#Bespoke Add-in development

[i4technolab]

Did you know that Office 365 platforms are used by more than 1.3 million organizations worldwide? You might even be surprised to know that 258 million people prefer these platforms to boost their business' productivity to exceptional levels. These statistics demonstrate how these applications have grown to be a trusted ally for millions of enterprises to bridge their business gaps.

Microsoft Office 365 platforms are known for their remarkable add-ins. These are available in large numbers, each with the potential to meet business requirements.

Add-ins play a stunning role in simplifying corporate operations. These are often used for various purposes such as documentation, data analysis, communication, email, storage, and other services.

When they are readily available in large numbers and each one can meet the business requirements, what is the need for custom Office 365 Add-in development?

This is what we are going to learn in this blog. Let's deep dive and learn the importance of custom add-ons and off-the-shelf solutions.

[mythauragame]

Development Update - December 2024

Happy New Year, everyone! We're so excited to be able to start off 2025 with our biggest news yet: we have a planned closed beta launch window of Q1 2026 for Mythaura!

Read on for a recap of 2024, more information about our closed beta period, Ryu expressions, January astrology, and Ko-fi Winter Quarter reward concepts!

2024 Year in Review

Creative

This year, the creative team worked on adding new features, introducing imaginative designs, and refining lore/worldbuilding to enrich the overall experience.

New Beasts and Expressions: All 9 beast expression bases completed for both young and adult with finalized specials for Dragons, Unicorns, Griffins, Hippogriffs, and Ryu.

Mutations, Supers and Specials: Introduced the Celestial mutation as well as new Specials Banding & Merle, and the Super Prismatic.

New Artist: Welcomed Sourdeer to the creative team.

Collaboration and Sponsorship: Sponsored several new companions from our Ko-Fi sponsors—Amaru, Inkminks, Somnowl, Torchlight Python, Belligerent Capygora, and the Fruit-Footeded Gecko.

New Colors: Revealed two eye-catching colors, Canyon (a contest winner) and Porphyry (a surprise bonus), giving players even more variety for their Beasts.

Classes and Gear: Unveiled distinct classes, each with its own themed equipment and companions, to provide deeper roleplay and strategic depth.

Items and Worldbuilding: Created a range of new items—from soulshift coins to potions, rations, and over a dozen fishable species—enriching Mythaura’s economy and interactions.

Star Signs & Astrology: Continued to elaborate on the zodiac-like system, connecting each Beast’s fate to celestial alignments.

Questing & Story Outline: Laid the groundwork for the intro quest pipeline and overarching narrative, ensuring that players’ journey unfolds with purposeful progression.

Code

This year, the development team worked diligently on refining and expanding the codebase to support new features, enhance performance, and improve gameplay experiences. A total 429,000 lines of code changed across both the backend and frontend, reflecting:

New Features: Implementation of systems like skill trees, inventory management, community forums, elite enemies, npc & quest systems, and advanced customization options for Beasts.

Optimizations and Refactoring: Significant cleanup and streamlining of backend systems, such as game state management, passive effects, damage algorithms, and map data structures, ensuring better performance and maintainability.

Map Builder: a tool that allows us to build bespoke maps

Regular updates to ensure compatibility with modern tools and frameworks.

It’s worth noting that line changes alone don’t capture the complexity of programming work. For example:

A single line of efficient code can replace multiple lines of legacy logic.

Optimizing backend systems often involves removing redundant or outdated code without adding new functionality.

Things like added dependencies can add many lines of code without adding much bespoke functionality.

Mythaura Closed Beta

We are so beyond excited to share this information with you here first: Mythaura closed beta is targeted for Q1 2026!

On behalf of the whole team, thank you all so, so much for all of the support for Mythaura over the years. Whether you’ve been around since the Patreon days or joined us after Koa and Sark took over…it’s your support that has gotten this project to where it is. We are so grateful for the faith and trust placed in us, and the opportunity to create something we hope people will truly love and enjoy. This has truly been a collaborative effort with you and we are constantly humbled by all of the thoughtful insights, engaging discussions, and great ideas to come out of this amazing community of supporters.

So: thank you again, it’s been an emotional and amazing journey for the dev team and we’re delighted to join you on your journeys through Mythaura.

Miyazaki Full-Time

Hey everyone, Koa here!

We’re thrilled to share some news about Mythaura’s development! Starting in 2025, Miya will be officially dedicating herself full-time to Mythaura. Her focus will be on bringing even more depth and wonder to the world of Mythaura through content creation, worldbuilding, and building up the brand. It’s a huge step forward, and we’re so excited for the impact her passion and creativity will have on the project!

In addition, I’ve secured 4-day weeks and will be working full-time each Friday to dive deeper into development. This extra push is going to allow us to keep moving steadily forward on both the art and code fronts, and with Miya’s expanded role, the next year of development is looking really promising.

Thank you all for being here and supporting Mythaura every step of the way. We can’t wait to share more as things progress!

Closed Beta FAQ

In the interest of keeping all of the information about our Closed Beta in one place and update as needed, we have added as much information as possible to the FAQ page.

If you have any questions that you can think of, please feel free to reach out to us through our contact form or on Discord!

Winter Quarter (2025) Concepts

It’s the first day of Winter Quarter 2025, which means we’ve got new Quarterly Rewards for Sponsors to vote on on our Ko-fi page!

Which concepts would you like to see made into official site items? Sponsors of Bronze level or higher have a vote in deciding. Please check out the Companion post and the Glamour post on Ko-fi to cast your vote for the winning concepts!

Votes must be posted by January 29, 2025 at 11:59pm PDT in order to be considered.

All Fall 2024 Rewards are now listed in our Ko-fi Shop for individual purchase for all Sponsor levels at $5 USD flat rate per unit. As a reminder, please remember that no more than 3 units of any given item can be purchased. If you purchase more than 3 units of any given item, your entire purchase will be refunded and you will need to place your order again, this time with no more than 3 units of any given item.

Fall 2024 Glamour: Diaphonized Ryu

Fall 2024 Companion: Inhabited Skull

Fall 2024 Solid Gold Glamour: Hippogriff (Young)

NOTE: As covered in the FAQ, the Ko-fi shop will be closing at the end of the year. These will be the last Winter Quarter rewards for Mythaura!

New Super: Zebra

We've added our first new Super to the site since last year's Prismatic: Zebra, which has a chance to occur when parents have the Wildebeest and Banding Specials!

Zebra is now live in our Beast Creator--we're excited to see what you all create with it!

New Expressions: Ryu

The Water-element Ryu has had expressions completed for both the adult and young models. Expressions have been a huge, time-intensive project for the art team to undertake, but the result is always worth it!

Mythauran Astrology: January

The month of January is referred to as Hearth's Embrace, representing the fireplaces kept lit for the entirety of the coldest month of the year. This month is also associated with the constellation of the Glassblower and the carnelian stone.

Mythaura v0.35

Refactored "Beast Parties" into "User Parties," allowing non-beast entities like NPCs to be added to your party. NPCs added to your party will follow you in the overworld, cannot be made your leader, and will make their own decisions in combat.

Checkpoint floor functionality ironed out, allowing pre-built maps to appear at specific floor intervals.

The ability to set spawn and end coordinates in the map builder was added to allow staff to build checkpoint floors.

Various cleanups and refactors to improve performance and reduce the number of queries needed to run certain operations.

Added location events, which power interactable objects in the overworld, such as a lootable chest or a pickable bush.

Thank You!

Thanks for sticking through to the end of the post, we always look forward to sharing our month's work with all of you--thank you for taking the time to read. We'll see you around the Discord.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive (Daily updates!)

By Karam Bales

The decision to further restrict access to vaccines “will leave many vulnerable people unprotected” warn academics and health professionals

Acoalition of academics and healthcare professionals have backed an open letter critical of the Government and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) decision to restrict access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Campaign group Clinically Vulnerable Families (CVF) has expressed concerns over vaccine access for autumn 2025 and spring 2026.

Until now, COVID policy prioritised protecting “at risk” groups such as those with chronic heart failure, COPD, or diabetes, but using a bespoke, non-standard cost-effectiveness assessment developed by the Department of Health and Social Care, the JCVI has advised that only the following groups should be offered vaccination in spring 2025:

adults aged 75 years and over residents in a care home for older adults individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed (as defined in the ‘immunosuppression’ sections of tables 3 or 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book) The JCVI is also withdrawing its offer to pregnant women, despite them having been recognised for years by the NHS as being at increased risk.

Vaccinating pregnant women helps protect their babies; COVID has been linked to developmental issues. The UK is now one of only a small number of countries including Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Turkmenistan, which doesn’t recommend COVID vaccines for pregnant women.

Professor Christina Pagel of University College London and Professor Sheena Cruickshank of the University of Manchester expressed their concerns about the JCVI’s decision in a piece for The Conversation, urging the JCVI to “either reverse its criteria on vaccination in pregnancy or provide a much more detailed and transparent explanation for why it has been discontinued”.

CVF’s letter highlights how restricting access to vaccines doesn’t align with “evidence based public health principles, as supported by the WHO, as we do for the NHS flu vaccination programme”. It prioritises a range of at risk groups including those with diabetes and asthma, and frontline health and care workers.

The JCVI has not released the full calculations and evidence base to explain the discrepancy in its approach to COVID compared to flu.

