#real official objective tier list

[liiontai]

btw my official ranking of the mook films is

1. alien invaders

2. witch’s ghost

3. zombie island

4. cyber chase

but witch’s ghost and zombie island are pretty much tied in quality, i just find the hex girls’ music edges it out slightly in my preferences

[roukabi]

My objectively correct opinions on a hadestown adaptation

(Explanation under the cut)

For the purposes of this chart, the hypothetical Hadestown adaptation would follow the original Broadway production (2019).

Lawful Good: Out of all animated possibilites, this would be the medium I'd want to see a HT adaptation in purely for its tangibility and underground atmosphere. Stopmo is considered inherently kitsch and a less 'pretty' animation medium in the eyes of the public. Critics only recognize it if a big name is attached (see Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, which won the Golden Globe for its running year). Therefore, there's no real fear of an adaptation like this getting too popular, and a smart director would use this tactile medium to restore the scrappy, raw feel of the Vermont production. Even if the conditions aren't perfect, as long as a studio that isn't Laika or Aardman takes the helm, there's a good chance the average stopmo director can be trusted with the show. Overall, this is my pie-in-the-sky option, though it'll probably never happen.

Neutral Good: The next best thing, and hopefully what we will get. Personal preference would leave lyrics the way they were in the original Broadway version, but I can't always get what I want.

Chaotic Good: A stage puppet version of Hadestown gets created and posted for free on YouTube and it gets, like, 100,000 views. The puppets are wonderful, the stage is great, and the actors are... good. Lots of exciting staging options to be had here. Gets as creatively interesting as possible without losing anything to the scope of a screen or animated fluff. Not really an official adaptation but still pretty cool, right?

Lawful Neutral: Look, I love 2D as much as the next guy, but anything could happen. 2D is functionally limitless in what you can do with it, which sets it apart from other mediums... for better or worse. I fear a lot of directors would go crazy with the visuals and forget to ground Hadestown in its emotional core. I think Cartoon Saloon would get it, though. While not the most top-tier team of directors, their eye for visual storytelling is unmatched. Just look at Screecher's Reach if you don't believe me. If they can bring the same amount of writing prowess to Hadestown as they did The Breadwinner, it could work. 2D is also in high demand from certain audiences (though not all), so it could run the risk of getting dangerously generic to appeal to everybody. To quote Chris Sanders, who'd just finished up work on The Lion King when he said this: "This is either gonna be huge, or it's not gonna work at all."

True Neutral: Sometimes it's best to let some shows stay as they are. Hadestown is one of those shows.

Chaotic Neutral: "indie" has become a subjective term I think, because "indie" ranges from "two people with a string" to "Amazon Prime/Netflix-funded, B-list actor, industry-standard tech with a slightly smaller fanbase". That was definitely not a slight at anyone in particular. There's already some college theatre-esque medleys on YouTube, but those aren't really full adaptations. While there'd be a lot of heart and passion in this project, the limited budget/opportunities would detract from the show's scale, and be a little embarrassing to watch tbh.

Lawful Evil: The Wicked treatment. Or maybe the Illumination treatment? Oh, no. Ew. Don't wanna think about that. 3D appeals to general audiences and gets used by the big companies more, so by that association it gets lumped in with the rest of Hollywood. Not great, overproduced, weird casting choices (related snide: in a show that's cultivated a diverse range of vocals, why on earth were Betty Who and Jordan Fisher casted on Broadway? Besides stuntcasting, of course...). A dishonest portrayal of an honest show. Could be worse, though. I can only see a 3D animated adaptation working if some smaller, non-US studio goes absolutely batshit during visdev. Other than that, 3D is too polished and techy to fit the needs of the show.

Neutral Evil: The only good thing that comes out of this is that most people see AI as a cheap scammy tool, so whatever HT-ness comes out of it will not tarnish Hadestown's name too much. I doubt it'd be taken seriously at all, if anyone would even care to look at it. I don't even think AI bros would touch the anticapitalist 'woke' themes with a ten-foot pole.

Chaotic Evil: remember what I said during the Chaotic Neutral bloc? That was about Viv. I don't care that she technically falls into Lawful Neutral, this is its own circle of hell. It's worse than AI because unlike AI, which is forgettable, Viv's understandings of mythology, gender, and politics are actively, stupidly shallow. Can you imagine what would happen to Eurydice and Persephone? Or the Fates? Could you imagine the sexism? The stereotyping? The song 'Flowers' might as well not exist. Persephone would be painted as a crazy drunk abuser. The negative cultural impact + Viv's rabid fanbase would ruin me forever. This idea has cursed me the moment it popped into my head and if I have to think about it, you do, too. Let's hope it never happens.

[kanbanstudy]

Why Hiring a Kanban Certified Trainer is Essential for Agile Success

The pursuit of Agile transformation has become a cornerstone of strategic growth across industries. As organizations seek to streamline workflows, increase delivery speed, and enhance transparency, many turn to Kanban as their framework of choice. However, the implementation of Kanban without expert guidance often results in misalignment, stagnation, or failed adoption. This is where the role of a Kanban Certified Trainer (KCT) becomes indispensable.

Understanding the Role of a Kanban Certified Trainer

A Kanban Certified Trainer is a highly experienced Agile professional accredited by a recognized certification body, such as Kanban University. These experts are authorized to deliver official Kanban training programs, mentor teams, and ensure that organizations adopt Kanban correctly and sustainably.

They bring a structured, results-driven approach to implementing Kanban, emphasizing flow efficiency, limiting work in progress (WIP), and building a culture of continuous improvement.

Key Benefits of Hiring a Kanban Certified Trainer

1. Expert-Led Organizational Transformation

A KCT offers more than just technical expertise. They provide a strategic roadmap that aligns Kanban practices with your business objectives. Whether the goal is to improve delivery timelines, enhance team collaboration, or scale Agile across departments, the certified trainer tailors the implementation to your unique context.

They perform the following critical functions:

Evaluate current workflows and identify bottlenecks

Design customized Kanban boards and WIP limits

Educate stakeholders on Lean principles

Establish metrics and feedback loops for long-term success

2. Accelerated Learning Through Structured Training

Certified trainers deliver Kanban Management Professional (KMP) courses, Team Kanban Practitioner (TKP) programs, and Enterprise Services Planning (ESP) frameworks. These courses are globally recognized and equip teams with actionable knowledge.

Participants learn:

Core Kanban practices (visualizing work, managing flow)

Measuring lead time, cycle time, and throughput

How to evolve Kanban systems incrementally

Techniques for forecasting and capacity planning

3. Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Kanban Implementation

Without expert guidance, many organizations fall into common traps such as:

Treating Kanban boards as to-do lists rather than dynamic systems

Overloading team members due to undefined WIP limits

Failing to establish service level expectations (SLEs)

Ignoring the importance of flow-based metrics

A Kanban Certified Trainer ensures that teams understand and implement the methodology correctly from the outset.

4. Coaching at All Organizational Levels

Change is often met with resistance. A certified trainer knows how to work with executive leadership, middle management, and delivery teams to build trust and foster cultural alignment.

They provide:

Executive workshops on Agile governance

Coaching sessions for team leads and Scrum Masters

Hands-on mentoring during Kanban rollout

Retrospective facilitation to ensure iterative improvement

How Kanban Trainers Enable Scalable Agile Adoption

Cross-Team Synchronization

Scaling Agile means multiple teams working on interdependent components. A KCT implements Portfolio Kanban systems that help visualize work across programs and ensure coordination. This includes:

Multi-tiered Kanban boards (Team, Program, Portfolio)

Dependency management practices

Strategic prioritization and backlog refinement

Lean Metrics That Drive Business Outcomes

Effective Agile adoption is data-driven. Kanban trainers teach organizations to use powerful metrics that reveal the true state of workflows:

Cumulative Flow Diagrams (CFD): For identifying bottlenecks

Cycle Time Scatterplots: For forecasting and performance tracking

Control Charts: For analyzing process variability

These tools empower leadership to make decisions backed by real-time operational insights.

Sustainable Agility Through Continuous Improvement

Kanban is not a one-time implementation but a living, evolving system. A KCT introduces cadence-based practices that embed improvement in the team’s DNA:

Replenishment meetings

Daily Kanban stand-ups

Service delivery reviews

Operations reviews

These meetings create alignment, enable fast feedback, and maintain a state of readiness and responsiveness.

Real-World Impact of Kanban Certified Trainers

Case Study 1: Financial Services Firm

A global financial firm faced delivery delays and team burnout. After hiring a Kanban Certified Trainer, the organization restructured its workflow to include visual boards and WIP limits. Result:

23% improvement in delivery speed

15% reduction in team overtime

Real-time visibility improved stakeholder confidence

Case Study 2: SaaS Company Scaling Agile

As a fast-growing SaaS provider, the company struggled to coordinate across engineering, product, and support. With a certified trainer, they adopted a Portfolio Kanban approach, enabling:

Clear prioritization across departments

Enhanced release planning

Agile metrics to inform executive decisions

What to Look for in a Kanban Certified Trainer

Choosing the right trainer is critical. Look for:

Accreditation from Kanban University or similar bodies

Proven track record in implementing Kanban at scale

Strong facilitation and communication skills

Ability to provide customized training based on your industry

Trainers should also offer post-training support, including coaching, board audits, and leadership mentoring.

Investing in Agile Excellence

Organizations that treat Kanban implementation as a long-term capability—rather than a one-time event—reap significant operational and cultural rewards. Hiring a Kanban Certified Trainer is not just a training expense; it is a strategic investment in productivity, transparency, and innovation.

From faster delivery times to happier teams and satisfied stakeholders, the value generated far outweighs the initial cost.

[thoughtfullyraggedpsion]

Future-Proof Sourcing: 2024 Insights into Procurement’s Strategic Evolution

From increased adoption of intelligent automation and sustainability frameworks to supplier collaboration, risk mitigation, and advanced analytics, the year 2024 marks a turning point. Procurement is now a key contributor to resilience, ESG performance, and enterprise innovation. Businessinfopro's annual report synthesizes insights from global procurement leaders, industry analysts, and enterprise data to identify the core themes shaping procurement transformation in 2024.

1. From Cost Control to Strategic Value Creation

The traditional perception of procurement as a cost-control function has officially become obsolete. In 2024, organizations are shifting their lens to evaluate procurement not only in terms of savings and compliance but also on its ability to drive innovation, sustainability, and customer value.

High-performing procurement teams are focused on total value beyond price, including supplier innovation, speed to market, operational flexibility, and risk-adjusted decision-making. The most mature procurement organizations now report directly into the C-suite, often with a Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) sitting at the executive table and influencing strategic planning.

Procurement KPIs are evolving accordingly—moving from price variances and PO cycle times to value-oriented metrics such as supply resilience index, supplier-enabled innovation, ESG scorecards, and contribution to EBITDA.

2. Technology and AI: The Core of Modern Procurement

In 2024, digital maturity has become the differentiator between reactive procurement and predictive, proactive sourcing. Organizations are investing aggressively in procurement digitization, with a specific focus on intelligent platforms that integrate Source-to-Pay (S2P) processes.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are enabling procurement teams to analyze massive volumes of spend, supplier, and market data in real-time. Use cases include:

Predictive spend forecasting based on demand, seasonality, and macroeconomic indicators.

Automated risk scoring of suppliers using external data (e.g., news feeds, sanctions lists).

Contract intelligence tools that extract obligations, terms, and risks using NLP.

Autonomous sourcing agents that recommend optimal suppliers based on historical performance and ESG benchmarks.

Additionally, AI chatbots and virtual assistants are now helping procurement professionals automate RFP responses, supplier onboarding, and compliance monitoring. In many organizations, more than 40% of tactical procurement tasks have already been automated—freeing up teams to focus on category strategy and supplier collaboration.

