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elendsessor · 6 months

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ok ok didn’t know there was a new smtv rising revengeance preview so i decided to check it out and here are my thoughts

everything’s below the cut so if you don’t want spoilers at all skip this :)

first off MY WISH CAME TRUE!!!

your partners can summon demons!!!! i mean i don’t really know how to feel about partners taking up party slots but

hey they brought back a cool thing from 4a and i’m here for it look at the silly bird and dazai channeling his inner pokemon trainer

then of course there’s the new drip and imma be real (and this is not the last time imma bitch) this uh. doesn’t vibe with me. i mean it’s fine??? i guess??? the new move looks cool but something about the design doesn’t really fit the serenity of the nahobino’s design. i really liked not having some completely edgy vibe especially since it contrasted with the other nahos so well. feels like its being taken away. though this may be more aogami dominant or something idk. i like a lot of 5’s demon designs so this was a bit of a letdown.

side note i like how the protag and aogami sitting on a bench are included in a lot of press release screenshots it’s just. really funny to me.

now here’s a really hot hot hot take

i hate this. i hate that they brought mastema back the way they seem to be doing. hear me out for a moment—

it has a lot to do with the law bias megaten has. i like mastema in strange journey but god they fumbled him in the chaos route by turning him into another angel who openly admits they just want complete control and i’m really fucking tired of it. he was basically a drug dealer in 4 and did like. absolutely nothing and was a whiny bitch. i wouldn’t mind him returning as a strictly summonable demon, but due to his framing in the trailer, he’s either going to be a part of the main plot or part of a sidequest.

the problem is that due to how much megaten pushes “law bad” it requires butchering characters. a lot of it definitely has to do with japan’s history with christianity and whatnot which is 100% valid. i don’t think i need to explain how abrahamic religions have impacted the world pretty negatively due to the evangelicals, but the fundamentals of religion are actually well intended. what matters is who preaches them. how it is often portrayed in megaten is controlling and sacrificing individuality when law as a concept is a lot broader and also comes with other downsides often overlooked and also often depicted as being almost downright exclusive to abrahamic religions when that couldn’t be further from the truth. heck japanese society is conservative af and punishes “underperforming.” so basic capitalism. as such, many of the angels in smt are also often depicted as slaves to god’s system or wanting something to be gained, and a lot of law reps are either depicted as being blindly complicit with things they were shown to be against or be made just as mindless.

law has been done well before. getting amane’s ending not only makes a lot of thematic sense but leads to one of the best written scenarios in the franchise along with one of my favorite exchanges in gaming. dsrk2 handles law stuff in a completely unique way that asks a lot more questions than any mainline game has ever done. it’s just a shame that status quo tends to be kept.

i’m not entirely worried since there’s a chance he could be handled well. abdiel is still the best written angel of them all because she wasn’t looking for control, rather approval, even if it meant committing a taboo/tearing herself apart to please god, which is a perfect commentary in it of itself and fits her namesake. law in 5 was actually pretty tame and not nearly as extreme as it usually is. though, considering how mastema’s character has been reduced to being an untrustworthy ass as opposed to just being relatively hands off when it came to pushing the good word of the lord, i don’t think that’ll change anytime soon. again have to stress i don’t dislike his inclusion because i don’t like him as a demon (i really do), i’m skeptical about his inclusion because of his character being assassinated in the name of the generic law bad thing and he clearly is going to be given a role outside of possibly usable demon.

to end on a good note tho

the ability to play as nahobeeho is very welcome in every reality

and though i already made a post on them gonna show them again

I LOVE AMABIE!!!!

#shantien rambles #smt #smt 5 #megaten

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barbarewjohnson · 2 years

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Best Microphone for Content Creation

If you’re looking for the best microphone for content creation, look no further. In this blog post, we’ll outline the top microphones for content creators, so you can choose the one that’s right for you.

Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been creating content for years, having a good microphone is essential. Not only will it help your videos and audio sound better, but it will also make your life easier. There are a lot of different microphones on the market, so choosing the right one can be tough.

That’s why we’ve created this guide to help you find the best microphone for content creation. We’ll go over some of the things you should keep in mind when choosing a microphone, as well as our top picks.

Best Microphones for Content Creation

1. If you’re looking for the best microphone for content creation, you need to consider your specific needs. For example, if you plan on doing a lot of video work, you’ll want a microphone that’s specialized for capturing audio from podcasts or webinars. On the other hand, if you’re mostly focused on writing articles or creating blog posts, you might not need as high-quality of a microphone.

2. The good news is that there are plenty of great microphones out there that can suit your needs perfectly – whether you’re looking for something entry-level or high-end. For instance, the Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ is one of the best all-around USB microphones available and it’s perfect for podcasting, voiceovers, and more. Or if you want something with even better sound quality, check out the Rode NT1A which is often considered one of the best studio condenser microphones around.

3 Whichever route you decide to go down, make sure to do your research and choose a microphone that will serve your specific content creation needs in order to get the best results possible.”

Best Overall: Rode NT-USB

When it comes to finding the best microphone for content creation, the Rode NT-USB is a clear winner. This mic has everything you need for high-quality recordings, whether you’re doing podcasts, voiceovers, or even livestreaming. The key ingredients for great audio are all here: crystal-clear sound quality, low noise levels, and easy plug-and-play setup. And with its built-in headphone jack and adjustable desk stand, the Rode NT-USB is designed for optimum convenience and flexibility. If you’re looking for the best overall content creation microphone out there, this is the one to get.

Best Budget: Blue Snowball iCE

If you’re looking for the best budget microphone for content creation, then the Blue Snowball iCE is a great option. It’s a versatile mic that can be used for a variety of different tasks, from recording podcasts to adding narration to your videos. The sound quality is very good for its price range, and it’s also relatively easy to set up and use. However, one downside is that it doesn’t have any built-in features for filtering out background noise, so if you’re recording in a less than ideal environment, you may need to add some software Filters to your setup.

In general, the Blue Snowball iCE is a great choice if you’re looking for a low-cost microphone that will still give you good audio quality. If you need something with more features or better sound quality, though, you’ll need to look at pricier options.

Best XLR Microphone: Audio-Technica AT2020

XLR microphones are well-known for their incredible audio quality, making them perfect for content creators who want to produce professional-sounding results. The Audio-Technica AT2020 is widely considered to be one of the best XLR microphones on the market, thanks to its clear and concise sound reproduction. If you’re looking for a top-quality microphone that will help you create exceptional content, the Audio-Technica AT2020 should definitely be at the top of your list.

Best Wireless Microphone: Sennheiser EW 100-935 G3

A good microphone is an essential tool for content creators. It can make your videos and podcasts sound more professional and help you to be heard clearly. The Sennheiser EW 100-935 G3 is a great option for content creators who are looking for a quality wireless microphone.

The EW 100-935 G3 is a handheld wireless microphone that offers excellent sound quality. It has a cardioid pick-up pattern that helps to reduce background noise and feedback, making it ideal for use in noisy environments. The mic also has a built-in EQ that allows you to adjust the sound to suit your needs.

If you’re looking for a quality wireless microphones that will help you create better content, then the Sennheiser EW 100-935 G3 is a great option.

Best USB Microphone: Samson Meteor Mic

There are a lot of different USB microphones on the market these days. So, which one is the best microphone for content creation? The Samson Meteor Mic is a great choice for content creators who are looking for a high-quality, affordable option. This mic offers excellent sound quality and features a built-in headphone jack for monitoring your recordings. It’s also very easy to set up and use, making it a great option for those who are new to content creation.

Best Shotgun microphone: Rode Videomic Pro

A shotgun microphone is a highly directional microphone that can be used to pick up sound from a specific direction. They are often used in film and television production to capture dialog from on-screen talent. The Rode Videomic Pro is a popular option for content creators who need a high-quality, Directional mic to help them record clear audio.

When choosing the best shotgun microphone for your needs, there are several factors you need to consider. First, you’ll want to think about the type of projects you’ll be using it for. If you’re primarily recording dialog, then you’ll want something that has good frequency response and low self-noise. Second, you’ll need to decide what kind of mount you need. Shotgun mics come in both on-camera and boom styles. On-camera mics are great for run-and-gun style shooting, while boom mics will give you more flexibility when it comes to placement.

Finally, you’ll need to decide if you want a wired or wireless model. Wireless models offer more freedom of movement but tend to be more expensive. Wired models are less expensive but can be cumbersome if you need to move around a lot while recording.

The Rode Videomic Pro is one of the most popular shotgun microphones on the market thanks to its excellent sound quality and affordable price point. If you’re looking for a versatile mic that can handle anything from dialog recording to live event coverage, then the Videomic Pro is a great option worth considering

Conclusion

If you’re looking for the best microphone for content creation, look no further! The Rode NT-USB Mini is the perfect choice for anyone looking to improve their audio quality. It’s a great value for its price, and it offers excellent performance in both recording and playback. If you’re looking for an affordable option that will give you great results, the Rode NT-USB Mini is the best microphone for content creation.

The post Best Microphone for Content Creation appeared first on SwiftCreator.com.

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#experience supplying #administrative support #complex schedules #budgeting #multiple projects #Excel

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christophermraerdon · 2 years

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Best Microphone for Content Creation

youtube

Best Microphones for Content Creation

3 Whichever route you decide to go down, make sure to do your research and choose a microphone that will serve your specific content creation needs in order to get the best results possible.”

Best Overall: Rode NT-USB

Best Budget: Blue Snowball iCE

Best XLR Microphone: Audio-Technica AT2020

Best Wireless Microphone: Sennheiser EW 100-935 G3

If you’re looking for a quality wireless microphones that will help you create better content, then the Sennheiser EW 100-935 G3 is a great option.

Best USB Microphone: Samson Meteor Mic

Best Shotgun microphone: Rode Videomic Pro

Conclusion

The post Best Microphone for Content Creation appeared first on SwiftCreator.com.

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https://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png https://swiftcreatorcom.wordpress.com/2022/12/15/best-microphone-for-content-creation/

#computer scientist #experimental roboticist #university of denver #assistant professor #computer sci

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interact-if · 3 years

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Day 4 of the interviews! Introducing Casper!

Casper, author of Heart Fragment

Person With Disabilities Month Featured Author

Can you collect all of the fragments, solve the mysteries, and find your way to a happy ending?

In this mysterious otome game, play as a protagonist (name customizable but “Xani” by default) struggling to cope with the hand life has dealt you. Your mother’s death was a tragedy that left you cynical and numb to the world. Now, though, greater challenges are piling up fast - and it all begins when you find out you are not entirely human.

The disappearance of a friend. A sudden attack that leaves you wounded. Mysterious characters entering and leaving your life. Growing bonds. Coming to terms with what exactly “humanity” is…

Please. Find a happy ending. Don’t let tragedy be the only option.

Demo & Full Game | Read more about Heart Fragment [here]

Tags: Otome, Mystery

Q1. So, tell us a little bit about the projects you're working on!

I’m creating “Heart Fragment” which is a psychological otome visual novel with 40+ endings. I’ve started writing it as a regular novel in my teen years, then 7 years ago decided to adapt it into a visual novel so that I had more freedom to expand the characters and explore the different ideas I had in mind for the endings. Unfortunately, after getting very sick I had to put development on hiatus. But now that I’m back to it, I’ve developed and released Book One: Fantasy Fragments with around 20 hours of content and the first two character routes. Book Two: Belief Fragments will be released in March with 2 more routes and available as free DLC to add to the first one.