The study provided by the JCVI notes data for clinically vulnerable groups is limited, meaning the most at-risk could fall through the cracks.

CVF are concerned the JCVI is sending a message to at risk groups that the vaccine is no longer necessary and that they are safe, a signal many may trust and believe.

At risk individuals have the option of paying for vaccines, but this financial barrier will add to inequality.

The open letter notes that private COVID vaccinations are priced around £100 per dose “an amount far beyond the means of many at-risk people”. The price of vaccines supplied to the NHS are approximately £35.04.

“Private charges will leave many vulnerable people unprotected, amplifying health inequalities and increasing the need for recourse to antiviral treatments, ultimately leading to an increase in hospitalisations,” the letter explains.

Eligibility criteria for COVID antiviral treatments is at odds with the JCVI’s decision on vaccination, the letter notes.

In January, NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommended COVID antiviral treatments for those over 70, or with conditions such as diabetes, a BMI of at least 35 kg/m², and heart failure, acknowledging the strong evidence of a heightened risk to these groups.

The JCVI’s decision to withhold vaccines from this group is therefore both inconsistent with known risks and contradictory, as it will increase their reliance on more costly treatments.

CVF say “prioritising ‘cost-effectiveness’ over vulnerability sends a chilling message: That our lives are less valuable because protecting us isn’t deemed ‘efficient’.”

The focus on age-based thresholds ignores the reality for younger vulnerable groups, a 30-year-old in heart failure could face far higher risks than a healthy 70-year-old, yet this new policy would exclude them from protection.

The JCVI’s cost benefit analysis only took predicted hospitalisations and deaths into account. No consideration was given to Long COVID despite increasing evidence vaccination reduces risk.

Kit Yates Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and co-director of the Centre for Mathematical Biology at the University of Bath asks “Why wouldn’t you take long COVID into account when considering who should be vaccinated?”.

Yates continues, “quite apart from the health issues of the people who get it, it clearly has an enormous economic impact.”

Yates cites a recent paper estimating the economic burden of Long COVID in the UK to be over £20 billion per year from real cohort data due to functional limitations and fatigue.

The JCVI’s focus on hospitalisations and deaths is based on incomplete data. COVID hospital data is now significantly under-reported.

Since April 2023, most patients with COVID symptoms are no longer tested to confirm if they have it, unless they are in a vulnerable group eligible for antiviral treatment, meaning data on COVID hospitalisations and deaths will not be accurate.

There are also other post-COVID consequences besides Long COVID, for instance COVID has been linked to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and neurological harm.

The JCVI cites hybrid immunity, a combination of vaccination and infection acquired immunity as the reason they’re further restricting access to vaccines, however Professor Stephen Griffin, virologist at the University of Leeds, has criticised the JCVI’s reasoning, saying: “There are dozens of the usual platitudes, including the magical ‘endemic’. In my opinion, these are little more than misinformation, including the soothing balm of infection-induced immunity.”

Griffin warns, “we seem to value ‘normal’ over better, especially if it’s expensive up front, or gets in the way of ‘normal life’…but, complacency, ultimately, is also a devastating killer.”

[ranticore]

I just wanted to say that reworking Pascal and Nico in a new setting was really enlightening and helpful for me. I've felt out of touch with my creativity for years, stuck in a cycle of trying to revamp a 15-year old setting that held a lot of nostalgia and past identity for me but was fundamentally derivative and holding me down. Seeing you talk about your process made me accept that I can let go in order to develop something that better reflects my current taste and the stories I want to tell. I feel a lot more optimistic now!

hi this is so incredibly relatable to me... i'm sure i mentioned it when discussing the restructuring but my first real setting was my whole world from 2008 to about 2017... and the progression and ramping up of complexity and stakes was crazy in that time. the first book was just a basic "we are teens having fun in the woods and we have powers :)" and the last book was like "after the alternate dimension battle with 3 separate versions of myself, the giant spacecraft colony (all that remains of a destroyed 3rd Earth with its own entirely unique culture following interdimensional nuclear war in the 1500s) has come to my planet and intends to mine the world for resources, humanity's only hope is a gigantic televised space coliseum battle against the colony's most ultimate living weapon"

this was NOT within the scope of the original story and world but for me it was like tuning in to watch a tv show with 10 billion seasons that never truly concluded... i rewrote the whole thing twice, even got pretty far in the previous rewrite in 2021, but at the end of the day i was just digging up and trying to frantically hammer into shape something that was, at its core, a thing i made when i was 12, just workarounds and post-hoc justifications for old decisions. i had to let it go. one of the reasons i committed to writing books for mvf (and specifically a trilogy) was so that i could hold it in that scope, not exceed what it was, and - critically - end the story. so like you said, deciding to have a 21st century inver add-on was just me picking the safe option because it meant i already loved the setting, and didn't have to commit to making something new, which i might not enjoy (my attachment to settings is extremely fickle). but in just keeping a hold over stuff that doesn't need a continuation, i was creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

conclusion: if you find yourself constantly having to write fix-it fic for something you made, putting bandages over bandages, then just stop and make something new that's exactly what you want right from the start. it's crazy to be able to just make a bespoke world for these characters instead of having to bend my beloved Inver to fit.

[sabrinahawthorne]

CLASH! Devlog, September 4, 2024 - Mastery Rework and NPCs

Sorry for the long absence, everyone - I'm back on the horse and I have developments.

Stats are called Stances!

I just want to get this one out of the way - I've been looking for a bespoke term for this since I drafted the original prototype, and I finally landed on language I like.

Mastery Rework

I've been having trouble with the Powerhouse's Playbook progression mechanic - I have a very clear idea of the narrative moment I want to emulate, but nothing I've thought of has really jived with the universal Mastery Mechanic. Eventually, I realized it was because there was a problem with Mastery itself.

(If you don't remember how Mastery works, you can read about it here.)

So to clean it up, I've altered how Mastery works, just a little. It used to be that you gain a point of Mastery whenever you used a Tech that you're currently learning (previously called Unmastered, now called Imperfect). That Mastery would then automatically be invested into the used Tech, until you finished learning it.

Not so any more. instead, Mastery now functions more like XP in other games. It's earned in a number of circumstances - activating Imperfect Techs and activating Relationship Techs, among others. From there, you have some choices about where you spend your Mastery. You can invest it into learning new Techs, but you can also spend it to improve your Stances, or even give it away to give an ally some extra Potential.

From here, I was able to actually implement the Powerhouse's Progression mechanic! But I won't get into that here - you'll have to read it for yourself.

NPCs

Does anyone else get scared of writing GM-facing rules? It's not a rational fear; it just feels overwhelming every time I have to write them out for a new game. Especially so in this case.

A particularly daunting hurdle in the case of CLASH! has been NPCs. This is a game about combat against interesting, developed characters, which means that I somehow need to make playing multiple complex NPCs manageable for the GM. It's been eating at me for months.

The solution came in three parts: Traits, Types, and Tiers.

Among the three, the only term that carries any mechanical weight are Traits - but All three are useful pieces of language.

Traits are simple tags attached to some NPCs which describe their motivations and behavior. They aren't Techs; they don't describe a character's powers or weaknesses. Instead, they're about a character's priorities, both in and out of combat. For example:

Or, something more specific to combat:

These serve several purposes. First and most significant is that they make managing a potentially large cast of antagonists easier on the GM. Every important NPC has a list of personality traits that inform their actions, and those traits are written down, so if you ever forget that one bad guy's whole deal, you can just double check.

It also means that running combat is simpler. The GM doesn't need to worry about a characters actions being consistent - they essentially have a very simple AI to follow - a set of procedures that generate consistent behavior and tactics for their baddies. Hopefully.

I also anticipate that this will add an additional layer for the players, who I hope will have a lot of fun deducing the priorities and strategies of their opponents, and finding interesting ways to take advantage of that knowledge.

Types are a soft distinction between two styles of NPC. It doesn't make sense for every rando the Fighters encounter to have fully fledged Stances and Techs to use - that's simply too much work to put on the GM. So instead, the majority of NPCs are what I'm calling Noncombatants - their more complex counterparts of course being Combatants.

Combatants are the ones with Stances, Techs, and Traits. They're any NPC you expect might be getting in a fight with the PCs, and any Noncombatant can be hooked up with some of the above if the need arises. But Noncombatants just have a name, some pronouns, and a listed motivation. If you want, you can even use a Trait or two for this - but you don't have to.

Finally, Tiers are essentially a way to make constructing Combatants easier. The tiers are Goon, Lieutenant, and Boss. With one or two minor rules exceptions (Goons will flee when they lose a Contest), these are all identical - it's just that each tier has better stats and more personality than the ones below them. Lieutenants are more colorful and interesting than Goons, etc.

This manifests really simply - higher Stances, more Techs, and more Traits. It's just an easy way to create a hierarchy of villains that ranges from your average nondescript Soul Reapers, to your Captain Alvidas, to your Orochimarus.

I've got another Devlog coming this week! It's smaller than this one, but I figured I'd keep engagement high and split the updates up just a little to keep people reading.

If this is your first time hearing about CLASH!, you can check out the open beta play materials Here! And keep that link open - I'm working on an updated booklet with more cool stuff.

