#Adversary Simulation

[zhannazakharova19]

Case Study: Red Team Success in Global Fin Corp

As cyber threats evolve, organizations increasingly rely on Red Team engagements to assess their defenses. Utilizing advanced tools like Cobalt Strike, Red Teams can simulate sophisticated attacks, allowing companies to evaluate their ability to detect and respond to adversarial behaviors. Known for its robust post-exploitation capabilities, Cobalt Strike is an essential resource for replicating…

[retrocgads]

USA 1993

[jcmarchi]

MIT engineers are on a failure-finding mission

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/mit-engineers-are-on-a-failure-finding-mission/

MIT engineers are on a failure-finding mission

From vehicle collision avoidance to airline scheduling systems to power supply grids, many of the services we rely on are managed by computers. As these autonomous systems grow in complexity and ubiquity, so too could the ways in which they fail.

Now, MIT engineers have developed an approach that can be paired with any autonomous system, to quickly identify a range of potential failures in that system before they are deployed in the real world. What’s more, the approach can find fixes to the failures, and suggest repairs to avoid system breakdowns.

The team has shown that the approach can root out failures in a variety of simulated autonomous systems, including a small and large power grid network, an aircraft collision avoidance system, a team of rescue drones, and a robotic manipulator. In each of the systems, the new approach, in the form of an automated sampling algorithm, quickly identifies a range of likely failures as well as repairs to avoid those failures.

The new algorithm takes a different tack from other automated searches, which are designed to spot the most severe failures in a system. These approaches, the team says, could miss subtler though significant vulnerabilities that the new algorithm can catch.

“In reality, there’s a whole range of messiness that could happen for these more complex systems,” says Charles Dawson, a graduate student in MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. “We want to be able to trust these systems to drive us around, or fly an aircraft, or manage a power grid. It’s really important to know their limits and in what cases they’re likely to fail.”

Dawson and Chuchu Fan, assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, are presenting their work this week at the Conference on Robotic Learning.

Sensitivity over adversaries

In 2021, a major system meltdown in Texas got Fan and Dawson thinking. In February of that year, winter storms rolled through the state, bringing unexpectedly frigid temperatures that set off failures across the power grid. The crisis left more than 4.5 million homes and businesses without power for multiple days. The system-wide breakdown made for the worst energy crisis in Texas’ history.

“That was a pretty major failure that made me wonder whether we could have predicted it beforehand,” Dawson says. “Could we use our knowledge of the physics of the electricity grid to understand where its weak points could be, and then target upgrades and software fixes to strengthen those vulnerabilities before something catastrophic happened?”

Dawson and Fan’s work focuses on robotic systems and finding ways to make them more resilient in their environment. Prompted in part by the Texas power crisis, they set out to expand their scope, to spot and fix failures in other more complex, large-scale autonomous systems. To do so, they realized they would have to shift the conventional approach to finding failures.

Designers often test the safety of autonomous systems by identifying their most likely, most severe failures. They start with a computer simulation of the system that represents its underlying physics and all the variables that might affect the system’s behavior. They then run the simulation with a type of algorithm that carries out “adversarial optimization” — an approach that automatically optimizes for the worst-case scenario by making small changes to the system, over and over, until it can narrow in on those changes that are associated with the most severe failures.

“By condensing all these changes into the most severe or likely failure, you lose a lot of complexity of behaviors that you could see,” Dawson notes. “Instead, we wanted to prioritize identifying a diversity of failures.”

To do so, the team took a more “sensitive” approach. They developed an algorithm that automatically generates random changes within a system and assesses the sensitivity, or potential failure of the system, in response to those changes. The more sensitive a system is to a certain change, the more likely that change is associated with a possible failure.

The approach enables the team to route out a wider range of possible failures. By this method, the algorithm also allows researchers to identify fixes by backtracking through the chain of changes that led to a particular failure.

“We recognize there’s really a duality to the problem,” Fan says. “There are two sides to the coin. If you can predict a failure, you should be able to predict what to do to avoid that failure. Our method is now closing that loop.”

Hidden failures

The team tested the new approach on a variety of simulated autonomous systems, including a small and large power grid. In those cases, the researchers paired their algorithm with a simulation of generalized, regional-scale electricity networks. They showed that, while conventional approaches zeroed in on a single power line as the most vulnerable to fail, the team’s algorithm found that, if combined with a failure of a second line, a complete blackout could occur.  

“Our method can discover hidden correlations in the system,” Dawson says. “Because we’re doing a better job of exploring the space of failures, we can find all sorts of failures, which sometimes includes even more severe failures than existing methods can find.”

The researchers showed similarly diverse results in other autonomous systems, including a simulation of avoiding aircraft collisions, and coordinating rescue drones. To see whether their failure predictions in simulation would bear out in reality, they also demonstrated the approach on a robotic manipulator — a robotic arm that is designed to push and pick up objects.

The team first ran their algorithm on a simulation of a robot that was directed to push a bottle out of the way without knocking it over. When they ran the same scenario in the lab with the actual robot, they found that it failed in the way that the algorithm predicted — for instance, knocking it over or not quite reaching the bottle. When they applied the algorithm’s suggested fix, the robot successfully pushed the bottle away.

“This shows that, in reality, this system fails when we predict it will, and succeeds when we expect it to,” Dawson says.

In principle, the team’s approach could find and fix failures in any autonomous system as long as it comes with an accurate simulation of its behavior. Dawson envisions one day that the approach could be made into an app that designers and engineers can download and apply to tune and tighten their own systems before testing in the real world.

“As we increase the amount that we rely on these automated decision-making systems, I think the flavor of failures is going to shift,” Dawson says. “Rather than mechanical failures within a system, we’re going to see more failures driven by the interaction of automated decision-making and the physical world. We’re trying to account for that shift by identifying different types of failures, and addressing them now.”

