,"​ feature special effects. These are tied to their full sets and can only be activated by wearing the complete outfit. 😭

✨SEA OF STARS✨

What begins as a lighthearted graduation trip soon spirals into an epic journey. Guided by a mysterious stranger, Nikki witnesses a world in crisis and steps into a rift in time and space, venturing toward the primordial Sea of Stars. There, she'll uncover secrets about her past, present, and future—and encounter countless versions of herself from parallel worlds.

A brand-new multiplayer map will open, featuring unique gameplay mechanics and co-op challenges. Co-op is entirely optional!

Alongside the update, Nikki's MV "Echoes of the Stars" will debut, where Nikki will tell the story of her celestial journey.

[daily-nikki]

Optimization Preview | Version 1.5

From the Official Nikki Website.

Breaking News: Version 1.5 Drops MASSIVE Optimizations + FREE 10 Pulls!

Keep Reading for more in depth coverage of what's in store.

[Camera] Optimization: Enhanced Photography Experience!

Momo's Camera is getting a major update in Version 1.5!

Version 1.5 will introduce vertical photo mode for PS5 and PC platforms. For mobile devices, due to the wide range of models and screen specifications requiring extensive optimization, this feature is still under active adjustment and will be released once fully polished. We sincerely appreciate the patience and understanding of our mobile players!

The new update will also allow you to save and share up to 20 custom photo settings. Preserve your favorite configurations, then effortlessly share them with friends.

On top of that, we've addressed feedback about limited composition options due to Nikki's fixed poses. After the 1.5 update, Momo's Camera will debut a free movement mode, enabling Nikki to move freely during photoshoots. This "small step" for Nikki could lead to a giant leap in capturing stunning shots—get ready to immortalize even more dazzling moments with her!

*This is an in-development version of the game. Please refer to the actual in-game content.

Leila has arrived! The previously teased camera merchant Leila arrives in Version 1.5! you can use camera modification tools to unlock 8 new photo poses, including "Drowsy Yawning," "Play the Pipa," and "Graceful Floating." In the future, Leila will also offer additional poses, filters, and other photography goodies for purchase or exchange—so stay tuned!

After snapping your shots, you'll now be able to rotate photos and edit them with stickers and text! Experiment with a variety of stickers to personalize your memories and craft dazzling keepsakes!

*This is an in-development version of the game. Please refer to the actual in-game content.

Embark on an Adventure with Nikki: New Storyline Unlocked!​

Version 1.5 Bubble Season brings a thrilling new chapter.

What begins as a lighthearted graduation trip soon spirals into an epic journey. Guided by a mysterious stranger, Nikki witnesses a world in crisis and steps into a rift in time and space, venturing toward the primordial Sea of Stars. There, she'll uncover secrets about her past, present, and future—and encounter countless versions of herself from parallel worlds.

A brand-new multiplayer map will open, featuring unique gameplay mechanics and co-op challenges. Co-op is entirely optional—solo players can enjoy the map at their own pace, with a focus on relaxed, stress-free exploration. Dive in and savor the adventure!

Alongside the update, Nikki's MV "Echoes of the Stars" will debut, where Nikki will tell the story of her celestial journey. Follow /@InfinityNikkiEN for updates—prepare to be swept away by the harmonies of the Sea of Stars!

But the adventure doesn't end there! Nikki will visit the secluded Serenity Island, where she'll meet new Piecey companions and unravel long-forgotten tales. Immerse yourself in the island's rich bathing culture and leisurely charm—a perfect respite before your next cosmic quest!

Unleash Boundless Creativity With Custom Ability Styling!

As Nikki's journey across Miraland unfolds, she gets better at harnessing her Whim. After collecting a set number of Ability Outfits and completing their story quests, Nikki will be able to use abilities freely, unbound by specific outfits.

Once an Ability Outfit is fully collected and its power unlocked, head to the Ability Setup interface to customize its appearance. Mix and match your favorite aesthetics to create unique looks for each ability.

Some abilities require specific items to function (e.g., handheld items). For these, you can swap the design of the required item (e.g., choosing a different style of cleaning brush for the Default: Animal-Grooming ability) but cannot replace it with an item from unrelated abilities (e.g., scissors from Tailor: Animal-Grooming, fishing rods, or bug-catching nets).

Some outfits, like ​​"Daughter of the Lake"​​ and ​​"Spectral Mist,"​ feature special effects. These are tied to their full sets and can only be activated by wearing the complete outfit.

*This is an in-development version of the game. Please refer to the actual in-game content.

Visual Upgrades & Ability Enhancements!

With the launch of customizable ability styling, we've upgraded the visual effects of select Ability Outfits to make their powers stand out even more! The following outfits have received art upgrades and ability refinements: "Crystal Poems," "Froggy Fashion," "Breezy Tea Time," "Shark Mirage," and "Forest's Fluttering." The "Crystal Poems" outfit now features a special purification animation: Nikki will wield her wand to cast Purifying Orbs, accompanied by a shimmering snowfall effect around the wand. While many stylists requested customizable orb colors, these hues are tied to future story developments—stay tuned for Nikki's evolving abilities on her adventure! The "Froggy Fashion" outfit has been upgraded to the new [Croaker Chorus: Whimsicality] ability, allowing Nikki to summon four Croakers for a lively choir session. This ability upgrade will debut alongside the [Croaker's Whisper] rerun event during Version 1.5's 4-Star Resonance period. Outfits available in the permanent Resonance event like "Breezy Tea Time," "Shark Mirage," and "Forest's Fluttering" also receive polished ability animations. Upon acquisition, their ability items—a bug-catching net, fishing rod, and cleaning brush—can now be swapped for exclusive new designs during use!