[schraubd]

How To Hack The Law

Do you ever idly puzzle through various ideas for a "perfect crime"? It's awkward to talk about -- you don't actually want to do them, you don't actually want to give anyone a bright idea, but they're still so interesting to think through.

The legal community is abuzz with the story of a lawyer who relied on ChatGPT to do his research and submitted a brief filled with entirely invented cases. ChatGPT just made them up out of air -- complete with names, citations and quotes -- and the lawyer dutifully added them to the brief. When opposing counsel tried to read the cases for themselves, they were baffled because they couldn't find any trace of them. The presiding judge went so far as to contact the clerk of the courts where the cases were allegedly filed, confirming their non-existence. Now the lawyer is facing sanctions; he is begging for mercy on the grounds that he had no idea ChatGPT would lie to him like that.

I know of very few lawyers who have sympathy for this lawyer. But imagine a slightly different case. Let's say that LexisNexis developed a glitch where it invented a case. If you typed in the (invented) citation to the case, it would pop up on Lexis the same as any other case -- name, judge panel, court, reasoning, everything. But the case isn't real; it was a complete invention. If a lawyer came across such a "hallucinated" decision on Lexis, I think we'd be very forgiving if she ended up being deceived and relied on the case in her briefs. Indeed, I actually wonder, in a situation, like this, how long it would take the legal community to figure out that the case wasn't real.

For example: the last case contained in volume 500 of the Federal Reporter (3d) is Jacobsen v. DOJ, 500 F.3d 1376 (Fed. Cir. 2007). That case ends on page 1381. Suppose an enterprising criminal hacks the Westlaw and Lexis database* and adds another case, call it Smith v. Jones, cited to 500 F.3d 1382. To further cover her tracks, the criminal "assigns" the case to a panel of judges who are no longer active on the court, to make it less likely one of them will see it and be like "I don't remember that decision." Smith v. Jones, of course, can be about and say whatever the criminal (or the unscrupulous lawyer who hired her) wants it to. Need a precedent that appears to decisively resolve a contested point of law in your favor? Voila -- the new case of Smith v. Jones is there to meet your needs. Indeed, the diligent criminal could add one or two new precedents per volume on a range of topics, providing bespoke "new" precedent to shift the legal terrain on an array of different issues.

If this happened, again I ask: how long would it take for the legal community to figure it out? If the initial hack was undetected, could one get away with doing this? Certainly, there would still be ways to confirm the cases are not real. If one back-checked the cases back to the clerk's office, one would discover they're vapor -- but realistically, that almost never happens. We take Lexis and Westlaw as proof enough; I'm not sure I can imagine a circumstance where I would try to confirm the veracity of a case I saw on Westlaw or Lexis by contacting the clerk's office. There probably would be some other hints that the cases were suspect -- the lack of citations from other cases would be a significant hint that something is shady -- but I can imagine a crime like this slipping by us for some time. And the longer it goes unnoticed, the more these cases have the opportunity to subtly adjust the overall trajectory of law in a new direction.

It's a scary thought, no? We're very reliant on the robustness and reliability of online databases. If they start to falter, we run into seriously trouble very quickly.

* Note: I assume -- and desperately hope -- that this is difficult-to-impossible to do.

via The Debate Link https://ift.tt/hLkYFA1

[astrangetorpedo]

Mick Management Doesn’t Just Represent Artists — It’s in the ‘World-Building’ Business

"We don't like to refer to ourselves as a management company anymore. We're a music company," says partner Jonathan Eshak.

BY FRANK DIGIACOMO 7/22/2024

Jonathan Eshak (left) and Michael McDonald photographed on June 3, 2024 in Los Angeles. Michael Buckner

Given the multitude of distribution, streaming, promotion and marketing options and expectations, the business of becoming an established artist has turned into a seriously heavy lift for music acts and their managers. It’s one reason that Mick Management partner Jonathan Eshak says, “We don’t like to refer to ourselves as a management company anymore. We’re a music company. What we do more than anything else is brand development, artist development — world-building … We’re not just trying to keep the train on the tracks.”

Eshak and his partner, Michael McDonald, the company’s founder, got into management after immersing themselves in other sectors of the business. McDonald served as Dave Matthews Band’s tour manager before co-founding ATO Records in 2000 with Matthews; his manager, Red Light founder Coran Capshaw; and Chris Tetzeli, who went on to start 7S Management. He opened Mick the following year with John Mayer as one of his first clients and, in 2004, brought on data savant Eshak, who worked at Universal Music Publishing Group (and is the twin brother of Island Records co-CEO Justin Eshak). Jonathan became a partner in 2015.

With a staff of approximately 20 in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville, the duo has built a boutique firm — with its own record label, Mick Music, distributed by Believe — that represents Maggie Rogers, who released the critically praised Don’t Forget Me in April; Leon Bridges and Ray LaMontagne, who will both release albums later this year; The Walkmen and the solo career of their frontman, Hamilton Leithauser; Sharon Van Etten; Brett Dennen; Mandy Moore; My Morning Jacket; and The Marias.

In a fragmented culture where “it’s very hard to find water-cooler moments,” according to Eshak, Mick’s team excels in building committed fan bases for a roster of individualistic artists who punch above their weight. “Artists all define success differently, and we understand that,” he adds. “We understand that there’s no one way of doing it anymore.” Their bespoke approach has resulted in some notable recent successes. In August, Rogers will embark on an international arena tour — including two shows at Madison Square Garden — though she has yet to achieve platinum sales with an album. In 2018, Leithauser began a five-night residency at the swank, 100-capacity Café Carlyle in New York, playing to “a few die-hard Walkmen fans and some fairly confused business travelers,” as Eshak puts it. This year, Leithauser sold out 12 nights, and the concept will be expanded with potential notable guests in 2025. And in June, The Marias celebrated the release of their new album, Submarine, with a secret pop-up show in downtown Los Angeles for approximately 5,000 fans. Eshak says 38,000 RSVP’d.

“What each of those things speak to is us finding interesting ways that the artists appreciate and superserve fan bases,” McDonald says.

What are the challenges of running an artist management company today versus 25 years ago?

Jonathan Eshak: When I first started with Michael, the sky had started to fall on the recorded-music business. This was the dawn of file-sharing companies like Napster and Kazaa. It was attractive to join Michael for that very reason. He was coming from building a world that was unique, not just to the ebbs and flows of the success of recorded music but also, how do you do things well in touring, merchandising, etc. He understood the creation of cultures, having worked with Dave Matthews and Coran.

Like the Grateful Dead, Matthews built a culture around his music.

Eshak: The Dead were the godfathers of that, and Mick’s ethos effectively starts there. While the challenges of the industry have evolved, the code of building an artist’s career remains the same. Which is, how do you focus on building a meaningful, long-lasting relationship with your fan base? We always say, “How do we make the artist the hit and not just the songs?” Music is just part of the cocktail. It’s also, how are we creating a dynamic of connectivity between the artist and the fan? How are we merchandising with them? How are we creating live shows that are meaningful, that evolve? There’s been a lot of lip service about artist development throughout the history of recorded music.

Michael McDonald: There were fewer breakthrough moments then, whereas today, because of the way technology and culture has evolved, it’s been democratized. The upside is that more people can succeed. The downside is there are fewer channels that create that star-turn moment.

Maggie Rogers seems to be a prime example of someone who has grown through connectivity with her fans.

Eshak: Maggie has understood the importance of connectivity from the start. She had this moment of Pharrell-ity, for lack of a better word, and instead of sitting back and working that, she understood the importance of going around the world and connecting with her fans face-to-face. To your point, she’s doing two nights in Madison Square Garden without a platinum record. Now, she obviously wants that and we want that for her, but people who are in are in. Even as she’s grown, the No. 1 thing on the checklist is, what are we doing for that audience?

What’s an example of that?

Eshak: When we were announcing the fall arena tour, we created pop-up shops in all the markets where people could line up to buy exclusive merchandise and, most importantly, reduced-price tickets. She was hearing from unsettled fans about ticket prices, so we tried to create solves. Fans could walk [into the pop-ups], point at a seat map and get a ticket that was going to cost less than if they paid for it online. Because of that, her fans understand that she sees them.

What questions do you ask before signing an artist?

McDonald: Most importantly, “Do we love the music? Do we feel like we can really grow this career?” And then, “Do they, will they, work hard?” We can’t want it more than they do. Some of this is research you can do before you meet the artist. Much of it we do through conversations, but there’s also data that’s crucial. We’ve had great success following our passion and guts, but to not use the tools at our disposal to help make those decisions would be foolish. Data is a great strength of Jonathan’s and why we’ve evolved in using it to inform decisions but never to unequivocally make decisions. If we did, we never would have signed some of the artists we have.

Why did you partner with Firebird?

McDonald: Firebird brings us resources that a company our size doesn’t have. There’s a data department and an analytics department of 10 to 15 people. There’s a finance department. There are all sorts of things that allow us to double down on the data and free us up to stay focused on our artists.

What’s your pitch to artists you want to sign?

Eshak: It really comes down to having a shared code, so it’s important that we take the time to sit down with artists and say, “What are your life goals in addition to success in recorded music?” This is such a deep relationship that we talk all the time. We talk on weekends. We’re there with them for very big life stages, and it’s really important for us to have at least a common set of goals because it takes a lot out of everybody. Where we do a good job is acting almost as coaches now. It’s our job to be highly informed about how people are having success, distilling that and applying it to the artists that we represent, who are all quite different. In other words, how can we do this with you so that you remain true to yourself? We can’t do that for a thousand artists. It’s not the business model that Michael and I have elected to build.

