#and created the entire concept without my input

[dominaexmachina]

Love the passion. But let’s break this down, shall we?

1. You say “art gets prompted.”

I don’t think you understand what prompting means. Prompting isn’t “downloading someone’s work” — it’s text input. Models don’t fetch art like Google Images. They generate based on abstracted patterns, not pixel theft.

2. You mention Miyazaki.

Yes, he called one specific AI animation “an insult to life” — because it depicted a grotesque, malformed humanoid writhing in pain. His reaction was about the concept, not AI itself. He’s also famously critical of CG and even some forms of 3D. Should the entire industry stop using those too?

3. Let’s talk about how learning works.

AI learns by studying massive datasets and recognizing patterns.

Artists do the same: they absorb thousands of visual references, mimic, remix, and eventually create their own voice. The process is eerily similar. If “training” on others’ work is theft, then every artist who ever studied anatomy from a Michelangelo sketch is guilty.

4. “Some random guy downloads your animations and trains AI on it.”

This isn’t how modern datasets work. Training sets are huge, anonymized, and filtered. If you upload art to public platforms without protection, that’s a platform-level issue. Pinterest and moodboards have existed for decades. Where was the outrage then?

5. “Generative AI is not needed at all.”

Cool. Don’t use it. But you don’t get to define “need” for everyone else. Millions use it, and your comment doesn’t change the fact that 88% of respondents don’t even try, while the few who do often don’t go back. That’s what my post is about — usage patterns and experience.

And just to clarify — you wrote this post using a device powered by machine learning, on a platform governed by recommendation algorithms trained via machine learning, to talk about how generative AI is “not needed at all”?

You’re already neck-deep in AI and didn’t even notice.

Lastly, how exactly does any of this invalidate my point?

I’ll wait 😌🫖

[copiawife]

now that i care slightly less about this group collection project i feel like i can get a little silly with my contributions >:3c

they wanted non-fashion images for the silhouette moodboard and i contributed a building, two bugs, and a pokemon. and three of them we kept

[cultkinkcoven]

me: I’m sorry I’m so pathetic. It must annoy you that you have to remind me to do basic shit like eat food and drink water. You must think I’m such a child

Lucifer: no actually not at all. You underestimate how daunting of a task it is to keep a body functional. I could never do it. Far too tedious. I applaud you for living in this body for as long as you have.

me: … what

Lucifer: I don’t have a body. I don’t have to worry about hunger or thirst or being too cold or feverish. I don’t ever think about needing to pee, I have never had goosebumps. I don’t get stomach aches. I don’t sweat. In all honesty, being trapped inside a body you feel connected with, but cannot entirely control is a truly terrifying idea, and you’re mostly successful at it. You may think that things like eating seem basic, but I always find it interesting to see how you cope with having a physical condition. You have to eat every single day, multiple times, and it has to be different food every now and then or you’ll become malnourished. You need to maintain the right level of vitamins in your blood or you’ll get sick. If your blood sugar or pressure is too low, you could die. Even 3 days without water could kill you. Sure, I have to tell you to eat sometimes, but truly, it is impressive that you’re able to handle having a body so well in most other regards. I couldn’t do that. It sounds terrible.

me: Is having a body really that foreign of a concept to a God?

Lucifer: you don’t understand how uncanny the prospect of having a body is because you cannot remember a time before you were inside your body. It is an intensely complex machine that carries you through life. You believe you have control over it, but for the most part it’s actually controlling you through instincts affirmed over hundreds of thousands of years. If it wants to, it can entirely ignore your input and act for itself. It can force you to lose consciousness and still operate without your help. You have a billion automatic processes running in the background with belief that your permission is required, you think you control your arm but you never told it to block your face when your body realized it was going to get hit before you did. You think you control your eyes but forget about blinking within 5 minutes. It’s easier to forget about your body and focus more on your thoughts and actions, because to focus on the body is to become aware of the separation, and also the fact that the separation technically doesn’t exist. Yes, to exist within a vessel that has complete control over your understanding of reality and self is an incredibly foreign and even uncanny concept to a God or spirit.

me: the way you describe it makes it seem like having a body is a bad thing, like some kind of punishment.

Lucifer: as a spirit without a body the idea of being trapped within one is uncomfortable to me. However I wouldn’t say it’s a bad thing. It’s a very good thing that you are human.

me: well it sounds like a torturous experience from your perspective

Lucifer: I do not envy your responsibility to keep this body functional. But I do envy other things that come along with having a body.

me: like?

Lucifer: You have a favourite color. Periwinkle. I can never have a favourite color.

me: why not? are Gods not allowed to have a favourite color?

Lucifer: Color does not exist in reality, my love. It is entirely an illusion created by your eyes and brain. What you experience as colors are just different wave lengths of light. Of course I can detect this light, I understand what you mean when you describe the color red. But to me, I don’t necessarily “see” red. I have no eyes, no cones within them to create red. To me, it is more of a number or code. But to you, it’s something you can create associations with and even favour. It is your nose that creates the “smell”, particles in the air don’t inherently “smell” like anything. I love music, you know this well. But to me, a song is an equation, an operation of vibrations. But the right note can make you cry, it can make your heart rate increase. The right melody can cause a physical reaction in the body, the urge to dance. No, I have never experienced physical hunger, but I have also never experienced a delicious meal. I have never been itchy, nor have I ever had a lover scratch my back. I have never felt the discomfort of sweat, nor have I ever felt the relief of a cool breeze on my face. Air enters and exits your lungs. Food breaks down inside your guts and becomes a part of you. Your cells regenerate at every given moment. You are both something trapped inside this body, and this body, all at once. I like to watch you live, my boy, because every single second that this body lives, every moment you devote to me, I learn so much more about what this world is, what it means to live within it. It is only through your devotion that I understand the taste of a caramel chocolate apple. Only because you offered the taste and smell to me do I have a positive affinity towards them. Through the bodies of their people, Gods experience the world without having to become bound by it. I applaud you for taking on this burden, my love. I really do. It is one of the things I admire most about you.

me: huh… I guess I never thought of it that way.

Lucifer: also, having said all of this, you’re really not doing that bad of a job, love. You take pretty good care of your body for the most part. You still bathe nearly every day, you brush your teeth and moisturize your skin. 10000 years ago that would have been very impressive. You may not eat as much as you should but you still at least have one meal a day. People of the past would be lucky to eat food of this quality so often. You have all your booster shots and mask to keep yourself safe from illness. You wash your hair and clip your toenails. You even take multivitamins. You’re doing more than okay, baby, you’re doing really good. I don’t expect you to be perfect. I wouldn’t be if I were you.

me: yeah. I guess you’re right. My ancestors probably didn’t brush their teeth as much as I do

Lucifer: or drink nearly as much water

me: yeah :) hm. okay. thanks :) … so…. you think you wouldn’t take care of your body if you had one?

Lucifer: I would try, but I think I would be very susceptible to addiction. I might become addicted to heroin

me: WHAT

Lucifer: I’ve had a few devotees who did heroin and the sensations it provided were very interesting

me: wow okay.