3. Risk and Resilience Dominate the Procurement Agenda

Following years of turbulence—including COVID-19, semiconductor shortages, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and ongoing trade tensions—risk management has taken center stage. The 2024 report highlights that 76% of procurement leaders consider supply risk to be the top issue in the coming 12 months.

Organizations are moving from reactive risk responses to building structural resilience through multi-tier visibility, supplier diversification, and nearshoring strategies. Procurement teams are investing in:

Supplier risk monitoring platforms that track financial health, geopolitical exposure, and ESG violations.

Digital twins of supply chains, enabling scenario modeling and real-time disruption response.

Collaborative supplier relationships that go beyond transactional contracts and emphasize joint business continuity planning.

Vendor consolidation is also on the decline, with companies embracing multisourcing models to reduce dependency and create flexibility. Meanwhile, regulatory and ESG risks are becoming board-level concerns, especially in industries exposed to Scope 3 emissions and human rights compliance.

4. ESG and Responsible Sourcing Gain Executive Priority

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives have become procurement imperatives, not optional enhancements. The 2024 report finds that over 68% of global enterprises have embedded ESG metrics into their supplier evaluation criteria.

Procurement is on the front lines of sustainable transformation—managing upstream emissions, ethical sourcing practices, and supplier diversity programs. Leading organizations are implementing:

Carbon tracking at the supplier level, integrated into spend analytics tools.

Circular procurement strategies that prioritize repairability, reuse, and recycling.

Incentivized ESG compliance, with preferential treatment for suppliers that meet performance benchmarks.

Digital platforms that can integrate ESG scoring into supplier selection and contract lifecycle management are now considered essential. Additionally, procurement teams are leveraging data from third-party rating agencies to triangulate and validate supplier ESG claims.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) also play a pivotal role, with supplier diversity programs being institutionalized across industries. These programs are not only driving social impact but are helping unlock innovation and local market access through SME and minority-owned partnerships.

5. Talent and Capability Gaps Challenge Future-Ready Procurement

Despite technological progress, talent remains a critical bottleneck for procurement transformation. The skills required today—data literacy, supplier collaboration, risk strategy, ESG acumen—are not easily found in traditional procurement pipelines. The 2024 State of Procurement Report identifies talent development and upskilling as the second biggest priority for CPOs globally.

Top organizations are taking action by:

Establishing procurement academies focused on digital fluency and category innovation.

Hiring cross-functional talent from finance, analytics, and sustainability backgrounds.

Partnering with tech vendors and academic institutions to design custom learning paths.

Encouraging agile team structures and remote collaboration for increased workforce flexibility.

Retention remains a challenge as the war for procurement talent intensifies. Companies are responding by redefining procurement career paths, promoting internal mobility, and creating incentives tied to innovation and ESG outcomes.

Meanwhile, Gen Z and millennial professionals are gravitating toward purpose-driven roles. Procurement's increasing relevance to climate action, ethical trade, and social equity is helping position it as a more attractive career destination than ever before.

The Road Ahead

The 2024 State of Procurement Report underscores a defining shift in how organizations source, negotiate, manage suppliers, and measure value. Procurement is no longer just about buying better—it’s about building smarter, more resilient, and more responsible supply ecosystems that power enterprise growth and innovation.

Read Full Article : https://businessinfopro.com/2024-state-of-procurement-report/

Visit Now: https://businessinfopro.com/

[studentvisavspermanentre]

Student Visa vs. Permanent Residency in Australia for Pharmacists: Which Path Should You Choose?

If you’re an international student or a qualified pharmacist planning to establish your career in Australia, choosing the right migration pathway is essential. Understanding the differences between a student visa and permanent residency (PR) can help you make an informed decision based on your career objectives and personal circumstances.

Whether your goal is to pursue further education or directly enter the workforce, this guide explores both options to help you chart the best path forward.

Benefits of a Student Visa

A student visa offers several advantages for those looking to pursue pharmacy education and training in Australia:

1. Access to Top-Tier Education Australia is home to globally recognized universities and institutions offering specialized programs in pharmacy and healthcare.

2. Part-Time Work Opportunities Student visa holders can work part-time during their studies, which is an excellent opportunity to gain relevant experience in the pharmaceutical field.

3. Professional Networking Studying in Australia allows you to build connections with industry professionals, faculty, and peers—supporting future job opportunities and career growth.

Student Visa Requirements

To obtain a student visa, you’ll need to meet the following criteria:

Enrolment in a Registered Course: You must be accepted into a full-time program listed on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

Proof of Financial Capacity: You’ll need to show that you can afford tuition fees, living expenses, and travel costs.

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC): Health insurance is mandatory for the duration of your stay.

Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) Statement: You must demonstrate a genuine intention to study in Australia and return home afterward.

Pathways to Permanent Residency (PR) for Pharmacists

Australia values skilled healthcare professionals, and pharmacists are consistently included on the Critical Skills Occupation List (CSOL). Here are two primary PR pathways for pharmacists:

1. Skilled Migration Pathway

The skilled migration program offers multiple visa subclasses (189, 190, and 491) for qualified professionals. Here's how pharmacists can navigate this route:

Steps to Apply:

Skills Assessment via the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC): Submit your academic and professional documents for evaluation to determine if they meet Australian standards.

Pass the OPRA Exam (Overseas Pharmacist Readiness Assessment): The OPRA is a critical exam assessing the knowledge and competence of internationally qualified pharmacists.

At Elite Expertise, we provide structured training programs for OPRA, Australian Intern Exams, and PTE. Under the mentorship of experienced educators like Mr. Arief Mohammad and Mrs. Harika Bheemavarpu, students receive personalized coaching tailored to real exam conditions.

Receive APC Skills Assessment Outcome Letter

Meet English Language Requirements: For PTE Academic, a minimum score of 65 in each module is required. IELTS and OET are also accepted, with equivalent scores.

Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI): Create a profile and submit your EOI through the official SkillSelect portal:

Visa Subclasses:

Subclass 189: Skilled Independent Visa

Subclass 190: State-Nominated Skilled Visa

Subclass 491: Regional (Provisional) Skilled Visa

Once invited, you’ll have 60 days to complete your visa application.

2. Employer-Sponsored Visas

Pharmacists may also obtain PR by being nominated by an Australian employer. Key visa options include:

Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186): For skilled workers offered permanent positions. Offers two streams: Direct Entry and Temporary Transition.

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (Subclass 187): Designed for pharmacists working in regional areas.

Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa (Subclass 494): A provisional five-year visa leading to PR for those working in regional locations.

Which Option is Right for You?

Your ideal visa path depends on your current qualifications and long-term goals:

Opt for a Student Visa if you aim to earn Australian qualifications, build a local resume, and explore career options while studying.

Go for PR if you already have relevant credentials, experience, and meet the eligibility for skilled migration or employer nomination.

For expert advice, consider speaking with a career counsellor or migration consultant who specializes in pharmacy professions. You can also check for registered migration agents via this official platform:

Final Thoughts

Choosing between a student visa and PR as a pharmacist in Australia is a major decision. Whether you begin your journey with education or jump straight into the workforce, understanding each pathway will empower you to take confident steps toward your future in Australia’s healthcare system.

With proper planning, the right guidance, and reliable training—like that offered by Elite Expertise—you can make the most of your opportunities and build a rewarding pharmacy career in Australia.

[oliviiaagraceeeeee]

Exploring the ASX Midcap Stocks Landscape

Highlights

Composition defined by market capitalisation thresholds in the domestic equity market

Benchmark tracker offers transparent data on ASX Midcap Stocks across various sectors

Liquidity metrics and turnover figures deliver objective measures of ASX Midcap Stocks

ASX Midcap Stocks represent the mid tier segment of the domestic equity market. This segment encompasses a diverse array of companies that meet specified market capitalisation thresholds. As a benchmark, the ASX Midcap Stocks index provides an objective snapshot of this market slice, highlighting firms outside the largest tier yet above the small cap domain. Sector representation within this grouping reflects industrial, technology, health care, and other categories that contribute to domestic economic activity.

Market Capitalisation Criteria

Inclusion within the ASX Midcap Stocks classification requires adherence to defined capitalisation limits. Companies must demonstrate a market capitalisation above the lower bound set by the primary exchange and below the upper bound that designates the top tier. This framework ensures that ASX Midcap Stocks remain focused on mid-sized enterprises. Regular reviews adjust these parameters to reflect currency movements and shifts in aggregate equity values, maintaining consistency in eligibility standards.

Sector Distribution

Coverage of ASX Midcap Stocks spans multiple industry classifications. Industrial firms account for a substantial share, while technology and health care names contribute meaningful proportions. Commodity-related enterprises also feature prominently, linking this cohort to resource market trends. Sector weights within the ASX Midcap Stocks universe are updated periodically, offering a clear view of evolving market composition across discrete segments.

Liquidity and Turnover Metrics

Trading volumes for ASX Midcap Stocks vary according to market sentiment and corporate developments. Average daily turnover figures serve as a proxy for liquidity, enabling assessment of transaction ease for these mid-sized listings. Observations of bid–ask spreads and average trade sizes lend further insight into market depth. Together, these indicators offer transparent measures of how actively ASX Midcap Stocks securities change hands on the primary exchange.

Data Sources and Reporting

Official disclosures from listed entities form the backbone of ASX Midcap Stocks data. Quarterly reporting and interim updates supply financial metrics, while exchange announcements confirm index rebalancing events. Third-party data vendors compile real-time feeds, delivering continuous updates on price movements and constituent adjustments. Accessible dashboards and downloadable files grant direct access to the ASX Midcap Stocks composition and historical records.

Call to Action

Access the latest breakdown of ASX Midcap Stocks through the dedicated data portal. Explore sector allocation tables and liquidity charts for ASX Midcap Stocks across recent reporting cycles. Review detailed dashboards covering ASX Midcap Stocks metrics today.

[cloudolus]

Course Introduction | AWS Full Course in Bangla | AWS Beginners

Video Link: https://youtu.be/erAu3vF9TcM Channel    : https://www.youtube.com/@cloudolus Playlist-01: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBurDmQJIVqwYhjHYL08c8i5M1EQezUAI Playlist-02: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBurDmQJIVqyKmDftrSCYMoZhpaqykJJw Playlist-03: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBurDmQJIVqzT4xtZdJeniQVyWaSfb6r8 Playlist-04: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBurDmQJIVqyMiO0qbLl4JYdNLBWYprs7 Playlist-05: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBurDmQJIVqxshpWQ01-92hjLEzkNh6dU *****************************

***************************** The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) exam is a certification offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that validates the skills and knowledge required to design and deploy scalable and reliable systems on the AWS platform. This certification is aimed at individuals who work in roles such as Solutions Architect, Systems Administrator, or Developer and are responsible for designing distributed systems on AWS.

Here's an introduction to the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) exam:

Exam Overview: Exam Code: SAA-C03 Exam Name: AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate Certification Level: Associate Exam Format: Multiple-choice and multiple-answer questions Number of Questions: Approximately 65 Duration: 130 minutes Passing Score: The passing score is determined by statistical analysis. Exam Objectives: The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam tests candidates on a range of topics, including:

Design Resilient Architectures:

Designing multi-tier architecture solutions. Designing highly available and fault-tolerant architectures. Define Performant Architectures:

Selecting the right instance type for a workload. Designing secure and scalable storage solutions. Specify Secure Applications and Architectures:

Designing secure access to AWS resources. Integrating identity and access management. Design Cost-Optimized Architectures:

Optimizing storage and database solutions for cost. Selecting cost-effective compute resources. Define Operationally Excellent Architectures:

Automating solutions for operational efficiency. Designing for efficient use of resources. Preparation Tips: Official Documentation: Familiarize yourself with the AWS documentation, especially the AWS Well-Architected Framework.

Training and Courses: Consider taking official AWS training courses, including the "Architecting on AWS" course.

Hands-on Experience: Gain hands-on experience with AWS services through labs, projects, or real-world scenarios.

Practice Exams: Use practice exams to assess your readiness and identify areas for improvement.