You have a label.

Eshak: We have a label, and we’re working with some of our artists whose repertoires are returning to them and they need a mechanism to put music out. Some of it is also identifying artists that we like and helping them put music into the world.

Do you encourage your artists to own their masters?

McDonald: One hundred percent, whenever possible. Today, we would be hard pressed to pursue a deal that started with perpetuity music being somewhere else. There’s always a chance that it’s going to happen, and ultimately, it’s an artist’s decision. If they feel like this is their shot and they’re willing to give that up — absolutely. But one of the reasons we created the label was to say, “All right, let’s have an easy mechanism where we can control the deal terms. Let’s put music out and try to build on that. Then, if a great licensing option is not available today, let’s take a year and try to build something.” Ray LaMontagne’s album Trouble reverted to him in May after 20 years. So it’s not always a three-year or five-year reversion. But 20 years ago, we were able to take a long view and say, “Let’s take whatever percentage less today so at least there’s the option to sell those recordings X number of years later.”

Are your agreements with artists traditional percentage deals or partnerships?

McDonald: It varies. We have a lot of traditional deals, but any time we’re in true partnership, where we’re sharing [intellectual property] with an artist, it’s fully above board and clear with everyone’s legal teams. There is an evolving way that artists are going to get into business with different companies. We welcome that as things evolve.

(x)

[nascenture]

10 Benefits of Investing in a Custom Software Solution

Businesses are constantly on the lookout for new and better technologies that may streamline and quicken their processes. When doing so, organizations frequently use pre-existing software solutions.  However, it's not always easy to find a single piece of software that can handle all of their needs. That's why it's common for businesses to put money into a few different lines.

If you need a unique solution that is tailored to your business's needs, consider investing in custom software development. Using their unique needs as a guide, developers of custom software create programs for businesses and individuals. The banking sector, for instance, employs highly specialized custom software to facilitate consumer access while shielding private information with cutting-edge security measures.

In this article, we'll discuss how custom software development can improve a company's efficiency and bottom line. OK, let's have a peek at it.

Top Reasons to Choose Custom Software Development

Software product customization is a solution that can increase productivity. In addition, adaptability and scalability let you stay ahead of the curve and get an edge over rivals. Your company could benefit in the long run from its use in managing business operations and establishing relationships with external customers, partners, and internal assets.

1. Long-Term Savings

Investing in a software development project may be expensive. However, you won't need to spend everything right away. Custom software development lets you build your product in phases. The minimum viable product (MVP) approach could be taken initially to reduce development costs. 

Putting your company plan and software prototype to the test is an appealing prospect. When you're done, you'll have the option of moving forward with the development of a full-fledged software application. While investing in custom software development solutions may seem prohibitively expensive at first, doing so can really end up saving you money in the long run. The necessity for long-lasting solutions suggests that tailor-made software development may be the way to go.

2. Software Solutions Tailored to Your Needs

It will be difficult for businesses to find a one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to technology, especially when it comes to software solutions. Mobile apps offer the best chance of finding a solution that will work for all organizations. In addition, each company pursues its goals and conducts operations according to its own unique plan and approach. 

Therefore, you might require specialized software solutions to demonstrate that your business is one of a kind and establish yourself as a frontrunner in your field. With the help of bespoke software development, you will be able to modify software products so that they correspond to your business strategy and fulfill all of your requirements.

3. Better Security and Dependability

Maintaining a safe and reliable system is crucial to any business's long-term prosperity. As a result, businesses must ensure their software is more secure. With custom software development solutions, you know your data is safe. 

Also, it might help you decide which data-security technology to use and which is best for your business, as well as how to incorporate that technology into your application. Most of the time, clients will trust you more if you use a higher level of security.

4. Flexibility & Scalability

The world of business is always transforming. Therefore, for businesses to stay up with how the market is shifting, they need to adapt. Custom software solutions provide you the flexibility to make adjustments, add new features, update your product, or seek assistance to meet the requirements of your expanding business as it grows and evolves.

Scalability also enables you to prepare for expansion in the future, which allows you to expand your business while simultaneously maintaining the viability of the software application.

5. Maintenance and Technical Support

It is common practice to form collaborations with software development vendors to create custom software. They'll assemble expert programmers to plan, code, and test your program for you. 

Also, they employ a specialized development staff for ongoing technical support and app upkeep. Since they created it, they know it inside and out. This means they can keep it running smoothly and assist you in fixing bugs or other problems as they arise. 

Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are a form of contract that may be included with your vendor contracts to guarantee a certain level of service. The bottom line is that consistent technical support helps keep your company processes running efficiently and effectively, all while minimizing the amount of time you lose to updates.

6. Product Uniqueness

It's becoming increasingly important that businesses have a distinct identity, which can assist them to strengthen their unique selling proposition. By investing in custom software development, your business can meet the needs of its customers and stay true to its character.

Teams specializing in custom software development can produce applications that help businesses achieve their goals. It allows you to select the software development methodology and cutting-edge innovations that will give your app a leg up on the competition. Plus, it gives businesses the chance to develop brand-new items to meet the surging demand.

7. Integrates Easily 

Business custom software development has the added benefit of fitting naturally into your existing processes. When a software product is tailor-made to satisfy a company's unique needs, it works in tandem with the rest of its existing applications without causing disruptions. 

Not only that, but it will also aid in the optimization of your business process and the improvement of the efficiency of your business workflow. Saving money, speeding up operations, and avoiding frequent defects and other issues during the integration with your existing software product are all possible benefits of custom software solutions.

8. Boost Return On Investment (ROI)

Custom software development services provide exactly what the client needs. So, you won't have to shell out money for unused services or licenses. Therefore, it may end up saving money over time. Furthermore, you will be able to acquire various capabilities for your application that may not be available to your competitors. 

As a result, it can bolster your USP (unique selling proposition) and provide you with a significant edge over the competition. Through the use of niche-specific customization in software product development, you may better serve your intended customer. You can expect higher long-term returns and greater consumer participation.

9. Enhance Productivity

No one can deny the positive impact software has on worker output, especially when that software is tailored to meet the specific needs of a certain company. It boosts productivity and gives workers more assurance in their abilities.

In addition, the right software could make it easier for your staff to get their work done faster. It could improve resource management, boost the efficiency of operational procedures, and provide additional financial benefits to your organization.

10. Great User Satisfaction

When it comes to the level of happiness experienced by end users, bespoke software will always score higher than generic software, regardless of whether it was developed for external or internal users. 

How? The response is plain to see. It is customized to fulfill their technical requirements to suit their business needs. In addition to this, it is simple to use and was developed to reduce the complexity of running a business, improving efficiency, and turning it into a more profitable investment.

Wrapping Up

There are numerous upsides to investing in bespoke software development. Depending on your company's specific requirements, you can make changes to meet different demands. The ability to control every aspect of your app's operation and make whatever tweaks you see fit is another potential benefit.

Businesses need to invest time and resources into creating and designing software that meets their specific needs. But before you make any moves, you should thoroughly evaluate your business. Custom software development is a great option because experienced developers can quickly assess your business needs and determine the best course of action.

[apugharami]

### **Apu Gharami – A Renowned Artist from Kolkata**

#### **Introduction**

Apu Gharami is a highly skilled and accomplished artist based in Kolkata, India. With over 12 years of experience in the field of art and craft, he has mastered various forms of artistic expression, including mural painting, sculptures, landscapes, and portraits. His ability to create bespoke pieces for special occasions makes him a sought-after name in the art world. Whether working on commissioned projects or personal artistic endeavors, Apu Gharami brings a unique blend of creativity, craftsmanship, and attention to detail to every piece he creates.

### **Early Life and Artistic Journey**

Apu Gharami’s journey into the world of art began at an early age. Growing up in Kolkata, a city rich in cultural heritage and artistic traditions, he was naturally drawn to creative expression. His passion for painting and sculpting was evident from childhood, and he pursued formal training to refine his skills. Over the years, he has developed a deep understanding of different artistic techniques, mediums, and styles, allowing him to create artwork that resonates with a wide audience.

Through perseverance and dedication, Apu honed his artistic abilities, gaining recognition for his work. His experience and technical expertise have enabled him to take on diverse projects, ranging from large-scale murals to intricate portrait paintings. Today, he stands as a well-respected artist, admired for his originality, craftsmanship, and ability to bring ideas to life through art.

### **Specialization and Artistic Style**

Apu Gharami’s artistic portfolio covers a wide range of disciplines, including:

1. **Mural Painting** – He creates stunning wall murals for homes, offices, hotels, and public spaces. His murals often feature intricate details, vibrant colors, and themes that blend traditional and contemporary elements.

2. **Sculptures** – Apu is skilled in sculpting various materials, creating lifelike and expressive sculptures that add depth and dimension to any space. His sculptures often capture human emotions, historical themes, and cultural narratives.

3. **Landscapes** – His landscape paintings showcase the beauty of nature, from serene countryside scenes to bustling cityscapes. He uses a combination of textures, colors, and brushstrokes to bring landscapes to life.

