Almost 2 years hitting my head against a wall. Visited every doc there is, tested everything there is to test almost. Still no clear conclusion. Symptoms - constant, 24/7 debilitating brain fog/dizziness feeling. I can't concentrate, and have to force myself into doing things. I can't work in my trade. Was a software developer. Other, much more minor issues involve eyes pain with screens, heavy eye sensitivity to external light/photophobia, and heart palpitations/tachycardia attacks that started to occur after a year, I think these are somehow related to what I eat, haven't figured it out yet though. The worst is constant brain fog/dizziness, it completely blocks me from normal living. It doesnt get better or worse, it's just there.
It started with kind of panic attack. I felt bout of dizzy feeling, my heart started to race and I had a panic attack I guess? There were actually 3 of these within a week and only after the last one, the feeling of constant dizziness/brain fog stayed with me and is there ever since.
It's extermely hard for me to accept that it could be anxiety and it could be "in my head". I'm very analitycal, very pragmatic, down to earth, logical person. I use data, logic and physics to form opinions on how the world works. And so I keep looking for "physiological" causes of my issues. Keep looking for malfunctions in body that can be somehow measured and catched. Recently I had to accept that it could be diet related which I was actually opposing before as well, but now I'm all the way into trying to fix my microbiome through diet etc. Wont go into details, but there is more to that (was experimenting with carnivore and semi carnivore for almost year diet prior to the onset of symptoms, 1kg meat daily, maybe I have some nutrient deficiencies? Although nothing shows in blood).
Before the onset I was very motivated and thought that I was beginning my prime you could say. I finally started to make some money with a good career in IT and wanted to start getting other things in life sorted out. I was an introvert, had one close friend and a few friends that I sometimes went out with. I was hitting the gym, sometimes played basketball, tennis, table tennis, hit the bike. I always loved sports and had natural urge to move, although didnt do that as much as I could cause of work and my side project. At the time I was living with my sister which was very weird for my age (30) but I didnt want that really, it was kind of temporary solution for both of us. I was only doing that for like 10 months, before I was living alone and before in dorm with my friend. I planned to move out later. Apart from that I had normal parents, normal upbringing, my childhood was trauma less, I have many good memories from that time. I could go on with that cause there is some theme that's kind of abnormal here but I doubt that it matters. In short I was given a lot of freedom by my parents and didnt learn discipline and the fact that you cant take things for granted and you have to work for everything in life. The practical consequences of this hit me hard when I was 20, but in short I "woke up", got my shit together and managed to get a degree and start a career. Never had a true relationship, cause of my natural shyness with people and women, which I tried to fix many times. I guess you could call it social anxiety, but I learned that it's the muscle that needs to be trained just like everything else. The more I tried to be around people and conscioulsy learn how to talk, how to be social etc the easier it was for me. Same with women. And so at 30 years old I was kind of ready to do something more in life. I had my side entreprenueral thing going on with my software as a service that I was developing. And I was watching Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul in evenings to chill out after work. And work was kind of draining sometimes not gonna lie. Software development can be hard on your brain. But nothing could have prepared me to what happened baiscally overnight what I mentioned earlier. And for almost 2 years I'm basically in limbo. I went back to parents, I can't concentrate on shit.
I actually tried SSRI, zoloft 25 for 3 weeks and then 50 for another 3. No effect. Tried 50 Lexapro as well, but after first one it gave me some crazy side effects so I stopped. Nothing else.
Now I'm working on my diet, try to move my body and still researching other possible solutions.
Does this sound like my symptoms could be cause of anxiety? Even if I don't feel I have it?