This research is supported, in part, by NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

[wintergrofyuri]

pisses me off when ppl draw adversary as a generic anime girl with horns.

like do you see this.

shes goofy as fuck. she makes anime villain expressions unironically

she doesnt have a very traditionally feminine face ykno. shes got cheekbones that could kill a man. shes like an overexcited rottweiler.

i just feel like. some slay the princess "fans" only see it as a waifu simulator. and we need to burn those ppl at the stake. the princess is NOT your waifu. YOU are HER waifu. put on the fucking cat ears bitch.

[upsidedownsmore]

wait so the vessels are just meant to be giant warframes? neat i guess

Albrecht said "what if warframes were giants and looked more human"

[tozettastone]

This is one of my favourite bits from Cultist Simulator: the description on the Weary Detective card.

Later on players may (or may not) learn that this is Douglas Moore, but either way, he's a character who works for the Suppression Bureau and is the player character's very first adversary in the vanilla game.

The writing and the lore is really what makes Cultist Simulator fun.

[ddarker-dreams]

random yan chrollo blurb because i can't stop thinking about him even if i try . 🙏

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“… Are you still sure?”

“I’m still sure.”

“Swear to me.” 

“I swear.”

“That wasn’t sincere enough… swear… swear on the Troupe. In the name of their, uh, honor, or whatever.”

“Honor?” The word sounds humorous coming from Chrollo’s lips. “Very well. I swear on the honor of the Phantom Troupe that I won’t go back on my word.” 

You sit across from a formidable opponent. Fate has decreed this your lot, so you’ve taken what has been forcibly thrust upon you and sworn to crush it. However, at this stage, you’ve modified your parameters to be more realistic. The new, somewhat more obtainable goal is to leave a dent. Or a scratch, perhaps. 

For this dream to be realized, risks must be taken. The risk in this case is a willingness to interact with a man named Chrollo Lucilfer. His is a species defined by its tenacity. Through trial and error, you’ve concluded that typical avenues of escape aren’t in the cards. Nothing concerning the life you lead now is ordinary, so creativity and a solid vision are paramount. 

Your adversary sits leaning forward, his elbow on the table, forearm extending upward, and palm open. He observes you with the degree of amusement he always does, content in waiting for you to make the first move. 

You take a deep breath. Oxygen floods your being and blood circulates in full force. Every system in your body is primed and ready, there’ll be no better window, so you take it, springing into action. 

Contact is made with his outstretched palm. You steady your footwork for better balance, then pull, demanding everything your muscles can deliver and then some. This immense exertion of force is the culmination of your efforts. Hours of scheming by the window, exercising self-control not to pour salt on his strawberries so he’d be more affable to your requests, running mental calculations and simulations… 

… Alas, it’s not enough. 

You pitched a pseudo arm wrestling competition where you could use any means necessary to make him budge. You didn’t dare stipulate that you successfully pull his arm down, your hubris doesn’t extend that far; but the slightest movement on his part would spell your victory. A victory that’d have him fulfill any request your overactive imagination could conjure up. These terms and conditions were smoothed out in a verbal binding contract. 

His countenance is the same as it would be if he were flipping through a book or pulling his phone from his pocket — entirely casual. He isn’t even straining himself to maintain this stalemate. It’s possible that his physical strength is simply beyond your understanding, as is that parapsychological phenomena he refers to as Nen. 

“What,” you heave, disbelief coloring your tone, “Is your body made out of?” 

“Oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen—” 

“It was rhetorical, Mr. Alchemist,” you cut him off. 

He simply shrugs and smiles. Somehow, his arm still hasn’t moved an inch throughout that exchange. The thought of this metric gives you pause. An idea is sown and imbued with life in the span of a few seconds. 

“Ah, that’s the expression you get before you say something endearing,” he comments, almost dreamily. 

You ignore him and straighten up, ready to argue over technicalities like your life depends on it. Seeing that you’ve abandoned your previous scheme, he relaxes back into the chair. 

“I have a case. How do we know your arm didn’t move… an atom to the side?” 

Chrollo tilts his head. “An atom?” 

“Yes. If an inch is a unit of measurement, there has to be something smaller. So maybe your arm didn’t move an inch, but it moved the width of an atom. Are you following me?” 

“...” 

You barely comprehend it. 

One second, you’re standing, the next, you’re sitting, with arms and a familiar cologne engulfing you. You can feel the low rumbling of his chest. He chuckles into your ear and secures you tighter against him upon sensing your instinct to struggle. Scowling, you cross your arms while he regains his composure. 

“Don’t be cross with me, dear,” he smooths out your shirt, as if it’d exonerate him of his transgressions. “I’m not laughing at you. You’re just… everything. Everything I need. I’m sorry. Please finish your point.” 

“Court’s adjourned.” 

“That’s a shame. When might it reopen?”

“Never, you’re sentenced to death. No appeals.”  

“I thought you opposed capital punishment?” 

“Each second that has passed since this conversation began has regressed my views by a decade each.” 

"I'll just have to hold onto you for the time being then."

All you can muster the strength to do is sigh.

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 11/12/2024

this one's a bit short. i am now thirty and still unemployed (ten months this week) ://// if you enjoy the tuesdayposts and are not maxed out on your charitable donations for other causes (american healthcare access, healthcare access in other places, war relief, any number of other good causes) i am going to be $300 short for december rent. here is my paypal.

listening

listening to a lot of pete seeger, for my health. there are about one zillion recordings of Old Man Atom, all ever so slightly different. it starts off as a perky gee-whiz-science! tune and continues frog marching the listener along in an increasingly jaunty manner. it's

Then the cartel crowd put on a show To turn back the clock on the UNO To get a corner on atoms and maybe extinguish Every darned atom that can't speak English Down with foreign-born atoms! America for American atoms! I hold this truth to be self-evident That all men may be cremated equal!

it's very depressing to listen to early anti-nuclear protest songs and realize they hold even more true today! song's a bop tho!