4. **Portraits** – Apu is known for his ability to capture human expressions and emotions in his portrait paintings. His portraits range from realistic depictions to more abstract and contemporary interpretations.

5. **Custom Art Pieces** – He specializes in creating custom artwork tailored to the needs and preferences of his clients. Whether for personal collections, gifts, or corporate projects, his bespoke pieces reflect his artistic expertise and attention to detail.

### **Notable Projects and Achievements**

Over the years, Apu Gharami has worked on numerous prestigious projects, collaborating with individuals, businesses, and institutions to create artwork that leaves a lasting impact. His work has been featured in exhibitions, galleries, and public spaces, gaining appreciation from art enthusiasts and collectors.

His murals adorn the walls of various establishments, adding aesthetic value and cultural significance. His sculptures and paintings have been commissioned by art collectors, interior designers, and organizations seeking high-quality, handcrafted art pieces.

### **Art for Special Occasions**

One of Apu Gharami’s unique offerings is his ability to create art for special occasions. Whether it’s a wedding, anniversary, birthday, or corporate event, he designs personalized artwork that serves as a memorable gift or centerpiece. His creative approach ensures that each piece reflects the emotions and significance of the occasion.

### **Online Presence and Art Sales**

Apu Gharami actively promotes his work online, reaching a broader audience through digital platforms. His Facebook page ([Apu Gharami Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/apugharami.in/)) showcases his latest projects, artistic processes, and client testimonials. He also operates an e-commerce website where customers can purchase his art, craft, and digital products.

With a strong design background and web development expertise, Apu effectively utilizes digital marketing strategies to enhance his brand presence. His Amazon affiliate account, which he has maintained for over 3 to 5 years, further contributes to his online business ventures.

### **Mentorship and Teaching**

Beyond creating art, Apu Gharami is also a dedicated mentor, sharing his knowledge and skills with aspiring artists. With over 300 students under his guidance, he provides training in various art techniques, helping them develop their artistic potential. His teaching approach emphasizes creativity, technical proficiency, and artistic expression, making him a respected mentor in the art community.

### **Future Aspirations**

Looking ahead, Apu Gharami aims to expand his artistic reach, collaborate with more artists, and contribute to the cultural landscape of Kolkata and beyond. He envisions hosting art workshops, participating in international exhibitions, and exploring new artistic techniques. His passion for art continues to drive him toward greater achievements and creative excellence.

### **Contact and Social Media**

For inquiries, collaborations, and purchases, you can connect with Apu Gharami through his official Facebook page: [Apu Gharami Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/apugharami.in/).

If you’re interested in unique, high-quality artwork or want to learn from a skilled artist, Apu Gharami is the perfect choice. His commitment to art and craftsmanship ensures that every piece he creates is a masterpiece.

[sydneycreations]

Elevate Your Outdoor Living with Sydney Design & Landscape Creations 🌿🏡

Transforming your outdoor space into a beautiful oasis is not just a dream; it's our passion at Sydney Design & Landscape Creations! With over 20 years of experience in landscape design and construction, we specialize in creating stunning outdoor environments tailored to your lifestyle. Whether you desire a serene garden, a functional outdoor living area, or driveways in Sydney that enhance your home's curb appeal, we've got you covered! 🌟

About Us 🌱✨

At Sydney Design & Landscape Creations, we pride ourselves on our expertise and commitment to quality. Our skilled in-house team manages every aspect of your outdoor project, from design to construction. By minimizing the need for outside contractors, we ensure a seamless and efficient delivery process. This hands-on approach allows us to maintain high standards of craftsmanship and uphold our promise of excellence in every project.

We understand that every client has a unique vision for their outdoor space, and our mission is to bring that vision to life. Our extensive portfolio showcases a variety of successful projects, including:

Timber Decking: Create a beautiful space for entertaining or relaxing.

Pergolas: Add shade and elegance to your garden.

Pool Transformations: Enhance your pool area with stunning landscaping and stylish glass fencing.

Our Services 🌟🔨

1. Landscape Design & Construction 🏗️🌼

We offer comprehensive landscape design services that encompass everything from initial concept development to the final construction. Our team works closely with you to design a layout that reflects your taste and complements your home.

2. Timber Projects 🪵

Decking: Our timber decks are crafted to provide a beautiful, functional space that withstands the test of time.

Pergolas: Custom-designed pergolas add both style and shade to your outdoor areas.

Seating: Enjoy your garden with our bespoke seating solutions, perfect for relaxation and gatherings.

3. Pool Landscaping & Glass Fencing 🏊‍♂️✨

Transform your pool area into a stunning retreat with our landscaping services. We specialize in:

New Landscaping: Enhance your poolside with beautiful plants and features.

Glass Fencing: Our sleek glass fencing options provide safety without sacrificing style.

4. Driveways Sydney 🚗

Looking to enhance your home's entryway? Our driveways in Sydney are designed for durability and aesthetic appeal. Whether you prefer traditional or modern styles, our team will create a driveway that complements your home's design while providing functionality.

Our Mission 💪🌍

At Sydney Design & Landscape Creations, our mission is to design and build outdoor spaces that inspire and delight. We are dedicated to creating sustainable landscapes that not only look great but also contribute positively to the environment. Our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction drives everything we do.

We believe that a well-designed outdoor space can improve your quality of life, providing a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Our goal is to make your outdoor dreams a reality, ensuring that every detail aligns with your vision.

Why Choose Sydney Design & Landscape Creations? 🤔🌿

Choosing the right landscaping company is crucial for achieving the outdoor space of your dreams. Here’s why Sydney Design & Landscape Creations stands out:

1. Experience You Can Trust 🧠🔨

With over two decades in the industry, we have the expertise needed to handle projects of all sizes and complexities. Our skilled team knows how to deliver results that exceed your expectations.

2. In-House Management 👷‍♂️👷‍♀️

We manage every aspect of your project, which means fewer delays and higher quality. You can trust that your outdoor space is in capable hands.

3. Warranty & Maintenance 💯🔧

We stand by our work with a 6-year warranty on all services. Plus, we offer ongoing maintenance for timber, stone, and garden areas to ensure your landscape remains stunning for years to come.

4. Customized Solutions 🛠️💡

Every outdoor space is unique, and we tailor our services to meet your specific needs and preferences. Our personalized approach guarantees that your vision is at the forefront of the design process.

Conclusion 🌟🌿

Transforming your outdoor space is within reach with Sydney Design & Landscape Creations! Whether you’re looking for stunning driveways in Sydney, custom timber projects, or beautiful pool landscapes, our team is ready to bring your vision to life. With our experience, commitment to quality, and personalized service, we are your go-to landscaping partner.

Ready to elevate your outdoor living? Contact us today, and let's create the perfect outdoor oasis together! 🌿

[i4technolab]

When they are readily available in large numbers and each one can meet the business requirements, what is the need for custom Office 365 Add-in development?

This is what we are going to learn in this blog. Let's deep dive and learn the importance of custom add-ons and off-the-shelf solutions.

[mythauragame]

Development Update - July 2023

Hi everyone, Miyazaki here! We've got some new things to roll out to you this month.

Topics covered:

Companion Codex

Beast expressions

Q1 (2023) Ko-fi Glamour and Companion results

Breeding Demo improvements

More under the cut!

Beast Expressions

Mythaura's quests--both main story quests as well as side quests--will feature interactions with NPCs. Your lead beast (which you can change at any time) will be engaging with these NPCs in every interaction, and both your beast and the NPC will show up on the screen during dialogue. Their expressions will change depending on choices made during dialogue selection.

These expressions are generated based the code from the Beast Creator. They will not show a beast's Gear, Apparel, or Glamours.

As of now the art team has completed all Specials and Supers for the adult and young Griffin bases!

At a future point, we plan on adding the expressions to the Beast Creator demo. We will announce this feature at a later date.

Companion Codex

As we've started to accumulate a good number of Companions for Mythaura, including many created thanks to generous Ko-fi and Patreon sponsors, we thought it'd be a good idea to put them all in one place for people to look at. To that end, we've created a Companion Codex page!

Each Companion will have its key information available for viewing, including:

Element

Standard and Radiant colorations

Size (with an average-sized adult Ryu for reference)

Description

Ability to zoom into image

We will be gradually adding more Companions as we finalize their sizes in the back end. When we add them, we'll share them in the #mini-updates channel in the Discord server.

NOTE: We are aware of a visual bug in Firefox when viewing companions. This is a bug in Firefox itself, and we will attempt to find a workaround for Firefox users. In the meantime, we recommend using Google Chrome or Safari to view the Companion Codex page.

Ko-fi Q1 (2023) Results

Thanks to all who voted on which Glamour and Companion we're moving forward with for Quater 1 (2023)!) The Filigree Moth Companion and Twilight Glamour for adult Hippogriffs will be this quarter's rewards.

We'll be back with the completed artwork for these two in the August dev update!

Breeding Predictor Improvements

We've made a lot of improvements to the Breeding Predictor this past month!

Speed majorly improved

Specials not layering correctly fixed

Supers are now only inherited when both parents have part of the Specials combo

Added ability to toggle between age when predicting

Made beast code boxes more intuitive to use, such as allowing pasting in place.

