#the man from c.a.m.p.

[laurenfoxmakesthings]

[landlordevil]

i see a salacious novel from the 50s/60s/70s and I get the insatiable urge to buy it and read it. NGL i scour through pulps for hours and come out with a few good finds but i don't think i'll ever find leather boy out in the wild...

[vampiremansionpoolboy-moved]

i love that the only three books andrey canonically owns are karl marx’s communist manifesto bram stoker’s dracula and the man from c.a.m.p. which is a gay pulp fiction series

[easternmind]

Lessons in Japanese game design II

100万トンのバラバラ (Patchwork Heroes) is a 2010 Playstation Portable game resulting from the long-lost initiative Playstation C.A.M.P.! - the acronym standing for Creator Audition Mash-up Project. The young talent search and networking programme focused on assembling teams for the development of unique and bold projects, while providing them the needed financial backup and technology. Some of the most original and independent-minded games in Sony’s catalog such as Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman!, Trash Panic, Mugen Kairou, Rain or Tokyo Jungle resulted from this noble, if short-lived project.

Hyakumanton’s premise is as simple as it is eccentric. In a peaceful world where man lives in relative harmony with nature, a fleet of giant flying fortresses, making use of recently unearth technology from a bygone era, is threatening this balance. As a member of the resistance, the fledgling sky captain Titoru leads infiltration missions for the purpose of sawing these mammoth warships into small pieces until their structure is compromised and they fall to the ground. However, its frantic, arcade-style action is upset by a number of original proposals that make this portable gem quite unlike any other.

For each mission, Titoru is accompanied by other freedom fighters who represent the number of available lives before game over. Every time the party is hit by a projectile from a defense weapon or hurt by a sentinel bot, one of the party members perishes. To deepen the wound, their profile photo, name and age are shown prominently so as to associate the player’s failure with a sentiment of remorse over the death of a character.

To alleviate the sorrow, the player is free to visit Titoru’s fallen comrades at the cemetery in between missions, to bring them flowers and to pay tribute. Whereas video games have long reduced life and death to a primitive and abstract notion, often represented by an icon on a heads-up display, Hyakumanton No Bara Bara compels its audience to become better players in avoidance of further casualties; while at the same time using lighthearted humor and a jovial visuals to disguise a provocative message about war and its inevitable victims.

[hootenanie]

I should get back to posting about weird old kitsch like that more often, i forgot about man from c.a.m.p. and how fun it was:')

[calwhitebark]

I finally did it.

In the years since I emerged from Vault 76, I've made a habit and a hobby of rescuing toys whenever I find them. Like any collector, I'm a bit scrutinizing when it comes to condition but if cleaning it off or giving it a new coat of paint isn't enough, I can always scrap the thing for parts. I've rescued more teddy bears than I can count. They were my companions on the road and the insulating leather and cotton of my jackets when I had to patch holes and tears. My favorite toy as a child was a Vault Boy bobblehead that was given to me as a birthday gift in the vault. I know, I know. It wasn't like anyone could run out and pick out my presents. So, they pulled from the excess corporate crap somewhere in a storage room and made it look special. But I loved that little guy and felt sad that I couldn't bring him with me the day the vault door finally opened.

Now, I not only have a replacement of the one I cherished for years, I have the whole set! I bought the last two I needed off a guy who set up his C.A.M.P. across the street from mine.

I bought some comic books off of him as well and eagerly awaited his restocking of his vending machine to see what else he'd managed to scavenge that I had somehow never come across on my own scrounging days. He eventually packed up C.A.M.P., tiring of my being his only customer and seeking greener pastures. Nevertheless, I'm excited to have a full set of bobbleheads along with more comics to read, something else I miss about my childhood vault-dwelling days.

Beckett is easily the most understanding man in the world. He indulges my collecting and my teddy rescuing. He says after I came to his rescue and became the best thing that ever happened to him, how is he supposed to criticize if a few more bears come home with me?