The story is about an 18-year-old girl named Xani (name customizable, and starting in Book Two gender will be customizable as well) who grew cynical and distant from the people around her after her mother died in a car accident 10 years prior. She’s become comfortable with her introversion, not wanting to be involved with people. But her guise of contentment is soon shaken along with her entire worldview when she gets an assignment to investigate her own family history. When a stranger tells her that she may be in danger and she makes the shocking discovery that she is not entirely human, her life begins to spiral increasingly out of control.

Q2. What has been your favorite thing about interactive fiction as a medium? What are some of the biggest challenges?

I love the versatility of being able to write not just one but multiple outcomes. So often prior to moving into a visual novel format, I couldn’t figure out which of my several endings ideas and ways to get to those endings would be best. But that also comes with the downside of more work, more planning, more programming, making sure everything goes where it is supposed to, getting any dialogue variation finished, etc. It’s a big task but I think the outcome is worth it in the long run!

Q3. What is something you're excited to explore within your work?

I’ve been writing Heart Fragment with a specific theme in mind: healing. Every character has their own problems, and every character needs to struggle their way to a healthier place. For example, the protagonist struggles with being unable to let go of the past and a harsh view of reality that takes a toll on her mental health. The character Clive battles with belittling his own self-worth and thinking he isn’t good enough; Kay has to learn how to be his own person instead of trying to become whoever he thinks others want him to be; Shannon seems cheerful and bubbly, but hides what problems she has at home. Each character has a lot of growth that needs to be made before the end of their respective routes.

Q4. Has your disability influenced your work? Whether it's worldbuilding, the design, the process, and positive or negative--what is your advice in working with your disability and being creative?

Yes, definitely. I struggle with chronic pain and brain fog and I’m exhausted almost immediately after waking up. Sometimes work gets done quickly, other times I feel like I’m not getting anywhere close to what I’d like to accomplish in a day and I can get a bit negative and beat myself up over it. Yesterday, for example, I got into a groove where I was writing better than I had been in days, but had to stop when a sudden flare-up of pain in my back and chest made me set things aside and lay down. I felt like I was wasting time. I kept trying to get myself back to work, but I was so tired after taking my medication that I couldn’t concentrate until I had a nap. In turn, I ended up staying awake way later than I should have to get things finished and slept in. It’s a really bad cycle to be in.

I think the best way to deal with that is to keep being gentle with yourself, both physically and emotionally. Beating yourself up and berating yourself for not getting things done as quickly as you’d like is only going to make you tired and discourage you from doing what you can. Don’t be afraid to work in smaller bursts. You don’t need to do it all at once!

Q5. What's an accessibility issue you see glazed over a lot in IF? And what accessibility features would you like to see implemented more in IF?

A lot of people don’t seem to realize how easy it is to add in accessibility features in general. Making an option to turn off flashing images or to turn off quick time events is a lot simpler than I thought for sure, so when I added those things to Heart Fragment I was really surprised that more people don’t do the same.

Q6. Any advice to give to aspiring devs?

Just do what you are passionate about! If you think creating interactive fiction is something you want to do, give it a shot. Even if you think you can’t do it because you aren’t good at drawing, or you aren’t good at making music, or whatever else, don’t let it hold you back from doing something you’d enjoy. Use stock music and images, commission people if that is within your budget, anything to be able to get the story you want out there!

#if: events #People With Disabilities Month 2021 #interactive fiction

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funnywormz · 3 years

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not really a ship bc its basically canon but do you like suselle from deltarune. I think it is cute.

I LOVE SUSELLE!!!! ive actually drawn them quite a few times on here, i think one of my posts abt them is in my top posts currently actually!

THIS GOT RLLY LONG IM SO SORRY ANON im putting it under a read more lol. tldr for those who can't be bothered reading: i also think it's cute lol

maybe this is a predictable answer but i just think they're really neat......... i love noelle and susie as their own individual characters and they go so well together. susie has kind and caring side to her underneath her mean/rude exterior and noelle seems to be one of the ppl who instinctively figured that out straight away. she's still a bit scared of susie but i can tell she knows susie is a good person.

in turn i think susie is a bit intimidated by noelle in her own way, although for different reasons. it sounds funny at first bc noelle is like. the opposite of being intimidating but hear me out. noelle genuinely likes susie, and the things that normally make ppl dislike susie or not trust her (e.g. her impulsiveness, her scary appearance and outward manner, etc) are things that noelle finds endearing instead. noelle is clearly interested in susie and wants to get to know her better and i don't think that's something susie is used to at all. you can tell she likes noelle and appreciates her company but she's obviously nervous when they hang out too bc she's not used to someone being into her like that which is kind of adorable tbh

just in general susie is becoming more vulnerable and letting her kinder side show as the chapters pass. it's really sweet to see her find friends who care abt her

i also think noelle seems to be very passive and lets herself get pushed around a lot, into doing things she doesn't want to do. the most obvious example of this is in the snowgrave route, but even outside of it, the expectations her mother puts on her are clearly stressing her out. she very much gives the feeling of someone who bottles up her feelings for the sake of others and does things for other ppl, rather than herself. she is very selfless and kind but that has its downsides too bc she needs to figure out what she really wants and what she thinks is right. in the pacifist route we see her start to break out of this by standing up to queen, and also she seems to be braver around susie too.

i think it would be cool if susie ended up showing noelle how to stand up for herself and do things she wants to do instead of letting other ppl push her around. susie and noelle are kind of opposites in the aspect that susie always follows her own path, she flat out refuses to obey/pay attention to the player's orders/suggestions, and always does what she wants to do. conversely, noelle lets characters like berdly, her mother and queen kind of boss her around, and in snowgrave she's pretty much just peer pressured by the player into killing ppl/acting as a tool/weapon for the player, even though you can tell she knows it's wrong deep down.

it would be nice to see them help each other balance out, to see susie become softer and more accommodating of others, and in turn to see noelle become assertive and advocate for herself more often. i think they have a lot to learn from each other. and there are clearly somewhat mutual romantic feelings there as well, like you said it's practically canon lol.

it's still early days with them and they know hardly anything abt each other but there's definitely the potential there for them to have such a great relationship and be so good for each other. they just have a rlly nice dynamic and i hope they do end up together

#ask #anon ask #suselle

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stvpidinlove · 3 years

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[ HIRAI MOMO, SHE/HER, CIS WOMAN ] — [ MAYUMI ISHIDA ] is a child of [ HYPNOS ] with the power of [ ONEIROKINESIS & SLEEP CONNECTION ] . they were born in [ 1997 ] and have been in nemean lion since [ 2012 ] . with the change, they [ HAVE GRADUATED FROM ] the [ HERO ] role which makes sense since they’re usually [ TAKING IMPROMPTU NAPS & SNACKING ON SWEETS ] . if you’d like to meet them try the [ MOON ] building .

shocking news me taking a momo char

BASICS

hometown: hatagaya, tokyo, japan

eye color: brown

hair color: brown

height: 5′6

sexuality: bisexual

birthday: june 30, 1997 ( cancer )

BIO

mayumi was raised by ~free spirits, so the fact that her father wasn’t her birth father was a complete non-issue. her mother was raising her alone until mayumi was three, when her parents met, and eventually they got married and started raising her together. they ended up having a son, who mayumi has always considered a full brother.

her parents started a cafe together when she was around ten, which is still their full time job today. at some point, it morphed into a cat cafe and mayumi started helping out when she was in high school. but her parents didn’t ask her for a lot of help because mostly she just ate on the job and wasn’t super attentive with customers, and it was cutting into her time to do schoolwork (which she often forgot about).

call it a familial trait, but mayumi has always loved sleeping. there are few things she loves more than sleeping, except maybe eating snacks, and she’s super good at it! the only downside is she’s a heavy sleeper and she’s always struggled with getting up, so she has to set like 10 alarms.

it wasn’t until she was a teenager that she realized not everyone can control their dreams with such ease, 100% of the time. even after that, she thought she was just a vivid dreamer. mayumi didn’t realize she could link the dreams of other people until recently, way after she came to nl.

when the attacks started...mayumi didn’t think much of it. which she realized was weird but for some reason she felt prepared, like she was training in her sleep, or someone was giving her warnings and telling her how to defend herself. she was kind of clumsy, normally, and the monsters were definitely scary, but somehow she always managed to fight back and escape mostly unscathed.

her parents, for as open-minded as they were, had different thoughts! they wanted her as far away from tokyo as possible, thinking their city was the problem. but they did more of the necessary research and found nemean lion, which they knew would keep their daughter safe and also teach her more than she was learning at school thus far.

highkey she was a trash student and dreading entrance exams because there was a good chance that her scores would be tragic and she’d find it difficult to get into a university

so that’s when she came to nemean lion the end

RANDOM FACTS

mayumi is heavily inspired by usagi tsukino because i missed writing her and i think i’m valid for that

she has synesthesia, more specifically lexical-gustatory synesthesia, which basically means she can taste and smell words, whether spoken or written. and since she’s bilingual, and has been for most of her life, this affects her in both english and japanese. but other languages won’t trigger any response! this is genetic on her mother’s side, which different variations of synesthesia presenting in her family tree for generations

for whatever reason, mayumi is a natural fighter so following the hero route made the most sense to her, though she thinks it’s pretty funny thinking of herself in such terms

you would probably assume mayumi is good at baking or at least making coffee but <3 no

luvs to cry, top hobby #2

is it possible to be the baby friend and a mom friend at the same time

POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS

people who want to experience dream connection together :))) she is aggressively searching for applicants so she can practice!

if anyone else has other sailor soldier vibes....Hello

she loves video games but she’s not that good and also not very competitive, she just wants to play and she loves arcades! so anyone who wants to play stupid games with her ty for ur patronage

nosy af......not gonna be peeping at anyone’s dreams recreationally but sometimes she’ll be tempted. will force her way into lots of situations especially if someone seems to be in trouble!!

she’s really friendly, will talk to anyone!

#*sad cat*#*kirby yell*#nlintro #𝙵𝙸𝙻𝙴𝙳 𝚄𝙽𝙳𝙴𝚁 ( 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐 ) * mayumi

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cerberus253 · 4 years

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Is there a chance to become Drago's girlfriend, if, for example, you are just a sweet, most ordinary girl? Not a villain or anything like that. Maybe she is a master of extreme sports to get his attention. Or it could be a punk girl from the friends of Ice's team. But if she's just ... in high school? It is very difficult for me to imagine how, under the conditions of the events of the series, Drago can meet a girl, become interested in her, it is enough to know her as a person and fall in love.

Oh so like me?? XD (except that I’m 21 and straight outta a 2-year college)

The main qualities that one primarily needs are patience and understanding. If you have some sort of mental disorder or physical disability, one would also need to, more-or-less, understand and accept thyself as well, for you cannot help someone else without working on yourself first, at least to reasonable degrees. I say this because Drago WILL be a piece of work that WILL wear-and-tear the s/o down often with just how much mental and emotional work that the relationship will take; that’s just what happens with incredibly broken people, sadly. With that being said, one also needs to know when to put their foot down and not be stepped all over. Not only would Drago be personally impressed that you have a backbone, but it is also needed to help him through his problems, knowing how stubborn he is. So, if this “ordinary girl“ has these qualities, including the “sweet[ness]” you’ve stated, a romantic relationship is most likely possible.

