Important Notes:

• I do my best to include every sale, but at the same time I focus sale with a noticeable price drop, meaning sales start with at least 20% and up. I usually skip anything below that unless it's a worth while title.
  
• Click on the price to visit the store page for that game.
  
• The end date of the sale isn't mentioned, you can check the store page to see it.
  
• All of these sales are based on the US store front, so some sales may not be available depending on your country.
  

[~ PSN ~]

(On Mobile please Swipe left to see the prices and tags)

Game	Price/Link	Tags
Persona 4 Golden	$11.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Modern Japan setting/Highschool life simulatoMystery/Monster collectoSocial link system/Great soundtrack
The Persona Collection (P3P/Persona 4/Persona 5)	$49.49 $89.99	Turn-based/Modern Japan setting/Highschool life simulatoMystery/Monster collectoSocial link system/Great soundtrack
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth PS4 & PS5	$48.99 $69.99	Turn-based/Contemporary Hawaii setting/Yakuza life/Open World/Heavy on Drama and Comedy/Heavy on Mini-games/Class Changing Mechanics
Star Ocean The Second Story R	$39.99 $49.99	Action/Sci-fi mixed with Fantasy setting/Choose 1 of 2 main characters/Expansive crafting system/Affection mechanic for Party members/Choices matteRemake of the original PS1 title
Tales of Arise PS4 & PS5	$14.79 $59.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Anime style/Revolution Story/anime trope heavy/Social links mechanic between party members
Valkyria Chronicles 4 Complete Edition	$9.99 $49.99	Tactical Turn-based/World War Militar setting/Tactical mixed with real-time elements/Sketch or "Canvas" art style/Build your Army with character customization/Mission based story progression/Army management
DORAEMON STORY OF SEASONS	$14.99 $49.99	Farming Simulator/Mini-games/Social Links system
Rainbow Moon	$2.99 $14.99	Tactical Turn-based/Character customization/Fantasy setting/Dungeon Crawler
Terra Memoria	$14.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Base Building/Resource gathering & Crafting
Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters	$19.99 $49.99 [PS4 version]	Turn-based/Female Protagonist/Comedy/fan-service/Parody
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling	$14.99 $24.99	Turn-based/Paper Mario-like/Comedy/Adventure
Monster Sanctuary	$4.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Monster CollectoMetroidvania/Pixel Graphics
Relayer	$11.99 $59.99	Tactical turn-based/Sci-fi setting/Space travel/Piloted Mecha/Female Protagonist/Anime art style
Death end reQuest	$7.99 $39.99	Turn-based/Female protagonist/Cyber World setting/Psychological HorroNudity
Death end re;Quest 2	$11.99 $49.99	Turn-based/Cyber world setting/Female Protagonist/Dark Fantasy/Gore/Fan-service
Shining Resonance Refrain	$5.99 $29.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Dragon transformation/Musical theme/Anime visual style/Social link mechanic
Mary Skelter Finale	$14.99 $49.99	Turn-based/First-Person View Dungeon CrawleDeep & Full party customization/Female Protagonist/Multiple Endings/HorroFan-service
Born of Bread	$14.99 $29.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Paper Mario-like/Comedy/Timed hits combat
DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT	$14.99 $59.99	Action Fantasy/Semi-Open World (zones)/Anime story adaptation/Beautiful animations
South Park™: The Fractured but Whole™	$8.99 $29.99	Tactical Turn-based/Modern Day setting/Comedy/Mature/Dark HumoNudity/Fart Jokes

​

[~ Switch ~]

Game	Price/Link	Tags
Star Ocean The Second Story R	$39.99 $49.99	Action/Sci-fi mixed with Fantasy setting/Choose 1 of 2 main characters/Expansive crafting system/Affection mechanic for Party members/Choices matteRemake of the original PS1 title
Ikenfell	$5.99 $19.99	Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Female Protagonist/LGBTQ+/Retro
Dodgeball Academia	$9.99 $24.99	Action/School Life Sim/Sports (Dodgeball)/2D Hand-drawn Cartoon Art style
Born of Bread	$14.99 $29.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Paper Mario-like/Comedy/Timed hits combat
Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe	$6.99 $19.99	Action/Fantasy setting/Cooking battles/Female Protagonist/Side ScrolleBeat'em up/Hand-drawn
Fuga: Melodies of Steel	$23.99 $39.99	Tactical Turn-based/Steampunk setting/Anthropomorphic characters/Social Links System/Base upgrading
Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2	$23.99 $39.99	Tactical Turn-based/Steampunk setting/Anthropomorphic characters/Social Links System/Base upgrading
Front Mission 1st: Remake	$17.49 $34.99	Tactical turn-based/Sci-fi setting/War & Politics/Mecha/Customization
FRONT MISSION 2: Remake	$27.99 $34.99	Tactical turn-based/Sci-fi setting/War & Politics/Mecha/Customization
Dusk Diver	$8.74 $34.99	Action/Modern Taipei Ximending setting/Female Protagonist/Beat'em up/Anime visual style
Terra Memoria	$14.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Base Building/Resource gathering & Crafting
Infinite Guitars	$11.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Sci-fi setting/Rock Music/Hand-drawn/Robots/Rhythm/Timed button presses
Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs - Royal Edition OST Combo	$7.49 $24.99	Tactical turn-based/Medieval Fantasy setting/Social link system/Politics/Comedy
Potato Flowers in Full Bloom	$13.31 $17.99	Turn-based/Medieval Fantasy setting/First-person Dungeon CrawleCustom Party creation/Class Mechanics
Rainbow Moon + Rainbow Skies Strategy RPG Bundle	$23.99 $29.99	Tactical Turn-based/Character customization/Fantasy setting/Dungeon Crawler

[~ Xbox ~]

Game	Price/Link	Tags
Blue Dragon	$6.59 $19.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Class changing mechanics/great soundtrack
Lost Odyssey	$8.24 $24.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting
Costume Quest 1	$4.49 $14.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Female Protagonist/Choices Matter
Terra Memoria	$14.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Base Building/Resource gathering & Crafting
Dodgeball Academia	$9.99 $24.99	Action/School Life Sim/Sports (Dodgeball)/2D Hand-drawn Cartoon Art style
Ikenfell	$5.99 $19.99	Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Female Protagonist/LGBTQ+/Retro
Ara Fell: Enhanced Edition	$5.99 $14.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Female Protagonist/Pixel Graphics
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling	$12.49 $24.99	Turn-based/Paper Mario-like/Comedy/Adventure

~ Steam ~

If you want to check the games yourself:

~ Link to the JRPGs on Sale list ~

Steam Deck Icons (As explained by Steam itself):

🟦 Verified: Means that the game is fully compatible and works with built-in controls and display.
🟧 Playable: Means the game is Functional, but requires extra effort to interact with and configure .
"--" Unknown: Basically unconfirmed or still under-review.

Game	Price/Link	Tags	Steam Deck
Chrono Ark	$18.74 $24.99	Turn-based/Modern day setting/Roguelike DeckbuildeFemale Protagonist/Anime visuals/Card Battler	🟦 Playable
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night	$9.99 $39.99	Action/Medieval Gothic Fantasy setting/Female Protagonist/PlatformeSide ScrolleMetroidvania	🟦 Verified
In Stars And Time	$15.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Monochrome art style/LGBTQ+/Comedy/Time Travel/Hand-drawn Cartoon style	🟦 Verified
Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom PRINCE'S EDITION	$11.99 $79.98	Action/Fantasy setting/Isekai/Base BuildeArmy Battle/Character CollectoBeautiful art style	🟦 Verified
Born of Bread	$12.49 $24.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Paper Mario-like/Comedy/Timed hits combat	🟧Playable
Terra Memoria	$14.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Base Building/Resource gathering & Crafting	🟧Playable
Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2	$23.99 $39.99	Tactical Turn-based/Steampunk setting/Anthropomorphic characters/Social Links System/Base upgrading	🟦 Verified
Fae Tactics	$5.99 $19.99	Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Female Protagonist/Beautiful Pixel Graphics/Unique Battle system/Monster Collector	🟦 Verified
Dodgeball Academia	$9.99 $24.99	Action/School Life Sim/Sports (Dodgeball)/2D Hand-drawn Cartoon Art style	🟧Playable
Sword and Fairy 7	$14.99 29.99	Action/Chinese Martial Arts Fantasy (Xianxia)/Female Protagonist/Great visuals and Music/Rich Story and Lore/Chinese voice acting with English subtitles	🟧Playable
Ikenfell	$5.99 $19.99	Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/Female Protagonist/LGBTQ+/Retro	🟦 Verified
Astria Ascending	$8.74 $39.99	Turn-based/Medieval Fantasy setting/PlatformeFemale Protagonist/Class system	🟦Verified
Haven	$14.99 $24.99	Active time combat/Sci-fi setting/Heavy on Romance/LGBTQ/Local Co-op support/Exploration/Resource Gathering	🟦 Verified
Crimson Tactics: The Rise of The White Banner	$14.99 $29.99	Tactical Turn-based/Medieval Fantasy setting/Class system/War & Politics/Dragons/	--
Jack Move	$9.99 $19.99	Turn-based/Cyberpunk setting/Female Protagonist/Pixel Graphics/Hacking	🟦Verified
Earthlock	$4.49 $29.99	Turn-based/Fantasy setting	🟧Playable
Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament	$4.49 $14.99	Real Time/Chinese Martial Arts Fantasy (Xianxia)/Rich Story and Lore/Monster collection/Chinese voice acting with English subtitles	🟧Playable
Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament	$4.49 $14.99	Real Time/Chinese Martial Arts Fantasy (Xianxia)/Rich Story and Lore/Monster collection/Chinese voice acting with English subtitles	🟧Playable
Children of Zodiarcs	$5.39 $17.99	Tactical Turn-based/Fantasy setting/Female Protagonist/Card Based/Deck Building	🟦Verified

​

~ General Recommendations (All Consoles) For Anyone Who Can't Decide ~

First off, I won't recommend big or famous games like Final Fantasy or Persona, this is more for lesser know, hidden gems, or just games where it's hard to find someone talking about them.
​

[Valkyria Chronicles]

[Valkyria Chronicles 4]

This one is really hard to explain through words alone, but just in case, the VC series is a World War 2 military setting story, where you act as the lead of a squad and take mission to drive back the enemy. The story is drama heavy and the gameplay is tactical turn-based, but it's mixed with real-time third person shooter.
You can also make your own army by recruiting different types of solders, training them and upgrading their gear. From rifles to tanks, this is a game you have to experience to understand.

[Fuga: Melodies of Steel 1 & 2]

Great game, great art style, and really well made and balanced turn-based combat. That alone is enough to get the game. Then you add the time-management part of the game, where you spend time upgrading the different tank rooms, cooking, exploring ruins, spending time to bond with other characters, and so on. It's also great if you want a game that you can play for an hour or 2 and then put down for later. As the game is played through stages, and once you're done with a stage, you get an intermission to do what you want and come back to it later.
It's not a long game (compared to the usual JRPG), as you mentioned, it's about 20 hours. Story-wise I think it was a bit too short. Gameplay wise it was great fit, because it didn't outstay it's welcome, and it ends when you feel you have mastered the gameplay and want to face the final challenge.
The story is good, but isn't the focus. Gameplay is the main focus. In fact you'll feel that a lot of context isn't told in the story, but instead left for you to either read about in the in-game wiki or just figure out through obvious clues in the story.
There is a big mechanic that this meant to put a lot of pressure on your playthrough (don't worry about it being spoiled because it's literally explained in the first hour of the game). The thing is though, if you have experience in JRPGs or just play in a really well thought out and relaxed manner, then that mechanic might not be as big a deal as they make it seem to be. Yet it's still fun nonetheless.
Fuga 2 is even better. It fixes a lot of the minor issues the first game had, and what's really great, is it improved the "big pressure" mechanic I talked about, and now it actually is a big deal. Then add to that so much little new mechanics added that just makes for a much more fun and challenging game. The 2nd game also continues the same story.

[Ni no Kuni] Series

If you're looking for that great Isekai fantasy adventure feel, then these two games are where it's at. Fantastic visuals and great music, coupled with a great art style, a combo that is perfect for a chill and relaxed gaming experience. Especially when talking about the first game, with the help ofStudio Ghibli, they managed to make a truly whimsical world with that Studio Ghibli classic touch.

- Important Note: The games aren't connected story-wise, so you can start with any of them -

[Wrath of the White Witch]

For a the best fantasy adventure feel, while the combat is a hit or miss depending on your taste, don't let that stop you from actually diving into a true fairy tale world, this is the one with the better story in my opinion, so if you want more story than game, this is for you. Still it has a good share of gameplay, from raising and collecting Pokemon-like monsters, to learning and using different spells, not just in combat but for the overworld too.

[Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom]

This one focuses more on gameplay, with a Kingdom builder, Army battles, Heavy loot focus, and even character collector, this is the one to go with if you want more game than story. Still has the great music and he fantastical art style and setting. Add to that a lot of side activities like beating rare monsters, collecting cute creatures to help you in battle, and even going around the world to gather people to help you build your kingdom. You'll never be short on things to do.
Finally, both of them have beautifully draw world that is just a pleasure to walkthrough, made even better with the amazing orchestral soundtrack.

[Star Ocean The Second Story R]

The original PS1 game was already an amazing JRPG and a classic. But this remake takes it to go even further beyond SSJ3. It should be the standard on how to make a faithful remake on of a classic title.
I don't want to overhype it more than I already did. So to keep this short, this remake does so much:

• All major story events are now fully voice acted. This includes a lot of the private actions too.
  
• Fully redone and better translation of the game.
  
• New Character to recruit to the party.
  
• New Private Actions and 13 new Endings.
  
• New character portraits, not just for the main cast, but also for many other characters.
  
• A complete rework for the battle system to be up to modern standards.
  