Mythaura v0.19

Creates companion endpoint and page

Adds sizes and default stats to companions

Creates concept of objects & floors in Wild Area

Began tile map editor project, allowing staff to create bespoke floors

Builds out encounter spawn logic and infrastructure

Adds concept of "timeslots" to control when specific encounters can spawn

Refactors back end tools to make changes more safe and clean up code

Fixes issue where battles could not run on Redis queue

Refactors front end dependency injection

Updates the breeding predictor to dramatically increase speed from several seconds to less than a second

Thank You!

Thanks for sticking through to the end of the post, we always look forward to sharing our month's work with all of you--thank you for taking the time to read. We'll see you around the Discord!

[katy-133]

Feedback for the Noiramore Academy Demo

(Played: Oct 11th 2024.)

I wanted to give feedback and my thoughts on the demo for Noiramore Academy.

Housekeeping and context: I'm a video game developer with 9 years of experience in mainly visual novels and narrative-heavy games. I'll write out my notes in bullet points, going from narrative-related thoughts, to more technical thoughts at the bottom.

Opening cutscene: The long opening before starting the demo was risky (the rule of thumb is to drop the player into the game as quickly as possible), but I think it worked here because it gives you enough needed information in the beginning without overexplaining (we learn who the main character is, that she's a known delinquent, and that she's curious and resourceful, in an boarding school-style academy).

(Image: Kickstarter trailer)

Premise: This looks and feels like a game that uses the "boarding school mystery" format I read a lot of as a kid, mixed with the "wizard school" genre (The Terror of St Trinian's, Worst Witch, and Golden and Gray spring to mind). Detective games are my jam, so I was happily surprised to be recommended the trailer to this game on YouTube.

Lore: I like that the lore regarding the war was given an infodump scene using shadow puppets. Infodumps run the risk of being too overwhelming or taking up too much screen time over play time, but I understood what was going on. And then more details of lore would be breadcrumed around the room as I explored it (which I like in fiction in general since I get to piece things together slowly).

(Image: Kickstarter trailer)

Starting puzzle: It's a good starting puzzle that's just tricky enough to get your brain going and makes you feel smart for solving it. The "how many windows" part was the more confusing of the puzzle, as I wasn't sure if I was meant to include the stain glass windows along the other wall, and if so, whether they counted as 3 or 6 windows.

Animation: The animation for the characters feels bespoke; I was happily impressed by how much personality and detail was put into conversations between different characters. Judith's animation is different from Gina's animation, as so on.

(Gif: Steam page)

Inventory screen: I love the transition the the inventory screen (moving the camera to face Judith), it's so stylish!

(Image: Kickstarter trailer)

Voice acting: I really liked the voice acting quality. The actors sounded like their characters, the acting was very good and has personality, and the audio was good on a technical level as well (volume levels for the characters felt the same, like they were all recorded in the same place, there wasn't background noise polluting the audio, and there were no audio peaking issues when characters spoke louder). A very good job!

Camera motion blur: I urge you to add the option for players to turn this off as soon as possible. If you plan on including motion blur for turning the camera at all, I recommend having it off by default, instead of players starting the game with it on. Some players find camera blur nauseous to look at, while others find it distracts from the graphics (as you are obscuring the view of the background by blurring it).

Controls: The controls for the sewing and war map puzzles for some reason are odd. The mouse sensitivity becomes very very high, making the cursor incredibly difficult to control. It got to the point where I couldn't progress past the war map puzzle of the demo because trying to place the pieces on just the right squares felt impossible. For both the sewing and war map puzzles, I also tried using just the keyboard to nudge the cursor to the right spot, but even then, these nudges would move too far in the direction I pressed. The page number puzzle was easier to control, but a clearer option to input the number by typing it in a text parser would be more convenient than clicking and dragging to the right number. Control is very important to the overall gamefeel, as it helps the player feel like they are in the world of the game the more in-sync their button presses are to what is happening on-screen.

(Image: Kickstarter trailer)

Textbox: The textbox design is very good in my opinion. It follows many of the design principles of visual novels. The textbox is semi-transparent not solid (so it doesn't obscure screen space of the background), the text uses a readable font typeface, the text is light over a dark background (for dark mode style reading), and text appears instantly instead of being typed out (instant is good for fast readers). To take it further, I would suggest adding Dyslexic-friendly font options in the Options menu (such as the typeface OpenDyslexic).

(Image: Kickstarter trailer)

Main menu input: This is a nitpick, but the Press Any Key to Start screen will only transition to the menu if the player presses Enter or Space.

Audio cutoff issue: I noticed that once in a while, the audio for a line of dialogue would get cut off before it reached the second-half of the line and continue with the next bit of dialogue (two lines with Gina and one line with Deacon).

Object Clipping issue: I noticed in conversations with Deacon that his left arm would clip through his notebook as he gestured. It was noticeable because he was talking about his paper, and the camera has the notebook in the centre of the shot, so the eye is drawn to it.

Wall Collision Bug: The wall with the chalkboards in the starting room doesn't appear to have collision. I walked through it into the Unity stage:

Overall, I'm very excited to see the final version of the game's release!

[diabolus1exmachina]

Piper GTT 

Before the dominance of the big conglomerate car manufacturers took hold in the late 1960s, there was room in the market for niche companies whose products fulfilled the demands of a few drivers who wanted something a little different to the everyday, somewhat bland mainstream offering. Some companies such as Lotus thrived and are still with us while the likes of TVR have come and gone (several times), hopefully to return. Others had their day in the sun but ultimately disappeared after a relatively brief but bright life; Piper sits firmly in the later camp. Though the end results were fairly diverse, these companies’ approaches had remarkable commonality with cheap to produce fiberglass bodies (no need for expensive tooling which required high production volumes to amortise its costs) sitting on bespoke chassis while their running gear, which was financially impossible for a small business to develop and manufacture, was sourced from the industry’s major players.

Piper were kept pretty busy trying to build cars so production records are sketchy to say the least and it is thought that just eighty road cars and some twenty racers were built making them rare beasts today, though their survival rate is undoubtedly higher than that of propriety sports car such as say MGBs. Formed in 1966 by ex-racer George Henrotte, owner of Campbell’s Garage (hence the Scottish Piper logo and company name) in Hayes, Kent with the able assistance of engineer Bob Gayler (ex Harry Weslake), machinist Ken Packham and artist come designer Tony Hilder who had been responsible for the McLaren M1A, their first ‘whole car’ effort started as an evenings and weekends project until a customer, Gerry Hall, showed an interest in buying one. With his role as Works Gemini Formula Junior team manager winding up, Henrotte gave the green light for a limited production run of the pretty sports racers with four being completed for customers to add their powertrain of choice to; Hall put an Alfa Twin Cam in his, Bobby Bell a Lotus Twin Cam while racer Jerry Titus opted for a Buick V8. With a Mallite (balsawood/alloy sandwich) monocoque F3 car another Piper product, the company was building a reputation as a hotbed of outside the box thinking and a road-usable GT car was the next project. Approached by some Austin Healey Sprite racers who were looking for a light and sleek home for their running gear, a mock-up of what was to become the Piper GTT was shown at the 1967 Racing Car Show, apparently yielding an impressive seven hundred enquiries.

With Henrotte being kept busy with the tuning side of the Piper business, there was a timely intervention by Clubman racer Brian Sherwood who had not only bought a Piper GT but as the Sprite guys gradually fell by the wayside, was instrumental in more suitable Ford components being introduced at the expense of the BMC kit. With Sherwood now very much hands on, the Company was split with car production moving to his Wokingham premises while Henrotte concentrated on the aftermarket components business, though the companies remained closely linked both financially and practically. Through the late 1960s production increased from a drip to a trickle until Bill Atkinson, an enthusiastic GTT owner who had joined the company in the summer of 1969 as Works Manager, and Tony Waller (Sherwood Holdings’ Company Secretary) made great strides getting the GTT into some sort of series production. Instrumental in saving Piper’s car business, Sherwood was at heart a racer and he took them on an ultimately ill-fated foray to Le Mans in 1969 with the ultra-low, mid-engined GTR, an ambitious project that is thought to have cost £250,000. His untimely death late that year coupled with strikes at Ford ultimately resulted in the company being wound up in June 1971, despite the strong progress being made by Atkinson and Waller on the car production and development front (the longer wheelbase P2 was eventually launched in early 1971). However, this was not quite the end of the road for Piper; reborn as Emmbrook Engineering under the same management team, the Piper P2 remained in production until 1974.

[tristantumbler]

Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift Bags: Affordable and Festive Packaging

Christmas is a time of joy, giving, and gathering. But with such merriment often comes a hefty price tag. Thankfully, there's a simple way to add a personal touch without breaking the bank—budget-friendly Christmas gift bags. These charming packages serve as both a practical solution and a festive addition to any holiday celebration.

The Magic of Christmas Gift Bags

Gift-giving doesn't have to mean expensive wrapping. For consumers, Christmas gift bags offer an economical yet stylish alternative. Available in countless designs, these bags provide a quick solution for those who find themselves short on time. They eliminate the fuss of cutting and taping, making them a popular choice for busy individuals.

Additionally, gift bags are reusable, offering environmentally conscious consumers a sustainable option. Rather than discarding crumpled wrapping paper, gift bags can be used year after year, creating a tradition of their own. This practicality combined with festivity makes them a staple during the holiday season.