-

reading

the feds nabbed someone allegedly related to the semi-dire Snowflake data leaks that have been ongoing throughout the year (Santander Bank, AT&T, Ticket Master, Neiman Marcus, etc).

this guy has been a real thorn in krebs' side for a year or so and participates in some of the worst corners of the internet, which explains the adversarial nature of the writeup. i read through the whole thing going "yeah this guy is Very annoying but why is krebs so mad at him" and then got to the bottom section about other activities. italicized OH moment in real life but bad.

-

watching

continuing noirvember with The Maltese Falcon (1941, dir. Huston).

The Maltese Falcon is a 1941 American film noir in which a San Francisco private detective deals with three unscrupulous adventurers, all seeking a jewel-encrusted falcon statuette.[3] Written and directed by John Huston[3] in his directorial debut, the film was based on the 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett and is a remake of the 1931 film of the same name.[4][5][6] It stars Humphrey Bogart as private investigator Sam Spade, Mary Astor as his femme fatale client, and as villains Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet.

i have two really snotty thoughts to get out of my brain: the modern letterboxed reviews like "i liked this but the homophobia ruined it" weak. all of you are WEAK.

and

i appreciate the work of the tumblrinas trying to queer this story in a more 2020s friendly way. however. sam spade canonically calls someone a slur for using cologne that he deems too feminine. the noir detective series you want is Philip Marlowe, who is at least homophobic in interesting and less physically violent ways.

anyway! gorgeous gorgeous movie. mary astor goes toe to fucking toe with bogey in every scene. a very frantic and frightened woman who is one jump ahead of the pathway crumbling behind her at all times. but she takes the jump and makes it! every time! except for the most important one!!!

-

playing

having a normal one with 12 hours of powerwash simulator

new genshin update rapidly approacheth. there's a lot happening in this screenshot. accidentally careened right past this npc, with one bullet for the poor low-level slime in the background, floaty blue pet in tow. the npc wanted me to deliver something to her sister who is visible under the big tree in the background. i love early area spaghetti code.

-

making

deep cleaned my house again bc i had people over for my birthday, which was a very lovely and very drunk evening of star wars on in the background while we played trivia. not how i expected to enter my thirties! i am not in the life circumstances i expected to be in my thirties, i do not have the life i expected to have in my thirties, etc. feeling a little maudlin and need to do crafts about it but also all the crafts in my home are not quite right!

[joseefinwrites]

Story Generator (Generic)

Create a story by answering a few short basic questions! :)

Genre of your story:

Fantasy

Mystery

Romance

Science Fiction

Thriller

Historical Fiction

Contemporary

Horror

Main conflict in your story:

Man vs. Nature

Man vs. Society

Man vs. Self

Man vs. Supernatural

Man vs. Technology

Man vs. Man

Setting of your story:

Medieval Kingdom

Futuristic City

Small Town

Outer Space

Post-Apocalyptic World

Magical Realm

Historical Period

Modern World

Protagonist's main goal:

Find a lost loved one

Seek revenge for a past injustice

Uncover a long-buried secret

Survive against all odds

Save the world from destruction

Discover their true identity

Achieve fame and fortune

Love

Antagonist's motivation:

Power and control

Revenge for a past betrayal

Protecting their loved ones

Preserving tradition

Survival at any cost

Redemption for past mistakes

Seeking justice for a perceived wrong

Unexpected event that disrupts the protagonist's plans:

Natural disaster strikes

Betrayal by a trusted ally

Discovery of a hidden enemy

Revelation of a family secret

Encounter with a mysterious stranger

Sudden illness or injury

Loss of a crucial ally

Unforeseen technological malfunction

Capture or imprisonment by an unknown entity

Encounter with a mythical creature

Sabotage of essential resources or equipment

Accidental activation of a dangerous artifact

A sudden change in the political landscape

Unveiling of a long-concealed prophecy or curse

Unexpected time travel or dimensional shift

Encounter with a hostile faction or rogue agent

Major revelation that changes everything (basic + .. less basic):

The protagonist's mentor is actually the antagonist in disguise

The protagonist is a long-lost heir to the throne

The antagonist is secretly working to save the world

The main conflict is part of a larger conspiracy

The protagonist has a hidden power they never knew about

The true villain is someone the protagonist trusted implicitly

The main conflict is a result of a misunderstanding

The protagonist's memories have been manipulated

The protagonist is revealed to be a chosen one destined to fulfill a prophecy.

The antagonist is a relative or close family member of the protagonist.

The conflict is orchestrated by a higher-dimensional entity or godlike being.

The protagonist's entire reality is a constructed illusion, and they are actually living in a simulated world.

The true purpose of the protagonist's quest or mission is revealed to be something entirely different from what they believed.

The antagonist's actions are driven by a tragic event from their past, for which the protagonist unwittingly played a role.

The main conflict is revealed to be a test of character orchestrated by an ancient order or supernatural force.

The protagonist discovers a hidden connection or link between themselves and the antagonist that predates their current conflict.

Resolution of the conflict: (,again,, basic + a little less basic)

The protagonist and antagonist team up to defeat a greater threat

The conflict is resolved through sacrifice

The protagonist discovers a peaceful solution to the conflict

The antagonist has a change of heart and seeks redemption

The conflict is revealed to be a test orchestrated by a higher power

The protagonist realizes they were fighting for the wrong side all along

The conflict is resolved through a clever twist of fate

The conflict is resolved through forgiveness and reconciliation

The conflict ends in a stalemate, forcing both the protagonist and antagonist to find a new path forward.

