sniperct · 10 months ago
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Ah, because I'm a nerd and I find this stuff fascinating, my favorite time of year, when star citizen releases their financials for the previous year (in this case, for 2022)
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Some numbers of interest by the end of 2022
headcount: 860 worldwide
Salaries and related costs excluding the publishing/marketing teams: 56M
Other Game Dev (overheads,studio rentals, travel, etc): 18.4M
Contracted Game Dev ( external services and dev teams): 9.5M
Publishing/community/marketing: 29.9m
Accounting/Admin and legal fees: 1.4 Million
Capital expenditures (hardware/software, fixtures, offices, server upgrades etc): 12.9 million USD
All told they took in 130.7 million and spent 129.5 million or thereabouts.
In other words, they're spending almost as much as they bring in.
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ejzah · 3 months ago
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Would you be interested in writing a little something related to Kip and Deeks? I’ve always wanted to read about how Deeks tells Kip about Kensi. Obviously he knows a bit of his feelings/attraction based on how he was teasing Deeks. Would love to read a few small snippets of conversations between them.
I love your writing. It makes my day to see a new post.
A/N: Hi anon! That’s so sweet of you. Thank you!
I probably have written a version of this before, not that I recall exactly what (😂), so if this seems familiar, I do apologize.
***
Just Between Two Friends
2011
Deeks first met Kip Brigham in sixth grade. Back then, Kip was a skinny little kid five inches shorter than Deeks and on the quiet side. They played basketball every chance they got; sometimes with Ray or a couple other guys, but mostly just each other until they got on the high school team in ninth grade.
Since then, their friendship had experienced ebbs and flows. Before NCIS, Deeks hadn’t seen Kip in months due to his undercover work.
Now, they were spread out on Kip’s couch—a ridiculous leather thing that probably cost more than all of Deeks’ furniture combined—after spending the morning surfing.
“You know, if you hadn’t been all about pursuing justice and all that crap, you could have gone pro,” Kip commented, slouched in one corner with his feet up on a glass table in front of him, an overpriced smoothie bowl in his lap. Deeks didn’t begrudge Kip’s success at all, but he certainly didn’t mind the perks.
“I’m glad you think so highly of my former professional aspirations,” Deeks said, grinning to let him know he didn’t take it to heart. “You know if I’d try to surf full time it would have ruined it for me.”
“Right, because you’re too good to be rich, Saint Marty Deeks.”
Deeks dodged Kip’s elbow jabs, digging his phone out of his front pocket as it buzzed twice. There were two texts; one alerting him to a new case and the other asking if he wanted a ride.
“Who’s Kensi?” Kip asked, peering over his shoulder. Deeks shoved him away.
“Hey, personal space, man.”
“You didn’t tell me you had a new ‘ladybird’.” Nodding in approval, Kip held his hand up for a fist bump.
“I don’t. She’s my partner.”
“Ah, partner. Is that the new term for friends with benefits?” Kip said, smirking.
“No, and if she heard you say that, she’d knock you down without breaking a sweat and smile the entire time,” Deeks warned him.
“Ooh, she sounds like my kind of girl. Is she hot?”
“I’m done talking to you,” Deeks informed him, standing up.
“Oh Marty-Mar, don’t be like that. I won’t tease you about your girl anymore. Sit down and finish your smoothie bowl.”
“Once again, she’s not my girl and I have to go to work.”
“You keep telling yourself, brother!” Kip called after him.
***
2012
“And that, my friend, is a slam dunk, and you owe me five dollars,” Deeks panted, basketball tucked under his arm as he jogged back to Kip. “Pay up.”
“You were a much better winner when we were 15,” Kip informed him. “I told you I tweaked my calf yesterday, right?”
“Uh-huh.” Deeks held out his hand, waiting until Kip slapped the money into his palm.
“Whoever wins this round, buys lunch.”
“Since you’re a professional NBA player, that seems slightly unfair, but alright,” Deeks replied dryly. He paused to check his phone for any missed messages. It was a Sunday, but that meant little when it came to bomb threats and international incidents.
There was a string of texts from Kensi, and he chuckled under his breath as he read them.
“Alright, who’s making you smile like that, Martin A. Deeks?” Kip asked suspiciously.
“It’s just Kensi,” he answered reluctantly, anticipating Kip’s delighted grin.
“Oh really? So what did your “partner” say to make you look happier than the day you got accepted into law school?”
“She was just telling me about this professional development training she’s at.“ He couldn’t get much more specific than that since the topic was interrogation techniques. “Apparently she made one of the guys in her group cry.”
“I take it that’s a good thing,” Kip guessed. He paused a moment. “What’s this Kensi look like?”
“Brown hair, brown eyes, little taller than average.”
“Oh man, you gotta give me more than that. Is she pretty?”
Deeks huffed the softest of laughs; Kensi was the most gorgeous women he’d ever met. “She’s gorgeous,” he allowed.
“Alright, now we’re getting somewhere. Now tell me about how she looks in a bikini—”
“And it’s time for round three,” Deeks interrupted, ignoring the flashes of Kensi in said bikinis flashed through his mind.
“Oh, you got it bad, man.” He heard Kip say from behind him.
***
Early 2013
Deeks glanced around the bar, noticing the peeling wall paper and rickety tables. He and Kip used to come here all the time backs when Deeks was a broke college student and Kip hadn’t made his millions yet. Somehow it seemed a lot more depressing now as a fully grown adult.
“You know my partner, Kensi?” he asked, twisting a half-empty beer bottle between his palms, head lowered so he didn’t have to see Kip’s expression. He’d only had a couple, but it was enough to encourage his already melancholy mood.
“You mean brunette, makes you laugh like a school boy and go all starry-eyed Kensi?” Kip confirmed, rolling his eyes when Deeks looked up in surprise. “Man, you only talk about her every time I see you. Kensi likes sushi, Kensi is so pretty. Kensi beat up a guy twice her size and I thought it was really hot.”
“I did not say that,” Deeks protested. He took a long drink of his beer, holding up a finger. “Though she admittedly has beaten up a lot of guys.”
“Like I said.”
Deeks shifted uncomfortably, hunching over the table. He didn’t know why he’d brought Kensi up here and now of all places.
“So, what about your Kensi?” Kip prompted, and Deeks didn’t bother denying that Kensi might be his.
“I think I’m in love with her,” he sighed. Kip outright laughed at that, slapping his knee.
“Well thank god you finally figured that you. Took you long enough. What finally tipped you off?”
Deeks glared at him, but didn’t have the will keep it up for long. “I guess I’ve known I had feelings for a while. I convinced myself that we were just friends, and colleagues, but she makes me happier than I’ve ever been. She makes the suckiest day better and,” he stopped, raising his hand slightly as he tried to find the words to explain exactly how much Kensi meant to him. “When I’m with Kensi, I feel like I’m not just some broken, screwed up guy.”
“It sounds like she’s a good woman.” For once, Kip didn’t go for a joke and Deeks appreciated it.
“She is. She has the most amazing smile.” He looked slightly beyond Kip, smiling himself as he imagined the way her face lit up, and how much he adored it when he was the source of that happiness. “And she has the most insane laugh. It’s like a cackle. It’s crazy, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever heard. I’d do anything for her, which is kind of terrifying if I think about it too much.”
“Oh brother, you’re really gone,” Kip commented.
“Yeah,” Deeks agreed softly. He didn’t add that he’d willingly followed her into bomb-rigged buildings and would jump in front of every bullet if he could.
“So what’s keeping you from taking the next step? Don’t tell me she’s not into you.”
Deeks shrugged. “Sometimes I think she’s interested, but uh, I think she might be as scared as I am. Besides, it’s kind of frowned upon since we work together.”
“Well, that’s a load of crap,” Kip declared bluntly. He took a long drink of his beer. “Ok, here’s what we’re gonna do. We finish these beers, take my limo over to your lady friend, and then you express your undying love to her.”
“Oh god,” Deeks groaned. “Kensi would kill both of us.”
“What if we throw in a couple dozen roses and a trip to my bungalow in the Caribbean?”
“That’s a wonderful offer, but I don’t think we’re just ready for grand declarations of love.”
“Well, when you are ready, my bungalows and limousine are at your disposal,” Kip told him, raising a slightly unsteady finger. “With the promise that you tell me all about it.”
“You got a deal,” Deeks agreed, because he doubted that moment would ever come.
***
A/N: I hope I did Kip, and his and Deeks’ friendship, justice.
Thanks for the prompt!
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felassan · 1 year ago
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Last week Mark Darrah did a Q&A video on his YouTube channel Mark Darrah on Games, called "15K Subs - Q&A". In case it's useful to anyone e.g. for accessibility reasons, here are some notes. The full video can be watched here [<- source link].
(Some of the questions answered were leftover from his previous Q&A video in this series from some time ago, during which time he had left BioWare and had not yet started his consultant work with BioWare.)
---
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, the DA:D development era at BioWare & related topics
"I'm still consulting with BioWare."
Q. Were there any plans to make Dragon Age games in other genres, like an MMO? A. "Not really. What actually happened was during Joplin development, as we were being squeezed and people were being stolen onto other projects like Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem, I actually put a Twitter poll up at one point, just sort've gauging the interest. There was never any people against it, it was really nothing more than that, just to see what the appetite was for something like that. But no development was ever done." Q. Are you looking forward to playing Dragon Age: Dreadwolf? A. "I mean, I'm not really completely on the outside anymore. I'm working with BioWare as a consultant. So when this question was originally asked I was on the outside. Yeah, I mean, that was a pretty interesting thing to look forward to, I know a lot more now than I did then. So my answer I guess is not really relevant anymore, but at the time, yeah, I would say so."
Q. At this point would it be better for the Dragon Age IP to be sold off and taken by another studio such as Larian? A. "I don't think, first of all that's never gonna happen. EA doesn't really sell off IPs. I think that it's in a good place, it's got support from EA and it's moving towards its end." [meaning Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is nearing the end of its development cycle and moving towards ship]
Q. What happened internally at BioWare, [someone whose name was redacted by Mark for the video] started becoming more and more bigoted, and why does he have a beef with Mark? A. "So I'm not gonna talk about who this was, but I'll just answer the question. The reason why there's a specific beef with me is because I was the one tasked with responding to some of the drama that was spinning up, once it crossed the line where EA felt something needed to be done. I did a video about why it's sometimes the right answer to be quiet and not to respond to something, in this particular case EA decided that things had gotten sufficiently out of hand and something needed to be done. I was the one who had the very legally-approved language and was the one that was, as a result, responding to that."
Q. [a question regarding Dragon Age extended universe/secondary material, like the comics and novels] A. "At BioWare, there is a business development group who is responsible for looking for this kind of thing. Usually, well I guess always, there is a requirement of feedback, some sort of feedback loop. Depending on the exact property that might be everything from 'you will do exactly what we say and you're just work for hire' up to 'you have a lot of creative control and BioWare maintains some degree of veto power'. Typically, with BioWare, they're looking for deals where the cost is being carried by the people making the product, as opposed to by BioWare. This is not the case with all companies. The advantage of the studio paying for it is that you make more money, but you carry more risk, so BioWare goes with the more conservative way, where they're not spending as much, or anything usually, but they give away more profit on the back end."