He sips at a beer while I obsessively sort comics and re-position bobbleheads for the thousandth time. He watches, smiling and shaking his head, saying "I am one lucky man. That's for sure..."

[thetoxicgamer]

Fallout 76 Season 12 Crams Cryptids Into Camps With Mutation Invasion

The free Fallout 76 update is live now, and Bethesda says that the “mutations you’ve grown to know and love from Daily Ops’ missions are now spilling over into Public Events! Mutation Invasion will increase the difficulty of Public Events, or challenge you to change your playstyle, but not without hefty rewards.” You can check out the Fallout 76: Mutation Invasion event launch trailer, in all its 1950s serial glory, below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kiXOe5QZBM Fallout 76 free season 12 update key features - Mutation Invasion: At the top of every hour for the next three weeks (until March 21), Public Events will contain one mutation from our Daily Ops rotations. Completing these events nets you increased rewards and chances at rare plans - Daily Ops Improvements: New locations, rewards, enemies, and a new Mutation to encounter - Season 12 Begins: Rip Daring is on the hunt for Cryptids! Rank up to earn all-new rewards, including a new Lite Ally, cryptid-themed decor, and more! - Challenge Re-Roll: Not a fan of the Daily Challenge? Now, once per day, you can re-roll one Daily or Weekly Challenge, and additional Challenge re-rolls can be claimed on the Season 12 Scoreboard. Season 12: Rip Daring and the Cryptid Hunt Bethesda has also provided a breakdown of what the story of Fallout 76 season 12 will be: “In the world of Big Game Cryptid Hunting, there is only one man brave enough, strong enough, and smart enough to hold his own against these mysterious beasts! This Season we follow the daring and dangerous adventures of Rip Daring, Cryptid Hunter Extraordinaire, alongside his loyal Mr. Handy, Percival, and his trusty Nurse Guinevere.” New Rewards in Fallout 76 - Cryptid Rewards: From floor décor to Power Armor Paints, this new season offers up Cryptid-themed goodies for all you cryptozoologists out there. - New Ally: Welcome Brother Steven into your C.A.M.P. and may the blessings of the Mothman be upon you. - New C.A.M.P. Items: Create a cozy Hunter’s Cabin fit for Rip Daring himself with the Hunter’s Throne or display your favorite Steins with the Taxidermy Bear Stein Display. - Re-Roll Daily and Weekly Challenges! New Re-Roller mechanic in Fallout 76 - The Re-Roller gives you the ability to change out a Daily or Weekly Challenge. - Once per day, you can re-roll one Challenge for free. - Fallout 1st members get an additional free re-roll for the day, giving a total of 2 free re-rolls. - Challenge Re-Rolls can also be claimed for free on the Season board or purchased in the Atomic Shop. - Re-Rolled Challenges have a chance to become an Epic Challenge , which offers even better rewards for completing it. You can also expect the Fallout 76 free update to be 14.4GB on Steam and 23.7 GB on the Microsoft PC store, so make sure you have the space. The full Fallout 76 patch notes can be found on the Bethesda website. If Fallout 76 alone doesn’t satiate your hunger, we’ve got everything you need to know about the Fallout 5 release date, alongside a breakdown of the best Fallout 4 mods and greatest games like Fallout on PC too. Read the full article

[femalechibiblogger]

My 5 Favorite Characters in ‘Fallout 76′

1. Beckett

Beckett is one of the potential allies that the Vault Dweller can befriend. Beckett is a former member of the Blood Eagles, a Raider Gang that who brainwashed new members by getting them hooked on chems and destroying their sanity. But after hurting many people while in the Blood Eagles, and overcoming his chem addiction, Beckett left the Blood Eagles so he could make amends with the people he wronged and have a fresh start. 

However, the Blood Eagles managed to kidnap Beckett and were about to torture him to death in oder to make an example of him. But thankfully, the Vault Dweller is able to rescue Beckett and helps him right the wrongs of his past. With Beckett’s help, we can eliminate the gang’s stash of chems and kill the three leaders of the Blood Eagles: The Blood, The Eye, and The Claw. 