The protagonist discovers a loophole or loophole in the conflict's rules, allowing them to outsmart their adversary.

A sudden change in circumstances renders the conflict irrelevant, forcing the protagonist and antagonist to reassess their priorities.

The intervention of a neutral third party brings an unexpected end to the conflict, leaving both sides with unresolved feelings.

The conflict resolves in a bittersweet compromise, where neither side achieves a complete victory but finds a way to coexist.

A dramatic revelation about the true nature of the conflict forces the protagonist and antagonist to reevaluate their positions.

The conflict is resolved through a symbolic gesture or act of kindness, transcending the need for further confrontation.

Josie

[thatsrightice]

I understand that military flight simulations were no where close to as complex as they are today, but I would put money on the fact that Ice would have more hours in the flight sim than anyone else. Call him a perfectionist and he’d agree but it takes work to get to that level, to know what to do in every scenario.

Ice would have spent countless hours in flight simulations trying to defeat all five bogeys on his own following the USS Leighton rescue mission to find a way to make it happen. He didn’t need to prove anything to anyone, no one was expected to take down so many adversaries in a situation such as his, but still he pushed. He scared people, not intentionally (most of the time), but in flight sims you could cut loose a little, inch over that line into the grey area that isn’t quite reckless abandon.

Ice was cool, calm, and collected, but there were times when the anger would bubble inside of him. Anger and irritation towards his dad, Maverick, the US Navy, or maybe himself that had him itching to release his emotions. Instead of accidentally exploding on someone, he’d go to the flight sim and fly with such calculated recklessness and precision that he’d have everyone shitting their pants at the revelation of the Iceman’s true potential, a beast within himself that wasn’t quite what the Navy wanted in pilot but something that effortlessly demanded respect regardless.

[doom-dreaming]

High Flakes Combat

“Blue Lead,” Linda’s whisper cuts across TEAMCOM, crisp and several degrees colder than the icy landscape. “Hostiles approaching your position.”

Fred, tucked behind the trunk of a towering pine tree, exhales a slow, measured breath. Waiting. Listening. Without his motion tracker, only the crunch of footsteps in the snow—and Linda—could tell him when their opponents were closing in.

There. Fifteen meters out. He motions to John, positioned behind an adjacent tree. On my signal.

…ten meters…

Cover me. Go high.

…five meters…

John nods. Fred tightens his grip on his weapon.

Now.

As one, they pivot, breaching cover. Fred drops to a knee, attacking swiftly, before their adversary has a chance to retaliate.

The snowball hits Ash directly in the center of his chestplate. Active camouflage flickers briefly, then recalibrates, as the young Spartan crashes dramatically to his knees before sprawling backward, motionless.

Fred doesn’t let the theatrics distract him. The other two had to be nearby and the round wasn’t over until— A snowball whizzes past his head, followed by a sharp curse—out loud, close. He catches a shimmer of white on white as Olivia leaps to find cover and “reload,” but John is faster.

The snowball hits her thigh before she can complete her maneuver and she slides to a dejected halt in a snowbank. “Dammit! Mark!” she calls out. “You’re on your own!”

Fred doesn’t hear a verbal response. He knows he won’t, Mark’s too good to give away his position— Thwap. Fred’s vision goes fuzzy and white as Mark’s snowball connects with his visor, splattering on impact. Fred groans and flashes a red status light across his team’s HUDs. He’d be out until the next round.

“He’s on the move!” Linda barks over the comms.

Fred folds himself cross-legged into the snow and wipes his visor clean just in time to see Kelly bounding over a nearby ridge, clutching a snowball in each fist.

“I’ve got him!” She goes streaking across the snow toward a barely-visible figure—also sprinting.

Mark wouldn’t be able to outrun Kelly—a fact Fred knew the S-III was well aware of—but he was certainly trying his best.

Kelly nails Mark with both snowballs, one in the shoulder, the other in the back. He stumbles just enough that Kelly’s momentum sends her into him at full force. The clack of their colliding armor echoes like a shot as both Spartans go tumbling to the ground, sending up a minor flurry in their wake.

“Aaaaaaaand match!” Roland’s voice rings out over the simulation deck, followed by a buzzer. “Blue Team takes the win!”

“Again,” Olivia grumbles, pushing to her feet and dusting snow off her armor.

“It’s three against four,” Ash reminds her, still lying on his back a few feet from Fred.

Olivia crunches her way over and offers him a hand. “Can we make Kelly sit out the next round?”

“If you’re not having fun, leave,” John quips.

“Or maybe you should switch Kelly to our team and see how it feels,” Livi bites back, helping Ash haul himself to his feet.

“Fighting over me?” Kelly rejoins the group with Mark close behind. “I’m flattered.”

Fred chuckles. It was good to see Olivia trading barbs with John. The Gammas had warmed up to him quickly—and he to them—and it wasn’t hard to understand why. Fred was sure the S-IIIs had given him some new streaks of gray hair, but at the same time, they made him feel younger. He hoped they were having the same effect on John.

“So…” drawls a familiar voice, raised just loud enough to carry, “this is the reason my fireteams can't train today? A snowball fight.”

Every Spartan in the simulated snowscape whips toward the entrance. Commander Palmer stands at the far edge of the scene, arms crossed. She looks odd and out of place, a lone figure in a techsuit against the stark white surroundings, but no less intense than usual.