• So many QoL features:
  
  • Auto-saving
  • Fast-forward cut-scenes or skip them.
  • Text log
  • All difficulties can be accessed from the start
  • Fast travel
  • 3 different voice dubbing options to choose from (New English, Original Japanese, New Japanese)
  • Your choice of different art styles
  • Choose between original OST and new rearranged OST.
  • No random battles anymore, as enemies can be seen and avoided

And believe me when I say I still haven't touched half of the amazing work that has gone into this remake.

[Sword and Fairy 7: Together Forever]

They did a great job with the presentation of the game. Great voice acting (Chinese), great graphics, amazing music, and an impressive attention to details of the world and it's lore, especially the engineering of the buildings and their decor. Then you have the really beautiful design of each piece of gear, and even just normal attire of each NPC and the disciples of each sect or soldiers of each of the different of each plane (gods, humans, demons).
Then we go to how great looking the monsters and local flora and fauna of each realm. You can feel the intense work that has gone into making and animating each of them. It really is a joy to watch them, as much as it is to watch each environment you see them in. There really isn't enough time to talk about how good the presentation is.
As for the story. First off, I am not an expert in Chinese novels mythology, but I am a big fan of Xianxia and Wuxia novels. So when I say that the story is...good but nothing great, I am saying this as more than just a JRPG fan, but also someone who is very into this type of world and Chinese martial arts fantasy setting. it's nothing that will stick in your mind, apart from the events that take place in some of the beautiful set pieces in the game, or the cut-scenes with beautiful action cheoragphy.
The gameplay is also about average. The side-quests are fun and are worth doing if nothing more than for learning more about the lore and the world. But the actual battles and action gameplay isn't as good as the best ones out there, but it's not bad. I have ran into some bugs, some small, some big, but that was when the game just came out, and it did receive a lot of patches since then. You can tell that they aimed to make a huge triple A production, but didn't have the time or manpower to test a game of this size. It's still fun to play and experience, but the level of gameplay is nowhere near the level of the presentation that the game gives the impression of having just from watching the gameplay or trailers.
If you enjoy walking through magical and fantastic looking JRPG worlds, or if you enjoy Xianxia/Wuxia fiction, then this is an easy choice. Hell even if you don't, it's still worth a go at this price.

[Blue Dragon] & [Lost Odyssey]

These two are classic titles that will probably won't be ported to or remade to modern consoles. That's why this might be the last way you'll ever get to experience 2 classic titles of the genre. Lost Odyssey has great story writing and unique character settings, and Blue Dragon has great exploration and a really fun character class customization system, and one hell of a boss theme.

[Monster Sanctuary]

This is a solid game, everything in is polished and balanced to make sure you are having fun collecting new monsters and customizing your team through evolution/skill trees/gear and making the best in-sync party you can. I only wish it was longer, it's not short by any means, but it's not long either. I would say depending on if you're trying to "catch them all" and explore everything and fight all bosses, this could easily be a 30+ hours game, but if you focus on the story, then it's about 20 to 30 hours. Now even longer with the 2 new free DLC expansion added.
Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining that it's short, but that I was having so much fun, that I wish it didn't end.

As always, please do add your own recommendations, and let me know if there is mistake or if something was missing, and have a nice day.

Hello!
I am at a bit of a standstill on how I should approach getting a car sales job, and I reach out to this group for some guidance. I am 21 in eastern Ontario, in the process of getting OMVIC certification. I have previous sales selling car parts and motorsport parts, upselling if applicable. I have also ran my own tire changing business for 3 years, marketing on my own with repeat sales and references.
I’m just not sure my resume would cut it. But I’d love to show up dressed well, putting a face to the name after applying online. With my minimal experience, how should I approach getting a job at a dealer?
I have no problem letting them know that I’d love to work there, I am a quick learner and can adapt, I will be self educating, also be competing for the hardest worker title.
Any advice is greatly appreciated, your word will be taken and applied with all I’ve got.
Thank you.

So i was out in town skateboarding at 3in the morning bc why not we ballin, that was what i needed yk (my bf at the time and i had got in a fight and broke up so i went skateboarding to clear my head,
Anyways So a cop sees me skateboarding on the side of the road theres zero cars around its just me and that cop. She stops me ask where im headin, for id, reasons i was out so late etc... i told her i was just out clearing my head this is what i chose to do instead of anything else, she understood and asked some more questions looked up my name yada yada
Also i am 19 female talked to the cops like 2 weeks or so before my 19th bday (may 11) im in texas. So, she said she would feel safer if she took me home and i wasnt gonna say no to a cop (i get really bad anxiety when having to deal with them bc every cop in my town sucks) she pats me down and then i get in and shes driving were talking etc she askin me a whole bunch of personal questions. We get there and theres another cop with 2 males one was a Sargent. Same thing askin me questions, asked me if i knew any drug dealers etc🤣 then they say they were gonna go through my bag and if there was anything there shouldn't be in there and im like all i have in there is a speaker a water bottle and a vape. The girl goes thro my shit finds the vape, takes it and the cops are scolding me about having it and then the male cop not the sargent was like "do you really think youre smart riding around town at 3am" i said no sir and he said "why" i said, "i can get kidnappped, hit by a carrrr, etc and then he said something douche baggy i cant remember and i tuned him out im ngl.. LOL oh i also had another vape in my pocket they took too
So now i have a charge for "possession of cigarettes" as it was a regular vape... But yh they gave me court for it. Everyone ive talked to said they had no reason to search me and i should fight it but with the way cops are around here i will honestly just make myself a target to them over what probably a not thaat bad fine. I also dont even know how i would.. but im not fighting it. I got some cool vids n pics skateboarding on the dead main roads with some music going, no regrets it was a vibe
But court date lingering giving me anxiety 😤

I'll explain why and how the fight started. Please tell me if I am in the wrong or if I should apologise and get back together.
The story:
I took a break from working for like a couple months. Since I am "free", my partner wants me to spend time with them mostly and wants all my attention. We have been going out for almost a year now.
So, we hang out for like 8 hours a day (my partner works from home). Once I get back home, they will facetime me after dinner and we talk until we sleep. But I don't get to do anything I want to.
They usually don't like me spending time with my friends. We have gotten into a lot of arguments cuz I'm on call with my friends while they try to call.
The actual conflict:
My friend had her birthday a week ago. I don't hang out with my friends that often cuz I am always with my partner. So, my friends made this birthday party plan a month prior to get everyone on board. This plan wasn't even a full day plan. It was like a half day plan and we'd get home in the evening.
When we go out with friends, we usually don't know what we're gonna do. We make plans as we go. So, We didn't make a detailed plan. We just knew we're going to the beach. That's it.
So, I told my partner about this and they were okay. But on the day I was supposed to go to the party, they started asking me questions about where we are going, what we'll be doing and everything.
Them asking questions was not a problem for me. I answered everything. But they felt as if I did not want to share that information to them and that's why I didn't tell them myself.
When I told them we don't know what we'd be doing, they were like, "you just don't wanna share it with me. It's fine. You made the plan anyway right?". I did not make the plan. And when I tried to prove it to them that we did not have a solid plan that day. They did not even want to hear me out.
My partner clearly did not want me to go. So, I texted the birthday girl that I won't be joining them. She understood that my partner is that way.
Meanwhile, my partner and I started screaming at each other. One thing led to another and finally when they said "dont cancel your plans for me, go, be with your awesome friends".
I got fed up. My friends have been with me for over 10 years. They understand what type of situation I'm in. You still pull their leg in our fight?
I just told them "my friends are awesome whether you like it or not". That's it. They slammed a chair against the wall.
I was frustrated and was done with this shit. I just told them that we're breaking up and left.
I did not know where to go. I wanted to cry. My parents were at my home. I haven't told them about my partner. So, I called my friend and asked if could come over
She was getting ready to go out. I went there, cried for more than an hour. And my friend said "look, you have been crying for so long. They haven't tried to call or text you at all. They blocked you on insta. Enough is enough. Come with us"
So, I went with them to the beach. Meanwhile, my partner started calling me. I was with the friends of the birthday girl. So, I didn't answer the call cuz I know my partner would scream at me. And I was not ready for that call infront of strangers.
They kept calling me non stop and when I finally answered. They told me they were waiting outside my house. When I told them I came with my friends they started yelling, screaming, cursing.
I took my stance and told them it's over. But they still kept calling and told me that they are the only one fighting for this relationship. They started to self harm themselves and that made me leave my friends and book a cab to their place.
Even while I was on the cab they still called me names. Asked me not to come. They said " took you long enough to leave your awesome friends and look at me"
After a while I couldn't take it anymore and i just went straight home.
Then, they got even angry and pulled up outside my house. Remember, my parents came to visit. So, they were Standing outside. I asked them to come in and have a convo, they refused. My mom and dad came out and invited them in. They still refused.
They told me, "you went out to the beach with your friends right? I want you to come to the beach with me right now". (P.s. it was 10pm at the time)
I didn't go. And it made them even mad. They started cussing and said I prioritise my friends over them.
This fight happened for about 30 mins before they left. Then we didn't speak for a while.
After few days, we made up. They told me that I don't love them enough and constantly compared me to their ex's.
Yesterday, they found an insta reel that my friend posted of that day in the beach. I didn't tell them about it cuz I didn't want to start a fight again. We both knew that this topic brought conflict. My partner saw the reel and said "I was miserable that day and you had fun???"
I was miserable that day too. The girls at the party who I barely knew also were asking me if something was wrong or if they could help. I actually ruined their party. I was crying. Always on the phone with my partner cuz they kept on calling.
But my partner now thinks I have betrayed them while they stayed loyal cuz they've never been loyal to any of their ex's. They tell me I have never been grateful of them. That I was enjoying while they were miserable trying to hurt themself.
I did try to have a conversation about this. But they won't understand my side of the story.
And when I told them I can't keep coming to their place every single day cuz I need to take care of some stuff. They flip out saying "you be with your family. You be with your awesome friends. Don't ever come to me. Why do you need me anyway"
When I facetimed them today, they faced the camera to the wall and never spoke a word. And finally, they sent a text saying that they will stop everything they did for me. And left a good bye message.
Now, back to the question:
Please tell me if I am in the wrong or if I should apologise and get back together????

You can make the case for weakened demand due to people who can afford EV's already having bought one and the sustained elevated interest rates hurting demand but there are a couple of factors that can affect the future stock price that are of varying degrees of likelihood of occurring but are positive catalysts for the stock.
take this information as you will and make your own financial decisions.
Positive Catalysts and likelihood of occurring
*Rivian has just completed their plant shutdown in order to streamline operations and promote productivity which should also impact profitability.
As this has already occurred the chance is 100% and unless they are complete idiots should in fact lead to greater productivity and in turn profitability aka less $ lost per vehicle, it remains to be seen how much impact this will have on operations
*Rivian has changed suppliers on certain things like sensors and cameras as they are doing a refresh on the current R1 lineup. Chances of occurring is 100% and based on what Wassym from Rivian has stated should lead to increased capability including self driving capability. May lead to increased demand.
*Rivian has access to the Tesla charging network and is currently in the proceess of sending out CCS to NACS adapters for free to current owners. Chance of occurring 100% as this has happened / is in progress. Some rivian owners have already bought their own adapters. This should solve the issue of the charging station woes and lead to reduced range anxiety for current and potential owners as road trips become basically a non issue. Just happened recently so should lead to increased demand going forward.
*EV tax credits are currently being looked at to be reworked in 2025 the details are still in flux, but as Rivians currently only qualify for $3750 tax credits to those who are under the income limits this is more likely to be a beneficial change to rivian than to hurt rivian. I'd say the chances of a rework to EV tax credit rules are 100% as the current EV tax credit rules are stupid and everyone knows it. The chance of it being beneficial to Rivian is currently unknown as they could increase the amount Rivian owners would qualify to receive or increase the amount of potential Rivian buyers who would be eligible. Worst case I could see no change for Rivian,
I dont see Rivian buyers less eligible or receiving less credit than they do now.
*Rivian becomes positive gross margin by Q4 on a per vehicle basis. This is what Rivian is pushing for and what they say they are striving for on their earning calls. For this to occur they would have to make great strides to profitability. Whether they meet their goal or just get close remains to be seen. I think this is both a potential positive catalyst if they meet this goal or get really close as it should greatly increase stock buyer sentiment. Conversely if they fall well short then this could be a very negative catalyst. its hard to assign a chance to this occurring with so many variables that could happen between here and there.
*Interest rates reducing. Interest rates haven't increased since July of 2023. As the rates have been sustained since then that may have weakened demand somewhat. However I believe it is more likely for interest rates to be reduced than to be increased further. If interest rates somehow increased I couldn't see how they could possibly sustain more than an additional .25 or .50 total increase from where they are now and even then I think those are unlikely. I think its more likely that interest rates are reduced at least .25 by the end of the year with further rate reductions likely in 2025. This should increase consumer sentiment toward both the stock and toward demand.
Can't predict the future but I think rate reductions or at least one by the end of the year is at least 65-70% likely in my opinion. The stock price at the time of the last rate hike was around a peak of $26-27 before dropping after that but staying around $17-23 til 2024.
*R2 model, if Rivian starts improving their financial situation and that they look like they will be able to stay in business to launch the more affordable R2 which there should be a robust preorder demand I think this will have a good impact on the stock price. They will probably releease preorder numbers at some point this year and if they do that will probably help the stock price on their own. I would estimate that there are 60k-100K R2 Preorders and as that is a much more affordable price point the closer we get to the 2026 projected launch the better rivians stock price should be.
My positions: 170 Shares and 21x $20 calls for January 2025 with plans to add another $10k worth of a mix of calls at varying strikes and shares in the near future. If you do your research and decide to buy calls/puts dated out in 2025 or beyond make sure to check the bid/ask and put in a limit order so you aren't burned by large bid/ask gaps. I also own a Rivian Quad R1T
I would like to address the apple partnership speculation last. This is all rumor based and should be taken as such and not as factual in any capacity. As to what validity to it I wouldn't care to guess but there are many options in which a partnership of some sort would make sense and a lot of different options as to how that would take shape.
*Apple could simply lease/sell the research from Project Titan to Rivian for cheap as they spent a lot of money on it and Rivian was asked on the Quarter 1 24 call how they plan to be able to fund future development of their driver+ software (self driving).
Apple spent a lot of money on project titan and it would be a waste if none of that data was useful or ever used.
*The rumors of the apple rivian partnership was credited to an unnamed supplier in Asia. This could be relevant because if Rivian is purchasing or looking into purchasing Apple chips (to power self driving AI assistants) or anything like sensors of the same kind that apple used on its test cars for project titan, could make the rumor a bit more credible. If any information comes out supporting that Rivian is buying apple related hardware this could impact the stock price upward.
*maybe this could simply be a planned implementation of Carplay with the new upcoming version of Carplay being added to R1 and future R2 lineups. Given that no one is going to refuse to buy a Rivian if it introduces the completely 100% optional carplay and that Rivian has a real issue with the lack of software in its vehicles (I can't name another vehicle that doesn't have integrated text messaging) I could only see this only helping demand as there are plenty of soccer moms who wouldn't buy a car without carplay.
*could be a partnership to build apple branded R1/R2/R3 vehicles. Rivian vehicles look good and have a good interior quality thats better than what you would expect. I could see apple badging and functionality being added to a Rivian vehicle to be sold as the apple car.
They could even throw an apple chip in there to run the center screen and it could basically be an IPAD and run all the ipad apps to instantly compete with tesla on functionality and breadth of media/games etc.
Think of like how Ford had an Eddie Bauer edition of their Expedition vehicle years ago. Makes way more sense than apple starting their own car manufacturing and Rivian makes a whole lot of sense for Apple to partner with due to quality of the vehicle.
Note I dont believe the chances are anything but low for most of the speculation about Apple above, but if there was a major or even minor partnership with apple, expect the stock to take off.
Even without any of the apple things above taking place, I think if Q4 profitability happens the Rivian stock price could be above $20 again in 2025. While there are chances of negative catalysts taking place such as dilution so that Rivian can raise cash and other negative things that could occur so take care to make your own informed decisions do the research and dont risk more than you can afford to lose.