Q. How has it been working on Dragon Age again? Did you miss it? A. "I don't know that I missed it when I wasn't working on it. It was interesting to be on the outside. It's very strange being back in the, on the inside again, because my role is very different. I'm not the Executive Producer, I don't have that direct managerial role, I don't have direct, I don't really have any hard power whatsoever on the project anymore, so that's definitely different."
Q. What's the best piece of advice you would give the Dragon Age/Dragon Age: Dreadwolf team if asked? A. "I guess this question, which was from before, isn't as relevant, I've given them all that advice at this point."
"Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will be only on next gen consoles and PC, as far as I'm aware." [i.e., PS5 not PS4, Xbox Series X not XBone etc].
Q. Is this [referring to Dragon Age: Dreadwolf] a new beginning for Dragon Age? A. "Dragon Age is a weird franchise. It has had to reinvent itself every single time because of internal corporate pressures. This, like Dragon Age: Inquisition, like Dragon Age II, will be different from the games that came before it. I think that's fine. It's kind of become part of the DNA of the franchise at this point."
Q. What made you want to reach out to BioWare to consult on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf? A. "So I feel like that's been somewhat over-reported. So I have been doing consulting work since, in 2022, was when I started doing it. I was reaching out to different people. I knew where BioWare was when I first reached out to them. At the time they said 'no', and then I was like 'alright, fine' and I started working with some other people, and then things changed at BioWare and then they came and reached out to me when their situation was a bit different. So, I guess the short answer is money. The long answer was, I mean I have contacts there, I knew I could help them out, and I'm certainly interested in Dragon Age being the best game that it can be."
Q. How long is alpha to beta to release in general terms? A. "Almost unanswerable. It is incredibly dependent upon - the time from alpha to beta, well first of all there's lots of different definitions of these different phases, but the time from alpha to beta is the time of getting the content finished, and then from beta to release is more about getting your bugs fixed. Some games have thousands of bugs, some games have tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of bugs, so these times can be highly dependent upon the game and the genre. If you're making something that's a competitive game that really needs a lot of tuning, then you want a lot of time in that beta period, ideally to get the game in front of people who're gonna play it, to really dial those knobs in as best you can."
Q. Why does Frostbite struggle with animation? A. "I actually feel like it's actually doing fine with animation. I think it's a content problem, not an engine problem, when it comes to animation in Frostbite. I think what you're seeing is what is being built. Now, that being said, Frostbite now uses ANT, which is the animation system built for sports, so it is different."
"I did watch Dragon Age: Absolution. I actually really liked Absolution. I'm not sure how enjoyable it would be for a non-Dragon Age person, because I'm not a non-Dragon Age person, but as a Dragon Age person I really liked it, I thought it was well-made, I thought it did something interesting with the IP."
Q. Have you added any new gameplay mechanics that you can talk about? [unclear if question was regarding DA:D or the DA games in general] A. "Not anything that I really remember, exactly, because, you know, it's a collaborative, for a AAA game it's a collaborative exercise, at least the way that I ran the project, so I wouldn't consider that anything that was in the games that I led was introduced by me, they would have been introduced by the team, or pushed for, or advocated for by people other than me, for the most part."
"In one of my videos, I said that Dragon Age: Origins went through lots of shifts in development. Yeah, Dragon Age: Origins was multiplayer two different times before it actually ended up shipping. Also, it was originally being built on the Neverwinter Engine, it shifted engines in the middle, so it had some big shifts. The difference being that, you know, back in the early 2000s, there wasn't as much scrutiny on development, there wasn't as wide of a pipeline for rumors as there is now."
Q. Is there going to be any new external/secondary media about Dragon Age? A. "I actually don't know the answer to that, that's not a room that I am in anymore, so that would be a question to ask BioWare."
Q. Where was this filmed? [The next DRAGON AGE: Behind the scenes at BioWare] How does it hold up comparing to what was announced at The Game Awards? A. "I think this is the video, the Dragon Age video that was filmed at a park in Edmonton. I think it was Whitemud Park, if it's the video I am thinking of. How does it hold up? I mean, it doesn't show as much, it's showing a little bit of content, it holds up fine."
Q. How difficult or realistic is it to have previous protagonists in a sequel game? Like Hawke in Dragon Age: Inquisition or letters from the Warden?  A. "It can, for Dragon Age, or any game that has a, or any game that has character creation, it is extra work, because you have kinda two choices. You either have to move to sort've default marketing protagonist. Well I guess you have three choices. Default marketing protagonist, or you have to put character creation right in the middle of the game flow, to allow people to create their character, or you have to have some way to move your protagonist appearance from game to game to game. Which, it would be the ideal solution, but that requires that your character creation remains relatively constantly from game to game. Which typically isn't actually the case."
Q. Why did EA cut BioWare's budget? A. "I assume that's to do with the layoffs. I do not have an answer to that question, but I put it in here anyway, so, there you go."
Q. Have you acquired new knowledge you can use for yourself consulting at BioWare? A. "It's actually been really useful, for me, so as a story-shaper, someone who develops my storytelling through the interaction with people, it's been useful for a lot of my concepts and philosophy, to bounce it off of people, and to be able to come back to things that I've thought about and even written about, even made videos about, and re-examine some of that. So absolutely, working with people has, for my kind of storytelling, has been helpful for me understanding the things I already believe."
Q. Any idea what the Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Collector's Edition will entail, or how do you decide what goes in them? A. "I have no idea, I guess they'll announce it probably when they put pre-orders up. When you're doing a Collector's Edition, when you're doing a Digital Deluxe, any of those things, it's all about perceived value. So it's all about, how much more do we want to charge for this thing? How do we get that much stuff in the box so that it's worth it? Not worth it for everyone, because otherwise, that would just be the game, but worth it for some degree of people. Typically, for physical Collector's Editions, that comes with a bunch of little things and one big thing. Dragon Age: Inquisition went a different way and it gets its value through a ton of little things like a map, little things you put on the map, and a lockpicking set, and a whole bunch of little things, but it's all about getting over that threshold of this being worth it to some percentage of your audience."
Q. Do you have hope that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will be good? A. "Absolutely, that's why I'm working with them."
Q. Do you think it's possible for EA to recover in the eyes of BioWare fans? A. "I'm not sure that it's possible for any multi-billion dollar publicly traded company to ever have a really great public perception. I think it's something that they should care about, but I think they would be better served by focusing on strengthening the perception of the individual studios. Let EA be the evil corporate overlord and then make the perception of the studios that they own as strong as possible. That would be the way that I would go."
Q. If you could go back and change Dragon Age lore, what would you change? A. "There was some stuff in the early Dragon Age: Origins [days] which was very much trying to address some of the tropey, problematic bits of magic from D&D, so teleportation, things that. I think we went a little too hard there, and I think leaving that door a little bit more open would be better. The other thing that I think that Dragon Age has been dealing with, but is sort've a problem is, the source of magic. So in typical vanilla D&D magic kind've comes from a million different places, so it kinda doesn't matter. In some other settings, magic comes from a single place, it comes from the astral plane or it comes from this crystal that people dig up and grind up and use to do magic. In Dragon Age you kind've have it coming from a couple of different places, but too few to be everywhere, and therefore it doesn't matter, but too many for it to be one. So you end up with this weird thing of like, are undead caused by the Blight, is lyrium a source of magic? Like, there's just a few too many. And so Dragon Age has been kind've collapsing that probability space down. If I had a time machine, I'd probably just collapse that probability space down in the first place, not necessarily put it in the games, but at least know where that space collapsed." Q. Aren't the only sources of magic Blight, blood or Fade? A. "It isn't, because you've got Blight, blood, Fade - well, okay, yes - lyrium is [Titan] blood now because that was Dragon Age collapsing the probability space. That's what I mean by Dragon Age is collapsing the probability space. It didn't used to be. I don't know if that was always the plan for lyrium or not. I don't think so, I think that was - yeah, no, I think there are Titans, Titans have always been in the plan, but I don't know that lyrium was always - I could be wrong, I could be misremembering."
Q. Are games taking longer to come out now, or is it just Dragon Age and Mass Effect that this has happened to? Why? A. "No, games are taking longer. The short answer actually has a lot to do with graphical fidelity, it's just the assets take longer to make. There are more things, like you didn't have as many steps in creating a piece of art in 1998 as you do now, you didn't have even the concept of materials or shaders or any of these things, so now you have all of these additional steps along the way. It will be interesting to see if, as, some of these techniques, you know, PBM and photogrammetry and these other things become more commonplace, if some of those costs come down. It hasn't happened yet, it actually just kept going up and up and up, you just changed the work that's being done, but that might be the end-state, where maybe costs actually start to go down again. I haven't seen it yet though."
Q. Can you tell us more about Sandal or do we have to wait until Dragon Age: Dreadwolf? A. "No, Sandal is a character whose future will be decided by BioWare." Q. Can I assume that Sandal will be in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf? A. "I wouldn't make that assumption."
Q. What did you miss most about working in AAA and how does it feel being back in a different position? A. "Like I said before, it's weird, because I am, my desk, the desk, if I go into the office the desk I actually sit at is the same desk I had before, but my position is very different. I'm not doing salaries, I'm not doing people management, I'm not doing reviews, but also I don't have final say on anything, I have no hard power in my position, it's just a consulting position, so it's pretty different. I don't know that I miss anything in particular about AAA, I mean there's a power in the giant team that you just don't see in the indie space, but there's an agility that you just don't see in AAA in the indie space, so I think there's pros and cons for both sides."
Q. Any thoughts on the idea that Mass Effect and Dragon Age have become too similar? A. "I would, so I did a very sarcastic presentation back in, probably 2017. They've always been really similar. They are BioWare games with a party, they've always been incredibly similar, so I don't think it's a problem, I think that they have their own distinct characters, they stand apart from each other. In the same way that I wouldn't say that Fallout and Elder Scrolls are too similar, but they sure are both Bethesda games, so I don't think there's a problem there at all."
Q. ​Do you have an opinion to share on why there's been no marketing yet for Dreadwolf? A. "I assume that means 'why hasn't there been marketing yet for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. I mean, there has, but nothing recently. The policy for much of AAA has become very much shorter, louder marketing campaigns. I think that there is a lot of power in that. I think that can be a very powerful way to go. Dragon Age obviously carries the fact that we did an announcement trailer back in 2018, but I think that's what's happening."
Q. Do you think it's possible for BioWare to split from EA? A. "No. EA doesn't let things go, so no. Could everyone leave and start their own studio? Sure, but BioWare will remain part of EA as far as I can tell. That's not how EA thinks."
Q. Should Dragon Age have more or fewer jump-scares in it? A. "I mean it doesn't have that many jump-scares, so... more!"