“Thought we’d try something different from the typical drills, ma’am,” Fred coughs. He’s not sure why he feels guilty; they’d requested the time and blocked out the schedule and followed protocol…even if they hadn’t said precisely what they’d be doing…

Before anyone else has a chance to speak, a snowball goes sailing over Fred’s shoulder, on a collision course for Palmer. She’s too far away to hit, but the aim is dead-accurate and it lands with a wet plap several yards directly in front of her.

Even at this distance, Fred sees her eyes narrow. The vague guilt solidifying in his gut crystallizes into ice. He knows who threw that and he’s already, reflexively, preparing for the necessary damage control—and for Linda, no less. Kelly he was used to, but Linda?

Palmer shifts her weight and fixes the seven of them with a hard stare that lasts long past the point of being uncomfortable. “Don’t go anywhere,” she eventually orders, leveling a finger in their direction. “I’ll be back in ten minutes.” Without leaving any opportunity for rebuttal, she turns on her heel and swiftly disappears from the deck.

Immediately, Linda’s status light starts blinking rapid-fire green across Blue Team’s HUDs. Kelly follows suit.

“Really?” Fred grumps over TEAMCOM.

“Can you blame her if it worked?” Kelly retorts.

“Yes! You’re making an assumption and setting a bad example.” He switches to his helmet’s speakers. “Gammas, don’t throw things at your commanding officers.”

“Unless you’re sleeping with them,” Kelly adds, with enough tact to keep the comment on Blue Team’s private channel.

Another green light from Linda.

Fred willfully ignores both of them.

“...we’re not in trouble, are we?” Ash removes his helmet and shakes out his hair. “To be honest…I don’t know what just happened.”

Kelly seats herself on a tree stump, legs akimbo, smugness oozing from every seam of her armor. “Palmer’s getting suited up to come play with us.”

Ash seems unconvinced but Mark shrugs. “She’ll balance the numbers. We might even start winning.”

Only Blue Team can see—and appreciate—the red light John flashes in silent response.

**********

As threatened, Palmer returns exactly ten minutes later, fully armored aside from the helmet tucked into the crook of her arm. “Okay, here’s the official story.” She strides up to the group. “We’re running an unorthodox but fully sanctioned training exercise all day.”

“I’ve cleared the schedule and put out an open invitation,” Roland chimes in. “As requested.”

Palmer nods her approval. “Figured I’d let you have your fun on the condition that the rest of us could get in on it too.” She raises an eyebrow. “Sound fair?”

“Fair enough,” Fred answers, echoing the array of green lights on his HUD. “Alright. Ground rules—we’re running blind for this, Commander. No motion trackers.”

She looks pleased. “I like a challenge.”

“If you get hit, you’re out for the round,” he continues. “Once you’re out, you can’t help anyone still standing. Round ends when a whole team goes down.” Fred nods toward the ceiling. “Roland’s keeping score.”

“Huh,” Palmer hums. “So you knew about this, too, Roland?”

“I…was informed the exercise would require a scorekeeper instead of a handler,” the AI answers, somehow managing to achieve the verbal equivalent of tip-toeing. “And I volunteered a mere fraction of my copious attention to the task.”

Palmer just rolls her eyes.

Ash clears his throat and steps forward. “If you wouldn’t mind, ma’am, we’d greatly appreciate it if you joined our team.”

“They’ve been wiping the floor with us,” Olivia adds, somewhat ruefully.

Palmer looks back and forth between Blue Team and the Gammas with a hint of a smirk. “Well.” She slips her helmet on. “Allow me to level the playing field.”

**********

And indeed, the tide began to turn. Quickly. It wasn’t that the Gammas couldn’t hold their own, but Palmer was a different flavor of ruthless and even numbers did make a difference.

Kelly, as Blue Team’s sole survivor, was in the midst of a valiant stand, but she was up against Palmer and Olivia and they were going in for the kill. Up to this point, Kelly had been relying on her speed to evade them, but Fred doubted that would be able to carry her any further.

Palmer and Livi split around the back of the snowbank Kelly had hidden behind, falling into synchronized step with each other, timing their paces perfectly. Palmer’s boots fall heavier and louder, covering Olivia’s near-silent glide around the other side.

The strategy is obvious, at least from Fred’s position of passive observation—Palmer would draw Kelly’s attention, Olivia would come up on her flank and take her out. And it would work, too…on anyone less observant than Kelly. Fred has a feeling she’ll see right through it. But one of them was going to hit her either way, so it didn’t really matter as far as the outcome was concerned.

Surprisingly, a third option presents itself. Fred realizes after a few seconds that he’s been holding his breath, expecting Kelly to explode out of the snow and make a run for it, but…she doesn’t.

Palmer reaches the other side of the snowdrift and slows, confusion evident in her body language. She paces around the area, making sure not to stay still for too long, obviously reluctant to let her guard down completely. Fred can see the hazy mirage of Olivia’s SPI suit still moving in with careful deliberation.

There was no way Kelly could have moved. She hadn’t had enough time. More importantly, she would’ve been spotted if she’d tried to flee, so why couldn’t—

Palmer disappears. One second, she’s standing on the other side of the snowbank, visible from the waist up, and the next second she’s gone. Fred can’t see much of anything, but there are sounds of a scuffle and the blur of camouflaged armor as Livi sweeps in to assist with whatever the hell had just happened.

Barely a breath later, Roland announces the end of the match. “And Gammas-Plus-Palmer emerge victorious! …or should I say Olivia, specifically, seeing as she is the last Spartan standing. You know, you really oughta come up with a better name for your team—”

There’s a burst of indignant exclamations and flustered cursing from Palmer. She reappears only to rip her helmet off and kick some snow back in the direction from which she’d escaped.

Olivia removes her own helmet; Fred is surprised to see her laughing. “She got you good!” There’s a giddiness in her voice that Fred’s never heard before, but she seems to remember who she's talking to a moment later. “...ma’am.”