Despite his dark past, Beckett is a good man who just wants to become a better person and protect those he cares about. He is afraid of repeating his past mistakes and hurting anyone who gets close to him...but that won’t stop us from loving him. 

If we make him our ally, Beckett will run a small bar at our C.A.M.P and will often mention how we saved him. We can even romance him and enter into a romantic relationship with Beckett, which something that I know a lot of us enjoy. 

2. Rose

Rose is a Miss Nanny robot that was reprogrammed and is now the leader of a Raider gang: The Cutthroats. Rose is rude, loud, has a dark sense of humor, and loves seeing people get into brawls. But she is also very loyal to the late leader of the Cutthroats, David Thorpe, who reprogrammed Rose to sound and act like his late girlfriend: Rosalynn Jeffries.

Rosalynn Jeffries was David Thorpe’s mistress before the war and was even planning to leave his wife for her. But after his family was killed by the bombs, Thorpe regretted neglecting them and only had Rosalynn left to keep him from going insane. Together, Thorpe and Rosalynn became the leaders of the Cutthroats and caused all sorts of mayhem together. But one day, Rosalynn was captured by The Responders, a group of former police officers and firefighters who dedicated the rest of their lives to helping people and teaching them survival skills. They managed to capture Rosalynn after she attempted to raid the settlement in Charleston, and were going to negotiate her release with Thorpe the next day. But Thorpe immediately believed that The Responders had killed Rosalynn and destroyed the dam that was outside of Charleston...which flooded the entire town and killed thousands of people, including Rosalynn. Afterwards, Thorpe found a Miss Nanny robot and reprogrammed the robot to sound and act exactly like Rosalynn. He even modified Rose to have some of Rosalynn’s features. 

Rose knows that she is a robot and a replacement for Rosalynn, but she still remains loyal to Thorpe even long after his demise. While she is not the friendliest person to deal with, and she often threatens to kill us if we even think about betraying her, we do need her to make contact with the Crater Raiders and she does have a device that can detect the Scorched. So whether we like it or not, we have to do what she says in order to complete certain quests. 

But on the plus side, we do obtain some useful weapons while learning the techniques of the previous Raider Gangs and she does reward us in the end. We also learn about Thorpe and Rosalynn, as well as the histories of the fallen Raider Gangs. Plus, she does have a lot of personality for a robot. 

3. Paige

Paige is the founder and leader of a settlement known as, Foundation. While originally from Washington DC, Paige and many other survivors from different states came together and traveled to Appalachia to build a safe place for them to live in. 

Paige is a kind and caring man who loves the people of Foundation like they were his family. He wants nothing more than to protect them from the Raiders and ensure them that it is safe for them to have children. While he doesn’t trust the Vault Dwellers at first, it’s understandable since he puts the safety of the Settlers first and wants to make sure that no one will try to hurt them. 

But after we complete the vaccine for the Scorched Plague, Paige will be very grateful for giving them a chance to fight against the Scorched Plague. He’ll even be more grateful if we help Foundation obtain the country’s entire supply of gold from Vault 79. 

Paige is a good leader...which is something that Appalachia desperately needs since most of the good people have either died or given up on trying to live decently. 

4. Duchess

Duchess is the owner of one of the few bars in Appalachia, The Wayward, where she sells drinks and even a place to rest. When she encounters the Vault Dweller, we can: Help Duchess keep a bunch of Raiders from threatening her livelihood, help her find her two guards who went missing, and find a new body for her Assaultron, ‘Polly’. 

After we help Duchess, she’ll tell us about a hidden treasure that’s the reason why Raiders keep coming to her bar. In the end, Duchess will be very grateful for our help and give us a huge discount on all of her products. Even her employees will be eternally grateful for everything that we did to help the people of The Wayward. 

