#memory usage optimization

[virtualizationhowto]

Microk8s vs k3s: Lightweight Kubernetes distribution showdown

Microk8s vs k3s: Lightweight Kubernetes distribution showdown #homelab #kubernetes #microk8svsk3scomparison #lightweightkubernetesdistributions #k3sinstallationguide #microk8ssnappackagetutorial #highavailabilityinkubernetes #k3s #microk8s #portainer

Especially if you are into running Kubernetes in the home lab, you may look for a lightweight Kubernetes distribution. Two distributions that stand out are Microk8s and k3s. Let’s take a look at Microk8s vs k3s and discover the main differences between these two options, focusing on various aspects like memory usage, high availability, and k3s and microk8s compatibility. Table of contentsWhat is…

[r0semultiverse]

I think there should be a hacker group dedicated to making games more optimized

Like make TF2 run on 2 GB of RAM as god intended.

[gotinterest]

avid is literally one of thee worst editing softwares on the market. I was literally working with it all day and at one point my boss said "I should get you a shirt with 'It's not an optimized program' written on it." because I literally said that SO many times. It's such a godawful program that is stuck like 20 yrs in the past instead of actually updating their shit to fit with innovations made over the years to simplify certain things. The next film I edit will be cut EXCLUSIVELY on premiere. It can handle that now. I never want to see AVID ever again.

[amplexadversary]

.

[thedbahub]

Optimizing SQL Server Memory Allocation: Understanding and Managing High Memory Usage

Mastering SQL Server Memory Usage: Key Strategies Managing memory on a SQL Server, especially with substantial resources like 1TB of RAM, is crucial for system performance. When SQL Server starts, it may rapidly consume up to its max memory setting, in this case, 900GB. This article explains why and offers solutions. Why SQL Server Grabs Much Memory SQL Server’s design aims to optimize…

[sims3fiend]

Some dumb sims 3 updates/stuf

Or, how to develop severe brain damage in 10 easy steps.

Sooo… This is going to be more of a blog post than anything of any real substance, more of a whinge with maybe a few teasers for some stuff I may or may not release (probably not). Feel free to skip if you're after hot tips or coherent writing.

Stutter "fixer"

Sooooo…. The sims 3 has some stutter issueeesss… Incredible discovery, I know! I started looking at remedying them with settings, found some hidden settings that help reduce some of the issues but that can only do so much when the game was made in 2009 for 2009 computers.

So I had a looky at some things I thought could be causing it, mainly WinAPI functions because that's the easier route (h-haha…), and started to try to "optimize" some of the more common ones:

ReadFile: Was the first, and looking at the sheer volume of like 12783972198 calls a milisecond every time you move the camera, I thought surely I can speed it up a little r-right. Not really. I tried all sorts of… interesting things, file caching in memory, implementing the overlapped flag (took ages), etc. Oh and the performance increase? Literally nothing. It's called weirdly from wherever it's called and so we must suffer.

Threads: So, I had a look at other areas that were potential targets for speedup, ran an actual profile and it showed a problem areas namely threads and some other stuff I don't remember. ZwWaitForMultipleObjects and WaitForSingleObject take up a lot of time, so I very poorly attempted to optimize them, adding some timeout optimizations (and a bunch of other failed attempts). Despite being the most insane, this actually worked, and I got like a 40% speed increase in a very very niche metric that did not noticeably effect the game one single bit. I plan to combine all my failures into a single script eventually, maybe once combined they'll do something…

Actual insanity - Memory IPC: Then I had an idea, everyone hates e12, why don't we shove the games memory into another process and that'll fix it. No brain moment. No clue what past me was thinking, for some reason I thought you could like, access another processes memory if it was spawned from it, but uhh.. no, that's not how things work… I tried a few other things in a similar vein but it just crashed and crashed, so for now I'm just gunna work on:

Alloc/free mee - Current insanity: Currently, I'm still working on VirtualAlloc and VirtualFree (which is what I was redirecting to another process), but more from an optimizing memory usage standpoint than a… whatever the IPC thing was. There's a lot of things to try, and I've had some luck in some areas and some abysmal failures in others. There's a few promising functions calling VirtualAlloc/Free that seem to be potentially pointing towards memory leaks (004e54d0), but I'm too dumb to investigate that. At the moment, I'm going mostly just gathering more logs which takes forever and hurts my brain real bad.. On testing there's like 180 allocs that we could probably yeet no problem, which is like 750mb saved… Maybe idk.