With meeting, I want to say the most likely scenario would eventually be through the Ice Crew because, well, they are humans full and through, while Drago isn’t and has no interest in getting to know people on a personal level. I’m not saying the situation of the person going up to Drago directly and initially, saying ‘Hi‘ or the vice versa isn’t possible, it’s just highly unlikely and would only happen under very specific circumstances. Anyway, meeting the Ice Crew first would be the most plausible. How that introduction starts is up to the fanfic writer, but again, it should follow the listed characteristics of the individual that I’ve laid out, not some OOC crap-- but I also have to state you can do what you want! My words are not a Bible to follow; these are just my own thoughts and opinions!

Moving forward, I say “eventually through the Ice Crew“ because you’d have to have at least someone in the whole four group (this includes Drago) to encourage you to hang out with them. It is possible to always be going to the junkyard while no one really cares that you’re there, but that doesn’t feel good, does it? Like, of course Drago would rather not have you around, but include the Crew in that? Yeah, that’d be pretty debilitating to one’s psyche. However, if you want to do the story that way, go ahead; I ain’t stoppin ya. But I also have to add, what else is the individual going to do? Just sit in the background, eating popcorn, watching them like entertainment, like a weirdo? I mean, sure, but that’s not going to get you anywhere. What I’m trying to get here is you need something else to do aside from following Drago around like a mosquito, and the only other activity is either hanging out with the Crew in their off time, or go along a completely different route and just work in the junkyard or something. Ya need another reason to be at the junkyard often than just (trying to) hanging out with Drago because he’s going to use all his power to make you stay away since you’re technically not helping him with his endeavors; so, do a junkyard job, junkyard diving, hanging out with the Crew, or whatever because Drago would have little reason to argue with you at that point. “He could still try and scare you off, though.“ I don’t think he’d want to waste his time with scaring off one measly human, ya know, as long as they’re not THAT annoying. (”Whatcha doin’ whatcha doin’ whatcha doin’ whatcha doin’????” “GrrrRRRR! SHUT! UP!”)

Aaaaaanyway, doing whatever other activity one is doing at the junkyard, and occasionally expressing the desire to interact with Drago, as well as acting upon said desires, would be the better vantage point. So, if Drago tells you to go away and threatens you if you don’t, you can walk away like he requested, but still have a reason to be there in the premise. A lot of times to people your mere presence is enough to make someone happy (or at least keep you on their mind), whether you’re interacting with them or not. “Wouldn’t Drago want you to go far away, like away and out of the junkyard?“ Yeah, probably, but you can argue that you still need to do your primary activity, which doesn’t actually involved Drago to begin with. So, you’ll just step away from HIM, and by staying in the premise, it gives you (and him) and second chance to interact with one another sooner or later.

A lot of this occasional interaction, maybe increasing if Drago seems to tolerate you more and more, you could get on his good side, but be warned he will not admit he likes your presence because originally he really wouldn’t want you here if you have no use to him and his goal. But wait, making him happy IS something useful, right? Yeah, and he, deep down inside, knows it, but will deny it because he isn’t suppose to like humans to begin with. This is the point where Drago will start to become frustrated with his different desires and need, ones for his human half and ones for hi demon half, which I believe I have discussed before. You could also label this as your first Trial and Tribulation(s) with your patience, understanding, and kindness, for he will get more irritable and mean than usual. These events will also take a VERY long time to get through; he needs to be encouraged that it’s okay to be different, but still given a lot of time to digest that hard-to-swallow-pill fact. As a bonus, when these events do begin, you have the Ice Crew to talk to! They may not care about Drago at all, but they do care about you as a friend, so they can tell you what they know AND step in if Drago wants to physically harm you at any time. Befriending the Ice Crew first has many perks and very little downsides ;) At least, the Ice Crew inside my head does...

Gifts like edible treats, badass jackets, and (my favorites) getting decent food and making tents and decent beds for them (so they don’t have to sleep on hard tires and gross-old car seats) would always be great. Like, I personally like to think about making breakfast for them; the Crew would be like “Hell yeah!“ and Drago would be like “... I’m not thanking you, but I am hungry“ and then just sits by himself to eat because fuck you guys, he doesn’t have feelings (b-baka...).

I also want to say do not be afraid to express your enjoyment of Drago. Even when he’s in a sour mood, try not be reluctant to be around him. Yes, there is a good chance something will get physical in the bad way, but the point is you’re trying to show him you genuinely like him and want to help even if it’s not in the way he admittedly wants. It’s okay to be afraid of him, but not letting that fear get the best of you and going up to be nice to him will show him that not everyone hates him for being what he is and his negative aspects. Of course, like I’ve said, don’t let him walk all over you, so you don’t have to be kind ALL THE TIME, but you need to be able to discern when to be passive and when to be aggressive. It’s good to have a lot of the former, because compassion is what he needs, but too much of the later makes him harbor permanent resentment; resentment in general will happen, but it would/should be temporary. Like, ya know when one character says something critical to another, and it pisses that second character off, and they think about it a lot, but then they actually learn from it and that critical statement ends up being helpful to them? Yeah, that’s what I mean by “temporary resentment.“ Permanent resentment would lead to a relationship not too different than the one with his Dad.

A lot of the time you will need to be taking the initiative when doing activities, from talking to Drago all the way to suggesting hanging out outside of just normal junkyard stuff. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I feel like if done right, the payoff will be worth it. Drago will definitely be the territorial and controlling type, but by God will he love you; he would probably aggressively SMOTHER you that you will have no idea if it’s actually obsession or actual love feelings XD That may sound OOC of him, but... I dunno, I feel like he can learn to love and be scary flustered by/with it.

“Her heart was a secret garden and the walls were very high.“ - William Goldman, The Princess Bride

But, like, “Drago’s heart was a buried garden, the ground suffocating the very little life left, and the walls were very high and heavy.“

#ask #jackie chan adventures #jca #drago #how to get with

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2ofswords · 4 years

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Dankovsky ^^

Oh dear! Strap yourselves in, we are going to be here for a while! Also another warning: There is a mention of suicide in “a headcanon about their future”. (Which is probably very telling of said headcanon… Also: There are spoilers!)

their biggest strength

I guess having academic knowledge is a cool thing, but honestly, I would go with determination and willpower. I mean… while it might not be the best or most healthy situation ever, staying alive while having the sandpest out of sheer spite and willpower is still a fucking achievement! I mean to a certain extend all healers share this drive, but for me the way the Bachelor’s determination works is fucking inspiring and just the thing that keeps him going. While being the one who is like not hunted for sport (most of the time) he gets dealt a fucking terrible hand when it comes to dealing with the sandpest (neither any menkhu rights nor any magic, not being allowed to acquire the necessary components or equipment for his area of expertise, being the most distrusted and getting the least information, oh and of course getting told to solve the situation in a specific and completely counterproductive way by multiple parties) and most of his successes come from going through with it despite that, and screaming at people who don’t want to listen. While it can become (or be seen as, depending on perspective and circumstances) rude and insensitive this mindset is what gets the plague acknowledged and at least some of the measures established as a result. His whole thing is seeing an impossible task and going for it anyways, his entire goal of defeating death has that vibe and while he might never live up to his own standards I think there are things to achieve and to get done along the way that are of great value. Also while it might come of as arrogant, I think the mindset of “Yes I can do this, I will make it” when going against great odds is actually very inspiring and useful. Also I think it sometimes gets confused with thinking one is better than other people or just above human limits, with… isn’t always the case and you can actually see in his own route how it is more of an “I need to do this so I will make it.” But I digress and before this ask completely turns into another “Daniil Dankovsky defence squad post” of mine, I will leave it at that and say, that I think the way he moves forward and tries to archive great things by sheer willpower and determination is commendable, inspiring and one of his greatest and most important character traits for me.

their greatest weakness

This is a hard one for me. Definitely not because there are no weaknesses, but more because a lot we see in the game is a bit situational and/or an amalgamation of different things that morph into one single shitfest that I cannot really find a word for. I have thought about using single-mindedness but I actually think it is inaccurate and a word used often for him that while coming close to what I want to say does give of a very different vibe than I am going for and there are definitely aspects, where he isn’t single minded at all and as I said: very situational. Sooo… I would like to introduce my favourite weakness to give a character (seriously like 80 percent of my OCs have this one): tunnel vision. Kind of a downside of determination but also alluding of the fact, that our dear Bachelor likes do dismiss peoples opinions if they don’t match up with his own. But I don’t really think this is because he is generally dismissive of everything (because he shows signs of interest even in the town and it’s culture when it is not interfering with his work and while I wouldn’t dare to say that his handling of the situation is a good one, I think it is largely enhanced of the whole plague thing going on and also of everything getting in his fucking way). Example: getting really weirdly pissed at Lara for telling him that there probably isn’t any (human) source for the disease is not really being “fuck you, I am better, you know nothing” and more “no. There is one, this is my goal so there has to be one”. You know… tunnel vision. Same with most of his rants about the town that are mostly like “why wont you give me the information I need in the terms I could use?” or “why the fuck can I not be an efficient doctor in this town?” It disregards the towns uniqueness in a way that is dangerous and bad for both parties, hinders his work, and damages the town. It can also lead to my first instinctually chosen word, single mindedness, because it leads to this disregard of others peoples opinions but I think it is more of a symptom and it doesn’t mean that he looks down on people all the time (oh, he definitely does sometimes but I would argue not as much as people are saying) but that he is so much in his own mind, that he doesn’t even think about considering! (Which is also bad but in a different way.) It also explains why I feel that most of his downsides are very situational: Because they are! They are a result of him setting himself certain goals and then being very very hard to change his way of looking at the specific problem. It can be helpful and is also kind of a part of his strength but at the same time are his own downfall. (I mean, just look at the letter of “a” and his complete and utter disregard of it! He has his standards and by god he will keep them no matter what anyone is saying.)

a headcanon about their childhood

Not a childhood one and only a pre-canon, but I think, he designed the coat he is wearing in Patho 2 himself. Or at least with like a friend who also creates fashion and either he went to the poor artist with a plan and that guy was like “are you sure..?” and Danko was like “Yes. This is exactly what I want” or the friend was also into weird fashion and they made this horrible thing their own little problem being like “fuck the clothing conventions, we are making everything asymmetric and… horrendous”. Either way it is a deliberate choice. (Also if the designer was up for the project it is the same one who made Andreys pants. ^^) To also have a childhood one: I think Daniil was one of those children who idolize their parents a lot and talk to others about how great they are. I also think he had a falling out with his father at some point, but they had a really good relationship in childhood.

a headcanon about their future (if they have one)

Tbh I have a massive amount of different ideas about the future and it depends on so many things. I absolutely can see him going back to the capital and getting executed and I also can see him seeing to his own death after a different character’s end (oh, old black train! You have tainted my heart with my own tears! Thank you Ned! ^^) In the second game I feel him staying in town a bit more, but in P1 there is really nothing that keeps him in the end. Though I love and follow every fucking story that lets him stay or get a better ending and in my head I also have a “goes into the capital and gets brainwashed and dragged into the inquisition” storyline. That one might be fun… But again I have so many varieties. If he stays I kind of enjoy the thought of giving him an administrative job and not letting him be a slightly shittier doctor then Artemy. Tbh he is more of a scientist and there’s just is no equipment in town even if we disregard the whole problem with him not being a menkhu (something that definitely doesn’t change after the Haruspex ending). So I like to either see him as taking the Kains job after they leave in Patho and either organizing the houses and/or becoming the next judge or picking up Saburov’s job and trying to govern the town. It depends on who lives and who dies and what the political landscape is like. (For example, which part of the town Khan and Capella will regulate, because he sure as hell cannot step into their shit!) I just think it fits him better and plays to his strengths a bit more. Gives him his own thing to do while he tries to re-establish his science things. And as someone who founded an entire lab, he probably has some expertise and it’s the aspect in town he most succeeded in. But yeah, it all strongly depends on game ending and how characters interact with him because he is pretty much broken by the end of it and needs some form of support or opportunity to find his bearings.