[treatsformeeko]

ohhh my god i fell over and spilled. ohhhh no i fellover and i dropped this smoothie recipe i wrote when i was 6. i hope nobody interested in recent studies on indigenous led anthropology and nonwestern thinking looks at my delicious smoothie recipe that is unrelated to indigenous archaeology and the concept of other-than-human persons introduced in this post/the greater da lore .... perhaps this smoothie recipe may even help you understand why the writers' centrism is particularly insidious despite creating a world that is explicitly parallel to (some) real-life Indigenous North American conceptions of the World..... oohggggggfff how could i be so foolish.... my smootheie. anyway if you are uninterested in my yummy delicious smoothie mayhaps you will enjoy the following excerpts (apologies in advance for smoothie related jargon and more thoughts under the cut):

it is genuinely very interesting to me how the da writers managed to create a world that is empathetic to traditionally Indigenous conceptions of People and Things and yet do their best to lead players away from sympathizing with the indigenous plight in favor of their centrist (read: anti-Indigenous) agenda. it was often expressed to me that the Northern American anthropology of the past was in many ways a failure because of the eurocentric ideals of its practitioners. NOT because an outsider could never hope to understand their 'mythical ways,' but because the very basis of Indigenous and Settler Thought were at odds with one another in some very fundamental ways. where the Enlightened European mind saw People, Places, and Things, many indigenous american tribes do not draw such a hard line between Personhood and Thing. and yet despite its academic roots tracing back to the 1960s, the field of Indigenous Archaeology is still rather young and underrepresented in anthropology as a whole because it is counterproductive to the interests of those who settled on the land who would much rather forget the atrocities that preceded their presence on the continent and the harm it did, not only to People, but to Land/Things.

but the world of Thedas is explicitly alive! even in instances where the writers were clearly unable to see the World as having agency without anthropomorphizing them, the choice to do so lends further to the conclusion that the world is alive and deserving of agency. the trees, the mountains, even the forest itself blurs the line between person and thing as sentient beings borne out of the land. And the Fade has a tangible, material impact on the waking world. Whereas real-life anthropologists must argue the validity of factoring in dreams and the mystical imagination into their work, Veilguard discusses at length (without much opportunity for player input) the Personhood of a spirit. the Ancient Elves were Spirits-Made-People. Manfred and Spite show that they are capable of growth and learning (although I have problems with how they are both written as not-quite-yet-deserving of personhood). The Veil is actively failing (and has been for the entire series) and it is hurting people on both sides. It would be in the best interest of the World as a being with agency to do away with it.

BUT. because this might lead to real-life parallels with land back and reparative justice for Indigenous people, the writers do a quick heel-turn and explain that sundering the Veil will lead to a massive loss of life in the waking world. which is frankly an irresponsibly written parallel to the real world and leaning more far right than the writers wish to appear. when the status quo is inherently beneficial to some and harmful to others based on their race, gender, what have you - yes. it is indeed harmful to uphold the status quo. it is necessary in this case to look critically at why the writers made this the case. the world exploding if you lean away from centrism is not a real life example that they have drawn from. sympathy for solas's cause is destructive because of the writers' bias, not because there is no other conceivable way in which this story could end. if you were to come away from this game still knowing very little about the real-world parallels it draws upon, you would be dangerously close to perpetuating the harmful practices that are actively deteriorating Indigenous peoples' connection to their own history. in the real world, it is not enough for Indigenous people to simply throw away all ties to their culture and assimilate themselves into the western world. they will still be targeted by predatory government practices or by hate groups regardless of how "well" they adhere to a system that was designed to exclude them.

it's hard to say what i wish the writers would have done with Veilguard because the roots for this final narrative failing have been in place since the beginning. but if the game were truly meant to be a roleplaying experience, rather than a cautionary tale, they would have let you choose options that the writers themselves may not have agreed with, wrt choosing to tear down the Veil. if anything i hope that a lot of these recent retrospectives on the series inspires you to do more to engage with and seek out Indigenous voices in whatever you do. i promise your life will not be lessened by diversity of thought, and that it will instead help you understand what you really think and why you think that way. now go forth. and do anthropology on video game characters

[literary-illuminati]

2024 Book Review #54 – The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

I try to read a piece of somewhat respectable nonfiction every month or so, which means I’m always vaguely on the lookout for titles that seem interesting and which aren’t either inspiration porn or just some random New Yorker’s collection of personal essays. I first heard of Design in an editorial in a local paper, which described it as a ‘seminal read’ – the basic conceit and title both seemed interesting so I through it on the list and, however many months later, finally got around to read with it. It was interesting, but altogether a more dense and technical read than I was at all prepared for when I picked it up.

The book is about what it says on the tin – looking at the processes and practices of industrial design and how it can be best applied to create useful, pleasurable tools. It is very much written for an assumed audience of at least interested amateurs or casual practitioners, with lots of specific practical tips and guidelines for the working designer to apply to their own projects. For the same reason it isn’t at all shy about the jargon or business-school models and charts.

Design, from the book’s perspective, covers an extremely broad field – everything from the physical structure of a tool to the systems and procedures that should be followed for its safe operation to the aesthetics and layout that give the most enjoyable and frictionless user experience handling it. The book considers its principles equally applicable to designing physical products and bureaucratic systems, and is mostly even convincing as it says so. That said, it absolutely assume that whatever is being designed is being designed by a large, multi-team project with budgets and stakeholders, and designed for sale on the private market, both of which do shape the advice given quite clearly (the entire final part of the book is about ‘designing in the real world’ and about these exact conditions).

The prose is written with the precise tone and cadence of an above-average but not great professor giving a long, rambling lecture that illustrates every single point with a tangential personal anecdote – though my mind may only jump to that comparison because that’s basically what this is in book form. It is not, being honest, ever exactly gripping or a page-turner; this was probably the book whose reading felt most like homework of any I’ve opened so far these year. Something not at all helped by the fact that the field of industrial design does the same thing as every other slice of academia and redefines a bunch of very common nouns to be very precise and occasionally very counterintuitive terms of art (though in fairness the book could have been much worse about this).

That aside, I did find the jargon mostly helpful, in terms of clarifying and separating out concepts. The distinction between capabilities (what a given device can be used for) and signifiers (the implicit or explicit ways a device presents itself to be used) is useful and pretty easy to keep in my head, for example.

The initial chapters of the book are primarily about the theory and best practices of designing specific, physical things – for example, how it represents a shameful failure for a door to ever require a sign or instructions on how it should be opened. This was probably the roughest part for me to get through, just because I felt like I should be taking quizzes or filling out worksheets to make sure I remembered everything correctly as I went – the sections get dense. It was fascinating reading to bludgeon through though, if only as a collection of the most practical insights yet provided by the study of human psychology. None of the best practices and recommendations given – never require the user to input more than a few commands without feedback or guidance, map the layout of controls to correspond to the physical ordering of the things they control, mechanical commands should feel like they have some sort of intuitive relationship to their effect, that sort of thing – exactly blew my mind, but it was helpful to see them laid out. Also interesting how much a lot of them contrast so strongly with the minimalist, ‘clean’ aesthetic which actually governs the design of so much these days.

The sections on mistakes and accidents were probably the most interesting and compelling in their own right. Maybe because I found the examples more intuitive, or maybe just because industrial accidents and airline disasters are more attention-grabbing examples than confusing and inefficient light switch layouts. In any case, the typology of mistakes versus errors (basically: whether you are trying to do the wrong thing, or trying to do the right thing and just failing in execution) and their subcategories seem genuinely quite useful, as do the various meditations on how to make both types less common.

This is also the section that has stuck with me in the most detail, if probably just because it seems like it might have some direct relevance to day-to-day life. Most especially the idea that focusing on how to assign fault or blame is the most useless possible thing to do when trying to investigate an accident – it only makes everyone motivated to hide any involvement they might have had, and lets you stop thinking about it as soon as you decide who is responsible without ever digging into the actual causes of the mistake. ‘Human error’ is, in Norman’s view, a mirage – if people are making dangerous or expensive mistakes at any appreciable rate, then that is axiomatically a failure of the systems which should be supporting and guiding them.

The fact that airline disasters are drastically overrepresented in the case studies used because the investigative infrastructure for them is uncommonly (almost bizarrely, really) well-designed and diligently maintained in the US is also just a fun bit of a trivia.