Conclusion: Achieving the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certification demonstrates your proficiency in designing and implementing scalable and reliable systems on the AWS platform. It is a valuable credential for professionals working with AWS cloud services and is recognized by employers globally.

For the most up-to-date information about the exam, including the exam guide, sample questions, and registration details, refer to the official AWS certification website. Always ensure that you are preparing based on the latest version of the exam.

***************************** Follow Me: Facebook Page Link: https://www.facebook.com/cloudolus/ Facebook Group Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cloudolus LinkedIn Group Link: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14347089/ Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/cloudolus/ Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/cloudolus Pinterest Link: https://www.pinterest.com/cloudolus/ Tumblr Link: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/cloudolus YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnOIfrUDCOlz5RUVKFTkktQ ***************************** #freecourse #free #youtube #DevOps  #ClouDolus    #awstutorial #awstutorialforbeginners #AWSBangla

#AWS #freecourse  #free #YouTube #DevOps #cloudolus #awstutorial #AWSBangla #AWSFullCourse #awstraining #AWSBeginners #CloudLearning #AWSForBeginners #AWSFreeCourse #12thFail #

[creativerogues]

CreativeRogues Discord Server Coming Soon! (Announcement + Q&A)

Yep, this is happening, I guess?

A CreativeRogues D&D Server is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while as I’ve been getting more and more comfortable running D&D Online through Discord.

I’ve always wanted to interact as much as I can with the Community, and I think this is the logical next step for us!

Now of course people will have questions, and I’ll try to answer all of them here, but if I don’t answer your question specifically, please leave a Comment or Reblog with @creativerogues so I’ll see it and try to answer it!

What to Expect...

They’ll be a General Chat Room for the Community to hang out in and message or talk to each other, as well as specific Rooms dedicated to things like easy Character Creation, and a DM Writer’s Room where DMs can share their ideas and get help from other DMs to create an even richer experience and create even better stories with help from the Community!

Games will be ran on a Schedule (To Be Determined!) and will run as often as possible, since life can get in the way sometimes...

We’re also planning to make Rooms dedicated to the different Tiers of play, so you don’t have to play a Character from Level 1 all the way to Level 20, simply tell us what kinda Game you’re looking for!

So how will this work?

You can join the server as a Casual, a Player or a DM. 

If you feel like you wanna play in a Game or DM a Game, simply put the word out and we’ll do our best to make a Game available for you!

Can I have @creativerogues as a DM?

Depending on my availability, I’ll be running Games for people in the Community that want to play, putting together groups of like-minded Players and setting up Campaigns: Some Campaigns may only be a Oneshot or a Short Adventure, some may span weeks or even months if the Players truly do want that.

But they’ll be more than just me there, they’ll be other fantastic DMs out there willing to run Oneshots, Short Adventures or even a whole Campaign for members of the Community, but we ask that you please be patient while we sort out the kinks!

What “Setting” are we playing in?

Well that’s up to you! 

You can play in an Official Setting such as Forgotten Realms or Eberron, or if you’re a DM you can set up a group within your own homebrew setting, or you can work with other DMs in the Community to make an inter-connected world spanning multiple campaigns and adventures, the possibilities are endless!

What “Edition” are we playing in?

It’ll almost certainly always be 5th Edition unless an overwhelming number of people request for games in other Editions.

How do I join?

We’ll be putting out an invite to a few close and long-time members of the Community first to test things out, but once everything is set up, simply send a Message asking to join and boom! 

Now for the “Fun” Part!

If you want to play a Game, you’ll need to know how I run my own Games!

Now I’m no Big Time Online Dungeon Master, but I do have a way of doing things that tries to get you from starting as a Player to actually playing in a Game as quickly as possible.

Below I’ve put a big ol’ (and somewhat intimidating, I will admit) Template for a wannabe Player to fill in the blanks, hopefully making the process quick and easy for a DM to pick your Character up and plop them into a Game as quickly as possible.

Character Template

Discord Name: We’ll need this for Reference.

Character Name: What’s your Character called, or what Name(s) do they go by?

Race: What Race is your Character?

Sub-Race: If your Character’s chosen Race has multiple Sub-races, which one are they?

Class: What Class is your Character? What kind of role do you want them to play?

Subclass: What Archetype is your Character?

Background: What did your Character do before they became an Adventurer?

Origin: What Environment was your Character born or raised in?

Alignment: What Alignment is your Character?

Equipment: What Equipment does your Character want or have on their person?

Appearance: What does your Character look like physically? What colour eyes do they have? Is their hair short or long, curly or wavy, and what colour is it? All these things and more... 

Outfit: What is your Character most commonly seen wearing?

Age: How old is your Character? (Minimum Age is 18)

Build (Height & Weight): Is your Character short, stocky, tall, slim or something in between?

Distinguishing Marks: What’s the first thing someone notices about your Character? A scar? A tattoo? A piercing or item of clothing they always wear?

Backstory: Whether tragic or happy, this describes the important events in your Character’s life before the real adventures begin!

Character Goal: What does your Character want to achieve before the end of the Game? Do they want to be a Ruler? Or become an Archmage? Maybe they just want to reunite with lost loved ones? That’s up to you!

You may notice some things that aren’t on your standard Character Sheet, such as Origin or Distinguishing Marks:

Origin is the Environment that your Character was born and raised in, and I’ll provide a list of examples below:

Arctic: A snowy Tundra or Frozen Wasteland.

Coastal: Port Towns, Beaches, Seaside Cities, Etc.

Desert: Sand Dunes, Dry Hot Wastelands, Etc.

Green-lands: Forests, Grasslands, Hills, Swamps, Jungles, Etc.

Mountains: Mountains, Volcanoes, Valleys, Cliff-side Cities, Etc.

Under-dark: Underground.

Urban: An In-Land City, Trade Centre, Capitol City, Etc.

Otherworldly: Another Plane of Existence, such as the Feywild, Shadowfell, Elemental Planes, etc.

Other: Anywhere that does not fit into the other Environments. (Maybe your Character lives in a series of Underwater Caverns, or on a Floating City, or maybe they were born and raised on a Sailing Ship, all good examples.)

This lets Myself and other DMs place your Character in an appropriate part of the World!

In addition to all the Character Creation Stuff going on for when Games are up and running, we’ll need to know a bit more about you!

What kinda games do you like? Do you like disabling traps and solving puzzles? Do you like exploring the world and role-playing? Or do you prefer combat and fighting monsters?

The objective is to have fun playing D&D, so let us know what makes D&D fun for you!

Is this a lot of work upfront? Maybe. But in the long term it means you should be able to request a Game, bring a Character Sheet, and drop into the Game as smoothly as possible.

Sidenote: I know I’ll be asked this, but Homebrew Content is entirely up to the Dungeon Master that’ll be running your Games, if you want to use Homebrew Material or 3rd Party Resources, that’s a conversation to be had between you and the DM.

Reminder: This is all in Testing!

Things will be clunky at first, that’s for certain, things will go wrong and be awkward and we hope you’ll be patient with us while we sort it all out!

I can’t wait to play a Game with you lovely people, but yeah, CreativeRogues out!

[ayankun]

yalright let’s do this

AGENTS OF SHIELD SEASON ONE REWATCH COMPLETE BREAKDOWN MEGAPOST

hella spoilers for the entire canon up through season 5, but not 6 because I only saw it the once and am having a hard time remembering ANYthing about it.

I cannot determine specifically what it was about this season that caused to be branded “literal garbage” in my mind-hole for seven years.

Best guesses:

there’s some cheesy stuff that probably didn’t sit well with me at the time, and, at the time, there was no way of knowing that that kind of stuff was going to be ultimately eradicated

there’s some good stuff, like character stuff and plot stuff, but it didn’t successfully implant positive emotional responses in my brain-hole, leading me to be frustrated/offended at its own self-importance

there’s some stuff that just Doesn’t Work.  I won’t call anybody out, but there are some main side characters whose casting, in my opinion, leaves much to be desired.  when it comes to acting ability, I feel that it’s important to have the ranges of your entire cast match each other.  if you’re gonna hire B-listers, at least make sure they’re ALL B-listers.  if you’re gonna splurge and get some S-tier talent, pleeeeease don’t embarrass the B-listers by thinking you’re doing them a favor by including them on your project.  Understood, this opinion is highly subjective and I can’t expect everyone in front or behind the screen to buy into it, but it’s definitely a pet peeve of mine that causes strong reactions in me*

some of the plots are tired and/or straight up boring.  I got through them easily this time through because I was able to focus on the things I like, which is largely character interactions and re-learning the backstory for stuff that I know will continue to be important later on.  imagine listening to your grandpa’s stories about his life, but instead of telling you the cool stories about going to the moon or whatever, he’s telling you in great detail about the time he got his shoelaces stuck on like, a rusty nail sticking out of a fence.  It’s not a great story but it does explain why his mom only bought him velcro shoes after that and one time when they were trying on shoes in the store a couple of years later, some other kid started making fun of him for having velcro shoes and long story short your grandpa’s relationship with that kid is what got him interested in astrophysics and also he married that kid twenty-five years later -- but right now the story is specifically about spending forty minutes trying not to get tetanus.

Now that I’m older and wiser, what really surprised me throughout, though, was that not only was I not having any type of reaction that validated my “literal garbage” classification, I was noticing that there was A Lot of stuff that ticked a lot of boxes.

I’m talking technical stuff, the textbook basic filmmaking stuff, the stuff that I subjectively find objectively “Good” because it means that creative decisions were made with intent and were also executed proficiently enough to make that intent clear.

I’m talking SYMMETRICAL NARRATIVE which has to be one of my all-time favorite techniques, one that I personally use a lot, and I’m very biased in responding favorably when I see it, so I think ultimately this is a huge reason why this season cannot be classified as garbage this time around.  Because it shows that they cared!  It shows that they had A Plan!  It’s an emotionally satisfying technique that can be used to great effect when tipping the audience off to how far we’ve come from where we started.  It creates this nice tidy structural loop which I find very appealing.

Just real quick, you see this in individual episodes or even scenes, too.  Here’s a classic A+ example from episode 2:

Simmons has given Skye a bottle of water as a gag because that’s what happens on planes, and that bit is a set up to this bit, where Coulson is talking about how he rebuilt the Bus from the “studs up” and it demands to be treated with kid gloves; ergo:

Only to have the thing completely wrecked over the course of the episode.  In the denouement, “just starting to warm up to this place,” Coulson says ruefully, righting a broken glass as if that will put the plane back together; Skye immediately tosses a coaster down and moves the glass on top of it.

As a callback, it juxtaposes the starting-state and ending-state in your mind and highlights the contrast between the two.  And it’s also a nice character-building beat where you, the audience, get to observe Skye’s character in that she remembers a trivial detail that happened to be important to Coulson.  You also get to see Coulson observing the same, and you understand a little bit more about both of them.  *chef’s kiss*

So this is a pretty powerful and common technique, and I guess you could say that any well-resolved narrative is by definition going to recall you to the specifics of how it started.  Like ep 1 we start with Mike and Ace, their call and response “what are we/we’re a team,” and an understanding of Mike’s desire to be his kid’s guardian and hero and his desperate search for the tools that will allow him to become that.  In the finale, we see the pay off where Ace (via Skye) reminds Mike of this motivation, and Mike is finally in the position to protect his kid by taking out the Big Bad.

But I don’t want to go through the list to demonstrate that everyone’s character arcs likewise left them in a thematically resolved position relative to where they started.  Obviously this is an expectation of all (well structured) narratives. 

(And I don’t really mean to talk about callbacks themselves, such as Fitz’s obsession with monkeys or May’s repeated demand of “don’t call me that.”)