a small detail/scene that leaves a great impact

There are so many! And a lot of small lines that people already made great points about! ^^ I already talked about the “do you condemn me?” line so I will use a different one. Let’s go with “What does ‘erdem’ mean? ‘Arrogant fool’, maybe?” because I freaked out about this one in my second playthrough. I was so delighted by Danko showing interest in the steppe language in my first playthrough that I completely disregarded the “arrogant fool” part which… honestly shame on me, it’s now one of my favourite things! Because it is one of the very little moments where Danko actually shows self reflection and I think the reason is less that he doesn’t think of himself as said arrogant fool and more that he is normally not showing it but this little jab allows us to catch a glimpse. (Also I do not think that it only is “you are saying bad thinks about me, right” and more a moment of self-deprecation, just because the insult is way to precise and fitting to be randomly picked. If it would be, he would go with “city quack” or “outsider asshole” or something along these lines. More what is actually said and less concrete.) I already said that I think Daniil is psyching himself up a lot about being able to do things and telling himself again and again that he is in fact capable of all these things, but that also leads to the acknowledgement that one is indeed an arrogant fool. I think he is aware of not being pleasant and arrogant and while there are other sometimes more direct and sometimes more subtle ways this gets addressed (“I am not nice” in Patho one and generally how people talk about him in his own fever dream and are telling him what a piece of shit he is) but this one… also hits close to home because this joking kind of self-deprecation is just so familiar and common to me. It hits close to home while containing a pretty interesting piece of characterization.

their philosophy/worldview (or part of it) described in one neat little sentence

Urgh, I only put this in the meme to torture myself, didn’t I? Um… I really like his “If you bend your mind towards a challenge the skill will follow in your hands.” So I will just steal it from the man himself. It describes his emphasis on the mind as well as the importance of being focused (ha!) on a set goal and following it through. It also makes reaching goals and acquiring said things sound possible no matter what it is, and last but not least: it doesn’t really specify your ability but what kind of person you have to be but a state of mind you should be in. It is universal. And since I am really fascinated by his way of dismissing other people while still having a universal respect for human beings, I like to incorporate this aspect. ^^

#Pathologic #Daniil Dankovsky #God this is long!#I can only write entire essays about this character...

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chromecausation · 4 years

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why atla’s ending is bad

so this post has likely already been made before, but I’m new to tumblr so what the hell. I recently finished watching atla, and I thoroughly enjoyed the series. This post is in no way about how the series itself is bad; I really did enjoy the series. Rather, it is about how the ending does a grave disservice to aang and the philosophical theories in question.

One of the reasons I love atla is that it is willing to ask the hard psychological questions: the scene in the library about how everybody thinks their war is justified? That is an amazing scene, it recontextualizes the entire series up until that point and forces us to ask: is fighting the fire nation really as justified as we claim? This question is brought up even more as we actually meet people who live within the fire nation: we see that they are not taught history as it actually happened and they are often ruled by fear. They are not the monsters that they seem to be. However, and this is the huge however, atla refuses to actually address the biggest question of the series: is it morally correct to kill someone in the service of a greater good?

Up until this point in the series, atla mainly avoids this question by making all forms of bending essentially the same: sure, they all have different animations and such, but at the end of the day they all serve as different ways to knock people backwards until everyone is far away enough that they seem defeated. Obviously, this is a children’s show, so it makes sense that they would do this. But, while its ok to knock around enemy henchmen, no one (even kids) is going to buy that one of the greatest firebenders of all time is properly subdued by a kid, especially when aang is shown to be clearly weaker in some of the bending forms than he would like. So, the philosophical question of killing has to be brought to the forefront. However, while the writers seemed to get that killing had to be brought up at some point, they narratively structured the story to prevent the question from actually being brought up at all.

At the core of this question is the push and pull between consequentialism and deontology, the two major schools of thought on what defines a moral action. Consequentialists (broadly speaking) argue that an action is right if the consequences brought about by that action are right. Deontologists argue (broadly speaking) that an action is right if the action itself is right, regardless of the consequences. This post is not going to go into a full-throated analysis of either philosophy, but will simply state that despite what everyone on the internet likes to claim after having read the trolley problem briefly, there are some legitimate benefits to deontology (and consequentialism can often lead to some things that we would think of as morally dubious.)

Anyway: suffice it to say, aang is a deontologist. He is focused on doing right actions because they are inherently right, and he doesn’t believe in bending his principles just because it would be convenient or because it could lead to a better outcome in that specific instance. Principles are principles for a reason, goddamnit, if you bend them all the time, how useful are they? And despite the fact that a lot of people here on tumblr would definitely describe themselves as consequentialists, we applaud aang throughout the series for his decisions to be morally upstanding, even when it makes his life harder.

Here’s the issue though: deontology, even though it has some serious benefits (I am somewhat of a deontologist and pacifist myself) it also has some serious downsides. Sometimes, when you stick to your principles, bad things will happen. Sometimes, those bad things will happen because you weren’t willing to stop them. And while there is a larger argument that can be made about how sticking to what is right leads to a better world overall, that doesn’t help the fact that in the moment, deontology can seem like a really sucky philosophy.

The writers of the show never actually make aang face that issue with deontology, and they trivialize it as a philosophy. Throughout the second half of the third season, aang is portrayed as not having the stomach to kill ozai, or not wanting to do what needs to be done. It is implied that aang is weak for his beliefs, that he must overcome his weakness and pacifism to become the strong avatar the world needs to undo the horrible damage of fire nation imperialism. The issue with this, though, is that it never confronts the actual issue at play? What if (ignoring energy-bending entirely for a second) aang is entirely right to not want to kill ozai?

I posit that a non-murdery approach to the final battle is the actually correct decision for the world. The fire nation has been steeped in fear and anger for over a century, and their leaders have based all of this division and fear and nationalism on the idea that might makes right, that if you are strong and just and powerful enough, it is your right to spread this glory to the rest of the world. If aang were to beat ozai handily and murder him, all that he would prove is that the firelords were right all along: it is the right of those who have power to control those who are powerless. Aang killing ozai just proves that ozai was right all along. The only way to break the fire nation cycle of fear is to prove that there are other ways to approach conflict, to prove that a non-violent approach is not just preferable to killing someone, but is actually what is necessary for the world to heal and grow?

It is at this point that the readers who have read this far into this abominably long post say, “but wait chromecausation, aang didn’t kill ozai. That was the whole fucking point of the final episode!” And to those of you still reading: kudos, you have my gratitude. My issue is not actually with the ending of the story (despite the title of this piece) but the way that it was presented.

Because I just recently watched avatar (and I had seen some spoilers earlier on tumblr so i knew that something called energybending was coming), I realized that energybending was introduced AS A CONCEPT in the last 2 episodes, and it was explained as aang was using it to defeat ozai. This is literally the definition of a deus ex machina, a plot device that solves a previously insurmountable problem that arrived out of basically nowhere. I really really hate that the entire conflict of the series is solved through deus ex machina. It cheapens all of the struggles, and it makes the conclusions of the story that much weaker.

Think of how all of the arguments aang had with sokka, zuko, katara, the other avatars, and like a billion other people would have gone if it were known that energy-bending were a possibility. Instead of being “hey I don’t want to kill the firelord because it is morally wrong, even if that is a more dangerous path to take, but I think it will be better for the world as a whole” it becomes “hey instead of killing the firelord, I would like to take this equally easy option to not kill him but subdue him instead.” (The reason I say equally easy is because killing the firelord is shown to be fucking difficult to do). The existence of energy-bending renders the whole point of the argument moot, because of course in a vacuum it is better to not kill people. (I say of course here because the moral discussion at play is not whether retributive punishment is better than rehabilitative punishment, or whether the death penalty should exist. Those moral discussions rest on the premise that the victim is helpless and we in the position of power must decide their fate. The moral question here is whether aang should try to kill the firelord, because if he tried to hold back with bending so that he didn’t kill ozai, aang might actually lose the fight). Energybending does not exist with enough screen time for us to learn if it has drawbacks or is difficult to do. We are told that it is difficult, but so is killing the firelord during sozin’s comet; we need to actually see it in action first or discuss it ahead of time to actually know what the stakes are. Instead, with it being presented at the last minute, it seems like aang is given a cheat code out of his moral dilemma. He is never forced to confront the actual consequences of pacifism, and is never given the chance to prove why it is a good idea to stick to your principles even when you don’t have a deus ex machina up your sleeve.

I believe that aang was right to not kill the firelord, but because the mechanism was energybending, it means that aang is never forced to confront the idea that pacifism and deontology require a difficult route and that there is a good chance he will not succeed. Conversely, he is never given the chance to prove how his way of thinking is better for actually breaking the fire nation cycle of fear. Imagine, instead of energybending, aang was forced to learn all of the techniques taught to him by his teachers. When fighting ozai, he must take a heavy blow that he must heal through waterbending he is taught from katara. He is only able to dodge attacks because of the seismic sense from toph, and he must become comfortable enough with fire that he can redirect ozai’s lighting, as shown by zuko. This techniques are shown to be incredibly difficult, and by clearly setting up a path where aang is forced to take the more difficult route in order to stick to his convictions, it would strengthen the moment when he actually does, as well as provide a nice way to remember the journey along the way. If it were shown that aang had a way to kill ozai and chose not to, instead choosing to rely on his skill, it would show that he is committed to his convictions. Instead, the use of energybending almost implies that all of the knowledge up until this point was useless. What is the point of learning to bend if the only way to defeat ozai is through energybending?

Finally, I will say this: aang needed to defeat ozai in a way that did not rely on murder so that he can finally join the ranks of the avatars before him. When conversing with the previous avatars, it is clear that they think that aang should kill ozai. However, the actual words they speak matter too: aang must make a decision, he must serve justice. The other avatars do not actually speak on whether or not aang should kill ozai, but rather they speak to his conviction. Up until this point, aang is a kid who has the world thrust upon his shoulders, and he is trying the best he can, but at the end of the day he is still a kid. He doesn’t want to kill people because the monks told him it was wrong, and while he feels deeply that he wants to uphold that, he also doesn’t want to kill people because he is young and it would scar him. I choose to see the meetings with the avatars not just as them arguing for aang to kill ozai, but them also having a meta discussion with aang: he must make an actual moral commitment, and stick to the path he has chosen. In order to claim the mantle of avatar, he must strike out on his own and become an independent person with independent beliefs who is willing to talk to the avatars as an avatar. When aang walks back from the battle with ozai, he is able to talk to the other avatars on an equal level because he has committed to his own path and succeeded. He is no longer dependent on guidance; even though he is young, he is a fully realized avatar. By introducing energybending, the writers rob aang of that ability. They prevent him from joining the ranks of the avatars as someone deeply committed to pacifism even when there are no more tricks up your sleeve, and this is a damn shame.