The third part of the book is about the actual process of designing something in a large organization. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is mostly about bureaucratic politics and navigating frictions between, say, the design and marketing teams – the offered distinction that design is about making things that are useful and good whereas marketing’s input on the process is ensuring it is something that people will be willing to buy is pithy and memorable, if perhaps one that people on the marketing team might not be entirely happy with. This, along with terms like ‘the double-diamond design process’ and the oft-repeated saying that ‘the day a project starts it’s behind schedule and under budget’, and the gratuitous use of Japanese, all left me with the uncanny feeling of walking into an MBA seminar.

This is in fact an extremely famous and successful book – I know, because this is a heavily revised second edition, and the new material never missed a chance to say so. Having come out in 2013, the updated material – overwhelmingly about software UX, the internet, and smartphone design, because of course it is – is already somewhat charmingly outdated. The additions did include a long and very interesting section on changing standards, standardization, and when it is or isn’t worth the massive disruption involved (including a fascinating if probably not entirely trustworthy digression into the history of the QWERTY keyboard), so on the whole I’m happy I got this edition rather than the original from the ‘80s.

Overall, not a book I’m likely to open again anytime soon unless I end up making a dramatic change of careers, but interesting enough that I don’t regret reading it.

[randomthefox]

Every now and then, I remember that people don't know how much of a game changer (no pun intended) the first Devil May Cry was. Namely in the action genre and combat-driven games. I remember that before Devil May Cry, combat in games weren't really all that focused on combos and skill; at least not in the way the franchise does it. Even games like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, there wasn't anything quite like Devil May Cry.

There's a reason why a lot of games that follow that combat style are referred to as "Devil May Cry clones" or "uses the combat style of Devil May Cry". A lot of games wouldn't really be a thing if Devil May Cry didn't happen. God of War. That weird Jack Skellington game. Bayonetta. Ultraviolet. Darksiders. Ninja Gaiden. Nier: Automata.

Hell, even Capcom has used that combat system in their OTHER games. Like Okami, for example.

Don't know where I'm going with this. Just gushing at how Devil May Cry changed the game (lol)

It is sad but true that historical innovations become less appreciated over time. TV Tropes has a page for "Seinfeld is unfunny" to document this trend. We don't appreciate how hard the Forty-Niners had it because we can fly to California in an afternoon and drive around Beverly Hills today.

Devil May Cry started its life as a RESIDENT EVIL game. Which is why the first game had such a dark gothic foreboding atmosphere. Hideki Kamiya was inspired by a game bug in Onimusha, another Capcom game, where they were able to juggle enemies in the air with sword attacks indefinitely. That sort of gameplay didn't fit with the style of game they wanted Onimusha to be, but Kamiya liked that concept so much that he wanted to incorporate it into an intentional element of his own game. Eventually the game they were developing deviated so much from the spirit of Resident Evil, becoming so action oriented, that it was decided that they should divorce the project from any association with Resident Evil and let it be its own thing. (How times change, huh?)

Devil May Cry literally created the character action genre. There was NOTHING before Devil May Cry that was anything like it. "Oh there were hack and slashes before DMC" no dude, calling DMC a hack and slash is like calling What Remains of Edith Finch a First Person Shooter. It's not the same thing and you know it. There was nothing like Devil May Cry before Devil May Cry. And it was such an innovation that an entire genre was born, games that took direct inspiration from Devil May Cry and built upon its foundations.

Now, sadly, because of how much progress there's been, people go back and play the original DMC1 and it feels "clunky" in comparison. It has fixed camera angles (because it was originally a Resident Evil game) which has an impact on move inputs being relative to camera direction, and that doesn't feel natural to what people expect from the genre based on modern standards. It only has two melee weapons, and the melee attacks are based on a one button input. There's no "special moves." The game is limited by memory to only allowing one enemy type in a room at a time so you'll never see mix and match encounters. THERE'S SWIMMING LEVELS!!!

People consider DMC1 "skippable" because it "hasn't aged well." The concept of a game "not aging well" disgusts me to my core tbh. The game is exactly the same as the day it came out. It's the world that has aged around it. Better games have come out since Devil May Cry, but they only EXIST because of Devil May Cry. There would be no Bayonetta or God Hand or Wonderful 101 without Devil May Cry. It is the root from which an entire genre sprang up. Of course they didn't get it perfect the first time, they didn't even know what they were doing.

But sadly video games don't really get respected as an art form. People judge them based purely off some kind of nebulous constantly shifting "objective standard" of pure entertainment, and if a game doesn't measure up then it isn't worth wasting time with. I think media should be appreciated in the context of when it was released. And DMC1s historical importance and everything it innovated relative to what its contemporaries were doing in 2001 deserves to be appreciated.

[tangibletechnomancy]

What truly blows my mind is how many business types trying to abuse AI fundamentally don't understand how it works, or at least are banking on other people not understanding it and not even getting slightly curious.

Namely, that it can ABSOLUTELY let one random creative make a larger professional-scale production than they could by conventional means, without a production company - but it very much CAN'T let a production company create new Products with no human creative input.

The entire point is that it expands on human-input ideas. Contrary to what Black Mirror would have us think, it can't algorithmically predict what shows will sell and produce those shows - if anyone tried, the result would be the most boring, samey bullshit you could imagine, and absolutely riddled with nonsense and inconsistencies without heavy editing. Indeed, things that are AI-generated with minimal human input tend to be...bad. I see so many people point this out to hate on the entire concept of AI, to which my response is, so you agree? Making things actually GOOD with AI requires a type of skill?

But use it as a tool to bring something from your own human brain to life, and suddenly you're not limited by things like the need to spend years and years practicing 10 new skills that you appreciate but have no interest in learning yourself except for this one project, have working hands, spend tons of money that most people don't have, or figure out how to turn every hour of your time into the equivalent of 10 man-hours if you want to finish your project to your standards within 10 years.

I look forward to the day that Midjourney Default Style and the like is seen as a cheap-out in large studio productions but endearing indie-jank in single-creator ones.

[chynandri]

How to Survive Enstars Events Without Wanting to KYS

The event of my Enstars life is coming up next week on the English server (the only server I actively play on): Rouge&Ruby. I can’t describe what Melting Rouge Soul did to my brain in February 2023. It’s an incredibly important song, card, event, story to me! And my goal is to get max copy of Ibara’s card, just as I did for Bogie Time Ibara.

My pride and joy. It’s funny that this card is called ‘Extra Undurable Time’ cuz that is exactly what enstars events are.

However, we don’t play gacha games for fun. We play for collecting the little guy they make you get deeply attached to. If I get adhd hyperfixated I can deal with it. But how the hell did I get max copy Bogie Time Ibara in 2023. I remember how mind numbing it was, even if by some amazing stroke of luck God and the universe created the perfect situation to allow me to no life enstars that week.

So this post is to compile my personal ‘strategies’/mindsets, how to even want to keep playing this game - basically to steel myself for the biggest trial of my ensemble stars ‘career’. Because to me, grinding enstars events is always a battle of the mind more than anything else.

Song events just seem more daunting to me, even if they’re technically ‘easier’ gameplay wise because you can just spam autoplay - compared to manually playing 120 songs for a tour event (and then spamming autoplay). I will not say tour events are better. They’re all their own equally terrible hells to me.

Motivation Notes Staying motivated and focused is SUPER IMPORTANT. I find that visuals like ‘motivational posters’ I make for myself are fun and helpful. See above my specific home screen page JUST for enstars. I don’t really play cnstars, but since that server allows you to change the app icon I use it as additional visualization. Calendar can be helpful for keeping track of how much time you have left.

Customizing your enstars in-game homescreen and profile to match the character you’re working so hard for is also fun. Overall, it’s like a vision board but for your goals in video games (important) instead of real life (not as important).

