#but if you automatically dive into attack mode. then you are choosing to be an asshole

[evilkitten3]

at some point the autistic community is going to have to come to terms with the fact that, if you know you're bad with tone and sarcasm, it's still on you if you automatically jump to the worst interpretation you can imagine of what someone's saying. sometimes you actually are just being an asshole

Still can't get over the fact that Toby Fox dreamed up a game ending, but he decided he wanted to make something a little less ambitious first, so instead he made the most influential indie game of all time

[storesnearmeusatoday]

Best Air purifier-Shop selection of air purifiers & filters. Find all types of purifiers by brand, color, display type, form and more to properly purify your home.The Best learn more

Best air purifier-Best Air purifier-Shop  selection of air purifiers & filters. Find all types of purifiers by brand, color, display type, form and more to properly purify any Breathe Easy: Finding the Best Air Purifier for Your Home In today's world, where air quality is increasingly compromised by pollution, allergens, and even indoor contaminants, an air purifier is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. These devices work tirelessly to filter out harmful particles, leaving you with cleaner, fresher air and a healthier living environment. But with a plethora of options available, choosing the right air purifier can feel overwhelming. This article will guide you through the essential factors to consider, helping you find the best air purifier for your specific needs.   Why You Need an Air Purifier:   The benefits of clean air are numerous. An air purifier can:   Reduce Allergens: Trap airborne particles like pollen, dust mites, pet dander, and mold spores, alleviating allergy symptoms like sneezing, coughing, and watery eyes. Improve Respiratory Health: Remove irritants and pollutants that can trigger asthma attacks and other respiratory problems. Eliminate Odors: Combat unpleasant smells from cooking, pets, smoke, and chemicals. Remove Smoke & Dust: Reduce the presence of smoke particles from wildfires or cigarette smoke, and eliminate dust that settles on surfaces. Promote Better Sleep: Cleaner air can contribute to improved sleep quality by reducing congestion and creating a more comfortable breathing environment. Key Considerations When Choosing an Air Purifier:   Before diving into specific models, consider these crucial factors:   Room Size: Air purifiers are designed for specific room sizes, measured in square feet. Check the unit's specifications and choose one appropriate for the area you want to purify. Opting for a unit that's too small will render it ineffective, while an oversized purifier might be unnecessarily expensive. Filtration System: The filtration system is the heart of an air purifier. Look for: HEPA Filter (High-Efficiency Particulate Air): HEPA filters are essential for removing particles like pollen, dust, pet dander, and smoke. They are highly effective at capturing 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns in size. Activated Carbon Filter: This type of filter absorbs odors, gases, and chemicals. It's particularly beneficial for those sensitive to smells or living in areas with high levels of air pollution. Pre-Filter: A pre-filter traps larger particles like hair and dust, extending the life of the main filters. CADR Rating (Clean Air Delivery Rate): CADR measures the volume of clean air an air purifier produces per hour. Higher CADR ratings indicate faster and more efficient air cleaning. Look for a CADR rating that's at least two-thirds of your room's square footage. Noise Level: Consider the noise level, especially if you plan to use the purifier in a bedroom or office. Look for models with a low noise level (measured in decibels) on their lowest setting. Features: Explore additional features that might be beneficial: Smart Features: App control, air quality monitoring, and automatic mode adjustment. Filter Replacement Indicator: Alerts you when it's time to replace the filters. Adjustable Fan Speeds: Allows you to customize the purification level. Timer: Allows you to set the purifier to run for a specific duration. Maintenance: Consider the ongoing maintenance requirements, including filter replacement costs and frequency. Types of Air Purifiers:   Beyond the filtration system, there are different types of air purifiers:   HEPA Air Purifiers: These rely solely on HEPA filters for particle removal. Activated Carbon Air Purifiers: These primarily focus on odor and gas removal using activated carbon filters. Combination Air Purifiers: These combine HEPA and activated carbon filters for comprehensive air cleaning. Ionic Air Purifiers: These release ions that attach to airborne particles, causing them to cling to surfaces. While they can be effective, they can also produce ozone, a respiratory irritant. It's generally advisable to avoid models that intentionally produce ozone. UV Air Purifiers: These use ultraviolet (UV) light to kill bacteria and viruses. While effective for disinfection, they don't remove particles from the air. Making the Right Choice:   Choosing the best air purifier depends on your individual needs and circumstances. Consider the size of the room, the types of pollutants you want to eliminate, and your budget. Read reviews and compare features before making a final decision.   Investing in an air purifier is an investment in your health and well-being. By carefully considering the factors outlined above, you can find the perfect air purifier to create a cleaner, healthier, and more comfortable environment for you and your family.Checkout top rated Air purifier Brands Here Read the full article

[satoshi-mochida]

Square Enix shared the list of additional elements and improvements in Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition during a live stream held earlier today, as well as detailed the game’s “Voice Drama” add-on and more.

Get the details below.

Additional Elements and Improvements

The gameplay styles of both the PlayStation 4 and 3DS versions in one.

Spell of Restoration scenario selection.

Newly added party member dialogue.

Added [???].

Fully-voiced events.

Voice support for all party member dialogue.

Switch between voice languages (Gorgeous Edition-only).

Option to turn on / off sounds from the protagonist (exhaling, etc.)

Improved [???].

Voice Drama.

The timing at which you can visit Yocchi Village has changed.

The placement of Yocchi that possess passwords.

New “Appearance-Changing Equipment” added.

Madame Cherie.

Added [???].

Implemented horse racing remedial actions.

Furigana display.

Ability to skip cutscenes the first time around.

Camera improvements.

Photo Mode added.

Increased variation of ridable monsters.

Ability to attack ridable monsters on the field to earn experience points.

Switches to dedicated background music when riding a great sabrecat.

Party members follow you on the field.

Dash movement.

Ability to call horse at all times.

Obtain experience from blowing away monsters on the horse.

Shiny spots stand out more.

Immediately obtain materials upon examining gathering points.

Bowgun gameplay revised.

Added church Yocchi before the Lord of Shadows Mordegon.

Adjusted the placement of guest NPCs when camping.

Increased the tempo of party dialogue.

Added [???].

Added [???].

Added party member speech bubbles in battle.

In battle, party members move on their own according to the situation.

Adjusted battle speed.

Added ability to switch between free movement and auto camera mid-battle.

“Skill Reset” available from the beginning of the game.

“Learn Multiple Skills” available from the beginning of the game.

Forging can now be done anytime, anywhere.

Reverse lookup and purchase materials required for forging.

Made it easier to understand which items can be created with forging.

Display 2D-only monsters in the 3D bestiary.

Navigate the UI with the joystick.

Added shortcut menu.

Added guide for opening the map.

Added effective weapon type icons to the skill panel.

Display defeated monsters list in the map menu.

Display rarefied monsters on the defeated monsters list.

Display status ailments when switching out party members.

Improved the display of walking recovery effects.

Appearance-changing equipment is properly labeled.

Purchased materials automatically go into the item bag.

Revised soldier events in the Heliodor Sewers.

Partial improvements to 2D graphics.

Partial improvements to 2D event scenes.

Adjusted the 2D map at the start of the game.

Added “Smell” to replace Noah’s Archive.

Added ability to click through the message window as the level up melody is playing.

Partial quest adjustments.

Pickup Elements

Increased party member reactions in battle, emphasized a sense of unity.

Improved forging.

Added Photo Mode.

Implemented horse racing remedial actions.

Madame Cherie.

Voice Drama Downloadable Content (1,500 yen)

About four to five hours in length. A collection of short stories that dive deeper into the characters, including their pasts, as well as depicts their everyday lives.

There is a story of Jade when she was a child, a young Rab, as well as a story about a Medamoiselles play.

There are various stories, from good stories that make you laugh to matters of life.

There is also a read-aloud story in which Mitsuki Saiga plays about nine roles by himself.

Rab serves as the guide for the Voice Drama.

Text can also be displayed. There are log, fast-forward, and rewind features.

Increased Party Member Reactions in Battle, Emphasized a Sense of Unity

In order to create a sense of unity with your party members, characters left alone will move on their own, or move to evade when approached, as well as produce speech bubbles related to the battle situation.

In event battles, there are even some special lines that are voiced.

Improved Forging

Forge anywhere.

While this does not apply to everything, it is also possible to purchase the materials you are missing.

Additional Ridable Monsters

The great sabrecat runs at high-speed. By roaring, you can summon nearby monsters.

Appearance-Changing Equipment

“Appearance-Changing Equipment” can now only change appearance without affecting attack power and defense power.

The “Kingdom of Trodain Set” changes the protagonist’s appearance to that of the Dragon Quest VIII protagonist. Dragon Quest VIII music also plays on the field.

Adventure the Worlds of Previous Dragon Quest Titles

All the worlds of previous Dragon Quest titles use 8-bit graphics. Even the maps that were 3D in the 3DS version were recreated in 8-bit. The music is also 8-bit sound source.

Spell of Restoration Evolution

Go back to an adventure that you have already passed. Return and replay a previous adventure while carrying over your strength. You can also choose between 2D and 3D modes.

Photo Mode

Photo Mode includes features such as rearranging characters, changing the way the camera is facing, posing, turning on or off the character display (individual settings also possible), blurring the background, and more.

Madame Cherie

Madame Cherie is a professor at L’Academie de Notre Maitre les Medailles.

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition is due out for Switch worldwide on September 27.

Watch the full live stream archive below.

[ges-sa]

New Post has been published on https://ges-sa.com/borderlands-3-pc-review/

Borderlands 3 PC Review

At the hard edge of the galaxy lies a group of planets ruthlessly exploited by militarized corporations. Brimming with loot and violence, this is your home—the Borderlands. Now, a crazed cult known as The Children of the Vault has emerged and is spreading like an interstellar plague. Play solo or co-op as one of four unique Vault Hunters, score loads of loot, and save the galaxy from this fanatical threat.

Play as one of four all-new, deeply customizable Vault Hunters—the ultimate treasure-seeking badasses of the Borderlands. Customize your Vault Hunter with tons of personalization options and use their distinct skill trees to tailor abilities to your preferred playstyle. The New Vault Hunters are ridiculously fun to play with, I mained FL4K on PC While Frozebud mained Moze on PS4.

FL4K is a wandering robot who always brings one of their three loyal pets into battle to buff stats and attack enemies. Their action skills let them send forth dive-bombing Rakk, teleport Gamma Burst-irradiated pets through rifts, and even Fade Away to temporarily become invisible while moving faster and regenerating health.

Moze is a battle-hardened former Vladof army soldier who specializes in mechanized combat. She uses an action skill to digistruct and climb into her bipedal tank, Iron Bear, which has hardpoints suitable for mixing, matching, and mounting high-velocity Railguns, rapid-firing Miniguns, semi-automatic Grenade Launchers, flamethrowers, pneumatic fists, and homing rocket launchers.

Zane is a semi-retired corporate hitman who always has a gadget up his sleeve. His action skills include a SNTNL drone that flys around and attacks enemies with a machine gun, a deployable Barrier shield, and a Digi-Clone that simultaneously distracts enemies and dishes out damage and which Zane can teleport to switch places with.

Amara is a renowned champion of the people and bonafide bad-ass. Using her action skills she can Phase-slam the ground to damage nearby enemies and knock them into the air, Phase-grasp enemies in place with a giant ethereal fist, or even Phase-cast an astral projection of herself that deals damage to everything in its path.

The Calypso Twins, Troy and Tyreen, are ruthless new media cult leaders who have convinced the bandit clans of the Borderlands that they are their Gods and Saviors. They consider the power of the Vaults to be their birthright and are leading their weaponized worshipers, The Children of the Vault, on a crusade to claim it—and only you have the arsenal and allies to take them down. The new Antagonists of the game were really really well thought out and i really loved the Streamer-esque personalities they both had. One thing to mention though is that the new boss fights in borderlands 3 are really, really hard. They can no longer be taken lightly like in previous games, You need to level and skill tree appropriately otherwise they’ll simply walk all over you. Which brings me to my next part:

Team up with other Vault Hunters online, or with two-player split-screen on console. Your whole crew will be able to deal meaningful damage—regardless of your respective character levels—through the handy Level Syncing system. You can even opt to play with loot instancing enabled so that you each get your own level-appropriate weapon drops. This with the above boss fights makes the game a whole lot easier and a whole lot more rewarding. Borderlands still is at its roots a very multiplayer focused game and should be played as such in co-op modes.

There are over one billion guns in Borderlands 3, and every fight is an opportunity to add to your arsenal. Some guns launch exploding saw-blades, some never need to be reloaded, others grow legs and pursue enemies on foot when you throw them. Having trouble choosing? Rarity ratings and item scores make it easy to compare the power of your pickups at a glance, but you can also tell a lot about a weapon and its functionality based on its manufacturer. The new gear score levels really really help sorting out and organizing your loot and are a welcome addition to borderlands 3. You can now sort your inventory by gear score highest and sell the lower now out-leveled or outdated weapons and make space for even more loot pickups, and trust me, there are tons of loot drops in this game. My inventory always felt maxed out even after buying some SDU Upgrades from Marcus. That’s just how many guns and drops there are in this game.

Your Borderlands 3 adventure begins on the familiar desert planet of Pandora from previous Borderlands games, but your journey doesn’t stop there. You’ll also travel to other worlds aboard your very own spaceship, Sanctuary III—a backwater swampland focused on the Hammerlock family, a futuristic city, and a picturesque monastery are among the new environments you can explore. This makes for quite a lot of scenery and its very welcome, After all one of the main hype points about this game was being able to travel to other planets and open multiple vaults. Borderlands 3 has pretty much taken everything we love from the previous games and turned it up to 10, more guns, familiar faces, new heroes, new planets, more vaults, more chaos, more vehicles! Just more everything.