There are some clues that Duchess was a drug lord before the bombs fell and had made a name for herself in the criminal world...but she has now cleaned up her act and has stopped selling chems to people. She regrets her past decisions but now strives to be a better person, which we can see since she clearly cares about the safety and well-being of those she cares about. 

5. Mordecai ‘Mort’ McCoy

When you enter The Wayward, the very first non-feral ghoul that you see is Mordecai ‘Mort’ McCoy. Mort is an explorer and ‘independent contractor’ who is usually seen in The Wayward. Before the war, he was a normal guy until the radiation from the bombs turned him into a Ghoul...but he has tried to make the best of it and uses his immunity to radiation to go to places that normal people can’t go into, without suffering from radiation poisoning. 

Mort is a nice guy who often jokes about being a Ghoul and is also loyal to Duchess, whom he is willing to protect. Compared to some Ghouls, he is surprisingly good-looking and has a nice voice that we can listen to with his C.A.M.P instruction holotapes. 

While he does like to make some quick caps, he also won’t let anyone hurt Duchess and will give the Vault Dwellers some useful information. 

[wornoutspines]

A late 60s queer story that's campy as heck with a gay James Bondesque main character fighting for his queer brothers? What more do you need?

Review link here

~~~~~~~~~~~Blurb~~~~~~~~~~

Steve thought to cut in on the source of blackmail money that Dingo Stark was paying the boys who wanted to COLOR HIM GAY but his hatred took him too far. As his screams drift through the still air, it’s up to the debonair secret agent, Jackie Holmes, that Man from C.A.M.P., to arrive in time to save the day!

[laurenfoxmakesthings]

I was looking up Atlantis since the last* Man From C.A.M.P. novel had Atlantis (and I will include it in my book in a different way), and I stumbled upon...something.

See, I want the world of my book to balance in between plausible and implausible, and so sometimes I worry if I'm being too unrealistic (even with making Atlantis as the ceiling of believability for my Agents of C.A.M.P. series). And then reality goes 'no, I'm that weird, libertarians tried to make their own capitalist Atlantis'.

[mojavejourneys]

A Meeting with Mothman

Okay I had to write something about this because holy shit this was Angel’s most defining moment, when he finally got to see Mothman. Featuring Elias, @redrocketwarrior‘s OC as well :3

Warnings: None

Another day of scavving in Appalachia. Angel had finished salvaging the usable parts from all the junk he'd brought back and had finished putting it away when he heard a knock on the door to his crudely built but surprisingly sturdy wooden structure. Sure, Vault-Tec were total bastards but their Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform technology was second to none.

“Come in!” Angel called. The door swung open and a man wearing a well-worn Responders jumpsuit came in, black hair messy but his eyes carrying the awed look that a child would have. It was then that Angel looked up from the workbench, smiling when his misted eyes finally focused on the man. “Elias! Fancy that!” He set the gun he'd been modifying down for now. “What've you got for me?”

It took a moment for Elias to calm down enough to speak. What he'd witnessed had been nothing short of a dream come true and he'd basically dodged Scorched left and right in order to find Angel's C.A.M.P and tell him the news. He still couldn't believe that it had happened. He took a few breaths. “I... I saw Mothman. I saw him, Angel! He was real, and there, and--”

Angel's eyes widened and his jaw fell open. “Y-You saw Mothman?! For real?!” He practically dived towards his backpack and quickly pulled out his notebook and a pen. “Slow down, take a few breaths, and tell me what you saw. I have to know.” He passed a carton of boiled water to his friend. Elias took a drink and sat down on top of the storage box, taking a few breaths.

“It was at the lighthouse. So...” Elias had to pause to breathe again, sipping the water as he told Angel about how he'd had to fight off radtoads at the lighthouse, collecting bioluminescent fluid from the fireflies and how he and another survivor of the Vault had had to watch the air pressure. Angel was constantly taking notes as Elias explained that once everything was right, that was when the Wise Mothman descended from the heavens above to deliver his knowledge. “... and that was how I finally saw Mothman.”