I have plenty of ideas for deduplication, memory pool implementations to reduce churn/fragmentation, shoving things aggressively into pagefiles if they're not being used, etc. etc. Basically, there's a lot of avenues to explore, and I feel like there's potential… though I've definitely said that before and been dead wrong so…

Anyway, rambling over. I plan to release a dumb little renderer settings mod maybe-soon-ish that'll let you do dumb stuff that might be useful for reshade like turn shadows/drop shadows off and post processing off and on. I guess I could add max lots and other settings eventually too since they're static values.... Might also do a mythbusting post for some performance "tweak" stuff I see thrown around that isn't super accurate but I also don't want people to be angry at me so maybe not.

Sorry to whoever read all this, but also thanks :)

[spirit-lanterns]

PORTAL 2 MENTIONED!

Also, haha, potato Kafka would be so ornery and >:I

I'm imagining Robot!Himeko just like, "Not looking too sharp, there."

And Kafka is just "ĐĪƏ!"

Oh, btw, did we even MAKE a Himeko backstory!?

No?

Okay then!

Himeko was kind of like a working prototype of a robot meant to pump out blueprints, inventions, and a repairbot.

Sooooo, kind of like how people want to make robots that make fast food and deliver it. But people want vehicle mechanic-ing and making screws and stuff an automatic process.

Himeko is like that, but is moreso meant to invent working blueprints and create things herself (maybe her briefcase is a 3-D printer? I think that would be pretty cute!)

Anyway, being a prototype, she probably had poor optimization in the GPU and RAM departments, leading to easy overheats and circuitry damage due to that, which the engineer has to repair.

Eventually, newer models come out (maybe in the form of Misha? But he's not really an inventor... idk) and, as older models are, Himeko is cast aside, deemed not good enough to use for long term, and no one wanted to use money and resources to try to update her, since she's not exactly brand-new anymore.

Perhaps her AI was copy-pasted to HI3 Himeko, but I know not much about that series to properly talk about it, oopsies...

The "coffee" She drinks is a special oil and fuel that helps to optimize her GPU usage, though the exact formula went out of production, the instructions and how to make it is still retained in Himeko's memory, which she probably tells to Engineer.

She likely tries to help the Engineer with her job, but since she was made more for inventing and her repairing doesn't specialize in robots, she can't help the engineer with her job-job, so helps to repair or create small trinkets the Engineer has. So maybe she makes screwdrivers, or wrenches.

I bet she has such a wholesome relationship with Robot!Stelle. When the Engineer's busy, Robot!Stelle probably goes to Himeko to ask for help with mending two things together, or finding out what something is and what it's used for, if it can still be useful, etc.

—🪽

EHEHEHE sassy and mean Potato Kafka makes me giggle 🤭

As for your whole deep dive on Android! Himeko, I am mighty impressed! I really like the idea of her being an android that’s sole purpose is to invent things, so I can see her being like a little assistant or helper in the Engineer’s laboratory. Maybe she’s really good at making coffee for you too <3

Oh and her relationship with Android! Stelle is just as sweet as their canon relationship in the game! I can see the two of them bonding over both being older model androids and Stelle looking up to Himeko like the mother figure she never had. It’s nice that Stelle finally has an android companion that doesn’t scare the oil out of her 😅

P.S: I can see some of the androids (besides Stelle and inevitably March) getting jealous over Android! Himeko because she works so closely to you. She spends almost every hour of the day holed up with you in your laboratory, and unless you are fixing up an android, you and Himeko are alone for majority of the day 👀

[girlballs]

hey hi i have a question about your game

i know this can't really be a top priority when the game itself doesn't fully exist yet but i've got a cheap ass pc (1.7gb of vram and only 32mb of that are dedicated) and would love to know if you're thinking of optimizing the graphics for toasters or at least adding toggles for the most graphically intensive stuff?