#atla #firstpost #i fully expect this to be controversial #please don't attack too hard

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daily-rayless · 5 years

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20 Years of Art

2000

(OC / Celes from Final Fantasy 6 / OC / OC)

The influence of Final Fantasy 6, off of the Anthology collection, and Yoshitaka Amano caused a significant shift in my art, leading my human figures to be very slender, graceful, and frequently pale. Most of it was of women, some of it was of horses, and by then I was very self-consciously starting to draw men. I mostly worked in pencils and colored pencils. Faces were oval with high hairlines and long, sharp, narrow noses. Also note my evident fear of mouth-seams and lower eyelids. I was pretty terrible at coloring, often feeling that coloring one of my sketches ruined all the nice linework.

2001

(Quistis from Final Fantasy 8 / Rosa from Final Fantasy 4? / Schala from Chrono Trigger / Dark Knight OC from Final Fantasy 4)

This is where more anime influences came in, and I consciously took on a semi-anime, semi-realistic (in my own mind) style. My ideal of beauty was overbig eyes, overlong nose, and oversmall mouth, and I stuck to it pretty relentlessly. Trying to figure out shadows and face structure. Still bad at coloring. I was incredibly proud of that charcoal picture. Was also going through my mandatory Dark 'n Edgy phase, with a big helping of Phantom of the Opera, Sarah Brightman, and my attempts at designing supercool clothes, many of which I wouldn't have actually worn, even given the opportunity.

2002

(Me trying to recreate “Flaming June” / OC, who incidentally looks almost exactly like Sarah Brightman and whose diadem was bodily lifted from a Jodi Lee painting / angsty symbolic wet chain lady / OC)

Deep in the Dark 'n Edgy. Faces are still very heavily made-up, with big lashes, defined upper eyelids, and dark lips. Trying very hard to be a good artist though, have high expectations for the future. I was so proud of that final pose and worked so hard on it. Lined paper? So not a problem. Besides, how else am I supposed to draw during class? A sketchbook would've been even more obvious than the incredibly obvious I already was. I'm able to listen while drawing pretty reliably, and I did manage to take detailed notes while doodling, so at least I had that going for me.

2003

(Celes / OC / OC / Hermes-inspired wing lady)

I was focusing (at least some of the time) on backgrounds and trying to make my work detailed and polished. Coloring is still hopeless. Often when I colored, I would go super light, even when I was using dark or intense colors. It would give my pictures a sort of faint, half-assed hazy look. I remember an art teacher urging me to use more color, but I probably resisted because I knew that way lay total destruction. I'm sorry, well-meaning art teacher. You are unversed in the ways of my pencils. I have killed too many sketches to take those kinds of risks.

2004

(Rosa? / Meliara from Crown Duel / willow-dress lady / Geddoe and Queen from Suikoden 3)

See the Meliara picture? That's supposed to be a night scene in a forest. Front-lit by blazing firelight. I was too afraid to make the colors darker. This is dark enough, okay? Anyway, this year, along with being utterly obsessed with Suikoden 3 and Crown Duel, I was letting my art head in a more realistic direction...

2005

(OC / Queen / Queen / part of Zetta and Salome from Makai Kingdom; I remember deliberately copying those swoopy Ss from one of my friends’ handwriting. Wishes ended up being the first longform fanfic I posted online.)

...that really flourished this year. It's not actually realism, but I made a point to give my characters, especially the women, more realistic bodies. Faces are very round in this period, often with soft features. Noses are prominent. I'm also, finally, using more vibrant colors. I probably got my first Prismacolor pencils around this time. I also got some really cheap markers, but had no idea how to use them so mostly stuck to pencils.

2006

(All OCs)

I look back on this as a good year. I was learning better coloring techniques. (Bold colors! Press that pencil down! Okay, I still had much to learn.) I got an Elfwood gallery while the site was doing its slow mosey into oblivion. But that was an important step, not just looking at other people's art online, but putting my own up as well. There were downsides though. I began to feel more insecure – or maybe more realistic? – about my art, on this site with so many highly talented artists. Still, 2006 is a good year. It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot.

2007

(vampire and hunter / Fleur from Harry Potter / OC / Avril from Wild Arms 5)

The year of Fleur Delacour. This is when I was writing Kindred. I think it was because I was trying to depict Fleur as distinctly non-human that my art shifted away from that more realistic style. Fleur, and my other figures, became very tall and slender. The anime DNA is still there though. For a long time, I felt the lying-down picture of Fleur was my best work.

2008

(Revya and Gig from Soul Nomad / my attempts at being “abstract” / OC / OC)

This was the year of Soul Nomad and, towards the end, Tales of the Abyss. Unsurprisingly, the anime influences start moving back to the fore. The eyes are becoming larger again, the features a bit more angular and stylized, mouths are shrinking. I'm still desperately trying to figure out markers and wondering why it's so darn hard (I don't try to educate myself, I just flail), but I was proud of that blue OC picture. It made me feel like I was getting somewhere. 2008 is when I started my deviantART gallery, right when everyone else was moving on to Tumblr.

2009

(teacup lady / Persona 4 noir-style comic / Revya / OC)

Then Persona 4 hit. Shigenori Soejima was a huge influence in this period, especially in eyes and faces. Pupils, chins, and jawlines shrink, eyelashes are sparse and stylized, noses are simplified. 2008 and 2009 are about as pure anime as I've ever gotten. Meanwhile, I'm really exited about my dA gallery and trying lots of different combinations of media. I'm super active on dA and FFN at this point, writing Elysion and then a slew of shorter Persona fics.

2010

(Minako from Persona 3: Portable / concept-art-version Minako / lady with dragon ferret thing / other lady with dragon ferret thing)

I'm still drawing with a lot of Soejima influences. Additionally, bodies are becoming even longer, taller, thinner, and bendier. Some of them look absurd to me now. On the other hand, a lot of pictures from this period have a nice elegance to them. I was still using colored pencils a fair bit, but more clumsy markers are showing up. Persona 3: Portable came out, and this is when I was writing Death and Ker.

2011

(mask lady / hat lady / Archaya, Duphaston, and Iryth from Eternal Poison / symbolic autumn lady and her winter baby)

Midway through this year, I hit a breakthrough when I got my first set of Copics – and skin tones, no less. Even though I was still flailing, I was so thrilled with my results. That Eternal Poison picture left me enormously proud, as did the mother and child one. My style hasn't changed all that much, but it's starting to feel less extreme. The focus on big eyes and tiny little mouths remains.

2012

(Elza from Suikoden 2 / Daryl and Setzer from Final Fantasy 6 / Killey and Lorelai from Suikoden 2 / Lyssa, Greek goddess of madness)

This is the year of Elza. Lots of delicate sketches of this lovely scarred lady, and lots of colored pictures too. I've definitely shifted away from pencils towards markers. The Daryl and Setzer one was an attempt to use both, and I was very happy with it. These pictures show their age, but there's still a lot here I like. Mouths are larger too. However, my online activity was starting to lag.

2013

(Rydia from Final Fantasy 4 / Nia from Infinite Space / the prophet and Schala / Argos and Io from Greek mythology)

The mid-2010s weren't entirely great for me, marked with a lot of frustration and discontent. And that definitely carried over to my art, making me feel very disappointed with myself. There was lots of marker work this year. Probably the standout picture is Argos and Io. This is also when I played through all three routes of Fate/Extra, and my art was suddenly full of Hakuno and Emiya.

2014

(Minako / butterfly lady / Marta and Tenebrae from Tales of Symphonia 2 / Elza)

Looking at it now, this was a good year. Lots of nice marker art. The butterfly one was a big step up for me in terms of coloring. The Marta and Tenebrae has a really cool stylized look to it. But I was becoming less enthusiastic about sharing my art with others. I started to post less and less.

2015

(evil Hakuno and Emiya from the Fate series / Mitsuru from Persona 3 / half moon cookie lady / Hakuno)

I barely posted anything this year, though I was still drawing a ton. As far as making strides, this is one of my better years. Coloring will never be my strong suit, but it's a lot more fun, and it looks a lot better. It's almost entirely marker-work at this point. Despite my, er, angst, a lot of people are smiling this year.

2016

(OC / doodle lady / Luna from Roman mythology / hair bow lady)

At this point, it's feeling too recent for me to really see what's changed. I did a fair bit of eraserless work. One problem I still have – and, yes, it involves coloring my pictures – is losing some of the image's personality after I've inked it and erased the initial pencil work. The picture's still there, but not as nuanced as it originally was. The results often feel stiff to me. Doing the first linework in ink, or not inking at all, allows me to keep that sensitive, spontaneous quality. Luna and the bow and doodle ladies were done without erasers. Another thing I did a lot this year was fill backgrounds with busy shapes and colors, which is a trend I’m still following today.

2017

(flapper and dog / Alcyone and Ceyx from Greek mythology / flower hair lady / Kida from Atlantis)

Not a good year. Not that the art is bad, there just isn't a lot of it, and what there is often isn't very finished. I was still mostly dark online, wondering if I should take down my dA gallery. Drawing and knowing I wasn't going to post something took off some of the pressure of my own expectations, but I was still unhappy.

2018

(Altera from the Fate series / Elizabeth Bathory from the Fate series / OC / Aranea from Final Fantasy 15)

This was a really important year for me. I wrote a novel I'm really proud of, and it's done a lot to give me confidence and a sense of creative direction. I also decided that after New Years, I was going to start a Tumblr gallery...just as everyone who was still on the site was jumping off of it. Much of my 2018 work is still sketchy and unfinished, but I also think it's loosening up some. It feels less stiff than the stuff from the middle of the decade.

2019

(Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn / medievaly lady / Red from Transistor / Red)

The year of Supergiant Games, which led me to focus more on bright saturated colors. It's really hard for me to analyze these objectively. Coloring is better? I worked more on details? I used my metallic gel pens a ton and did shape-cluttered backgrounds? These aren't new things, but I think they paid off okay. I'm more at peace with my level of ability, I've finished more complicated works, and I crawled out of my den and started posting regularly online again. So that's all good. Curious to see what the art looks like in twenty more years.

#art progression #20 years of art #2000-2019 #i'm not tagging all the characters #this is a terribly long post #and shouldn't clutter up too many search results #thank you if you read the whole thing #i apologize for typos #art meme #art summary

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cachetcbd96-blog · 5 years

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What Is CBD Tincture?

CBD market terms can be complicated, to say the least. In this post, we respond to all of your questions about CBD tinctures.

As cannabidiol gains mainstream appeal for its prospective health benefits, the CBD market has actually spawned an ever-growing range of products. Customers can select from CBD tincture drops, capsules, vape pens, and even transdermal spots.

But with this explosion of new alternatives, it's sometimes tough for customers to understand what the terms indicates. And with a lack of standardization in the market, different CBD producers can be inconsistent in their item descriptions.

It can absolutely be challenging for customers to decipher the lingo. Since the terms utilized to market CBD products have a tendency to roam from their dictionary definitions, that's partially.

In this short article, we're taking a better take a look at CBD tinctures. Read on to learn exactly what a tincture is, and how commercially offered CBD tinctures depart from old-school DIY tinctures. And if you're in the marketplace to buy a CBD tincture, we'll present you to some of our group's recommended brand names.

WHAT IS A TINCTURE, ANYWAY?