Q. Why did you decide to rejoin BioWare? A. "Like I said, I was consulting. I reached out to them, to look at the possibility of helping them out with some things. They said no, then some time went by and then they contacted me and said 'oh, actually yes', so, short answer is because it was what I was doing at the time. Longer answer is, I mean, definitely I am interested in Dragon Age being the best game it's capable of being."
Q. Do you feel BioWare could have done more to nurture the fanbase between releases, other than comics and novels? A. "Yeah, I do actually wish that there was an ecosystem to make little games, so, you know, you make the little, you make Final Fantasy Tactics, you make Dragon Age Tactics. You make mobile title - I mean there was the mobile game, the Dragon Age mobile game [Heroes of Dragon Age], that did really well, but yeah, I think there is an opportunity there. That is not the way that development works really at EA. It would've had to have been done by a different part of EA, and, so, yep. [shrug]"
Q. What do you feel about the comments that BioWare is becoming less writer-oriented? A. "I don't know that that is true. Definitely it went through a period of trying to focus more on different kinds of gameplay, like Anthem is definitely a game driven by its gameplay as opposed to by its story. I guess we'll see with Bowie what the actual truth is going to be, but I don't think that's what's happening."
Q. Is the next Mass Effect still in development? A. "Yep."
Q. Will Dragon Age go open-world again? A. "I don't know, I mean I guess that's always a possibility."
"I'm not going to comment on any things that have changed in BioWare's staffing, because, one, I found out at the same time as everybody else did, so I have no information, and two, I'm working with them, so I'm not going to give my opinion on that, so." "I'm not gonna comment on any layoff stuff."
Q. Would it be possible to give us the option to turn off the 'screen shake' effects after a critical or melee hit in Dragon Age games? A. "Yeah, I mean you do see that as an accessibility option in a lot of games now, so, hopefully."
Q. ​Mass Effect and Dragon Age have thousands of years in each of their respective lore/worlds, do you think there's a space for smaller and/or externally produced experiences that explore it more? A. "I do think there is an opportunity for that, I mean that's kind've where the comics and Dragon Age: Absolution and things like that have lived. You do have to figure out to control the IP somehow. Now you could go, like with KOTOR, where you just throw something back into the past far enough. Like go wayyy back and talk about 'where the Qunari came from' or something, but, I do think there's an opportunity there with some thinking. Now, will that happen? I don't expect so because that would require dev resources that don't really exist, or going to an external studio, which I don't think EA is gonna be particularly interested in doing."
"Yeah, I know. [the title] 'Dreadwolf' did ruin the whole vowel thing. Like, I'm also mad about that."
Q. Has there ever been discussion about adding more 'drama' to BioWare romances? I loved the conflict with Liara in Mass Effect 2 if you had romanced another character. A. "I'm sure that's a conversation that's happened somewhere. Often the characters are, each character is written by a different writer, so when they interact that can become a little bit more complicated, but yeah, there's certainly interesting things to be potentially done there."
Q. How involved are you as a Creative Lead on marketing titles? Do you have input into the creation of trailers? A. "Yes, usually there's some degree of input in trailers, but at EA they're usually done by a central group, so it's influence more than necessarily even veto. Probably the Executive Producer has veto power if necessary, but not direct creative control, they're done by a different group."
"I won't be working on [his game, High Tea on the High Seas] until my contract with BioWare is over, I expect."
"I love the modding community. We don't really support them very much, but I think there's a lot of power there for sure."
Q. Do you think BioWare should make non-linear games like Baldur's Gate 3 or stick with what they have always done before? A. "I think that there is, BioWare used to do more 'campfires in the dark', so more, like, 'I know you got here, but I don't know how', and I think that we should return to that more, at least for the side content. I think that the follower content is where BioWare's strength remains and will remain, and I think that deserves to be done in whatever way fits the storytelling that we're trying to do."
Q. Do you think the Dragon Age series should have more musical numbers in the game? A. "Yes I do."
Q. Is there any animosity between BioWare teams? A. "There has been, in the past. I don't think there is now, but there has been in the past, for sure."
Q. Do you regret allowing the player to kill certain characters? How much does that complicate future titles? A. "It makes future titles really complicated. In Dragon Age: Inquisition trying to find a Warden was like, basically they all could be dead, that's why you end up with mustache, Stroud, because literally everyone else could be dead. I don't regret it though, I think it's good to do that kind of thing when you can, it adds extra impact. You just have to live with the consequences of it."
Q. ​Is there room when AAA games are being developed for smaller projects to get made in the same studio? A. "It depends on the studio. Within BioWare, basically no, because the big AAA things just suck all the life out of it, but I've seen it work at some places where they have protection to keep the little things working and alive. So it's possible, but I don't think it could work at BioWare because I think they would just end up getting starved out by the bigger titles."
Q. ​Do you think BioWare is going to innovate, or are they trying to make something standard? A. "I mean all games contain innovation, so I'm not sure what your question is there, so yes."
Q. Was there any general reaction that BioWare had to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners?  A. "Nothing that I'm aware of. I'm sure that people watched it and had thoughts, but nothing that I've heard."
Q. Do you believe marketing campaigns that are started too early, with features that don't make it into the final product are deceptive and counter-productive because they create false expectations? A. "So I do believe in shorter, louder marketing campaigns in general. There are cases where ya gotta go out and ya gotta start building expectations for your title, but when you're out there for a long time, and you're showing gameplay, you're going to show things that end up getting cut. And I don't think, so, are they counterproductive? No, I don't think they are, because most people don't remember, they just remember they were excited, the thing they saw two years ago. They don't remember that it showed something that ended up getting cut. Do they cause a little bit of internet drama? Sure. But I don't think that they're counterproductive. I think in the cases where you have to do them, where you're repairing a relationship or you need to build up a new IP or whatever, they can be useful. Are you gonna get yourself into trouble? For sure, but, still worth doing."
"Shorter marketing campaigns are super effective, but there are cases where you need a longer conversation with your potential fans."
Q. Do you see Dragon Age as a franchises headed towards a linear end, or more of a world for stories that expand in different directions? A. "I don't know that we'll ever see Dragon Age kind've branch into a bunch of different things. So, like, will there be a main title that continues to basically be the line of canon, that's, probably, yes. That's probably what will happen. It is a franchise that is much more about its world than Mass Effect, and much less about its characters, so I get your point, but I don't think we'll ever see, like, several different parallel storylines going at once."
Q. Without a remake or remaster [of previous Dragon Age games] what would you pitch to onboard people in the Dragon Age franchise? A. "I mean hopefully Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is a perfectly reasonable on-boarding point. The games are designed to be able to be consumed starting with any of them, so hopefully that remains the case."
Q. Why did you not teach anyone at BioWare the true art of Twitter teasing and trolling before you left, because your skills was legendary, and it has not been the same since? A. "So I think, I only got to be on Twitter the way I was on Twitter because I was the Executive Producer, because I was basically the one who decided what information was public. Which is why you haven't seen me do that again."
Q. Does BioWare face any recruitment problems due to its primary location in Canada? A. "Primarily in Canada isn't a huge problem, primarily in Edmonton definitely is. We still live in this weird world of hybrid development so people are getting hired from all over the place right now, but yeah, Edmonton was always a problem for recruiting."
Q. When are you planning to talk about Anthem? [in YouTube videos] A. "Yeah, so we're like two years late on this. It is going to be after I finish working with BioWare at this point, to be perfectly honest. It's gonna be a while, but we'll get there, we will definitely talk about it."
Q. There was talk about a "five game plan" for Dragon Age at some point. Was that ever a thing? If so, is it still a thing? A. "There have been lots of plans, so, sure."
Q. Will you continue your career in development after Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, or was it just a one-time return? A. "Yeah, I'm working with another studio right now as well, this is not my only contract, for sure."
Q. Will you be involved with the next Mass Effect as a consultant? A. "That's not my decision to make."
Q. What is the main thing you would change about how management works in AAA studios? A. "I think that question is unanswerable because management at AAA studios is different everywhere. BioWare uses a matrix structure, so they have departments, but they also have individual leaders. I would like to see more project-driven, like, I've talked about [his] 'hourglass' [concept] in a video before, where driven more through the product, but that being said, I'm not sure long-term how that would be for the people, so I guess, short answer is depends on the studio."
"Dragon Age has had the misfortune of always being seen as being inaccessible to the average gamer, so there's been a lot of corporate pressure for it to become more mainstream. And so it's been kinda questing for a fantasy RPG that is very accessible. Hence why, and then, you know, hence that's Dragon Age II, and then you know Dragon Age II's reception pushed Dragon Age: Inquisition to change some more. Dragon Age has never really been allowed to be constant. And I think it would actually be very good for the franchise to be allowed to be constant for a while, get some 'true sequels' [true sequels here refers to a specific thing Mark has previously discussed on his channel] under the belt. So, yes, true sequels are awesome, I wish that there were more of them and I wish that Dragon Age was one of them."
Q. Are Dragon Age and Mass Effect regarded as big IPs by EA? A. "Sometimes. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. There was a time when EA had the, I think it was called like, 'The Big 12', Mass Effect was on that list, Dragon Age was not, so, sometimes."
Q. Do you feel EA has historically had unrealistic profit expectations for the Dragon Age series? A. "I can't really get into the way that EA does its financials. I think that there are, sometimes, EA wishes everything was FIFA and obviously that's unrealistic."
Q. Will the critical success of Baldur's Gate 3 influence Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and other future projects? A. "It's a bit late to influence Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. Will it affect other future projects? I suspect so. I think it's gonna have a big impact on the RPG space, in some ways, for sure."
Q. Oh, is 'Bowie' the actual codename? Neat! A. "Yeah, Bowie is the actual codename. Did I just leak that? Well it is."
"The hardest part of a project for most people, myself included, is when you can't see the start anymore, and you can't yet see the finish, so with games with really long [development] cycles they can have a lot of trouble in the middle because you don't have the excitement of the beginning anymore and you can't see that it's finishing. So that can be hard. I think that is honestly one of the reasons why I think completion urgency has been on my mind so much, because this has always been kind of the case with BioWare with games, where you do a middle march in the dark, and so hopefully we find some solutions to that."
Q. When are you planning to talk about Anthem? A. "Yeah, so we're like two years late on this. It is going to be after I finish working with BioWare at this point, to be perfectly honest. It's gonna be a while, but we'll get there, we will definitely talk about it."
Q. ​Is it more accurate to think of the development cycle of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf as one game, or several? A. "Kind've something in-between. Definitely there have been moments where the game has pivoted to a large degree that it effectively has started over, but it hasn't always actually started over, and maybe that would've been better, so it's a little bit of both."
Q. BioWare office tour when? A. "I don't think that I can do that, but maybe BioWare will, you should ask them."
Q. Do you think the 'Frostbite is bad' narrative has been blown out of proportion? A. "Yes I do. I mean, yes it is not a perfect engine, no engine is. It definitely doesn't have the support levels that Unreal has, but it is a capable engine if you treat it with respect. The problem is, is that I think a lot of developers have not treated it with respect."