Glow Up & Recolor! Enhanced Benefits Await!

An upgrade will elevate the Glow Up experience: 5-star/4-star outfits and pieces unlock new color variants after being fully glowed up. For 3-star outfits and pieces, glowing up won't unlock new colors directly, but you can now use materials in the dyeing feature to unlock additional unique hues.

Starting in Version 1.5, fully glowed up outfits will grant color variant pieces directly via the Glow Up interface. More outfits will gain this feature in future versions.

*This is an in-development version of the game. Please refer to the actual in-game content.

Interaction & Gameplay Improvements​

We have been continuously enhancing visual performance across mobile and PC platforms. Detailed improvements will be announced separately via our official channels.

In addition to visual optimizations, we have also optimized button interactions during gameplay. We've added ​​X/Y-axis inversion for keyboard/mouse and controller, and the ​​custom keybinding system​​ will now support ​​combo key customization​​ (e.g., assigning keys for the ​​Timeless Melody's​​ exclusive skill).

Additionally, we have reduced grind for the two PS trophies ​​"I Swear, This is the Last Time"​​ (using Surprise-O-Matic 1,000 times) and ​​"Heart Full of Wonders"​​ (100 Iridescent Eurekas), allowing everyone to obtain Platinum trophies within a more reasonable timeframe.

Other Ongoing Optimizations

Album Sorting Fix

The display order problem in Momo's Album will be resolved in Version 1.5. Thank you for your patience!

​​Streamlined Main Interface + Immersive Mode

In Version 1.5 Bubble Season, a function hub button will be added to declutter the main interface, grouping and organizing secondary features into a tidy menu.

Additionally, a new immersive mode hides all UI elements (except an exit button) and interaction prompts while retaining shortcut functionality. Perfect for distraction-free exploration and photography!

Whim Calendar

Track event progress and manage Vital Energy efficiently with the new Whim Calendar on the main interface. Plan your adventures smarter!

The path of optimization never ends—future updates will bring even more refinements to your adventure. To all our beloved stylists, thank you for your unwavering support of Infinity Nikki. Your feedback and passion have been the guiding stars lighting our way forward. As a token of gratitude, 10 Revelation Crystals will be gifted to all players upon the launch of Version 1.5 Bubble Season. Let's set sail toward new horizons together!

The celebration of creativity goes on, and our pursuit of excellence never rests. Ahead lies the boundless Sea of Stars, where every twinkling star holds a story waiting to be heard. Together, we shall march onward, embracing a future sparkling with endless possibilities. Here's to brighter days ahead!

[theresattrpgforthat]

would you happen to know about any ttrpg that could run/emulate the tone of STALKER/Annihilation?

Frail humain beings entering a Fucked Up Zone with the intent if reaching the center and things getting weirder and more dangerous the farther they go in?

THEME: Eerie Fucked Up Settings

Friend I have some truly excellent games for you this week.

TRESPASSER, by Binary Star Games.

The Zone is an area that's been sealed off by a nation or group of nations due to its danger. It's filled with Anomalies, extremely dangerous areas where physical laws like gravity, magnetism, electricity, or chemistry can break down to lethal effect, as well as mutants and things considered impossible.

Like many, you have entered the Zone, but not legally. You are collectively known as Trespassers. Some inside are on their own, some in groups, some part of larger factions. But most want one thing: to reach the centre and claim what it conceals.

This game can accommodate a GM but it isn’t necessary - in fact, you can even play it solo! As this game is inspired by STALKER, I think it’s going to really give you the vibe you’re going for. Troubles in Breathless games escalate as you play, so the longer you stay in The Zone, the worse things are going to get. I definitely recommend checking out this game!

BLOOM, by Litza Bronwyn.

BLOOM is a solo gmless journaling game in which you play a teenage girl trapped in quarantine at a boarding school on an island infected by the Tox, a plague that makes the trees and animals grow huge and hungry, and mutates your body in strange and horrific ways. In it, you will draw cards and write journal entries based on specific prompts in order to craft a story of survival and love.

I’ve read the book Wilder Girls by Rory Power, and it has a lot of the same themes as Annihilation and STALKER, so it might fit the niche you’re looking for. As a solo game, this uses the Wretched & Alone SRD, so you’ll probably want a Jenga tower, and you’ll definitely want a deck of cards.

Navigator, by Micheal Klamerus.

Navigator is a two-player tabletop rpg created for the Just the Two of Us Jam. It's inspired by the movie Stalker and the games Alone Among the Stars, Memoirs of a Barbarian and Thirst.

In this game two players journey into a mysterious, restricted site known as the Zone to find a room rumoured to grant people their innermost desires. One player is The Client, a person who wants to find this room and have their wish granted, and the other player is The Navigator, a person with previous experience navigating the Zone that has been hired by The Client to help them find the Room.

This game is definitely inspired by media such as STALKER, but it doesn’t have to be inspired by that. When I played this game, we decided to go for something a bit more fantastical, but if you and the person you play this with agree on the same inspiration, you should have no trouble experiencing this as an eerie, unnerving, dangerous setting.

Exclusion Zone Botanist, by Exeunt Press.

YOU ARE AN EXCLUSION ZONE BOTANIST. GET IN. DISCOVER AND DOCUMENT. GET OUT.