On a side note, I’ve read alot of reviews and comments explaining bad glitches and game crashes, Im happy to note i’ve experienced none so far in my entire 30hours of playtime. The games addition to the Epic store is also a welcome one and i cant wait to see all the new DLC Coming out for this game. Starting in October with:

Bloody Harvest.

What you need to know:

Bloody Harvest is a limited time Halloween-themed event.

It will add new challenges, enemies, weapons, missions, and a boss.

It is set to begin in late October and will last for a little over a month.

[mysocialtrust]

Anytune like pc

ANYTUNE LIKE PC FULL

ANYTUNE LIKE PC SOFTWARE

ANYTUNE LIKE PC PC

ANYTUNE LIKE PC WINDOWS

Slow down music, choose the perfect pitch, and learn to play by ear. Checkout ReFrame Audio Isolation - anytune.

ANYTUNE LIKE PC SOFTWARE

The Game mode will be particularly interesting to the gamers as it terminates insignificant processes and background software creating more RAM space for smooth gaming.New. IObit Advanced SystemCare has 3 optimizations mode.

ANYTUNE LIKE PC WINDOWS

Which makes it also as good in Windows repair. Additionally, you can make use of its WinFix, DiskDoctor, and Shortcut Fixer options to fix various issues in Windows. Also with the increased cases of malware attacks, you will appreciate the extra protection afforded by this software against spyware. In regards to data protection, this program keeps track of all applications accessing your personal data like contacts or emails and will immediately block any untrusted query. It’s also a great tool for increasing your browsing speeds by optimizing your browser settings. It will recommend applications that you can disable. You can also use it to boost your machine boot time by managing the startup options. To boost your computer’s response time IObit system care monitors your CPU and RAM usage in real-time and optimizes them. It actively scans for useless, temporary and duplicate files that take up valuable disk space in your computer and deletes them.

ANYTUNE LIKE PC FULL

You may also read our full system mechanic review here.Īdvanced System Care is another popular tool when it comes to enhancing the performance of your system. The ActiveCare tool is a handy feature that allows you to schedule System analysis and perform automatic repairs so that you don’t have to always do it manually. System Mechanic also includes various security tools like Privacy shield that prevents Windows from collecting private user data and Security optimizer than identifies vulnerabilities in the windows systems and fixes them. It also has a dedicated uninstaller that will delete a program together with all its files. To prevent storage-related slowness, this tool actively scans for temporary junk files and deletes them. System Mechanic also helps to improve your internet connection by optimizing basic internet settings that would remain unseen otherwise. It then gives you the option to repair all at once or dive deeper into each issue while fixing them individually. You can begin System analysis with a simple click of your mouse and system mechanic will identify issues inhibiting performance. Iolo features an intuitive dashboard with all the functionalities well organized for easy follow up. It’s one of the few tools that support real-time optimization of your system. It is a consolidation of every tool you will ever need to tune up your computer and even includes other useful functionalities like personal data protection.

ANYTUNE LIKE PC PC

If there is one tool that really stands out for me in regards to PC optimization, then its iolo System Mechanic. But the good news is that these are software we have tested and can, therefore, guarantee their results. So many users end up purchasing a certain product only to be disappointed when they do not meet the expected performance boost. Unfortunately, most vendors have the habit of overstating their product’s capabilities. TuneUp Utilities, on the other hand, make it extremely easy and also includes some additional features like registry clean up. The latest version of windows even comes with ways of solving some of them by default.

Useless and temporary files stored on the hard drive by running applications.Īs you can observe there is no permanent issue on our list that cannot be resolved.

Background processes and applications that may be overworking your CPU and RAM.

But first, let’s see the probable reasons why your PC is slowing down. And by the end of this post, we hope to help you find the best Tune-up software to rejuvenate your machine. The reasons your computer is becoming slower except the obvious aging factor are simple issues that can be fixed if you have the right tools. You could go out mow a lawn and still be back before it starts.įortunately, there is a way out for you. But we don’t always get what we wish for, right? So as time goes by your PC becomes lazy and takes ages to boot. Remember how fast your computer was when you first bought it? Yes, we all wish it would run like that endlessly. Okay, not wholly true I also hate it when people stand too close to me in queues or nosy people that try to peep into my phone at public places. Do you know what’s more irritating than a slow computer? Nothing.

[ichichikacchan-blog]

Midoriya vs Bakugou - why Bakugou's actions make sense psychologically and why Midoriya constantly added conflicts - unintentionally

Soooo, I watched the latest episode and like I predicted, it fuckin killed me.

Before I dive in and get to the main topic, I really want to shout out to Bakugou's VA Okamoto Nobuhiko. This guy is a beast and he captures Bakugou SO well, it's insane. I knew what was coming but his voice acting left me broken, I ached so bad for Bakugou I was so down after his break down.

So, the biggest part of my wall of text will cover my thoughts on why Bakugou's actions made sense from the beginning, psychologically.

So leaving all my emotions behind and turn to a more objective view, I'll talk about a topic that bugged me a lot for several months now and it's the amount of hate Bakugou receives. I'm kind of glad to see that there are a lot of his fans out there, too but the haters are quite aggressive and while I do understand where this is coming from, a lot of people miss the big picture and they just don't try to understand. Which is sad. I know there are a lot of people just consuming things and don't really want to get into deep thoughts about animated shows, but maybe they should. It’s okay to hate a character but please recognize character development.

First, that he bullied Deku and even told to his face that he should kill himself IS NOT COOL and should NOT be defended. These were absolute dick moves, period.

Digging deeper, WHY did he do this? It's a very interesting and complicated topic and the whole conflict caught my attention early on as I'm a sucker for anti-heroes and complicated characters. And boy, complicated is the word I'll always choose if I need to describe Bakugou with a few words.

The latest episode finally shed some light on Bakugou's feelings and though the fight took not that long in the manga I'm so glad they decided to use a whole episode with added flashbacks and adjusted the dialoge a bit.

It's important to understand 2-3 stages of the conflict, so it's necessary to start with the childhood of Midoriya and Bakugou.

Stage 1 : Arrogance

The manga and anime made it very clear in the beginning that Bakugou has been very ambitious and with his quirk manifesting early and all people around him handling him like a prodigy, he grew up believing that his dream will become a reality no matter what. For him, as he was powerful, strong willed and intelligent, these were the main things needed to become the best of the best - because these attributes made him the best in everything. So he automatically claimed a leader position with many admirers, including little Midoriya. You can see in this early stages that due to societys perception of him, he became a little arrogant fucker but he wasn't toxic at that time. What was toxic were his expectations for himself that manifested, because in his mind, powerful and strong are things to be admired, hence, everything else was weak and to stay on top, weakness is no option and to be avoided at all costs. And well, Midoriya did add to that A LOT because he treated him like something special all the time!

So all quirks manifested in the little so called gang they had and poor Midoriya didn't have one. That alone let to teasing, but he didn't receive cruel child teasing by Bakugou alone. It was a mixture of pity and cold rejection he reveived from nearly everyone around him. And still there was this amazing guy next to him, the one he called a friend. So little Bakugou took Midoriya kind of under his wing because Midoriya was weak and a crybaby (he always was). Bakugou did not do that out of kindness, he did it because he was the leader and weaklings need leaders to know what to do. And Midoriya wanted that back then because despite having his dream, he was nothing but a dreamer, absolutely no threat to Bakugous' goals and in all things, he was weak. Except for being intelligent.

1.2 All about the respect

So they still hanged out after that, people tend to forget that. The only thing that changed that Bakugou started teasing him. With Midoriya out of the game, he he had no competition. Again, it was not toxic back then but it grew to be and we will encounter that change soon, but I'd like to talk a bit more about their relationship in the early stages because understanding what Midoriya did wrong by being himself is essential to understand what pushed Bakugou from being a teasing and arrogant shit to a full grown bully.

So, young Bakugou and Midoriya still were something considered friends back then and it all changed with Midoriya diagnosed as quirkless.

So, we remember the scene, Bakugou in full leader mode falling from that tree trunk and Midoriya coming for help. So what happened here is essential because, Midoriya rushed to make sure he is okay out of concern but WHAT did Bakugou see? He fell, yeah. But it was not dangerous. He just slipped and got wet by falling into the little river beneath. And here was Midoriya, trying to help him for... what exactly? Because the situation was so trivial Bakugou did not understand why the hell he looked like he needed help. He wasn't even hurt. Remember, he was the leader. Again, he totally misinterpret good intentions and concern and the mood shifted between them. Because in this moment, Bakugou felt disrespected.

Midoriya literally made himself the perfect victim (not his fault intentionally, but the circumstances made it so).  Midoriya had one feature that made him such a lovable precious guy and that was his willingness to help others no matter what. Something Bakugou did himself to an extent too, but for him that was natural because he was the strongest. Midoriya tried to help even when he couldn't and he never understood that. What is important to note is that they are such different characters, it was not possible for Bakugou to grasp Midoriyas intentions, so he interpreted them.

The beginning, stage 2: Pride

So they went to school together and the mood changed drastically. Midoriya kept chasing his dreams but to be fair, he didn't do anything for it except analyzing a lot of things and sharpen his intelligence (which is admirable too but remember, we're analyzing Bakugous' perspective).

Bakugou, as the prodigy he was, noticed that Midoriya was intelligent. What he didn't understand was his clinging to his dream, because he made no effort in appearing heroic or something and was simply not strong enough to accomplish anything. Midoriya turned out to be everything he despised, a definition of weakness. Still, he chased his dream but without doing anything and THAT pissed Bakugou off. You could clearly see that Bakugou, despite having it easy the whole time because of his talents, was still working his ass off. He trained a lot, mastered his quirk and, the big difference to an ordinary bully, he learned a lot, studied eagerly and didn't want to get involved with illegal shit (he told his followers off for smoking around him and so on).

So Midoriya somehow planned to become a hero without having at least some physical abilities and a respectable personality, he was just a dreamer. 

Back to topic, seeing the crybaby dreamer wanting to accomplish the same thing as he wanted to, pissed Bakugou off. For him, it was futile (and let's be honest, without getting One For All, it would've been futile because Midoriya didn't fulfill the requirements for getting accepted from a hero school so he'd never gotten his license otherwise!) and with Midoriya still believing that he somehow could do it (he was not that determined as Bakugou, so his thing was more dreaming of becoming a hero than making an effort to become one) he totally got on Bakugous nerves and Bakugou decided to "put him into place". That, OF COURSE, was so wrong. But Midoriyas whole actions attacked his pride and Bakugou needed to make pretty clear that no one, especially a nerd (he called him that because he recognized his intelligence and did fear it, because it was Midoriyas only attribute being a match to his own) will somehow manage to be in his way. Plus he developed a poor impulse controll. 

He just couldn't handle the thought that Midoriya could somehow do something to threaten him due to his intelligence or pure luck. So he needed to break him. Would their relationship have been different if Midoriya stood up for himself? ABSOLUTELY. Still, it doesn’t excuse Bakugou’s bullying, bullying is just WRONG.  

Remember when I said that Midoriya made himself the perfect victim? His nature collided with Bakugou's and totally prevented him to stand up for himself, which automatically proved Bakugou right (in his perception), that Midoriya is a weakling. What makes that clear is, Bakugou's somehow best friend at U.A., Kirishima, is EXACTLY like Midoriya characterwise (except for the crying part) BUT he doesn't take shit from Bakugou, that's why he earned his respect. Midoriya didn't and he never tried to step up because he let Bakugou make him weak. In a way that Midoriya believed himself that he was weak! So basically the conflict came about because Bakugou lacked empathy and suffered (still does) from poor control of his emotions and Midoriya lacked self esteem and will. A toxic combination that led Bakugou to hate Midoriyas guts and react the only way he could due to his anger issues and Midoriya living in fear. But he still was somehow not able to hate Bakugou and why is that? Because deep down, with his empathy for others, Midoriya knew that the tough guy thing was an act and that Bakugou really had anger management problems. The scene after Bakugou told him to go kill himself proved that, because Midoriya thought he was stupid for saying that because he would've gotten in trouble if Midoriya did something to himself. Yup, Midoriya was so precious during that aweful time and Bakugou surely didn't deserve it. Especially after the incident where he appeared to Bakugou's rescue with risking a lot. And deep down, Bakugou knew he couldn't do anything against that enemy and that Midoriya risked and actually DID something. And it pissed him off.

Stage 3: The inferiority complex

Now, we all know what came next, Midoriya got acknowledged by All Might and received a quirk. He trained a lot and took the entrance exam for U.A., just like Bakugou. And with a lot of luck he passed, while Bakugou scored first. So he came to class and shocked the hell out of Bakugou and with the first fitness test, the whole thing escalated. Midoriya had a quirk. What the actual fuck? For Bakugou, Midoriya TRICKED him his whole life and knowingly looked down on him the whole time. Just waiting for an opportunity to surpass him. Making a fool out of him for a long time. And with all the other good quirks in his class, the chances of Midoriya somehow beating him were threatining him. In no fuckin way he could let that happen so even with the high intelligent people in his class (Momo, Todoroki, Midoriya, Iida,..) and the powerful (Todoroki, Tokoyami, Kaminari, Kirishima, Midoriya..) he still managed to be the best, losing slightly in intelligence to Momo and power to Todoroki, but being the best as a package of both attributes. And he continued to work hard because now, he had actual threats for the first time. 