Stuff that only comes up at the beginning and the end.  Here’s the kind of symmetry that I mean:

Skye’s use of GPS encryption and the location of the diner where she first meets Mike.  Both topics come up in ep 1, and are revisited in ep 20 when she’s stalling for time against Ward and brings him to the diner by telling him that it’s the GPS coordinates necessary for decrypting the drive.  It says, last time you were here, Skye, you were living out of a van and fangirling over people with superpowers; now you’re an official agent of SHIELD (fun while it lasted, anyway) and you’re currently doublecrossing your own doublecrosser who was directly responsible for transforming you into the competent spy you are today.

Same thing: the only time we see Lola fly is at the end of ep 1, when Coulson and Skye are heading back to the Bus, and in ep 20 when Coulson rescues Skye from off the Bus.

Ep 2: 0-8-4.  We’re introduced to the very first object with the titular designation, and Simmons idly wonders “imagine what it would do to a person.”  Ep 22, it’s used to evaporate Garrett.  Same ep, we also meet the little, what even is it, that dendrotoxin EMP (??? I don’t recall whether the gadget is named) that Ward uses, and Coulson uses it in ep 17 to incapacitate Garrett.

Similarly, all the cool alien gadgets we spent the first few episodes gathering and locking up, including that first 0-8-4, are all broken out into the wrong hands in ep 18.

Also in ep 2 we are introduced to the idea of being thrown out of the airplane and Skye & co specifically prevent Ward from being sucked out.  We’re introduced to the concept of Coulson’s cellist!  Fury also makes a cameo (”talkin to me about authority”) ! 

It’s a little later on, but ep 6 has Simmons jumping out the plane, and Ward proving his Good Teammate status by jumping out after her (while Fitz is struggling on his way to do the same).  Ep 21, Ward boots FitzSimmons out the plane, and in ep 22 Fitz finally has the chance to properly save Simmons himself.

Ep 19 Coulson has a chance to save his cellist (again)

Ep 22, Fury comes back all Deus ex Machina and relinquishes authority of SHIELD directly to Coulson.

There’s also some dialogue recycled on purpose to make a point, like Fitz-Simmons introductory scene is recreated almost verbatim in ep 21:

Ep 2, talking to Skye about his mission vs ep 18 talking to Raina about his mission

(gotta admit, the man took this role seriously.  check out that cheekbone game he achieved in such a short time)

And again, Ep 1 Ward vs Ep 18 Ward.  They even framed it the same!!

All this to say, Season 1 is Structurally Sound and it has my blessing.

Now let’s move on to the list of things I liked that surprised me:

It’s pretty well polished, visually.  Joss Whedon’s veteran control of the director’s chair is readily apparent in the pilot, setting the visual tone for the series.  There are some made-for-tv shots over the course of the season, sure, and the least impressive compositions tend to involve CGI backdrops, but they do make the most of their interior sets and work hard to dress up various LA locations to, er, inspire the idea of the international scope of the show.  In my last update, I talked about ep 8 The Well in the context of Quality Directing, so it definitely goes above and beyond the basic shot-reverse shot when it wants to.

Ward.  Just for the record, I think Brett Dalton is great at his job and really brought exactly what they wanted to this character.  Eps 1 and 2 are a little shaky and stiff, but everyone’s performances are, as they let these characters coalesce around them.  I remember not liking Ward when I was watching this live, and honestly I think this was intentional.  He’s that character that you expect that you’re expected to like, you know, the traditional cocky savior type that lots of those fancy heroes are.  But because he’s so tropey in his characterization, you’re just ... over it?  And then when they flip the script and you’re supposed to hate him -- WOW.  It’s like two Christmases at once.  They took something you were already doing and rewarded you for it.

I’m not unaware of the “redeem grant ward” phenomenon.  I’m aware that the character had fans who were honestly drawn to and appreciative of the character before that persona was revealed to be a lie.

And honestly, it’s not that I like OR dislike Ward at all.  As a person.  It’s annoying that he’s a cocky bad-boy.  But it’s sweet when he plays nice with Simmons.  It’s embarrassing that he and May have “a thing.”  But it’s cathartic when he opens up to Skye about his past.  And Then, the sequence where we know he’s Hydra but Skye doesn’t.  And Then, the sequence where Skye knows he’s Hydra but he doesn’t.  And Then, his weird yucky confusion where he still wants to pursue something with Skye or doesn’t want to put down puppy-dog-eyed Fitz.

As a character, Ward is a great character.  His set up is so bland that the twist does appear to come out of nowhere, but on a rewatch all the groundwork is there.  His characterization as a baddie is enthralling.  I’m forecasting into season 2 a bit, but you want to follow his nefarious exploits just as much as you want to see his ex-friends smash his face in.  Brett Dalton played it right, A+ good job.  It makes Framework!Ward just that much more of a beautiful thing, to get to see what it would have been like if the Season 1 persona had actually been the man.

Also as covered in the last update, I was really very pleased to see how much character work was being done in this season.  Because I only watch and rewatch starting from the second season, there are important plot points that I’d been grudgingly attributing to this season about which I’d forgotten the specifics, such as, what’s the deal with Gravitonium, howcome we hate Ward so much, where did they get that memory-torture-machine, why are you acting like I recognize Titus Welliver’s character?  What surprised me was how much of a focus there is on character development as well.  A lot of good origin story stuff, like how green FitzSimmons is and how soft and good-hearted Skye is and all the reasons we respect and trust May and all the reasons we would follow Coulson to the ends of the earth.  Watching a found family start to put down roots is worth it, too, ten times out of ten.

The tie-in stuff wasn’t as overstated and stifling as I remembered it being.  They were allowed quite a long leash even this far back.  Centipede is based on Extremis, but helms a a unique narrative.  The Asgardians-of-the-week are just MacGuffins for driving character stories.  Turns out all of SHIELD has been Hydra all along!  Sucks to be you, a show about the Agents of SHIELD ... oh wait, Daddy MCU’s insane twist is mirrored in the DNA of your team’s composition AND baked into your overall season arc?  Well then.  Carry on!

Engaging with Season 1 explicitly as a prequel is a powerful thing.  First time through, I had the distinct realization that “too much of a good thing” was at play regarding Coulson.  He’s everybody’s favorite MCU character in 2013, hands down, but ... getting intimate with him for 40 minutes a week really waters down his mysterious G-man appeal.  BUT.  After spending six+ years with the man, Season 1!Coulson is a precursor to the 3-dimensional Director you’ll fall in love with, rather than a distortion of the one-liner MCU!Coulson you thought you wanted.

So what’s next!  Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and here all all the things I associate with AoS that were not present in Season 1:

Robot hand.

DaISy JoHnsOn

AGENT/DIRECTOR MACK where is he I need him

Fitz’s facial hair

Their underground SSR base with the exposed brick, I miss that place all the time

Hive, Bobbi*, Hunter, Kyle MacLachlan, Maveth (everything** about Seasons 2 and 3, really).  Robbie Reyes.  Aida and Kasius!!  I know these things are temporary, but they’re so important to the best bits and I love them.

Getting to see episode after episode where there are scenes at a time containing a majority (up to 100%) of women and/or POC characters with executive agency, and none of those characters are token or temporary but were placed there with intent to normalize a diversified cast.

My absolute favorite episode of all time, 4x15 Self Control.

Things I am not looking forward to:

**Lincoln.  I’ve seen these seasons four times and just now I had to google his name because I wasn’t sure it wasn’t Logan.  He’s garbage and I’m glad he’s dead.  Other opinions are available.

Misc. Thoughts

*I said I wouldn’t name names but Adrianne Palicki is a C-lister who can swing a B+ if the stars align. I love Bobbi, though, especially the way the character’s reputation precedes her, how her adorableness complements her badassness.  In fact, the character’s a great foil to May, who is also a badass lady and S-tier agent but has a completely different approach to being those things.  Bobbi’s a reminder that badassness and aloofness are not correlated at all.  Also there’s a headcanon out there that she’s non-binary (one of the reasons she prefers Bobbi over Barbara) and that is a concept I can get behind.  Bobbi’s perfect and I’ll fight you if you don’t agree.

Poor Trip!!!!!!!  When you always start from Season 2, he’s really just a flash in the pan, there and gone.  I’ve always been like, “well, he didn’t really have a home here, no carved-out niche, so I guess getting Coulson’d and becoming something to avenge is the best a character like him is gonna get.”  But now that I see that he comes late to the game as a literal stand in for Ward, his story is that much sadder.  He was never intended to BE a character.  He’s introduced with Garrett as a pawn/distraction during this arc’s who-is-Hydra shell game, he’s kept to demonstrate what kind of friend and agent Ward should have been, his defining character trait as a gentle flirt only serves as a catalyst for Fitz’s coming to terms with his feelings for Simmons.  The poor guy is just a walking plot point, up until the bitter end.  :<

I had entirely forgotten and/or never tracked the fact that Fury put together Coulson’s team specifically to monitor him after project T.A.H.I.T.I.  I’d forgotten the distrust Coulson has for May after he perceives that she has betrayed him by being a part of this.  It’s a season-specific reveal that is literally never mentioned again.  It’s important to the fabric of the narrative of that particular arc, offering up May alongside Ward and Trip as fodder for the aforementioned shell game, but the true inciting incident of this entire show just gets swept under the rug and ceases to matter.  I’m kind of :/ about that.

When you’re bi and non-binary, you’ll get a lot of mileage out of wanting to be/be with Daisy and/or Fitz, don’t judge me

In conclusion, Season 1 is the opposite of literal garbage, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is my favorite show and my favorite MCU movie, Daisy Johnson is my favorite Marvel superhero (not related to Season 1 but still true), and nobody had better spoil Season 7 for me pleaAAASE don’t let it happen.

[liugeaux]

The Master of Blasting

Months ago, once I realized my Retron had a save-state feature, something got into me. I realized I could go back to old retro games and actually finish them. Sure, I played 100s of games in the 8 & 16-bit eras, but I’ve never been that good at anything with a steep difficulty. Most games of the late-80s, early 90s were punishingly tough and typically, without cheat codes I never got to see the end of them.  

After playing through all the old Donkey Kong Country games and Sonic the Hedgehog 1, I turned my eye towards a peculiar series I had only dabbled in before, Blaster Master. With the release of Blaster Master Zero on Switch, I was extra interested in diving into the well-regarded B-tier NES original.  

With a little research, I found that a total of 8 Blaster Master games have been released...that’s when the classic Sergio completist kicked in. I convinced myself that I shouldn’t play the new Switch games until I’ve completed all of the retro titles. When I began my journey I didn’t realize it would be such a headache.  Here’s my run-through of all the Blaster Master Games.  

1988 - Blaster Master (NES)

Ah, the original. This little game has a charm to it that most games of the late 80′s don’t have. It was clearly inspired by Nintendo published games like Metroid and Zelda. Blaster Master’s key gimmick is the ability to play as the armored tank Sophia the 3rd or as an on-foot character named Jason, the pilot of the tank. As needed, Jason jumps out of the tank and enters human-sized doors.

Blaster Master is a 2D platformer, but once Jason enters a door, the game switches to an overhead perspective for navigation through maze-like dungeons. None of the mazes are particularly hard to solve, but all of the game’s bosses are found in these dungeons. As a kid, having a game that completely switched perspectives was rad. I never owned it as a child, but I vividly remember my time with it through rentals and such.  

This first game is super hard and I found myself using known glitches to get past the game’s harder boss sequences. In true Metroidvania-style, there’s heavy backtracking throughout Blaster Master and if you don’t know where you’re going getting to the next level can be quite annoying. Having played the whole game, I can finally say that despite a super strong first impression, Blaster Master isn’t that great. 

It's WAY too hard and by the halfway point the luster had worn off the unique gameplay. For some reason, this is the point where I decided to dive headfirst into the rest of the Blaster Master games. I’m a glutton for punishment I guess.  