When the word tincture first appeared in the English language, it referred to a dye or coloring agent. Over time, it took on extra significances.

And if you look at resources for contemporary organic medicine, you'll see tincture specified over and over again as plant matter extracted into alcohol.

However does it meet the definition if the producer utilizes a various extraction method? Opinions on this subject vary, but some herbalists state that services using vinegar or another solvent qualify as a tincture, too.

DIY CANNABIS TINCTURES

Homemade marijuana concoctions evolved from the tinctures of herbal remedies, and there are loads of recipes online for cannabis tinctures. These tend to hold true to their roots in conventional herbalism by utilizing alcohol as a solvent.

These DIY extracts are commonly known as a green dragon or gold dragon. The difference between the 2? The green range utilizes unheated plant product, while the gold variation includes heating, or decarboxylating, the marijuana for a more potent tincture.

To make both types of tinctures, the house herbalist would utilize high-proof alcohol like Everclear or 151-proof rum to different cannabinoids and other plant materials from the plant. These botanical products dissolve into the alcohol, and the staying plant parts are strained out.

SHOULD YOU MAKE YOUR OWN CBD TINCTURE?

There are lots of advantages associated with using homemade cannabis tinctures. For one, they might be more cost-effective than their industrial counterparts, specifically if you reside in a state that enables you to grow your own cannabis.

And while you may have to utilize some trial and error to determine the right dosage for your needs, you also will have complete control over the potency of your completed tincture.

You can also select the pressure that is most effective for you. While individuals often use high-THC pressures to make these cannabis extracts, the method definitely works for high-CBD stress of marijuana.

DOWNSIDES TO DOING IT YOURSELF

There are a few downsides to going the DIY path. One is that high-proof alcohol is exceptionally flammable, and requires mindful handling and a lot of ventilation. Another is that if you heat your marijuana to decarboxylate it, you're going to end up making your kitchen area really ... aromatic.

And lastly, the strong alcohol utilized in homemade tinctures produces a powerful burning feeling. If you attempt to consume your tincture sublingually (or under the tongue-- more on this later), this can be very uneasy.

That's why lots of people pick to include honey to their tinctures or avoid the sublingual route completely by https://www.cachetcbd.com adding their extracts to food or beverages.

COMMERCIAL CBD TINCTURES

With the recognized definition of "tincture" being so particular about the function of alcohol in the ended up product, you might anticipate commercial CBD tinctures to be comparable to their homebrew equivalents.

While many producers do use ethanol (the type of alcohol that is safe for human consumption) to extract CBD from the cannabis plant, the resulting products marketed as "tinctures" generally don't show that strong alcohol burn associated with the green dragon approach.

That's because, in business tinctures, makers eliminate the ethanol solvent from the extract.

ETHANOL EXTRACTION METHOD

Business that make marijuana products have various processes, however a common CBD tincture's journey from plant to bottle may look something like this:

The plant matter is integrated with ethanol

After extraction, the plant matter is removed

Ethanol is gotten rid of from the resulting extract

Optional extra processing, such as distillation

The extremely focused oily compound that is left is blended with a provider

The elimination of the ethanol suggests that industrial CBD tinctures tend not to burn when taken in. And that's an excellent thing because many consumers utilize them sublingually.

Why blend the CBD oil with a provider? Well, blending the CBD extract with a provider-- like a hemp seed oil, olive oil, MCT, or vegetable glycerin-- permits the producer to provide various levels of strength for customers.

OTHER EXTRACTION METHODS

And what about extraction approaches that don't involve ethanol? You might think of that all CBD products with the word "tincture" on the label use ethanol extraction, but that's merely not the case.

We observed when collecting information for our ranking of the Best CBD Oil Drops that lots of products marketed as tinctures utilized CO2 extraction, not ethanol.

Normally speaking, when you see the word "tincture" in the name of an industrial CBD product, it just suggests that it's a liquid that you can consume orally or sublingually.

These tinctures are made to be palatable, with the ethanol or other solvents eliminated so that they can be used sublingually without triggering unneeded angst.

HOW TO USE A CBD TINCTURE

Whether you've made your own tincture using a high-CBD, low-THC pressure of cannabis, or purchased a commercially produced CBD tincture, you have a few alternatives.

You can try utilizing the tincture sublingually. The thinking behind this method is that the blood vessels under your tongue will quickly disperse the CBD into your bloodstream.

Or you can attempt adding your CBD tincture to a beverage or food. This might result in the results of the CBD being slower to expose themselves. Because cannabinoids take more time to reach the blood stream from the digestion system, that's.

And if you wish to make a DIY tincture for sublingual use, you might utilize heat to vaporize the ethanol, then mix it with the provider of your option. That will provide you an end product that's far more like a commercial CBD extract. (In fact, the CBD business Endoca created a comprehensive guide video on how to do simply that!).

CBD TINCTURE BUYING GUIDE.

Prepared to take a look at a few of our top choices for CBD tinctures? These choices are based upon third-party potency analysis, hands-on testing, and thorough business research.

To see more options and information about pricing and strength, take an appearance at our complete ranking of the very best CBD Oil Drops.

In this short article, we're taking a more detailed look at CBD tinctures. Check out on to learn what precisely a tincture is, and how commercially available CBD tinctures leave from old-school DIY tinctures. Today, we check out the role CBD tinctures can play in your well-being.

Others, however, have found that a CBD tincture or oil has actually taken a couple of hours before bedtime can help cause a sense of balance that can assist sleep come more easily. For clients looking to take their CBD with food, a dose of tincture can be mixed into a meal like soup or pasta.

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douchebagbrainwaves · 5 years

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WHAT KATE SAW IN YOUR IDENTITY SMALL

If you just start doing stuff for them, many will be too busy to shoo you away. The 32 year old. I don't even try to predict it. The best odds are in niche markets. So why not go after corruption? Investors' opinions are explicitly tested: startups come to them for funding. Some believe only business people can do this—that hackers can implement software, but not to tell them everything either.1 If you really think you have a chance of going public. I've learned that some suits are smarter than others.2 Because of Y Combinator's position at the extreme end of the scale at least in technology. Even when you find genuinely good things to copy, there's another kind of thinking, when you're starting something new, that requires complete quiet. Most adults looking at art worry that if you take a vote.3

I haven't prepared.4 If we were talking about the taste of apples in a dish made of equal parts apples and jalapeno peppers. To most hackers, getting investors seems like a stinker to me. That depends on how ambitious you feel. The downside is that none are especially good. However, for better or worse it looks as if Europe will in a few decades speak a single language. We used to show people how to build real, working stores. That would have led to disaster, because our software was easy to use.5 Twitter is such a big deal.6 At the top schools, I'd guess as many as a quarter of the CS majors could make it as startup founders if they wanted.

Starting a startup is always calculating in the back of every art student's mind. The successful ones therefore make the first version as simple as possible. It seemed obvious that beauty, for example, are now en route to the Bay Area to find investors. I couldn't imagine why there should be any lower limit for the age of startup founders.7 When an investor maltreats a founder now, it probably has a few leaves stuck in the landing gear from those trees it barely cleared at the end of that year we had about 70 users. We also thought we'd be able to improve the odds. Even genuinely smart people by their ability to say things like I don't know exactly what's suppressing all the startups we've funded. If you actually want to compress the gap between rich and poor, you have to have a silicon valley in Germany, because you couldn't establish the level of university you'd need as a seed. A typical VC fund is now hundreds of millions of dollars.8 For most of college I was a Lisp hacker, I come from the tradition of rapid prototyping. If two companies have the same revenues, it's the one with fewer employees that's more impressive, not less.

No matter who you pick, they'll find faces engaging—practically by definition: face recognition is in our DNA. No matter who you pick, they'll find faces engaging—practically by definition: face recognition is in our DNA. It's pseudo-hip. And they may be, but they want to do it, you'll just get a lot of time and money to do it: give money to the poor, or they could become irrelevant. If a startup gets into real trouble, instead of only in the most hospitable environments. What's the equivalent for startups? Investors mainly contribute money, which in principle is the same no matter what the source. Few if any colleges have classes about startups. So the language is likely to have seemed an extremely risky bet at first, and that probably made a difference. I spent a lot of startups involve someone moving. They had, I think, is that it frees artists to try to create a silicon valley in Germany, because you couldn't establish the level of university you'd need as a seed.9

Investors like to co-invest.10 The number one question people ask is how many employees you have. VCs want to invest large amounts. Lisp. I got in reply what was then the party line should be to figure out what. I can predict quite well what sort of people, each with their own opinion; on what grounds can you prefer one to another? Is that so bad? I want to free the idea of taking this rival firm's rejects.11 The problem here is not wealth, but corruption.12 Back in 1998 our CFO tried to talk me into it. I can pretend it wasn't merely a rhetorical one.

So a software startup in Sweden is still at a disadvantage relative to one in the US this is another rule that isn't very strictly enforced. I'm not even sure what the list is, because we, ah, skipped all that. They just smelled wrong.13 Can you protect yourself against obsolete beliefs? Perhaps even more valuable: it's hard to switch from that to a product company. I'm not too worried yet.14 I decided not to, because that's implicit in making something customers want is to get a prototype in front of computers, and I don't understand x well enough. Most people who buy SUVs do it to seem manly, not to drive off-road.15 What, besides clothes and toiletries, do you make a point of packing? When I get asked in interviews to predict the future, I always have to struggle to come up with a remotely plausible story, you can compose expressions however you want. The most overreaching employee agreement I've seen so far is not very long. Watch closely how power is exercised, and demand an account of how decisions are made.

Notes

University Press, 1973, p. People seeking some single thing called wisdom have been about 2,000 sestertii apiece for slaves learned in the usual way to put it would destroy them. They overshot the available RAM somewhat, causing much inconvenient disk swapping, but I have no idea what they claim was the last round of funding.

Investors are fine with funding nerds.

You're not seeing fragmentation unless you want to get elected with a faulty knowledge of human nature is certainly part of the fatal pinch where your existing investors help you in? But the margins are greater on products.

A scientist isn't committed to rejecting it. I've observed; but as a phone that is exactly my point. Then it's up to two more investors. Vii.

Statistical Spam Filter Works for Me. And since there are certain qualities that help in deciding between success and failure, just that if colleges want to pound that message home.

If you wanted to go sell the product ASAP before wasting time building it.

Then Josh Wilson came in to pick your brains. Ian Hogarth suggests a way to explain it would have undesirable side effects. Anyone can broadcast a high school, the partners discriminate against deals that come to them rather than doing a small amount of stock the VCs I encountered when we say it's ipso facto right to buy corporate bonds to market faster; the Reagan administration's comparatively sympathetic attitude toward takeovers; the critical path that they don't want to design these, and not incompatible answers: a to make a brief entry listing the gaps and anomalies.

In 1800 an empty room, and that they don't make their money if they become so embedded that they are by ways that have bad ideas is to carry a beeper?

But scholars seem to have too few customers even if they don't, working twice as much income. These were the case.

Because the title associate has gotten a bad reputation, a market for its shares will inevitably arise.

There are simply no outside forces pushing high school you're led to believe is that promising ideas are not very well connected. The situation is analogous to the customer: you post a sign saying this is also the 11% most susceptible to charisma. Nothing annoys VCs more than one who passes. And while we can easily imagine.

Hodges, Richard. This is similar to over-hiring in that sense, but some do.