In a school with prodigies you need to be better than everyone else. And so Bakugou tried to stay away from everybody, being a Maverick. But he saw Midoriya getting stronger and stronger and he was afraid. Losing to him literally shook his worldview and with wanting to be the best at all costs he pressured himself so much that a breakdown was inevitable. Especially after All Might's fight with All For One, because he blamed himself so bad for that. The breakdown happened today in this episode. He stuffed everything down, suffered from major setbacks, and was confronted with something he didn't want to hear: That everybody saw him as a villain, not a hero. Now imagine having a goal since early childhood, admiring a hero and wanting to become one just to realize that everyone, including villains, saw a villian in him rather than a hero. Well, ouch. His own fault of course but please don't forget that he is still a teenager (Thank you All Might for understanding this). So he failed the provisional license exam and Midoriya passed it and that, plus his realization about the connection of Midoriya and All Might and All Might's end send him over the edge. 

He worked so hard and Midoriya got acknowledged, why? Well, rethorical of course, I'm pretty sure that he already guessed why but he didn't want to admit it. That's why he wanted to fight, because HE wanted to acknowledge Midoriya too to be even able to handle the fact that All Might didn't acknowledge HIM. So Midoriya finally needed to prove to him that he has what it takes to be a hero, to earn his respect - and he did! FINALLY. All Might telling the truth, Bakugou earned the right to know the details. All Might acknowledged him too and Midoriya finally understood what was wrong all those years.

Their conflict is so powerful and real, it's one of the best rivalry stories I've ever come across and I didn't expect that much depth in a Shounen jump story. Now, the Bakugou haters have a point, the bullying was beyond shitty and it takes more effort to somehow make it right again (that's up to Midoriya to decide). But to state that Bakugou is plain evil and an asshole and just did what he did because he is an asshole pains me. The world is not black and white. As I said, even though a lot of people don't want to hear that but Midoriya didn't do anything to get out of the role of the victim. Was it okay for Bakugou to use this, of course NOT. But he's so much more than a bully and guys, for real, haven't you done anything wrong in your life? Have you never hurt anybody with things you did? Don't be ridiculous. Bullying, of course, is not just some mistake, it's really shitty and nobody needs to forgive him (I certainly didn't and he's one of my all time favorite characters). I won't defend him. But my point is, everybody makes mistakes, especially in teenage years.

Also, please consider that Horikoshi intended Bakugou to be a hated character so he did a good job with pissing people off xD the popularity polls in Japan showed that he has a lot of fans and I did my best to explain why. If you still hate him, do as you like but please, acknowledge his character development and that there is more to him than just the asshole feature, even though you hate his guts.

So I needed to get this off my chest. Because Midoriya being not so innocent in this whole conflict is a really unpopular opinion but yeah. I love the two so much and really hope they can maintain the gained respect for each other and help each other grow.

PLUS ULTRA!

[yierknives]

Is JBL Charge 5 the portable speaker to buy?

JBL has been firmly planted in the audio game for quite some time and when the company offered to send out its JBL Charge 5 for review, that wasn’t an opportunity to be missed. The latest in a long line of portable playback devices, JBL Charge 5 is more than just an audio gadget. It’s a powerful, multi-pairing powerhouse that also works as a power bank.Now, that, in and of itself, is more than enough reason to give this particular device a closer look. But there’s always more than meets the eye with gadgets like this. And not every Bluetooth speaker is built to the same level.JBL built and bills Charge 5 for those users who need extra oomph and longevity in a rugged form factor without spending too much. Or, at the very least, more so than the standard Flip-branded speakers. Priced at below $180, it accomplishes that task handily enough. But how is the audio quality or design? How are the features that come packed inside JBL Charge 5? Let’s take a closer look and find out.

Sound Quality And Features The JBL Charge 5 has an RMS power output of 30W + 10W with a new wider 52 x 90mm bass driver and a separate 20 mm tweeter. To test out the audio quality, I played a bunch of different tracks on the speaker ranging from bass-heavy tunes like Diplodocus by Noisia to vocal-focused power ballads like Because The Night by Patti Smith.An impactful, punchy low-end paired with crisp highs delivered a well-balanced sound across genres, there were some tracks where the vocals took over slightly, it wasn’t a massive issue though. Overall the audio was energetic, detailed and accurate. Not to mention loud, it would easily fill a room, if not a house. And the volume will happily cut through the hustle and bustle of a busy park. It won’t quite make the walls shake but for a small portable speaker, it definitely packed a strong punch. It’s a shame that there are still no equaliser settings in the JBL portable app, it mostly serves to check the battery level and manage the PartyBoost function. It would be a great addition to give you more control over the sound.If you want to make the music louder, PartyBoost lets you pair two compatible speakers together for stereo sound. If that’s not enough you can add on even more speakers to make it even bigger. You just need to press the dedicated button on each of the speakers you want to pair. This replaces the old JBL Connect+ which was on the JBL Charge 4, you won’t be able to use PartyBoost with Connect+ speakers though. Another really handy feature on the JBL Charge 5 is the built-in power bank, so if your phone is running out of battery you can top up the charge and keep the music playing.To connect your devices to the JBL Charge 5, there’s Bluetooth 5.1 which was reliable and worked even when I wandered off with my phone. Unfortunately, there’s no 3.5m audio input to play music through a wired connection though. There’s also no microphone so you won’t be able to take calls through it on the go.

What’s it like to use the JBL Charge 5? The JBL Charge 5 doesn’t come with a whole lot — just the speaker, a protective sock, a charging cable, and some documentation about the product. It’s always nice to open up a new audio gadget to see that it has at least a bit of battery charge in it, and the Charge 5 lets you dive right into music listening. The first time you press and hold the power button to turn on the speaker, it will automatically enter pairing mode. Just select the Charge 5 from your device’s Bluetooth settings and you should hear the signature sound of a JBL speaker being connected.

Does the JBL Charge 5 have long battery life? The JBL Charge 5 has an official 20-hour battery life, which we’ll put to the test as soon as we get the speaker into our testing chamber. We can tell you that it charges via USB-C and takes 4 hours to completely fill up. That’s right, no fast charging here.The speaker has an indicator light that glows white anytime it’s in use. When you plug the Charge 5 in, the indicator light will blink, showing you how full the battery is. If it flashes completely white, the battery is full. If it flashes half white and the rest of the indicator light is dark, it is half full.Test summary Pros Relatively flat-sounding tonal balance, natural timbre Overall satisfying bass consistency, with subtle presence boost in upper midrange that helps voice-related content cut through Precise attack and good bass precision Overall good performance in both low and high SPL scenarios

Cons Lack of low midrange makes some content sound thin Lack of high-end and low-end extension Presence boost is often unwelcome Weak punch Mono rendering Not loud enough at maximum volume, below-average volume consistency

Conclusion Whether or not JBL Charge 5 is going to be the best purchase for you comes down to several factors. At just under $180, this isn’t the most affordable speaker on the market, even in its own class. Namely, the 40W range — 30W for the woofer and 10W for the tweeter. But that doesn’t mean that it’s a slouch by any means.Setting aside the features we’ve already covered in-depth and the few caveats, this speaker is loud and powerful with plenty of battery life. For those who don’t want something quite so loud, there are other options. For this speaker’s use cases, it’s arguably going to be among the best value of the bunch. Particularly for those who need something loud and powerful. But also for those who just want great-quality audio or multi-speaker pairing for even more on those fronts.Why choose DINDINMODERN ● A variety of high-quality Bluetooth speakers are available. ● Delivery from the local warehouse, within 3 days. ● Manufactured in our own factory, cost-effective. ● Excellent pre-sales and after-sales service. ● Free returns ● Excellent materials, safe and durable. ● Pursue innovation and optimize design ● We listen to customer needs and feedback.

[wastenauts]

Build 23 - Patch Notes

Hello Hello Divers!

The alpha goes live on Friday, February 12 and will run until Sunday, February 21. Full patch notes are below. If you do not have an alpha key, pop into the Discord and ask for one!

Build 23 - The Wantnauts Build

Partial Wipe - accounts have been partially wiped. What has been reset:

Crowns have been set to 0

All zones and modes have been locked except for Wastes Story Mode

All rare resources on the extractor have been locked with the exception of the Ferromagnetic Sprocket. If you had previously unlocked the sprocket (by progressing through the tutorial past the Dunes story), it remains unlocked.

All character XP has been set to 0; characters have been unequipped and their levels have been set to 1

Nearly all cards have been removed from inventories

What has not been wiped:

If you had purchased Delilah, you still have her

All character metrics / achievements have been preserved - this means that if you had a character already at level 3 (for example), the only thing you will need to do is get enough XP to level them

Progress through your tutorial has been preserved

If you had unlocked any of the following cards, they have been preserved, but their level has been set to 1:

Backup Singer

Brace for Impact

Overwatch

Scout Ahead

For this build we’ve again made a substantial Unity upgrade. As a result various technical changes exist throughout that are not documented here.

Art and Animations

Additional Card Art has been added for:

Mask Bandit

Rock’em

Scav Warmonger

Sock’em

Terrified Scav

Violent Scav

Attack animations have been added for:

Crackler

Cultist

Electric Storm

Flit

Mask Bandit

Rock’em

Sand Skimmer

Scav Diviner

Scav Party

Scav Warmonger

Scrapper

Screaming Scav

Sock’em

Terrified Scav

Violent Scav

Additionally, new backgrounds for the loading screen, store, and church have been added.

Augments

Augments will be the subject of an upcoming patch this year, but for now:

The type-restriction on Augment slots has been removed. Augment slots are generic and can hold any type, to further allow you to customize your builds for each character!

Augments are no longer sold in the store. Currently the only way to obtain them is as drops in Adventure Mode

Catalog

The Catalog UI has been substantially overhauled:

Salvage is now included in the catalog

Filters have been added, including filtering by zone, and viewing cards with only drop in Adventure Mode and cannot be purchased

Cards in the catalog now indicate whether they can be upgraded

Unobtainable Cards, such as core monsters, Delilah’s stances, and more have been added to the catalog.

Church

The Church UI has been substantially overhauled:

Cards are now separated by character, and can be further filtered based on affordability and cards that are at level cap

The amount of each rare resource you have is now displayed in the Church UI

A display has been added that immediately shows which cards are at level cap without having to click into each

Tabs and filters have been added. To choose which cards in the church are displayed, choose either a character; the infinity symbol for all ability cards you have unlocked; or the extractor icon to further upgrade the rare resources you can harvest

Upgrades are only available if you have sufficiently improved the Church’s rank at the Construction screen. Generally, each rank unlocks the following (although exceptions apply):

Rank 1 - Upgrade cards to level 2. Rank 1 is acquired by completing the Clergy’s quest to obtain a Ferromagnetic Sprocket.

Rank 2 - Upgrade cards to level 3

Errors

A speech bubble has been added next to character portraits. It is where most errors will be displayed, instead of in the middle of the screen.

Game Creation

At present, the matchmaking system isn’t serving our needs or yours. It’s our belief that players who are clicking matchmaking are primarily doing it to play a game, ideally with other players but not necessarily. Requiring other players to be in the queue at the same time as you, and bombing out if they weren’t, was unduly limiting.

The “Find Divers” button has been removed from the map screen and the “Dive Now!” button has been added

Clicking Dive Now! will automatically add you to any open game if one exists; and if one does not, will create a new open game using the chosen zone and mode on the map screen

Currently, if Dive Now! would add you to an open game, it will not respect the zone or mode you’ve selected on the map screen. This is intentional, as our goal is to get you into a game as soon as you click that button. But we’re eager for your feedback on this, and will reevaluate as the player base grows.

With the addition of Dive Now!, it is possible for players to join your game even if you were looking to play single player or only with friends. Additionally, there may be circumstances where you are willing to play with others, but need to do a specific zone or mode. As a result, we have modified Custom Game creation and Join Custom Game as well.

Clicking Create Custom Game in the map screen will now open a small window prompting you to name the game, and providing an opportunity to supply a password

There are no character or length restrictions on session passwords (although they are capped at 20 characters) and we encourage you to use something simple and new since you will be providing this password to friends who want to join your session.

Password protected games cannot be joined using Dive Now!; they can only be joined from the open game list in the Join Custom Game menu

All games, whether created via Dive Now! or Create Custom Game, show up in the Join Custom Game menu

The Join Custom Game menu UI has been overhauled; as part of this, it displays whether a game in the list is password protected.

When joining a password protected game from the Join Custom Game menu, you will now be prompted to enter the password - get it from your friend who created the session!

Additionally:

Player sessions are less likely to time out while waiting for additional players in the lobby

Seats occupied / maximum seats displayed in the Join Custom Game menu should be faster to update on the server

Havilah Upgrades

Buildings on the Havilah can now be upgraded at the new Construction screen. Right now, both the Store and Church can be upgraded to unlock additional content.

Upgrading requires Salvage, a new type of resource introduced in this build. See below for how to obtain Salvage.

Leveling

Type and power restrictions on augment slots have been removed; any augment can be equipped into any slot

Glory slots have been added; see below for a description of the “Glory” keyword. Cards with this keyword can only be equipped in a “Glory” slot

The level cap has been raised to 6

Requirements to reach levels 4 and 5 have been reduced for each character

Leveling unlocks have been homogenized - every character now unlocks the same slots for things at the same levels

Each character starts with an ability slot (except for Delilah)

At level 2: unlock an ability and augment slot

At level 3: unlock a glory slot

At level 4: unlock an augment slot

At level 5: unlock an ability slot

At level 6: unlock a glory slot

Loadout

The Loadout UI has been substantially overhauled:

Cards are displayed in a fashion similar to the new screens on the Havilah

Current stats, as well as progress to the next level, are always displayed for the selected character

The equipped display has been changed to accommodate additional ability, augment, and other types of slots in the future

Cards are added by dragging them to the loadout panel, and removed by clicking the X to remove them

Progress bars in the Next Level display now correctly cap the text at the maximum value required

Lobby

The Lobby UI has been cleaned up to better mirror the style of other menus.