1991 -  Blaster Master Boy (Game Boy)

Prior to playing the original, I had no idea there were so many titles in this series. I definitely didn’t know there were multiple portable entries. Blaster Master Boy is less a Blaster Master game and more a Bomberman game. Technically its a sequel to the Bomberman spin-off Robo-Warrior. A quick trip over to Youtube can confirm that the gameplay and music are lifted directly from Robo-Warrior. To add even more confusion, in Japan, Robo-Warrior was called Bomber-King, Blaster Master Boy was Bomber-King Scenario 2 and it wasn’t even published by the same company.  

Because of this weirdness, I didn’t spend too much time with Blaster Master Boy. It also didn’t help that there isn’t a decently priced copy anywhere on the internet.  

1993 - Blaster Master 2 (Genesis)

Five years after the original, Blaster Master returned to the console market with Blaster Master 2. It was a Sega Genesis exclusive and the only title in the series released in the 16-bit era. Playing this immediately after the original really made it quite hard. The controls aren’t as precise and the difficultly level is somehow ratcheted up. Blaster Master 2 is a more straight forward platformer without the backtracking of a traditional Metroidvania. 

Unlike the first game, when you enter the human sections of the game, you don’t start a top-down sequence. Instead, the pilot levels are 2D platform shooter areas. All of these seem half-baked, clunky and compared to the game’s contemporaries, quite sad. Fortunately, top-down gameplay wasn’t completely abandoned, before the end of each level there’s an odd top-down sequence, where you pilot Sophia. This mechanic never returns in future games, but taking the rest of the game into consideration, it really isn’t terrible.  

Unfortunately, there’s not much good to say about Blaster Master 2, It hits most of the design notes that the first one hits but the entire experience feels like it was made by a completely different team. Funny enough, after saying that, I looked it up and Blaster Master 2 was, in fact, made by a completely different team. Ha! 

The game’s only saving grace is its vivid color pallet and solid sprite design. Like the first game, the music solid, but unless you’re taking a trip through the whole series like me, Blaster Master 2 can be skipped.   

2000 - Blaster Master: Enemy Below (Game Boy Color)

It took Sunsoft awhile to get around to the Blaster Master series again, but in 2000 they came out swinging. Blaster Master: Enemy Below was released for Game Boy Color and of all the games on this list, it is the game that most resembles the original. Much of the art is designed to look nearly identical to the NES games’, even down to a nearly pixel-perfect recreation of the SOPHIA tank.   

The top-down Jason segments return as does the extreme difficulty and fantastic soundtrack. It’s hard to really complain about the execution of this title. It was clearly an attempt at just trying to make the closest thing they could to the original and in many ways, it is a tighter and more consistent experience. Unfortunately, that’s also a strike against it. Enemy Below doesn’t bring anything new to the table. The bosses are basic re-hashes of the originals, the levels feel like a “lost levels” DLC pack and the game being portable doesn’t really encourage innovation.  

I guess the coolest thing I can say about Enemy Below is that it's still available for purchase. On the 3DS Virtual Console, you can pick up Enemy Below for about $5. At that price, it’s easy to recommend, especially since it comes with built-in save-state functionality.  

2001 - Blaster Master: Blasting Again (Playstation)

Also, released in 2000 (in Japan, 2001 in North America), is the weirdest game in the series to date, Blaster Master: Blasting Again. For those of you too young to remember, the Playstation/N64 era of video games was full of 2D series trying their hand at 3D games. Blasting Again is an egregious example of this frustrating industry trend. You still pilot a tank, with all the same features, like homing missiles, and hover, but you’re dropped into a fully realized 3D world with painfully bad anime cut-scenes.  

The “Jason” sequences are still here, but they too are 3D and mundanely boring. Also, with this being an official sequel to the original, you play as Jason’s son Roddy, not Jason. Much of the music from earlier in the series is remixed, and rerecorded, so not all is lost in the odd one-off. Unfortunately, the antiquated tank controls and punishing difficulty makes Blasting Again hard to recommend. I was able to play it on PS3 with no issues, but the toggle switch for the digital and analog controls was initially hard to find.  

I ended up sinking about 40 hours into finally beating this tragedy. I wasn’t able to use save states and despite it being objectively bad, I grew to love it’s janky and unfair presentation. As a whole, these games have really tested my ability to control my anger, but Blasting Again was the first one to truly get all the way under my skin.  

2010 - Blaster Master: Overdrive (WiiWare)

Notice, I have yet to say any of these games are good, that’s because they aren’t. What they have is a charm to them that conjures the aura of the scrappy beginnings of gaming and the forced appreciation of only owning 4 games that had no checkpoints. Thus far, despite initial misgivings, I’ve enjoyed my time on this journey. Blaster Master: Overdrive is where that joy ended. The fun I was having with the series was taken out back, brutally beaten, and left to die in the town square as an example to anyone daring to play this absolute nightmare.

Overdrive starts innocently enough. It does it’s best to try and evoke the gameplay and tone of the original and for what it's worth the art style isn’t terrible. The Sophia and Jason gameplay loops are in-tact and even the gun-upgrades are more important than ever. Where Overdrive falls apart is its difficulty and embarrassing lack of control options.  

I’m sure most of you are at least familiar with the Wii-Remote. With this being a Wii-Ware only game, it could only be played with the Wii-Remote. The real downside is that the developer either ran out of time or opted not to explore the myriad of control options the Wii offered. There’s no classic controller support, no Gamecube controller support, there’s not even a way to map buttons to a nun-chuck. You are stuck playing with the Wii-Remote turned sideways.  

This wouldn’t be that big of a deal if they had found a better way to implement strafing into the controls. To strafe, the player must hold the B button. That’s the button underneath the Wii-Remote. In a world where the player is using the remote like an old-school NES controller, B button usage is a legit finger-bending-nightmare. Couple this broken control scheme with punishing difficulty and you have the perfect recipe for rage-quitting. I‘m not proud of my behavior during my time with this game and let’s just say I own 1 less Wii-Remote now.

The last thing I want to say about Overdrive is less about the game itself and more about its availability. The Wiiware marketplace is 100% closed, which means there’s no legit way to purchase this game, outside of buying someone’s Wii who had already bought it. This is an ominous foreshadowing of things to come. I would have paid for this game. Hell, I’m deep enough into this BM adventure I would have paid a premium to play this dumb game, but Nintendo’s shut-down of the Wii-Ware shop is a low-key attack on game preservation that us archivist, CANNOT forget. *steps off of soap-box* 

2017 - Blaster Master Zero (Switch/Steam)

With the release of Blaster Master Zero, the series got the most attention it’s had since the original game. Most of that attention was because Zero was basically a launch game for the Switch. The best way to describe Zero is to say that it’s developer Inti’s attempt to take the Blaster Master formula and actually make a decent game. For the most part, they succeed. Oddly enough, almost 30 years later, Zero is the first legitimately good Blaster Master game.  

Much like Enemy Below, Zero tries its hardest to evoke the look of the original NES game. Some refer to games like this as pixel art, others refer to it as lazy...I float somewhere in the middle on it. It was great playing a Blaster Master game with a proper controller where the mechanics actually work. However, it was frustrating seeing a game, based on a design aesthetic that hit its ceiling in the late 80s, try to beautify itself. Many attempts were made to make the design stand out, but it just kept hitting the ceiling established by its predecessors.  

Alternately, by Inti making the game super-playable, the flaws of the older games stand out even more than before. Typically, good Metroidvania’s have an intuitive way of hinting at where you need to go next or a good way of telling you what access you’re new power-ups give you. Due to Zero’s obsession with evoking the original, that intuitive gameplay is replaced with a red box on the map screen. This turns the game into a “drive to red box, shoot things, drive to next red box and shoot more things, experience”, rather than the naturally explorative nature of other games in its genre. The anime story seemed unnecessary from the start, but I’m sure someone will enjoy it. 

While playing Zero I honestly asked myself, “Is this game way easier than the older games, or can I finally control this little tank properly?” I’m sure the real answer is somewhere between those two extremes, but ultimately Zero was a blast, albeit WAY too easy. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the sequel improves upon this wonderful jumping-off point. However, I’m positive I’ll be disappointed that more wasn’t done to bring the series into the modern 2D-platforming space.   

2019 - Blaster Master Zero 2 (Switch)

Zero 2 is very much a sequel to Zero. In true anime fashion, the story immediately gets super self-serious and consequently superfluous. I’m sure some players will love the dialog between protagonist Jason and all of the various anime-faced characters, but that’s not what I’m here for. Needless to say, the story gets involved in ways other Blaster Master games haven’t. That’s not a strike against it, it’s just a characteristic that may not actually matter.  

All previous mechanics are intact here and new ones are introduced almost immediately. If Zero was truly the first good Blaster Master game, then the refinements introduced in Zero 2 make it...wait for it...THE BEST BLASTER MASTER GAME EVER MADE! It controls well, the levels are interestingly built, and where previous sequels in the series lacked innovation, Zero 2 is full of cool and weird, new stuff. The bosses are fresh and interesting, the Jason sequences have been enhanced with a brand new counter mechanic and the space travel segments add a level of depth not seen in previous games.  

I hate that I’m being so positive about the game. It’s been so much fun talking shit about Blaster Master games. Unlike the previous game, developer Inti found a way to modernize the gameplay and still make a genuinely challenging experience. I had trouble with multiple bosses, but never did I feel like the game was unfair, or something was broken. Many of the additions to the story also benefited the gameplay. Something as simple as making the Frog from the original game the reason Jason can immediately leave dungeons serves both the story and gameplay.  

This has been a long journey, and the real hero is Inti Creates. Hopefully, Zero and Zero 2 have done well. The work put in by Inti deserves praise. They have perfected a formula that’s been pending since 1988. Both titles are only $10 on the Switch shop, and at that price, you are basically stealing them. Anyone with a Switch has no reason not to pick at least one of them up and check it out.   

As for the series itself...I have very mixed feelings. There are very few good Blaster Master games. It's a series that trades in loose nostalgia for a widely forgotten NES game. From that, a bunch of often half-hearted sequels were developed trying to capitalize on the little bit of cache the original game still has. I don’t regret my time with the series and I think more titles deserve the Blaster Master treatment, but subjectively, I wouldn’t recommend anyone pick up any games outside of the original and the 2 newest Switch titles.  

[libertariantaoist]

Israel’s champions owe us an explanation. First, they insist that Israel is and always must be a Jewish state, by which most of them mean not religiously Jewish but of the “Jewish People” everywhere, including Jews who are citizens of other states and not looking for a new country. To be Jewish, according to the prevailing view, it is enough to have a Jewish mother (or to have been converted by an approved Orthodox rabbi). Belief in one supreme creator of the universe, in the Torah as the word of God, and in Jewish ritual need have nothing whatever to do with Jewishness. (We ignore here the many problems with this conception, such as: how can there be a secular Judaism?)

The definition of Jew has been bitterly controversial inside and outside of Israel since its founding. The point is, as anthropologist Roselle Tekiner wrote, “When the central task of a state is to import persons of a select religious/ethnic group — and to develop the country for their benefit alone — it is crucially important to be officially recognized as a bona fide member of that group.” (This is from the anthology Anti-Zionism: Analytical Reflections, which is not online and is apparently out of print. But see Tekiner’s article, “Israel’s Two-Tiered Citizenship Law Bars Non-Jews From 93 Percent of Its Lands.”)

Second, Israel’s champions insist that Israel is a democracy — indeed, the only democracy in the Middle East. They vehemently object whenever someone demonstrates how Israel-as-the-state-of-the-Jewish-People must harm the 25 percent of Israeli citizens who are not Jewish, most of whom are Arabs.

Israeli law uniquely distinguishes citizenship from nationality. The nationality of an Israeli Arab citizen is “Arab” not Israeli, while the nationality of a Jewish citizen is “Jewish” not Israeli. Are citizens of any other country distinguished in law like that? The prohibition on marriage between Jews and non-Jews is not the result of political bargaining with religious parties but of a desire to protect the Jewish people from impurity. These contortions are required by Israel’s self-declared status as something other than the land of all its citizens. Early Zionists said they wanted Palestine to be as Jewish as Britain is British and France is French — a flagrant category mistake that has had horrific consequences for the Palestinians.