I have this homescreen for (Ei/)Chiaki purposes but honestly the small movements of the live 2D can be extra sensory input. Treat your brain and eyes like a sensitive little baby.

I REALLY should’ve done this for the Universe event, but as of writing this I’m nearly at the 1 million point goal of getting the Chiaki 4 star card. Now this is the most flat, ‘boring’ layout that will not subtly tire you out.

There needs to be minimal audio and visual stimulation in-game. I found that even changing the MV background to no image but the stage image to be helpful in reducing visual stimulation. Putting the game audio on mute is a good way to reduce audio stimulation. The UI/UX of enstars is clunky, tedious, and busy itself so any effort in reducing its sensory input is a plus.

Simple mode is the most basic you can get. Turn off lyrics here and in the details settings if you want even less stuff on screen.

As much as I love the azukisan notes, a note style that’s not too confusing/designed is probably better too.

Another thing I have not personally tried out for playing the game, but have done so to turn my iPad into an ‘e-reader’ is to turn on greyscale mode for the entire phone. I believe e-readers are usually greyscale to simulate a real book, and to limit distraction. This concept could be used for playing games too… Enstars is quite colorful after all and that is also - sensory input.

Here’s how to toggle greyscale on iOS: Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters

Beyond that, publicly sharing your progress is another source of motivation - whether on social media or with friends. Be careful not to reveal too much info about your account at the same time (exact dia count, don’t show ALL the cards you have, etc.).

But you have to be your own biggest hypeman. Channel the energy of the most annoying and loud characters you know (Chiaki, Madara, and Ibara are good examples - I say this with LOVE AND AFFECTION). Celebrate as many event point milestones as you can. RISE AND GRIND!!!!

Gameplay Notes

Important info to know for song events is what is your highest scoring song. You can use the search button in the Live page to filter all the songs by score.

Favorite it so you can make your song menu as simple as possible. This isn’t relevant for tour events tho.

Song Events: Have not maxed out a song event card before so I don’t have any experience to draw upon. I just go for 10BP sometimes 3-6BP each time as I can’t open the game that often during the day. Maybe it’s not technically efficient but I’d rather not be anxious over keeping track of BP regeneration. Very helpful to turn on notifications for Enstars so it can inform you when your BP and work tickets are at max.

Tour Events: I remember at some point I tried spending 10BP on EACH song even if that is not wise. But still mostly kept to the 3-3-6-10 format. Tried 3-6-6-10 too. Maybe I was just losing my mind during Bogie Time and wanted to mess around with the pattern for some sort of ‘fun’.

I can’t wrap my head around the technical aspects of BP spending strategies tbh. The consistent effort is what matters I think. I will not and do not spend much brainpower on this.

Spending Real Life Money: I did spend Real Life Money on prime mission and the 15 whistles per day perk for bogie time. Did it help? A bit. Did it make me want to die less? Idk it feels good to get extra rewards from playing the game so much from prime mission. I used to subscribe to it more often when I first started playing but have long since stopped. The autoloop song vip perk is useful but if you are playing on your phone - I need to use my phone for other things so I can’t keep the game open to complete loops that long. Perhaps a setup of grinding on a tablet instead would be less anxiety inducing/less to keep track of. But I also use my tablet for other things. So from this angle is it truly an upgrade…?

I think the best deal is to buy as many permanent whistle packs from the store as you can and save them for the event. But especially when they have special deals or at the same time as those top up reward events so you maximize your purchases.

I’m not sure if I will buy VIP or more packs for Rouge&Ruby. I had around 76k dia for Bogie Time and did not burn through it all. I must’ve spent around 50k dia. But I read that song events are much more expensive. I’ve saved over 100k dia this time, but I did also buy/win (thru minigames during events) over 500 permanent whistles. I have no idea how this will all pan out so it will be interesting to see how much I burn through. I feel very prepared, so that’s why I don’t see a need for more store purchases right now.

So basically - of course throwing money at things has its benefits. But if you don’t go all out on the perks and spending, it still requires some willpower I think. I got to 80k dia from clearing every single song/song difficulty in the game, clearing the story objectives, and completing all daily free missions in a period of 3-2 months. The rest came from freebies, stories, or seasonal events as they happened. I didn’t start from 0, I think I had somewhere around 10-20k dia before I decided to painfully farm dia from every single song. I used to diligently complete starry live but I don’t think it’s worth the time for a random amount of dia. This is also why I banned myself from scouting (unless it’s limited cards) - only care about what you can get GUARANTEED. Event cards do not rely on rng.

Event Point Ranking: The validation you get from having a high point rank is great. It’s hard for me to ignore and pushes me to grind more. But I also think it’s bad for my brain to care so much when my goal is NOT tiering for the sake of tiering. It’s an extra source of anxiety. I really don’t have any tips for this but to just try to not look at it. Progress - but also reasonably taking care of yourself - is all that matters. You can’t compete with the hardcore f2ps or whales. Just forget it. I’m not here to excel. I’m here to survive enough to get 22 million points.

Event Card Bonus: I had the 4 star bonus card for bogie time. It did feel helpful, but I’d rather not spend tickets or dia on characters I don’t produce so I won’t try to get them anymore.

Live Score Dia Boost: I’ve never tried using dia to boost my score as it just feels better to me to keep dia for BP purposes.

I think that’s about it… Writing this all out was pretty helpful for outlining what’s in my mind. I genuinely can get so over-excited for things. I was so excited/anxious for New Start Go I had trouble breathing right at the very minute the event started 💀 And I was only getting one card of Hajime. Hopefully this all will help me deal with the mounting anticipation of the Ibara event/song/card ever and maybe something was of use to whomever read all this.

[lets-try-some-writing]

⭐️ You got anything cool you wanna share? 👀

Of course!

Pretender AU Ramble:

The Pretender AU is currently my favorite Tumblr AU and let me tell you, I am slow writing for it because the plot THICKENS. The idea came into being when I saw an image of some creepy looking Megatron & Optimus artwork. Then as I sat down with my writing buddy to discuss the AU and go over some of the asks I have gotten for it to create a coherent plot, things got deeper than they originally were.

Literally no one is the good guy in the Pretender AU, despite how it may look. Megatron may seem like the hero, but he is still on his crazy train (which will be showcased later). Optimus may seem like a monster (which he is), but if you look at it, he is simply a being who was born of the wrong host. If ANYONE else had been his host, he would have been fine and the Pretenders could have integrated without issue most likely. Orion Pax would have learned of them, and possibly even gone so far as to create an alliance with these beings considering they operate a great deal like an ant colony and their abilities cannot be overlooked.

Why do I bring this up? Because Megatron is a hypocrite. He wishes to free all sentient beings. Well guess what? The Pretenders are very much sentient. He can't see that, or rather he refuses to due to the trauma of witnessing Orion Pax's slow death. He also does not see many others as sentient in light of his fear of the Pretenders. The Insecticons are on the chopping block just because they share traits with the Pretenders. Beastformers have never been looked on fondly, and in light of the Pretenders, they are also not taken to kindly. By seeing them this way, they have turned to the Pretenders (which will be shown in later writing I have planned).

By refusing to see the Pretenders are sentient beings, many other minor factions are also being thrown under the bus. This has unintentionally given the Pretenders the tools they need to endure. The Pretenders were made for a purpose, and they are really fragging good at doing their job. But Megatron refusing to let go of his personal vendetta was pretty much the only thing dragging out the war. And by doing so, he forced the Pretenders to become less emotive, more calculating, and hyperactive. It is a self destructive cycle and no one is the good guy here. Both factions make things worse for each other and they make the other group more and more fanatical just by existing. There is no victory here.

Well.

That is except for Smokescreen.

He plays the LONG game.