Another one for the solo enthusiasts, and it’s inspired by Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation. Your character is specifically looking for plants, which you will locate by rolling 2d6. You get a little hex map to track your progress as you play. As you go, you risk being influenced by the corruption of the zone. Your goal is to document as many plants as possible before you become the forest - because if you are corrupted too much, they can’t pull you out. A delightfully time-sensitive game.

The Zone, by Laughing Kaiju.

The digital tabletop storygame of magical realism, mutant weirdness, and collaborative self-destruction.

This is a really cool digital ttrpg, with a physical version on the way. You can play solo or multiplayer, and the website will guide you through play step by step. The game is meant to be collaborative, so everyone will have moments where they direct play. The author also encourages you to play to lose - this is a tragic game, a horror game. The game itself uses a number of cards representing locations, laid out in a spiral to form an abstract sort of map. Each location will have its own scene, probably more. And rather than rolling dice to resolve tasks, you choose whether something is easily doable, or not-so-easy - in which case you pull from a deck. This is where the mutations may come from.

If you are interested in the physical version of this game, they’re currently taking pre-orders on Backerkit!

[syrupspinner]

ive been playing a lot of collective unconscious lately

at first i was gonna make a post talking about multiple ynoproject games before i realized that i just had too much to say about this one. also, this was written before the update dropped

header made by callisto on steamgriddb

if you dont already know what yume nikki is, i consider it a must-play if you enjoy analyzing games. its effectively a rorschach test with just enough fuel to point you in an interesting direction that nobodys pieced together in quite the same way yet. the best way to play it is either for free on steam, or on ynoproject.net, which also hosts a handful of the fuckton of games that act as entries into the yumenikki-like genre. perhaps the most notable among these games, along with the classics like yume 2kki and .flow, is collective unconscious, a yume nikki fangame designed with the website's massively-multiplayer functionality in mind.

initially, i was worried that the collective nature of the game would encourage way more obtuse design. like, if youve heard of namco's tower of druaga, you might know that while english arcade-goers hated the eclectic and bizarre progression requirements, japanese arcades were abuzz with collaboration, people starting cabinet journals that list their discoveries and offer tips. i minored in sociology and therefore have the confidence to declare that this is a perfect example of collectivism vs individualism. anywho, i was worried that the post-fnaf world would encourage this kind of design on a more widespread level again, which would just mean tabbing out into a guide every few minutes. well, youve gotta for a handful of the journal covers and menu styles (the game does a great job at pacing out the rewards while still maintaining reasonable expectations), but those are optional cosmetics, and their obscurity is par for the course. the effects (scuse me, the eidola) are pretty clear-cut too, i feel like yume nikki just kinda handed em out for random stuff (which is great for what its going for!) but i really like the spectacle and circumstance around em here. like, you find the rat one in a random dumpster somewhere, but the weather one is from communing with the gods

ill note now, there isn't the stock speed vehicle like in most fangames, you can just sprint whenever. this isnt a trivial change, and the game knows it. theres one puzzle that is built around needing to sprint with another effect active. personally, i like this change, but i understand why oldheads wouldnt. dont worry, i still take my time, its just nice to speed up a bit without having to sacrifice my cool eidola

unfortunately, the multiplayer aspect wasnt too lively. there were only a handful of other dreamers, and the ones that werent just afk in the nexus were off doing their own thing god-knows-where on the map. i think i ran into one other person organically, ever, and they just ran past me. i suppose this is an inevitability when you put strangers in a sandbox together... especially since most people (hundreds compared to our twenty-odd) were in yume 2kki, the MUCH larger sandbox. anyway, im gonna stop talking about meta stuff and get into what youre all here for: dream analysis. finally, a use for that stupid psyche degree.

oh real quick, the exception to the loneliness thing is expeditions, something built-in to YNO at large. you get exp if you go to a specific location in one of the games, so you can expect a lot of people there. once you get there, youre gonna see a bunch of people standing around the entrance facing the camera afk.

anyway, when i got the soulfire eidola, the obligatory weapon effect, i got some "donut steel" vibes. its kinda funny to jump from a kitchen knife to casting Demonic Flare: Pillar of Hellfire with a floating eye face vigil and arms made of flames. but then i simply got over myself and took this as a surface-level aspect of minnatsuki's personality. you can tell a lot from a protag by how they kill npcs. for example, sabitsuki has a gun, but only uses it for intimidation, leaving the act of killing to some old pipe she found; implying that she is pragmatic, and still sees the act of murder as something dirty and ill-fitting. meanwhile, urotsuki uses a chainsaw, a weapon infamous for being impractical against humans irl but pervasive in fiction due to the sheer cool factor; this tells us she glorifies killing, seeing it as something fun and badass. minnatsuki is similar to the latter, having a fantasy spell as their method, meaning that we can see a hint of escapist desire, to be empowered beyond mundane humanity in a way that equates to the ability to harm others.

other eidola, like her animal forms being a mouse (stereotypically skittish and shy) and a jellyfish (weak and passive, confined to water), and her instument of choice being the meek and obscure kalimba, paints the picture of a girl who feels desperately powerless. she doesnt want to lash out and kill others per se, her weapon is a bit too fantastical for that. she just wants to feel strong, and whats stronger than some arbitrary mythical abstraction of an element of destruction? and dont get me started on the umbra and spectral eidola, letting her fade into nothing or just be untethered to the world. theres something she wants to escape

another thing? very rarely are you given an eidola. with soulfire and umbra you have to actively avoid people trying to stop you from leaving with it. the ones that seem more permissive have caveats: you get rodentia in a back alley from someone hidden in a dumpster, you loot lumen off a corpse, spectral comes from a literal cult ritual, and climate makes you earn the blessings of three separate... gods? before youve earned the right to it. the only real exception is kaliba, because theyre like $20 on amazon. nah but seriously, maybe it represents being a heartfelt gift from a friend? or maybe its granted more readily because its recreational, and doesnt empower minnatsuki in the way weve talked about them desiring?