Kelly pops up beyond the ridge. She remains helmeted but Fred knows there’s a shit-eating grin on her face just from her posture alone.

“What happened?” He shouts the question out loud.

“She buried herself in the fucking snow and pulled my legs out from under me,” Palmer growls as she trudges over.

“And then I hit Kelly point-blank in the face!”

Olivia’s gleeful comment is backed by Kelly’s laughter over TEAMCOM. “Worth it.”

“Hey!” A different voice cuts into the conversation, once again pulling everyone’s attention toward the entrance. “Heard there was some kinda free-for-all goin’ on in here?” Gabriel Thorne stands flanked by the rest of Fireteam Majestic, all in full Mjolnir. “Got room for another team?”

Palmer waves them in. “Come on up, Majestic. We’ll get you briefed on the rules.” She sighs and fits her helmet back on. “Hope you’re ready to get your asses kicked.”

**********

An hour later, after Majestic had carved out a few victories of their own, Crimson shows up. Rules are recounted, home bases are realigned, play resumes. Within another two hours, there are four more Spartan fireteams on the field. Alliances are formed, both openly and secretly. Several hours are devoted to building snow forts. Play evolves. Forts are defended and captured, sabotaged and reinforced.

And then Lasky arrives.

“Captain on deck!” Roland bellows.

The silence that blankets the simulation deck is instantaneous and absolute. Nobody moves. If the snowballs already in flight could have frozen in midair, they probably would’ve. Instead, they land in a chorus of muffled thwumps.

Lasky stands there for a few seconds, small and unimposing by the distant doors, sporting his trademark expression of beleaguered amusement—presumably at being called out. “Don’t stop on my account,” he eventually says. “I just wanted to watch. …unless there’s a team looking for a liability,” he jokes with a self-deprecating chuckle.

Everyone on the field exchanges glances and shrugs. A sea of status lights blink across Fred’s HUD—most amber, some green. Finally, someone from Crimson waves Lasky over. “We’ll take you, Captain!”

He seems genuinely surprised by the invitation, but begins the trek across the snow. “Try not to kill me, alright?”

That draws laughs from most of the Spartans, but it’s John who actually banters back. “No promises, sir.”

[usafphantom2]

F-15EX Nails Pentagon Test Campaign, Survivability Concerns Remain

The F-15EX has so far impressed in simulated combat, even against fifth-generation threats, although new enemy long-range missiles could prove a challenge.

The F-15EX, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, arrives to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida March 11. The aircraft will be the first Air Force aircraft to be tested and fielded from beginning to end through combined developmental and operational tests. The 40th Flight Test Squadron and the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron personnel are responsible for testing the aircraft.

Screenshot

U.S. Air Force

In its latest annual report, the Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E) provides an absolutely glowing assessment of the F-15EX Eagle II, the latest fighter to enter U.S. Air Force service. However, the assessment also offers a note of caution, especially when it comes to the survivability of the fighter when faced with potential future threats.

In the report, the Pentagon provides an update on the status of the F-15EX, which was approved for full-rate production in June of last year. It also reinforces the fact that, at present, the two-seat F-15EX is primarily an air superiority platform, despite its multirole capability.

The F-15EX, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, arrives to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida March 11. The aircraft will be the first Air Force aircraft to be tested and fielded from beginning to end through combined developmental and operational tests. The 40th Flight Test Squadron and the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron personnel are responsible for testing the aircraft.

An F-15EX arrives at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The aircraft is the first in the Air Force to be tested and fielded from beginning to end through combined developmental and operational tests. The 40th Flight Test Squadron and the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron personnel are responsible for testing the aircraft. U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force photo/1st Lt. Karissa Rodriguez

The F-15EX could potentially take on a multi-role mission once it’s established in service, but for now, the air-to-air mission is the priority. Specifically, the report notes, this includes missions such as offensive counter-air, cruise-missile defense, and defensive counter-air capabilities, including escort of high-value airborne assets. At this point, the F-15EX has only “a limited capability to employ precision-guided, air-to-surface munitions.”

With that in mind, the DOT&E report outlines the results of tests that assessed the F-15EX primarily against the kinds of threats it might encounter in the air-to-air part of its mission set. Here, the Eagle II appears to have passed with flying colors.

“Against the level of threat tested, the F-15EX is operationally effective in all its air superiority roles, including defensive and offensive counter-air against surrogate fifth-generation adversary aircraft, as well as basic air-to-ground capability against the tested threats,” the report notes. The reference to the F-15EX’s effectiveness against fifth-generation threats is especially notable. While it’s unclear exactly what kinds of threats are being referred to, a fifth-generation fighter will typically have a low-observable design, advanced ‘sensor fused’ avionics, and generally high performance, among other attributes. Prior to the F-35, the fifth-generation rubric often included extreme agility and supercruise, but definitions for generations of fighters are highly subjective and change with the times. You can read more about this reality here.

F-15EX has been put through its paces by testers in Eglin AFB to prepare it for service.

An F-15EX undergoes testing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Jamie Hunter Jamie Hunter

Critics of the F-15EX have, in the past, suggested that the aircraft would not be able to compete on level terms with fifth-generation types, since it’s after all a heavily upgraded fourth-generation design, the first prototype of which flew in 1972. Regardless, the report seems to put such concerns aside, at least in the air-to-air arena, and based on the currently available test data.

Furthermore, “The F-15EX was able to detect and track all threats at advantageous ranges, use onboard and off-board systems to identify them, and deliver weapons while surviving,” the report continues.