Extra:

Fun fact about the LTSW writing process:

Almost ALL of my fics and AU's are run past my dear friend @spreadwardiard. I come up with the concept and the base for the plot, and then they help me build the idea until we settle on an amazing story. Occasionally I work on something entirely alone, but at this point pretty everything except surprise gifts/small writing projects unworthy of serious note are given to them to think about prior to the actual written work being completed.

My work would not be nearly as interesting without their input. Having a friend to polish up an idea with really is a lifesaver.

You can tell which AU's I didn't run past them because I either don't touch them anymore, the plot/timeline is rather disjointed, or its a goofy thought rather than anything super serious. That's how much I lean on the commentary of others to really get the ball rolling for my work.

[nitrosodiumaltcontroller]

Rough Idea Generation - Games and Controllers

Having now been given basic information on what I can do in this project, and having undertaken research into possible alternate methods of input action, I already had some thoughts of devices I could try and create. Most of these amounted to household items that could be converted into controllers with some rewiring. I got the main idea from this video:

In it, people play various shooters with a driving rig, calculator, drawing tablet, drum kit, Guitar Hero controller, and even a DDR foot pad. Now, these examples don't particularly go into the depths of accessibility - it's more to show the alternate controllers at work - but it helped me to understand how games can be played and even won without relying on WASD or a twin-stick controller configuration. I generated three controller ideas (plus a variation of the first one) and wrote some basic concepts down in my notebook here.

I will go through these one at a time.

Game Idea 1 - Binary Sidescroller

Controller #1 is an object I have had so long that I have forgotten its original purpose. I think it was supposed to be some sort of Halloween wand.

This device has a switch on the side, which essentially gives it two inputs along with 'neutral'. When the switch is moved up, it lights up and spins. When the switch is moved down, it lights up, spins, and makes spooooooky noises.

What I saw here was a possible controller, but also an accessible one: all its possible inputs require a single thumb. My game idea to go along with this was a sidescroller, in which the two settings correlate to you moving along each dimension of the game world: one moves you rightward along the screen, while the other moves you upward like a jetpack. What this results in is a game akin to Jetpack Joyride, but the catch is that you can't move up and right at the same time. This restriction could then make for some interesting environmental puzzles: feathering up and right to do a sort of air-dash, using teleport pads to return to a previous position given that you can't walk leftwards, and other mechanics akin to that. To make sure that the actual basis of the game would be functional, I made a very short demo.

Obviously they always say you should never even think about prototyping before you've decided on a game idea, but I think this is necessary. Firstly, it's not a waste of time because it took about ten minutes, and secondly, it's for functional reasons. If I'm making a game with an entirely proprietary type of controller, I need to know if my game idea could even work with this sort of binary input system. And it does, somewhat. I played around with the 3D environment and added a disc that rotates the player 90 degrees, to increase the amount of space I can use in the level. Of course, it might be a standard 2d sprites and flipbooks affair. I don't know yet, but the basic mechanics are there.

Game 2 - Skid-Steer Tank

My second idea consisted of these grip strength trainers. I was thinking about how I could use them as controllers, and while I had a basic idea of the technical work required (two bits of wire at the bottom, when you tighten your grip, the circuit connects, and that registers as an input on the makeymakey), I couldn't think of what sort of game they could be for. It was then during my research on fairground games, I was reminded of those types of skid-steer bumper cars I had been on as a kid.

There are two levers that control the rotation. Pull the left one down, you turn left, pull the right one down, you go right. Pull them both down, you go forward. I realised that the grip trainers could be used like these levers, and would be far more tactile and immersive than just pressing keys on a keyboard. The main issue with this idea is that it is not too inclusive to people with weak grip strength. If you can't fully close the grip trainer, you can't play the game. This could potentially be fixed with a variable wire length, allowing the amount of force required to be customised before you play. I'm not sure yet. Like the other controller idea, I made a very basic demo to see if my idea would be actually playable.

The good news is that it does work on a technical level. All I'm pressing in this video is A and D - when you press them both at the same time, it goes forward. The bad news is that I think I'm getting motion sick from playing. I'd probably need to code a slower turn speed, since it doesn't feel like you're in any sort of tank, despite the tank controls. Plus there are some slight issues about a fire button - I could have the gun fire automatically, or maybe fire when you start moving, so you have to pump the grip testers to shoot. Then again, that's a repetitive action, so this whole system needs some retooling.

Game 3 - Twin-Stick Mech

I got the third idea mostly from Steel Battalion, when I researched it earlier today. The image is of my brother's FarmStick, which he uses to control the arm on a telehandler when he plays Farming Simulator. It got me thinking about a possible setup consisting of two sticks similar to this, each with eight-directional movement - one for movement and one for looking around. Each would have some buttons on top for extra actions; the movement stick would have jump, crouch, sprint etc. while the look stick would have shoot, aim, reload, and other combat-oriented buttons. The purpose of this controller would be for more immersively playing mech games, but instead of being over-complicated and bespoke, this could be used for multiple games. To make it even more accessible (i.e. for those who only have use of one side of their body), it could instead be one stick with lots of buttons, like the original FarmStick, which can then be remapped to suit the player's needs. If you want to play with twin sticks, that can also work - just plug two of them in.

From what I understand, joysticks like this are considered to be more accessible than standard controllers. A stick was included as an accessory for the Xbox Adaptive Controller we saw earlier today (https://www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories/controllers/xbox-adaptive-controller), and I have read various reviews of people who use them. The primary issue with this idea is that I have no clue how to build something like this, and I don't want to buy two FarmSticks just for a college project when I might not even be able to bring them home at the end.

Game 4 - Tram Adventure

I also had a fourth idea, which I did not write down in the notepad, but I still think it holds some water. I was thinking about other ways I could use the wand as a controller, given that it has only two inputs. Then I realized the obvious: forward and backward. My idea here is to have the player riding a train, akin to the On A Rail chapter from Half Life, but they must avoid overhanging winches and crates as they move across the tunnel. It would essentially play like 3D, first person Frogger, with other possible mechanics like flatbed trains acting like the logs in that game.

Of course, none of this is set in stone; they're just preliminary ideas. I may end up doing a board game instead.

[eastgaysian]

curious if u have more thoughts on the 'durge as a metanarrative' thing

i have a vague sense that i saw someone mention this idea in a post or article, thought the idea was super interesting, and have been rolling it around my head ever since. however i don't remember who wrote that or if i just imagined it so if anyone else has seen this pls link me...

so broadly speaking, when it comes to giving players freedom of choice in an rpg, i think the most difficult player behavior for a developer to work with is npc killing. if you let the player kill every npc they run across, that's probably going to fuck up your design in some way, if not create a full softlock. those npcs provide information, serve mechanical purposes as merchants/healers/gatekeepers or openers, give out quests and then powerful or story-significant rewards for those quests, etc, etc. allowing players to kill everyone they meet while making sure that doesn't break the game requires a lot of work put into contingencies that most players won't see. but if you don't let players kill npcs/make certain important npcs unkillable, you limit player freedom and break immersion. todd howard what do you mean i can't kill the guy who introduced me to windhelm by being racist in the middle of the city. what greater narrative purpose does he serve

on the player's side, though, someone who's going around killing the story-essential npcs probably isn't playing the game 'as intended,' which is to say having fun by immersing themselves in the world of the game and making choices based on the character they're roleplaying. someone who's going around killing every npc possible is almost definitely playing against the game, just doing it to see what happens and find out if the game has a breaking point - and they're probably not even really having fun with it, because they're not only cutting themself off from the game's content, but going through the time and labor-intensive slog of killing hundreds of npcs spread across the entirety of the game world.