Angel finished taking notes and closed the notebook, depositing it back into his backpack. “I knew he was real, and you've gone out and proven it. I only wish I could've been there, but I was caught up dealing with mole miners up at the mines again.”

“It all happened so fast. I couldn't believe it either.” Elias pulled out his own notebook and showed Angel a drawing that he'd made of Mothman. “But that's what I saw.” Angel looked over the sketch and gave an approving nod.

“We'll have to go up to the lighthouse together sometime.” Angel led Elias outside towards the cooking station he'd set up, tossing some chopped tatos and corn into the pot. “I really have to see this for myself. But now I know that all my research was worth it.” He began to stir, sighing a little. “My brother never believed all this, he always thought it was bullshit and fairy tales. God damn it, Jules.”

Elias took a seat by the fire, holding his hands towards it to warm them up slightly. “Not everybody is as open minded as we are. Was your brother in 76 too?”

“Jules? Nah.” Angel added some salt to the pot, along with some spices and a few herbs he'd found. “He was up in Boston with my nephew. Think they got taken to Vault 111, since Jules had done work in the military. If they made it to the Vault, I reckon they'd still be fine. Hey, we survived in the Vault, right?”

“True enough.” Elias sniffed up. “Glad I turned up when I did. That smells amazing.” He smiled at Angel then. “At least your food tastes good. You'd think that most people had forgotten what seasoning is.”

“No shit!” Angel let out a hearty laugh. “It's almost like they don't know how to add flavour.” He reached for two bowls and began to dish the soup into them. “Well, here's something that'll help stave off the hunger. Corn and tato soup with plenty of seasoning and spices.” The two practically demolished the soup between them to the point where there wasn't even any left for seconds.

After cleaning up the cooking station and washing the bowls, Elias began to head out. “Tell you what, we'll meet at the lighthouse tomorrow night. Bring your best weapon. We'll need to take out lots of radtoads to get the stuff we need to summon Mothman.”

Angel gave him a thumbs up. “You got it. See you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow.” Elias waved and began to head back.

~ ~ ~

The next night, Angel had headed up to the lighthouse to meet Elias at the designated point. He'd packed several weapons – the Deathclaw gauntlet that he'd salvaged from parts that the Blood Eagles had been hoarding and his favoured shotgun, a gun where aim wasn't quite as important. He had his notebook, enough food and water to stay around a while and a few stimpaks just in case. Now it was just a matter of waiting for Elias to show.

Almost as if on cue, the man showed up just moments later, fire axe in both hands. “Right, here's the plan.” Elias looked to Angel, who nodded slowly. “Fireflies and radtoads are gonna make their way to the lighthouse. All we have to do is kill them, harvest the glowing fluid from them and drop it into the lamp at the top. Once we pour in enough fluid, the glow will bring Mothman to us. Got it?”

“Got it.” Angel nodded.

It was as if on cue that fireflies began to gather around the lighthouse, followed by radtoads. Angel and Elias were making short work of them, harvesting every bit of fluid that they could. Eventually they had a system going – as one headed up to the lighthouse to drop the fluid into the lamp, the other would be harvesting more fluid and would then head up as the first came back down.

As the night drew on and more radtoads fell, Angel was about to head back down from depositing glowing fluid into the lamp when the thing suddenly let out a very bright green glow. He heard Elias shout from below and he quickly rushed down the stairs.

In front of the lighthouse, surrounded by wispy mist, was the Wise Mothman, purple eyes glowing bright against his black body. Angel gasped and fell to his knees, jaw dropping open in awe. “I knew it... I knew it all this time! Mothman IS real!” All his years of researching the elusive cryptid had finally paid off. Elias simply smiled.