Q. Has BioWare ever thought about character DLC, for example the story DLC in Dragon Age: Inquisition was wonderful but much of what people enjoyed about the story DLC like Trespasser was reuniting with the companions. A. "Yeah, there actually, a bunch of stuff got discussed in earlier incarnations of Joplin and Morrison about doing, like, date packs, or very, very focused bits of DLC. I don't think that's still in the plan, but that was the plan at one point."
Q. What would you say to fans of Dragon Age that are worried about Dreadwolf right now? A. "I'd say keep paying attention, and hopefully BioWare give you confidence."
Q. ​Do Dragon Age: Dreadwolf leaks hurt any team morale? A. "It can, depends on the leak, it can, for sure."
[source and full video link]
Other notes from the video are collected under the cut due to length:
Q. What's something from Baldur's Gate 3 that may not be obvious to players that you've seen and said 'wow, Larian really figured something out that I wish we, BioWare, had been able to do'? A. "The big thing that Larian is doing that is missing from most other modern games is they are, Failbetter Games calls it 'campfires in the dark', which is, a lot of their plot scripting is based upon reacting to where you are in the moment as opposed to the path you use to get there. What that means is you can do almost anything, because the game doesn't really care how you did it. If you're Matt Mercer and you pile up a bunch of boxes and then teleport into a keep, and bypass the entire plot of getting in there, once you're in the keep, the keep is like, 'okay, you're here, I don't know how you did it, but whatever, we'll just go from here'. And, two things. One, it makes for incredibly robust scripting. The game is able to not fall apart as you do things that it wasn't expecting, because to some degree it's not really expecting things as much. Two, it's just letting you do much more as a result. Now you are giving up a certain degree of reactivity for that, but it's a very powerful tool that I think has been largely set aside by most other developers."
"I think there's definitely some interesting avenues to be taken with your party members having relationships with each other and interacting with each other. It gives them more life. It makes them more believable, that they're not just there waiting for you to come and talk to them and otherwise they're completely static. I think having them interact with each other definitely helps make them more believable."
"One of the, I would say, biggest mistakes of Dragon Age II is the fact that you always have to fight both final antagonists, regardless of which path you decided to do, and that's a decision coming from 'we don't want to waste our content. We want people to see this stuff we spent all this time on'. So some of it is about just being willing to commit to the concept of, there is content that people won't see. It helps, at least it helps me a little bit to remember that most people aren't gonna even finish your game, so arguably the end is a branch that most people won't see." "Honestly, to a large degree, let the creatives guide the way. If they're excited about writing it, if they're excited about scripting it, let them do it. Maybe you do a much simpler version [of the hypothetical cutscene being discussed, re: branching content and zots/resources], but you can still do it."
"I've never played a game of the Dragon Age TTRPG. How much was the Dragon Age team involved in the creation of the rules? Not at all. That was created entirely by Green Ronin. That was their system entirely and I think they've used it for other things since then. I like that it exists. I like that there is a, something that signals that Dragon Age is an RPG. Now I think I would be pushing to make a 5th edition supplement for Dragon Age, rather than a standalone RPG, but at the time, it was the right call, I'd say."
Q. As a producer, how have you mitigated decision fatigue for you or your team throughout closing a project? A. "So one of the reasons why I actually advocate so strongly for triage is that triage is a forum through which you can answer a lot of questions, especially at the end of a project, the closing parts of a project. You're not going to avoid making decisions. Finaling a project is making thousands of decisions in rapid succession, but you can take a little bit of the burden off individual team members by helping them with that decision-making, or when necessary making decisions yourself. Triage also lets you get a group of people together. Making decisions as a group, if you've worked together for a while, can be faster, can be less draining as well."
"I really believe in some degree of developing out loud. I don't know how practical Larian's style of, 'go into Early Access for three years and develop it with the community' is, for most studios, especially the publicly traded ones, but I do think some form of discourse with the community is incredibly valuable. Are we gonna see it? I hope so, but I do think that a lot of studios have developed a very secretive, private kind of stance. For good reason. It's a lot of work to keep this discourse running, to keep it from turning toxic, to keep the conversation going. I think it's worth it, but there's work there, for sure." [I think BioWare are a publicly traded company]
"I could be wrong, but I feel like we're starting to see DLC in singleplayer games be a thing of the past. It seems like it's fading away. I think we may not see very much [of this] three years from now. Will it then circle back around, come back around? I suspect it will, but that's what I'm noticing."
[on the game industry in general] "We've had a lot of layoffs this year, so definitely there's been volatility this year, but we have, as the industry has grown up, it has become more risk-averse, at least in the AAA space, it's become more expensive, things have taken longer, but you do see less, sort've pulsing - you see less AAA games shipping and then the entire studio being shut down. It does still happen, but I do think you are seeing less of it. I think it's partly just, becoming more and more a business."
"I do not think Mass Effect 3 will ever be open-sourced."
"If I was given a large budget and asked to create a 'Dragon Age Legendary Edition', I think if I was given that task, the big thing would be, I think for Dragon Age: Origins, you have only two choices. Once you start going in there, you gotta go so deep, that I would go remaster, and just pretty it up, and let all its warts be its warts. Maybe take another crack at the console controls, and like getting tactical camera on the consoles, if I could, but largely just prettying it up. Dragon Age II, I'd be really tempted to see if you could make Orsino an optional fight, otherwise, probably it's fine. Dragon Age: Inquisition, Hinterlands, actively pushing you out of the Hinterlands much more quickly, not cutting anything from it, but definitely making it more clear that there is a critical path, because the pacing is kind've off there. Reducing the amount of Influence you need to unlock things so you can get through it a little more quickly."
"Dragon Age: Origins was originally planned as one game with no sequels. That was the original plan, which is why the end of Dragon Age: Origins has weird branching epilogue structure, is because it was never intended to be a game with sequels. You're always going to, that's a lesson for the world, always assume that you're going to potentially have sequels. So, it's not that you should leave a bunch of threads, but don't make sequels incredibly difficult to have."
"Dragon Age: Inquisition basically only had eight spells because of console convenience, yeah, basically, it's designed around its console controls for sure."
Q. Was there ever a significance to the Amell [blood]line? Like the Warden and Champion being related? A. "I don't know the answer to that question. I mean, there are often things that are planned and then executed, but also things where convenient plot hooks are picked up and taken in different ways. So sometimes things are planned years in advance and sometimes they just look that way."
"As far as I can remember, Leliana's lyrium ghost was just a quantum thing. It's just because we wanted Leliana in Dragon Age: Inquisition and Leliana could be dead. I mean it kinda makes sense, because the only place that Leliana could die in Dragon Age: Origins was at the Urn, so, sure, the Urn did it."
Q. If Dragon Age: Origins ever gets a remake, would a lot more of the problematic elements be removed? A. "So that's, ultimately what it comes down to, I think if you did a Dragon Age: Origins remaster, you wouldn't, you would just put a fresh coat of paint on it and that would be what you would do. But if you start to do a remake, I think it becomes necessary to start to open up some of those conversations, and that could be a lot, which is honestly one of the things that probably is causing hesitation on doing a remaster, or a remake in that case."
Q. If a fan writes an incredibly good idea on a forum or social media, is BioWare banned from implementing their idea? A. "It depends. If it's just like, 'I put an idea out on a Twitter post', no, you're basically releasing that idea to the public by that kind of post, but we don't, but BioWare doesn't, so I guess no, I guess, short answer no, because in that case it's like, well you just gave that to everybody. If it's a bit of fan literature, nobody's reading it, it's just going in the garbage, so no, so in that case nobody knows what's in that piece of literature, so, no."
"Will Dragon Age: II and Dragon Age: Origins ever come to PS5? I don't know. I mean that would basically require a remaster of some sort."
Q. If you had free reign what's the coolest, most ridiculous thing you would put into a physical Collector's Edition of the game? A. "So, I did, on Anthem, I did push for this, and I wish we'd done it, I did push for doing, because we had the studio that made the physical versions of the Javelin suits for that one EA Play. I did push for a $55,000 Collector's Edition, where you got one of those suits. Obviously we didn't do that."
Q. Would you say it’s harder to import decisions in a series like Dragon Age or Mass Effect? I bet it’s harder when each game has a different protagonist. A. "Actually, so, Dragon Age is a little bit more self-healing because when you are playing a Mass Effect, so Mass Effect 1, 2, 3, a lot of what you care about is the interpersonal stuff. When you're moving from Dragon Age: Origins to Dragon Age II, you don't really care about any of that interpersonal stuff, because it's a different character. I mean, you care, but it doesn't, the game doesn't need to reflect it. So Mass Effect has to deal with a lot more minutiae than Dragon Age does. Dragon Age just needs to deal with the big stuff."
Q. Would the Eclipse Engine have been better for Dragon Age: Inquisition even if it had meant the scope of the game would have to be smaller? A. "No, the Eclipse Engine was about ready to die of old age."
Q. ​Do you remember what the major aesthetic influences on Anthem were? A. "So, this is what I remember. Cigarette butts and coffee cups, so like, the abyss. No wheels. I actually think Anthem has a pretty strong identity. It looks like something."
Q. Who's decision was it to start using Frostbite? A. "I mean, the short answer is, it was the only politically-viable answer for Dragon Age: Inquisition, so, so I guess EA."
Q. Did you feel there was a large culture change when Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka left BioWare? A. "Not really, like a lot of it was basically already happening, as part, as EA basically started to impose its culture on, and also just the culture infiltrated over time. I would say that the cultural shift at BioWare happened slowly, not all at once when they left."
Q. I was really hoping for that Dragon Age tactical game. Any chance of seeing something like that in the future? A. "Probably not, I mean, it was a tweet, there wasn't anything behind that."
Q. ​If only there was a Mass Effect toolset. A. "Yeah, so I don't think you're gonna get, so a toolset with a game that is using Unreal like Mass Effect, that's much less likely, because you're gonna have to get a deal with Epic to do that. They might go for it, but yeah, that would be harder."
Q. I recently found out that The Last Court was made by an outside studio, and BioWare has brought in outside writers to work on Dragon Age before. Is that a common occurrence? A. "Yeah, it happens, for sure."
"Dragon Age II is pushing the Eclipse engine to the limit, it's basically the upper limits."
Q. Was there ever any discussion on showing Hawke and their companions visibly age over Dragon Age II? A. "There was, there was absolutely, that conversation did happen. We didn't really have any way to do it easily, but it was talked about."
Q. Dragon Age seems to have a much larger female fanbase than most gaming franchises, is this something EA has been cognizant of/interested in? A. "Cognizant of, yes, interested in, yes as well, though The Sims is actually even better. Understanding what to do about? No."