by the way, i dont think minnatsuki has a gender. not like in a kris deltarune "actively canonically nonbinary" way, but as an unimportant detail left up to interpretation. maybe theyre just a cis person who doesnt care and puts no stake in it as an aspect of their identity, or maybe they just feel alienated from the social concept of gender altogether? i prefer the last one, personally, for reasons ill get to later

that brings us to the eyes. there is so much eye imagery in minnatsuki's dreams. eyes on stalks that watch you, where trying to talk to them is useless. giant murals with a six-armed diety that has an eye on its palm. women in melancholy, whos faces lack eyes. a giant flower hidden in the dark that hides a single large eye. only being able to enter the house in rainstorm city that has the eye symbol next to it. perception plays a toll on minnatsuki, and i think it goes both ways. they feel observed in a burdensome way, and they feel incapable of 'seeing' on the same level as others. or maybe they see too much? is there an event she shouldnt have seen, or does she experience sight at a level above others, recognizing things others cant? the child and spectral eidola may be a wish fulfillment of the former, letting her see the unseen in a literal way, while also letting her overcome limitations that she has seen for herself with the latter

another thing about the design i wanna mention real quick is that so much is diagonal. this is something that the rpgmaker engine isn't built to really allow. like yeah, you can, and this game goes out of its way to make it non-obtrusive by having minnatsuki slide along walls sometimes, but it's not something the foundation was set in mind for. this also brings to mind the idea that minnatsuki doesn't fit in with others. it's not a disease like in .flow, it's not something that's detrimental to her in a literal way. it just causes friction with the world around her, because she doesn't feel as if it's built for how she is. she just doesnt quite fit with the world around her sometimes, the way she moves is just a bit off, like a direction-locked movement system trying to go diagonally

theres also a lot of thematic relevance to the idea of connection and ingroup membership. the game is named from the jungian ideal, a level of understanding inherent to the human mind where process instinct and achetype (the latter basically being our classification of others into pre-conscieved schema like "the wily trickster" and "the tyrant leader"). in addition, the game has a lot of togetherness imagery, with npcs sometimes travelling in packs or existing as hordes (the only exception i can think of are npcs that give you something like an eidola or menu theme, perhaps meaning isolation holds a deep importance), and things acting as notable points of interaction when they are isolated (note that the dungeon-relevant houses in gbc world are furthest from the village, for example). there's also a lot of totem poles, acting as the dream trigger and the centre of the nexus, signalling great importance. in first nation tradition, totem poles are created to honour the lineage of a clan (using designs that are unique to that clan), and send messages such as welcoming visitors and shaming wrong-doers (both of these uses involve establishing in-group membership).

i believe these themes combined, minnatsuki's dreams letting her feel powerful and connected, paint the picture of a person that is alone and powerless. minnatsuki doesnt have friends, and im not sure if she even has bullies. i have yet to meet a chaser in this game, so maybe that means that nobody even singles her out in a negative way? stares and weird looks, maybe, but only as a collective and not as a personal connection. this is corroborated by the school location, which minnatsuki's dream constructs as a tainted and evil place, half-formed from broken blueprints. she understands it as a flawed idea done poorly; implying that her disillusion is so severe she sees her isolation as an inseparable corruption of the entire system. so, she feels powerless to stop it, as well as alone and friendless

unfortunately, the game doesnt seem to have a proper ending yet. which is a shame, because most solid ynfg theories start with you working backwards from the ending. well, i supposed "social outcast that struggles with confidence and/or self-esteem" isnt a groundbreaking theory, but im still interested to see if this supported or jossed as the game gets more updates. also, i noticed while brushing this up that at some point i switched from they to she for minnatsuki, so i guess the audience has interpreted.

look i could ramble about this wonderful game all day. dont get me started about my thoughts on the event in uncanny world, the lonely girl in snowy shoal, and the random blond girl that can just show up in random places out of nowhere and that takes you one a scooter ride once you get to know her?

im gonna be playing this for a long, long time, and im gonna love every second of it

[wishfishy]

When I first heard that a new Endless Ocean was going to be released, I was incredibly excited. Just absolutely over-the-moon excited. You see, Endless Ocean 2: Blue World (also called Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep) is one of my favourite games of all time. Scratch that: it is my favourite game. It was far from perfect, but I loved it dearly and happily sank hundreds if not thousands of hours into it.

EO2 is a diving game for the wii that was released in 2010, and I have never been able to find a game quite like it. The main story was a bit cheesy, but charming and engaging, with a bevy of likeable if occasionally one-note characters, and the game itself had surprising depths (diving pun fully intended). The game had 12 different diving maps in 6 locations and while the specific areas were fictitious, they were based on very real places (the South Pacific, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Arctic and Antarctic Oceans, as well as a freshwater river in the Amazon) and this was reflected in the species found in each area, with a few exceptions here and there.  You could explore shallow coral reefs, a sunken castle, ancient temples, abyssal depths, a kelp forest, sandy beaches, riverbanks, hidden coves with murals, and much more. You also had a small private island as a hub location, a personal reef you could decorate, and a public aquarium which you could fill with any of the non-legendary species you discovered.