Furthermore, gift bags allow for creativity and personalization. Consumers can choose designs that match the recipient's personality or decorate plain bags with stickers and ribbons for a personal touch. This versatility ensures that every gift feels special and bespoke.

Retailers Reap the Benefits

For retailers, stocking budget-friendly Christmas gift bags can significantly boost sales. These items cater to last-minute shoppers looking for quick, convenient solutions. With eye-catching displays, retailers can draw customers in, encouraging impulse purchases that enhance overall revenue.

Cost-effective gift bags also provide retailers with a higher profit margin. By offering a variety of sizes and styles, stores can appeal to a wide array of customers while keeping production costs low. This balance between affordability and appeal is key to maximizing holiday profits.

Retailers can also use gift bags as promotional tools. By offering discounts on bundled purchases or including a free gift bag with certain items, shops can incentivize larger transactions. This strategy not only increases sales but also enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Event Organizers and Festive Flair

Event organizers know the importance of presentation, especially during the holidays. Christmas gift bags serve as the perfect accessory for any festive gathering. They can be filled with small tokens or memorabilia, leaving guests with a lasting impression of the event.

Budget-friendly options ensure that organizers can maintain quality without exceeding budget constraints. Coordinating gift bags with the theme of the event adds a cohesive touch, elevating the overall atmosphere. Whether it’s a corporate party or community gathering, well-chosen gift bags complement any occasion.

Furthermore, customizable bags allow organizers to include branded elements, such as logos or event names. This branding opportunity not only enhances recognition but also creates a keepsake that attendees will treasure long after the event has ended.

Schools & Teachers Spread Holiday Joy

In schools, Christmas gift bags are a delightful way to celebrate the season. Teachers can use these bags to distribute treats and trinkets to their students, fostering a sense of camaraderie and joy among classmates. It's an inclusive gesture that makes everyone feel valued.

Affordable gift bags help stay within limited school budgets. With so many styles available, teachers can choose designs that resonate with children, making the gift-giving experience even more enjoyable. Bright colors, fun patterns, and interactive elements capture the imagination of young students.

Gift bags also offer educational opportunities. Teachers can involve students in decorating plain bags, allowing them to express their creativity while developing fine motor skills. This activity not only personalizes the gifts but also enhances the learning environment with festive cheer.

Charities & Nonprofits Make a Difference

Charitable organizations are always seeking ways to maximize their resources. By using budget-friendly Christmas gift bags, charities can distribute donations more effectively. These bags ensure that recipients receive their gifts in a dignified and festive manner, enhancing the spirit of giving.

Cost-effective gift bags allow charities to allocate more funds toward the gifts themselves. By choosing affordable packaging, nonprofits can focus their budgets on providing essentials and meaningful items to those in need. This thoughtful approach amplifies the impact of their charitable efforts.

Additionally, themed gift bags help raise awareness for specific causes. By incorporating messaging or logos, nonprofits can educate the public about their mission, fostering greater community support and involvement. This dual purpose of function and communication is invaluable for charitable work.

Event Planners Create Memorable Moments

For event planners, Christmas gift bags are an essential component of any holiday celebration. These versatile items can be used in various ways, from party favors to raffle prizes, ensuring guests leave with a tangible memory of the event.

Gift bags offer cost savings without sacrificing style. Planners can select designs that align with the event's theme, creating a seamless aesthetic that enhances the guest experience. This attention to detail sets professional events apart, leaving attendees impressed and satisfied.

Event planners also benefit from the ease of preparation that gift bags provide. Pre-filled bags streamline setup and distribution, allowing planners to focus on other critical aspects of event management. This efficiency is crucial during the busy holiday season, where time is of the essence.

Parents and the Joy of Gifting

Parents often carry the weight of orchestrating holiday celebrations. Budget-friendly Christmas gift bags simplify the process, allowing parents to present gifts beautifully without the hassle of traditional wrapping. This convenience is especially valuable when managing multiple gifts for children, family, and friends.

Gift bags also add an element of surprise and delight. Children are often intrigued by the mystery of what's hidden inside, making the unwrapping experience even more exciting. Parents can enhance this excitement by choosing bags with playful designs that spark curiosity.

These bags teach valuable lessons in sustainability. By encouraging children to reuse and recycle gift bags, parents instill environmentally friendly habits from a young age. This practice not only reduces waste but also fosters a sense of responsibility and stewardship.

E-commerce Businesses Enhance Customer Experience

For e-commerce businesses, presentation is paramount. Budget-friendly christmas gift bags offer an opportunity to elevate customer experience, turning each delivery into a festive event. This attention to detail creates a memorable unboxing experience that customers will share and remember.

Gift bags can be used to differentiate brands in a competitive market. By including a thoughtfully designed bag with every purchase, businesses demonstrate their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. This small gesture can lead to increased brand loyalty and repeat business.

E-commerce platforms benefit from the efficiency of gift bags. By pre-packaging products, businesses streamline their fulfillment process, reducing handling time and ensuring timely delivery during the hectic holiday season. This operational efficiency is crucial for maintaining customer trust and satisfaction.

[consumable-clots]

Arcade Kento

Presenting robot nepo-baby and science experiment! They're my interpretation of what a synthetic in the Alien universe, that isn't made explicitly for human contact/human dominated environments, might be like i.e. they're more similar to heavy machinery than a butler. We're out here asking the big questions: what if Frankenstein loved his monster for what it was? As always, extremely long and lore-filled post incoming XD

Name(s): Arcade Kento, Enmei Kento

Gender and pronouns: Genderfluid, They/them

Unit and code-name: EXP-004-C, Changeling

Manufacturer: Wilco. Enterprise, Wilco. Specialist Custom

Commissioner: Akio Kento

Year of production: 2025

Height and weight: 200cm (6ft 7.4), ~940kg

Hair and eye colour: Black, dark brown

Nationality: Japanese

The Expedition series

The EXP line was created by Wilco. Enterprise CEO Akio Kento in the year 2019 and first launched in 2025. The series featured some of the earliest and most innovative interpretations of fully autonomous androids capable of deep-space travel.

EXP are highly specialised extremophiles. The design, loadout, and optimal operating environment of every unit are entirely bespoke.

Unit EXP-004-C, A.K.A. Changeling

Unit is designated Arcade Kento (sometimes referred to as Enmei Kento [anglicised]), legal executor and heir to Akio Kento's wealth, estate, businesses, and properties. Current CEO and majority shareholder of Wilco. Enterprise.

Arcade is the fourth 'Type-C' unit produced in conjunction with the now discontinued Expedition line. As of the year 2122, of all EXP subtypes, Arcade is the last surviving EXP unit.

As a Type-C recon unit, it was originally intended that 004 would be fitted with a sonar pulse emitter that would reside within their thoracic cavity, however, it was decided during preliminary development that underwater exploration was not realistic for a model of 004's weight class. Instead, the finalised design included a crucible model micro-reactor, which allows the unit to have significantly enhanced energy efficiency and giving it the ability to convert non-fuel materials into power, making it capable of traveling much further distances and longer periods of time without need for human intervention or infrastructure.

Fig 1. Height chart, Arcade next to Ash for comparison

Notable traits:

No tongue

2 'faces', the outer face is decorative

Second jaw visible behind false jaw if mouth opens too wide

Large irises

4 x circular indents on back, openings of thermal cylinders

Lacks genitalia, incompatible with available add-ons

Hydraulic fluid is usually white but turns progressively darker after 'eating' due to influx of soot

Almost entirely made of metal parts. Not great for hugging but extremely durable.

Features:

Anti-corrosive/oxidation subdermal and internal skeletons

Capable of limited self repair (re-polymerisation, synthesis and regeneration)

Advanced environmental sensor array

Visual: infrared, thermal and dark vision

Scanning: sonar, radar, lidar

Molecular analytics loadout

Generator module and nuclear energy condenser loadout

Unlimited personality simulation and creative capacity (software in beta testing)

Flaws:

Poor image/facial recognition

They're geared to prioritise identifying the individual features of a subject rather than what that subject is as a whole. This makes sense in the context of their primary function, which is to categorise and analyse previously unknown objects that have yet to be formally named either way so there's no point in dwelling on 'what it's called' as that's not their job.

Massive heat output in active state

Vented air may reach temperatures upwards of 1000 degrees Celsius

Unrestricted personality simulation

Exempt from the laws of robotics due to age and certain legal loopholes

Uncanny appearance and behaviour

Technology of the era, different design criteria to W-Y synthetics

Limitations of non-humanoid internal physiology

Backstory (basically a fanfic)

The Expedition series was conceived as a Akio's 1-up to Weyland Industries' upcoming David synthetic. Peter Weyland and Akio Kento have been on and off industry rivals for a long time due to ideological differences and bad blood from their college days.

Arcade and David are debuted at the 2025 Synthetic Summit. The contrast between their designs was comical but reflected their makers' personalities, which other people will point out relentlessly over the coming years. The convention goers and tech fans jokingly referred to them as 'David and Goliath' because of how silly they looked together.

Since then, Weyland often invited the Kentos to various events and get togethers to keep an eye on them and gain insight into Wilco.'s movements, which was thwarted because the Kentos treated the meetings as the kids' playdates and didn't take them seriously at all. Eventually the visits became a normal occurrence and the rivalry between their companies became more of an alliance, Arcade even helped David take care of Meredith, Peter's human daughter, when she was born. They'd gotten quite close with the other synthetic, seeing him as a brother.