TLDR: I'm transitioning back into web development and project management after working in the automotive industry. My plan includes enrolling in Lunch School for Ruby and JavaScript, earning PMP and ACP certifications, and obtaining several CompTIA and digital marketing certifications. Seeking advice on whether this is a good path and any additional recommendations.
______________________
I'm reaching out to this amazing community for some guidance and advice on transitioning back into web development and project management.
Background: I have a fairly diverse background with experience in both tech (in the past and somewhat currently) and trade industries.
I spent about 3 years doing web project management and another 4 years in customer success for a SaaS product using WordPress.
In my project manager role, I would do everything from set up and configure themes, plugins, stores, etc., small custom CSS/HTML changes, UX/UI design, and research how we could make projects the best they could possibly be. The bulk of my work though was in managing project - from a new client handing off content until completion, working with teams of developers.
I got into the role fairly fast, because I was initially hired to do entry level webdev and graphic design, but the guy I worked for landed a few huge clients shortly after he hired me, and thought I'd be perfect to be a project manager, which he trained me how to do. He also wanted me in that role because I was good with talking with people, as a lot of developers he had just weren't, for whatever reason.
In my customer success role - I would work with clients one on one regarding their websites for their business, and worked with some of them that paid extra to do customizations.
These are just very simple explanations for both jobs.
In 2020, I was laid off from one of my work-from-home job, and I used that year to explore something different. This led me to the automotive industry, where I've been for the past 4 years (really 3 since I don't necessarily count 2020).
I learned an extremely challenging trade, helped start a business, and have continued doing project management while also working on some websites in my spare time.
Working in the automotive industry has toughened me up significantly, both as a person and a manager. Coming from a tech background, transitioning to an extremely physical and demanding job was hard, but I was successful.
The trade I learned has no formal schooling or certifications and typically requires a year or two of full-time effort to master, along with extensive self-study through YouTube videos, forums, and research.
This was probably the hardest thing I've ever learned to do in terms of work. Not only did I master it (within reason), but I also trained others to the point where one is now operating their own business, and several others have asked me to train them.
The bright side to all of that is I know how many resources there are for learning tech related skills online, so going from literally zero to such a nearly unlimited amount is already great.
However, I want to move out of this industry because I don't see myself doing this level of physical work as I get older. It can be great money, but there are slow months, the industry is changing, and I see where it's going and am prepping to get out of it.
Current Goals: I'm looking to re-enter the fields of web development and web project management. My current plan is to complete:

1. Lunch School: Enroll in Lunch School, focusing on the Ruby and JavaScript track, with the aim of completing the Capstone project.
2. Certifications:
   • Earn my PMP (Project Management Professional) and ACP (Agile Certified Practitioner) from PMI.
   • Get several CompTIA certifications to enhance my technical skills (A+, Security+, Project+, Tech+, Network+)
   • Get several certifications in related fields such as in digital marketing (SEO, Google/Facebook Ads, etc.), social media platform certifications, and any software certifications related to project management (Jira, etc.)

I'm Seeking Advice On:
1. Career Track: Is this a good path to pursue for someone with my background and goals? Are there any other certifications or skills I should consider?
2. Training Programs: Recommendations for additional training programs or certifications that could complement my current plan.
I've gained invaluable experience working in the automotive industry, especially in management, and I'm excited about the possibility of applying these skills to the tech industry.
Is this a solid plan?
If not, please feel free to give me any advice or feedback!

Finally got around to posting my trip report! My sister and I went down for a quick long weekend trip 5/16 – 5/19 to meet up with our parents who were already there for a longer stay at Old Key West. We stayed at Art of Animation. It was the first time we’ve stayed here and we both liked it! The theming is really good and I like having a food court. And of course being on the skyliner is great. It definitely fit the vibe of a value resort as it was pretty busy and loud but that’s to be expected and I’m really glad I have another Disney resort checked off my list!
Thursday 5/16
Our flight landed at MCO around 8:45 pm and we took a Lyft to AoA. We checked in and to our delight we were told our room had been upgraded! We originally booked a Little Mermaid room but the CM said we’d been upgraded to a Lion King family suite in the building right next to the lobby/pool. So our trip was off to an awesome start! We dropped our bags in our room and then had some dinner at the food court which was good.
Friday 5/17: Epcot & Magic Kingdom. Purchased Genie+ and got the Guardians VQ at 7am