“Exactly!” Elias was struggling to hide his own giddiness. The Wise Mothman spread his large wings out, fluttering them ever so slightly. The two men looked on, feeling incredibly blessed to be in this presence. Eventually Angel managed to calm down enough to get his camera out of his bag, taking some pictures and asking Elias to take some of him with Mothman.

“This moment... nothing can ever compare to this moment. This was everything I could have hoped for, and more...” Angel was still unable to take it all in. And as the Wise Mothman spread his wings and took off into the night sky, he began to head back with Elias. “I still can't believe it. We saw Mothman.”

“It still takes me by surprise every time. But yes, we saw him. And that... well, that more than makes up for all the shit we put up with out here.”

“I totally agree.” Angel put an arm around Elias' shoulders as they headed back in the direction of Elias' C.A.M.P, taking in the calm stillness of the night air.

[gaming-state]

Fallout 76 “Wild Appalachia” Major Content Update is Live

New Features: Brewing and Distilling – AVAILABLE NOW – Go on a new quest to discover the secrets of the forbidden brew Nukashine and bring the party back to your C.A.M.P with new brewing and distilling systems and recipes.

New Seasonal Event: Fasnacht Parade – AVAILABLE MARCH 19 – Chase away Old Man Winter and quicken the coming of spring with the ancient festival of Fasnacht! Join the celebration and complete this new limited-time event to earn unique rewards in the form of festive Fasnacht Masks.

New Game Mode: Survival – AVAILABLE MARCH 26 – This all-new game mode brings a higher-stakes PvP experience with fewer restrictions, increased rewards, and new challenges plus all the original content of Adventure Mode.

New Features: C.A.M.P. Decorating, Player Vending, Functional Camera – AVAILABLE APRIL – Use items from your stash to decorate your C.A.M.P. Build vending machines and flag items for sale. Simply set your prices and walk away to continue your adventures in Appalachia, being sure to capture all your favorite memories using the new functional camera. The vending machines do all the work, you just need to count the caps.

New Quests: Shear Terror! – AVAILABLE APRIL 9 – Uncover the ‘encryptid’ secrets of Appalachia in a new series of quests and encounters to separate monsters from myths.

New Features: Legendary Vendor and Scrapping – AVAILABLE MAY – Locate the mysterious Purveyor to exchange and scrap your unwanted legendary items for new legendary gear. For every star rating on a legendary item you scrap, increase your chances to get the legendary weapon or armor of your dreams.

New Quests: Ever Upwards – AVAILABLE MAY 7 – Journey to the deepest reaches of the woods with new stories for the legendary Pioneer Scouts. Earn merit badges, climb the ranks, and earn a customizable backpack for increased utility.

[tonightinthewasteland]

Journal Entries 3- Casey Loomis aka Preacher

Part 1 Part 2

Jan 1, 2103

I woke up on the second floor of Sweetwater's home with a blinding headache and Nate handing me my glasses. They sat crooked on my face and I realized they were held together by wraps of duct tape. Nate took them back immediately saying he'd fix them a little more. Ignoring my questions about the night before, he readjusted my glasses then offered them back. They fit better that time and when I asked after the night before he busied himself with gathering up things. I resolved to sit in a cloud of fragmented memories.

It took some confused blinking and the lingering taste of bourbon in my teeth to finally remember. When the evening came back to me I smiled and I could tell by the way Nate avoided my eye that he wasn't too proud. He escaped down the stairs before I could say anything and now I'm worried.

 Is he embarrassed? Was I too hasty? I thought it was pretty clear what he had wanted but maybe I got ahead of myself...again. 

If he hadn't wanted to kiss me then what did he want? 

Jan 6, 2103

The awkwardness has pushed Nate away. Now I am back in my old haunts in the eastern forests, trying not to think too much, and spending more time at my C.A.M.P. The garden now has more corn plants and I planted mutfruit bushes beneath the western window. What I wouldn't give for a decent cook station. I’d like to see someone else make a Starlight cobbler on the ground. 