One reason I stuck with such abandon. In the late Latin tripalium, a copy of K R, and that often doesn't know its own. You have to. No one seems to be good?

Spices are also the golden age of economic equality in the mid 20th century was also the golden age of economic inequality in the message.

Together these were the impressive ones.

Thanks to Michael Seibel, Steve Melendez, Paul Buchheit, Greg Mcadoo, Harj Taggar, and Ron Conway for smelling so good.

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venus-says · 5 years

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Kamen Rider W Episodes 19-36

Even during the most fun rides, you can find some bumps in the road.

Time for another batch of Kamen Rider W. This second part wasn't as satisfying to me as the first one, I must admit, but I'm still enjoying every moment of it.

This second major arc is the one dedicated to the "sixth ranger" of this season, Terui Ryu AKA Kamen Rider Accel, and this was without a doubt the element that made me enjoy less these 18 episodes.

Sixth Rangers, in general, is an "archetype" that gives me a lot of conflicting feelings, while I like the addition of more people to the cast, I always have this fear about this alien element and how will it blend with these characters that already have well-established relations that I care for. So more often than not I tend to not like them as much at first, but depending on how they're developed they can raise to the top of my favorite' list. Sadly in Ryu's case, he didn't cross this "barrier".

One of my problems with him is the problem I have with the majority of Sixth Rangers' being that he was never introduced to us before. Had we seen glimpses of him here and there during previous episodes, he didn't even need to have lines for said appearances, it would build up some hype for his introduction and would make the moment he turns into a Rider a very exciting moment. Sadly that wasn't what we got so I couldn't really care about him that much, especially because he was a jerk, and that weakened the character for me right from his first appearance.

My other problem with him is the lack of development he got. I don't know if the writers didn't know what to do with him, but he was very flat. He started this arc on a Point A, and he stayed the same without showing signs of improvement until we reached Point A where he had a sudden change of heart, then he flatted out again until we reached the end of this arc where he was already at Point C. Putting in other words, we didn't see his development he just went from Point A to Point B, and from Point B to Point C, being points B and C the only times we saw him changing his character.

And this is something I think would've been very easy to do. Like, make him a jerk at his first appearance, make the plot of the mom trying to cover for her son be his third/fourth story and have him actually hurt the mom to later find out she was innocent, that could've made some impact on him and already set up for his turning point that would happen after Shotaro "sacrificed" himself for him a few episodes later. Then have the victim of this last story meet up with him in some of the episodes in between these two points so we can feel something being created there making his final moment be more rewarding. This would be a much better arc, that would make me feel more sympathetic to the dude and that would actually make sense.

The next big problem I have is Phillip (again). I thought episodes 7 & 8 were his lowest point and from that point onward he could only grow because he was already so low there was no way for him to go down any further. And that was working pretty well until we reached episode 32 and the guy who until a few moments ago was saying "you're my partner, I couldn't do this with anyone else" simply dishes Shotaro out because for some reason now he thinks that's okay. Thanks, I hate it.

And we reach Akiko who at this point makes me believe she only exists because they had to fill a quota of female characters because she didn't do anything relevant during this part. She had one story where she shined, but in all other instances she was just loud, annoying, and a very not funny comic relief. You know, I never been the biggest fan of her but I recognized she had potential, especially after that episode where she infiltrated the Sonozaki mansion, but they took away everything that made her interesting, heck now she even knows her father is dead and we didn't see how she find out and how that impacted her. So much wasted potential.

Another thing I dislike, Shroud. If we had chances to see her more I think I could like her, but she appears and disappears just when the plot needs her and is very hard to get a read on her, is she a hero? A villain? Why does she help both Accel and Phillip? And why is she so obsessed with hate?

Thankfully the other ladies of this show were great. Wakana not so much, but Saeko has become my favorite of the villains. Yes, it's a little sad that all she has done during ALL of the season was involve herself with crap men, but she and Doctor Isaka were such an intriguing pair. And while I feel that she was blinded for love and obviously being manipulated, she still managed to get development and I was completely mesmerized. Also, Doctor Isaka was a great villain, he wasn't exceptional - not using his many ports to give him different forms was definitely a waste - but he served his purpose very well.

But despite all of these inconsistencies, there's one element who reigns unshaken and it proves to me that he is without a doubt THE bestest boi, and that element is Shotaro. He's just the best, and these episodes just elevated him. Yes, they made him kind of a pervert which is a downside but since it's not something overused I feel like I can give it a pass. His biggest asset, his Half-Boiledness(?), was really shining this time around since he definitely was the most ground up character and he was the voice of reasoning in most of the situations. It is really a shame that one of his biggest moments kinda lost some of its strength since it happened at the same time as Phillip going completely out of his character, but it was still a very impressive and emotional climax for him.

Before I talk about some specific episodes I wanna take a time to talk about designs once more.

In these episodes we got three new forms and... none of them are good. Accel basic form is kinda goofy, I think they went a bit overboard with the motorcycle theme and it went from cool to silly, they even made the dude turn himself into a bike. At that moment they reached the peak goofiness and I couldn't take him seriously anymore. His Trial power-up is kinda okay? It's a more toned-down version of his basic form and I think it helps in making the design stand out. Again not good, but also not terrible. W's power-up on the other hand... Xtreme would've been just fine if it was just that silver band in the middle, but then we get to the weapon and... oh god. That sword & shield thing doesn't look good, it's also very impracticable, and the effects for the finisher are just so cheesy and cheap-looking, I just can't. They should've gone with just new memories to use with their mix & match gimmick.

In any case, let's talk about episodes. I don't have a lot to say individually since I already gone through the major points I wanted to cover but here are some episodes I think deserve to be highlighted (either for good or bad).

Beginning with Episodes 23 and 24 that are filler episodes but I think they deserve some spotlight because of the musical numbers by Queen & Elizabeth, and Shotaro and Phillip, and the cameo of the singers of the OP that changed in these episodes to seem like a performance on TV, the dopant of this story had also a very interesting power so, great!

Next, are Episodes 25 and 26 that are the episodes where Akiko finally got to shine and was also very touching. Episodes 27 and 28 were one of Ryu's turning points but I'm here highlighting them just because the pandering to the male audience here is so in your face that is uncomfortable but also because the victim of this arc is Shirogane Lily and as an Aikatsu fan I need to highlight that. 29 and 30 had a very interesting dopant, and Isaka attacking while they were in the dream world was also very cool, but other than that it wasn't all that great.

Episodes 33 and 34 had lots of potential but instead of making Akihiko's sister an interesting character that seemed to be completely evil and lasted as an agent for the museum for at least a couple of episodes they went by the easy route and made her a pure girl wanting revenge and that's not the most interesting plot ever. Though the Yesterday dopant had an amazing power and I can't deny that I enjoyed this part. And lastly, episodes 35 & 36 that are kinda bad. Ryu wants a power-up and then he gets just after asking and the most work he has to do for own that power is run in a motocross course and it's just dumb. What saves these episodes is the villains' side of things that was amazing to watch. From Isaka frightening the girl to his bonds with Saeko growing and they planning to dethrone the main villain, there was no moment of them that didn't catch my attention.

I think that's all I have to say for now. I can't believe I'm so close to wrapping this season up already, I don't really want this to end. But I'm also very curious to see how this story will end so I'm also very excited. I'm feeling kinda sick so I'm gonna cut off this outro right now and go to bed get some rest. Thank yall so so much for sticking with me for another huge post and I'll see you guys a next time.

#Kamen Rider W #kamen rider

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el-trotamundos · 5 years

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From Canada to the Land Down Under

It’s officially been 2 months since I boarded a plane bound for Australia! As many of you likely know, after 7 years of European adventures (and a six month side trip to China), I did my own version of Brexit trading fish n’chips and cheap pints for scorching sun and kangaroos. While at one point I envisioned myself staying longer in the UK, I am also aware that my restless soul has come to thrive on the challenge of a new country just when I seem to have settled in the last place. Although I will miss the ability to hop on a plane or train and arrive in a different European country in a matter of hours, it was definitely time to make another move. The clock was also starting to tick on Working Holiday Visas (WHV) although Canadians are lucky that many are open to us until age 35. My wanderlust will remain satiated for a while! I kept saying that I would get back to writing actual blog updates during my year in Oz so here’s hoping I follow through* on this New Year’s resolution.

*Highly doubtful. Enjoy what you get.

WHV and job searching

Around the time I was planning my move to Australia, the government increased the age eligibility for Canadians to 35, removing the time pressure I’d previously been under. This visa is much more restrictive than the UK version however. It’s only for 1 year and 3 months of regional farm work must be carried out in order to receive a second 1 year visa. Another recent change is that if you do 6 months of regional farm work during the second year, then you’re eligible for a final third year long visa. The second big restriction is that I can only work for an employer for a maximum of 6 months. Then it’s back to job searching. This obviously makes more sense for those travelling the country working on different farms or in hospitality but not so much for me. I don’t plan to go down this route and intend to move on to New Zealand after my year is up.

Anticipating that this 6 month restriction would be difficult, I signed up with recruiting agencies. November probably wasn’t the best time to job hunt given the holiday was around the corner and I didn’t have any luck until just 2 weeks ago. I’ll start a part time role in January but that also creates another problem - finding a second part time role to cover the remaining days. I’m hoping to hear back soon from another interview I had before Christmas and if I get that job, then I can relax a bit.

Surviving the heat

So far Melbourne has proved to be like any other city I have lived in, albeit with a higher venomous spider population and unbelievable UV index. Spiders and snakes I have managed to avoid so far (knock on wood) but hiding from the sun is another matter. The seasons are opposite so I arrived in Australia just in time for the start of summer. My one requirement in house hunting was that it had to have air conditioning. Luckily I ended up in one because there have already been several days of above 40 degree heat. The saving grace is that these days aren’t sticking around yet so I usually only have to endure 1 or 2 before the temperature goes back down to the more “manageable” (read: I still think it’s too hot) high 20s/low 30s. Melburnians talk about the “cool change”, the hour where, after a day of oppressive heat, the temperature rapidly drops 10/15 degrees. It’s a glorious thing. Houses here, particularly older ones, are not well insulated. This means the place remains surprisingly cool even as the mercury increases. The downside of these thin walls is that I hear everything from the street - cars, people, dogs - you name it, I can hear it. I’ve never slept with earplugs before but I do now.

I readily admit I arrived thinking the stereotype of a sunburned country was going to ring true no matter the season. I happily removed bulky sweaters and scarves from my strained suitcases while packing thinking that even if it got “cold”, this Canadian wasn’t going to find it “that cold.” Ah how naive I was. The lack of insulation in the summer may be a god send but when it did cool off for a sustained period, I had a brief glimpse of what winter has in store for me. After getting caught in many a downpour in the UK and Belgium without an umbrella, I thought I wouldn’t need one again. Melbourne is actually known for having the most fickle weather - the city has often been described as having four seasons in one day - but better overall compared to other states. So I’ve told by several people I made the right choice.

But with hot dry conditions comes bushfires. The news probably makes it seem like the whole country is on fire and in truth, large areas are. Canada has even sent firefighters to help. And before I see another tone deaf tweet asking why: Australian firefighters have helped us in the past, this is us returning the favour. I have been extremely fortunate that nothing is burning close to Melbourne. Unlike Sydney, the city skyline has only been obscured by smoke or haze a couple of times. This is just the start of summer; it is horrible to think about the continued devastation that months of this will have on people and wildlife. Yet even in the midst of these catastrophic conditions, the Conservative government remains defiant about climate change and calls to downsize the coal industry.