Link to AO3
chapters 1&2
chapter 3
chapter 4
chapter 5
chapter 6
chapter 7
chapter 8
chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
The Academy looked normal enough from the distance but blew Gentry’s mind when she finally entered it. First of all, the way in lay through a massive winter garden full of the most luxurious botanical collection she’s ever seen. Not only that, but it seemed to be arranged in a way that offered spaces for hanging out as well as paths in and out. Here and there, G noticed little nooks with people’s voices coming from them and small murmuring streams gleamed in the sun that blazed through the transparent walls and roof. This place looked magical and invited to stay, enjoy the refreshing coolness and peace of mind. But Gentry had a good enough rest in her communal room the night before and was eager to start working on her first assignment that the System had spat out with a congratulating letter. Figuring out the controls of her new wristcomm was simple enough.
DEAR GENTRY!
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO INFORM YOU THAT YOU ARE THE FIRST CONTESTANT TO CLEAR ALL CHALLENGES AND OBTAIN THE STATUS OF AN ASHTAPADAN NEWCOMER! YOUR MEDICAL DATA HAS BEEN ANALYSED AND FOUND ACCEPTABLE.
IN THE ATTACHMENT TO THIS LETTER YOU WILL FIND A LIST OF RULES, RECOMMENDATIONS AND IDEAS THAT WILL DEFINITELY HELP YOU IN THE FIRST WEEKS IN OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY BUT WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND FINDING A BUDDY THAT WOULD BE YOUR MAIN GUIDE AND POTENTIALLY A NEW GREAT FRIEND! IT CAN BE ANY CITIZEN OR A MORE EXPERIENCED NEWCOMER.
YOUR CURRENT POINTS: 0
WHY NOT START EARNING SOME WITH YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENT?
START ANY BEGINNER COURSE AT THE ACADEMY AND KEEP YOUR ATTENDANCE RATE OVER 80% — WORTH 50 POINTS
(OPTIONAL) FIND SOMEBODY WHO IS WILLING TO BECOME YOUR BUDDY — WORTH 20 POINTS
Without stopping to check if the vending machines offered anything good, G made her way through the dreamy garden and entered the inner yard that looked just like everything here: nothing too eye-catching at first glance but secrets hidden everywhere.
One thing she had already noticed was that most of the people had another piece of technology on their bodies besides the comm on their wrists: a sort of extendable visor that some of them kept engaged at all times. Those who were focused on the screen had a comical look on their faces, a thousand-mile stare, eyes wide even as they were talking to each other or going about their business. It was unclear yet why they would engage the screen for so long though. No one needed this much time to read a notification or check a map.
Take a group of young students by the fountain, for example. They seemed deep in conversation with each other yet their pupils didn’t focus on the person in front, but on the translucent screen over the top part of their faces. Was it some kind of virtual reality helmet?
If so, G needed one, too.
Perhaps she’d be able to make new friends this way.
There was something else that caught Gentry’s eye. Despite her initial disappointment about the severe lack of male hotness in the streets, people of both sexes seemed to really care about their appearance. Even those who probably weren’t naturally stunning were very interesting to look at not least because of the crazy fashion sense everyone here had. Never before had G seen so much variety in what everyone wore: countless variations on different national garments, some looking very traditional, like something one could see in a theatre, some — futuristic uniforms straight out of a sci-fi movie. It didn’t seem like anyone was concerned with gender norms here, too. At least in when it came to the outfits.
G hoped she didn’t look like a creepy stalker when her gaze lingered on a pair of very nicely shaped legs stretching from underneath a plaid skirt that belonged to a young man in the group sat by the edge of the water. A pair of snow-white knee-highs, flat loafers and neat raven hair with some blue streaks completed the image. His clothes fit him very well and weren’t inappropriate in the least: something an old money university student would wear.
A female student that is.
And he wasn’t alone. Here and there, among more conventionally dressed people, there were people wearing all sorts of things: a crazy mix of goth-like apparel but barefoot, men and women with heads covered with scarves, people in strange jewelery that looked like it weighed a ton and so on. Most importantly, no one seemed to care what the others looked like.
Was it paradise? Looks like the demo didn’t lie: it was heaven on earth.
The young man in the middle of the student gaggle caught her staring after all. With a dazzling smile, he waved in her direction as if they were great friends, and G waved back, face heating, hoping there wasn’t anyone behind her this tease was actually waving at. Thank god his shoes weren’t heeled, otherwise she would definitely have a heart attack right here, in the middle of the common area, on her first day.
Did he notice her ogling his legs? Judging by the giggles of his friend's entourage, they all did. The young flirt covered his mouth, eyes wide in mock indignation and pulled his knees in, as if hiding them from the improper attention, getting even more laughter from the rest of the company. G averted her eyes and tried to calm her breathing as she was on her way through the yard again, but before they all disappeared from her field of view, she noticed the coquette stretch his legs again and fall back on a friend of his, embracing the lucky man’s neck in an affectionate gesture, already forgetting G existed.
There was no way she wasn’t going to make some pretty boy do the same for her. Forget the assignment, put that in the list of her top priorities!
At first, Gentry was lost when she failed to find any kind of class schedule and there was no one to ask at the reception desk.
Why have a reception desk if nobody’s on duty?
Soon, however, it occurred to her that there was no schedule: each room within the wide marble corridors had a small display with a handwritten message scribbled on it.
Bachata for beginners
Product engineering (Tuesday class cancelled)
Colloidal chemistry (revision today)
None of these were the Communications course that Jey was talking about, but the variety definitely made G’s eyebrows go up.
Was she just supposed to barge into any class and sign up? Did she have to sign up later if she liked the subject? Was it ok to choose any?
After some wandering around, too scared to just walk in uninvited or ask others for directions, she finally stumbled across the door saying:
Communication & decision making course (Newcomers welcome)
With the desks arranged in a horseshoe and the people of various ages that were also apparently Newcomers, it all seemed comfortably casual. Everyone was chatting as she walked in, paying G no mind so she busied herself with the wristcomm that dinged at exactly the right time to save her the embarrassment of looking for a desk.
Would you like to enroll in this course? Scroll down to read the description.
Was this damn thing a spying device? Did it just know which room she was in? Jey didn’t joke when she said the little thing was going to be her primary aid!
“Are you looking for somewhere to sit?” called a young red-haired woman at one of the paired desks. “Here, this one is free.” She had the auglasses on, like everyone else, but they were off, showing her lively face and a pair of sharp green eyes.
“Thanks,” G said, gratefully taking the offer. “I’m new here, don’t know how things work yet.”
“It’s alright, the course is very engaging, you’ll love it.” — the woman held out a hand — “I’m Sereen, what’s your name?”
G shook the warm palm. “It’s Gentry. And by new I mean I’m new to Ashtapada, not just the course. Literally arrived yesterday.”
“Really?” — S looked surprised — “Everything must be very confusing!”
“You have no idea,” G smiled. “I’m glad someone understands. Everyone’s friendly but acts as if giant mechanical dogs in the streets and a moss garden in the lobby are the most normal things ever.”
“Don’t worry, I was just like you when I first arrived, you’ll get the hang of it soon.”
“Hope so! Is that the lecturer?”
“Shhh...”
Just like everything else in Ashtapada, the lecture started out normal enough only to unfold into something completely alien to how things were normally done.
Apparently, the Communications course involved learning rationality, debating, logic, etiquette and god knew what else. It was supposed to give the future citizens tools to, well, communicate. G was given a booklet with some ground rules for beginners that included entries that sounded like something Sun Tzu would say if he studied debating instead of warcraft.
“The purpose of any argument is not to win it and not to change the other disputant’s mind. It’s to find the truth.”
“Always argue in good faith.”
“Don’t attack your opponent.”
“If attacked, dismiss the attack as if it didn’t happen.”
Well, hopefully, it only meant verbal attacks! G knew too well that when it came to physical violence, it was hard to ignore it.
Most of the rules looked straightforward enough, some were confusing.
“Seek challenge to your convictions. Avoid echo chambers.”
“Don’t seek being right.”
“Be mindful of your audience including yourself.”
“Avoid “Empty arguments” that don’t bring everyone closer to the goal of finding the truth.”
The lecturer, a willowy man of about sixty that drowned in his tweed jacket, started the class with a bit of small talk with the regulars after distributing the booklets to all first-timers. He made sure to give it to G face down so that his photo under the “About the author” title didn’t go unnoticed. He also made most of the “talk” part himself.
“I never took part in a debate,” G told Sereen, who was patiently waiting for the class to begin. “And never seen anything like these rules. Is it actually useful?”
“Oh, believe me, professor Poe will be ecstatic to talk to you about them. He can’t not start discussing his subject at the slightest provocation. Look.” — she raised her hand — “Professor, how was your weekend?”
The man wearily smiled. “That might seem like a meaningless question, Sereen, but it’s actually very much related to the topic we are going to cover today.”
“See?” — S raised her eyebrows with a suppressed smile. G giggled. This promised to be interesting.
“Our friend Sereen is a very polite person, isn’t she?” — Poe smiled at the class but his eyes glided over everyone’s faces, gaze turned inwards like he was reading an invisible text written on the walls. “But as kind as she is, I don’t think she’s actually interested in how my weekend went. Small talk is just a social custom we engage in to strengthen our social relations. Why don’t we just start a day by saying “Hi! I value our relationship and would like to fulfill my societal role!” to everyone we know? I would definitely prefer THAT over the small talk! He-he!”
The audience laughed politely. The guy seemed alright.
“However, just as we use different tools to fulfill this role in different contexts, so can the context of a logical problem steer our thinking towards a rational, that is, right, and an irrational, that is, wrong, answer.”
“Well, that’s not a given,” Gentry mumbled under her breath but it went unnoticed by S, who was already immersed in the lecture.
“Consider the famous René Descartes’s quote "Cogito, ergo sum". Who can translate it from Latin?” — the board behind the thin, almost transparent man glowed, displaying the words.
“Is it really a Beginner’s course?” G asked Sereen in a low voice but her companion was already raising her hand, together with a dozen other students.
“I think, therefore I am,” she said after a curt nod of the lecturer’s permission.
“Very good,” he continued, pleased. “I taught you well. Those of you who attend my lectures regularly are familiar with the notion of solipsism, which states that the only thing we can be sure about is our own thoughts.”
Gentry looked at S with raised eyebrows.
If this is an introductory course, what was the advanced like?
Sereen didn’t seem to perplexed. She was fully following the thread.
“However,” professor Poe said. “I am going to challenge that notion by demonstrating that we can’t trust our own mind when it comes to perceiving reality.”
He looked at the audience with a quizzical eye, and pointed at Gentry with a long bony finger “You, new girl. I want you to close your eyes.”
Why her?
Gentry was only happy to hide behind her eyelids. No doubt the whole room was now staring at her.
Through the blood rushing in her ears, she heard the old man’s voice, “Who was sitting beside you before you closed your eyes?”
“My new friend Sereen,” G answered and heard a little gasp of appreciation from the woman.
“So you know she existed as long as you two were whispering behind my back. However, now that you can’t see or hear her. How do you know she exists?”
“Well, I can reach with my hand and touch her,” Gentry said, demonstrating.
“Yes, this is what most people answer,” Poe said. “You can open your eyes now. But let me ask you this: how would you know it was her, an not some other person that took her place?”
Gentry’s intuition was right: everyone was staring, as if waiting for her answer.
“Well, I suppose— ”
“Hush, it was a rhetorical question,” the professor cut her off. “The correct answer is that you can’t know that. We think we can trust our senses or at least our thoughts, but this is also false. Everyone, look out of the window.”
Everyone did.
The day was as fine as Gentry was annoyed.
What did this pops think of himself?
“I’d ask what you see, but I already know the answer,” he went on. “All of you would say “the sky”. And all of you would be wrong, because sky doesn’t exist. We only see the endless emptiness of the outer space, but perceive it as a blue dome. It’s an illusion, a phantom, born out of our collective unconscious.”
Sereen whispered, lost in the lecture, “Ah, yes, Carl Jung.”
What?
Was it supposed to be obvious?
“But listen to this,” he continued, voice booming like a demiurge’s in the completely silent room. “Listen to this. How many words is it? Listentothis. Our common sense says it’s three words while in reality it’s just a string of sounds I an producing with my mouth. I am literally making you hallucinate the spaces between the words I’m saying. With knowing that our perception is so flawed, how can we know that we even know how to think?”
“I’m sorry, professor, I disagr...” G started but got struck down by his serrated gaze.
“I’ll invite questions at the end, young miss,” he chopped out.
Sereen’s eyes were sympathetic. It looked like most if not all of professor Poe’s students had learned not to interrupt him.
He went on, “Anyway, the fact that you even understand what I am saying is in itself incredible and shouldn’t be possible.”
“But it IS possible, right?” G whispered to Sereen. “I mean, aren’t we understanding this as he speaks?”
“PLEASE refrain from talking unless asked!” professor Poe roared.
Impressive lung capacity for such a frail human being!
G begrudgingly did as she was told. The guy seemed to be enjoying this power trip a bit too much to her taste.
“Now, since most of you,” he put some emphasis on the word to shut up another pair of whispering students. “Most of you think you comprehend my words, you must know that there is a way to tell that something is real, even though we can’t rely on our senses for perception. I’m giving you a minute to discuss with your partners what it might be.”
G considered it. She and Sereen exchanged equally confused glances.
Like a dutiful student, S started summarising Poe’s arguments but Gentry listened with only half an ear. She felt that behind all this over-thinking was a clear and simple answer.
She watched the professor walk along the aisles, tuning into one or another conversation before leaving each with a smug head shake of disapproval.
What was there to think about? Even if they didn’t see the world precisely as it was, something was definitely real, right? The chair she felt under her buttocks, the air around, the low murmur of the students. The annoying professor that… looked a little too translucent.
Gentry waited for the man to approach their desks and tune into Sereen’s musings. As he came so near they could reach out and touch him, Gentry did just that.
To her utter shock, her hand went through the old jacket and sent a wave of static over the professor’s figure, his whole form glitching and flickering.
Professor Poe was a hologram!
Unable to help herself, Gentry said, “No wonder you don’t think anything is real, Professor, you are hardly real yourself!”
The whole roomful of people stared, transfixed, at the surreal scene of a student’s arm disappearing into the teacher’s abdomen.
Gentry looked back at Sereen in search of support.
Was it laughter in her eyes?
Poe’s blood drained from his face, the mouth slacked open, twitching as if trying to form some words, but none came out.
Sereen chimed in, “You never told us you were a simulation, Professor.”
“Out!” Poe gritted lowly so that no one really heard him.
“I’m sorry?” G asked, innocently.
“Out of my class!” he exploded, jumping out of Gentry’s reach with an enraged grimace. “I am as real as you are!”
G stood up and looked at her hand then back at Professor Poe.
How much rage could storm in those watery eyes?
Then, she winked at her new friend.
“Let’s go then, shall we?” she said.
Sereen looked lost for a second, her eyes darting pack and forth between Gentry and Poe. Then, her gaze seemed to cloud a little, as if she retreated into her own head, but when she resurfaced, she nodded with a mischievous smile.
Both young women left the room, the classmates’ sympathetic silence and Poe’s angry seething seeing them off.
***
“What a way to start my first day,” Gentry said. “My hands are still trembling a bit.”
She and S were calming their nerves in the green winter garden, the soothing sound of the little running streamlet at their feet a welcome distraction.
“Believe it or not, his course is actually quite useful,” Sereen laughed. “Who would have thought the old Poe is actually not human? I guess we never thought of poking him in the stomach before. This is going to be the talk of the Academy for the next month or so!”
“Is it? I feel bad now. I guess I’m not getting any points for attending this lecture, right?” — Gentry checked her wristcomm — “It says “zero progress” and something else… ad.. Honi… adhonim…”
Sereen laughed, “Yeah, you adhominem’ed good old Poe, no wonder you got zero credit!”
“What does it mean?”
“You’ve seen the rules of learning and discourse, right?” S said. “There are no-nos, things that aren’t allowed, especially when it comes to Rationality classes and the like. Ad Hominem means an attack on the speaker, not their argument. It isn’t exactly what you did, but I guess it’s the closest thing!”
“Ad Hominem, huh,” G said. “Well, I guess I deserve it then. Thanks for standing by me.”
If it wasn’t for Sereen, G wasn’t sure she would be going to return to the Academy any time soon!
“You just chose a wrong course as your first class, G,” — no doubt about that! — “But another lecturer who works here is much more open-minded and he also teaches Rationality. I think you’ll enjoy him more than our old Poe. His next class is in a couple of days. Wanna come?”
***
DEAR GENTRY!
CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING AN OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT! 20 POINTS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO YOUR STATUS COUNTER.