Speaking of which, the game featured 340 different species of marine and freshwater fish, sharks, rays, marine mammals, penguins, shore birds, reptiles, crustaceans, cephalopods and other invertebrates. Some of these also had different models for young or different genders. You could find truly miniscule species that most other diving games overlook entirely in zoom-spots (such as gobies and nudibranchs), and you could interact with most by feeding, touching or even riding in the case of large marine life. And on top of this you could also find legendary creatures, which could be individuals of extant species with unusual colouring or size, or even extinct species, and could be exceedingly hard to find but entirely rewarding.

This is already getting to be much too long but on top of all this you could customize your diver character, buy things for your island hub, decorate and populate a private reef to propagate and release fish, create various aquarium exhibits, discover a great many side-quests, upgrade equipment, take and sell photographs, heal sick animals, search for and sell salvage, find collectable coins, train dolphin partners, take requests for guided tours, dolphin shows, salvage and photos, dodge or placate aggressive sharks, and more that I am probably forgetting. It’s been a while since I’ve played the game, as I no longer have a wii and don’t have the first clue on how to emulate games on my PC. All this is to say that this game was something special, and I have never been able to find anything remotely close to it. And seeing as how the last one was released almost 15 years ago, I had long given up hope for an Endless Ocean 3.

And then lo and behold, a trailer dropped from out of nowhere for Endless Ocean Luminous! And it was releasing in a month! Holy Shit! What!? Yes!

But alas, the more information came out about the game, the more that excitement started to wane. A focus on multiplayer? Procedural generation? Only one map? The only character being an AI that sounded like all those awful tiktok voices? To be clear, I wasn’t expecting Luminous to be the next GoTY. I wasn’t even expecting it to be an exact replica of EO2, or continue the storyline. If it had even a fraction of what I liked about the previous game I was going to be one happy camper. I assumed that the marketing was focusing on the multiplayer aspect instead of the single-player story, that hopefully the procedurally generated map was exclusive to that multiplayer. Surely the single player mode would extend past what little was shown in the trailers. Some things seemed promising, such as an advertised 500+ species, and even more prehistoric marine life. But again, alas, what I have seen since the release is the barest and palest reflection of what I enjoyed about the previous game. I could understand cutting some content, such as the dolphin training and shows, considering the controversy of cetaceans in captivity. But it seems like there is no aquarium, no central hub of any type, no characters beyond the aforementioned AI and a single faceless diver, salvage reduced to a single click, an incredibly reduced story consisting mostly of scanning fish, no ability to feed or interact with fish and fish behaviour also seems to be quite reduced. At least photography still appears to be in the game, though its unclear to what point. Are there still photo requests? The ability for some critters to swim along with or attach to your diver looks cute at least. But everything I’ve watched so far just feels so… lifeless. Empty. As if the whole game was AI generated, which I’m at least %75 sure isn’t the case.

But I’m left kind of baffled by the direction that this game was taken in. I’ve been trying to find any information about it’s development with little to no success. Why the focus on multiplayer to the exclusion of a single player story beyond the bare minimum? What lead to the choice to have a single, procedurally generated map instead of separate, smaller, but more scientifically accurate maps? Or even a single smaller but purposefully designed map? Was this game more like the previous games at any point in its conception or development or was it always intended to be such a departure?

[b00mrang]

So when you dabbled in custom Halo maps, did that mean you made actual maps people can play on if they are installed? (I am asking cause I want to get into making my own machinima, but a little lost right now)

The maps we've made for the show are custom, but they wouldn't work well for multiplayer games. They're often designed only with certain scenes in mind.

You can find some guides online for how to start using the Halo 3 mod tools like here

[shinnith]

Best Sims 4 Script Mods✨

wanted a masterlist on this site of my "cannot live without" mods, so buckle up and get ready for your game to finally become even better!

Note: Playing on basic hardware and think your game can't run this high of scripts? My specs are a laptop with barely 4 GB of usable RAM and the most basic cpu+gpu out there. Go ham.

⭐List is under the cut and includes scripts like "All Worlds/Secret Worlds Residential", "Travel to Hidden World Easily", top notch map/loading screen replacements, ongoing projects like "sims 4 multiplayer" and more⭐

Gameplay Tweaks:

✨Darkmode ★ By: Dskecht

As of making this, both Arnie's Darkmode/Plumfruit are broken and will probably stay that way due to their retirement. Dskecht is currently hard at work with updating theirs though, which you can find at the link above, and their main updates about patch fixes here.

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✨All Worlds Are Residential ★ By: Zerbu

With this, destination type worlds (granite falls, selvadorada/ect) and hidden worlds (sylvan glade/forgotten grotto/ect) become residential or whatever lot type you want them to be. You'll need the creator's Venue Changes mod along with it. Cannot explain how important this mod is.

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✨Travel To Venue/Hidden World ★ By: TwelfthDoctor

Quickly travel to places like Forgotten Grotto and more- all from your cell phone!

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✨OMSP Shelf ★ By: AmoeBae

This "shelf" is basically a placeholder and has many slots, which doesn't conflict on placement and you can then turn invisible. If that sounds confusing, basically: wow shelf/table full of decorations instead of like two weirdly placed objects.

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✨More Traits ★ By: MapleBell

A lot of good traits, that I feel go well with a "maxis match" or "basegame" playthrough.