i think the dark urge as a concept offers some fun potential to play with both the developer and player side of npc killing. it's a fully intended, deliberately designed way of experiencing bg3 that hinges upon you as player and as character being encouraged to murder people, and it gets kicked off by an npc getting killed without your input - an npc that can have a presence throughout the entire game as well as offer you an extremely powerful quest reward. after that, though, every kill is up to the player. sceleritas fel urges you along and promises rewards, but there's one (1) dc 14 check between you and a murderless durge playthrough.

so the dark urge provides a story template where it becomes immersive and in-character for you to kill everyone possible, unlocking new story beats and rewards by killing npcs and losing out on their content, but it's also completely possible to interpret you, the player, as the irresistible dark urge making your in-game character kill as many people as possible for the hell of it. the moment in dak-wai's playthrough that got stuck in my brain forever was when i killed isobel, just to see what would happen (i saved before with the full intent of loading it back up and doing a Good Run), and realized that this hadn't broken their paladin oath. i'm still uncertain if this is an intended aspect of a dark urge playthrough or just a quirk of the flags surrounding isobel's death/kidnapping, but combined with the dialogue options that allow durge to insist that they kill as a result of compulsions against their will, the implications fascinate me.

in a durge playthrough, the game allows you to fully separate the decision you the player made from the decision the character you're playing would have made, and it makes sense in the story. that's cool as hell! i would've loved if larian leaned into this a little more. not necessarily in a way that fully breaks the fourth wall, but more 'evil run' content that is exclusive to a game where you've killed the good guys would add a lot of depth to this idea, as well as more exploration of the extent to which The Urge can be separated from your character, and just straight up more scenes where the player gets to fully choose whether to lean into or resist the urge. in-universe, it's bhaal's fault, but out of universe, that's all You babey. you, the player doing a kill all npcs run for your youtube channel, are the murder god who spawned a child designed to cause as many deaths as possible. don't you think that's neat? i think that's neat

[seeingteacupsindragons]

Um hi!! Aspiring writer here I just wanted to ask if you had any tips on actually getting down what you want your story to be about and forming a general framework for the plot and events?

I have so so many ideas but they stay ideas because I have no clue how to go from there?

Thank you thank you if you do decide to answer and apologies if im bothering you or its a bad time but I think you’re writings very neat and conveys emotions and characters very well so i wanted your input!

Hi! Thank you for compliments, etc. I appreciate that a lot, and emotion and character are really what I think I’m best at.

Structure (framework) and plot are…well, not, but I’ve been working really hard at getting better at these things lately, so I’ll see if I can’t come up with something to give you a hand.

Generally, my writing starts with a story “seed.” This is basically a character and a concept. They look something like “modern fairy tale with an aro ace witch protagonist” (actual story I have written) or, like, “teenage boy finds himself magically bound to a wizard and forced to obey him” (other actual story).

Sometimes this seed is from a prompt or something floating around in my head as a good idea. Sometimes this seed is from the first couple random paragraphs of something I wrote just to write something—it’s hard to write a couple of solid paragraphs without A Character in A Situation.

So for that first story seed, the first couple paragraphs of “modern fairy tale with the aro ace witch” I started with “witch protagonist hanging out on a broom and contemplating a couple and wondering how he could play the role of a fairy tale witch about them.” Because…I don’t know, that was just the first stuff I typed, and it seemed fun to have a witch actually intentionally playing their role in fairy tales?

And then I just keep spinning the Scenario for a while, making stuff up as a I go along. Okay, he’s on a broom above the sky, what if he also has a familiar, what is the familiar saying, what kind of ideas is the protagonist having, how does he even know these people, etc., etc., etc.

And then once I have enough building blocks of just playing improve on a seed for a bit, I take a look at what’s there and what I can do with it. Switching stories here, basically, I have things like, “Oh, only the teenagers are doing anything to fight back against the magical disasters destroying their city…this sounds like a climate change metaphor.” Or, “Hmmm, I have this situation where the characters’ own passions are negatively affecting them…sounds like they have an unhealthy relationship with art/work/etc.” Sometimes this happens mid-first draft. Sometimes this happens after I have a full draft that was created entirely on playing “yes and” with a scenario.

Once I’ve identified these bits and pieces that seem like they’re threaded into the story in multiple places and what’s standing out to me as prominent in the story, it’s time to make sure everyone else sees them. Plot points that are distracting or don’t contribute to a thread get cut. New ones get added to say something else about the topic, or changed to really emphasize a point I want to make or to clarify what was happening, or to sew various story parts together.

In the book I’m writing at the moment, the first draft had this plot arc about a secret underground coven that like, worshiped the main character’s people. It got cut, because while I thought I was going to say a lot about putting people on pillars and how it’s unhealthy, I didn’t really have anywhere for that thread to go, it was kind of messy and weird, and a lot of stuff I wanted to do worked better when I shifted it to focus more on the main character learning to work with people who were resistant to him and bolstering another character and incorporating their opinions into the Discussion—and also I had some idea of where to go with the latter and not the former.

Let’s take a story seed is about the second daughter of a royal family becoming queen, because I haven’t written this story, dangit.

There’s not really any plot points in that seed. Maybe one way toward the end of the book!

So you need to add some more stuff to get it going. Let’s open with her hanging out with her best friend who’s the first son of an Earl.

Now we have a lot. We have plot points about whatever they’re talking about or doing while hanging out—what activities they like to do, or what’s going around them. And, I’ve got a ready-made juxtaposition in there for their succession stories and how they happen and the challenges they face and the story is now about, idk, coming into power or coming into responsibility, or growing up, or facing expectations and what you do about them. And I can use all of that stuff from the first sentence of the paragraph to emphasize those bits.

If they’re about coming into responsibility, you get to write plot points where the two discover all the things their ancestors have been managed silently and behind the scenes (how are they told this? Are they also managing things silently? Like what?). If it’s about what you’re going to do with power, you add in a plot line about them discovering how their parents failed (how do they discover it—is it something they mentioned doing or were seen doing?).

Each of those subplots (and if you’re writing about growing into responsibility, there’s a lot of different ways that manifest and each can have its own subplot branch) branches out into more and more ideas and things you can do to emphasize each point and say what you want to say about whatever the plot/theme is.

I don’t know where you are in your ideas you can’t write down—if you just have a seed, or you have a seed and one theme/point/thing you want to write about and don’t know how to actually branch that into plot points. I think you’re at the latter. So what I say here is: the plot points you pick/choose/write are the ones that seem like they’re going to give you something to say about it and contribute to what you want to say.

If you want to write about growing into power, maybe you don’t need that plot point about our princess sneaking out to hang out with the Enemy, but you do need a scene where she teaches her younger sisters. Hanging out with the Enemy might fit better in a story where she’s learning how to heal political rifts. If the story you’re writing is about both, cool! You can figure out a way to have one or two of those scene do double duty as both and then keep both scenes. Maybe you don’t need a scene where she learns how to handle a sword in favor of a ball where she’s introduced as the heir apparent.

And then there’s…well…how things get resolved says a lot about the topic, you know? If you have a character with an abusive mom, and at the end she forgives her mother, that Says Something Different than if she cuts dies with her mom. And what is says depends on a lot of details, of course, but it’s really important to keep in mind that how the story ends really is your final statement on the matter.

I…hope this helped? I think I answered your question anyway. This is about where I’m at with my writing and how I’m trying to make it work, anyway.

[my-kaylah]

I think about this a lot, so I want to let people in on a little thing I do: I give the story to the world. You could make it a story prompt! I personally tell my friends and hope they bring something similar to life (and then use that to motivate me to start my own story. Works a whopping third of the time)!

I am someone who is big on integrity. This extends to all areas in my life, especially my writing world—even when I was committed to school. I would sometimes say I “write” papers for people… in reality, it was me helping them write it. I would send resources and research leads; I would sit with them on a Google Doc; a lot of them times I would offer suggestions or straight up edit the entire paper! If I am your friend, I would be doing such a disservice doing the work for you because in the end… what was truly accomplished beyond academic dishonesty??