especially if the game's gonna have porn or even just nudity, i can't reasonably buy/download another poorly optimized porn game but also i love being a girl and having a dick and playing games where i can also do those two things

looks great so far btw! i love women 👍

oh yeah i'm doing everything i can to keep performance good, e.g. there's no actual transparency effects (particles etc. just use dithering and most only update at 30fps), level geometry is gonna stay fairly low-poly and texture stuff is either flat colors or tiny (128x128) textures. plus i'm trying to keep even minor things efficient like the UI (stuff only updates when it's changed instead of constantly checking values on the player, UI animations run at 30fps) and interactable stuff (jumpslash targets don't update unless you're actually close enough to jumpslash at them). also some general "every game should pay attention to this" stuff like limiting how many lights get to cast shadows

probably the worst thing performance-wise right now is aldegund herself since her model is actually like. 7 separate skeletal meshes (+1 penis mesh) to update every frame when you have every item, due to her items affecting her appearance, but i plan on fixing that soon (as in, working on it right now) using the dynamic triangle culling shader i came up with semi-recently for Lesser Beast, so she'll just be a single skeletal mesh with bits hidden based on your items. it'll be slightly worse for memory usage on average, since her full 8000~ triangle model will always be loaded instead of just when you have all your upgrades, but ultimately it'll be better for performance

regarding hog stuff though, nothing explicit planned other than a "let aldegund hang cock" toggle. maybe some busty catboy NPCs too

[thesims4blogger]

The Sims 4: New Game Patch (September 18th, 2024)

Your game should now read: PC: 1.109.185.1030 / Mac: 1.109.185.1230 / Console: 1.99.

Sul Sul Simmers!

This patch is a big one and brings many new updates and fixes into the game that span across different packs, including improvements to apartment walls, ceiling lighting, and a whole host of fixes for our recently released expansion pack, Lovestruck. These, along with so many more across both Base Game and Packs, can be found below.

Thank you for your continued reporting efforts at AnswersHQ. It really helps to let us know the issues you care most about. We hope these fixes keep improving your game and allow you to keep having more fun! More to come.

There’s a colorful update to Build/Buy items! 650 color variants have been added and there are new items such as archways, doors, and even ground covers to spruce up your terrain. Check out the vibrant colors and new items in the video. For more details, scroll to the end of the patch notes to see a list of all the Build/Buy items. We can’t wait to see how you mix and match!

Performance

Reducing Memory Usage:

Frequent Memory Updates – Increased the frequency of memory usage data updates to prevent out-of-memory crashes.

Improving Simulation Performance:

Streamlining Data Storage – We restructured how we store game data to reduce the overhead of using Python objects, making the game run faster and use less memory.

Efficient Buff Generation – Reworked how temporary data is generated and stored to fix previous issues and optimize memory usage.

Reducing Load Times:

Optimizing Render Target Allocation – Stopped unnecessary allocation of large color targets during certain rendering processes, now saving valuable memory especially in high-resolution settings.

DirectX 11 (DX11) Updates

We’re pleased to announce improvements to the DirectX 11 executable for PC users. While these updates are focused on Windows PC’s, Xbox Simmers will also see benefits from these changes as the Xbox runs a console-based variant of DirectX 11. Here’s what to expect:

NVIDIA and AMD

NVIDIA and AMD Graphics Cards – Players using NVIDIA and AMD GPUs will now automatically default to the DX11 executable. Players on other GPUs like Intel, will continue to enjoy The Sims 4 on DX9 until a later update.

DirectX 11 Enhancements – Faster Graphics Processing – Implemented changes to how graphics data is updated, reducing delays between the CPU and GPU for smoother gameplay.

Performance Boost with Constant Buffers (cbuffers) – This enhances performance by reducing overhead and managing memory more efficiently. Users with mid to high-end GPUs should notice improved performance!

New DirectX 9 Option in Graphics Setting – By default, Simmers on NVIDIA and AMD GPUs will launch The Sims 4 using DX11. If you prefer, you can switch to DX9 via Game Options > Graphics and enable the DirectX 9 toggle before re-launching The Sims 4 to play using DirectX 9.

Intel

Ongoing Intel Development – We are continuing development on bringing DirectX 11 to Intel GPU based PC’s but it needs a little longer before we can bring it to Simmers as the default option. For now Intel based Simmers will continue to use DirectX 9 when running The Sims 4.

DirectX 11 Opt-In – DirectX 11 is available for those Simmers who want to try it, including those using an Intel GPU, you may experience visual issues with mods. We recommend disabling all mods while using the -dx11 command line argument.

For detailed information about DirectX 11 and instructions on how to enter launch arguments for both the EA App and Steam, please visit here. If you encounter any issues with DirectX, you can find assistance here.

The Gallery

Pack filters now properly work for Home Chef Hustle in The Gallery and library. No more hiding.

Base Game

[AHQ] Outdoor lighting will no longer affect inside the room through ceilings. Let there be (proper) light.