Challenge link: https://www.geoguessr.com/challenge/BgzZbggAuYx7YjAn
IMPORTANT: In R5, you will see a plain square. This is NOT one of the four "plain square states". It is Rhode Island. For whatever reason, the usual state highway sign with the additional R.I. was not used here.
The map: US State Highways
Deadline: May 21, 8 pm UTC (1 pm PDT, 4 pm EDT, 10 pm CEST).
You are facing a U.S. state route sign. Do you recognize the state without moving? How fast can you find the route number on the map? You have just one minute! Good luck and have fun! :-)
Please post your score of the challenge as comment in this thread if you want to have it counted for the leaderboard. Every posted score counts for the leaderboard of the season.
This is the first challenge of season 6. Like in all previous seasons, we will play 13 challenges. This is how the scoring system works: The top score posted here on reddit gets 100 points (100% ;-)). Every other result posted here gets points based on the percentage compared to the top score. Decimals are cut off.
Here are the results of challenge #108. Congrats to kuhl_kuhl for posting the highest score.

Rank	Reddit Name	Result	Percentage	Points
1st	kuhl_kuhl	22901	100.00	100
2nd	rtlewis123	22393	97.78	97
3rd	gobluetwo	21822	95.29	95
4th	\Rooster\	21160	92.40	92

Final standings of season 5:
Congratulations to the top three players of season 5 gobluetwo, rtlewis123, and solarsensei. Well done! :-)

Rank	Reddit Name	Points
1st	gobluetwo	1201
2nd	rtlewis123	1087
3rd	solarsensei	679
4th	thatLoG42	597
5th	kuhl_kuhl	388
6th	DashOneTwelve	196
7th	\Rooster\	176
8th	sigusr3	99
9th	Im_Sleepy_ZZZZZZZ	45

Hall of Fame

Season	1st	2nd	3rd
1	bdm6985	saladpants77	solarsensei
2	bdm6985	solarsensei	fbrasseur
3	bdm6985	rumilb	solarsensei
4	solarsensei	gobluetwo	rtlewis123
5	gobluetwo	rtlewis123	solarsensei

Last Challenge:
R1: State outline of Georgia. GA-1 is running in concurrency with US 27 over a long distance. This road number was only visible if you zoomed very far into the map. Scanning along US 27 for Franklin was probably the best strategy to find the location. Some players guessed on the bridge of US 27 over GA-34. Our location was a bit further down the road at the access road to the US highway. 2 perfect scores. :-)
R2: New Mexico. We didn't see the normal sign with the Zia Sun symbol but the simple design (white circle on a green background). New Mexico is the only desert-like state that has a circle shaped state highway sign. The Jeep in front of us had the yellow license plate of New Mexico. We couldn't see a sign for US 550 but the distance sign behind us with distances to towns along (or close to) US 550 could have helped to find the correct highway. 2 perfect scores. :-)
R3: Montana. I'm sorry for this round. Normally, I would have discarded this seed, but the last Montana round was in challenge #86 nearly 7 months ago. Therefore, I kept it. There was a blurry sign for US 2 in front of us. When you turned around you could see another sign which was much better visible. However, US 2 runs through the entire state, the town name wasn't visible anwhere, and MT-42 is just a short highway, so it could easily be missed when scanning along US 2.
R4: Hawaii. Highway numbers in Hawaii are organized by island. Road numbers starting with 6, 7, 8, or 9 are found on the island of O'ahu. However, the sign to Honolulu and Pearl Harbour made it easy this time to find the correct island. ;-) 5 perfect scores. :-)
R5: State outline of Missouri. Most players who knew that we were in Missouri also found US 60. Scanning along US 60 for the state highway should have helped to find the location. 8 perfect scores. :-)