Q. What were your lessons learned from Mass Effect: Andromeda and why it went that bad? A. "I don't actually think it went that bad. It had a rough launch, so it kind've escaped a little early. That's probably its biggest problem. If it had released in the state that it was at within a month, it would've been a lot better received. Now it did also launch up against Zelda and Horizon, so, the number one lesson there is - when Dragon Age: Inquisition shipped and the Inquisition team was talking to the other team, one of the biggest things we said was 'don't use Inquisition as your baseline, it should be your worst-case', and a lot of the planning on Mass Effect: Andromeda was done using Dragon Age: Inquisition as the best case, so, what happened, basically its end got squeezed out of existence."
Q. What do you think about a Mass Effect: Andromeda remake? A. "Seems early, but maybe, some day. I mean it's kind've healed its perception to a large degree, kind've like Dragon Age II but for different reasons, it's not seen as as bad as it was seen at launch, so, I think there's a market there."
Q. Have there ever been discussions within BioWare of visual novels as a possible format for their franchises? A. "Yeah, it's come up, it's even been pitched. Hard for EA to do little things."
[source and full video link]
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ryuichirou · 1 year ago
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Hey ryuichi, as an artist, how do you feel about Ai art? Do you think that Ai is going to replace artists? Do you think that Ai artists are real artists?
I'm curious to know your opinion on this matter.
Sorry for the late reply, Anon! I wanted to give you a more or less nuanced reply, so it took me some time to think about this topic.
I’ll start with the easy one: no, AI art isn’t going to replace all artists and it’s not going to completely eradicate art as we know it, because art doesn’t exist solely for the practical purposes. As long as people enjoy and feel passionate about making art, art is going to exist in one form or another. But that’s just stating the obvious.
And while there are people who are better or worse at coming up with prompts for the AI, as long as they don’t do any additional work based on the AI-generated image, I don’t consider it being art. I think art is about skill, taste and personality, and this simply isn’t it.
Are people going to lose jobs because of AI art? Unfortunately, it already happens, but it also doesn’t mean that artists are doomed and this is some kind of apocalypse. It’s very important to consider the scale of things, the possible developments, etc. Here are some points to consider…
First of all, if we’re talking about personal commissions and clients that opt to use AI instead of commissioning an artist for their project (or personal use), I wouldn’t say that it’s too much of a loss. I feel like this is exactly the type of clients who don’t tend to appreciate artists’ work and pay them fairly anyway, otherwise they wouldn’t even consider AI as an option. Many of these “clients” would never commission an artist anyway, so they’re not even a part of this client pool. I know that money is money, and some artists would gladly take even a low-paying job from a customer that often doesn’t treat them well (I’ve been there and speak from my personal experience back when I started to offer my commission services), but I am an idealist and think that we shouldn’t spend our time and energy on someone who doesn’t see any value in our work anyway. Not everyone has the luxury of throwing away people who pay you at least something, of course, these artists still need to eat, so that last statement remains an idealistic take from me, keep that in mind.
And if we’re talking about corporations that use AI instead of hiring artists, while it is a problem, I also feel like it’s going to backfire somehow – it kinda does already. Not necessarily in terms of the company getting backlash, but in terms of the lack of quality control over the AI art (if you don’t have any actual artists on board, how are you going to know if the art works or not?) and some other unexpected reasons that are definitely going to pop up.
AI is definitely going to transform the way we think about art and art-related jobs in general. Some jobs might get lost forever, but it happens all the time – there are other brand-new types of art-jobs that are going to start emerging out of thin air. Just like photography and Photoshop influenced the market and art in general, AI is going to do just that.
I’ll note that I don’t think companies are going to stop using AI altogether at any point of the near future though; it’s a very powerful and cost-effective tool, there is no way they are letting it go. AI is absolutely here to stay, and it’s going to evolve and become better and better, scarily better. But this is how I think we should approach it:
People whose work is used for the AI’s learning pool should abso-fucking-lutely give their consent to their work being used, or even better, be compensated for their participation. If there is a new AI that makes a point out of the participation in the learning process being voluntary and well-paid, I think it’d change the dynamic between artists and AI – so far it’s just stealing from them.
Ideally, AI should be used as a base and not the final product. Actual artists could get inspired by it during the brainstorming stage or work over it.
Whoever posts, produces or distributes content that was created with the help of an AI, should absolutely mark it accordingly. In my perfect world, there’re going to be laws about this lol In general, the whole thing needs to be reflected in law, so far it’s way too easy to abuse.
Not only marked, AI generated images should be banned from being sold lol You can press that button and type all the key words all you want, but the result is just a free image that anyone can use and cannot be monetized. I believe this final point would make the majority of AI users just abandon their desire to use it in general – if there’s no profit for them, they’ll drop out, and AI art can be used as a tool like it’s supposed to be.
As you can see, I have avoided saying that people who use AI art are “artists” because I don’t consider them artists. If they don’t transform anything and don’t bring anything new to the table, I, the most important person on this planet, will refuse to give them that title lol
As far as I know, actors and writers have achieved some guarantees against the use of AI during their strike..? I haven’t looked into it, so I don’t know. Also please, keep in mind that I’m mostly talking about illustrations, because this is what I do. AI affects other types of art too, and there might be nuance there that I’m not mentioning here.
In general, I don’t want to demonize AI, because I feel like it’s not a problem on itself, it’s the way people use it that’s brings problems for all of us. This is a very new technology, and we don’t know how to handle it just yet mostly because for the lack of the law system regulating it, this is why there are so many opportunities to abuse it.
Also also, when the novelty of the AI art wears off, we might end up with the resurgence of appreciation for “real human art” or something. We are waaaaay too prone to nostalgia not to go “god I miss it when actual people designed logos” one day, and believe me, whenever it happens, the companies are going to market their stuff as the REAL HUMAN ART by the REAL HUMAN PEOPLE so much that we’re going to get sick of it in 5 minutes lol. But hey, maybe it’ll end up being a reason to pay artists more.
Thank you for reading such a long reply! I don’t want for my blog to turn into a discussion board, so sorry in advance if you address this topic in future asks to give me links or examples and I won’t reply to you, but it depends on the number of asks. I’ll look through everything on my own.
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sleepyhollands · 3 months ago
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hi my loves. as many of you know, i’ve been sleepyhollands on tumblr since 2020. since then, i’ve written fanfiction about tom holland and co., peter parker, and harry styles. most recently (and i say this loosely because this was a year ago) i posted a demon!harry blurb that received a lot of attention, and i announced it would become a mini-series. however, after much deliberation, i’ve decided against moving forward with writing on tumblr altogether.
i didn’t come to this decision lightly, because i feel like i have so much left to create, and the fanfiction community i run in has been so lovely and supportive of me over the years. i also feel guilt over letting go of a project i promised to complete. but at the end of the day, i know this is the right choice for me.
there’s a few reasons. for starters, i feel as though my life is really fast-paced at the moment (and for the foreseeable future), and i don’t quite have time to write in day to day life. for a couple years now, every time i’ve sat down to start writing, it’s felt like a chore. for the demon!harry mini-series, i wrote (i kid you not) at least 20 drafts of the first chapter, which is why i kept promising the release “soon,” but it never came. it felt so forced each time i read it back, and once i realized i had fallen out of love with writing, i knew i would never end up finishing the series. so i figured it would be best to not start it at all for the sake of saving everyone from a story they would never know the end of.
additionally, i’ve lost interest in the people i’ve written about. that’s not to say i don’t love them as people/characters and won’t continue to support them in their careers, i just don’t feel motivated to create or consume content about them anymore. again, it feels more like something i have to do rather than something i want to do, and that’s no fun for anyone.
finally, and i truly hate to say this… i’ve honestly come to dislike what reading and writing fanfiction has come to. now, i’d like to make it very clear that i am not attacking any creators either on tumblr, wattpad, or ao3. i love all my mutuals and the writers i consume content from. that being said, this new culture of “social media alternate universes,” “text message alternate universes,” and my least favorite: capitalizing on fanfiction through patreon or other related sites has just made me less and less inclined to engage in the fanfiction community.
our generation is so phone/social media-oriented that it’s made its way into the content i’d prefer to just read. and if that’s your cup of tea, that’s totally fine! consume whatever content you enjoy, seriously. but i don’t get fulfillment from reading make-believe text threads or instagram posts, and i’m noticing it more and more, to the point where blocking tags such as “#smau” just isn’t cutting it anymore.
and the patreon thing…. listen, i get that we live in a world where people are just trying to make money in any way they can. i’m not judging in the slightest. it’s hard out here, i understand. that being said, the beauty and allure of fanfiction to me is that it’s free— it’s pure and accessible to everyone. and i’ve found that i’m simply not willing to spend money on a non-essential product i used to be able to consume free of cost. i mean that in the least petty way possible, truly. i’m not calling it immoral, or a scam, or unfair for creators to earn money for their work. i just miss when everything around me wasn’t subscription based, and now that even fanfiction can cost money, i’ve developed a bit of an aversion to it.
(as a quick, unrelated side note, i’d like to mention that the fanfiction circles i’m in are all hyper-fixating on tropes i’m really not into, such as heavy bdsm-centered content, major age gaps, dad’s best friend, best friend’s dad, etc., and this is making it hard to continue engaging with them and their content. while i will always love and support the writers on this site, i want to avoid coming across this content entirely.)
all of this to say, i’m not sure if i’ll keep this account. i’m not planning on leaving tumblr, but i’m heavily debating deleting this account and creating a new one for a fresh start. that, or i’ll leave this up and move to a new account. i’m not sure yet. in any case, i’ll try to make sure there’s a place you can go to access my writing if you choose to come back for a re-read.
i want to thank everyone for being so kind to me over the years, and i’m sorry if i’ve disappointed anyone with this information. i’ll be tagging people from my taglist, and those who mentioned they wanted to be tagged in the demon!harry mini-series below. much love. 🤍
@callsign-scully @lnmp89 @keepdrivingkisses @tenaciousperfectionunknown @landosangel @tom-hlover @voguesir @iadoresleep @lmaotshollandd @starkscosmos @st-ev-ie @axelinchen @pleasinghellfire @kimmi-kat @mopeymousey @coolhotsexygemini10 @harrys-cherrry @vamprry @sunflowervol18 @lillefroe @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @bbontenswhhore
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petrichoremojis · 10 months ago
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This isn’t a request more of a question, do you have any recommended AAC apps? There’s so many and it’s overwhelming
We've only tried 3, those being TD Snap, CoughDrop, and LetMeTalk.