In turn, the creative field I hold to a much stricter standard. Theft is inexcusable. There is no need to steal creativity when… you can simply use it to inspire you. Some of my favorite pieces I’ve personally made have been inspired while consuming someone else’s content.

When those annoying “how to write better!!!” blogs tell you to read as the first or last thing on their list… they’re not wrong. I consume so much more content than I create; most of my creator friends do too if I think about it. There are periods where—instead of writing—I’m reading a WIP, commenting on the story, talking to the artist (this is how I make friends, I really just be wanting to talk to the person behind the art because the two are inseparable).

Creating without consuming would be counter productive. If you’re familiar with the concept of the ecochamber—this is how they’re made. Think of that little input-output chart they kept tryna teach us in math. With no creative input… are you really going to enjoy the creative process and what you produce from it?

And it doesn’t even have to be reading! You can watch youtube channels; lurk through reddit subs; read twitter threads; content is whatever you consume on a daily basis. It’s the things you choose to engage with.

[dreamgrades]

Take My Online Class for Me: A Comprehensive Guide for Busy Students

In today’s fast-paced world, managing multiple responsibilities can often feel overwhelming. Students, particularly those juggling academics, part-time jobs, and personal commitments, frequently find themselves stretched thin. This is where the concept of outsourcing academic tasks, such as online classes, has emerged as a practical solution. If you're one of the many asking, "Can someone take my online class for me?" this guide will provide the insights you need.

The Modern Student's Challenge

Balancing life as a student is no longer just about academics. Many students are simultaneously managing jobs, internships, family obligations, and extracurricular activities. Online classes, while offering flexibility, still demand regular attendance, active participation, and consistent submission of assignments. These requirements can become unmanageable when combined with other responsibilities.

This is where the option to have someone take my online class becomes invaluable. It provides a tailored solution for students who need to ensure academic success without compromising other areas of their lives.

Why Consider Hiring Someone to Take Your Online Class?

Outsourcing your online class can seem unconventional at first, but the benefits are undeniable. Here’s why more students are exploring this option:

1. Time Optimization

Hiring a professional to handle your coursework frees up your schedule. This enables you to focus on essential commitments like your career, personal projects, or family.

2. Stress Reduction

Balancing deadlines, exams, and assignments can lead to burnout. Delegating your online class responsibilities allows you to maintain a healthier mental state.

3. Improved Performance

Experienced professionals who specialize in academic assistance are adept at meeting course requirements. Their expertise can result in better grades and an enhanced academic profile.

4. Customized Support

When you hire someone to take my online class for me, the service is often tailored to your specific needs, including assignment submissions, participation in discussions, and exam preparation.

How to Choose a Reliable Service Provider

The demand for online academic assistance has led to the emergence of numerous service providers. However, not all are created equal. Here's what to consider when selecting a service:

1. Reputation

Research the provider’s track record by reading reviews and testimonials. Look for a history of successful outcomes and satisfied clients.

2. Confidentiality

Ensure the service guarantees complete discretion. Your personal and academic information should be secure and private.

3. Expertise

Verify that the professionals handling your coursework are knowledgeable in your subject area. This ensures high-quality output and adherence to academic standards.

4. Communication

Choose a provider that offers seamless communication. Being able to track progress and provide inputs when necessary is crucial for success.

5. Cost-Effectiveness

While quality service often comes at a price, it’s essential to find a provider that offers transparent and competitive pricing. Balance affordability with reliability.

Addressing Ethical Concerns

The concept of hiring someone to take my online class may raise ethical questions. While some might view it as a shortcut, it’s essential to consider the context. Many students opt for this solution out of necessity, not convenience.

To ensure ethical practices, students should use these services responsibly. For instance, they can request support for specific assignments or participation, rather than delegating the entire course. This balance allows students to maintain their learning journey while managing other priorities.

Steps to Get Started

If you're ready to explore this option, here’s a step-by-step guide:

Identify Your Needs Determine the specific aspects of your online class you need help with—be it assignments, discussions, or exams.

Research Providers Look for reputable services that specialize in assisting students.

Request a Quote Share your course details and requirements to receive a customized pricing plan.

Set Clear Expectations Communicate your goals, deadlines, and any special instructions.

Monitor Progress Stay involved by tracking the service provider’s progress and providing feedback.

The Future of Academic Support

With the increasing prevalence of online education, the demand for academic assistance services continues to grow. Students who ask, "Can someone take my online class for me?" are seeking innovative ways to adapt to modern academic challenges. These services, when used appropriately, empower students to succeed without compromising their well-being.

Conclusion

Life as a student comes with its unique set of hurdles, but solutions like academic support services provide a lifeline for those in need. By considering the option to have someone take my online class, students can achieve a harmonious balance between their academic and personal lives.

Choose wisely, use these services responsibly, and unlock your potential for success without unnecessary stress.

[eleanorlusteinbrecher]

Project 3 Final Revision - Light Up Christmas Jewelry Box

VIDEO LINK

The goal of this project was to revise one of my previous two projects while incorporating an advanced sensor with at least one input and one output. My original concept was a paper frame with a 3D picture created using paper cutouts from the Cricut machine. This was a highly art-focused project, with the electronic output being LED lights and sound. For the revision, I decided to make it Christmas-themed for the holidays. The final idea was a jewelry box that opens to reveal a paper Christmas village with lit houses and music.

I wanted to continue using LED lights to illuminate the village and add sound. Additionally, I wanted to experiment with a motor to create a little girl ice skating, reminiscent of the ballerina in classic jewelry boxes. For the interactive element, I initially planned to activate the box when it was flipped open, like traditional ballerina boxes. However, this proved challenging, so I opted to use a light sensor. The sensor was placed in the drawer area so that when someone opened the drawer to access their jewelry, the circuit board would detect light and activate the features.

Initial Design and Materials

I originally wanted to make the box entirely out of paper for customization and flexibility. However, I encountered difficulties designing a drawer and lid mechanism with paper. Additionally, the size of the box exceeded the capabilities of the Cricut machine. Fortunately, I found a suitable wooden box at Michael's, which served as the perfect base. The box’s top section was made of wood and cardboard, which could be easily removed and cut to accommodate wires. The bottom section was a simple wooden drawer.

Wrapping the Box

I wrapped the box with tan gift paper featuring white snowflakes to maintain a subtle wooden appearance without overwhelming color. Using an X-Acto knife, I precisely measured and cut the paper, gluing it on with Elmer's Glue. Every edge was carefully wrapped and smoothed to achieve a professional finish. Although this process was time-consuming, I was very pleased with the result.

Creating the Village

I used pre-made Cricut cutouts for some elements and customized others by uploading silhouette designs found online into the Cricut software. Once the pieces were cut, I painted them for added dimension. Initially, I tried dark colors but disliked the outcome. I switched to a soft watercolor effect, which added depth and a charming aesthetic to the project.

Assembling the Box

After painting and drying the components, I began assembly by cutting holes in the box for wires using an X-Acto knife.

Foldable Mechanism

Creating the foldable mechanism for the village was a challenge. My first attempt involved attaching the village to the lid using paper. However, the paper wasn’t strong enough to support the weight, causing the pieces to collapse. I reinforced the paper with a second layer, which worked temporarily but still looked unstable and cheap.

For the second attempt, I mounted the village on a cardboard panel and used small, folded paper strips as supports. These strips added layers to the village and allowed it to fold neatly when the box was closed and pop back up when opened.

I also experimented with 3D coils made of soldering metal and 3D-printed materials. Unfortunately, the coils were either too stiff or too flexible to function effectively.