The insistence by Israel’s supporters — that Israel can be both Jewish and democratic — thus is puzzling. What does it mean for Israel to be a Jewish state if that status has no real consequences for non-Jews? If all it meant was that the Star of David was on the flag, we might hear far fewer objections to Israel. But of course it means much more.

To see what it means, one has to look beyond Israel’s Declaration of Independence, Basic Law (its de facto constitution), and specific statutes, which contain language that on its face forbids discrimination against non-Jews. We should know better than to take official documents at face value. What matters in any society is the “real constitution,” the principles that underlie commonly accepted behavior. The old Soviet Union’s constitution listed freedom of the press among the “rights” of Soviet citizens, and the U.S. Constitution says that only Congress may declare war and that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

More pertinent, the 1917 Balfour Declaration, wherein the British government “view[ed] with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people,” also stated that “it [was] clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.” We know how that worked out.

So what’s the story inside Israel? (I’m not talking about the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which Israel has occupied for 52 years and where Palestinians have no rights whatever.)

After doing an interview recently about my new book, Coming to Palestine, I was challenged by a listener over my statements that the Israeli government treats Arab and Jewish criminals differently depending on whether they shed “Jewish blood” or “Arab blood” (no such distinction actually exists) and that political parties can’t call for changing Israel from a Jewish state to a state of _all _its citizens.

Who is right?

Regarding criminal justice, Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy shows anecdotally that Arab Israeli citizens who kill Jews can spend more time in prison than Israeli Jewish citizens who kill Arabs. “Arab blood is cheaper in Israel,” Levy wrote in 2014, “and Jewish blood is thicker.” He says things are the same today. Over the years, many articles have been published documenting this de facto, though not de jure, disparity. Indeed, Haaretz reported in 2011 that

Arab Israelis who have been charged with certain types of crime are more likely than their Jewish counterparts to be convicted, and once convicted they are more likely to be sent to prison, and for a longer time. These disparities were found in a recent statistical study commissioned by Israels Courts Administration and the Israel Bar Association…. The [unpublished preliminary] study is unique in that it is the first of its kind to be commissioned and funded in part by the courts administration, and in that it sought to examine claims by attorneys that Israeli judges deal more harshly with Arab criminals than with Jews.

Note that government discrimination against non-Jews across the spectrum of issues is not usually written into the law, although it may be. Mostly flagrantly, discrimination is legally applied to the “right of return.” People defined as Jews, no matter where they were born or live, can become Israeli citizens/nationals virtually on arrival, while Arabs driven from their ancestral homes in 1947-48 and 1967 may not go back, much less become full-rights citizens/nationals. Put concretely, I, an atheist born in Philadelphia to Jewish parents born in Philadelphia (with roots likely in the vicinity of the Black Sea), can “return” [sic] to Israel and become an Israeli citizen at once, while my friend Raouf Halaby, a naturalized American citizen born to Arab Christian parents in west Jerusalem three years before Israel was founded, may not. The only difference is that my mother was Jewish, making me, a Spinozist, a Jewish national in Israel’s eyes, and Raouf’s mother was not.

Regarding restrictions on political parties, the Basic Law: The Knesset states:

A candidates’ list [party] shall not participate in elections to the Knesset, and a person shall not be a candidate for election to the Knesset, if the objects or actions of the list or the actions of the person, expressly or by implication, include…:

1.

1.

1.

negation of the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state;…

Before proceeding, let us note a conundrum. The issue I’m raising here is whether a state be both Jewish and democratic. The root of the word democracy _is _demos, _people. _So if the raison d’être of Israel is the welfare of only _some _of its citizens and millions of certain others who are citizens and residents of other countries, how can Israel be a real democracy? Strictly speaking, considering that word and, the law’s language legitimizes a party that “negat[es] the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish … state” but not as a democratic state. Would the Israeli election authorities accept that distinction? I don’t think so.

In the past the Israeli Supreme Court has reversed government bans on a party’s or candidate’s inclusion in an election. Particular cases will revolve around the exact wording of a party’s mission statement or candidate’s platform, and legal language is subject to endless, unpredictable, and political interpretation. But, regardless, the government has the power to ban at its disposal, and future Supreme Courts may not be so liberal. So the threat of a ban always looms. Incidentally, a party or candidate that engages in “incitement to racism” is also ineligible to participate in elections, yet this provision has yet to be applied to Jewish parties and politicians, such as Likud and Benjamin Netanyahu, that routinely spout racist rhetoric.

Israel’s champions also deny that Arab Israelis — citizens, mind you — have grossly inferior access to land, most of which is owned by a “public” authority and the Jewish National Fund (very little is privately owned); building and village permits; public utilities; education; roads; and other government-controlled services and resources. The Israeli government has carried out programs in the Galilee and Negev, known as Judaization, from which Arab Israelis, especially Bedouins, have been cleared to make way for Jewish Israelis. Such restrictions inside Israel have the stink of apartheid.

In his book Palestinians in Israel: Segregation, Discrimination, and Democracy, Ben White documents that the Israeli government allocates resources — unsurprisingly — just as one would expect, considering that Israel by its founding doctrine is not the land of all of its citizens but only of some. This doctrine was reinforced last year in the Nation-State Law, which declares that “The right to exercise national self-determination in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish people.”

So, as Israel’s champions say, all Israeli citizens are indeed equal. It’s just that some — those whose nationality is “Jewish” — are more equal than others — those whose nationality is “Arab” or anything else but “Jewish.”

Read More

[ruoyeming]

My Fav Books, another chaotic list

Another quarantine review fest! I know I ranked my top anime but this is seriously too hard so I’m just going to list them to avoid hours of debate. Enjoy!

1) The Skulduggery Pleasant series

This whopper of a series (now at 15 books jesus christ I didn’t know there were that many I’ve only read about twelve) has a special place in my heart. I was FULLY obsessed with it throughout my tween - and teen - years, and for a reason. This shit just butters my bread like nothing else. The story follows a young girl Valkyrie Cain (who eventually becomes a young woman through the series) and her partner in crime, a fashionable living skeleton called Skulduggery Pleasant. They’re MAGICAL DETECTIVES!!!! Bitch!!! They use elemental magic - water, earth, fire, air - to fight off magic-wielding bad guys and look good doing it. The duo is hilarious and seriously shaped my sense of humour, the dry wit and comedic writing style stuck with me and influenced my own writing style to this day! As the series progresses we get a massive cast of characters but to me they’re all memorable, likable (mostly) and well-developed so that’s not an issue. I have no fukcing clue how Derek Landy comes up with his stories because every book in the series has an absolutely wild (yet unique) plot with its own twists and turns. It gets REALLY dark and depressing at times, gory, brutal etc etc especially in the later books I have no idea why this is labeled as a kids series.

10/10 for badassery, humour, and MAD codependency issues

2) The Feverwake series

This bitch is one hell of a YA series. It’s actually only a 2 book-series which is rare, but that’s not the only thing that sets it apart from other creations of its genre. It’s hard to explain the setup without waffling so I’ll just quote the blurb of the first book: “In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.

The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear.”

As you can tell from this, the series is heavy on its politics but in a grounded, realistic and relevant way which is different to many other YA series. Marxist theory is brought up, and you can make some pretty strong links between the books and real events. The magic also has a semi-scientific explanation which is cool and adds to the realness. Anyways this series is action packed and full of twists, plus there’s a bisexual main character and queer romance at the core!! Wig!!! Very good for moral debate - how far is it acceptable to go to protect the oppressed before you become one of the oppressors? Dark and exciting series.

10/10 queer representation and political themes.

3) Spin the Dawn

It’s probably obvious that I’m biased towards YA books but they’re just so exciting and cool! Anyways this is about a girl living in a kind of alternate universe ancient China where magic exists. Maia Tamarin is a skilled seamstress who dreams of being the Imperial Tailor, a position that can only be held by a man. She poses as her brother to go to the royal palace and enter a competition full of skilled tailors, all vying for the role of imperial tailor. She also meets Edan; a mysterious, annoying, but SEXY mage who seems to know her secret identity? Oho? IMO this would be an elevated book if Edan had been a girl but that’s just me being gay. As the final challenge Maia is tasked with making 3 dresses from the sun, moon, and stars - a mission that takes her to the ends of the world in search of these magical materials (obvs Edan goes with her and they kiss kiss fall in love). It’s a fairly classic YA plot and characters but the combination of Project Runway, Mulan, and kind of Lord of the Rings(??) vibes makes for a very entertaining read. It’s also really fun to imagine what the clothes look like, plus the romance between Maia and Edan is very cute. Second book is yet to be published but sounds lit.

10/10 magic fashion and romance (despite its heterosexuality)

4) Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Usually I steer clear of angsty gay stories because I’ve consumed too much of the depressing narrative which is all about suffering because of being gay, but fuuuuuuck this book is like the definition of bittersweet. Mostly bitter to be fair but it has a happy ending which was lovely after the emotional torment of the book. It’s about two teen boys - Aristotle is angry and repressed, Dante is eccentric but kind, and the two eventually form a strong friendship after meeting at the local pool. It’s kind of obvious that Ari is in denial about a few things, which leads to some real sad boi hours. There’s also a devastating moment around halfway (not sure) through with a car accident which makes the whole thing 10x heavier. Despite all this, the book has its sweet moments - parents play a big role, but not in the way they usually do in queer stories - and like I said the ending is the bandage for your broken heart. I’m not sure what it is about the writing style, maybe the way it just cuts between scenes randomly or perhaps the way the dialogue and actions are so realistic, but it’s so different to any other book I’ve read that it’s stayed in my mind for a while after reading it.

10/10 really good philosophy plus supportive parents

5) The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

Okay if this was a ranked list, this bad boy would be on its way to the top spot. It’s got everything: historical setting, gays, pirates, alchemy, humour, adventure, angst, character development, and some healthy second-hand embarrassment. It’s not complicated or philosophical but reading this book all in one go is like taking five shots and diving into a pool. It’s exciting and witty, but deals with darker themes like child abuse too. One of the MCs also has a disability and doesn’t treat it as something to be cured, which is a lesson our protagonist has to learn. Speaking of protagonists, Henry ‘Monty’ Montague is a great main character. He’s obnoxious, oblivious, and hedonistic yet quick-witted and passionate, and he has a good heart. Sometimes you just want to grab him by the shoulders and shake him for being such an ignorant idiot, but throughout the book he grows and learns to open his mind more (as well as becoming more humble). He’s a great example of a flawed yet likable main character. He is also a bisexual icon.

Oof forgot to even talk about the story. Monty embarks on a tour of Europe, usually taken by lads his age to get all cultured before they settle down and inherit the family company or whatever. With him are his younger sister Felicity, a girl with a brilliant mind for science who isn’t taken seriously by anyone because of her gender, and the lovely Percy, Monty’s lifelong best friend (and crush). Monty ends up stealing a very valuable object that turns the Tour into a manhunt across Europe, and drags the trio into a big ol’ conspiracy involving something that may or may not be the philosopher’s stone????

Issues of race, gender, and disability in historical context are really well done, and it’s an absolute banger of a book.

10/10 very exciting adventure, plus GREAT GAY ROMANCE

6) Heaven Official’s Blessing

HOOOOOO BOY. This is probably my absolute fave on this list. It’s a webnovel (originally Chinese but the full translation is online). Set in ancient china in the cultivation world (difficult as shit to explain if ur not into all of that but I’ll try), basically there’s three realms - the heavenly realm, the human/mortal realm, and the ghostly realm. If a mortal reaches a certain point (good deeds, power etc), they ascend to become a god - or if they fall far enough, they become a ghost. 