[AHQ and AHQ] When attempting to save, “Error Code: 0“ no longer occurs related to Gigs or Neighborhood Stories.

[AHQ] Addressed an additional issue where the game would fail to load and display Error Code 123 when traveling between lots.

[AHQ] Clay and Future Cubes will no longer get left on lots during events. Pick up your trash and leave nothing behind.

[AHQ] Frogs, mice and fishes in tanks are now visible when placed in laptop mode. Welcome back, friends!

[AHQ] Sims will put their tablets and homework back into their inventory instead of placing them in the world as long as they are standing or sitting. Again, stop littering, Sims!

[AHQ] The call is not coming from inside the house–you'll stop getting invitational phone calls from your own Household Members.

[AHQ] “Complete a Daily Work Task” Want now completes properly after finishing a daily work task. Work work work.

[AHQ] Children now have the option to quit their “After School Activity“. Although quitters never prosper.

[AHQ] Thought bubbles of Sims will no longer appear through walls and floors. Keep your thoughts to yourself.

[AHQ] Family fortune - “Heal Negative Sentiments” task will now properly complete.

[AHQ] Sims will return from work or school and switch into the same Everyday Outfit they had on instead of defaulting to the first Everyday Outfit in the Create a Sim list. You will wear what I tell you to wear, Sim!

[AHQ] Certain cabinet/shelf combinations over kitchen sinks will no longer prevent Sim from washing in the sink. No excuses for not cleaning up after yourself.

[AHQ] Outdoor shadows now move smoothly without jumping on the screen on ultra graphics settings and at different Live Mode speeds.

[AHQ] Camera jittering is no longer observed in Build Buy mode after using Terrain Tools.

[AHQ] When recent neighborhood stories mention a Sim that died in another neighborhood, switching to the respective Sim household will now have an urn present. RIP.

[AHQ] Upgrading washer/dryer now completes Nerd Brain Aspiration.

[AHQ] Sims will now hold the acarajé dish the right way while eating. It’s delicious however you eat it, though.

[AHQ] Autonomous check infant no longer causes new random cold weather outfit to be generated for infant. They’re not cold.

Infant no longer stretches when crawling in deep snow. Although we question why you’re letting your infant crawl in the snow.

[AHQ] Teen Sim is able to take vacation days while working in the lifeguard career. It’s only fair.

[AHQ] Event goals remain visible  even after editing from the Calendar.

Siblings can no longer be set as engaged in Create a Sim.

[AHQ] The Teen Goal Oriented Aspiration now gets completed properly after getting promoted at work.

Investigating missing Doodlepip splines. Reticulation progressing.

[AHQ] “Become friends with“ Want no longer appears for Sims with relationship equal or above friends. We’re already friends.

[AHQ] World icons on the world selection screen no longer move when middle-clicked.

[AHQ] Locked seed packets are unlocked in BB when using the gardening skill cheat “stats.set_skill_level Major_Gardening 10”. Gimme my seeds!

[AHQ] Female Sims' stomachs will no longer become invisible when paired with Masculine cargo pants in certain color swatches.

“Likes/Dislikes“ Sim preferences are now available for Sims created via Create a Sim Stories.

Sim animation will no longer pop when sitting on a stool and asking another Sim an inappropriate question.

[AHQ] Sim thumbnails are no longer low resolution on the Resume button.

[AHQ] Re-fixed issue where Skill List gets out of order, specifically when switching between Sims.

[AHQ] ‘ymTop_TshirtRolled_Yellow' top no longer clips with bottoms in Create a Sim.

[AHQ] Event Goals created through the Calendar properly show up during the Event, even if you edit the Event.

You can view the rest game patch notes on the Official site

[dalekowrites]

After Dark's Update DevLog

Hey there! As promised, this update brings new features, some enhancements, and a few bug fixes that I believe will improve your read-gaming experience.

Features & Enhancements

Persistent Memory for Characters: your party's characters will now remember your past conversation topics and answers, making interactions feel more realistic.

Pansexual Main Character: Your main character can now be pansexual, and can now date...

Nonbinary Option for Max: ...nonbinary Max, adding more representation and customization to your gameplay.

Expanded Special Abilities: I've added seven new special abilities, bringing the total to ten. Can you find all of them?

Updated Geographical Details: I've changed some geographical data, including the pandemic's starting location. Additionally, I've revised geographical distances and character speeds for a more authentic experience. You’ll also notice new geographical and environmental details based on real-world U.S. locations!