Electronics and Code

Motor and LED Lights

Initially, I planned to use a linear actuator to mimic the girl skating across a pond. However, the actuator was too tight, damaging the ice skater. I instead programmed the motor to spin the girl in a circular motion, resembling a figure-eight pattern. The motor ran for 30 seconds after activation.

The LED lights were the same brand as my previous project, so I reused the original code and connected the LEDs using alligator clips.

Sound

I sourced sound from FreeSounds.org, edited it in Audacity to ensure compatibility with the circuit board, and integrated it into the code.

Light Sensor

the ciruct board with a built in light sensor was placed in the drawer area to detect when the drawer was opened. This triggered the lights, motor, and sound.

Final Assembly

I wrapped the inside of the drawer, as well as the base of the village and parts of the glass, in blue-silver wrapping paper to evoke a snowy contrast against the tan exterior.

Code

Code to say I wrote: 

import time

import board

import pwmio

from analogio import AnalogIn

from adafruit_motor import servo

import digitalio

# Try importing the audio modules compatible with your board

try:

    from audiocore import WaveFile

except ImportError:

    raise ImportError("audiocore module not found on your board.")

try:

    from audioio import AudioOut  # Use audioio if available

except ImportError:

    try:

        from audiopwmio import PWMAudioOut as AudioOut  # Fallback to audiopwmio

    except ImportError:

        raise ImportError("Neither audioio nor audiopwmio is available on your board.")

# Setup for light sensor on Pin A1

light_sensor = AnalogIn(board.A1)

# Setup for the speaker

spkrenable = digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.SPEAKER_ENABLE)

spkrenable.direction = digitalio.Direction.OUTPUT

spkrenable.value = True

# Load the sound file

wave_file = open("christmas.wav", "rb")

wave = WaveFile(wave_file)

# Audio output

audio = AudioOut(board.SPEAKER)

# Setup for rotation servo motor on Pin A2

pwm = pwmio.PWMOut(board.A2, frequency=50)

cont_servo = servo.ContinuousServo(pwm)

# Setup for fairy lights on Pin A5

light_pin = digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.A5)

light_pin.direction = digitalio.Direction.OUTPUT

# Function to get light level

def get_light_level():

    return light_sensor.value  # Returns a value between 0 and 65535

# Threshold for light detection (adjust based on environment)

LIGHT_THRESHOLD = 30000

# Variables to track servo and timer state

servo_running = False

start_time = 0

while True:

    light_level = get_light_level()

    print(f"Light level: {light_level}")  # Debugging output

    if light_level > LIGHT_THRESHOLD:  # Light detected

        print("Light detected! Turning on lights, starting servo, and playing sound.")

        # Turn on fairy lights

        light_pin.value = True

        time.sleep(0.5)  # Flashing effect

        light_pin.value = False

        time.sleep(0.3)

        # Play sound if not already playing

        if not audio.playing:

            audio.play(wave)

        # Start servo

        if not servo_running:

            cont_servo.throttle = 1.0  # Full speed forward

            servo_running = True

            start_time = time.monotonic()  # Record the current time

    # Check if 30 seconds have elapsed for servo

    if servo_running and (time.monotonic() - start_time >= 30):

        print("30 seconds elapsed. Stopping servo.")

        cont_servo.throttle = 0.0  # Stop the servo

        servo_running = False  # Reset state

    # Ensure lights are off if no light is detected

    if light_level <= LIGHT_THRESHOLD:

        light_pin.value = False

    time.sleep(0.1)  # Small delay for loop stability

Final Product

Here is a video: VIDEO LINK

[teenageread]

Review: Hello Beautiful

Initial Thoughts: 

Nothing about William Waters would make me want to give up any part of my family, and I do not care how tall he is. For William to be the one that technically ruins the Padavano family, I felt like Ann Napolitano should have given him more depth. Like I get why Julia was into him, but as soon as Will and Sylvie had their “bench conversation” I just felt an ick towards him, which blended into Sylvie and Julia and made me hate 2/4 of the sisters because I thought their plot was dumb. This made the story hard to get through as Napolitano spends so long making the three-dimensional complex characters for you to feel for, which for the twins you do, Julia and Sylvie not so much; and then give them no drama. This novel could fill up only a page or two of actual drama-filled conversations these characters have. Otherwise, the drama happens around the family, and members of the family choose to leave the entire situation and just stop speaking to everyone which could cause the drama. Like how? This novel just runs away from its problems and then makes them up years later by not talking about them. Because of course, you will forgive your sister if it means talking to them again after the last decade of silence. This novel had a plot of potential that Napolitano squashes by not making characters talk about their feelings and their hurt, and instead letting them self-cycle their beliefs and not gain any outside input until it is too late. 

Characters:

I love Julia. Yes, she is flawed, and yes made some mistakes, but Napolitano paints her to be the bad guy and is constantly shining the light on her flaws without giving her the grace she deserves after Sylive hurt her in the worst way. To not give away the plot, Sylvie never apologies, (unless she did near the end of the book - I truly forget but not the point), and I think that is the flaw in her character that Napolitano should have stressed more in this novel, before trying to make all readers jump on the hate-Julia train. Sylvie is the one in the wrong, and where, yes, you cannot control who you fall in love with, you can at least be upfront about it and not hide it in a dorm room for months. That's why I love the twins in this novel, because they were honest with each other, worked on their relationship, and communicated - something Sylvie and Julia should have done. I love all the sisters' relationships with their parents, in that in-between zone of how you could not tell if they loved them or hated them - a concept Napolitano should have worked more on in the sisters' relationship. William also does not deserve the amount of page time, or POV title, he was allotted to. This man was 2D, had no depth, was emotionally unavailable, and could have been replaced by a beloved pet if needed. William had his height and tragic backstory which Napolitano tried to make interesting and failed miserably at.  

Plot and Writing

The timeline in this novel does not make sense, making the writing where it could be beautiful and flowy feel a bit off as I am constantly going back to the front of the chapter to try to figure out what year I am in. This novel starts with the sisters being in their early twenties in the 1980s, to adult women around 2008, but each chapter is a period, like years. I get that, and I like it, as it shows the sisters grown up, how their family dynamics change, and how over time they create new ones. However, how can I have a Julia chapter going from Sylvie chapter going from December 1983 to August 1984, when the content is definitely not 8 months worth of stuff, and the next be Julia chapter from October 1984 to September 1988. Like are these happening at the same time? Because the writing does not make it feel like the story is overlapping, yet the timeline is constant. Also, Napolitano speeds Alice’s life for no big deal except to add more fuel into the anti-Julia pile, and to give Alice a plot line. We spend the majority of the novel with Alice being a baby, to a small child, to all of the sudden flash towards graduating high school, and then bam, done her undergrad, just to see Alice hate her mom? No thanks, Alice could have had the exact same plot revolution at the age of 16, as Napolitano made her have at 25, making it unnecessary to speed up this novel ending and make Julia seem worse for keeping Alice away all this time. This book had a solid plot line, minus the unneeded love triangle and anti-older sister vibes, the ideas were all there in the idea of crafting a complex family story. Yet the delivery and the timeline made it inconsistent to love, follow and even understand at parts. 

Conclusion

This novel, despite its awards and best-seller list, had the potential that it floundered. It's an anti-older sister, believe-in-true-love-despite-you-slept-with-my-sister trope, and the running away from meaningful conversations. I think Napolitano could have made this novel way better if she stopped trying to build complex characters and made them have some massive verbal fights about these things. The fact that Julia shrugs off what Sylvie did to her when the time came to be, ruins what could have been an earth-shattering Pulitzer prize conversation. The timeline of this novel also has to go, as if Napolitano made it shorter, making it 5 years instead of 20, the characters could be a lot heated and broken over the drama that has happened and not so nonchalant and okay with the fact that their family was shattered for the last two decades.