While it has clearly excelled in simulated air-to-air combat, the F-15EX also wins plaudits from the Pentagon on account of meeting “all its reliability, availability, and maintainability requirements,” and achieving “nearly all objectives although maintenance technical orders were still immature.” This is a huge achievement as the reliability of modern fighters has become nearly as big of a concern as their basic capabilities, with fifth-generation types struggling in this regard.

Compared with the ‘legacy’ Eagle, the F-15EX boasts a much-enhanced cockpit, including a large touchscreen display, which you can read more about here. The crew are each provided with Digital Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (D-JHMCS).

The cockpit of an F-15 with the new Large Area Display and low-profile head-up display. Boeing

The cockpit environment is singled out for praise in the report, with survey data assessing human-systems interactions indicating that the pilots had positive opinions of F-15EX cockpit usability.

However, the report does highlight some potential concerns that were raised during the initial operational test & evaluation (IOT&E). Here, the Pentagon notes that, while adequate for the current F-15EX mission set, the threat level was not representative of some of the kinds of higher-end threats that the aircraft may encounter in the future.

“The mission-level testing did not include some advanced, longer-range threat weapons becoming operational at the time of F-15EX fielding.” As a result, the report continues, follow-on testing will be required “to assess the system against higher threat levels in more complex mission scenarios.”

An F-15EX fires an AIM-120D AMRAAM missile during a test mission near Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. John Raven The F-15EX Eagle II fires an AIM-120D missile during a test mission near Eglin Air Force Base, Fla, Jan 25, 2022. The F-15EX can carry up to 12 AIM-120D missiles. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. John Raven)

More details weren’t provided, although the “advanced, longer-range threat weapons” would appear to be a reference to one or more of the new Chinese air-to-air missiles currently coming online or poised to do so.

China is known to be working on further-reaching air-to-air missiles, including the big PL-17, a very long-range missile that may well be intended primarily to target high-value assets, like tankers and airborne early warning aircraft. You can read more about this still-mysterious missile here.

A Chinese J-16 fighter armed with the very long-range PL-17 missile. Chinese Internet

As well as the more specialized PL-17, there is also another new Chinese air-to-air missile, currently dubbed PL-16, the design of which seems to have been driven by the requirement for the Chinese J-20 stealth fighter to accommodate six longer-range missiles internally. In the past, Douglas Barrie, the Senior Fellow for Military Aerospace at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think-tank told TWZ that the PL-16 will likely feature “an active electronically scanned front end, Mach 5-plus fly-out, a lot of very capable onboard software, and be very resistant to jamming.”

There’s no doubt that China is making rapid progress in air-to-air missiles, with even the relatively well-established PL-15 thought to out-range the U.S.-made AIM-120C/D AMRAAM series. Indeed, the Air Force has publicly said that the emergence of the PL-15 was a key factor in the decision to start the AIM-260 program to provide a longer-range AMRAAM successor.

Four dummy PL-15 missiles in the weapons bay of a J-20. Chinese Internet

It’s notable, too, that the F-15EX has also been earmarked as a potential platform for the carriage of new and larger long-range air-to-air missiles, as you can read about here.

The report points out that some of the difficulty in obtaining the required test data for the F-15EX has resulted from the limitations in existing open-air range infrastructure. This is something that will only become more acute as missile ranges increase — not to mention the need to conduct these kinds of tests away from the prying eyes of potential adversaries. With this in mind, the F-15EX test campaign may, in the future, make use of the Joint Simulation Environment (JSE). This is a facility offering a so-called “software battlespace environment,” for testing and training that cannot currently be conducted on the Pentagon’s major physical test and training ranges.

An artist’s rendering showcases a Joint Simulation Environment station. U.S. Air Force graphic illustration courtesy of 412th Electronic Warfare Group

With the F-15EX now in Air Force service, the generally highly positive results of its operational testing thus far will be a significant confidence boost for the service and for manufacturer Boeing. Time will tell how the F-15EX copes with the kinds of “advanced, longer-range threat weapons” that it hasn’t currently been pitted against in test simulations. But provided it continues to excel, this could be another strong argument for the Air Force looking to acquire more than the 98 F-15EX aircraft that it now plans to buy.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

[retrocgads]

USA 1993

[theonewhowails]

IM CHEWING ON THE FUCKING FURNITURE

I HAVE JUST BEEN WATCHING THE TRAILER OVER AND OVER LOOKING FOR SHIT TO FIND AND SPECULATE ABOUT!!!!!!!!

avert your gaze if you do not wish for sins of the flesh spoilers

LIKE LOOK AT THIS!!!!! i initially thought the nakey leaf was only gonna be a thing for the nudist ritual and would happen to everyone uniformly for the same amount of time. so it is fucking SENDING me that EVERYONE HERE IS WEARING CLOTHES EXCEPT NARI

individual outfits!!!!! do you think we will find them and gift them to followers the same way necklaces are? maid dress leshy. why is he serving looks (lol) tho. is that a hairless cat in the top right corner. IS THAT FUCKING SOZO IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT????? FOLLOWER SOZO??? ALIVE SOZO??????? I COULD CRY

a tiny sozo i found in the end image....cutie

also it looks like we'll be able to upgrade our cult and temple even further!!!!!!! or perhaps customization options? either way the stone floors and stained glass in the scene are sexy and im eating them. also theres a bones interior in some shots

also why does the guy in the middle gotta pitchfork. WHY ARE THEY ALL PULLING OUT PITCHFORKS. WILL FOLLOWERS BE ABLE TO FUCKING REVOLT???MOBS???? please that would be so funny

also fighting followers??? my initial thought was that this might be a progression from dissenting and now they can kill you(whimsical) but on closer look the eyes do not look like dissenter eyes. they look more like the eyes of eldritch opponents we fight

furthermore look at this ritual??

it looks much the same as the ritual the bishops perform before going eldritch, and we're clearly leading it, but the energy isnt going to US, its going to the follower in the center??