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✨Photographic Memory ★ By: RSVN

Take better photos with a custom camera and frame them in different frames, polaroids, canvases, calendars, ect. Beautiful work.

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✨Sacrificial's Mods

The creator of "Extreme Violence" brings you a ton of other elements. Armageddon, Zombies, Life tragedies, possessed or murderous children & so much more. Go wild.

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✨TurboDriver's Mods

Wouldn't be a complete list without the creator of "whickedwhims". Kudos, TurboDriver.

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✨Basemental's Mods

Mods which are full o' vices, if you catch my drift. All of their work is amazing and goes super well with sacrificial & turbodriver's work.

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More Scripts:

✨Dershayan & 20thCenturyPlumbob Maps/Loading Screen Replacements

I can't choose a favorite set- both creators have made beautiful work, though Dershayan only offers map replacements.

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✨More Columns in CAS ★ By: weerbesu

CAS UI is incredibly irritating and this helps by giving more columns. You have different choices for how many you want.

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✨Better BuildBuy ★ By: TwistedMexi

Will change your life and TwistedMexi will become like family. Oh, and did I mention it has live camera (tab key) in build mode?

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✨ColorPicker ★ By: Carl's Guides

Hate the game's colors with objects? Carl is here to help.

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✨T.O.O.L ★ By: TwistedMexi

Total manipulation over otherwise locked assets in game (ex. non-editable player items/buildings/terrain like those freaking apartment windows you can't delete or change). This creator is currently working on a huge project for this entire community, and is also another concrete presence.

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✨Big Ongoing Projects✨

🏆Sims 4 Multiplayer

Creator Simsmultiplayer brings you something we've all talked over for years. It's released, but I haven't tested it myself.

🏆Sims 4 Create-A-World

TwistedMexi comes through once again, but this time with the most complex sims mod were seeing being developed. It has years of work already and is currently still in development. Updates at link above.

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Kudos to all mod + creators- big and small💞 This game has been tweaked, redesigned and literally fixed by modders time and time again and our community gets even more vibrant each day with their talents. After almost ten years in this community, I have seen such amazing work and tireless effort to creations of assets & mechanics, fixes to game bugs of all types and providing of technical support. We love you guys💖

[fogaminghub]

🌟 Exciting news for all gamers! 🌟 Black Ops 6 has dropped, bringing back the beloved Nuketown map along with a fresh twist on the Infected game mode! Dive into Multiplayer mayhem and enjoy a nostalgic gaming experience like never before. 🎮✨

Check out our latest blog post for tips, strategies, and updates for the epic Season 01 coming soon! 

[scope-dogg]

For the past few months I've been playing Nuclear Option, which is a combat flight sim made by an indie team that started as a one-man project by a guy from Australia. I don't usually recommend Early Access games but I recommend this one wholeheartedly. I think this fan trailer that someone made is even better than official promotional materials for the game. More info / thoughts / shilling below.

It's little bit of a halfway house between arcade flight sims like Ace Combat and more authentic sims like DCS world, and it hits a bit of a sweet spot for me - it has realistic-feeling flight and damage models as well as realistic weapons, but is still way easier to pick up than more hardcore flight sims - once you wrap your had around some of the more advanced concepts like the various kinds of weapon guidance systems and their countermeasures, you're more or less good to go. Right now it has some training missions and a short selection of short singleplayer scenarios to get accustomed to the aircraft, but the real draw of the game is Escalation, which can be played singleplayer or multiplayer, where the whole map is used to fight a massive war between the two enemy factions. Each team starts off only really being able to field light ground attack aircraft and trainer jets, and as the game goes on it escalates all the way up to strategic bombers with nuclear cruise missiles.

Which accounts for the name of the game, by the way. It lets you use nuclear weapons and they're absurdly devastating. There aren't that many game that let you use nukes in regular gameplay while also having them feel as impactful as they do in real life, this is one of them. However, at the same time they're not an auto-win button because all ordnance including nuclear missiles and bombs can be shot down in flight - you have to destroy enemy air defences first.

As of the time of the video above there were five playable aircraft, right now there are 8:

The Cricket, a lightweight propeller aircraft that's for light ground attack and scouting, that can take off and land in all kinds of places

The Compass, a jet trainer that can do a little bit of everything, though not as good as dedicated aircraft, with it being best, again, at ground attack,

The Revoker, a single engine interceptor / air superiority fighter with insane speed and manoeuvrability,

The Chicane, a stealthy attack helicopter with a 30mm turret and options to mount tons of missiles for busting tanks and other vehicles,

The Ifrit, a semi-stealthy twin-engine carrier based fighter that's good all-round at everything but with a cost to match,

The Medusa, my beloved, my favourite plane in the game and probably one of my favourite fictional aircraft full-stop, a large frankenstein of a plane that includes a mix of harrier style jump-jet short take off and landing, electronic warfare, early-warning radar, anti-radiation missiles and even an anti-missile laser system,

The Darkreach, the aforementioned heavy bomber that can toss around bombs and cruise missiles, including nuclear ones, like no-one's business.

And the Tarantula, which as of writing is the most recent addition - it's a heavy transport aircraft which can airlift supplies and vehicles, which can change to a AC-130 style gunship variant with guided missiles, machine guns and like the AC-130, a howitzer with guided shells. The twist is that instead of being a standard plane it's a tilt-rotor like V-22 Osprey.