LONG POST WARNING
Hello everyone,
My partner (24F) and I (25M) returned home from our 3-week Japan trip last week and due to us using this sub a lot during our planning I thought it would be helpful for other current planners to upload a trip report.
Our main interests are Japanese traditions and history, street style/culture, and food so keep reading if these interests are mutual. Read to the bottom to see how much we spent plus some tips and disappointments.
Prelude
We were caught up in the madness at Dubai airport during our layover. Long story short; Airport (and the rest of Dubai) flooded and caused all the flights to be cancelled. What was meant to be a 5-hour layover turned into a torturous 36 hour wait. No staff to be seen, crowds of people arguing, fighting, and crying. We queued for 12 hours to get a new boarding pass for the next flight to Japan. We were meant to fly to Haneda but settled for Narita as we needed to get out of that place as soon as possible but still ended up missing our first day in Tokyo (should have had 5 days). We can’t complain too much as some of the people I spoke to on emirates were in the airport for up to 5 days before getting a flight back to their departure destination. Oh, and our baggage was missing with us only receiving our checked in bags on day 19. Cheers Emirates.
Day 1
Arrived in Shinjuku around midnight. We went straight to Don Quiojte to buy some replacement cosmetics and clothes. The combination of no good-quality sleep for 48 hours and the stimulating nature of the store was very intense! We then started to walk back towards the hostel and passed a Ichiran, so dropped in for some 2am ramen. Not the best ramen I’ve ever had but was still very good for the price.
Steps: 21,643 (includes some airport steps)
Day 2
Woke up and ate the free breakfast at the hostel (this turned out to be a really good money saver for the whole trip as we are not huge eaters in the morning anyway, but it was good to get something light in us before a long day walking). We then walked through the Shinjuku Gyoen Garden – saw some late blooming cheery blossoms and overall, it was a really beautiful botanical garden.
The next stop was Meji Shrine and a walk through Yoyogi park. The shrine was cool to see, especially as it was our first one in Japan. Saw a middle-aged man wearing denim hotpants so short that his balls were hanging out?!?!
Walked to Shibuya to see the scramble. This was cool but also felt it was a bit underwhelming at ground level but the view from Shibuya station walkway was wicked. Lunch was at a conveyor belt sushi place on the top floor of this department store right next to the scramble. This would be higher than average quality sushi in Europe, so it blew our minds that it was available on the top floor of a department store and for so cheap.
Shimokitazawa – We picked up some bargains at 2^nd street and I treated myself some Japanese jeans from a small Demin shop called Bears. The guy in the shop was super helpful and friendly and even tailored the trousers to exactly my size.
In the evening, we first had a poke around Golden Gai and then headed towards Shibuya and stopped in a cool bar where the owner was mixing vinyl while he mixed your drinks (think it was called Q Bar).
We had previously bought tickets to a gig at Circus for one of my fav rappers who I’d been wanting to see for a while. Also really enjoyed seeing the local Japanese warm up acts. Stayed until 5am and then go the train straight to the Tsukiji outer fish market. Was there way too early and had to wait roughly an hour for thing to open. Went to chill by a bench for a bit and by the time we went back to the market it was rammed! Went to bed around 8:30am.
Steps: 32,159
Day 3
We woke up at 2:30pm, got ready, and headed to the Bunkyo civic centre for the free observation deck. We heard it wasn’t meant to be the best Tokyo skyline view but for a free attraction we thought it was very good! Jimbocho book town was also very cool to see. We had a peak into a couple adult movie/magazine stores where I don’t think the owner appreciated our presence as western tourists.
In the evening, we first went for Ramen at Motenashi Kuraki in Asakusa Bashi. Honestly probably the best Ramen I’ve had to date. I ordered the Black Pepper Shio special, and it blew my mind. Even though the staff didn’t speak English they were very accommodating for my partner who doesn’t eat meat (pescetarian but will brave a meaty broth).
We then had a stroll around Akihabara and played some dance mat games in the arcades before heading back for an earlyish night.
Steps: 28,680
Day 4
I couldn’t sleep so got up around 3am and did some admin stuff to try and get our bags back to us ASAP. Chatted to people in the hostel for a few hours.
We arrived at Senso-ji for around 8am. Wasn’t too busy at this time and the temple was impressive. Went for a coffee down the road and had a chill for about an hour before heading into Asakusa. Got admission to the Drum museum which was wicked. Only 400 yen each and had the whole place to ourselves to smack some big fucking drums and make as much noise as we wanted.
We then started to head towards Ueno but made a slight detour to Kappabashi Dougu street to peruse the Japanese chef knives and other cookware. Grabbed lunch from a 7/11 and went and sat in Ueno park which was super busy. There was some food market event on which loads of food stalls had set up. There was also a stage with some J-pop performers and people dressed as ninjas dancing in the crowd. Weird to say the least. By mid-afternoon we were pretty tired so headed back to the hostel for a nap.
In the evening, we headed down to Harajuku and stopped by Big Love records. My partner is really into vinyl, so this was definitely a highlight for her. She picked up Wu Tang 36 chambers in case you were wondering. We then went for food at Afuri as my partner wanted to try the Vegan ramen to which she said it was ok but nothing special. My cold dipping noodle dish was very tasty, however. We then stumbled across this vinyl listening bar called Bar Music on the 5^th floor of this pokey building on the outskirts of Shibuya for a few drinks before bed. There was such a good vibe in there and the cocktails were super good for the price. If you’re looking for a romantic spot, then this is the place to go.
Steps: 31,818
Day 5
Today we headed to Kyoto on the shinkansen around midday after a slow morning chilling in and around the hostel and catching up on some sleep. Checked in to the hostel and had a walk around downtown Kyoto, stopping at 2^nd Street to buy some more clothes.
In the evening, we headed to Kodai-Ji to see the shrine lit up at night. We couldn’t believe how few people were there as it was stunning and truly magical place to be at night. It also has a bamboo grove (much better than Arashiyama, see below). The bar for Kyoto shrines/temples had been set very high.
Walked down Pontocho alley and stopped at a yakitori restaurant which was just ok. We knew it was going to be average when we looked around the restaurant and it was just western tourists dining.
Steps: 25,255
Day 6
First thing in the morning we rented bikes and cycled across the city to Arashiyama. Parked the bikes at the train station and walked up through Arashiyama. We were expecting it to be busy but there were so many people it was almost impossible to move. Had a look around the bamboo grove and was slightly underwhelmed after our visit to Kodai-Ji so we took the tram and then bus up to Kosan-Ji. This was very much worth the 45-minute journey as there was only one other group there and the temple nestled between the trees overlooking the river was breath-taking. On the whole, Arashiyama was way too packed during peak times to enjoy and with everything else Kyoto has to offer we wouldn’t say it was a must see.
We then picked up the bikes from the train station and cycled back across Kyoto taking the long route to explore and get lost. Once we dropped off the bikes, we went for another explore and this time went into WeGo for more clothes shopping. At this point we’d pretty much matched the amount of clothing that we had packed in our checked-in luggage that was still stuck in Dubai.
After a nap we walked towards the metro and stopped at a Katsu restaurant as we wanted to try something different, and it was pretty good. For the price of 1300 yen each we got so much food/sake and left stuffed.
Fushimi Inari in the evening. Like Kodai-Ji, we would recommend visiting Fushimi Inari at night. Firstly, to help avoid the crowds (we got there around 9pm and there was hardly anybody there) and secondly as seeing it lit up at night is a nice change. It was however slightly creepy at night, especially as it was lightly raining. My partner started to get a bit scared once we saw the signs to be careful of the wild boar and monkeys haha. We didn’t make it to the top of Mt Inari as the rain started to get heavy but still very much enjoyed walking through the hundreds of tori gates, stopping off at the shrines and soaking up the history.
Steps: 23,686
Day 7
Today was a late start as even after 8 hours sleep the 25k plus steps a day was starting to catch up with us.
We took the metro to Shimogamo Shrine in north Kyoto. It was very peaceful and quiet however temple fatigue had definitely set in at this point. We then walked through Kyoto to the beginning of Philosophers path. We had seen on this sub that people recommend skipping it unless its Sakura season however we disagree. The path along the river is so pretty and atmospheric, along with the fish gently swimming along in the river.
Kyoto Hand Crafts Centre – if you have the money then this is a great place to pick up souvenirs.
Pre-booked Sushi Iwa for a 15 course Omakase. The food was amazing, but it came to an eye watering 28k yen each. The difference for our western palettes between mid-range sushi and exceptional sushi is negligible. Nonetheless it was a good experience and I’m glad that we did it.
Steps: 23,751
Day 8
Today was an empty day in terms of things we wanted to do, so used it to walk the city and explore.
We checked out the Nishiki market and ate various fried foods on sticks which were all pretty tasty. We then walked northwards, stopping for coffee before reaching the imperial palace. By this point we were very much bored of temples and structures of similar architecture, but we actually ended up enjoying walking the palace grounds and seeing the buildings more than we thought and would recommend it to those who find themselves in north Kyoto.
A leisurely walk back down towards downtown Kyoto, stopping off at a wicked standing soba joint. Forgotten the name but their curry soba was delicious.
Chao Chao gyozas (only veggie gyoza place we could find) for our evening meal before a night cap at the bar across the road before bed.
Steps: 23,304
Day 9
Shinkansen to Hiroshima arriving around 11am.
Checked into hostel and then went straight to the A-dome, peace memorial and museum. We thought the museum was very moving and captured the horror of the events that unfolded very well. A must see for sure.
Okonomiyaki at Okonomimura and then some vintage clothes shopping in Hondori.
Went back out for food in the evening and ended up getting Okonomiyaki again. This time it we enjoyed it a lot more than we did at lunch (probably because we got it covered in cheese). There are a few streets by Hiroshima station with lots of bars and restaurants on top of each other, much like Golden Gai in Shinjuku, however they are not super touristy and has a more laid-back feel to them.
We then went to some bars in the city centre. The best one we stumbled across was called Tropical Bar Revolucion. It was on the 8^th floor and the smoking balcony overlooked the city. Plus, the beers in there tasted so good and I’m not sure why.
Steps: 23,299
Day 10
A hungover morning. Headed to the Hiroshima National Gardens. Going to some gardens is my go-to hangover activity as its low effort, relaxing, and feels productive. These gardens in particular were great and we really appreciated the signs explaining the history behind the space. Overall, we enjoyed this more than the national gardens in Shinjuku.
Public baths near Dobashi in the afternoon. If you’re feeling brave enough to get your kit off in front of 10s of strangers, then this is a good experience. Male and female baths are separate. Can’t go wrong for 400 yen.
Went for a drink at Bar Pretty and then realised the effect of golden week on trying to get a table walking into a restaurant. Walked around for about an hour with no success so settled for food from a department store food court. Sounds miserable but the food was pretty good for the price, and it was busy in there, so it still had an atmosphere.
Steps: 29,487
Day 11
Miyajima Day. Took the ferry to the island arriving at 10:30am. The Ryokan staff met us at the port and collected our bags to take back to the hotel.
Had a mooch around the port area before doing the hike up Mt Misen. The climb to the top on a hot day is not to be underestimated. Sweating buckets, but the route and the view from the top was amazing and one of the standout highlights of the whole trip.
After descending Mt Misen, we bought some beers, oysters and, ice cream and sat along the beach wall and chilled in the sun for a couple hours. The hotel staff then picked us up from the ferry terminal, we checked in and went straight to the Onsen for a couple hours before dinner. Dinner was a traditional kaiseki meal (with more courses than I can remember) served in the banquet hall with the other guests.
While the staff converted our retro ryokan room and set up the futons we had a few more beers before bed.
Steps: 20,803
Day 12
Today we had a chilled morning on the island, having a stroll and stopping for some coffees. We then took the ferry back to Hiroshima, stopping for Okonomiyaki one more time, before taking the shinkansen to Osaka.
Checked into our hostel near Namba and went out for a walk around 8pm. When looking for somewhere to eat we walked past a sign for a vegetarian Indian restaurant called Shama. After nearly two weeks of pure Japanese food we were craving some variety so decided to head in. Located on the basement floor of a particularly run down looking building the restaurant was not the most glamorous. Barely enough space for 10 people, it was hot in there. A constant stream of people was coming in and out of the restaurant and we were lucky enough to walk in when there were two spaces available. From sitting down at the table to receiving our food we waited just under an hour. This would be enough to put most people off but fuck me the food was good when it did finally arrive. We got a selection of 4 different curries, naan breads and samosa. We left stuffed. If you’re in the area this is definitely a place worth checking out.
Steps: 25,502
Day 13
Our first stop of the day was the Umeda Sky Building. Not suitable if you are scared of heights as the glass elevator made our stomachs drop slightly. The views were impressive but we thought the price was a bit steep at 1500 yen each.
We then spent the afternoon wondering about near Namba and Shinsujibashi dropping into shops and picking up some food.
For dinner we made a reservation for a Mexican restaurant near Dotonbori. Massive margheritas, nachos and enchiladas. The food was great, and it shows by how busy the place was still at 10pm. It had been open since the late 70’s with the décor to match and it had a great atmosphere.
Steps: 27,290
Day 14
Checked out Tsuruhashi and Korea Town. Loved the market – dimly lit maze of numerous food and clothing vendors. Stopped to have some Korean stew and pancakes and it was delicious. One of the best meals of the trip.
Shinsekai in the evening. What I can describe as the armpit of Osaka. We loved it. Dirty? Yes. Rowdy? Yes. Rough around the edges with a red light district to top it all off. We had Kushikatsu to finish the evening off. Fried stuff on a stick – of course it going to be tasty but it wasn’t exactly flavour town.
Steps: 23,777
Day 15
Took the train to Minoh and hiked up the trail to see the waterfall. Hike was easy in comparison to Mt Misen and the waterfall was very cool to see. Had a wonder around Minoh stopping for some lunch at a Ramen bar.
We went to the Team lab botanical gardens in the evening. It was very awe inspiring seeing all the installations lit up.
After sampling Japanese McDonalds (I had a burger where the buns were made out of rice) we went for some drinks at Zerro. We liked this bar a lot, the guys working there were very friendly and it had a good vibe.
We then sat and watched the skaters at triangle park with some beers from the konbini before going to see Dj Masda at Circus until around 4am. This area of Osaka was such a vibe and came back here a few times over our 6 days here. Overall, a very fun evening.
Steps: 26,130
Day 16
Woke up chronically hungover but powered on and went to see a baseball game. You’re allowed to bring food and drink into the stadium (as long as alcohol is in plastic/paper cups) so we grabbed some beers and snacks from family mart. We had no idea what was happening but the atmosphere was electric and we enjoyed getting pissed and cheering.
Had a nap and then went to Hafez for middle eastern food. The food was good but not amazing, nothing in comparison to my local middle eastern restaurant back home. Chilled around the Namba park/Big step area. Loved this area so much, we are big into street fashion and culture so this place really ticked some boxes. Lots of skaters and street wear stores concentrated around here. Got an early night watching Battle Royale back at the hostel.
Steps: 22,065
Day 17
Today we went to the Umeda area. Popped into some shopping centres and had Omurice for lunch. It was tasty but not something I will crave when back home. Good experience trying it though. We then walked through Yodoyobashi along the rivers and got gelato and sat in the rose garden. The sun was beating down and we enjoyed just chilling in the sun eating our ice cream.
Compufunk Records were holding a party in their store. Decent gaff with some very welcoming and kind people to party with until the early hours.
Steps: 21,267
Day 18
We reluctantly left Osaka for Hakone today. Very sad to go but onwards to the next adventure. Took the shinkansen to Odawara and then the Hakone romance car to Gora. Checked into our Ryokan and relaxed in the Onsen for a few hours.
Went for a walk around Gora and had dinner at the Ryokan before watching Predator in bed.
Steps: 16,926
Day 19
Today we did the Hakone Loop, starting early in Gora.
Started with the Open-air museum and it was great. We loved the installation and ended up spending 3 hours slowly making our way round. Got some cool photos as well for the gram.
Ropeway to Lake Ashi. This was absolutely terrifying. You have to swap cable cars 3 times on the way over and the warnings of the service being suspended due to the wind was announced at each stop. I’m not going to ruin the surprise, but one section made me literally freeze in terror due to the winds outside so try to do it on a calm weather day.
We then took the pirate boat (bit underwhelming) across the Lake and stopped for some soba noodles and a wander around. Unfortunately it was way too cloudy to even get a chance at seeing Mt Fuji.
Train to Kamakura and checked into our super cute traditional hostel near the beach.
Dinner at an Izakaya from the hostel owners recommendation. Food great and beers slipped down a treat. First time I tried Yuzu Kosho as well – I’m now addicted to the stuff and literally cover all my food with it.
Steps: 19,512
Day 20
A slow start to the morning. Weather was pretty bad but we still managed to hit all the main sights in Kamakura. Big Buddha was a refreshing sight from the temples. Did some shopping up Komachi Dori. Highlight of the day was Hukokaji temple. It was so peaceful and zen in the rain with its very own matcha tea ceremony backdropped by bamboo forest. This turned out to be our second favourite temple/shrine we visited, just being beaten by Kodaji.
In the evening we went for Sushi at a conveyor belt place. Figured this would probably be my last Japanese sushi of the trip so devoured 7000 yen worth of sushi and beer. Went back to the hostel and invited some of the other guests to drink with us. The owner of the hostel had some bayberry homebrew, so we got stuck into that.
Steps: 20,494
Day 21
Enoshima Island is just a 25 min train from Kamakura. Started off the day by walking to the top of the island to get French toast and a beer with a lovely view across the bay. We then headed up the Sea candle to check out the observation deck, still the illusive Mt Fuji hides behind the clouds.
We then bought admission to the caves beneath the island which was pretty cool. I won’t ruin the surprise but there’s something waiting for you at the end of one of the caves.
Had an explore around the rockpools near the caves and took some cool photos. We then had a pizza with fish on which was pretty crazy. Walked around the island a little bit more and I picked up some more Japanese denim which wasn’t the cheapest but the quality of the trousers are great and will last me a lifetime.
Back to Tokyo in the evening.
Went for Izakaya around Asakusa and popped into a couple bars. One was called Not Suspicious and the whole bar was covered in handwritten notes by patrons. Very touristy but quite cool at the same time. Our favourite was a drawing of Mario saying It’s a Me Muthafucka.
Steps: 25,903
Day 22
First stop was Don Quiojte to pick up some Yuzu Kosho (if you know you know) and weird flavoured KitKats.
Kappabashi Dougu street to purchase a fine Japanese carbon stell Santoku. Honestly in love with this knife so much. The people at the store were very happy to hear exactly what I was looking for and even let me try before you buy on some daikon radish.
While in Asakusa I had to return to the place where I put the best thing in my mouth in Japan. Motenashi Kuroki. Switched it up this time and had their classic Shio ramen plus the duck rice as a side. Honestly this place is amazing, and you have to go there if you have time. They aren’t veggie/pescy friendly so my partner went for one last round of sushi round the corner. We met up at a massage chair parlour and spent 30 mins relaxing in the chairs.
We had a bright idea to watch the sunset one last time so headed over to the rooftop park on a department store in Shibuya. Sipping on an ice cold Kirin, the sun slowly dropped behind the distant mountains and we knew our trip had come to an end. How symbolic.
Flight at 11pm from Haneda.
Steps: 23,187
On reflection:
I honestly think this trip was almost perfect in terms of hitting our interests and travel style. There was a good balance of doing the typical first time visit to Japan sights and activities while still exploring and seeing what we came across in the moment.
It hard to pinpoint exact highlights of the trip as everywhere we visited had so much going for it in different ways. We loved the rugged and trendy vibe to Osaka, and I think this would be the city I would most want to live in for a considerable amount of time (If I had to choose). Miyajima was also stunning and a great overnight trip with the Ryokan experience. We also underestimated how much we would enjoy Kamakura with its laid-back surfer vibe and access to Enoshima Island.
One random memorable moment that has stuck with me was when we landed at Narita airport, we took the limo bus to Shinjuku. As the driver pulled away, all the staff at the station turned and bowed in unison. It felt so special to first observe a culture totally opposite to the one I grew up with and was at this point I knew I had embarked on the trip of a lifetime.
If I could go back and change something I would probably miss out Hakone and do an extra day in one of the major cities. This isn’t because we didn’t enjoy Hakone, but we feel like it’s a place that needs more time to soak in what’s going on around you (plus the weather was bad when we were there). This being said the Open-Air Museum was amazing and we enjoyed it more than the Teamlab botanical gardens so the trip up the mountains was worth it just for that.
So, how much did we spend per person (not inc flights)?
Accommodation - £765pp
Given that we spent a couple nights in Ryokans raising the average price slightly, we were pretty happy with the accommodation costs. We stayed in a mix of private room and shared dorm hostels and pretty much all of them were spot on. Travelling as a couple meant that anywhere with a private room split the price between 2. The only hostel we didn’t like was the one in Hiroshima, there wasn’t anything in particularly wrong with it, there was just a really bad vibe from the owner and other guests.
Transport - £344pp
This includes shinkansen to and from all the major cities as well as our suica top ups for metros and buses. Unless your itinerary is something like 3 days Tokyo, 2 days Osaka 2 days Kyoto then there really isn’t any point getting the JR pass now that the price has increased.
Activities – £280pp
It is hard to give an exact amount for activities and food as 1) I didn’t track what we spent our cash on and 2) my partner and I would take in turns paying for things like temple admission. That being said I’ve allocated 25% of the cash we spent to activities such as temple admission. Activities includes our baseball tickets plus club entries as well as temple and museum admissions etc.
Food – £962pp
As above, its hard to give an exact amount for food. On the whole we tried to eat cheap with possible, especially at the start of our trip. There were a few expensive meals peppered in plus we ate out twice a day towards the end of our trip as we realised we were under budget.
The total is a bit skewed as this includes all the alcohol we bought in bars as well as the konbini trips for beers and cigarettes. I estimate that booze accounts for around a third of the total per person. If you would like to do Japan on a budget, reducing the booze will make a big difference.
Shopping/Souvenirs/Gifts – £607 (just me)
We went hard with the shopping. We didn’t actually receive our checked in luggage until day 19 so we had to buy all new clothes and cosmetics. If this wasn’t the case, then I don’t think I would have spent so much (airline is comping us for the additional clothing bought anyway). I also bought a fairly expensive chef knife and Japanese denim pieces, plus lots of gifts for friends and family. Obviously, this number could theoretically 0 if you are on a serious budget and did no shopping but I really underestimated Japanese shopping, especially thrifting. Also, given our cheap choices when it came to accommodation we could afford to splurge. However just to note my partner spent less than half than I did on shopping.
Total: £2958 (582,628 yen at time of writing)
I kept within my budget of £3000. I definitely got a bit frivolous with the cash in the last few days or so, if being as careful as I was towards the start of the trip, I think the total would be closer to £2500.
Disappointments
Takoyaki. We thought it was going to be all about the octopus but were disappointed with our balls of sloppy goo surrounding tiny chewy pieces of octopus. We tried it twice and couldn’t get behind it. Sorry Takoyaki fans.
Arashiyama. Way too busy, especially around the main station and bamboo grove. If it’s the bamboo you are going to see, then Kodaji is a much better spot.
Dotonburi. Albeit we were there in golden week, and it was pretty busy. However, I get the feeling this area has fallen to the past its golden days title and has become a bit of a cash cow for places selling spiralised potatoes on a stick. The area around Namba park was a better option for us.
Tips
Konbini. Absolute life saver for snacks and drinks on the go. The food quality for a convenience store is higher than most other countries so we had no problem with grabbing a meal from one to help keep within our budget.
Don’t over pack – even though we didn’t get our checked in bags, I still packed light so had plenty of space to bring stuff back. Emirates give you your allowance by weight rather than number of baggage so we could check in additional bags on the way back.
Don’t be scared of hostels. If you don’t want to brave the shared dorms, then most hostels offer private rooms with just the shower and toilet shared. Obviously, it’s cheaper if there are two people sharing a room.
Don’t stress about cash. Most places take debit/credit card and if they don’t, you’re never more than 5 minutes from a konbini ATM.
For us, golden week didn’t seem that big of an issue. No problems booking shinkansen around GW. We spent most of GW in Osaka, as such it was going to be busy anyway so maybe we didn’t see much of a difference from normal numbers in the spring.