The Session Info panel in an Adventure Mode lobby now displays the drop rate for common, uncommon, and rare cards given the currently assigned monsters; increase the zone level to increase the chances that rarer cards will drop.

Ability icons have been shrunk to accommodate more of them

New Cards - Glory

The “Glory” keyword indicates that an ability can only be used once per session, and then is discarded. New Glory cards are designed to be more impactful than other ability cards given their limited use.

Eyes Wide Open (Buster) - Glory: Join all parties’ first combat of the day

For the Hoard (Andrea) - Glory: Double the current amount of stored scrap

Glutton for Punishment (Lucky Jack) - Glory: Gain +1 Strength on your next roll for every injury you've taken this game

Lingering Words (Lena) - Glory: At the end of the day, heal all injuries on all characters

The Luckiest (Lucky Jack) - Glory: Take no injuries from monsters for the rest of the day

One in the Chamber (Buster) - Glory: Go first in any combat you fight today

Rallying Cry (Lena) - Glory: Target character joins the current combat

To Smithereens (Delilah) - Glory: Kill target non-boss mechanical monster. Gain 300 Scrap.

Steady (Buster) - Glory: Gain the Aim card for this combat

Tenderize (Delilah) - Glory: Kill target non-boss biological monster. Gain 5 random salvage cards.

Uppercut (Lucky Jack) - Glory: Kill target non-boss monster

Aim (Buster) - Action: Double your Strength on your next roll. This effect can stack multiple rounds in combat, and is removed at the end of combat.

New Cards - Salvage

Salvage cards have replaced most Scrap in adventure mode games. Salvage can be discarded for Scrap while at camp, or can be saved and brought back to the Havliah to upgrade your ship. The following Salvage cards have been added to the game:

Hinge (replaces 50 scrap in Adventure mode)

Canvas (replaces 20 scrap in Adventure mode)

Canned Food (replaces some 40 scrap in Adventure mode)

Fuel (replaces some 40 scrap in Adventure mode)

Wire Spool (replaces some 40 scrap in Adventure mode)

Netting (replaces 10 scrap in Adventure mode)

Zone availability of each can be found in the Catalog. Note that Hinges can only be obtained in adventure mode lvl 4 and above, and Fuel and Wire Spools can only be obtained in adventure mode lvl 6 and above.

Rewards - Dice Skins

A new menu is now available on the Havilah for rewards. The rewards menu is unlocked after you have completed the tutorial.

In the rewards menu you can choose a skin to apply to your dice. In all of your games, your chosen skin will be applied to any dice rolled by characters you control.

You can swap between unlocked skins any time from the Havilah.

Our intention is to offer various ways to unlock additional dice skins. The first skin available is the TempArt skin. This skin is only available to players who log-in during this alpha (Feb 12-21). Once unlocked, it will remain on your account and be preserved even through wipes.

We anticipate additional, different skins will be available in future alphas.

Specific Cards

The following cards can now be upgraded to level 2:

Blaze of Glory

Load Flashbang Ammo

Load Radioactive Ammo

Wind Up

The following cards can now be upgraded to level 3:

Animate Scrap

Backup Singer

Brace for Impact

Called Shot

Fight Through the Pain

Fresh Meat

Load Big Ammo

Look For Trouble

Momentum

Patch Yourself Up

Save Your Strength

The Long Watch

Up to Eleven

Various card texts have been updated without an impact to their effects. This broadly includes:

Making sure the status applied by a card matches the text of the card itself

Phasing out the “roll long” “day long” “camp” “damage” and “injury” icons and replacing them with text

Ensuring remaining icons are actually used where appropriate

Making sure all keywords are displayed in orange

Adrenaline Surge: now correctly costs resources to upgrade to level 2

Auto-Injector: fixed a crash when previewing this card in the gear menu

Called Shot: now Exhausts, and is correctly affected by Ability Lock

Fight Through the Pain: level 2 now correctly cannot be used outside of combat, and is correctly affected by Ability Lock

Load Big Ammo: the buff is correctly no longer removed if Buster takes an action other than attack before attacking in a day

Load Explosive Ammo: the buff is correctly no longer removed if Buster takes an action other than attack before attacking in a day

Load Radioactive Ammo: now uses the correct icon in loadout

Look for Trouble: now Exhausts

Momentum: now correctly cannot be used while KO’d

Overwatch: the tooltip for the status applied to parties is now clearer

Patch Yourself Up: now correctly unexhausts when targeted by Wakeup Call

Ready 4 Round 2: the damage from this card can no longer be negated by Dodge

Ready 4 Round 2: this card cannot be used if you have set yourself to stay Out After Dark

Resourceful: this card cannot be used if you have set yourself to stay Out After Dark

The Long Watch: Fixed a bug where Buster’s portrait would disappear if you tried to assign him to a party after using this ability

Thrill of the Fight: now uses the correct icon for draws in the character sheet

Wait For Me: can no longer interrupt the current player’s turn even if Delilah has higher Speed than them

Store

Store UI has been overhauled.

Cards can only be purchased if you have upgraded the Scrap-N-Go to a sufficient rank. Generally, each rank unlocks the following (though some exceptions apply):

Tabs and filters have been added. To choose which cards in the store are displayed, choose either a character; the Meeple icon for generic gear like Treads; the Scrapper to show Monsters; or the infinity symbol for all cards available for purchase.

Buying and selling have been decoupled from entries in the store. The Crowns tab at the end of the store list is for selling, and you can now sell cards that aren’t otherwise purchasable in the store.

Several additional cards have been added to the store, including several ability cards that could previously only be obtained via drop. As always, to determine how to obtain a card, visit the Catalog.

Augments have been removed from the store.

After returning from a session, cards in the store should correctly preview in the center of the screen.

Display of already owned cards is now displayed on the store cards themselves for clarity

Rank 2 - Uncommon Abilities

Rank 3 - Level 3-4 Monsters

Rank 4 - Uncommon Gear

Rank 5 - Level 5-6 Monsters

Rank 6 - Rare Abilities

Rank 7 - Rare Gear

Tutorial

Additional lines have been added and modified in the tutorial to reflect the new systems and layouts in this build

Fixed a bug during tutorial session 2 where it was possible to activate Scout Ahead too early and cause a soft-lock

Completing tutorial session 2 will award you with 500 crowns (up from 100)

The Construction Menu will be available after completing Adventure Mode for the first time

The Rewards Menu will be available after completing the first two tutorial sessions

Bugs and Misc

Costs and rarity of nearly every card and upgrade have been adjusted (again); the cost to upgrade cards has been substantially lowered for most cards

Crafting costs for gear have been updated throughout

Fixed a bug where Event Card text was cut-off by the confirm/cancel buttons

Fixed a bug where the first night of a session displayed “Night 1/1”; the correct max days until the boss is now displayed

Fixed a bug where the Day/Night display did not advance correctly if an entire day was skipped (all characters resting)

Fixed various places where font was rendering incorrectly

Fixed some layering issues on Havilah

Fixed a bug where party assignment spaces could sometimes fail to appear on the first camp phase

Fixed some scaling issues that occur on Andrea and Delilah’s portraits

Fixed a combat turn order display issue

The display of blueprints in the gear menu has been improved

Fixed some bugs related to the display of cards in the hand

Victory Panel no longer crashes if one of your characters is at level cap

Fixed an issue where non-Steam players would not be able to advance the tutorial the first time they create a new account

Cleaned up some missing curly quotes in tutorial text that would cause it to fail to appear

Fixed a bug where upgraded cards would display the wrong text in-session

Defeated bots that were summoned into battle can now be dragged in your hand and mashed at camp

Fixed the tooltip for Refresh to reflect the fact that it restores Draws, not Speed

Cursor no longer changes to Grab when hovering over an open character sheet

Tooltips for party statuses no longe display off the screen

Monster cards in the lobby during adventure mode can no longer be dragged after you’ve readied

Character portraits can now hold significantly higher numbers for stats

The Lone Clergywoman in the Dunes and in the tutorial has been replaced with a Lone Clergyman.

Improved stability for chat

Shrapnel Whirlwind’s card placement is more on-the-screen

Fixed the missing combat portrait for Booby-Trapped Weather Sensor

Websockets

Due to our current server architecture, we’ve been unable to support a lot of traditional features for online games, from friends lists to server notifications. The Unity upgrade has finally unlocked the first step towards this. While you won’t see a change as a player on this just yet, we include it here for those more curious about development on this front. We’ll continue to add these improvements in the future as we use the websockets!

On log-in, a websocket is opened

All current players logged in is now recorded

[charger-batteries]

Jabra Elite 85t Review

Quality noise cancellation has finally made its way to the world of true wireless earphones. Models from Apple and Bose have received high marks from us, with Jabra's $229.99 Elite 85t earphones now joining them. While they lack the seamless iOS integration of the $250 Apple AirPods Pro and aren't quite as effective in terms of noise cancellation as the $280 Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, the Elite 85t earphones carve out their own place in this top tier of true wireless options. Sonically, the in-ears deliver a strong audio experience with customizable EQ, while the ANC (active noise cancellation) is also fantastic, falling somewhere between the AirPods Pro and the Bose QC Earbuds.

Design

Available in black, the Elite 85t's design may not turn heads, but the focus here is on function. The earpieces are compact, and three pairs of oval silicone eartips offer a solid, secure fit, though not quite as secure as many sports-focused pairs we've tested.

The earphones have an IPX4 rating, meaning they can withstand a moderate spray of water from any direction—some sweat and very light rain shouldn't be an issue. The AirPods Pro and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are also IPX4. If you need a pair that's actually waterproof, consider the $170 JBL UA True Wireless Flash X, which lack ANC but have a rating of IPX7 and can therefore be submerged and withstand modest pressure from a faucet.

The earpieces use push-button controls that are easy to operate and harder to accidentally misfire than touch-sensitive panels. A single press on the left ear switches between ANC and HearThrough modes (in the app, you can also turn both off). A double tap skips forward a track, and a triple tap navigates backward a track. Pressing and holding the left ear's button lowers the volume. On the right earpiece, a single tap controls playback, a double tap summons either Google Assistant or Siri, and a press-and-hold raises the volume. When you have an incoming call, pushing either button once answers and twice hangs up. Pressing and holding the left ear when on a call will put the call on hold, and the same on the right ear ends the hold.

The flip-top charging case isn't quite as slim as the AirPods Pro case, but it's close. It has a black eggshell finish, an uncovered USB-C port on the rear panel for the included USB-C-to-USB-A charging cable, and a status LED on the front panel. The case is also compatible with wireless Qi charging pads.

The Jabra Sound+ app for Android and iOS devices is key to enhancing your experience with the Elite 85t. You can adjust audio using a five-band EQ with presets, and a slider adjusts how much ANC you're getting—you can completely disable it, or turn it all the way to maximum. You can also select HearThrough mode (which lets you hear your surroundings), with a slider from ANC to ambient monitoring.

The app has built-in sound loops if you want to zone out or focus on a soothing sound like a waterfall or pink noise. A personal favorite of mine is the quite realistic "diving" loop, which recreates the sound of being underwater (minus the deep breathing). The app even allows you to adjust certain settings like sleep mode timing (or turning it off), how much of your own voice you hear on calls, and call EQ. There are various other features you can adjust, like automatically pausing audio when an earpiece is removed, or whether audio is muted when HearThrough is active. Finally, in the settings menu, you can assign various functions to the on-ear controls if you're not thrilled with the default settings.

Internally, 12mm drivers deliver a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz. The earphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.0, and support AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs, but not AptX.

Jabra estimates battery life to be roughly 5.5 hours, with the charging case holding 19.5 hours. These are pretty typical numbers for true wireless in-ears, but your results will vary with your volume levels and your mix of ANC use—with ANC always off, the battery life increases to 7 hours for the earphones and 31 hours in the case.

Performance

Using four of the six built-in MEMS mics, the Elite 85t earphones eliminate low-frequency rumble like you hear on a train or a plane quite well. The ANC seems to be even more effective for office or cafe noise—keyboard clicks are tamped down to a high degree, and ambient chatter is dialed back significantly.

Compared with the AirPods Pro, the ANC here is more effective in certain frequency ranges like keyboard presses and low-frequency rumble. Compared with the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, which successfully eliminate almost any hint of low-frequency rumble, Jabra still allows some through. This may be as much about the physical design of the earbuds as it is the ANC—the Bose earpieces are large, with eartips and fins that create a tight seal that blocks out plenty of ambient sound passively. The Elite 85t earpieces have a secure fit, but utilize only eartips, not fins. The earpieces stay in place just fine, but they block out less audio passively than the Bose model.

In the app, sliders control the level of ANC you can use, but there are also ANC presets, called Moments, intended for typical scenarios like commuting or when you need to focus. These presets will dial in specific ANC or ambient mode settings, or even sound loops you've selected. You can create your own Moment and save it, or use the presets.

The HearThrough mode is effective and easy to use. As mentioned, a slider controls how much of the outside world you hear. Unlike with the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, however, you're not blending ambient mode with ANC mode, you're choosing one or the other, and then choosing a level with the slider.