We really don't recommend LetMeTalk. It's good in that it's free, but that's about all there is going for it. It doesn't get active support and there's no way to contact the developers so you can easily get locked out, and I don't believe there are many voice options either
CoughDrop is fine. Not our favourite, and recently there have been some concerns since if I remember right, they were acquired by a Christian company that proselytizes (tries to convert others to their faith), and they are able to view user's boards without permission. They're also laggy. That said, they have a long free trial, and if you want to get started with AAC but aren't sure if you want to spend the money yet for a more robust system, CoughDrop can help you trial that. It can also be edited on desktop, not just on your device, which we do like
TD Snap is our favourite and what we currently use. It's similar enough to CoughDrop that it's easy to switch to after the former's trial (like we did), but it works so much better. It's easy to edit, it has a lot of voice options (though mind you, some are paid), and it uses the PCS Symbols, which we find are mostly comprehensive and more diverse than other symbol sets. It's cheaper than a lot of other robust AAC systems are but it does cost, and it also only works on iPad (and Windows, but that's for far more expensive), so you can't use it on a phone
Here's a Google Document (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ofeQKoN6p3uI7FhWSZCGULA2rJCJgS1RAR6zxeON4Vk/edit#heading=h.xplqkmtex4xd) that has information on different AAC systems, as well as a lot more resources related to other AAC things. We used it for our own AAC decisions like purchasing an iPad and choosing an app, and we got permission to share it
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affiliateinz · 9 months ago
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5 Laziest Ways to Make Money Online With ChatGPT
ChatGPT has ignited a wave of AI fever across the world. While it amazes many with its human-like conversational abilities, few know the money-making potential of this advanced chatbot. You can actually generate a steady passive income stream without much effort using GPT-3. Intrigued to learn how? Here are 5 Laziest Ways to Make Money Online With ChatGPT
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Table of Contents
License AI-Written Books
Get ChatGPT to write complete books on trending or evergreen topics. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, guides – it can create them all. Self-publish these books online. The upfront effort is minimal after you prompt the AI. Let the passive royalties come in while you relax!
Generate SEO Optimized Blogs
Come up with a blog theme. Get ChatGPT to craft multiple optimized posts around related keywords. Put up the blog and earn advertising revenue through programs like Google AdSense as visitors pour in. The AI handles the hard work of researching topics and crafting content.
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Create Online Courses
Online courses are a lucrative passive income stream. Rather than spending weeks filming or preparing materials, have ChatGPT generate detailed course outlines and pre-written scripts. Convert these quickly into online lessons and sell to students.
Trade AI-Generated Stock Insights
ChatGPT can analyze data and return accurate stock forecasts. Develop a system of identifying trading signals based on the AI’s insights. Turn this into a monthly stock picking newsletter or alert service that subscribers pay for.
Build Niche Websites
Passive income favorites like niche sites take ages to build traditionally. With ChatGPT, get the AI to research winning niches, create articles, product reviews and on-page SEO optimization. Then drive organic search traffic and earnings on autopilot.
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The beauty of ChatGPT is that it can automate and expedite most manual, tedious tasks. With some strategic prompts, you can easily leverage this AI for passive income without burning yourself out. Give these lazy money-making methods a try!
Thank you for taking the time to read my rest of the article, 5 Laziest Ways to Make Money Online With ChatGPT
5 Laziest Ways to Make Money Online With ChatGPT
Affiliate Disclaimer :
Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission at NO ADDITIONAL cost to you if you decide to purchase something. While we receive affiliate compensation for reviews / promotions on this article, we always offer honest opinions, users experiences and real views related to the product or service itself. Our goal is to help readers make the best purchasing decisions, however, the testimonies and opinions expressed are ours only. As always you should do your own thoughts to verify any claims, results and stats before making any kind of purchase. Clicking links or purchasing products recommended in this article may generate income for this product from affiliate commissions and you should assume we are compensated for any purchases you make. We review products and services you might find interesting. If you purchase them, we might get a share of the commission from the sale from our partners. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended.
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csmeanerr · 10 months ago
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Mod Shit, I get it if you don’t post this one for reasons that are about to be obvious, but re the $900 Fooling. (I agree it’s superior to the 20K Grem and most Chams, but with a single colored winged dog with a halo, that’s not saying much. At least Lu is going to do extra art due to the high price, more than what a lot of CS owners would do…)
When it comes to high-cost CS, I often hear shit like, “support artists!” and “they gotta eat, too”, “get that coin!”. Or whatever excuse. Mother fuckers spend shittons on CS designs. You aren’t supporting shit. You’re buying into clout and manipulative FOMO tactics. OK, yeah, someone’s making rent or whatever, but admit it: if that $900 Fooling (or whatever) wasn’t a CS, you’d be cackling at the person who bought it.
CRICKETS when artists who don’t use manipulative FOMO tactics put out comms or adopts. Sometimes even relatively popular artists struggle. So much for supporting artists, right?
I want to use this opportunity to show you what $900 can get you in art if you’re so inclined to kick clout-chasing to the curb, but still want to shake dollars at artists. The artists I’ve selected are random faves of mine and I’m not affiliated with them. They’re chosen to give you an idea of what you could get for $900 instead of a fucking dog.
sariyaart on Carrd: $900 is almost certainly going to get you a painted full body. PAINTED. As in, fully-rendered, in a mostly-realistic style.
Aspeneyes on Weebly: $900 will get you a full illustration since these start around $400
Nebquerna on Carrd: $900 could get you two or three concept sheets or custom designs
BlindCoyote: $900 is about enough for a full illustration, and definitely enough for a shaded colored sketch
Godbirdart: $900 will get you a full illustration
I know we often compare prices of stuff other than art to demonstrate what a rip off CS is. I think it’s even more demonstrative to compare prices (and quality!) to what other artists do. The artists I’ve listed above are professional freelancers, by the way, either part time or full time.
I remember someone once joking that the 20K thing was all Caravan’s fault because no artist could be expected to produce work good enough to justify that amount of money. Aside from the fact that the artist shouldn’t fucking take that money, then, and show some integrity, I guarantee you any one of those artists above would produce something spectacular. Hell, at that price, they’d probably agree to some sort of commercial rights.
But yeah, $900 for a dog with wings and a halo is totally at the same level of these other artists.
post related
a note to add to this is that cs often artificially inflate value with traits and artificial scarcity while also actively undervaluing other artist’s. they’re even aware that the artificial scarcity is the highest reason people buy since it’s developed this toxic mindset that no one else can have the same idea.  if people can make the same thing then they won’t buy theirs, not because people might buy from the merit of their work but because they slapped on so many labels such as ‘official’ and ‘rare traits’
have the gall to cry about having to make so many adopts on a base while people who buy them draw entire fullbody drawings with backgrounds for 5 pieces of artificial currency
most cs are so deathly afraid of making things easy to get because it’s hyped up by the artificial scarcity. would cypherus grems be as tempting if people could just make one? would a cow girl oc perk your interest as much if it wasn’t followed by ‘biia-made mal’accilin’? these artists are genuinely skilled and talented and DO deserve a high degree of respect skill-wise to get where they are, but they grow themselves higher by pushing others down and that’s just not right
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Why Hiring a Virtual Assistant in the Philippines Can Boost Your Business
Let’s be real: running a business, no matter the size, can be overwhelming. From managing daily tasks to staying on top of big-picture strategies, you often find yourself juggling too much. Ever thought of getting a virtual assistant (VA) to lighten the load? 🤔 If not, now might be the time—especially if you're considering hiring a virtual assistant from the Philippines!
Here's why this decision can be a total game-changer for your business!
💰 Cost-Effective Without Sacrificing Quality
One of the best things about hiring a virtual assistant in the Philippines? You save a ton of money. 💸 In Western countries, hiring staff or freelancers can cost a fortune. But in the Philippines, you can hire highly skilled VAs at much lower rates—think $4 to $12 per hour. 🙌
Why so affordable? The cost of living in the Philippines is lower, allowing VAs to offer competitive rates while delivering high-quality work. Plus, they work remotely, which means no need to pay for extra office space, equipment, or utilities.
Imagine all that extra cash you could save and redirect into marketing, product development, or even just getting a breather! 😅
🌏 Skilled & English-Speaking Pros
If you’re worried about communication barriers, here’s the good news: the Philippines is the third-largest English-speaking country in the world. Most Filipino VAs speak English fluently, which makes collaborating a breeze.
And they’re not just great communicators—they're super skilled too. Whether it’s social media management, digital marketing, bookkeeping, or even graphic design, Filipino VAs are well-educated and have expertise across a wide range of fields. 🎨🖥️📈
Oh, and did I mention how hardworking and reliable they are? With a strong work ethic and a culture that aligns well with Western business values, they’re an absolute asset to any team. 💪
📈 Scale Your Business with Flexibility
Here’s another reason to consider hiring a Filipino VA: flexibility. When your business grows, so does your workload, and VAs make scaling your operations so much easier.
You can hire a VA on a part-time, full-time, or even project-based schedule. Need someone just for a few weeks? Or maybe on a regular basis? No problem! Filipino VAs adapt to your needs without the long-term commitment of hiring full-time, in-house staff.
Bonus: since the Philippines is in a different time zone, you can literally have someone working while you sleep. 😴 Imagine waking up to find all those customer inquiries answered or your social media content already scheduled! 📱💬
If you’re looking for reliable services, check out Rhea Bigcas Virtual Assistant Services. She connects you with top-tier VAs that can support your business 24/7!
💼 Boost Your Productivity, Focus on What Matters
Let’s be honest—who really wants to spend hours on repetitive tasks like managing emails, scheduling appointments, or dealing with data entry? 🙄 By hiring a VA, you can delegate these time-consuming tasks and focus on the real game-changers in your business—like strategy, client relations, and growth.
For example, your VA could handle your social media accounts, ensuring your brand stays active while you concentrate on bigger goals. Or they could manage customer service inquiries, giving you more time to plan and execute business strategies.
With a Filipino VA taking care of the little things, you can focus on the big things. Your productivity will skyrocket! 🚀
FAQs 💡
What kind of tasks can a Filipino VA do? Filipino VAs are versatile. They can help with everything from email management, social media, and bookkeeping to more specialized roles like web development and digital marketing. Seriously, they’ve got it all covered! 💼
How much does it cost to hire a VA from the Philippines? Most Filipino VAs charge between $4 to $12 per hour depending on the task. Pretty affordable, right?
Are Filipino VAs good at English? Absolutely! The Philippines is one of the largest English-speaking countries, so most VAs are fluent and can communicate easily with international clients.
How do I manage productivity with a remote VA? Use tools like Trello, Asana, or Google Workspace to keep everything organized. Plus, regular check-ins and clear communication will keep everyone on the same page. 📅✅
Is it safe to hire a VA from the Philippines? Yes, especially if you vet candidates properly and use secure platforms. Check out services like Rhea Bigcas Virtual Assistant Services for experienced and trustworthy VAs!
Final Thoughts 💭
Hiring a virtual assistant from the Philippines could be the best decision you make for your business. You get access to a skilled, affordable, and English-speaking workforce that helps you save time and money, all while allowing you to scale and focus on what really matters.
Ready to take the leap? 💼 Check out Rhea Bigcas Virtual Assistant Services to find the perfect VA for your business needs!
#VirtualAssistant #BusinessGrowth #Philippines #VA #Outsourcing #SmallBusiness #ProductivityBoost #EntrepreneurLife #ScaleYourBusiness #SaveMoney
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thelonesomequeen · 1 year ago
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I’d like to share some personal feelings with you in why it is hard for me to see that Chris picked a 26 year old to marry as a fan of his.