I have spent a decent amount of time on various dating apps and have been on many dates over the years. I don’t use them anymore for various reasons but couple of advices here in case someone finds them useful.
A dating app not being able to offer you a date doesn’t say much about you, you viscerally need to start believing that. These platforms are theoretically designed to maximise the number of matches which can keep the platform’s business model up and running.
If you are someone who doesn’t get a lot of matches, trust me, the day you get 50 matches, you won’t know what to do with them. You won’t be able to have one real conversation with an individual and just fidget over all that information overload. Women go through this all the time! She doesn’t know what great things you have going on in your life or how funny you are by looking at your pictures, however great they are, since the 10 guys on your left and on your right will also have some nice pictures.
To get laid or to get a date you need to focus on Activation and Conversion. By activation I mean, maximise the number of matches and by conversion I mean, converting those matches into dates. Conversion is easy: reply fast, be interested, swear not to flirt or talk about sex until you guys meet in person and you know she is very much into you, be or pretend to be confident, and have fun on your first date like you would with your college friend. Never ask her for anything! Not her name, age, how was her day or if she is interested in going out. Just swear to not ask for anything. Just be super interested in them and talk about any random shit you care about. If you guys hit it off, she will tell you her name, address, insta handle, and her bra size. Activation is slightly difficult but try to be very sincere in your bio, experiment with puns, poems, show your artsy side, your dancing skills, avoid group photos and use videos if you can. Here you have to make sure you give out a confident vibe with subtle hints of you having a life. Your photos, your choice of words, your music choices, your dressing sense will all optimize this.
Finally, be more empathetic towards women, try to see them for what they are, standard human beings. Its not a fucking movie and no woman is looking for a kabir singh, they want a normal guy because/if they are normal.
Regardless, dating platforms are taking away the self-respect from men by making them beg, and the personality from women by ensuring they don’t need it.
Bonus tip: Delete your accounts, wait for the next time you are super happy, feeling funny/confident naturally and setup an account then. A likeable you in real life will reflect somehow on your profile too!
Stay proud, happy dating! :)

Hey Everyone! Have you ever wondered what goes into becoming a sponsor of a F1 Academy car?
This year, Pepe Jeans became the title sponsor for Red Bull Racing's F1 Academy car, piloted by Hamda Al Qubaisi. I sat down with Alice Menahem, the lead of Marketing and Distribution for Red Bull Racing by Pepe Jeans. We discuss what it means to the brand to be a part of making F1 Academy possible, what it's like to be a sponsor for an iconic team like Red Bull, watching F1 races from Red Bull Hospitality, and more.
You can watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rwbqGWmLyp0?si=BHT1phSDDtXkFaGR
Or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Heard.FM, or wherever you get your podcasts.
I hope you enjoy the episode, and would love to hear what you think about Pepe Jeans' upcoming collection, and their commitment to F1 Academy!

Some general context: We've been together for 7 months, however we've been really good friends for over 8 years, we've always kind of loved each other - and we recently reconnected (last year) and hit it off, and instantly fell in love and everything felt like it was meant to be. We love each other a lot and there have been no major issues so far in our relationship.
However I knew she cheated and met with other guys during her past relationships so I had some trust issues with her.
TLDR: GF randomly mentioned a guy kept sending her DMs - turns out they were talking for months, albeit non-flirtatious. She apologized and begged me to forgive her but I feel my trust has been broken.
The story: This happened three days ago while we were getting ready to play a co-op game. That's when she randomly tells me "This guy keeps sending me DMs on instagram". I was a bit taken aback, but not really concerned and asked if she replied in any sort of way - and if not, to just reply and tell him to hit the bricks. For a bit of context, she's a musician and very good looking so she gets a lot of attention and sometimes guys send her DMs - this happened before once or twice with her just not replying, so this wasn't a major concern for me initially.
However, after my question she then fell silent and didn't verbally reply, so I persited and asked again if she replied to him or not so far. She mentioned she did and then fell silent. So I continued and asked "Then why does he still message you?". I noticed she behaved strangely and was at a loss for words and I started asking her more questions. She flusterred again and again and then I asked her if I could take a look at what the guy was saying.
She immediately panicked, trying to evade the topic, saying things like "Why should I show you my DMs, I never asked for yours", "I'm not showing you" and was visibly frustrated and trying to pushback. After a short heated conversation I asked one last time to see their conversation.
She then opened the DMs, and reluctantly handed over the phone. I then noticed a very long thread of conversation between them, dating back to last year, where the guy is asking her how are the holidays, what's she doing, and ...her replying back. The last question he asked was "So when are you coming to [CITY]? :)" which was the city she lived before, years back, and her reply "Not too soon [laugh emoji]".
Now this was not what I expected when she said "This person keeps texting me" - which was far from the truth, this in fact being an entire mutual conversation.
She then told me this person is a mutual aquaintance from her old city's group of friends, and that she's never phyisically met the guy, but knew who his name and who he was - and that's why she accepted his follow, replied and continued the conversation. She mentioned he first wrote to her before we were together and she continued the conversation out of wanting to be polite.
The texts didn't seem to include anything flirtatious from her side, apart from a hug emoji during one of her messages thanking him for the holiday greetings. However, she was replying and engaging with a person that was clearly interested in her, who she's never met and was clearly interested to know how her days went and what she's up to.
Regardless of the non-flirtatious convo, I felt betrayed and furious. She always had an issue with us keeping secrets and being loyal to each other, including being jealous of random aquantinces in my life... so this felt like a huge slap in the face and her being a major hypocrite.
We had a major fight afterwards with me telling her to go home, and that we should separate for the time being while I think things through.
Since then she apologized profusely and begged me to reconsider, including saying that she'll be 100% open to me from now on, she'll block the guy and even said she'll give me her phone pass and show me anything at any point I wish. She keeps mentioning how I'm the love of her life and the most important person she ever met, and that she cannot live without me, that she's envisioned marriage and kids with me, etc. She's called me crying a number of times and said she can't live without me and she knows that it was wrong to reply to him and talk to him but that she meant no harm and had no interest in him.
Unfortunately she also said: A) That she didn't know that the guy was interested in her (Which I think is a huge lie) B) That she hid the conversation from me because I would be mad people are sending her DMs (Which again is a dumb reason, since this happened before, she didn't reply and I was okay with it).
I asked her to be honest with me, and tell me the reasons why she did this. She said it wasn't out of a desire for attention, or an unmentioned frustration with our relationship. She just did it out of being polite.
However, IMO you don't just ask someone about their day and reply with questions when you're just "being polite".
Anyway. I'm really torn apart on what to do moving forward.
ATM I've told her I don't think things will work, and she is devastated.
I feel that she broke my trust and moving forward I'll be walking on eggshells, in a constant high-alert state. She gaslighted me and told me lies to cover up her tracks. She hid the fact that she was talking to this guy, she partially hid the fact that she was responding, and then she lied about not knowing what this guy wanted.
I also know that she loves me a ton and is really sorry for what she did.
Help me make sense of this and know what I should be doing. Thanks!

Howdy,
If you know of any other sub-reddits this would do better on, please LMK.
I'm working on a project to create a modern dashboard for managing loaner laptops, and I could use some advice on the best approach. Here's a breakdown of what I'm looking to achieve:
Dashboard UI: I want to create a sleek UI displaying a list of laptops with their names and the student they're assigned to. Each row should be color-coded: green for in, red for out, and yellow for not set up for the next semester. I’d like to also have either an info button or click on the row to get more information. I'm looking at material UI for the icons and buttons.
Laptops: I want to be able to add laptops via a button with information, or to the system via asset tag scanning, making the process quick and efficient.
Check In/Out Page: I need a page where I can easily check laptops in and out. At this point I’d like to have it pull from a “contact page”. But Ideally in the future, this would be connected to a database or LDAP for scanning barcodes of student Id’s or manually typing numbers. This would also be able to scan the asset tag.
Automatic Email Notifications: It would be great if the dashboard could automatically send an email with the student ID # and a template to a specified email address. In the future I would like to have the ability to automatically send reminder emails to the students 2 weeks before they are due.
I'm planning to most likely use React for this project due to its flexibility and ease of use. If you have any tips, suggestions, or resources that could help me achieve these goals, I'd greatly appreciate it! Or if you know of any systems that can do this.
Thanks in advance for your help!