Improved Conversations: Certain message exchanges with Rain and some conversations with Michael have been revised—now they should sound more natural and relatable.

Enhanced Gameplay Mechanics:

Collectible Card Game (Beta): I've completely revised the collectible card game. It is now in beta! While it's not fully functional yet, you can already...

Card Game with Michael: ...play with Michael, and you'll be able to fight more characters in future updates!

Revised Sun Damage and Sunscreen Mechanics: The sun damage system has been updated, and there’s now a higher skin tone level requiring sunscreen (I'm also working on modifying the sunscreen system to operate on a usage basis rather than by bottles, but this is still TBA).

New and Expanded Mobile Games: The existing mobile game has been expanded, and I’ve added a new one for you to enjoy!

Flavor Text for Name Choices: When choosing certain names, you’ll now see new flavor text to add a bit of fun and more personality to the characters.

Relationship Revisions: I've adjusted the relationship system to enhance characters' interactions and narrative flow.

Optimized Cell Phone Battery Usage: I've also revised the smartphone battery usage, to make it more realistic (and challenging, obviously!).

Bug Fixes

Various Typo Corrections: You know, things like tohse.

Portable Charger Bug: Fixed a bug where the portable charger from Abby's house would not charge at all. Your smartphone should now be powered!

Friendbook Search Bug: Resolved an issue where players could tell Michael he had been searched on Friendbook, even if he hadn't been searched. Now you actually need to search him.

Other Bug Fixes: I've fixed other minor bugs to improve the overall gameplay experience.

Known Issues

Weapon System Bugs: There are still some known bugs in the weapon system that I'm actively working on. I appreciate your patience (please don't use them on me!)

Sunscreen System Update: As mentioned above, I'm still modifying the sunscreen system to function based on uses rather than bottles. Right now it's a bit unrealistic, but I'm working on it!

Thank you for your support and feedback. Whether you have already received it (as patrons) or are waiting for it next month (as free users), I hope you enjoy this update! ♥

[ Patreon ][ Discord ][ Public Demo ]

[genericpuff]

welp, this kinda sucks

I'm currently at odds with the PC that I got a couple months ago, it's started freezing and soft-resetting randomly for seemingly no reason. It would usually be after hours of use that I could chalk up to the memory overloading, but now it's happening as soon as I boot up the frigging thing. And just to make it clear how much I've done on my own to diagnose the problem, our attempts to fix it have included the following:

Limiting startup applications

Running virus / malware scans

Swapping out display monitors

Updating the GPU drivers

Setting a lower overclock profile in the BIOS settings

Swapping out power cables and outlets to check for power surges

So far none of these things have worked and if anything, the issue has just gotten worse in the last two days. Like, it can barely make it to the startup screen sometimes, despite the memory and CPU usage being >20%, there is zero reason it would be the PC overclocking itself just from startup.

(and no, it doesn't even compel me, i'm just annoyed to shit LOL)

So I dropped it off with the guy who built it (he runs an electronics / pawn shop downtown that's very reputable and well-known so it's not like I don't trust him or anything, he's been building PC's for people in the area for years) and it's now in his care for the next day or two while he tries to isolate the problem. Right now the only thing I can imagine being the problem is the power supply or my display monitor, which is my old Huion Kamvas 22 Plus that still works as a monitor, just not a drawing tablet - but if something's still fucking around in the tablet, it could be causing problems through the PC, maybe.

When I dropped it off with the guy, he went and set it up in his office and came out and told me that so far it seemed to be running just fine, when he asked me if I was doing anything specific I told him it was crashing even after startup so I gave him permission to overclock the shit out of it, run 53879205893 browser tabs, run my games, software, anything he needed to do to push it to its limits and see if he could replicate the problem.

I am terrified if it has to do with the motherboard, because that will be an expensive replacement that will also potentially lead to losing files / installations / etc. depending on how big an issue it is. It could also potentially be Windows 11 having a hissy fit especially seeing as how it's freezing up on startup, but doesn't freeze on the BIOS screen when it loads up in safe-mode after hard resets, so something is clearly happening between the hard boot-up and the startup of Windows 11 itself.

Thankfully I do have Google Drive sync support and plenty of external HDD's that I can back my stuff up to, but with the freezing and restarting getting as bad as it's been, I haven't been able to back anything up, and I don't want to risk doing it manually if it'll just freeze and potentially corrupt my files in the process. So I told the guy to call me if he needed to mess with anything concerning the system storage so that, if he could at least keep it running stable in the shop, then I could swing by and get everything I needed synced up safely before he messes around with anything.