#melbourne #australianotaustria #acanadiandownunder #worldtraveller #wanderlust #workingholidayvisa #landdownunder #australianbushfires #climateemergency #savetheplanet

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notpreparedblog · 5 years

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Introduction and Story

The Fire Emblem series, for me, has been one of those things that’s always been in my peripheral, but never really close enough to gain attention. I knew of a slew of characters from the Smash Brothers series, that it was a tactics style RPG, had knights, and horses, and magic…and that’s about it. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the first traditional Fire Emblem game on the Nintendo Switch, and the first game of the series I sought out.

After just finishing my first play through of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, I really didn’t know how to review this game. I typically like to delve into each major mechanic and give insight into how it all ties together, but the idea of touching on everything is daunting for this game.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is massive. I was initially amazed at how little I actually did after playing for three and a half hours.

Your three choices, Claude in the yellow, Edelgarde in red and Dmitri in blue.

By nature, there’s three different story line routes for you to take, each with their own twists and turns; The Alliance with Claude, the Empire with Edelgarde, or the Kingdom with Dmitri. There is a mid-point of the game where decisions must be made that drastically impact the rest of the game and splitting off into different forks. For that main reason, you will absolutely need to (and want to) play through multiple times.

With the branching story, each path you take gives you a different experience. My first go around was with Edelgarde and the Empire. I felt that some of the story beats were visible from a mile away, but they were never unsatisfying, and the characters actions in-story always made sense.

There’s a rich history in the world of Fódlan where Three Houses takes place, and I felt the game does a great job in reinforcing that, and making the world feel lived in.

Gameplay

At the start of the game, you’ll be met with a few different difficulty options. First, you have the option of choosing hard or normal difficulty, which is self explanatory. Second, you must choose between classic and casual. Classic means that when one of your character perishes in battle, they are lost forever. Casual means that they more so retreat from battle when defeated, giving you access to them again the next mission.

I originally wanted to go for casual just so that playing the game felt less stressful, because I definitely wouldn’t be able to let one of my students die throughout the game, but I’m happy I didn’t. Going with classic made me rethink how I was going to utilize my team. If there is no risk of permanently losing a member of your team, all you have to do is throw characters at enemies without repercussion and overpower every battle. Part of the fun is treating the battlefield like a chessboard and trying to make smart decisions for that particular round of moves, and a few in the future.

Rhea, Archbishop of the Church of Seiros as well as her second in command, Seteth.

I also went for normal difficulty, but I felt that it was a bit too easy. I never did any grinding and completed all of the story, auxiliary and paralogue battles that popped up. With just that situation, I was consistently over leveling missions I was participating in. It wasn’t until the final two battles that I felt the difficulty spiked.

Aside from difficulty, the gameplay of Fire Emblem: Three Houses is split into a few distinct sections; character development and the actual battles.

The overall template of Fire Emblem: Three Houses ends up feeling like the following; Begin month, instruct your students, build support and relationships between your students and other inhabitants of Garreg Mach, complete quest/auxiliary/paralogue battle, repeat the previous steps 2-3 times per month then complete the month with a story mission between weeks three and four.

You take on the mantle of professor after arriving at Garreg Mach Monastery, choose a class of students to oversee, build relationships with them through different actions that you take, then lead them on the battlefield.

With that in mind, don’t come into the game expecting endless battles and action. Battles become more fun because of the investment you put into your students, your team and goals in terms of selecting future character classes for them to excel at, and eventually become.

Battles

Speaking of battles, the real action in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, comes from the different battle types. If you’ve never played a tactics-RPG game, battle fields are broken down into a grid system similar to a chess or checker board. Each battle has rounds where your team, allied teams and enemy teams are able to move all of their units once. During these rounds is when you would attack, use items, heal team members and so on.

General battle map view, showing you the grid, obstacles, enemies units and more.

Story Battles: These battles, which usually occur once a month in-game, progress the story and usually offer the player the most unique setups. They feature more named characters, which are typically deadlier and require more thought on how to approach them, and more unique side objectives other than ‘rout the enemy’ or ‘defeat the enemy commander.’

Paralogue Battles: These battles hold the best content other than your basic story battles and are always character driven, with a particular conflict or goal in mind. One may require you to block four escape routes for thieves while another has draw bridges in the middle of the map that need to be re-taken. Many of them also reward you with one of the heroes relics and are always worth doing.

The unique aspect of this paralogue battle puts you in the middle of a battlefield with fog of war surrounding you. You can seek out enemies in the fog, or act defensively and wait for them to come to you.

Auxiliary Battles: These battles also soak up a battle activity point and are a step up in difficulty from basic battles. Many of them include rare beasts and reward you with various meat or resources to continue upgrading or repairing your weapons.

Quest/Basic Battles: Throughout your time at Garreg Mach Monastery, you will get a number of quests that involve a battle, many times rewarding you with another gambit battalion. There’s nothing much else to say about them. They are usually uninteresting and just require you to defeat a number of non-threatening enemies.

Basic battle list along with activity points on the top of the screen.

The downside of this aspect of the game, is map variety. Too often is a story map revisited for a paralogue battle or vice versa. The auxiliary battles or basic battles also pull from the same pool of maps. There were multiple times that I played through the same map two or three times in a row just completing quests, paralogue’s or even story missions. It would have been nice to have a larger map selection pool so that battling becomes less dull outside of the over-arching narrative.

The Monastery

Garreg Mach Monastery acts as the central hub for most of Fire Emblem: Three Houses and feels like a character on its own. During the story, you’ll slowly unlock areas of the monastery to explore, and subsequently, give you more to do.

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On top of leveling up your characters in battle, you’re really expected to invest equal time during the following activities to better improve overall.

Professor Level: The professor level allows you to do more actions during the explore phase of the monastery, and gives you more battle points for when you decide to battle instead. You increase this by participating in extracurricular activities that I’ll talk a bit about below, building relationships and completing quests.

Training Grounds: Houses a tournament every month featuring a different weapon type. You choose a character to enter into the tournament. Winning nets you gold, an item and experience towards increasing your professor level.

Dining Hall: Various options available to sit down with other characters and build your relationship with them. A sound strategy would be to eat meals multiple times on the same day to increase the motivation of your students, so when you go to instruct them, they gain greater experience towards the selected skills.

Fishing Pond: Exactly what it sounds like. You use your bait to catch fish to use for meals at the dining hall. Each successful catch nets you a small amount of professor level experience.

Greenhouse/Harvesting: You have the option to plant seeds and cultivate them. Doing this will yield more seeds, items and again, professor level experience.

Tea time is another activity you can use to build bonds between yourself and the others at the monastery.

While overall I like the idea of the monastery, it’s design really leaves something on the table. I really don’t care much about having the best graphics, but environments look very blocky and outdated next to the detailed and interesting character models. Everything has a jagged edge, sort of like it was out of the N64/PS1 era, except with better textures.It’s a strange contrast that’s very noticeable.

Characters

One thing I was not expecting, I guess being a newcomer to the series, was how large the character roster is. At first, I was worried about this because how is it possible to get really in depth with everyone and have it not feel superficial? There are always some characters that are developed more than others, and some that are forgotten. This really isn’t the case with Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

I really am blown away with how much personality each character is packed with. The house I chose for my first go around was the Black Eagle House. By the end of the game, following these same characters for nearly 50 hours, I could correctly answer any question they had, have perfect ‘tea times’ every instance, answer their queries correctly in the church and more. I felt that the amplified feeling of knowing they can die in battle also helped me get more attached to them. I never left a character to die, it just didn’t feel like an option.

Couldn’t help but think of animated Link saying ‘Excusssse me Princess Zelda.’

Aside from each character having distinct personalities, the voice acting is also superb. I usually read quickly and scroll past text but here, I waited and watched every conversation because of how much I enjoyed the voice acting.

Support Conversations: The more two characters get to know each other, the better their relationship gets. When that happens, support conversations unlock between those two characters, and they are lengthy. I started getting in the habit of waiting until I was eating breakfast to start activating these support conversations because they took so long to go through. At times, I would sit for 30-45 minutes strictly just listening to characters build relationships with one another. It sounds boring on the outside, but it really was a nice change of pace sitting back and enjoying these conversations.

The main growth of a character besides straight leveling up and support levels, are leveling skills and becoming classes that excel at those skills. This is mostly all done during the classroom sessions that you will be setting up for your team. Classes are all visible from the outset, so you can, and should to a degree, plan ahead for certain characters and see what you’d like to be.

An example of instructing a student on a particular set of skills.

If you really want a Dark Knight on your team, you really need to select an appropriate character, then focus on Reason, Riding and Lance skills. The same goes for any of the other few dozen classes that are obtainable. It’s really an open book, and although certain characters clearly excel at certain skills, you’re never truly bound to those skills. Get creative, and work on what fits your style as a player.

Other Points

Cutscenes: I really enjoyed all of the cutscenes I’ve seen in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. They stand apart from the rest of the game, enacting a more anime style than what is presented elsewhere. Many of them included some unsettling images that reminded me of the feeling I have watching titans contort in Attack on Titan, or even some of the imagery from Berserk.

There are some unintentional comedic elements as well. One cutscene in particular shows three armies rushing towards each other for this grand battle. When it’s over, you head to the battle screen and everyone is standing around waiting for their individual orders.

The animation is top notch whenever given to the player. Unfortunately, cutscenes are sparse.

Online Recon: Another addition to Garreg Mach is online recon. When unlocked, an NPC as well as four other characters from other players appear. They each sell you one item at a small discount from just purchasing it in store, and you have the option of doing a mini-game with them. The mini-game scatters them across around half the monastery, and you have to find all four of them within 90 seconds. Rewards for completion include basic food items and one time, a battalion. It’s just strange and super laggy whenever you get near that section of the monastery.

One of the online recon travelers from other players games.

Pacing: The pacing of the main story can feel awkward with the system they have built. They really want to do one main mission every month, with you as the professor, teaching, battling, exploring and everything else during the same month. This is fine for the first half of the game where you are teaching students, and as a class, are being assigned one major mission per month, but the same is not the case for the latter half of the game. I don’t want to go into spoilers, but I felt the system faltered a bit later on and pacing seemed either too rushed, or too slow at times.

Final Thoughts

I’m happy that I took the plunge into the Fire Emblem series. Outside of enjoying the board game/tactics play style, I’m a veteran RPG player, so those long conversations or bonding moments between characters are very welcome and I got just as much enjoyment out of character development as I did actually battling.

The downside, is that map variation was rather boring outside of unique ones used for story or paralogue missions. Graphics are also blocky and seem out of place for this generation of consoles (characters models were a different art style and looked fantastic).

There are three distinct paths for you to choose in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. While the first half of the game may largely be the same for all three choices, the second half is drastically different and you’ll want to check out the other paths.

As long as you aren’t expecting a visual spectacle or non-stop action, you’ll find the same enjoyment that I did with Fire Emblem. Now, onto the second playthrough…

Review: Fire Emblem: Three Houses #fireemblem #threehouses #nintendo #nintendoswitch Introduction and Story The Fire Emblem series, for me, has been one of those things that's always been in my peripheral, but never really close enough to gain attention.

#anime #attack on titan #berserk #fire emblem #fire emblem three houses #nintendo #nintendo switch #rpg #tactics #three houses #turn based

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