I’ll just quote the author’s description again cause I don’t have the brain cells required:

 “Eight hundred years ago, Xie Lian was the Crown Prince of the Xian Le kingdom. He was loved by his citizens and was considered the darling of the world. He ascended to the Heavens at a young age; however, due to unfortunate circumstances, was quickly banished back to the mortal realm. Years later, he ascends again–only to be banished again a few minutes after his ascension. Now, eight hundred years later, Xie Lian ascends to the Heavens for the third time as the laughing stock among all three realms. On his first task as a god thrice ascended, he meets a mysterious demon who rules the ghosts and terrifies the Heavens, yet, unbeknownst to Xie Lian, this demon king has been paying attention to him for a very, very long time.”

It’s hard to describe the enormity of this story and all the emotions it encapsulates, you really have to read it for yourself. But bitch the undying, pure, Hozier-devotion-level LOVE is by far my favourite part of this story. If you’re looking for an epic, god-tier gay romance, then this is it baby!! This story has comedy, action, and downright harrowingly depressing moments, but throughout is this achingly beautiful love between fallen god and last believer.

I don’t wanna give too much away cause there are some big ol’ plot reveals, but oooh this shit made me cry. The protagonist is MY FAVOURITE EVER I didn’t think it was possible to like a protag so much!! He’s legit my fave character! At first he seems oblivious and carefree but he’s just doing his goddamn best after all he’s been through and he’s so fukcing kind and just wants to help everyone for fuckcs sake excuse me I need to go have a breakdown.

Okay I’m back, anyway there’s a great cast of characters, even the background characters are all incredibly memorable and all given their time to shine and develop. My faves include Quan Yizhen, a rowdy himbo who just wants to fight, and Shi Qing Xuan, a friendly genderfluid god who controls the wind. Read this shit I’m not joking it’ll change your life. 

10/10 for everything

[pixelrender]

Top 5 games I played in 2022

I wrote a bit about my gaming in 2022 in the article on games from 2022 I haven’t played. There wasn’t a whole lot of it. I probably couldn’t make a list of proper video games. However I got into digital board gaming about a month ago. I got neck deep and by now I have over 100 games there under my belt. I’ve tried 30 different digital implementations of games (I haven’t got far enough in some of them to really asses my thoughts). A lot of these are super solid games, classics and this list with one exception consists of games I would like to have on my shelf in their physical form. Or their close relative. My new passion for digital board gaming connects to another news. I bought several board games. All of them second hand and I haven’t played any of them yet. But it’s gonna be an interesting base for changes, which my appear in the next edition of my board game wishlist and overall content of posts on this blog.

This year I have quite a list of honorable mentions. These could easily make it top 7 or top 10, but some of them don’t feel like they should be on the list and that the overall number of games is too small for me to have a longer list. Let’s start with Tropico 5. I played quite a bit of it in January and had fairly good time and I would like to return to it, but there’s also a lot I don’t like about it. The central gimmick feels sometimes restrictive, sometimes I started losing after several hours and couldn’t get myself out of the hole in time. I would like it to be slightly more organic and easier to make nice areas around your island. Next on, Soma Union. I def would feature this game if I’ve managed to play more of it. I’ve started playing it some two days ago and I’m not very far. Might be on the list next year. I also want to mention three little web games I played earlier this week. Descent is a cool atmospheric horror puzzle. Karawan is a tight survival snake inspired strategy with cool visuals. Kinsplant is a weird atmospheric multiplayer game about finding and hiding and object. I love the visuals and the atmosphere. I didn’t manage to find the object, but I killed some zombies. I also want to mention some board games, which are great but not quite top tier for me for various reasons. El Grande is a great game and I would live to play it with real people at a real table. I played a turn based digital version. It took weeks and one third in I knew I had already lost. Not the best time, but the game’s good and I would like to play more. Chicago Express is a fast-paced cube rails games. I’ve only played it once but it was really fun and easy to understand. Right now, I’m in a second game with more players and I still like it. Pier 18 is a stylish 18 cards game. It’s very light and fast and the way you score is super fun. It’s just too light to have the same staying power or depth as other games further on the list.

I feel like that’s more than enough for honorable mentions. Now, the list. An aside. It’s always more difficult to find pictures for board games, especially older ones. I used some pictures from Bgg. The pictures for Obsession and Tinner’s Trail are official. Carnegie uses a 3D render provided by the publisher. Assyria uses a picture from the bgg user Colin Jennings and Kingdom Builder a picture from the user Svetlana.

5. Kingdom Builder

Before playing it I heard about Kingdom Builder that it is too abstracted and that it’s too random without sufficient depth. It might be true if you play it casually. But this very simple set of rules presents a great competitive game. Learning to use randomness and mitigate it is a big part of enjoyment. Various scoring cards and special tiles change the way the game plays and the way it scores. Merchants turn it into a game of connections (almost a cube rails game), Lords make it an area majority game. The game shines at three players. The board doesn’t feel crowded, but blocking and grabbing these special tiles is more important than with two. Also it’s less likely that you get stuck with bad cards, because it’s more likely that someone blocks off the rest of the territory or something. I like this one as a digital game but I wouldn’t mind trying a physical version with expansions or its sequel, Winter Kingdom.

4. Carnegie

Carnegie is the new hotness, the highest ranking game on BGG from 2022. There is a good reason for that. The game offers a great mix of mechanisms, fun engine building and worker manipulation and action selection and it is layered and brainy and satisfying. There’s a lot of depth to it and I know I still have a long way to make every move of mine good and satisfying, to utilize all of the rooms in your headquarters well. But learning the fine intricacies of this game is part of the fun and pulling out an occasional big move feels just good. The game looks classy too and I wouldn’t mind having a copy of this Ian O’Toole illustrated masterpiece at home.

3. Tinner’s Trail

This is a game I enjoyed the most. Its mechanisms feel thematic and you interact with other players a lot. Basically, it’s an action point game with auctions and resource extractions. Every decision feels important in more ways. It also left me curious about another Martin Wallace design - Brass. I like that production more and I feel like a little more crunchier version of this might be even more fun. Here, the board is too busy for me to like it as a physical item. Still, it’s a lot of fun with many difficult decisions.

2. Assyria

I find this to be the exactly kind of the game I would like to have in my collection to pull out once or twice a year. The game is highly interactive (most of my fav board games have that in common, I find myself disliking multiplayer solitaire and cooperative games) and actually fairly light. The combination of mechanisms make it feel, at least to me, very thematic. The way you need to feed your huts and the way they get at the end of round flushed away by floods puts me in sandals of that ancient nomadic chief. The way you score points is mildly point salad-y but in a good way. There are not many choices or decisions but every decision feels interesting and important. Even the way you can sacrifice some of your huts in order to be first one to play is interesting. This game is a hidden gem and I expect it to get a new version and well-deserved recognition.

1. Obsession

Yes, I might be slightly overhyped here, because I crushed my opponents in the single game of this I have played so far, but I like this a whole bunch starting with the production. I just want to have this on my table. Cards, tiles and wooden meeples, all of it looks exquisite and helps the overall theme. The game feels extremely thematic as you are hosting various parties and other events in various rooms of your estate and use your servants to host them. The last part are guests. You’re trying to get the best hand of guest possible, but I wouldn’t call it a deck building game. The game presents you with many options and none of them feels boring, even passing and replenishing your hand is good and rewarded with some money. I can’t wait to play more, but I also want to chat more during the game and really got into the role of Victorian aristocracy. It’s just pure joy.

And that’s it for this year. Next year, hopefully video games are back and board games aren’t just their digital implementations. Look at it, real things look so nice and tactile.

[thatboomerkid]

The Reverend of Razored Witch-Pyres

The Reverend of Razored Witch-Pyres (a CR 7+ Pathfinder Modern / Urban Fantasy Encounter for Bloodlines & Black Magic)

There are small towns where the Blooded dare not tread.

Little burgs and hamlets, out-of-the-way places like Hobb’s Hollow up in Utah or the quiet city of Rowe over in northwestern Massachusetts. There are thirteen of them in all, and any competent magician of the modern era could probably list at least three off the top of their head: lessons drilled-in by a paranoid mentor during their apprenticeship or else picked-up from idle sessions of rumor, gossip & laughs over drinks with the fellow initiated.

Ask around in any major city and you could probably get a comprehensive list of all thirteen of these infamous scary-spots in a couple of hours. Along with a half-dozen false positives, crackpot theories and bald-faced lies, of course.

These aren’t the sort of towns that you just stumble across, thankfully. Most of ‘em are half-abandoned and far off the beaten path: you’d have to go looking for trouble to wind up there ... or, perhaps, find yourself hopelessly lost following a bad trail of horror about to get a whole lot worse.

Nothing particularly weird can be found-out about these places online, in case you were wondering; the Archons have seen to that, scrubbing the web until it glistens like a raw wound. Feel free to Google them if you don’t mind falling onto a watch-list maintained by the dark heart of the Internet Herself: you’ll find nary a whisper about what happens to those Blooded who set foot in town.

Uncovering the true histories would require access to old & forbidden books, kept by possessive antiquarians in basement vaults under lock & key, salt & spell: held against a purge ordained by the Seven of Secret Names.

These towns? Those of us in the know, we avoid them for fear of the Reverend.

Brought to you absolutely free to play, to test & to share, as always, by the fine folks of my Patreon.

original image from here

Every few years you’ll hear a tale about some brave occultist or another setting up shop in one of these villages: daring the fates, establishing a witch’s circle or a midnight reading-room right there in the shadowy maw of the beast.

Maybe some of these stories are just that: stories. Maybe nobody’s really that stupid. But if you’ve met some of our contemporaries, you know that there’s always someone -- a magus one High Priestess short of a full Tarot deck, if you take my meaning -- dumb enough to try just about any fool errand.

And everything, according to the old legends, seems to go just dandy for a few weeks. Maybe even a few months. On a single occasion, almost a year.

And then one day ... nothing. Not a peep. Every last member of a Bloodline in that town vanishes overnight. Never to be seen or heard-from again.

And life in that quiet little back-country town rolls on, perhaps just a little bit quieter than before. Local police wash out the dead-end alleys; public works officials clear the storm drains. There are bonfires held on the Sabbath, and whispered prayers before bedtime, and everyone pretends they can’t smell the rust on the wind or hear those sharp clicks rattling out of the woods at night.

The Revered walks his appointed rounds slowly ... but he keeps them all the same, with precise & religious care.

NOTE: So, precisely which towns out there exist under the dreadful watch of the Reverend of Razored Witch-Pyres? Well ... that’s been left intentionally vague, allowing for greater flexibility on the part of an individual GM.

Of course, it’s possible that some of these towns are used by cabals loyal to the Archons: a village under the gaze of the Reverend is a safe haven where no servant of the Goetic Spirits might ever dare to meddle or intrude.

They say that in life, long ago, the Reverend of Razored Witch-Pyres -- whatever his name was, it’s been lost to the machinations of our starry masters for many decades -- served the Archons with unparalleled zeal and efficiency: tempering the roaring blaze of his utter hatred with ruthless & icy professionalism.

By the standards of modern psychoanalysis, we would likely term the Reverend a particularly high-functioning sadist & serial killer: he went to elaborate lengths to understand his targets fully before striking, taking great pains to break each of his victims completely -- mind, body and soul -- before performing a uniquely grisly public execution. His life’s work had genuine artistic merit, from a certain point of view, full of profound allegory & subtle poetry.

He worked for the church, and he hunted witches.

At this task, he was without equal; by his deeds, the Veil was maintained & made strong. No one can say precisely how many servants, sycophants & supporters the Goetic Spirits lost to his blades ... but his victims numbered in the dozens if not in the hundreds, and each of his many obscene “performance pieces” surely terrified another dozen or more would-be-arcanists into hiding.

image from here; the Reverend of Razored Witch-Pyres in better days.

In death, the Reverend was rewarded dearly for his strict devotion to the will of the High Seven by no less august a figure than Yasazziel, Grand Archon of Glittering Things and Earthly Delights: he was gifted an Abhorrent Heaven of his very own, a sprawling realm of dark woodlands & villages full of fearful sinners upon which to vent his most grotesque lusts for all eternity.