there is something to be said about how the lamb grows stronger by defeating and consuming their enemies...... it would be really interesting if we're going to get into organic free range home grown adversaries...... when you think about it, taking a loyal follower, corrupting them with eldritch power and then defeating them to absorb the power they gained would be sort of like a more refined form of sacrifice. and also way more fucked up!!! :D

also:

if sacrifice and cannibalism was too tame for you. get ready for letting your followers ritually EAT A BITCH ALIVE. its giving The Lottery vibes but maybe thats just me (nerd)

look at this shit which looks like a fucked up commandment stone. are they sacrificing health here???? for eldritch horrors???? ooooohhh

calamari getting into a slap fight is killing me but also i am going NUTS at the prospect of expanded follower relationships!! we had the seeds of it before with how followers can become friends, some give us quest for their crush, and reading their minds shows they can have conversations that go well or go poorly, and now theyre extrapolating to their logical ends: followers can get into physical fights, can fall in love, can have children!!!! GOD there could be.... actual generations of cultists......ToT

auspistice simulator lmao. but also theres two intersting things to consider here:

follower activities that take place at night, which could make nighttime in the cult more interesting and lively

if we might need at times to step in to break up a fight. would that suggest consequences for not doing so. Can The Followers Beat Each Other To Death Now.

also killing me that while this fight is happening maid leshy is just. drunkenly swaying and making creature noises. look at him. i love him

[kathrinesadventures]

Hey everyone! I'm Katherine, the Author of Femboy Dating Simulator and Lost in your eyes! Both of them Interactive, and both of them varying degree of "WTF?"

So for first, my proudest and most dedicated accomplishment!:

"Lost in Your Eyes: A Dark Fantasy Romance Book" (Updated Apr 1st 2025)

Step into a modern world where you play the lead in a city overflowing with supernatural beings who face animosity and persecution from humans. As you navigate through branching plotlines and encounter a cast ofcharacters, three individuals rise as potential love interests. (Technically 5 now. Might get 6)

Do you choose the worrisome yet charming werewolf, An intimidating but protective healer, the shy and clingy vampire, or the sadistic and seductive mage? The decision is yours, but beware, the danger is around every corner. As you grapple with your troubled past and confront the darkness within, you may realize that your greatest adversary is yourself. Can you find love, redemption, and the courage to save those you've lost or will your obsessions and desires consume you, leading to the downfall of society as you know it?

Introducing, A shy, cute, and extremely JEALOUS, Marcus/Melissa Blaine!

The next one on the spot is the mischievous. impish and just a horndog, Vivian/Vale Valentine!!

Or the calm and cool, but possessive Elizabeth/The reserved, protective John.

And next!

Femboy dating Simulator

Have you ever wanted to play pokemon but wanted to have characters that were humanoid so you wouldn't get blamed for bes***** for wanting to have seggs with them while also loving the characters for who they are and not for their bodies?

Well you've come to the wrong place! ish- I don't know what the hell I'm saying so I'll just copy paste the thingy because my brain is literally slurry paste right now ;-;

Femboy dating simulator! Where you start out as a soldier, a fashion artist, or a CEO of a massive company!

....

Who-dies-once-they’ve-reached-the-peak-of-career-and-the-peace they-were-supposed-to-enjoy-is-ripped-away-from-them.

But don’t fret! You’ve been looked after by a kind goddess who feels that you’ve been wronged and thus gives you a second chance! She delivers you to another world. Her world. This is where things get spicy! You’ve been bestowed with a Rift walker. A creature who is summoned through a rune placed on your body. Each rune summons a different Rift walker and your job is to make a team of the strongest familiars, get to know them, date em, etc etc. But also, most importantly train and bond with them. Your familiarity will be the strongest with how good your relationship is with itthem. So who will you choose?

Laurel? The calm, hard to figure out, brawler?

Thor? The kind, caring and mature muscle daddy? (Yes, I call him daddy cause he daddy material)

The MC’s best friend! (Or close friend depending on which ground you choose) Is he a he or a she? I DON’T KNOW!

And Noah! (Not yet implemented, but you can beat his ass and make him your slave!) (Tumblr won't let me post pictures for some reason, so I'll post link!)

Play Femboy Dating Simulator

Play Lost in your eyes

If you enjoy my content, and want to support me (or help with more arts lol) My Patreon, or Ko-fi!!

I now have a Discord!!

[cheatsru]

Battlefield 2042

Battlefield 2042 leaps into the future with an audacious blend of chaos and strategy, inviting players to redefine their approach to multiplayer warfare. With its expansive maps and dynamic weather systems, every match is a new adventure where unpredictable elements can turn the tide in an instant. The sheer scale of the battles provides not just a visual spectacle but also a canvas for tactical ingenuity that goes beyond traditional gameplay. Imagine coordinating with teammates through dust storms or utilizing massive skyscrapers as vantage points while battling hordes of adversaries — it’s this type of exhilarating freedom that elevates Battlefield 2042 from mere gaming experience to full-scale war simulation.

What truly sets Battlefield 2042 apart from its predecessors is its focus on community-driven content and continuous evolution. The introduction of Season Passes gives players the opportunity to shape their own narratives within the game, unlocking unique characters and equipment that enhance both playstyle and engagement. However, it’s not just about individual progress; it’s about forging alliances for survival amid relentless combat scenarios. As skilled squads emerge ready to embrace new challenges together, the emotional highs and lows they encounter forge bonds that resonate long after logging off. In this hyper-evolved battlefield, victory isn’t just marked by kills but by camaraderie forged in fire — a heart-pounding reminder of why we play these games: for connection, excitement, and ultimately, unforgettable stories crafted amidst digital warfare.