He’s 42 years old and doesn’t exactly have to worry about his biological clock ticking.
I am about to turn 40. I struggled with unexplained infertility issues for years. Supposedly I should be able to get pregnant but no reason was discovered why it wasn’t happening for me. I know there are plenty of ways to start a family, but anything besides natural conception is an out of pocket cost in America and it costs $$$. I don’t have that kind of money any longer. We struggled for years and spent $$. It didn’t work. It also broke down my marriage sadly.
So I followed this man and I was a fan this whole time, relating to him that I wanted a family too around the same age.
Now he goes and picks a 26-year-old bride and he’ll likely get to have his family. I wish I was that person who could just be happy for him, but it hurts. I know I don’t know him and he doesn’t know I exist, but as a fan who followed him this has been tough.
So I’m 39 and single again, watching men my age dating women 15 years younger. I know I’ll pick myself up eventually, but it’s just frustrating to see this. While anyone can struggle with infertility issues at any age (I’m not at all wishing this on them. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy) here’s lucky Chris or any man who doesn’t have to worry about how old he gets in regards to his bio clock ticking, who can start a bio family at any age. Same with men having kids at 80 that was recently in the news. It’s frustrating to say the least. I started trying at age 33, now I wish I started trying earlier but I wasn’t ready to at the time.
I see lots of people commenting on other outlets ‘while of course he married younger! He wants kids, and women his age aren’t easily able to have kids’ - something to that effect. It’s been tough to see.
Honestly, I would have been impressed with him so much if he fell for someone his age! Adopted, natural, it wouldn’t have mattered but nope, another age gap Hollywood couple. I also know I don’t get to dictate who he marries, etc but it sucks watching this happen.
I think it’s time for me to step back. I know this isn’t at airport, so I just wanted to say if you relate to me at all, I feel for you. You aren’t alone. Step back from this and take care of yourself. 💞💞💞
Maybe there’s a child out there who’s looking for a mom? I’m going to spend my time developing a savings plan for a possible future adoption instead of following Chris any longer. It’s too upsetting for me to follow him now.
Sending love to all those who are childless but not by choice who are watching this as a Chris Evans follower and might be affected like me. 💞💞💞
Just wanted to express myself. I hope I don’t offend anyone with my thoughts on this.
I wish I had more comforting words to help you feel better. But I just want to say I see you and your pain. And I’m sorry you had to go through all of this 💜 sending you love, anon! Hopefully one day you’ll find an excellent partner who compliments you well. Maybe a natural birth will come along for you, but if it doesn’t, adoption is great too! There are plenty of kids out there who need good parents! 🦎
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bookishfeylin · 1 year ago
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“The way things are going I’ve kind of accepted that we are NEVER getting universal healthcare”
We can’t even AFFORD that or any of the other things you listed. Stop whining and acting entitled
I wrote that vent post weeks ago what--
Firstly I have great insurance MYSELF through my hospital, but I want my patients to have good health coverage. Wanting my patients to not have to worry about bills during and after discharge is not entitlement, actually. And secondly: we absolutely can afford healthcare, and free college, and everything else other developed countries offer their citizens.
I’ll start with healthcare first. Estimates for how much universal healthcare would cost vary WILDLY, with some estimates putting it closer to 32 trillion over ten years (so around 3.2 trillion a year) with others putting it at 50 trillion over ten years (~5 trillion a year). Admittedly, most sources I’ve seen place it around the lower number, but I have seen a few naysayers argue that it’ll cost the highest amount, around 5.2 trillion a year, so for the sake of argument, let’s pretend that’s what it costs. Let’s say we fumble the ball so horrifically it costs a total of 5.2 trillion a year. But guess what? We can still afford it.
In 2021 the government spent 901 billion on Medicare, 756 billion on Medicaid, and 150 billion on military related healthcare spending for a total of 1.8 trillion. i'm using 2021 numbers for consistency
Some have suggested a return to Eisenhower's 91% tax, at least for the billionaires kudos to a @qqueenofhades for explaining how that works, and if I've done the math right, then a 91% tax for billionaires alone, not millionaires or upper middle class but just billionaires, would raise 2.184 trillion. 1.8 trillion + 2.184 trillion= 3.984 trillion
We could then reduce the Bush tax cuts to raise 488 billion, the Trump tax cuts to raise 164 billion, take 300 billion from the US military budget, and completely pull out of Iraq (as ending the Iraq and Afghanistan wars raises 127 billion). If you add in a Carbon tax (180 billion) you raise 1.259 trillion. 1.259 trillion + 3.984 trillion= a total of 5.243 trillion raised for healthcare. And just like that, we've raised all of the money needed in the most expensive, wasteful scenario.
Now for college: I mentioned earlier that part of paying for healthcare could involve cutting the US military budget by 300 billion (that would look life reducing its current 816 billion to 516 billion). If we cut a further 100 billion from the budget (taking it down to 416 billion) and put that 100 billion towards college, there's more than enough money to pay for free college.
Likewise, if we end fossil fuel subsidies (saving 26 billion, or at least that was how much was subsidized as of 2018), that would pay for 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
We are more than capable of achieving universal healthcare, free college, and paid parental leave. We simply opt not to because our whole political apparatus is trash :)
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mandsleanan · 7 months ago
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Archive Link Here, text under cut.
Between 1980 and 2019, the world’s most developed countries roughly tripled their real-terms per capita spending on child benefits, subsidised childcare, parental leave and other family-friendly policies. They also saw their birth rates decline from 1.85 to 1.53 per woman.
https://archive.ph/3lxyQ/2d30e003cbf63de1d234f1a7686139357e0e1abc.avif
Analysed across all rich countries, birth rates are no higher among those where childcare is fully subsidised than those where parents pay eye-watering fees — the link between births and total spending on family-friendly policies is negligible. This often prompts head-scratching, but it should not. Unsurprisingly perhaps, the decision on whether to have children, and how many if so, turns out to be about far more than money.
To be clear, family-friendly policies can have other positive impacts on individuals and on society. They make it easier for those who have already chosen to have children to juggle family and work. They alleviate child poverty. But when it comes to the heavy lifting on birth rates, culture is far more powerful than policy, often exerting its influence several steps before the point at which childcare costs might become a serious consideration.
There are a number of distinct but related factors at play. First is the rapid rise of so-called helicopter parenting. In their 2019 book, Love, Money, and Parenting: How Economics Explains the Way We Raise Our Kids, Matthias Doepke and Fabrizio Zilibotti theorise that the realisation a comfortable life has become impossible to attain without a top-quality education has sparked intense status competition between parents. They feel compelled to invest huge amounts of time and effort into optimising their kids’ upbringing. This may have become a deterrent.
https://archive.ph/3lxyQ/fba33991824e68e9b1ecfbde5c773bcbe923de7d.avif
The second big factor is shifting priorities for young adults. In 1993, 61 per cent of Americans said having children was important for a fulfilling life, but Pew Research now puts the figure at 26 per cent. A study last year by Lyman Stone, a demographic economist and senior fellow at the Canadian think-tank Cardus, shows that the competing priorities that most erode birth rates among young women are the desires to grow as a person and to focus on their career. Worries over the demands of helicopter parenting also rank high — childcare costs come in at a lowly 14th place.
https://archive.ph/3lxyQ/74e5d202b1ed16fd95311a5ade3200c3b5811896.avif
Finally, and arguably most importantly, the share of young adults in the west living as a couple is in decline. As social scientist Alice Evans writes, with women increasingly able to support themselves financially, one traditional reason for partnering up has been eroded. This helps explain why the most recent part of the downward trend in births has been driven not by people deciding to have two children instead of three, but by a rise in the share deciding not to have any at all.
Birth rates in liberal, developed countries look exceptionally unlikely to return to replacement level any time soon. If they miraculously do so, it will most likely be due to broad social and cultural shifts, not policy. There’s nothing wrong with governments pursuing family-friendly packages for other reasons but if they’re fretting about ageing and shrinking populations, then they need to find other solutions.
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probablyasocialecologist · 1 year ago
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The links between the Pentagon and Silicon Valley have undeniably grown stronger. The US Defense Department has even recently created the new post of Chief Digital and AI officer – a position filled by Craig Martell, former head of machine learning at the ride-sharing platform Lyft. And, for all the ethical concerns from their employees, America’s tech companies continue making inroads into the military’s procurement budgets. Thus, while Alphabet may have shelved its plans to work on the Pentagon’s controversial Project Maven – a computer vision project that prompted protests among its engineers – it went ahead and formed Google Public Service, an innocent-sounding unit which does offer cloud services to the military. It’s hardly alone. Silicon Valley’s cloud and machine learning capabilities remain crucial to the Pentagon’s vision of building a system to integrate data coming from terrestrial and air sensors – these are no longer limited to radar – from across all branches of the armed forces. The idea is to crunch them with artificial intelligence, so as to mount an effective joint response. To that end, in late 2022 the Pentagon awarded four tech giants – Microsoft, Google, Oracle and Amazon – a $9bn contract to develop the infrastructure for this bold effort (defensescoop.com, 7 December 2022). But, unlike in the old cold-war days, it’s not at all clear how much of this money would trickle down, Keynesian-style, to ordinary Americans. When it comes to AI, the labour costs accrue either to the star engineers – and we are talking hundreds, not millions of them – or to the numerous low-paid contractors who toil to help train the AI models. Most of them are not even in America, with OpenAI relying on contractors in Kenya to prevent ChatGPT, the popular AI chatbot, from showing obscene images and text. As for cloud computing, it’s also not clear how its expansion would help. Building data centres is expensive and their positive effects on the economy have yet to be seen. They do tend to drive up the cost of real estate. And the environmental costs of both AI and cloud computing are not trivial. So the multiplier effect of pouring all this money into military AI might be a mirage. So perhaps this Cold War 2.0 would not feature a return to ‘military Keynesianism’. Short of AI leading to the much-awaited Singularity, merely dumping more money in the tech industry won’t suddenly bring Keynes to life. Perhaps we are more likely to witness the weird new regime of ‘military neoliberalism’ in which ever-greater government spending on AI- and cloud-related matters would widen inequality and enrich the tech giants’ shareholders.
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angelincris · 1 year ago
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Beginner's Guide to Digital Marketing and Its Endless Benefits:
The wide range of techniques and methods used to advertise goods and services through online platforms and technologies is referred to as digital marketing. It includes a range of platforms, including social media, email marketing, content marketing, and more. In essence, digital marketing uses the power of the internet to connect and engage with a larger audience in a more focused and economical way than traditional marketing techniques.
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Businesses have recognised the critical importance of building a strong online presence in the current digital era. Through digital marketing, businesses may interact with and affect their target clients' purchasing decisions. Marketers may optimise their advertisements and get insightful knowledge into customer behaviour by utilising data analytics and tracking solutions. This enables real-time adaption and improvement of their advertising efforts. Additionally, digital marketing encourages a two-way contact link with clients, enabling individualised services and excellent client relations.