It's often said that one of the biggest things martials lack in 5e is out of combat utility. While I'm not going to deny that they certainly have fewer options than casters do, I don't think martials are completely without options. As an example, here are some things Strength and Dex based characters can still excel at:
Lock Picking (Str and Dex): While classically a rogue ability, any class can be an expert lockpick. For dex-based characters, the easiest way to do this is using thieve's tools or sleight of hand to get lock open. For strength-based characters, you have several options including attacking the door, ripping it open with a Crowbar (note: Crowbars are in the PHB and give you advantage), or smashing it down with a Portable Ram (note: Portable Rams are also in the PHB and give you a +4 bonus to such checks)
Wall Breaking (Str): Shockingly, strength-based characters are have even more options here than dex-based characters do, as while dex-based characters can only pick locks, str-based characters can pick open walls by smashing them with a maul or ram. Proficiency with Mason's Tools will actually let your attacks deal double-damage to walls, and having an adamantine weapon (note: these appear in xanathar's) lets you critically hit against objects, on top of the doubled damage.
Being able to smash through walls can be exceptionally useful in prison breaks, dungeon crawls, and heists, but remember that walls aren't the only things you can smash. Floors are a great way to get down to the next level, and smashing open the hulls of ships is an excellent way to sink them.
Smashing walls can also be useful in battle, as it can give your ranged party members a place to take cover during combat.
Stealing (Dex): Maybe it shouldn't be much of a surprise that rogues are excellent at stealing things. Hell, that's a major part of their MO. However, I think stealing often gets a bad rap in 5e because how the dumbest of murderhobos use it:
Namely, attempting to steal large, conspicuous objects from extremely dangerous NPCs while said NPC is paying direct attention to them, after making it clear they're with the rest of the party
Don't do that. It's beyond idiotic
Instead, the best creatures to steal from are ones that aren't particularly strong or important, and have valuables that are actually easy to extract and conceal. Creatures that are already hostile to the party and have money, but that you wouldn't necessarily murder in broad daylight like nobles are also excellent examples
remember also that forgery kits can hep with this, particularly if you have a disguise kit to back it up and protect your identity. Being able to replicate a rich person's signiture and signet ring will allow you to scribe Writs of Credit in your unwitting patron's name (note: writs of credit were what people used before checkbooks)
Tools (Str and Dex): Many player forget that tools like chef's utensils or artisan's kits have many uses, which are noted in Xanathar's Guide to Everything. Each of those entries includes checks that tool proficiencies grant advantage on, as well as an explicit use for the tool (e.g. chef's utensils grant creatures additional healing during a long rest) and certain DCs for things you can do with those tools (e.g. improvising an item with tinker's tools)
One particularly useful thing to do which might not be obvious at first glance is to use tinker's tools or smith's tools for repairing objects, as most players will fight a large organization of humanoid NPCs at some point in the game, and many DMs will rule that their equipment is in poor repair when they realize how much money you can make from selling all their swords, bows and armor
Another useful think to keep in mind is that while there are no explicit rules for this, most DMs will be generous with allowing you to harvest parts from beasts, monstrosities, dragons, and other creatures using leatherworker's tools and survival, and let you craft objects from them or pass them off to an NPC to craft items for you.
Identifying Magic Items (Str and Dex): Thought this was a wizard's job? Think again. Any creature can identify a magic item as part of a short rest, as noted in the Dungeon Masters Guide page 136. A potion can also be identified just by sticking your finger in and tasting it. This is admittedly slower that the Identify spell, but you don't need a 100gp pearl, or a wizard to do it
Crafting Potions of Healing (Str and Dex): Fun fact, you don't need magic to craft a potion of healing, and it only takes 8 hours per potion. an Elf can easily make one potion every rest they get a late start to the day, and another character can easily brew them on the road as well. Herbalism proficiency is needed to do this, but no checks are involved. If you're on the road, you can still brew them while camping, or even on the road if you and your party have a wagon to carry things in. Additionally, many dms will let you forage for ingredients using herbalism, nature, or survival checks, removing the cost of crafting these potions altogether

if anyone is interested, my last post on here was just me pointing out the symbolism w/ daryls wings/vest so i decided i would like to point out some more or you could add your own if you would like! (idk if any of this is rlly cannon but the creative writer in me just wants to share)

• the use of storm imagery/metaphors when referring to the whisperers. i think its really something i noticed recently but its super cool to me how the whisperers themselves appear together like storm clouds do in the sky, they bunch together and you just know something bad is going to happen or something is coming when you see them. also how they named the episodes “The Calm Before” and then “The Storm” in season 10 (or 9, my memory is a bit foggy sorry)
  
• the trauma bond between daryl and michonne is something that i dont see talked about much! this could go for many scenarios (the throat biting scene, the governor, glenn and abe) but im mainly referring to when jocelyn kidnapped the alexandrian kids and then branded daryl and michonne. i know its not really something to be noticed but i just think it really emphasized how daryl and michonne became eachothers wing-man after rick’s “death”
  
• abraham. literally his whole character to me is tragic. he had one goal and one reason for living (getting eugene to D.C.) and it all turned out to be a lie. and just as he found a purpose and a reason to go on, he gets bashed in. it was just very upsetting to see him explode after eugene’s lie was revealed, not because i cared about eugene being punched (idgaf lol) but because you could tell he felt like he was outside that supermarket with that gun in his mouth again.
  
• carol will always be a mother. i know that every child she cares for ends up dying, but she has always been the mother for the entire group. she has saved them so many times no matter the circumstances. its almost like shes destined to be the one who brings them togetheprotect them (i know rick also has that job and was called mother goose but they are both mother geese)
  
• shane’s death. i know this show has a lot of deaths but shane’s was one that changed the entire story. there are still remnants of him sprinkled throughout the later seasons but just in less obvious ways then “i had a best friend” and rick’s hallucinations. anytime rick has killed/hurt (the red machete, biting out joes jugular, the saviors in that dive bar, beating the hell out of pete, etc) he has a certain look in his eyes. his signature head tilt, the squint when he looks at his next kill, the deep breath in. the first time we see this is when he and shane were out in the woods together.
  

idk i feel like im just restating a lot of things that might have already been said, so feel free to add with whatever!

"That's a load of bull!" Gus burst out, his laughter bouncing off the cozy walls of the small diner.
"Yeah, Tony. That's not how it went down at all," Vinny chimed in, a grin spreading across his face.
Tony leaned back in his chair, swirling the ice in his glass. "Alright, then spill the beans. What really happened?"
Gus shot Tony a playful glare, trying to stifle his laughter. "Come on, Tony, I'm not playing your game."
Tony chuckled, shaking his head. "You're a real character, Gus. Vinny, what's the scoop?"
"We got ourselves another Rossi problem," Vinny sighed.
Gus sat up straight, a frown creasing his forehead. "Rossi again? How much did he stiff us for this time?"
"The whole damn tab," Vinny replied, his expression grim.
Gus slammed his hand on the table. "The whole thing?"
He glanced around the diner, his mind racing. "Tony, get the car ready."
Tony quickly finished his drink and rose from his seat to fetch the car keys.
"Sammy!" Gus called out over his shoulder.
A tall, sharply dressed man hurried over to their table.
"Gus?"
"You got a smoke?" Gus asked, his voice calm despite the urgency in his demeanor.
Sammy reached into his pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. With a nod, he offered it to Gus.
Gus took a cigarette, then hesitated before accepting another. "Thanks," he muttered, tucking them into his shirt pocket.
"You're welcome, Gus," Sammy replied before heading back to the counter.
"Can't stand that guy," Gus murmured. "Talks like he's got a screw loose." Despite his annoyance, he chuckled softly, though a sharp pain shot through his side.
"Let's get moving. Tony's waiting," Gus declared, pushing himself up from the table.
As Gus and Vinny exited the diner, they found Tony waiting by the rear driver's door, already open for Gus. Gus climbed into the car while Vinny walked around to the passenger seat.
"Why can't Rossi just pay what he owes?" Gus grumbled, pulling a cigarette from his shirt pocket and placing it between his lips. "I'm not asking for the world."
Gus patted his pockets, searching for a lighter. "Vinny, got a light?"
Vinny reached behind the seat to retrieve a lighter and flicked it, igniting Gus's cigarette.
"Thanks," Gus muttered, taking a few puffs.
"Maybe business is slow for him?" Tony offered as he pulled away from the curb.
"All year?" Gus shot back, disbelief evident in his tone.
Tony fell silent, his focus on navigating the streets.
"I don't want to have to resort to drastic measures," Gus admitted, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "I've always liked Rossi... but he's not leaving me much choice."
"What else can you do?" Vinny asked, his voice tinged with concern.
Gus remained silent, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside the window, lost in thought.
"Remember Beans?" Gus asked the car, his voice carrying a tinge of nostalgia.
"Beans?" Tony echoed, trying to jog his memory.
"Tall guy, slick hair? Used to run with Sonny's crew back in the day..." Gus prompted, eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"Oh yeah, Beans. I remember him now. What about him?" Tony recalled.
"Beans had a brother named Larry," Gus continued, taking a drag from his cigarette. "Larry owes me twenty grand as of yesterday."
Tony's expression softened. "Oh, I see."
"Anyway, Beans fell off a boat a few years back," Gus added casually, his tone belying the gravity of the situation.
"Oh," Tony murmured, understanding the unspoken implications.
"I heard Little Larry moved out to Minnesota or something after Beans passed," Vinny chimed in from the passenger seat.
"Yeah, he did. But he's making a return trip for his sister's wedding," Gus explained.
"Vicky's getting married?" Tony asked, surprised.
"No, not Vicky. The other one," Gus clarified, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Vinny twisted around in his seat to gauge Gus's expression, realizing he wasn't joking.
"Who's the unlucky groom?" Tony inquired, intrigued.
"Some hotshot lawyer from Manhattan," Gus replied, his tone dripping with disdain.
"When's the wedding?" Vinny inquired, breaking the momentary silence.
"Today," Gus replied tersely.
"We're here," Tony announced, pulling the car to a stop in front of a quaint flower shop.
"What's the plan?" Vinny turned to Gus, anticipation evident in his voice.
"First, we deal with this Rossi mess..." Gus began, only to be interrupted by Tony.
"And what's the plan for that?" Tony interjected, his tone expectant.
Gus paused, considering his words carefully.
"Let's go," Gus declared, swinging the car door open and stepping out onto the street, with Tony and Vinny following suit.

Hi everyone! All of the costs you see listed below include fees, what you see is what you pay. My timezone is GMT+12 in case you’re wondering why I may be taking a while to reply to you, however rest assured I will when I’m awake!
 
If you’re new to trading on reddit, read this guide on how to link your RSI account to your Reddit account and then just reply below with … well anything really so I can see your RSI account in the flair then drop me a PM with what you’re after.
 
If there is something you want but don’t see listed such as a specific LTI CCU’d ship or if you have any questions on trading or CCUing then please feel free to drop me a DM. Note: I will not trade using chat’s and any chat requests will be directed to use DM’s. This is because chat’s can be deleted but DM’s cannot so it is safer for us both to use DM’s.
 

Referrals 🎖️

If you haven’t yet created your account, please read this guide on the referral system and consider using my referral code which is STAR-LN2R-X9QF. If you would like me to add a referral to your account it will be $25.
 

Subscriber Store

I can get you anything listed here on the subscriber store at cost + PayPal fees, please feel free to send me a message and I’ll let you know what the total cost will be.
   

Ships 🚀

   

Stand Alone Ship
Ship	Insurance	Status	Melt	Price
600i Explorer Best In Show 2953	10Y	Flyable	475	575
Corsair Best In Show Edition 2953	10Y	Flyable	250	305
Redeemer Best In Show Edition 2953	10Y	Flyable	330	400
Vulture Best In Show Edition 2953	10Y	Flyable	175	215
Zeus MkII MR with Solstice Paint	LTI	Concept	170	210​

 

LTI CCU'd ships	Insurance	Melt	Price
400i	LTI	245	205
Corsair	LTI	245	205
Eclipse	LTI	295	255
Hurricane	LTI	190	165
Reclaimer	LTI	395	340
Redeemer	LTI	325	270
SRV	LTI	145	135
Vanguard Sentinel	LTI	270	235​

   