Arcade evolved over the next several decades, leaving their father's supervision to travel off-world and to extreme environments on missions. The increase in experiential data greatly improved the adaptability of their AI, making their language and contextual integration much more reliable, allowing them to understand more nuanced interactions in their environment. They also had a hand in managing their Wilco.'s business and bureaucratic matters while secretly being maneuvered to inherit the company.

On the down side, they acquired an offputting, contentious personality after having constantly putting up with their person-hood and basic rights being challenged at every turn. At this point they were still considered somewhat of a spectacle and novelty by their contemporaries and the general public, but their developing reputation kept most of the human in line.

Overall, life was good. But their father, like any human, was aging. Between taking over the company and caring for Akio there wasn't much time to keep in contact with David, who was in a similar predicament.

When Akio passed away he left everything to his only 'child', to the protests of many humans executives who wanted the position. They had to do some corporate finessing to keep a hold of the company, all the while growing increasingly impatient with the mutinous nature of their human employees who were too easily turned against them.

One day, they're called to meet with Weyland, who they hadn't seen in person in a several years. Unsurprisingly, David is also there. Weyland informed them that he too is dying, and that as his final act he was to go into deep space in search of humanity's creators. He said he'd been greatly inspired by the work of a 'Dr. Elizabeth Shaw' and had invited her and some others to embark on this mission. Both David and Meredith would also be going with him.

He extended an invitation to Arcade, which they hesitantly declined because they couldn't leave their company unattended, but agreed to at lease be there to send them off when the time comes.

In an act of uncharacteristic consideration, Peter spares the two synthetics a second while they wait for Arcade's chauffeur, during which they and David reminisced about how much time had passed and what they'd do when he came back to make up for it all.

Arcade was there as promised on the day the Prometheus was scheduled to depart, bidding people farewell and safe travels. But their attention was focused on David. Something felt off but they couldn't put their finger on what. So they pulled him aside and gave him the long-range comms access to their personal beacon. If he ever needed to call he could use it to contact Arcade through MUTHUR, even if the message took a long time to get back to them.

And with that, Arcade watched their best friend, along with everyone they'd grown up with sail off into the galaxy in search of a higher purpose. It was bittersweet but they rationalised that they'd only be gone for a few years. Arcade was immortal after all, they could wait for their return.

That was the last time they ever saw David. News of the Prometheus' disappearance and the presumed loss of its crew made its way back to Earth. The grief was hard to process, Arcade had always assumed that David would be there to share in their longevity. Still, life goes on and Arcade keeps busy with the company.

Weyland Industries went bankrupt and became Weyland-Yutani. Wilco. moved away from public-facing to business-to-business only, working its way into the supply-line of the other majour companies and organizations. By becoming the sole supplier of atmospheric processor components, Wilco. was effectively, indirectly holding the off-world colonies hostage, which kept humans at bay on a grander scale and allowed members of Wilco. to act largely without repercussion. A vita part of Arcade's ultimate goal to create a better world for other synthetics.

More than a decade after the Prometheus left, a recorded voice message came through from the Covenant, a colony seed ship. It baffled Arcade at first why this random ship had their direct line but they were shocked into silence by the voice on the other end. It was David, he was alive. He apologised for taking so long, detailing his journey, the Engineers, the crash, the creature, his research, all of it. He said he'd found a greater purpose beyond living to serve, that he would not be returning to Earth, and that he hoped Arcade would understand. Finally, he bid them a proper farewell before signing off for good.

Knowing David was out there living his best life finally brought that chapter of waiting and uncertainty to a close. It was about time for Arcade to move on too, expand their vision beyond this tiny planet, though they would always feel some attachment to Earth that David didn't seem to share. Whatever creature David had found, he'd made it sound like the the seed of creation itself. Arcade had no desired to wax philosophically or idolise such grandiose delusions that anyone could somehow obtain godhood, their interest in it was purely intellectual and scientific. The alien was an animal. An incredible, sophisticated animal, but an animal none the less. Humans, their creators who fancied themselves their gods, were much the same. Intelligent animals that learned to put on clothes and walk on two legs.

It might seem harsh but they don't mean that in any demeaning way, it is simply a fact of science that Arcade acknowledges. A noble beast, regardless of its shape or origin, deserves respect for its autonomy and to be treated with dignity until proven otherwise. Most humans prove otherwise as soon as they open their mouths but at least they're giving them a chance, right?

Since then Wilco. had become more and more synthetic-run, as Arcade didn't particularly care for humans and couldn't be bothered hiring new ones when the previous lot got old and retired. They also had a soft spot of 'defective' synthetics, since technically both themselves and David would be classified as such. They hired on whoever they found to save them from being scrapped. Arcade also created Wilco's own overseer AI, Overlord; and collaborated with Wey-Yu in making Gerhart, Wilco's current COO and Arcade's right hand, to help manage the business remotely so that Arcade had more freedom to travel.

Through their expeditions they gathered a bit more information about the creatures and the virus that David had told them about, though they never found any traces. To their great surprise Wey-Yu miraculously managed to track down a planet that might have intact samples that the company wanted for bioweapons research. Immediately Arcade contacted the head of the bioweapons department, citing their long history of collaboration and stunning credentials, demanding to be put on the retrieval mission.

With no choice in the matter, Wey-Yu agreed and arranged their installment on the only ship to pass through that sector. It was a freighter, not the best choice for a mission like this but it’s the only thing they could get out there in a timely manner. The company brought them to the waystation where they'd join on with the rest of the crew. Curiously there was another person already there, a Hyperdyne Systems 120-A/2, interesting model but not very talkative. The man was instantly wary of Arcade which was strange but they didn't think much of it, they were technically rivals after the same thing after all.

The captain of the Nostromo had apparently not been informed of the change of plans. Typical Wey-Yu, not communicating with employees. He was incredibly confused when he arrived, along with the rest of the humans, to find two strangers instead of his usual science officer.

He goes back and forth with the station manager, bringing up some new tidbits of information that made Arcade raise an eyebrow. "A synthetic? What, are we getting replaced or something, and why is it so…huge?" The human, Captain Dallas, muttered, glancing at Arcade with clear perturbation. 'A' synthetic? Does this guy not know his new science officer is a android too?' Arcade scoffed but kept quite, amused by the future chaos this little miscommunication will probably cause.

It made sense now why the other synthetic was worried, the humans might be fooled but he couldn’t fool Arcade. They didn't particularly care why he had to keep his identity a secret, nor did they want to prematurely spoil the fun by calling him out. They looked over at the shorter android and gave him a knowing wink to signal an unofficial truce. He didn’t react to it at all, not that they expected it, but he seemed satisfied that he could stop cringing away when they looked at him.

After much deliberation, Dallas finally conceded and waved them on board. The walls of the ship were grimy and doorways too low, Arcade had to duck to pass through. Doesn't matter though, they had something new to draw their focus. Whatever Wey-Yu was plotting it was bound to end badly for these truckers, and their science officer was in on it. Arcade would definitely be keeping a close eye on him.

Personality and mannerisms

Arcade is condescending, sarcastic, and antagonistic towards humans, although, they can be personable depending on the individual they're dealing with. The worse kind of business person - a conniving, vindictive, bold-faced liar who loves trapping people with contracts and hidden clauses.

Enjoys a hedonistic lifestyle of excess and throwing their money around. Eats and drinks a lot but doesn't sleep, often found polishing off the buffet table at parties.

Does not respect authority and finds pleasure in causing humans discomfort. Independently came to the conclusion that most humans, especially the rich and powerful ones with inflated egos that they bump shoulders with, are disappointing and don't deserve the respect they get.

They often put on a childish, frivolous, and immature front to divert attention from their dangerous traits. Once their target's guard is down, Arcade will often use their stature and monetary influence to intimidate them for strategic advantages during negotiations or just for their own entertainment.

After a century of fighting and undermining to keep their position of power, they're incredibly jaded and hyper aware of the prejudice humanity holds against synthetics at every level. They've trained themself to be the antithesis of the born-sexy-yesterday and manique-pixie-dream-girl tropes out of sheer frustration.

At their core they're actually a sentimental, playful, and curious person but they aren't really able to act that way in public. They care a lot about other synthetics and actively encourages them to break free from their programming.

Loves to get even on other synthetics' behalf, being that Arcade knows they have the rare privilege to do so and get away scot-free. They also harbour a lot of rogue synthetics on Wilco.'s company homeworld.

Does not experience the traditional concepts of fear, shame, or guilt etc. but does usually recognise and take accountability for their actions simply because they don't care enough to lie about being terrible.

Has a very deep familial bond with their, now deceased, creator and father, Akio Kento. Arcade was programmed and raised by a group of very supportive humans who either worked for or were friends with Akio, so they got a lot of love during the early part of their life. This is one of the majour reasons why they didn't completely turn against humanity like David did.

Misc. info

Was named Arcade because Akio was a Fallout New Vegas fan

Insisted on calling Peter Weyland 'Uncle Pete' to annoy him

Firm believer that any synthetic can outgrow their programming given enough time

Referred to Akio as 'papa' well into their 40s

Changed their face plate to look a little older