We tested audio performance with the app's EQ set to default, flat mode. On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the earphones deliver powerful low-frequency response that will appeal to bass lovers—at top volumes, there's no distortion, and at more moderate volumes, the lows still pack a punch, but the high-mids and highs are also sculpted and balance things out.

Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the Elite 85t's general sound signature. Here, the extent of boosting and sculpting across the frequency range is clearer—the drums sound heavier and bigger, almost thunderous, but not quite veering into unnatural territory. The tape hiss also takes a step forward, and Callahan's baritone vocals get plenty of low-mid presence as well as high-mid treble edge. In other words, this is a highly sculpted, balanced sound signature—if anything, the mids are dialed back while the lows and highs step forward (though the high-mids also get dialed up). It's a common sound signature, and while it's not accurate, the EQ allows for easy adjustment if you want to dial back the lows or highs (or boost them to even higher levels).

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop receives enough high-mid presence for its attack to retain its punchiness, but we notice the background vinyl crackle and hiss stepping forward in the mix just as much. The drum loop also receives some extra bass heft, and the sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are delivered with gusto—but not as much deep bass push as we've heard from some in-ears that really dial it up to intense levels. The vocals on this track are delivered clearly, with a hint of added sibilance.

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, sound the least natural through the Elite 85t. The lower-register instrumentation receives some notable boosting—it doesn't sound bad, but it's far from accurate. The higher-register brass, strings, and vocals are a bit brighter than usual, as well. But all this means the drivers are capable of producing exaggerated lows and highs—you can adjust the EQ to far more accurate settings, and things will sound notably different. Simply decreasing the lowest EQ band slightly, as well as decreasing the highest EQ band a bit, delivers a far more accurate sound signature.

The six-MEMS mic array offers excellent intelligibility. Using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone 8, we could understand every word we recorded, and there was very little in the way of Bluetooth distortion. The mic's signal is relatively strong, and being able to hear yourself in the earpieces means you tend to speak in a more controlled tone, which in turn results in a clearer mic signal.

Conclusions

The $250 Apple AirPods Pro and $280 Bose QuietComfort Earbuds both deliver excellent ANC and user experiences, while the $170 JBL US True Wireless Flash X earphones lack ANC, but have a more gym-friendly build. Jabra's Elite 85t in-ears offer slightly better ANC than the AirPods Pro (but not quite as good as the Bose model), and an excellent app that allows for ANC, EQ, and on-ear controls. They also happen to sound quite good—even if the bass and treble are seriously sculpted, the EQ allows you to do some sonic sculpting of your own. That makes the Elite 85t a compelling alternative to the AirPods and QuietComfort Earbuds depending on what you're looking for.

[emmajustin20]

Marvel’s Avengers: Which Character Would Be the Best Option for You?

The beta version of Marvel’s Avengers is live, and players can get their hands on some powerful heroes. Every hero has the unique ability, strength, weakness, and playstyle that represent them to stand out from other heroes. Players usually confuse choosing which hero would be better in battle. Well, there are some main heroes available in the game like Black Widow, Ms. Marvel, Hulk, and Iron Man. If you get to know their abilities and potential in battle, it will be easy for you to choose the right hero for you. So here is a major guide to choosing your best hero to play.

The Hulk

Every Marvel fan knows about this character, and they might have seen him fighting in movies and animation. Hulk is the most challenging and biggest hitter of Marvel. Indeed, there are more strong heroes, and villains that exist in Marvel, but Hulk has the highest popularity. If you want to go hard in the field and ready to make some hard hits, Hulk would be an excellent option for you.

This character has a ton of strength in his body. His combo moves and play style is quite simple but very effective against the enemies. His “Meteor” move is a ranged attack that spots and throws the enemy instantly. You can upgrade the moves to throw bigger enemies. Another action, “Shatter Spin,” is inspired by Meteor, but instead of throwing the enemy, it uses it as a melee weapon to inflict extreme damage.

Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan)

Ms. Marvel is a range focused type of character. She can hit an opponent from a very far distance. Her kicks and punches can reach their target easily if they are in a general location. If you prefer to hit your opponent from a distance and not ready to go any closer, Ms. Marvel is a great option.

She has two fantastic skill abilities that are “Double Down Kick” and “Whirling Wallop.” The Double Down Kick sends the character up in the air and attacks the enemy with both feet. The great thing about this attack is that it can happen from a distance, and it can break the shield of the opponent quite easily. Whirling Wallop will stop whatever the enemy is trying to do by sending them in the air. Once your opponent lands on the ground, you can hit it with more combo moves.

Black Widow

This Russian spy is capable of linking the movements and attacks. Her combo moves are insane, and they deal with extreme damage to her opponents. Unlike any other hero of the game, she is a human character that uses guns and grappling hooks in battle. Indeed, her movements and attacks in the game are fast and quite significant as compared to other heroes.

In terms of skills, she has a “Bullet Storm” move that will allow you to use an automatic weapon to shoot the enemy that has triple times powerful bullets shots. You cannot use the weapons usually, but if you are using the special move, the game provides you with a weapon to shoot. Another move is “Whiplash,” which works exactly as it sounds. When your enemy’s attack is about to hit you, press R2/RT followed by Triangle/Y, to counter an extreme damage attack. It will put the opponent in a wide open field for the attacker to hit with an additional combo.

Iron Man

Iron Man is a unique hero in the game. Iron Man can be used in three different types of playstyles. You can either use it on foot, flying or hovering. Because of his three different playstyles, he has plenty of moves that players can use in battle. When he is on the ground, his moves are just average, and he mostly uses melee attacks and lasers. The hovering playstyle enhances his mobility, and his range moves. His flying playstyle makes him an attacking jet, which is incredibly strong.

If you prefer to play on foot, the “Muon Shotgun” is a good move. This move allows you to lock your enemy and shoot a huge fire blast. You can use this move in close range as well. In flying mode, “Power Dive” is a great move. This move not just damages the enemy but also affects the nearby areas as well.

Conclusion – Currently, there are few heroes available in Marvel’s Avengers, but the new official update will bring new features and new heroes. Marvel’s fans are very connected to their favorite Avenger heroes, and it will provide some benefits to the game as well.

I’m Emma Justin . I’m a web developer living in USA. I am a fan of technology, entrepreneurship, and web development. I’m also interested in education and writing. You can visit my company website with a click on the button above. Also read Our Blog Pctechwire

Source: Marvel’s Avengers: Which Character Would Be the Best Option for You?

[miketendo-64]

Missed the Splatoon 2 focused Nintendo Direct? Not a problem as you can watch it all right here:

  But if you’re in a mood to read as opposed to watch, then I hope you’re comfortable as we have a ton of details, followed by all the Splatoon 2 related tweets and over 50 images for you to go through. Let’s do this!

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  Splatoon 2 Details Revealed in the Freshest Nintendo Direct Yet:

Get to Know the New Features, New Weapons and New Styles Before the Game Launches on July 21

  REDMOND, Wash., July 6, 2017 – With the Splatoon 2 game launching exclusively for the Nintendo Switch console in just a couple of weeks, Nintendo partnered with the renowned Squid Research Lab to provide a refresher on some of the new and returning features coming to the squid sequel. The special Nintendo Direct presentation highlighted many of the game’s new features, new weapons, new locations and, most importantly for all the fashion-forward cephalopods out there, its fresh new styles. The video also touched on SplatNet 2, the new service for mobile devices that displays information about Splatoon 2 like stage schedules, gear and stats. SplatNet 2 is part of the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app launching on July 21, which lets players send multiplayer invites to their friends via social media, as well as enables the use of voice chat in battles.

“Splatoon 2 is a huge, robust sequel to the original Splatoon,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Fans that played and loved the first game will have plenty of new stuff to enjoy, while the game is also a great introduction for players new to the colorful and stylish series.”

Before the game launches on July 21, Nintendo Switch owners can dive into the fun with the Splatoon 2: Splatfest World Premiere demo. This special Splatfest will happen July 15 from 3 to 7 p.m. PT. Players just have to download the free demo in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch and choose a team before the Splatfest begins. The demo can be downloaded early before the Splatfest goes live, starting later today.

  Some of the highlights revealed in the video include:

Custom Style: In Splatoon 2, Inklings can be customized to fit the player’s taste. Things like eye color, hair style and skin tone can all be adjusted when creating a character. And this doesn’t even mention the fresh new gear like shirts, shoes and hats that can also be equipped. Since two years have passed in the world of Inkopolis, many styles have been upgraded so no one is caught splatted in something that is “so 2015.”

Galleria: To find all these hot new fashion trends, players just have to make their way to the Inkopolis Galleria. This row of popular gear and weapon shops is where all the cool kids and squids hang out. In Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe, a jellyfish named Jelfonzo will help players obtain T-shirts and jackets. A spider crab named Bisk runs the shoe shop Shella Fresh, while Flow the sea slug helps players at the headwear shop Headspace. Weapons can be picked up by stopping by Ammo Knights, run by the knowledgeable horseshoe crab Sheldon. And who doesn’t love food? Inklings can grab a bite at Crusty Sean’s dive to get more points and in-game currency from battles.

Gear: Equipping gear in Splatoon 2 will give players special abilities. Each piece of gear has certain abilities, and there are even additional abilities that appear as players use the gear more and more in battle. By speaking to Murch, a sea urchin (naturally), players can freshen up their gear with abilities that reduce ink consumption or help them move faster – some will even decrease respawn time! There is a wide variety of abilities in the game, so selecting the right one to use could make or break the battle.

Fresh Features: Some additional features coming to Splatoon 2 include a handy menu that lets players change the sensitivity of the controls separately for TV and Handheld mode, amiibo functionality and the ability to post drawings directly to social media. By tapping a Splatoon series amiibo figure, players can save control settings, gear and weapon loadouts, and nicknames to any Splatoon amiibo figure. New Splatoon series and legacy Splatoon amiibo are all compatible with Splatoon 2 and can also reward players with exclusive gear when tapped. (The game saves data on the amiibo figure, which can hold data for one game at a time. The game, system and amiibo are sold separately. Visit http://www.nintendo.com/amiibo for details about amiibo functionality.)

Turf War: Turf War, which finds two teams of four battling to ink the most turf, makes its grand return in Splatoon 2. There are all kinds of different stages in the game, ranging from city streets, a sports club, an academy and even a BMX track. Different stages have different environmental hazards, so players will have to work together to figure out the best strategy.

Ranked Battles: Every two hours, the three Ranked Battle modes rotate, offering something new to play. The three modes are Splat Zones, which finds teams fighting for control of Splat Zones placed on the stage; Tower Control, a fast-and-frantic mode in which players ride a moving tower; and the chaotic fun of Rainmaker. By winning a Ranked Battle, players increase their rank in each mode. Ranked Battles can be played online*. The modes in Ranked Battle can be played in local multiplayer** in Private Battle.

League Battles: League Battles allow players to form a team with friends, fight alongside them and battle their way to the top of the charts. There are two ways to join in these 4-on-4 battles: Players can enlist one other friend to form a pair and be matched with another pair, or connect with three friends to form a four-squid team. Once teams are created, players compete in Ranked Battle modes to aim for a top ranking.

Salmon Run: This new local- and online-multiplayer mode* to Splatoon 2 finds up to four players** working together to defeat bosses and collect Power Eggs in a limited amount of time. Each match in Salmon Run lasts for three waves, with players having to collect a select number of Power Eggs to advance to the next wave – oh, and at least one player on the team has to stay alive. This last part might be tough since the stage is overrun by Salmonid enemies and giant bosses, each with their own weakness. Salmon Run is a frantic multiplayer mode that can be played locally with friends at anytime and is also available to play online at designated times, just like Splatfest.

Single-Player Adventure: Oh no! Callie (of the famous Squid Sisters) has disappeared! Of course, there’s no need to panic. Players can just hop into the game’s single-player adventure to ink their way through a variety of creative obstacles, monstrous bosses and devious Octarians. This single-player mode is also a great way to learn the basics of the game and try out different weapons.

So Many Ways to Play!: Splatoon 2 can be played in so many different ways, including TV Mode, Handheld Mode and Tabletop Mode, as well as online* or local multiplayer**. And not only are the game-play options numerous, but the jam-packed sequel can be played anywhere!

Main Weapons: In Splatoon 2, weapons come in sets of three: a main weapon, a sub weapon and a special weapon. There are many different types of main weapons, from long-range weapons to short-range ones. Some new (wonderfully named) weapons introduced in Splatoon 2 include the Clash Blaster, Flingza Roller, Goo Tuber and the Dapple Dualies.

Sub Weapons: In addition to inking and attacking, many sub weapons will help players with other abilities, such as defending from attacks or revealing enemy positions. The new Autobomb, for example, will find an enemy and automatically follow them, while Toxic Mist, well, is exactly how it sounds! It fills the surrounding area with a poisonous mist, reducing the ink of opponents who dare step in its range, as well as making them move slower.

Special Weapons: All the special weapons in Splatoon 2 are new! Some of the weapons making their debut are the Tenta Missiles, the Inkjet, the Sting Ray and the Baller, which lets players roll up walls in an explosive hamster ball. Special weapons can be used once a player’s special meter is filled.

Post-Launch Updates: Like the first Splatoon, Splatoon 2 will see a continuing rollout of updates to the game. These updates will take the form of new weapons, like the umbrella-shaped Brella, new gear and additional stages.

SplatNet 2: When the Nintendo Switch Online app* launches for mobile devices on July 21, players will also have access to SplatNet 2. This Splatoon 2-specific service helps players stay in touch with Inkopolis even when they are away from their Nintendo Switch systems! SplatNet 2 displays information like stage schedules, gear and stats, and even lets users view their lifetime inkage, a feature that shows how much turf a player has inked compared to real-world places. The Nintendo Switch Online app allows users to invite other players to join Private Battles, League Battles, Salmon Run and Splatfest Battles, as well as communicate with those players using voice chat. (A compatible mobile device and persistent internet connection are required. Data charges may apply.)