CCU’s ➡️

Standard CCU's from buyback
From	To	Melt	Price
Freelancer	350r	15	19
Constellation Andromeda	400i	10	12.5
Prowler	600i explorer	35	42.5
C2	600i touring	35	42.5
Prospector	A1	45	54
Sabre	A1	30	36.5
Carrack	A2	150	180
Hammerhead	A2	25	31
Constellation Andromeda	Apollo Medivac	35	42.5
Constellation Andromeda	Apollo Triage	10	12.5
Constellation Andromeda	Ares Ion	10	12.5
Constellation Andromeda	Ares Inferno	10	12.5
Hull D	Arrastra	25	31
M2	Arrastra	55	67
325A	Avenger Titan Renegade	5	7
Nomad	Avenger Warlock	5	7
Cutlass Black	Buccaneer	10	12.5
Mole	C2	85	102
Redeemer	C2	75	90
Valkyrie	C2	25	31
300i	C8R Pisces Rescue	5	7
600i Explorer	Carrack	125	150
M2	Carrack	80	96
Constellation Aquila	Caterpillar	15	19
Eclipse	Caterpillar	30	36.5
Mole	Caterpillar	15	19
Cutlass Black	Centurion	10	12.5
Constellation Andromeda	Corsair	10	12.5
Mole	Crucible	35	42.5
Starfarer Gemini	Crucible	10	12.5
Prospector	Cutlass Blue	20	25
STV	Cutlass Red	95	115
Dragonfly Black	Cutter	5	7
Mustang Beta	Cutter	5	7
STV	Cutter	5	7
Roc DS	Cyclone AA	5	7
325a	Cyclone MT	5	7
125a	Cyclone RC	5	7
125a	Cyclone RN	5	7
125a	Cyclone TR	5	7
Constellation Taurus	Banu Defender	20	25
Blade	Eclipse	25	30
Constellation Andromeda	Eclipse	60	73
Prospector	F7C Hornet Wildfire	20	25
Prospector	F7C-M Super Hornet	30	36.5
Vulture	F7C-M Super Hornet Heartseeker	25	30
Prospector	Freelancer MIS	20	25
125A	G12A	5	7
Prospector	Gladiator	10	12.5
Nomad	Gladius	10	12.5
Carrack	Hammerhead	125	150
Odyssey	Hammerhead	25	31
Nomad	Herald	5	7
Herald	Hull A	5	7
Nomad	Hull A	10	12.5
Prospector	Khartu-Al	15	19
Centurion	Legionnaire	10	12.5
Freelancer	Legionnaire	10	12.5
M2	Liberator	55	66.5
600i	M2	45	54
Prowler	M2	80	96
Gladius	M50	10	12.5
Constellation Andromeda	Mercury	20	25
400i	Mercury	10	12.5
Carrack	Nautilus	125	150
Freelancer	Nova	10	12.5
MPUV-C	Nox	10	12.5
STV	Nox	5	7
C2	Prowler	40	48
Valkyrie	Prowler	65	78
Constellation Taurus	Railen	25	31
Terrapin	Railen	5	7
Defender	Railen	5	7
Cutlass Black	Raft	15	19
Ballista	Razor	5	7
Freelancer Max	Razor EX	5	7
Mantis	Razor EX	5	7
Ballista	Razor LX	10	12.5
Mole	Reclaimer	85	102
Valkyrie	Reclaimer	25	31
Constellation Aquila	Redeemer	15	19
Mole	Redeemer	15	19
325a	Reliant Tana	5	7
Ballista	Retaliator	15	19
Vanguard Warden	Retaliator Bomber	15	19
Prospector	Sabre	15	19
Prospector	Sabre Comet	30	36.5
Constellation Taurus	San'tok.yāi	40	49
Terrapin	Scorpius	20	25
Constellation Taurus	Scorpius Antares	30	36.5
Prospector	SRV	10	12.5
Mole	Starfarer Gemini	25	31
Centurion	Talon	5	7
Freelancer	Talon	5	7
Centurion	Talon Shrike	5	7
Freelancer	Talon Shrike	5	7
Constellation Taurus	Terrapin	20	25
Caterpillar	Valkyrie	45	54
Mole	Valkyrie	60	72
Redeemer	Valkyrie	50	60
Blade	Vanguard Harbinger	15	19
Vanguard Sentinel	Vanguard Harbinger	15	19
Terrapin	Vanguard Hoplite	15	19
Constellation Andromeda	Vanguard Sentinel	35	42.5
Vanguard Warden	Vanguard Sentinel	15	19
Mercury	Vanguard Sentinel	15	19
Ares Ion	Vanguard Warden	10	12.5
Corsair	Vanguard Warden	10	12.5
Ballista	Zeus Mk II CL	10	12.5
Ballista	Zeus Mk II ES	10	12.5
Vulture	Zeus Mk II MR	15	19​

   

Paints 💥

Time limited paints
Paint	Price
7 Pack Ghoulish Green (Mule, Herald, Vulture, Caterpillar, Buccaneer, Dragonfly, Cutlass)	59
2951 Auspicious Red pack (Nomad & Freelancer)	20
2952 Auspicious Red pack (Sabre and Constellation)	20.5
2952 Fortuna pack (400i & 600i)	28
2953 Auspicious Red pack (Carrack and C8 Pisces)	28
2953 Fortuna pack (Hammerhead, Redeemer, Vanguard)	52
100i - Auspicious Red Dog	7
100i - Auspicious Red Dragon	7
400i - Auspicious Red Dog	14
400i - Auspicious Red Dragon	14
400i - Fortuna	14
600i - Auspicious Red Dog	17
600i - Fortuna	20
Ares - Lovestruck	14
Ares - Meridian	14
Arrow - Lovestruck	7
Avenger - Invictus Blue and Gold	7
Avenger - Solar Winds	7
Buccaneer - Ghoulish Green	9
C8 Pisces - 2953 Auspicious Red	7
Carrack - 2953 Auspicious Red	23.5
Caterpillar - Ghoulish Green	14
Constellation - 2952 Auspicious Red	14
Corsair - Ghoulish Green	13
Cutlass Black - Skull and Crossbones	13
Cutter - Ghoulish Green	7
Cyclone - Lovestruck	7
Defender - Harmony	14
Defender - Ocellus	14
Defender - Wanderer	14
Dragonfly - Ghoulish Green	6.5
Drake Cutlass - Ghoulish Green	6.5
Drake Ultimate Ghoulunatics	78.5
Eclipse Meridian	14
F7 Hornet Mk II - Ironscale Paint	11.5
F7 Hornet Mk II - Paint Pack (Ironscale & Icebound)	16
Freelancer - 2951 Auspicious Red	11.5
Fury - Fortuna	6.5
Gladius - Invictus Blue and Gold	9
Gladius - Solar Winds	9
Hammerhead - Fortuna	23.5
Herald - Ghoulish Green	9
Hercules - Fortuna	16
Hercules - Invictus Blue and Gold	20
Hercules - Meridian	16.5
Hoverquad - Lovestruck	7
Khartu-Al - Harmony	11.5
Khartu-Al - Ocellus	11.5
Lovestruck paint 6 pack (Arrow, Scorpius, Cyclone, Hoverquad, Nomad, Ares)	53.5
Mercury Star Runner - Fortuna	14
Mercury Star Runner - Meridian	14
Meridian 4 Pack - Ares, Eclipse, Hercules, Mercury	56
Mule - Ghoulish Green	6.5
Nomad - 2951 Auspicious Red	9
Nomad - Lovestruck	9
Nox - Harmony	5.5
Nox - Ocellus	5.5
Nox - Wanderer	5.5
Prowler - Harmony	20
Redeemer - Fortuna	16.5
Razor - Fortuna	11.5
Reliant - Invictus Blue and Gold	7
Retaliator - Invictus Blue and Gold	14
Sabre - 2952 Auspicious Red	11.5
Scorpius - Lovestruck	14
Solar Winds 3 Pack - Avenger, Gladius, Vanguard	28
Talon - Harmony	9
Talon - Ocellus	9
Talon - Wanderer	9
Vanguard - Invictus Blue and Gold	14
Vanguard - Fortuna	14
Vanguard - Solar Winds	14
Vulture - Ghoulish Green	11.5
X1- Auspicious Red Dog Paint	7
X1- Auspicious Red Dragon Paint	7​

 

Concierge Paint
Paint	Price
Arrastra - Nocturne Paint	17.5
C8 Pisces Code Blue	7
C8 Pisces 5 Pack	20
Centurion - Beachhead	10
Centurion - 3 paint pack	24
Cutter - Cliffhanger	4
Cutter - Groundswell	7
Cutter - Nightfall	4
Fury - Black Star	7
Fury - Leatherback	7
Galaxy - Protector	19.5
Lynx - Moonrise	7
Mule - 3 paint pack	10.5
Mule - Smokestack	5
Pulse - 5 paint pack
Pulse - Dominion	7
San'Tok.Yai - Tuiping	9
Scorpius - Tiburon	14
Spirit - 3 paint pack 2952	33
Spirit - Crimson	12
Spirit - Intrepid	12
Storm - Summit	9
STV - Blue Steel	4
Zeus - Solstice	11.5​

 

Gear
Name	Melt	Price
Invictus 2953 Navy Blue gear pack	3.5	5
Invictus 2953 Military Grey gear pack	3.5	5​

Howdy,
If you know of any other sub-reddits this would do better on, please LMK.
I'm working on a project to create a modern dashboard for managing loaner laptops, and I could use some advice on the best approach. Here's a breakdown of what I'm looking to achieve:
Dashboard UI: I want to create a sleek UI displaying a list of laptops with their names and the student they're assigned to. Each row should be color-coded: green for in, red for out, and yellow for not set up for the next semester. I’d like to also have either an info button or click on the row to get more information.
Laptops: I want to be able to add laptops via a button with information, or to the system via asset tag scanning, making the process quick and efficient.
Check In/Out Page: I need a page where I can easily check laptops in and out. At this point I’d like to have it pull from a “contact page”. But Ideally in the future, this would be connected to a database or LDAP for scanning barcodes of student Id’s or manually typing numbers. This would also be able to scan the asset tag.
Automatic Email Notifications: It would be great if the dashboard could automatically send an email with the student ID # and a template to a specified email address. In the future I would like to have the ability to automatically send reminder emails to the students 2 weeks before they are due.
I'm planning to most likely use React for this project due to its flexibility and ease of use. If you have any tips, suggestions, or resources that could help me achieve these goals, I'd greatly appreciate it! Or if you know of any systems that can do this.
Thanks in advance for your help!

Hey everyone!
My name is James, and I've been making games since I was in 4th grade (Over a decade of making my own games). I do game development as a hobby and passion, and I also do it as my full time job! - I have been a professional game designer in the industry for the past 2 years.
Even with all my experience, both personal and professional, I can't ever seem to finish my own project (Aside from a simple itch.io release).
I have well over 50+ projects that I have started, some are basic 2D platformers and others are innovative and unique VR games (I have made a huge variety of games/prototypes). Even though what I make is fun, I always seem to let the project go.
For reference, I create everything myself. I program, make art/animations, do all the design, and everything else that goes into the crockpot. I am a true solo dev and I find a lot of fun in it. That being said, what most commonly happens is the following:

1. Start project
2. Program everything and get feature complete
3. Make some of the art
4. Make some mall content
5. This is usually where I give up all motivation and I assume that the project will fail. Thus, it never sees the light of day.

I have thought a lot about why this is, and I can't tell if it's imposter syndrome (I'm only 21, and being a industry professional with my title at my age isn't extremely common), being too hard on myself (I always assume the project isn't fun and will fail miserably), or if it's something else.
I know that this is a very common thing among game developers, and I was wondering how anyone else dealt with this? I so badly want to release my games as I'm proud of my work, however, I need to get passed this hurdle in order to do so.
Please let me know your thoughts/recommendations and don't worry about being harsh! I am all for criticism, especially if it helps me improve as a developer.

Who knew there were so many different ground strap names?This can be confusing.Over the past few years, we started noticing that customers use a variety of names for ground straps.In particular, various industries or even different parts of the country use a wide array of ground strap names.

Products (and People) with Different Names

It is fascinating how the same items can have such a wide range of names.Every industry has their own product names based on Slang – Industry Nicknames – Aliases – AKA – Also Known As. Another example with different terms, depending on where you call home, you might say “You guys” or “Y’all”. If you hail from Pittsburgh, you most likely say “Yinz”. Before we get into our list of ground strap names, below includes a few fun examples of different product names that we thought fit this exercise:

• Soda vs Pop
• Shoes vs Sneakers
• Sofa vs Couch
• Artificial Flowers vs Fake Flowers
• Alcohol vs Liquor
• Subs vs Hoagie vs Hero (Hope you’re reading this AFTER lunch)

Also, there is a list of eponyms examples:

• Xerox = Photocopy
• Kleenex = Tissue
• Google it = Web search
• Jello = Gelatin
• Q-Tip = Cotton Swab
• Zamboni = Ice Resurface Machine
• Polaroid = Instant pic (The original selfie)

In addition, several famous individuals fit this conversation as well:

• James Bond vs 007
• How about Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde?
• Would Super Man & Clark Kent fit in here as well?

Lastly, a number of celebrities also go by a different name:

• Katheryn Hudson = Katy Perry
• John Roger Stephens = John Legend
• Onika Tanya Maraj = Nicki Minaj
• Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta = Lady Gaga
• Peter Gene Hernandez = Bruno Mars

There are tons of examples that could be mentioned here. What are some of your favorites?

Ground Strap Names

Back to the subject at hand.Since ground straps are not front of mind for 99.99999% of the population, the fact that a wide variety of ground strap names makes perfect sense.Especially since there are so many different uses. Below includes a list of ground strap names that our team came up with from speaking with various customers (in no particular order):

• Bonding Straps Electrical
• Braided Bonding Strap
• Braided Copper Strap
• Flat Braided Copper Ground Strap
• Braided Earth Strap
• Flat Braided Ground Wire
• Flat Copper Ground Strap
• Ground Strap Wire
• Neutral Bonding Strap
• Ground Straps Flat Braid
• Ground Wire Strap
• Braided Ground Strap
• Braided Ground Strap Wire
• Copper Ground Strap
• Braided Ground Straps
• Braided Ground Wire
• Tinned Copper Braided Ground Strap
• Braided Grounding Strap
• Braided Grounding Straps
• Flat Braided Ground Strap
• Ground Strap
• Ground Strap Cable
• Grounding Straps
• Heavy Duty Ground Straps
• Braided Copper Ground Wire
• Braided Copper Ground Wire
• Ground Wire Strap
• Braided Copper Strap
• Braided Copper Strap
• Earthing Straps
• Braided Ground Strap
• Earth Straps
• Braided Ground Straps
• Electrical Grounding Straps
• Braided Ground Wire
• Braided Ground Wire
• Tinned Copper Braid
• Braided Grounding Strap
• Braided Grounding Straps
• Ground Straps

Do you have any to add?

Wrapping It Up

Lastly, Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
In addition, please click these helpful links for more info:

• Ground Straps: The Official Buyers Resource Guide
• Instant Ground Strap QuoteBuilder

Finally, to learn about Wire Harness Assemblies, please click below:

• Instant Wire Harness Estimate
• Wire Harness Manufacturing Terms, Tools, and Tips of the Trade
• Wiring Harness Assembly: The Official Resource Guide

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Wishing you an ELECTRIC Day!!