It could also very well have something to do with the power supply itself, the house that I occupy the main floor of isn't exactly built with electric optimization in mind, we've had fuses blow on us before just from running the hair dryer at the same time as the TV, so if it's something to do with the PC drawing too much power for the electrical system here to keep up with, either (hopefully) the guy will be able to instruct me on how to lower and manage that power intake through the PC's BIOS (I believe you can but I'm still a massive noob on custom builds and I don't want to go tinkering with it myself) or, idk, maybe I'll have to get my landlord to drop by again with his electrician and check out the fuses to make sure they're all operating properly. I'm not an electrician either, so fuck if I know at this point what could be going on. I feel like it can't be the house itself because everything else is running fine and it's just become a recent issue, but our city's power grid is also not exactly praised for being good at its job, especially not in the winter.

So yeah, I'm a little - well, a lot - stressed right now, but all I can really do at this point is wait. Fortunately, I have my iPad and also remembered that I still have my old PC, so I've hooked it up, at best if the problem repeats itself on this PC then I'll know it has to do with the display monitor, at worst I'll just be stuck working with my clunky old hardware for a couple days, which is annoying, but it'll get the job done. Fortunately I had the newest episode of Rekindled uploaded to the cloud in Clip Studio so I can still download it and work on it, which was my biggest worry when everything started to go belly-up (next to just, like, having a working PC).

Sooooo yeah. It's annoying, but I'm hoping for the best. Send good vibes y'all, I really could use it rn, between this and slow traffic at work and some other personal shit that's been going on, it's been a shitty few days (╥﹏╥)

And yeah, I'll keep y'all updated on if it affects this week's update, it really shouldn't honestly as most of the work left is doable from both my iPad and PC, but obviously at this point anything can happen so if anything has to be postponed or changed to accommodate the current situation, I'll update y'all as soon as I can! Thanks everyone, y'all are the best, wish me luck <3

[episims]

on the subject of reducing texture sizes, have you experimented with only importing a single size for dxt images? i know that e.g. content made only using bodyshop sometimes (always?) only has the one size in the .package file, so in theory it would work generally, but i haven’t tested if the additional smaller images usually made by importing/building dxt impact file size or pink flashing in game.

Hi! You're talking about mipmaps and yep, I've experimented with them.

Yes, deleting them makes the file smaller, about 33% so to be precise. And yes, the texture works with or without mipmaps.

But no, I haven't seen any evidence that removing mipmaps would help with pink flashing. I recently deleted them from a big bunch of files to see if that would have any impact, and this is how my game looked like after doing that:

I don't blame deleting them for it since it was pretty unstable even before, but yeah. Didn't really help, either.

The thing about mipmaps is that they are a part of the game's texture memory optimization. This is a common technique that you can google more about, but in short:

Having them takes more memory than a texture without them, but in trade, they're supposed to make memory usage more efficient. The extra space they take is generally considered to be outweighed by the benefits they give for overall texture memory usage, rendering, and performance.

That's the factual theory. What really happens below The Sims 2's engine bonnet, we don't know (or if someone does know, please let me know, I'd love to have that info).

But what I do know is that deleting them didn't help with flashing in my game, and I also know that Maxis objects have mipmaps and the game is nearly impossible to get flash without CC. So personally, I'm not deleting them from my content.

[atthebell]

EDM 1.2 Changelog!

Calisto discovery about the Enigma of Fear is now available in the Cathedral from Jaser perspective

Now it is possible to choose text and audio language separately

The Eye of the God of Fear now has more details about its function

Improvements to the pistol aiming system

Adds Lupi's rug in the Basement

Adjustment of Mia's portraits in dialogue after Transcending

Small adjustments to evidence

Mia no longer exits stealth mode when switching items

New art of Goliath and Abraham in the Strach Mansion

Small adjustments to the Mental Map

Adjustment in which the HUD in the Eye of the God of Fear room would not appear correctly in specific resolutions

Texture optimization and memory usage

Added SteamDeck support

Although most of the performance issues and bugs have been addressed, we will keep listening to your feedbacks and providing support. If you wanna get in touch with us, visit our Discord.

[cyten0]

A Symphony In Crimson

Act 1: A Movement in Black

Chapter ??

♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯♯

You return from your scouting trip. Nothing seems to have followed you, and area seems clear. Kind of a shame, you were kinda hoping for a fight! Got a lot of frustration to get out. Oh well, Should be fine, you'll probs find something later! Now, you need to check up on Mi (♫), So (𝄢), La (♪), and Ti (𝄡)

You see La (♪) looking out from the crows nest, to see if you all were followed. Her one keen eye looks out over the ocean, looking over at your home across the way as it flickers in and out of view. The wishcraft doesn’t hold much sway over all of you, but here even you can see it’s blinding messed up. She turns as she sees you approach.

♪ “Hey Re. Anything of note?”

♯ “Not really. There is a town nearby though! Signage said Bambouche? Could maybe gather some info or supplies!”

So (𝄢) peeks out of the cargo hold, clearly in their irritable persona. She’s clearly cranky from working so hard to find anything, her face keeps flickering and her horns are out. You all are little tense right now, given you’ll be entering civilization for the first time in a WHILE.

𝄢 “I TOLD you both to stop speaking Astravian! Get in the habit of speaking Vaugardian, or YOU are cleaning up the mess of giving everyone there Headaches!”

Right. Feels bad having to do that, but can’t be helped! You won’t be able to talk to anyone here about your home, both for memory reasons and ‘not causing a panic knowing the country next door is a heap of ruins and flesh-eating infectious monsters’ reasons....

ARGH! You wish you could just punch this whole mess away! You wish you could at least punch HIM in the face! ...Whatever, you do need to get in the habit anyways.

♪ “… Yeah, alright. Gonna take some getting used to.”

♯ “Yeah, Sorry So! Oh, By the way, how are things looking with you?”

So’s face fizzles into their more calm persona. Hopefully they have something.

𝄢 “Tracking that console you gave them is not looking to be optimal. I haven't detected any usage. I however did set it up so that the moment they do, your phone will get an alert so you can call them immediately.”

That's good. You'll keep a close eye on it.

Ti (𝄡) gets up from his meditation. He puts his helmet back on, sketches a sigil onto a piece of paper, and then quietly hands it to So.

𝄡 “Counter sigil made.”

Quiet as always. But you’re glad you have that now! Only Ti would be able to come up with a counter-craft sigil for all this.

It won’t undo effects of memory-erasing stuff, but at least it’ll keep more from happening if you need someone in the loop. Or at least for them… Get it together, it’ll be fine!

𝄢 “Good work. I’ll make sure to include it in the automated alert to them. How about you Mi?”

Mi (♫) continues strumming their guitar. Listening in. Their antenna is moving, seeing if they can’t feel them, just in case. You hope they do, it’d be a solid lead, even if it probably means things have hit the fan. You don’t have much to go off of, not even sure their in Vaugarde at this point.

♫ “… I don’t feel their music. I uh. Guess that’s good? I hope…”

𝄡 “It will be fine. I’m certain.”

♯ “Yeah! I’m sure it’s fine! Just gotta figure out where they are!”

You say that. But… All of you are nervous… It’s been what. 7 years since Astravia fell? You don’t know what’s happened to them in that time… You hope their okay… No! Get it together, they’re strong! They can handle it! You’re SURE their fine!

… You open up your phone. That picture you took with them is still right there, looking at you. It’s you and them. Their little horn, their eyes… You wonder if they picked a different face since then? Guess you’ll find out!…

Stay Strong! We’re always with you!

...You’re a little late. But. You’re all here now.

Hold on just a little longer, Fa.

𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞𝄞

… You look over the laboratory. It’s awfully quiet without them. Only the experiments, silent in their cages, tame from your designs…

They weren’t blinding content with your plans, despite them being PERFECT... And now your friends are gone...

… It’s fine. If they won’t play stagehands, they’ll play actors! You know them well enough. You can get them to play the parts you want. And you have plenty of other players to nudge them on course!

You look at the Arcanums laid out before you. Now that you’ve tested you can nudge wishes how you need, Bought yourself plenty of prep time, you’ll focus on setting the conditions right. If you can do this, it’ll all be fixed!!

Sure, a bunch of people will die, but it’s fine! They’ll all come back, better then ever! And then, No one will ever get hurt again! The world will be your perfect play, and they’ll all be happy!

One of the creatures in the cages starts to mumble. Ah, their human part is still lucid? You thought that pests infection would have drowned them out…

“hhelp….. meeeee….It…... hurts…..”

Oh well, it IS a kings duty to comfort the masses! You walk up to the cage, and hold their head.