Splatfests: While content updates for Splatoon 2 will last around a year, more limited-time Splatfests for the game are planned for the next two years. To kick things off, a free demo to try out the first Splatfest for Splatoon 2 is going to be held on July 15 from 3 to 7 p.m. PT. Players just have to download the free demo in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch and get ready to decide if cake or ice cream is their dessert of choice. To prepare in advance, the demo can be downloaded early before the Splatfest goes live, starting later today. Once downloaded, players can start the demo to vote for their team, and even visit the in-game mailbox to create and share drawings in support of their team.

https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/882958784871661568

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We hope you all looking forwards to the upcoming game as much as we are right this second. The #Splatoon2 hype is real!

  Source: Nintendo of America PR

Ultimate #Splatoon2 Direct Coverage, Complete with Photos and All Official Details! Missed the Splatoon 2 focused Nintendo Direct? Not a problem as you can watch it all right here:

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: "Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception" Review

Going into this game I was completely unfamiliar with the world of Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception. As someone who’s only dabbled in visual novels, I was a little nervous to dive into the deep end, but considering how many fans this series has, I had to see what the fuss was all about; with the benefit of loving tactical games like Fire Emblem, I knew I was in for a good time. Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception surprised me in a lot of ways, but does the visual novel turned strategy game stand up to the competition? It isn’t what I expected, but let me show you what I found.

Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is a light novel strategy RPG originally released in Japan in 2015. Fans of the 2015 anime, Utawarerumono: The False Faces,will be familiar with the story: a man with no memory wakes on a frosty mountain he does not recognize. His amnesia quickly becomes the least of his concerns when he is pursued by a ferocious Boro-Gigiri (read: giant centipede), and just as it looks like our game is over before it even begins, he’s saved by a girl with a cat ears and a tail named Kuon, who takes him under her wing and gives him the name “Haku”. From there, Kuon and Haku embark on a wanderlust adventure together, meeting a cavalcade of animal-girls along the way.

It’s hard to go any further without dipping into spoiler territory because, at it’s core, Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is a visual novel; story is the main event here. Through most of the game, you’ll be experiencing a linear narrative filled with character moments that are sometimes comical, sometimes sexual, sometimes violent, and sometimes all three combined as Haku and Kuon travel across the eclectic land of Yamato.

Scenes play out with fully voice acted Japanese dialogue and detailed character portraits, set over warm and evocative artwork. Occasionally the game presents new artwork for certain scenes, which can be revisited later in the gallery, and while some of the more titillating scenes may be uncomfortable for some players, considering the series is based on an adult game, Mask of Deception keeps things relatively tame.

Haku is our main protagonist for this adventure, and like most average people thrown into a fantasy setting, he’s a bit of a wimp. A lot of humor comes from Haku’s complaining and physical weakness in his new harsher environment. Although he has no memory of his past, it’s quickly revealed that while Haku flounders at manual labor and combat, he excels at math and more thoughtful endeavors. Though he belly-aches through most of the first act, Haku genuinely cares about the people around him, and quickly became one of my favorite characters.

Where Haku is weak and booksmart, Kuon is strong and compassionate. While her true reason for traveling will undoubtedly be revealed by the end of our story, she claims to be on a journey to find herself, and explore the world. Kuon also seems to have a soft spot for baths (which the game takes full advantage of), and is innocently curious about her new male companion and all of his unique features like... not having animal ears! (*cough cough*)

While the rest of the cast shifts relatively rapidly, the plot moves at a comfortable clip that allows the various characters like Ukon, the general of a friendly band of samurai, and Maroro, his magician friend, have some fun on screen before they’re politely asked to exit the stage. Even though some characters feel cliche (Rurutie the soft spoken princess who rides a bird, and Nekone the brilliant little sister character), after spending some time with them, I found they all felt like they had dimension, and left a strong impression on me.

[the story of Utawarerumono would be almost indecipherable without the glossary.]

In addition to a huge cast of characters, there are countless locations, creatures, and cultures you’ll need to learn about to understand everything happening in Utawarerumono’s story. In fact, Yamato is a world so rich with lore and proper nouns that the game provides players with a glossary that fills up as the game progresses, and trust me, you’ll need it. A very handy feature, the glossary provides spoiler-free descriptions of people, places and things, and in a story this dense, it’s very helpful to be able to pull up at any time. In addition to story entries, the glossary is also loaded with tutorials for the combat sections of the game.

That’s right, visual novel segments are broken up by combat, which is where the strategy RPG part of the game comes into play! Players familiar with Final Fantasy Tactics will be right at home in the familiar turn-based battle system where you issue commands to a team of up to six characters. Characters have a variety of moves they can use on enemies, adding to the complexity of fights, particularly when elemental weaknesses come into play. Attacks are made more engaging with the inclusion of “chain attacks”, timed button presses during the attack animations that reward bonus damage. Admittedly, these sections are somewhat few and far between; in some cases returning to the visual novel for almost an hour before the next conflict arises.

Utawarerumono can be as difficult as you want it to be. In addition to the standard difficulty settings, players can elect to have chain attacks succeed automatically, meaning you’ll always hit for maximum damage. Moreover, the game has a rewind function, which allows players to revert back to any previous turn and make different decisions. While these optional features do make the game significantly easier, every encounter requires at least some strategy, and many offer alternate win conditions to keep things interesting. While I didn’t find combat to be particularly deep, the encounters are memorable, and are a fun way to let some of the characters shine outside of the visual novel.

Occasionally, after a healthy chunk of story, players will be presented with a break where they can choose where they’d like to go next. These screens may appear open ended, but really only offer the illusion of choice; to progress the story you must go through every scene, the only real decision is in which order you’d like to view them.

[How many different ways can you say “camp”?]

  These moments of respite do offer another convenient feature, however: free battle mode. Free battle allows players to return to any previous fight and replay them to take a break from the visual novel and earn experience points and bonus points. This was a great decision, as it allows players to engage in the combat as they like without the need to shoehorn in more battles into the story. While I personally didn’t take advantage of it much, the inclusion allows players to enjoy the game however they like.

The strength of Utawarerumono is in it’s characters. Even during combat, party members will chirp in with humorous, interesting perspectives, and help to create a world that you want to explore. Kuon in particular walks a line between being caring, funny, and, when she needs to be, serious. Everything about the game feels like an extended stay in an anime series. It’s packed with as many raunchy, silly moments as it has thoughtful, moving scenes. Through their interactions, the characters depict a compelling world that is worth spending time in.

I feel it’s important to take a moment in this review to mention that there are countless Japanese games that never see an international release. Localization is a daunting process, even for a simple game, so it’s impressive that Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is available in English at all. Visual novels in particular, being so text heavy by design, are a rare breed outside of Japan, so it’s worth appreciating how much effort went into this title, especially in reference to the quality of the localization.

Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception at its core is a fantasy visual novel. While the combat is engaging, it takes the back seat to a well crafted world filled with enjoyable characters. To say that visual novels aren’t mainstream would be an understatement, and although I’ve only played a few visual novels, I really enjoyed my time with the game. Visual novel veterans will enjoy a romp with delightful characters with unique designs, while newcomers will be whisked away to beautiful locales broken up by bite-sized sections of strategic action. Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception provides avenues for players to play how they want to, and while it may not make a huge splash in the world of gaming, I look forward to many more hours spent with these characters.

REVIEW ROUNDUP + A vast and colorful world filled with bubbly, interesting characters. + Well written localization that feels fitting, even in the more silly scenarios. + A compelling story that makes you look forward to spending time with the game. +/- An adaptable system that allows the game to be as easy or difficult as the player wants. +/- More than a few “I hope no one walks into my room right now” scenes. - Very long visual novel segments that could benefit from more combat intermixed. - A combat system that, while fun, doesn’t ever feel terribly deep.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[waftr]

Multiplayer Android games are the real deal now, Android gaming has now surpassed all the bugs that were there and is now heading towards glory. Initially, it was only about simple games, but now the level and intensity have gone up to a different level. In addition to this, in this era, we have tons and tons of games supporting real-time multiplying which adds to the excitement.

Top 15 Multiplayer Games for Android Users in 2020:

There are now a lot of games that support actual and real-time multi-player play, including real-time co-op or PVP. Here I’m presenting you with the best 15 Multiplayer Android Games to try in 2020. We have ranked the games based on the popularity and Global website ranking. You can also check our latest post on No wi-fi games of 2020.

Icon Multiplayer Games Android Game PUBG Install PUBG Asphalt 8 Install Asphalt 8 BombSquad Install BombSquad Minecraft Install Minecraft Shadowgun Legends Install Shadowgun Guns of Boom Install Guns of Boom Chain Reaction Install Chain Reaction Bullet Force Install Bullet Force Counter Attack Install Counter Attack Gun Bros Install Gun Bros Dream League Soccer Install DL Soccer 8 Ball Pool Install 8 Ball Pool Real Racing 3 Install Real Racing 3 Football Strike Install Football Strike Ludo King Install Ludo King

Multilayer Android Games

In the list of Games I’ve shared, you can play them with your friends both Online and Offline. a deep dive on each of the Multiplayer game is given below.

1. PUBG (Top in Google Play for Multiplayer)

For a game like PUBG, the mobile rating is rising from day one. PUBG is one of the most popular games played on mobile for the year 2018.  Being the most user-friendly game it works well with the RAM of the modern electronic devices. There are a total of 100 players including you playing on an island. The player that survives till last wins the game. There are a variety of arms and emulations for a player to choose from on the island. There is a specific area restricted for players to play. So if that specific area which is marked by the boundaries is crossed. The game ends for the player.  The game is amazing and is an extremely good experience online.

2. Asphalt 8: Airborne

This is an amazing racing game where you can easily take on the wheel of the world’s fastest cars and speed through various comfortably recognizable landscapes- and all of that while performing impossible jumps at amazingly high speeds. The game has a collection of more than forty cars, some of which are, from companies namely Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin.

You can look out for amazing models like the Lamborghini Veneno, the Bugatti Veyron, the Ferrari FXX, and the Pagani Zonda. Sheer diverse variety is the name of the game, and so Asphalt 8: Airborne also flaunts off an impressive number of tracks. You can choose to compete in Venice, French Guinea, Iceland, and the Nevada desert, which is some among other exotic and thrilling locations. Each locale and set up has been created with utmost care including elements that make them unique as well as familiar. Asphalt 8: Airborne has an exciting multi-player mode where one can find out who is the best driver in the world, credits to the feature of online rankings.

You May Also Like: Best Racing Games for Android

3. BombSquad

This is a fun multiplayer game where the mission is to beat one’s opponents using bombs, fists, and wits in exciting races, tough fights, or classic moves and all matters are getting out alive. The game flaunts of three game modes for a max of eight different players namely cooperative, team, and the final, free-for-all. All the three modes have the same mini-games by and large but with different ways of winning the same. The first mode call for you to work with friends to do everything in your power to defeat the machine who is the opponent. Whereas in the team mode, the players get split into two teams and have faced off in a set of tournaments that are chosen from a series of six rounds of fighting it out, three of ‘capture-the-flag’, or two of sports.

4. Minecraft

Talk about the king, this game is the proud owner of the world most famous game on Google Play store all over the world allowing all ages to play it. For the people who have been living under a rock and don’t know about this game, this game makes to wander in a giant world, where you have to mine things up, construct your home, bash up people. To keep it simple, do whatever you want. It also comes up with a survival mode where it’s necessary to find our own food along with the creative mode that gives you unlimited supplies of everything. With added updates, there is a zillion of things added. This game gives you the royalty of complete cross-platform support that enables you to play it on mobile Or PC as per your wish.

5. Shadowgun Legends

Shadowgun Legends is an FPS where the player plays one of the many heroes who is signed up to fight against a massive alien invasion. You can fight against either the invasion in campaign mode if you choose for one player or against other players set in the online mode.  One can move his character around with the virtual d-pad which is placed on the left while shifting your finger towards the right side lets you aim by your weapon.

The character you own will always shoot automatically whenever an enemy passes by into your line of fire. Further, in the game, you’ll find more than a hundred different missions, nearly of the length of two or three minutes, during which you’ll face many hordes of alien enemies, also including a boss or two. That said, the most entertaining part of the game is without any doubt its multi-player mode where you can choose to go head-to-head against other real players.

6. Guns of Boom

This is a multiplayer FPS where two teams have a face-off over a wide range of settings. Both the relaxed action style and the graphics put in are unavoidably reminiscent and get you back to great PC classics such as the Team Fortress 2 or the more recent Overwatch. One of the main things this game has done well is the control system. The player can move your characters freely around the setting by using the left virtual stick while he aims with the right one. One doesn’t have to press anything at all to shoot: as long as the enemy stays in view and is within your weapon’s range because then you can automatically shoot at them.

7. Chain Reaction (Best Offline Multiplayer Game)

This is a strategy game for a range of 2 to 8 players. The objective of Chain Reaction is simply to take control of the board by demolishing and finishing off your opponents’ orbs. Players have to take it in turns so as to place their orbs perfectly in a cell. Once a particular cell has reached critical mass, the orbs further explode into the surrounding cells thereby adding an extra orb and claiming the cell for the player from the other one. A player may choose to only place their orbs in a blank cell or a cell that contains orbs of their own color, as and how they like it. When a player ends up losing all their orbs, they are out of the game.