While at the stove at Arronholdt Farm, I heard a commotion behind the center house. Instead of a wild dog, a person came barreling out of the woods! I was so stunned, my fight or flight brain almost shot her in excitement. Yikes! 

She said my name before I could remember hers. It was Siddhi! Ten years my junior but sometimes our cliques' co-mingled at Vault events. I never thought I’d see a familiar face ever again! Too bad Nate isn't around to meet her. I’m beginning to think he could use some more human contact also. His “neighbors” don’t count. I think those stiffs are starting to get to me also because I swear I saw the same mannequins a mile away from my C.A.M.P. 

Keep it together, Casey.

Jan 9, 2103

I'm a fuckin idiot. Complete dumb shit. I would embarrass the Elder if he met me. The Overseer wouldn't even claim me right now. I was heading back to Camp Venture to stow away some technical documents when a Sierra Bravo came out of the trees tops. It was a stroke of luck it didn't see me but who needs Scorched beasts when my dumb ass trips over his own boots? I went down the side the mountain at a full tumble and over the edge. I must have had another life left because instead of landing straight in the mouth of hell I dropped heavy on to a rocky outcropping instead. Dazed and breathless, I couldn't tell what was fucked and what still worked. My bag with all its stimpaks was stuck underneath me and the pain made my limbs worthless. The sky was an ugly cheery blue, the sun was out and all I could think about was how Nate would find me C.A.M.P empty every time he came back.

I don’t know how much time passed but woke up with an achingly dry mouth and no pain. The world was still warm and bright. Looking back, I’m surprised by how easily I accepted that I was dying once the pain went away. Then, a smiling face with eyes as green as spring formed out of the sunshine.

Jan 14, 2103

Nate came back for a while and I am glad for that. He looks me in the face just as any other time. I’ve felt like a spring ready to spit loose. The lingering symptoms of my fall have sore ankles and stiffness when it gets cold at night but I have this persistent nervous energy that has nowhere to go but to my head. The nightmares are bizarre, fluctuating between flashes of sex with, uh, Raiders(?), and monsters tearing me apart. I can’t figure how these things match and I don't want to try. My thoughts have not been right since the fall. Wandering is what my mind needs, I think.

I directed us south towards an especially unwelcoming black spot on the horizon, a town called Welch. There wasn't much left of the Overseer’s ancestral home and the surrounding area has fallen to ashy landslides and heavy gases that made the air uninhabitable. The lingering striker bots, skeletons, picket signs, and long forgotten equipment still sit grimly on my mind. Perhaps it wasn't the best place to wander into. 

It’s sick to see that machinery, the Rockhound, still functioning. Built to outwork humans, it outlived us instead. Watching the beast eat earth borders on cosmic horror. I’m being...too much...I need to lay down. I don’t feel good. 

Jan 18 2103

I uprooted all my plants and used the C.A.M.P to dismantled everything. Fresh start. I moved a few yards farther down the hill to flatter ground near a stout tree. The new home is brighter with more room for growth and much-desired bedroom privacy. Never hurts to be ambitious, I hope.  

Things need changing. A man can only ride stupidity so far before he has to accept it as a flaw and not a silly quirk. Always runny ahead to oogle at the new shiny things, tramping over land mines, waltzing into a ghoul den and Mutant territory...I’m a danger to myself and anyone that's with me. Here I am, changing the interior of my home but not myself. What new disaster will it take to become a man Nate might respect?

There might not be a Joshua loaded down with stimpaks next time. His generosity leaves a ghostly shame. I can’t recall his angelic eyes and genuine kindness without feeling guilty.

 Perhaps my contribution can be as an example to these younger Reclaimers, Siddhi...Joshua...of what voluntary ignorance will get you. 

Joshua belongs to @lamorellenoire6

Nate and Siddhi belong to @avaleon

[hootenanie]

covers from gay spy genre spoof pulp series The Man From C.A.M.P., illustrated by Robert Bonfils