Benefits of Digital Marketing
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Global Coverage
Establishes connections with individuals everywhere. Reaches out beyond local boundaries by using the internet. Talks to prospective clients everywhere. Opens doors to a large audience and new markets.
Cost-Effectiveness
Costs less than traditional advertisements. No waste; chooses who to display advertising to. Spends money wisely to achieve greater results. Improves advertisements by examining how they function.
Measurable Outcomes
Examines the effectiveness of advertisements. Finds out immediately if things are going well. Observes several things, including sales and website traffic. Learns from the data and keeps getting better.
Targeted Population
Speaks specifically to particular demographic groups. Finds the appropriate person using specialist tools. Provides the correct people with the right information.
Spends no time or money on the wrong people.
Personalisation
Speaks to you in a manner that suits you. Stimulates interest and behaviour. Uses your personal data to provide you with a unique experience. Makes you feel valued and acknowledged.
Real-Time Interaction
Quickly engages you in online chat. Conversations across chat, email, and social media. Immediately assist you with your needs. Shows that it is willing to assist and that it is attentive.
Numerous Channels
Choose from a variety of online chat options. Uses email, search engines, social media, and other channels. Chooses the best options for the appropriate people. Reaches out in several ways to have a bigger effect.
Brand development
Shows the brand's personality. Makes the brand well-known and powerful. Increases consumer trust. Makes an impression and gains trust.
Implementation Immediately
Ad starts quicker than previously.
Swiftly adapts to trends and changes.
Acts when it is most effective for improved outcomes.
Maintains an edge in the digital sphere.
Simple AB testing
Tries several things to determine which is best.
Discovers what functions properly and what does not.
Uses what has been learned to improve things.
Continues to test and refine for greater success.
Enhanced relationships with customers
Speaks with consumers incessantly.
Listens and offers solutions.
Increases brand favourability and client trust.
Develops a following of devoted clients.
More Versatility
Swiftly modifies advertisements according to what's happening.
Maintains a state of readiness to adapt to people's preferences.
Uses flexibility to stay ahead of rivals.
Quick to adapt for better outcomes.
Increased ROI
Calculates the revenue that advertisements generate. Better use of resources through data insights. Increases the return on investment. Continues to develop for greater results .
Equal Opportunity Enables it to be equitable for all sorts of enterprises. Smaller ones can succeed as well. Shows up despite having a small budget. Develops a competitive market where everyone can succeed.
According to what I've seen, there are many thorough training packages for digital marketing available to assist people in developing the abilities necessary to succeed in this fiercely competitive sector. A course that offers certification and work placement prospects is a noteworthy suggestion for improving your skills. There are knowledgeable teachers ready to improve your educational experience. Both online and offline, top-notch digital marketing services are available, providing an important experience.
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mariacallous · 1 year ago
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The basic geopolitical strategy puzzle faced by the United States today is how to manage the relative decline of U.S. economic and military power, while maintaining U.S. leadership and influence to protect the country’s security and prosperity. After a long era of unquestioned global primacy, the United States needs to figure out how to continue to lead with fewer of the tools of hegemony than it once had at its disposal.
All-powerful hegemons don’t need especially sophisticated strategies. But today’s not-quite-so-dominant United States needs to become smarter about how it maintains and deploys global influence. Part of being a more sophisticated strategic actor is developing new approaches to world politics—for example, cooperating in nimbler, more flexible ways with like-minded actors to tackle challenges that Washington can no longer take on alone. A more basic requirement is to conserve political capital and spend it wisely—above all, by avoiding unforced errors that diminish U.S. power with no benefit for Americans.
The escalating budget fight and looming shutdown in Washington is one such unforced error. It will produce no benefit for the country and diminish its power. For one, the budget fight—at this stage, a fight between the radical and mainstream wings of the Republican Party in Congress that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been helplessly unable to control—is a distraction that threatens to escalate in the weeks ahead. It is consuming the energies of Congress and the White House at a moment marked by a major European war, tensions with China, risks associated with dramatic breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, and ongoing efforts to contain global economic strains. When legislators play unnecessary political theater, they and the White House are distracted from pressing national and international issues that don’t wait for the show to be over.
McCarthy’s present woes are the latest chapter in a long-standing story of failure. The recurring inability of the U.S. Congress to reliably pass a federal budget is not only distracting, but also leads to inefficient spending: Instead of allocating spending strategically, stopgap measures merely extend existing misspending and fail to set urgent new budget priorities. For example, a properly negotiated budget might shift resources toward priorities such as helping U.S. communities build resilience to climate-related disasters, invest more in Central American economic development to reduce migration pressures, and sunset other spending that might no longer be warranted. When the United States had money and power to spare in executing its objectives in homeland security, defense, trade, and foreign affairs, fiscal waste and misaligned resources didn’t have as much of an impact, but as the country navigates a more competitive world, a hamstrung budget process is a strategic albatross.
Moreover, the budget hijinks look childish: Is this how the world’s most powerful nation conducts itself? News media around the world are reporting on the fact that the entire U.S. government might be shut down because its leaders can’t handle a basic legislative process. In a time of global struggle between democracy and autocracy, when the United States needs to harvest the power of its example, the annual budget shenanigans degrade that power and set a truly bad example for advanced democracy. If the Chinese Communist Party is convinced that the United States has entered an era of inexorable decadence and decline, the budget circus is evidence that corroborates its hypothesis.
In this circus, there are several rings. One is the broken campaign finance system, where money so determines political outcomes that politicians must prioritize fundraising if they want to have any chance to be elected or reelected. Campaign donors—whether solitary billionaires or armies of small contributors—have outsized influence, and they punish the kind of compromise that democracy needs to function.
In 2016, I had a conversation with a Republican U.S. senator, who recalled that in a call with a major donor to the party, the donor had asked the senator, “Are you prepared to hold up [Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s] judges?” and the senator replied, “Well, what do you mean—for how long?” to which the donor replied, “Four years.” The quid pro quo between financial support and unqualified obstruction was clear.
Some contend that small grassroots donors offer a democracy-friendly antidote to the political influence of millionaires and billionaires. The internet has certainly made it possible for small donors collectively to compete with economic elites; former U.S. President Donald Trump made history in 2020 when he became the first presidential candidate in modern U.S. politics for whom small donations of less than $200 made up the majority of his fundraising. But the democratization of political fundraising by small donors does not necessarily lead to fewer demands for politicians to avert compromise and accelerate dysfunction.
That’s because the most effective small-donor fundraising campaigns use fear, anger, and outrage to get people to open their wallets. Donors mobilized by such messages punish compromise just as effectively as any billionaire—just ask McCarthy. When there’s a nationwide group of fringe donors who will reward political theater with money, legislators don’t have to pay much attention to their constituents or party leadership.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Washington last week was in part necessitated by the fact that support for Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s brutal, unprovoked invasion has become increasingly entangled in the budget fight. McCarthy refused Zelensky’s request to address Congress and, before his own meeting with him, raised questions about supporting Ukraine going forward. It seems likely that McCarthy was performatively catering to skeptics in his party who have folded support for Ukraine into the broader budget fight. It is a sad example of a small group of legislators holding hostage an urgent foreign-policy priority with broad bipartisan support in order to prosecute an agenda that wavers between fiscal conservatism and anti-establishment nihilism.
In an unusual show of unity, Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, majority and minority leaders in the U.S. Senate, respectively, hosted Zelensky with the entire Senate. McConnell emphasized in a statement: “American support for Ukraine is not charity. It’s an investment in our own direct interests—not least because degrading Russia’s military power helps to deter our primary strategic adversary, China.” But McConnell’s mainstream position is increasingly at odds with legislators in the Republican right wing, who increasingly take an isolationist or Russia-friendly line. In this they are supported by an army of small-dollar donors, who appreciate their provocative anti-establishment views—or who have simply decided that because U.S. President Joe Biden supports Ukraine, they do not.
We generally think of campaign finance and budget standoffs as domestic issues. But the perverse incentives and behaviors in U.S. politics do not just corrode democratic legitimacy, they impair government functioning in ways that weaken the United States’ global standing and influence. As the United States seeks to navigate a more complicated, dangerous world, where authoritarian powers present a clear and present danger to the long-term security and prosperity of Americans, it is more important than ever that the United States functions as a shared enterprise.
Whether it’s adapting the U.S. defense budget to new geopolitical realities and technologies, responding to climate change, or securing the supply chains that American workers depend on, Washington needs a coherent, focused approach that isn’t perverted by either special interests or what are essentially small-donor performance artists in the U.S. Congress. The United States remains the most powerful country on earth, but that reality precipitates strategic blindness if its leaders don’t recognize that in a world that remains threatening and complex, their country is a smaller world power than it once was. Unforced errors make it smaller still.
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financiallyfocused · 2 years ago
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"10 PROVEN PERSONAL FINANCE TIPS AND ADVICE TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE FINANCIAL FREEDOM IN 2023 "
Introduction:
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Personal finance is a crucial aspect of our lives that impacts our financial well-being and quality of life. In this blog post, we will discuss valuable personal finance tips and advice to help readers manage their finances effectively. Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to improve your financial situation, this post will provide you with actionable advice to help you achieve your goals.
Throughout this blog post, we will cover various topics related to personal finance, including budgeting and saving, investing strategies and insights, credit and debt management, retirement planning, and tax advice and tips. We will also include relevant keywords to help optimize this post for search engines and ensure that it reaches a wider audience.
By the end of this post, readers can expect to have a better understanding of how to manage their personal finances effectively, make smart financial decisions, and achieve their long-term financial goals. So, let's dive in and explore some valuable personal finance tips and advice!
Budgeting and Saving Tips:
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Creating a budget and tracking expenses is the foundation of sound personal finance. It allows individuals to see where their money is going and make necessary adjustments to their spending habits. Here are some valuable tips for budgeting and saving:
Create a realistic budget: A budget should be tailored to an individual's income and expenses. It should include all expenses, including fixed and variable costs, and allow for savings.
Track expenses: Keeping track of daily expenses can help individuals identify areas where they can cut back on spending.
Prioritize savings: Making saving a priority ensures that individuals have a safety net in case of emergencies and helps them reach long-term financial goals.
Reduce expenses: Cutting back on unnecessary expenses, such as eating out or subscribing to unnecessary services, can help individuals save money in the long run.
Use coupons and discounts: Taking advantage of coupons and discounts can help individuals save money on necessary expenses.
Setting financial goals is also essential for effective budgeting and saving. Here are some tips for setting and sticking to financial goals:
Set realistic goals: Goals should be achievable and aligned with an individual's income and expenses.
Create a plan: Developing a plan to achieve financial goals can help individuals stay on track and motivated.
Stay focused: Staying focused on financial goals, even when faced with temptations, can help individuals achieve long-term financial success.
By implementing these budgeting and saving tips and setting realistic financial goals, individuals can take control of their personal finances and improve their financial well-being.
Investing Strategies and Insights:
CONTINUE READING THIS POST.
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