𝄞 “Don’t worry, it will all be over soon! And then you’ll never have to hurt again!”

You let them go, as the infection swallows their mind again....

To be fair, you did infect this one yourself, now that you think about it! The few survivors left would not be enough for your purposes, but the infected… Their FAR more efficient for what you need!

But since they did ask for reprieve, and you need more energy, you might as well grant their desire!

You make the adjustments to your setup, and then turn towards your subject. You look them in the eye, channeling your divine right as king. And with a snap of your fingers they are ripped apart into blood and holy light. The energy of their sacrifice flows away from it’s normal purpose into your design.

There! Your wishes will be merged onto someone else’s, and all that energy will help fuel it!

You're sure the Arcana won’t mind! It is going to benefit them in the end! Your just... taking a few extra steps. To make sure it goes to completion this time! It’s fine!

...Once all of them are on the stage, and she is made whole, the final act of this worthless world will end. And the beginning of your perfect play can begin!

...But first, you must make sure you have enough fuel.... You look out your window, upon your neighboring country. Oh dear Vaugarde. Precious Vaugarde…

Well. You suppose Astravia WAS a conquering nation, back in the day! Might as well play the part, tehe! Oh how lovely that will be! A holy war for the fate of the world! The Stars themselves will watch your play with awe!

… Better get started then.

It’s showtime, Siffrin!

[utopicwork]

Testing this tool out for usage profiling PierMesh

[maziijapanese]

Mastering Kanji as a Visual Learner: A Practical Guide

Learning Kanji can feel like a daunting task for many Japanese learners, and understandably so. With thousands of characters to memorize, each holding unique meanings and pronunciations, Kanji often presents a major hurdle. However, for visual learners, mastering Kanji can be made easier through effective techniques and tools tailored to their learning style. In this blog, I’ll share my personal experience and strategies for learning Kanji visually.

1. Visual Flashcards: The Cornerstone of Learning

For a visual learner, flashcards are one of the most effective tools for committing Kanji to memory. But instead of just plain text, I recommend using visual flashcards that incorporate:

Images: Relate the Kanji to images that symbolize the meaning of the character. For example, for the Kanji 木 (tree), you could include an image of a tree to strengthen the mental association.

Definitions: Keep the meaning of the Kanji in mind by clearly including it on the flashcard.

Pronunciations: Adding the readings, both Kun'yomi and On'yomi, will help you remember how to say the characters.

Contextual Examples: Use the Kanji in simple sentences or phrases so that you can recognize how it is used in context.

By combining these visual elements, your brain can make connections between the Kanji’s shape, meaning, and usage. Flashcards are a great way to make learning active and engaging.

2. Leverage Memorization Techniques: The Leitner System

While visual flashcards are essential, combining them with the right memorization method is what will ensure long-term retention. One such technique is the Leitner System, a spaced repetition method designed to make you focus on what’s most difficult.

Here’s how it works:

Start by sorting Kanji into five categories based on difficulty.

If you remember a Kanji correctly, it moves up to a higher level.

If you forget it, it moves back to a lower level.

You review the Kanji from the lower levels more frequently than those in the higher ones, ensuring more attention to challenging characters.

This structured approach helps keep your review sessions efficient and prevents the overwhelm that can come from reviewing hundreds of Kanji at once.

3. SRS (Spaced Repetition System) for Optimized Learning

Spaced Repetition Systems (SRS) are another effective strategy that works hand-in-hand with visual flashcards. SRS adjusts the review intervals of each Kanji based on how well you know it. The idea is to review characters right before you’re about to forget them, which helps embed them into your long-term memory.

Popular apps like Anki or Mazii utilize this principle, and they often allow you to add images and examples, perfect for visual learners.

4. Consistent Practice: The Key to Mastery

While tools and techniques are essential, consistent practice is what will ultimately lead to mastery. Setting a daily or weekly routine that includes reviewing your flashcards, writing out Kanji by hand, and practicing Kanji in context (such as reading or writing) is crucial. Progress may be slow, but steady, and over time, you will begin to recognize more and more characters.

Conclusion

Mastering Kanji as a visual learner is all about tapping into your strengths. Using visual flashcards enhanced with images, incorporating the Leitner system, and taking advantage of SRS technology will streamline your learning process and make it more enjoyable. With the right tools and consistent effort, you’ll find that Kanji, once a challenging obstacle, becomes an integral part of your Japanese language journey.

Keep at it, and soon you’ll unlock the richness of Japanese through Kanji!