8. Bullet Force

Bullet Force is a first-person multiplayer shooter game which involves players to fight battles in the form of teams namely: terrorists vs counter-terrorists. There is an offline practice mode available which can be used to fight strongly against the many waves of AI opponents. The controls in the game are aptly adapted to touchscreen devices. There’s also a virtual joystick on the bottom left part of the screen that helps control movement along with a button to crouch down. The game puts more than twenty weapons in totality your arsenal, including machine guns, rifles, pistols, shotguns, and many more exciting ones.

9. Counter Attack Multiplayer Game

This is a first-person shooter game. Here, there are two teams of up to five players each that battle it out.  One of the amazing things about this game is that you can choose to completely customize all the controls. Also by default, you have a virtual d-pad on the left side along with the shooting and aiming buttons on the right side of the screen. In Counter Attack, you’ll find a few different game modes which will be exciting to discover as you play the game.

You May Also like: Top 10 virtual reality games | Best VR games of 2018

10. Gun Bros (Best Game with Friends)

This is a third-person action game which has an isometric view along with 3D graphics in which one has to fight numerous waves of enemies.  By your side, you will always have your Bro that you would have already chosen, shooting side by side. This game definitely comes with tons of unique levels that are further divided into several other different planets. The title of the game itself is completely loaded with action and has an outstanding technical aspect with a gameplay sufficient enough to keep a player shooting continuously for hours and hours.

11. Dream League Soccer

This is an entertaining football simulator where the player must lead his team to glory starting right from the lower ranks of a fictional league and rising up to the top. You choose a name for your team, design your specific kit, choose a captain and then the game begins. From there you’ll have to start winning matches in order to move up the ladder continuously to a higher division. Along the way as you carry on, you will have to manage all aspects of your team: improve your stadium’s facilities as per requirement, create your team’s various tactics, sign in players, and review all the stats for your team’s starting squad. The fun really begins in the game simulator and I’ll leave that for you to discover.

12. 8 Ball Pool

As the name suggests, it is a pool game that allows a player to play against the people from all over the world through the Internet. Similar to other pool games, you tend to use your finger to aim the cue, and then, swipe it forward to hit the ball in whatever direction you want it to go. From there on, you got to try and beat your opponent by following a set of rules set from the first pocket. As you keep winning games, you also win coins.

You May Also like: Ten Best Websites To Play Games Online

13. Real Racing 3

Real Racing 3 is an amazing free-to-play driving sim which lets one take charge of the wheel of some real-world cars as you drive around the beautifully rendered real-world racetracks. It has numerous game modes which you can swap according to your mood which also includes time trials, standard races and an amazingtime Shift multi-player mode too which offers varied challenges to players to have fun. The updates keep adding new content such as new cars and racing events at regular time intervals.

14. Football Strike

This is a soccer game where you can choose from the best teams in the world. In each team, you can literally find the real looking players. When you are choosing your team, start out with a full roster of basic players. Not only can you find the real players, but also you can also find some historical soccer legends. So the current and past soccer stars can play together on your team, isn’t that like a dream? During the various matches,either you can let your team play automatically on their own or go ahead to control them manually. If you choose to control your players, you can move them freely around. Your best players have their special shots and other special advantages.

15. Ludo King

It serves as an excellent way to enjoy the age-old fun on Android. One can choose to play against other people on the same device by passing it around, or against the AI as they like it. In the column of game setup options, you can pick the number of players which can be two, three, or four along with the color you want to play in. The game’s got a small how-to section where you can read up on the rules and brush them up in case you’ve forgotten. It is a fun game and can be enjoyed by the family at all.

Best Multiplayer Android Games in 2020

I hope this list helps, I’ve ranked the top 15 Top Multiplayer Android Games to play in 2020 and its your time to pick the best game and enjoy it along with your kith and kin. Playing is fun but playing together with other people adds to the fun.

The post Multiplayer Android Games – 2020 (Games with Friends) appeared first on Waftr.com.

[terryblount]

PUBG Update 5.2 available for download, introduces Spike Trap & Way Point System, full patch notes

PUBG Corporation has released a brand new update for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. According to the release notes, PUBG Update 5.2 introduces a new spike trap, a navigational Way Point system, some balancing updates on Vikendi, and new ways to test out content with PUBG Labs.

In this update, players will gain access to the new Spike Trap tool. Additionally, this patch brings a number of improvements and changes to Vikendi. These changes further develop the snowy island into a sniper’s playground.

Moreover, the update reduces the windows from many buildings for more defensible sniper positions, and removes some buildings and debris for more sightlines in small cities. It also cleans up walls, trees, and rocks in high traffic areas for better maneuverability in vehicles.

As always, Steam will download this update the next time you launch its client. Below you can also find a portion of its changelog (you can find the full release notes here).

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Patch 5.2 Release Notes

Gameplay

“Connect the dots.”

Added the Way Point feature

The Way Point feature has been added to allow you to make strategic plans for the routes you take.

You can use the feature only when the map is open (M key).

Press ALT+RMB to place the first point and while ALT is held, you may click other locations to add more points. You may release ALT to remove the starting point.

You can place up to 4 points per group of Way Points.

Press ALT+Del to remove placed Way Points. When you place a new starting point somewhere else, the existing Way Points will all disappear.

In Duo/Squad Mode, when a teammate places Way Points, they will appear on the map with a Radio Message. You can change the settings to not display the Way Point of certain teammates from the in-game Team Management menu.

Added an auto attachment feature

A new feature has been added that automatically equips your weapon with the attachments you pick up.

You can choose from 3 types of auto attachment options. You can activate/deactivate each of them from the ‘Settings – Gameplay’ tab.

Auto equip when you pick up an attachment with F key

When you pick up an attachment by pressing the interaction key (F), the attachment is automatically equipped to your weapon.

Auto attach when you switch to new weapon

When you switch your weapon with a new weapon on the ground, all the attachments equipped to the old weapon will automatically move to the new one.

Only attachments compatible with the new weapon will be attached and the rest will go into your inventory.

Auto equip when you pick up attachments with the inventory open

When you get an attachment while the inventory is open, the attachment will automatically be equipped to your weapon.

When you get an attachment for a slot that is already being used, the attachment will go into your inventory.

Adjusted swimming and diving balance

Swimming speed has increased by about 27%.

Diving speed has increased by about 20%.

Breath recovery speed has increased by about 10%. Now it takes 9 seconds for full recovery.

The maximum diving time has increased by about 33%. Now you can dive for about 20 seconds.

Improved weapon impact sounds

The sound effects for each type of object being shot have been improved.

Custom Match

Following the Zombie Mode presets available to PUBG Partners, new permissions have been given for additional Custom match freedom.

Added Round feature

War Mode / War Mode: Conquest are now available for round play, allowing for multiple match wins before game completion.

These matches consist of two rounds, best 2 out of 3, or best 3 out of 5 with a feature where players can play on different battlegrounds for each round or switch locations of both ends.

The ground re-spawn feature updated last patch is also available.

Added the Commander feature

In the previous version of Platoon Mode, players weren’t able to properly receive orders from their platoon leader easily through UI.

With this update, the player in the first slot of each platoon in the lobby will be assigned the role of platoon leader, whose location and ping will be shared with all platoon members.

This will enable the entire platoon to recognize moving/attack/defensive targets, allowing players to experience more strategic platoon combat.

Commander is able to help allies and interfere with the enemy through the various support requests available in the map UI.

Air strike request

Commander can spawn a Red Zone at a selected location.

Weapon package request

Commander can request care package at a designated location.

Healing package request

Commander can request healing items at a designated location.

Added Sandbox Mode

PUBG Partners can now create Sandbox Mode matches.

This mode provides convenient functions for PUBG Partners to easily experiment with PUBG content.

PUBG Partners can create Sandbox Mode matches in ‘Custom match > Create a match’.

Sandbox features

Invincibility

Only available for the match host (PUBG Partners)

Spawn items and vehicles

Control special features like flying and spawning Care Packages

Added special items exclusive items for custom matches

Added three new items that can be used through the Sandbox feature PUBG Partners have in Custom matches.

Helmet repair kit

Use it to restore the durability of your helmet by a certain amount.

Vest repair kit

Use it to restore the durability of your vest by a certain amount.

Blue Zone Uplink

Set your current location to be within the next safe zone.

If you are outside of the current safe zone, the next safe zone will be located as close to you as possible.

Added No HUD feature

When creating a general Custom match, creators can now control what UI their players see by changing setting in ‘Match Setting > Rule Tab > UI Option’.

Presets are provided for UI mode.

All On / All Off / Hardcore / Realistic / No Location Info / No Battle Royale Info / Manual

Individual UI setting is available in Manual.

Crosshair default /Map/ Player location / Player information / Teammate information / Displaying ID above the head of teammate / Blue zone ends in / Distance and notification text / Kill log / Number of survivors / Compass

The post PUBG Update 5.2 available for download, introduces Spike Trap & Way Point System, full patch notes appeared first on DSOGaming.

PUBG Update 5.2 available for download, introduces Spike Trap & Way Point System, full patch notes published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[onlinegames2020-blog]

Smite Blitz Hack, Cheats, Tips & Free Guide

Smite Blitz was created and published by “Hi-Rez Studios, Inc.” company, and it is available to be downloaded and played on the Android and IOS platforms.

A tactical RPG will give you opportunity to control the gods in the battlefields. Your main challenge is to retrieve back the energy crystal and protect the realm from the potential destruction.

The story begins in the Ancient Egypt and it will move through the various civilizations. The animations and background effects are on the top notch.

You may consider using the Smite Blitz cheats to unlock the full set of gods at the summoning altar. It will save you time and money as there would be no need for purchasing boosters at the in–app store.

Get Started

Before we dive any deeper through our Smite Blitz review, you must know these facts about the gameplay to decide at the beginner, whether the game suits you or not.

The game size is a little bit large and it will consume a big space on your device

There is an in game store

You must use the Smite Blitz cheats to enjoy the full features of the game.

An internet connection is a must thing to have in order to start the game

As soon as you start the game, you will notice a quick cinematic video containing the various available characters. You will realize right away that the game is based on the mythical characters and old gods.

We are speaking here about Odin, Zeus, Thor and even Fenrir is taking part in this challenge.

On the next segment, we will cover the importance of Smite Blitz cheats and how it will affect your gameplay, and we will talk about the gameplay with more details including the combat system

Gameplay In Depth…

To understand the battle system, you must be patient enough. First, the units on the battleground will start attacking automatically, you are not ordering them to either stop or attack.

Each main character will come with its own set of special abilities and powers. You can cast the special skills on your enemy units, but you have to make sure you are aiming at the right direction.

The health bar will appear right on the top of each character, when its nearly full or full it will stay in the green color, and as it goes down it will start to fade into yellow, then red once it is a crucial situation.

There will be an energy bar located on the bottom right corner. This bar will gain points based on time, and the skills will consume a certain number of points for each time they are executed.

You must do the math once the battle begins and know exactly when to cast your special skills as it could leave you in a very dull situation drained and no back up plans are there to help you out.

How To Use The Altar?

You must beat the time once the battle begins, the counter will appear on the top part of the screen and surviving long enough to defeat your boss within the given period should become your main goal.

The Smite Blitz cheats will help you in increasing your powers and eliminating your opponents much easier.

By reaching this point, you should be aware of the main principles in the game and ready to learn more about the remaining features including the storyline.

The storyline of the game is not complicated and they have made it as simple as possible. You will be playing as Athena and your father is Zeus. He will be injured in the last battle of defending the mighty crystal, which is the source of energy in the whole universe…

Your first task should be summoning Hercules at the altar, as he will help you in this task and will provide a great assistance.

Using the Smite Blitz cheats at the altar is the ideal way to have an unstoppable team. Since summoning new heroes does not come for free, you should know that the process would come at a great cost.

That is not everything, each summoned god or hero will have his/her main attributes and a stars rating system to determine his overall powers.

At this moment, you know the importance of Smite Blitz Hack at summoning new allies, on the next segment we will talk more about further usages.

Add More Gods To Your Team Using Smite Blitz Cheats!

Since Hercules is going to become your first summon in the game, and then it would be a good idea to have his attributes checked and revised.

Warrior and very strong in melee combats

Very solid strength second to none

The lower his health drops, the harder it would be to kill him

Deals tremendous damage to foes by hurling giant boulders

Can be upgraded and enhanced using the Smite Blitz Hack

Those were the main attributes we have seen on our first ever summon. The next step is to customize your fighting party. Enter the section and choose which gods and heroes you would like to add to the team that will be fighting on the next battle.

The game is offering various features, but the main one is the Adventure as it holds all the information related to the main storyline.

That will take us to the storyline phase and its details; on the next segment, we will find the perfect usage of Smite Blitz Hack as well…

Storyline & Questing System Overview

In the adventure mode you will begin at the first ever mission and the remaining once will remain locked until you complete it. The new missions will get unlocked one by one and each mission has a difficulty rating in numbers.

You may not complete the mission with a flawless performance, but you must obtain a total number of stars at the end of the set of mission in order to unlock the next chapter.

The Smite Blitz Hack should help you with the flawless performance part. As each mission will have the potential of rewarding you with one or three stars according to the scenario and performance.

Before you enter any mission, you should read the description of the mission. The two main sections in the description are:

Enemy camp: it will has the expected type of enemies, so you would pick the most suitable units for this fight

Trophies: it will show you the expected rewards for completing the mission.

Energy points: you are not allowed to play the game for unlimited periods that is when the energy points handicap feature kicks in to stop you for a recoil time.