written by "godfather of modern popular gay fiction" Victor J. Banis (under the pen name Don Holliday) between 1966 and 1968, the nine book series follows the adventures of globetrottering superspy Jackie Holmes as he solves mysteries, seduces men, and faces off against C.A.M.P.'s militantly homophobic archenemy organisation B.U.T.C.H.

[trashmenace]

The Man From C.A.M.P.: The Watercress File by Don Holliday (Victor Banis)

That debonair Man from C.A.M.P., Jackie Holmes, is back once more! This time the crusader for gay justice is thrown into the most fracturingly funny escapade of his career, being joined by an unbelievably incompetent household of characters, who go by the code name of WATERCRESS, and who insist on helping him with his (barely) dangerous mission. And in process we encounter the antics of such individuals as the straightlaced CIA agent, Craig Mathews, Aunt Lily, Aunt Nasturtia, Aunt Marigold, Honeysuckle the pianist, the gigantic Gladiola, and the very strange Nick. Of course, Jackie always winds up on top in the end. Sounds like business as usual for this ever-C.A.M.P.-ish series!

Kindle ebook from Amazon

[towhoddard]

Thoughts on the B.E.T.A: Day/Hour 1

Aight so I managed to speed home from work and got in a little under an hour with the Fallout 76 B.E.T.A. Here are some quick initial thoughts and highlights: 

- Liked how quickly the game puts your character in Appalachia. I would’ve enjoyed a little more motivation/incentive to explore the Vault, but I think it was smart to cut right to the good stuff in less than 10 min from character creation. And man oh MAN that vista immediately outside the Vault is absolutely stunning (more about the art direction/sandbox in a bit.)

- Disconnected from the server before leaving the Vault my first go around and made me start over with character creation after reconnecting. Hopefully everyone’s progress isn’t compromised when the servers go back online for day 2.

- The starting area outside the Vault, the player’s first glimpse of Appalachia, might be my favorite of the “emerging from the Vault/Doc Mitchell’s house” moments that are a staple of the Bethesda Fallouts. The art team nailed the sights and sounds of the real Appalachian wilderness, especially the foliage and the cicadas. I’ve only wandered to a couple locations along the trail to the Overseer, all being both familiar to the setting and unique to this particular Fallout experience.

- Weapon/armor condition is BACK BABY. I’m really happy to see this mechanic return to the series. I can’t tell why I’m happy about it, though. Probably nostalgia from F3 and FNV because I haven’t felt the effects of it yet in 76. I’m interested to see how the mechanic affects gameplay loop as the beta progresses.  

- The combat felt a little off, mostly because of the wonky A.I. I never got into a fight I couldn’t finish, but more often than not couldn’t tell how these engagements started or why an army of Mr. Farmhands (which i initially though were benevolent) surrounded me out of nowhere. I stuck to mostly melee weapons since ammo was sparse, 

- Not feeling too hot about work benches only allowing one player at a time. I ran into this issue at the Overseer’s C.A.M.P. site, having to wait a couple minutes for both the armor and weapon stations to become vacant. This “issue” will absolutely resolve itself when I get some more time with my own camp, so it’s just a nitpick for now. 

- Appalachia at night is dark. Very dark. While its smart to encourage players to use the Pipboy light in particular conditions, I wish there was an option in display settings to adjust the brightness. 

Some other, smaller additions/details of note:

- ammo and stimpaks are no longer weightless. They’re only a small percent of 1wg, but I have a feeling the days of effortlessly carrying 40,000 .45 rounds are over. 

- Map is bound to the start button instead of the Pipboy. 

- Accessing your items labeled as “favorites” are bound to both the D-pad and a wheel similar to the emote wheel. 

- Jumping now costs AP. Initially a bummer, but interested to see how this overall affects movement and flexibility. Also the AP meter depletes right to left, similar to HP, so it’ll take a little bit to get used to the UI. 

That’s all I have for now! I’ll keep updating after every day of the beta to track any changes and new mechanics I run into as I go deeper into Appalachia.