(no fancy artwork on the wiki so have the trailer where it was introduced instead)

With what they currently have there's quite a lot of variety. The three fighter aircraft are the most similar to each other but they're all still distinct, and everything besides those is almost entirely unique. There's another big update on the card likely coming through sometime soon with a ninth aircraft alongside another huge tranche of features, most likely. The best thing about this game is that unlike some early access games the updates come regularly and make significant improvements and additions every time, and the lead dev says the next update will be the biggest one yet.

The game is picking up traction but I feel like they deserve even more support, I love what they've done here. As mentioned, it's not hard to pick up even if you're new to flight sims, you don't need a massively powerful computer to play it, you can get by purely with KB+M or a normal controller with the occasional keyboard input, though it also supports HOTAS and Track-IR if you're a flight sim enthusiast. It's also cheap on Steam - IIRC it's currently 20 US dollars or whatever your regional equivalent is. It's totally free of the monetization abyss of free-to-play hell that is War Thunder, and the entire package is cheaper than basically every single DCS module. It's also cheaper than Ace Combat 7 (unless it's on sale which it almost always right now - again though, they're not really the same thing) If any of this sounds remotely interesting then you owe it to yourself to get in on this now - it'll help the continuing development of the game.

[blackbackedjackal]

please try to sell me gw2. i really want to like it and ive tried a couple times over the years to get into it, but every time my experience is like: walk for 5 irl minutes -> talk to someone -> kill 20 things -> random world events -> kill 50 things -> go back and talk to the person. rinse and repeat

and then i uninstall the game

Hard to sell it to ya when it's free to play ;0

As a new/returning player I honestly recommend going in with some friends. It's a game were you can absolutely solo PvE with the right build, but I always have more fun playing with my friends for the shenanigans. I also, 100%, recommend plopping an OC in the game. My first characters were both in-game and all their lore is based around GW2, but putting June in there has been hella fun to see how she would handle being in Tyria.

Your first 80 levels are basically to help get you accustom to the game mechanics and the story. Though the story is optional, I recommend playing it so you get more of a feel of Tyria and the history. The story also leads you through the game an the map rather than just taking random quests as you explore. It's really the only mode that gives you a bit of direction in the game.

If you happen to get stuck or have any questions about the game, it's pretty safe to ask the map chat and usually people will help you out, especially in early maps. GW2 is a game that doesn't really teach you how to play, you learn as you go. There's also plenty of YT vids on how to get started and tutorials if you get stuck or suggestions of things to try out as you level. They've also updated the game fairly recently where you now have access to the Raptor mount without needing to have Path of Fire or doing the expansion, which is a HUGE quality of life change while you explore the early maps.

Once your toon hits level 80, that's when you unlock your mastery tracks that will allow you to do more of the endgame content and continue through the living story. Fractals, Raids, Dungeons, Strikes, World Bosses, Meta Trains, Gold Farming, PvP, WvW, FASHION WARS!!, There's a ton to do once you're set up, and again, lots of resources available to help you out (TaCO, GW2 Efficiency, Crafting Guides).

The world is unique. It feels lived in and ever expanding. The lore for all the playable races in the game is really interesting and they do a lot to subvert expectations from typical fantasy stories. Some things are a hit or miss for a lot of folks but there's so much to love about the game even my least favorite parts are like just mid to me compared to the parts I genuinely enjoy. My favorite expansion is Path of Fire + Season 4. The desert maps are my favorites followed by Maguma (begrudgingly). Cantha had grown on me a lot after a million Leviathan Farms for gold lol. THE SEASONAL EVENTS AHHH like again there's just so much to touch on but yeah the long and short of it is it IS a time sink at minimum to get to the more favored content, but even as a old player I still love making new toons and taking them through the early game content again just for fun.

But yeah, free to play, no subscriptions, all expansions are a one time purchase. You've got 10 years worth of content to explore and try out. It's a relatively inexpensive MMO (the expacs can be up to 50% off during certain yearly sales). An overall very helpful community. Any paid content is mostly cosmetics and convenience items, but nothing that gives you an advantage over other players. Basically everyone is grinding towards a similar end-goal, so you can always get the same gear as people through grinding. Nothing is really out of reach and people are always willing to help others out with multiplayer content.

I've been consistently playing for 8-9 years now. It's one of those game where I'm IN it for like a few months then may take a few months off until a holiday event I love is coming up and then I play for a few months again. It's probably the only other game I've sunk as much time into as Pokemon or Skyrim over the years (I jokingly call it Skyrim Online since ya'll won't catch me playing ESO). But yeah just, it's a game I never expected to play for this long and this consistently and it always feels fun to pick back up. Genuinely I do hope you give it another try. I've honestly had the most fun I've had in years with the wave of new and returning players jumping back into the game c:

[the-monkey-ruler]

Dota 2 (2013)

Date: July 9, 2013 Platform: Mac / PC / Linux Developer: Valve Corporation Publisher: Valve Corporation / Nexon Corporation / Perfect World Entertainment Genre: MOBA Theme: Fantasy Franchises: Dota Also known as: Defense of the Ancients 2 Type: Crossover

Summary:

Dota 2 is a free-to-play high fantasy action real-time strategy game developed and released digitally by Valve for the PC, Mac and Linux on July 9, 2013.

Built on the studio's Source engine, Dota 2 is the official sequel to Defense of the Ancients, a series of custom scenarios for the 2002 game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos that originally popularized the "Multiplayer Online Battle Arena" sub-genre. Development of the game is led by the original mod's final lead designer, IceFrog.