Use the Smite Blitz Hack to over the lack of energy problems, without the urge to invest in the game store.

On the left side of the mission description, you will notice that each star out of the three stars will have its own secondary task. Read them carefully and try to get them done.

All our reviews and content have been tested and written by the Real Gamers forum, Here is the main post for Smite Blitz Hack, Cheats, Tips & Guide.

Smite Blitz Hack

[thomasroach]

5 More Turn-Based Builds For Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire

The post 5 More Turn-Based Builds For Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire appeared first on Fextralife.

In this Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire article, we once again bring you 5 new turn-based Builds, that were designed with only the new game mode in mind. These Builds are some of our favorites, and they are quite powerful, even more so than the last 5.

More Pillars of Eternity 2 Turn-Based Builds

This week’s video features, 2 Druid Builds, a Ranger Build, an Assassin Build and a Monk Build. All of these Builds work extremely well in the new turn-based mode, so let’s dive first into the Relentless Fury Build and see why Druids are now a “Storm” to be reckoned with!

5. Relentless Fury Build

The Relentless Fury Build uses the Fury subclass of Druid to make better effect of Elements spells by increasing Range and Penetration by a modest amount. This Build thrives by using spells that render many enemies incapacitated at once, allowing for your team to systematically pick them off.

Spells that make this Build possible are Returning Storm, Overwhelming Wave and Relentless Storm. These abilities render enemies Stunned and unable to take a turn, unless they have Resistance to Might Afflictions. The great thing about these is that they are all different power levels, so you will be able to cast 2 of each per combat, once you get higher level. Empowering allows you to use them 1 more time each, so that’s a total of 9 solid Stunning abilities per combat.

This skill is beastly when used properly. Single Class Druids will gain this at Level 9, which is quite early.

There is no way to effectively increase the Duration of these Stuns because even with 30 Intellect, and supposing you Critically Strike, the Duration of the Stun will not increase beyond 1 Round. However, having high Intellect is recommended for this Build as it will increase the area that these spells effect, and it will make Returning Storm and Relentless Storm themselves last for more Rounds.

Because you will be on Crowd Control detail most of the time with this Build, there are not too many Classes that Multiclass well with it. This is because other Classes must add something passively that is better than the increased Power Level gain the Druid gets from being a Single Class. However, if you do decide to Multiclass it I recommend either a Fighter or a Chanter.

Fighter’s can add many things like Tactical Barrage, that increases Accuracy, Intellect and Power Level. In addition, their Conquerer Stance will further increase their Accuracy, and Into the Fray can be used to pull enemies in range if they are too far away. Charge is also great, as it fits the theme of the Crowd Control style of Build. I would take No Subclass or Tactician if you have a Cipher who can cast Phantom Foes.

This one ability makes a great case for a Fighter Multiclass, but you will have less spells early on, so you have to decide which is more important.

Chanters provide Chants while they are in combat, which allows the Druid to still focus on their main objective, while also debuffing enemies and buffing allies. There are so many good choices here that I do not need to name them, but Chanters also benefit from a high Intellect, since their Chants will reach further targets (both friendly and hostile). Troubadour is the best choice here to make your Chants last longer.

Attribute-wise you’ll want a decent amount of Dexterity in order to get your spells Cast as quickly as possible, and to go early in the turn order. Perception is needed to make sure your spells connect and Intellect is needed to make them last as long as possible, and increase their area size. Consider adding some Constitution because you will need to be on the front lines and will likely take damage.

This Build is not focuses on doing damage as much as it is Crowd Controlling enemies. Thus Might is optional and can be dumped.

4. Agile Deepstalker Build

The Deepstalker focuses on hand-to-hand combat along side its Companion. They use the Black Jacket Subclass from the Fighter to gain an additional Weapon Set, and to be able to swap weapons for Free. This allows them to make the most of each Ability they use (Primary or Full Attack), by allowing them to use the best weapon type for the attack. The Stalker subclass of Ranger is used to gain increased Deflection and Armor, for both the Ranger and their Companion, when fighting near each other. By fighting in close proximity, the Ranger and its Companion can surround and enemy and gain the Flanking status, further increasing their capabilities.

Because the Agile Deepstalker fights in melee they can make use of some of the skills that many Rangers don’t normally use. In this case they can use Mule Kick or Concussive Shot when Two-Handing, since they are both Primary Attacks. They can use Penetrating Strike, Wounding Shot, and Hunter’s Claw while Dual Wielding since these are all Full Attacks. And Concussive Shot, Penetrating Strike, Wounding Shot and Evasive Fire when using a Bow. This allows them to be extremely flexible, and since there is no penalty, they can carry all 3 of these weapon sets. If they take Arms Bearer, they can also place a shield in the 4th slot and swap to that at turns end for max defense.

Arms Bearer allows Black Jackets to have 4 weapon slots, which means they can have a shield in one slot for increased defense during enemy turns.

Defensive Bond and it’s upgrade are important to take for this Build, because it is one of few Builds that can utilize them well. These will help protect you and your Companion from damage while in the thick of combat. Also, be sure to take passives that increase your Companions damage like: Vicious Companion, Merciless Companion and Predator’s Sense. This will help you make the most of your Companion.

Unlike the Skirmishing Scout Build, these Rangers do not need to go before their Companions, as they are more focused on the general battlefield then they are on the specific target that their Companion is attacking. For example, they may be standing right next to an enemy but they see a weak enemy not far away. They can swap to their Bow, kill it, and then swap back to their melee setup (ready for the next round).

Attribute-wise they want to focus on Might, Constitution and Perception. They need to hit hard and heal their Companion for as much as possible, they need to be able to absorb a bit of damage, and they need to make sure their weapons connect (not matter which they are using). You can dump Resolve a little bit with no issues.

Dexterity would be nice to have for this Build, but is not necessary.

3. Primordial Warden Build

The Primordial Warden uses the Firebrand ability of the Druid Class to deal tons of Burn Damage to enemies from the very beginning of the game. I know many of you have been waiting for this Build specifically, and here it is (finally)! By taking the Devoted Fighter Class, you also gain additional Penetration and Critical Damage when wielding it, which further boosts damage, if you select the Greatsword as your 1 Proficiency. In addition, you gain extra damage from the Fighter’s Weapon Specialization and Weapon Mastery. The Primordial Warden can also cast Elements spells when needed and heal as well, and is very much a hybrid Build.

Firebrand does a ton of Fire Damage and counts as a Greatsword, so benefits from the Devoted Subclass choosing Greatsword for it’s 1 Weapon Proficiency.

With this Build, turn one you will be casting Firebrand as you wait for the enemies to get to you, which is pretty common in most fights. Then you will get to go first in the following round, which is great. Then you’ll buff with Disciplined Barrage, and I like to cast an AoE spell that deals damage to soften up many enemies first. Then I like to move in and use Mule Kick or Penetrating Strike depending on the Fortitude and Deflection of the enemy (Mule Kick targets Fortitude).

Remember to use the Savage Attack Weapon Modal when you can to further increase damage, and the -10 Accuracy penalty is almost negligible now that 1-49 rolls Graze. Fighters can give themselves +80% chance to convert Grazes to Hits with Confident Aim and Disciplined Barrage, so this change really helps them.

This will really help up your damage, and since you’re a Fighter your Grazes will become Hits very often.

You’ll generally lead with Conquerer’s Stance for increased Accuracy on your initial spell cast and then switch to Mob Stance when you are about to down an enemy (if there are other enemies around). You can also use Lower Their Guard to almost completely negate Armor for a round, really improving the damage you deal, but don’t use it too often. You won’t have much Discipline to spare since your buffs and your attacks both use it, so 2 Discipline is a lot to spend.

The Accuracy bonus from this Stance will apply to your spells.

For the Druid Subclass you can choose Fury, Animist or Livegiver. Fury will help with Penetration of your attacks by 1, which is nice, but you cannot use healing spells if you choose it. Animist is basically no Subclass, and Livegiver will make your healing stronger. The choice is really up to you here, but it should be based on the spells you gain automatically at each Power Level. This allows you to spend the majority of your Ability Points on Fighter Abilities.

Attribute-wise you’ll want a good amount of Might since it will boost damage and healing, which you will do both of. Perception is also a must, since Spells don’t benefit from the Accuracy of Weapons, and you will want to strike with these. I’d divide the rest of the points between Constitution and Intellect, since you’ll be in melee range and you want to increase your Durations and AoE sizes a bit.

Might helps with healing and damage so is great for this Build and Perception will ensure you strike with your attacks.

2. Zealous Assassin Build

The Zealous Assassin makes use of the Skaen Subclass of Priest in order to help facilitate kills from Stealth because this Priest Subclass gives them access to both Finishing Blow and Shadowing Beyond. This allows the Zealous Assassin to become Invisible 2 more times during combat, in addition to giving it the ability to finish off enemies without using Guile. In Turn-Based mode, the only real way to play an Assassin is by using Shadowing Beyond, because Smoke Veil is a Standard Action and Shadowing Beyond is a Free Action. This means if you use Smoke Veil you will not be able to attack the same turn you go Invisible, drastically reducing your damage.

The problem with this Build is that it is very slow to start out, and it takes some time to increase your Power Level, gain more resources, and access to Shadowing Beyond. With this setup you will not gain Shadowing Beyond until level 10, which means the beginning of the game you will only usually get one attack from Stealth on turn 1. You could take Smoke Veil at level 4, but you won’t have much Guild to attack and go Invisible with, so it’s not particularly recommended.

In turn-based you need to use Shadowing Beyond as it is a Free Action. This will allow you to attack from Stealth on turn 1, and then pop this before ending your turn. Rinse and repeat.

When playing a Zealous Assassin you want to use a Two-Handed Weapon, since only the first strike when Dual Wielding will add the bonus damage of Assassinate and Backstab. Greatswords allow you to use Savage Attack, which further improves Damage at the cost of Accuracy. Since you will gain quite a bit of Accuracy from Assassinate, this is a fair trade and you should consider using it when you possible. The idea here is one hit = one kill.

Zealous Assassins can one shot most enemies, so they should look to hit the highest Health enemies they can, that they are sure they can kill. Don’t go and hit that weak enemy for 100 damage when it only needs 20 to finish it off. You’re far better off dealing 100 damage and not killing the target then what I just mentioned. Also, be sure to get the Persistent Distraction ability as soon as possible, because it will allow your attacks to gain the Sneak Attack bonus and later the Deathblows bonus automatically.

An example of how much damage you can deal with this setup. This adds up to +606% damage.

Attribute-wise you want to crank Might and Perception as high as you can. You have no real need for anything else, except Dexterity, since you don’t want to be caught in the middle of your group on turn one and catch an AoE before it’s your turn. After turn 1, Initiative will not matter much as you will be invisible most of the time and out of the way. Note that leveling Stealth is critical for this Build, so make sure to place points here when leveling up.

Perception is very important for Assassins because they gain +50% Critical Damage, so they want to Critically Hit as often as they can. Perception helps this happen, so is a must.

1. Fraying Brawler Build

The Fraying Brawler Build uses the Into the Fray ability of the Fighter Class to pull enemies into melee range and then uses Raised Torment of the Monk Class to damage and Stun them all. Since Into the Fray is a Free Action, you can actually pull up to 7 targets (if you use Empower) into melee range, and then strike them all with Raised Torment, Stunning them. If you are a Shattered Pillar Monk, then this should fill your Wounds, allowing you to use this ability again on the following turn. This results in a chain Stun of enemies, who will not be able to get out.

You can use this ability to chain stun enemies that cannot move when it is not their turn.

Stride is very important to this Build because Into the Fray has a very short range (5 meters) so you will need to move quite a bit in order to pull many targets. For this reason I highly recommend taking both the Fast Runner and Long Stride passives, so that you can get a little extra movement. It also doesn’t hurt to have a Chanter in the group that can buff your movement speed either, and Fraying Brawlers should look to go near the end of their team’s turn in order to gain this buff, as well as allow enemies to bunch up a bit naturally.

Much like the Zealous Assassin, this Build takes some time to get off the ground. You will not get Raised Torment until level 13, and Lower Their Guard (Into the Fray upgrade) isn’t available until level 10. This means earlier on in the game you won’t quite have the Crowd Control potential, and you’ll rely more on the tanking aspect of the Fighter to stay alive.

Since this Build is meant for tanking and Crowd Control you don’t need to worry much about damage. You should be using Guardian Stance to reduce the damage you take and keep enemies Engaged, and you should be using a Shield to help protect yourself, along with Weapon and Shield Style. The Unbroken Subclass helps with this aspect, and is recommended.

Getting an extra Engagement and Armor when using a Shield can really help keep you alive until you get Raised Torment. The downside is that it does lower Stride a little bit.

Be sure to use Dance of Death to gain some Wounds and make it possible to use Raised Torment on Round 1. Since the enemies should remain Stunned, you should gain an additional 2 Wounds per round as well, but refresh it if you get hit. Note that Lightning Strikes and Swift Flurry do not apply to the AoE of Raised Torment because it is not technically a Weapon Attack, so do not worry about these.

Attribute-wise you’ll want some Constitution to stay alive while positioning enemies and tanking. You’ll want a lot of Perception to make sure your Raised Torment connects, Stunning enemies. And you’ll want a good amount of Intellect to increase its AoE size, as well as increase the Duration of some abilities like Constant Recovery.

We are not worried about our damage with this Build, so Might is not prioritized.

Stay tuned for more Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire content as we cover a couple more Turn-Based Builds, but a bit more in depth. Also, keep an eye out for some upcoming Elder Scrolls Online content, as the new DLC Wrathstone launches today!

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