To this end, his soul was reforged into a new and brutal shape: an Advanced Barbed Devil with the Implacable Stalker template; in this flesh, the Reverend was loaned-out by his mistress to the aid of her sisters on many occasions, rapidly becoming one of the top-tier problem-solvers for the Archons. The Reverend was frequently unleashed to wipe-out entire Lineages that had finally crossed some invisible line or another and drawn the apocalyptic ire of the Masters of Heaven: cities & fortresses alike burned when the Grand Archons took the honorable Reverend out of his toy-box & set him loose in the real world to “make the wicked suffer, as pleases you”.

And then, one day? Something happened. Nobody knows how, precisely, but one group of magicians or another cobbled themselves together a desperate silver bullet, took a long-shot risk ... and it worked. By unknown means -- most-likely an Incantation of incredible power, although nobody’s talking -- the Half-Summoned Creature template (see Bloodlines & Black Magic, pg. 223) was successfully applied to the Reverend.

And it stuck.

He’s slow and confused, these days. Wandering, alone and lost. Can’t tell where he is; can’t get his bearings nor keep his thoughts straight. He wanders between a few familiar cities that remind him of home: stepping casually across the world via greater teleport according to a half-remembered schedule. About once a month, on average -- usually on some high church holiday or the anniversary of an important event in his mortal life -- he’ll experience a full night of clarity.

During these times, he keeps to the code of the Veil: hunting only the Blooded.

He has been killed a few times, since the curse took effect.

It never sticks for long.

Using the Reverend:

If a character’s Threshold increases to an odd number from direct exposure to the presence (or the power) of the Reverend of Razored Witch-Pyres, she may gain one of the following Oddities (roll 1d8):

Your eyes glow like lit cigarettes; this is visible only in the dark. You add produce flame as a 1st level spell to any one spell-list you possess.

You feel heat on the back of your neck and upon your heels whenever you are within 50 feet of a Lawful-aligned non-mundane creature allied to the Archons such as a devil, kyton, angel or inevitable. Note that not all Lawful outsiders are servants of the Archons, and that some Chaotic outsiders are also under their thrall. The range of this ability is halved (to 25 ft.) for mortal Blooded creatures who fit the criteria above, such as Lawful oracles and slayers loyal to the Archons.

You gain an overwhelming scent of brimstone, ash and smoke, and may be freely detected by all opponents within 30 feet purely by sense of smell. If you are upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Your exact location is not revealed, only your presence within range and the general direction toward you. When you are within 5 feet of any creature, however, that creature automatically pinpoints your location even if otherwise blinded to you. Upon whispering a prayer, your stench is suppressed for a number of minutes equal to your level.

You are always treated as if you had directly witnessed the death of the Reverend and are thus susceptible to his Nightmare Resurrection ability. While he is alive, this ability has no effect ... although you often see him in your dreams, calmly watching you.

You develop a severe allergy to silver. If you touch, are touched by or are otherwise exposed to silver or alchemical silver – such as by taking damage from a silver weapon or because you are wearing or carrying silver items – you immediately suffer a –2 penalty to Dexterity and Charisma for 1d4 hours (no save). Multiple separate events of exposure stack, but none of your ability scores can be reduced to zero in this way. In addition, you must stay at least 5 feet away from silver, holy symbols and holy water; you may not choose to move closer to such an object or substance if it is within 20 ft. You also gain immunity to fire.

You gain full knowledge of either the Celestial language or the Infernal tongue (your choice).

You gain vulnerability to fire. If you ever possess less than half of your maximum hit points, you lose this vulnerability and instead gain fire resistance equal to twice your level. You likewise gain this benefit if at least half your body is covered in blood from another source.

Roll 1d6+1 twice, keeping both results. If you gain the same result for both rolls, re-roll one of the dice.

[severepeanutperfection]

Comprehensive Report on Non Commercial Acrylic Paints Market 2021 | Trends, Growth Demand, Opportunities & Forecast To 2028 | Liquitex Artist Materials, Decoart Inc., Winsor & Newton, Reeves, Faber-Castell, Plaid Enterprises Inc.

Market Introduction

Future Market Insights, in its recent study on the US non-commercial acrylic paint market, offers a detailed value analysis of the non-commercial acrylic paint market in the US on the basis of various segments such as type, grade, application, sales channel, and region. The market of non-commercial acrylic paints in the US has been identified as a high-volume, high-value market, with an influx of domestic-based and international manufacturers competing in the market space

The US non-commercial acrylic paint market report covers market analysis through basis point analysis (BPS), incremental dollar opportunity index, market attractiveness analysis, and Y-o-Y growth, covering data for the historical period 2013–2017 and the forecast for 2018–2028, with 2017 as the base year. The volume data has been represented in terms of units with each unit equivalent to 4 oz. of acrylic paint available in tube packs.

Visit For Sample>>https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb–9435

Overview of the Non-Commercial Acrylic Paints Market Report Chapters

The non-commercial acrylic paint market report begins with an executive summary covering a gist of the report. The executive summary highlights the US non-commercial acrylic paint market overview in terms of value through various segments. This section also covers a gross level outlook, and key supply- and demand-side trends of the non-commercial acrylic paint market in the US This section also outlines the success factors along with FMI’s recommendations and interpretation of the market scenario during the research study of the non-commercial acrylic paint market in the US

The next section of the non-commercial acrylic paint market report begins with the market definition, market taxonomy, and research scope of the US non-commercial acrylic paint market. The following scope of market research of non-commercial acrylic paints in the US has been considered.

US Non-Commercial Acrylic Paints Market: Segmentation

Type

Fluid Acrylics

Heavy-Body Acrylics

Slow-Drying Agents

Grade

Artist Grade

Student Grade

For any queries linked with the report, ask an analyst >>https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb–9435

The subsequent section in the US non-commercial acrylic paint market report includes the macroeconomic factors, along with value chain analysis, drivers, restraints, trends, and opportunities that are having a profound rate of influence on the growth of the non-commercial acrylic paint market. The mentioned information has been provided on FMI’s understanding and interpretation backed up with suitable examples and facts as obtained from official and authentic data sources for the non-commercial acrylic paint market in the US

The next section provides a pricing analysis of non-commercial acrylic paints in the US on the basis of paint type, wherein, the weighted average price has been computed to arrive at regional average prices.The primary objective of the non-commercial acrylic paint market report is to offer key insights on competition positioning, current trends, market potential by each segment, growth rates, and other relevant statistics specific to the US market.

Significant insights generated in this research report is in the form of key success factors outline and buying decision analysis which will help the reader to identify key criteria for product selection and preferred types of non-commercial acrylic paints which has helped in growth of their consumption.

The subsequent section of the report provides value (US$ Mn) and volume (tons) projections for the non-commercial acrylic paint market on the basis of the above-mentioned segments at an overall level as well as by individual regions of the US The values for the US non-commercial acrylic paint market represented in this section have been agglomerated by collecting data and information by each individual segment.

All the above sections evaluate the present non-commercial acrylic paint market scenario and growth prospects, while the forecast presented assesses the market size in terms of volume and value. In addition, an outline summary has been provided for each data table/analysis.

In order to understand the key market segments in terms of growth of the US non-commercial acrylic paints across the concerned regions, FMI has developed an attractiveness index that will help providers identify real market opportunities.

Additionally, it is imperative to note that, in a dynamic regional economy, as in this case, we not only assign forecasts in terms of CAGR but furthermore analyse the market on the basis of crucial parameters such as year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth to understand the predictability of the non-commercial acrylic paint market, and identify the accurate opportunities available.

Table Of Content

1. Executive Summary

    1.1. U.S. Market Outlook

    1.2. Demand Side Trends

    1.3. Supply Side Trends

    1.4. Technology Roadmap

    1.5. Analysis and Recommendations

2. Market Overview

    2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy

    2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations

3. Key Market Trends

    3.1. Key Trends Impacting the Market

    3.2. Product Innovation / Development Trends

4. Key Success Factors

    4.1. Product Adoption / Usage Analysis

    4.2. Product USPs / Features

    4.3. Analysis on Scope of Application By End Users (Individual Home vs. Artists/Designers vs. Educational Institutions)

    4.4. Demographic Analysis of U.S. for consumption of Non-Commercial Acrylic Paints

    4.5. Strategic Promotional Strategies

5. U.S. Non-Commercial Acrylic Paints Market Demand Analysis 2013-2017 and Forecast, 2018-2028

    5.1. Historical Market Volume (Units) Analysis, 2013-2017

    5.2. Current and Future Market Volume (Units) Projections, 2018-2028

    5.3. Y-o-Y Growth Trend Analysis

6. U.S. Non-Commercial Acrylic Paints Market – Pricing Analysis

    6.1. Regional Pricing Analysis By Grade

    6.2. Pricing Break-up

           6.2.1. Manufacturer Level Pricing

           6.2.2. Distributor Level Pricing

    6.3. U.S. Average Pricing Analysis Benchmark

7. U.S. Non-Commercial Acrylic Paints Market Demand (in Value or Size in US$ Mn) Analysis 2013-2017 and Forecast, 2018-2028

    7.1. Historical Market Value (US$ Mn) Analysis, 2013-2017

    7.2. Current and Future Market Value (US$ Mn) Projections, 2018-2028

           7.2.1. Y-o-Y Growth Trend Analysis

           7.2.2. Absolute $ Opportunity Analysis

8. Market Background

    8.1. Macro-Economic Factors

           8.1.1. U.S. GDP Growth Outlook

           8.1.2. U.S. Paints Industry Outlook

    8.2. Forecast Factors – Relevance & Impact

    8.3. Value Chain

           8.3.1. List of Manufacturers

           8.3.2. List of Supplier/ Distributors

           8.3.3. Profitability Margin

    8.4. Market Dynamics

           8.4.1. Drivers

                    8.4.1.1. Supply Side

                    8.4.1.2. Demand Side

           8.4.2. Restraints

           8.4.3. Opportunity Analysis

Buy Report >>https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/9435

In the final section of the report, we have provided a competition analysis with market share analysis pertaining to the non-commercial acrylic paint market in the US, and revenue share of manufacturers by a tier-down structure of the US non-commercial acrylic paint market.

In the competition dashboard section of the US non-commercial acrylic paint market report, we have provided a dashboard view of the major players, along with their market shares and key business strategies. This would enable clients to evaluate the strategies that are being deployed by market leaders, and consequently help them develop effective strategies in the non-commercial acrylic paint market. Additionally, the analysis also enlists tier-2 players’ intensity of presence in the US domestic market, along with a competitive benchmarking based on product portfolio strength and brand visibility.

Research Methodology

The first stage of the non-commercial acrylic paints research for the US market entailed the formulation of a preliminary hypothesis, which was considered from primary as well as secondary approaches. To analyse the US non-commercial acrylic paint market share and competition analysis, we tracked the key developments related to non-commercial acrylic paints, such as collaborations, expansions, mergers & acquisitions, new orders, product launches, and awards and recognitions for companies operating in the market. A competition dashboard has been provided for the top 7 competitors with respect to market share and performance in the US non-commercial acrylic paint market.

Explore Wide-ranging Coverage of Various Reports

Amines Market FMI’s analysis gives an insight into key market trends, strategies, regional players and various segments on the basis of form, type, application and region.

Firearm Lubricants Market Find insights into global market scenario and segmentation on the basis of ingredients, application, source and region.

Specialty Silica Market FMI’s report highlights parent market trends and strategies in the market with segments and dynamics through the forecast period (2019-2029).

About FMI

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India. FMI’s latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.

Contact

Mr. Abhishek Budholiya Unit No: AU-01-H Gold Tower (AU), Plot No: JLT-PH1-I3A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates MARKET ACCESS DMCC Initiative For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com For Media Enquiries: press@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com