Similar to the original mod, the main gameplay pits two five-player teams (the Radiant and the Dire) against each-other as they work to escort their three endless waves of AI-controlled monsters (or "creeps") to the fortified enemy base in order to destroy the enemy "Ancient". Each player controls an individual Hero character and, throughout the match, earn experience (to level up their stats and abilities) and gold (for purchasing items and equipment) by eliminating enemies.

Rather than using a weekly free-to-play character rotation system (similar to other MOBA games at the time, namely League of Legends), the game makes all characters playable from the start and features cosmetic microtransactions (such as alternate appearances for each Hero's armor and weapons, alternate announcers, and custom UI enhancements) using the Steam Inventory and Steam Market systems.

The game received numerous updates since its original release, adding new Heroes, game modes (including support for custom modes), and features while revising certain gameplay mechanics. New features include better support for both new players (with integrated community-made guide support, coaching, and improved training modes) and competitive players (with improved replay and spectator support), as well as VR headset support (for spectating and viewing cosmetics). It also received a reworked client update in June 2015 (named "Dota 2 Reborn" for a short time), porting the game to Valve's Source 2 engine (the first game released with it), and received a complete map revamp on April 2023.

Dota 2 originally received an invite-only beta in November 2011, during Gamescom 2011. It was formally launched July 9, 2013, but access was gated via a queue system until December 16, 2013. It was also distributed as a standalone game in some regions, with Perfect World publishing the game in China, and Nexon publishing the game in both Japan and South Korea. The game also received spin-offs, including the 2018 digital card game Artifact, the 2020 "auto-battler" game Dota Underlords, and the 2021 animated series Dota: Dragon's Blood.

Source: https://www.giantbomb.com/dota-2/3030-32887/

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqtkfCLjJz4&ab_channel=DotaCinema

[satoshi-mochida]

Some thoughts and details on my last Gamefly rental, Endless Ocean Luminous.

You are a researcher investigating the Veiled Sea(it seems to give you whatever name you have entered to your Switch). You're joined by a fellow diver named Daniel and an AI named Sera.

As they explore the Veiled Sea, they find the World Coral, which is in danger of dying and causing an extinction-level event. The player and Daniel need to find Light from marine life in the Veiled Sea by scanning them and using it to heal the World Coral.

L to Scan. It can be held down to scan longer, ending after a few seconds, indicated by a circle forming onscreen, and can be canceled with X. New scans will be marked with a ?.

X brings up the Map. Once you've explored 80% of a map, it'll actually be counted as fully explored automatically, and you'll be given a Code to use in multiplayer for that map. Make sure to screenshot it/write it down, as one you start a new Solo Dive, I don't think there's a way to look up old Map Codes.

B to Dolphin Kick, which makes you swim forward faster, even moreso if done in succession.

A to interact with any objects you find while on a Dive.

Early in the story, you'll find the Treasure Board, which has 99 slots to fill out by doing or finding certain things. You'll need to fill it out finish Story Mode. Here is a guide to the Treasure Board requirements(which also has Solo Dive Map Codes to make it easier).

Solo Dive Map Codes are generated after a map is finished to 80%, which will automatically jump to 100%, and you save and quit the Dive. Make sure to screenshot them/write them down, since I don't think there's a way to see the ones you've generated once you start a new Solo Dive. These codes can be used for multiplayer mode, as well.

Solo Dives are where you'll be playing the most. I'm not sure what determines the layout of each map, but it'll be different each time. This of course means some won't have certain marine life(ie, if there's no deep water sections, nothing from there can be found). There are a total of 578 creatures to seek out and scan, which can be looked at in the Log on the Main Menu.

I'm not sure how each Solo Dive Map is generated, but it can have some interesting layouts from the ones I've gone through. Deep sea caves and tunnels were the most interesting to me. Some even go down far enough to see lava(I think?).

Around the map in Solo Dives, you'll find parts where the Switch will start vibrating, getting stronger near certain sea life, and a small red dot will appear onscreen. If they're scanned, you'll get a heads up about weird biorhythmic activity, and a counter will pop up, as well as several red circled areas around the map. In these areas, more of these specific sea life can be found and scanned. Once all of them are, an Unidentified Marine Life(UML) will appear for a while and can be scanned. Doing so causes a lot of Light to spawn. The UML will eventually disappear, but the process can be repeated.

You don't have to worry about oxygen or getting attacked during your exploration, so it's all pretty chill.

You can customize your character's dive suit with points gained from Salvaging. There's a lot of colors, some coming in a full set or you can mix and match each part. More will be unlocked as your Rank goes up.

As you do more in Solo Dives, your Rank level will go up. The higher your rank, the higher your Dive Capacity will be, and more customization options you can buy.

Dive Capacity measures if you can press Start after finishing scanning something and have it follow you or not.

There are certain large platforms that can appear in the maps that, when examined, will cryptically tell you to bring something specific with you. These are part of the 99 Treasure Board requirements.

I was getting kind of burnt out and had other stuff going on, so I unfortunately didn't fully finish the game. While I can't personally compare it to the previous two games(which I hope get a rerelease at some point), I think it's probably worth playing if you liked them and/or it's type of gameplay. It can be a timesink to finish, though.

I'm not normally scared of deep water in games, though the way it's shown in this game seems pretty true to life, so I got a little intimidated at first. Plus sometimes I heard whale song, and in some cases an extinct creature, and jumped a bit at first since I wasn't expecting it. Seeing deep sea creatures is still really cool, though.

Next game being sent is: Dissidia Final Fantasy NT.