• We took the skyliner to Epcot and got there around 20 mins before early entry started
• We decided to rope drop Frozen instead of Remy since we already had a LL set for later that morning. Frozen was only a 20 min wait
• Went inside the Mexico pavilion and it was practically empty which was pretty cool. Rode Gran Fiesta Tour
• Test track (single rider - always the way to go!)
• Got a Chai at Connections Café and met up with our parents. It started torrential down pouring so we hung out in there for a few and then put on our ponchos and made our way over to France!
• Remy’s (LL)
• We walked around World Showcase and got some snacks. Gumbo and funnel cake in America, bratwurst, cheese strudel and pretzel bread pudding in Germany. The bread pudding is amazing! I got it for the first time back in January and I will get it every time I go now
• Our boarding group for Guardians was called. We got Conga for our song which I was happy about since I never got it before. But Everybody Wants to Rule the World is my absolute favorite so I am always hoping for that one.
• Club Cool
• Living with the Land (LL)
• Soarin’ (LL)
• We got a few snacks (pizza roll and peanut butter whoopie pie – so good!) from Sunshine Seasons and sat in the Land for a bit. One of my favorite places in Disney World.
• My parents and sister did the butterfly garden
• Picked up our AP magnets
• Spaceship earth (LL)
• We headed over to Caribbean Beach resort for our dinner reservation at Sebastian’s Bistro. This was my first time here and it was really good!
• After dinner we headed to Magic Kingdom for the night
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• Buzz Lightyear (LL)
• Haunted Mansion (LL)
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train during the fireworks. Posted time was 55 min but we only waited 20!
• It’s a small world
• Peter Pan’s Flight (LL)
• Space Mountain (LL)

Saturday 5/18: Hollywood Studios & Magic Kingdom. Purchased Genie+ and got the Tron VQ at 1pm

• Took the skyliner to Hollywood Studios and got there at 8am – a full half hour before early entry started
• Tower of Terror – we walked on 3x in a row!
• Slinky Dog Dash – only 35 min wait
• Our parents arrived and we headed to Galaxy’s Edge for some Ronto Morning Wraps – one of my favorites!
• Toy Story Mania (LL)
• Alien Swirling Saucers (LL)
• Got some Blue milk and tried the puff bread for the first time – it was pretty good
• Cup of Enchantment – yum!
• Took the bus over to Magic Kingdom and was in the park by 12:30 so we could get the Tron VQ at 1
• Railroad
• People Mover
• Carousel of Progress
• Cheeseburger spring rolls – finally tried these and they were good!
• Pirates (LL)
• Took the boat to Wilderness Lodge and had lunch at the Roaring Fork and relaxed there for a bit before taking the boat back to MK
• Went immediately over to Tron as our boarding group had been called. Love this ride!
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Peter Pan’s Flight (LL)
• Hall of Presidents
• Big Thunder Mountain (LL)
• Got the All-American sundae at Plaza Ice Cream – yum!
• Space Mountain (LL)
• Took the boat over to Poly for a late little dinner at Capt. Cook’s. Got the noodles.
• We got on the monorail to go back to MK and we were the only ones on it! Bus back to AoA

Sunday 5/19: Animal Kingdom & Epcot

• Stored our bags with bell services then had some breakfast at the AoA food court. There’s just something about sitting at your Disney hotel in the morning eating breakfast! Sad it was the last day though!
• Took the bus to Animal Kingdom
• Looked at a couple exhibits, got some Starbucks and met up with our parents
• I got a yummy non-alcoholic drink at Harambe Market before we did the Gorilla Falls trail and then took the Wildlife train
• Got some potstickers and watched the bird show
• Expedition Everest (I did the single rider line and waited less than 15 mins)
• Headed over to Epcot for our dinner reservation at Biergarten. First time here for everyone and we enjoyed it! The entertainment was cool and the food was good

After that we headed to the airport for our late flight home. It was an amazing time as always and I’m already looking forward to my next trip in August! Thanks for reading! Feel free to ask any questions.

Is there such a thing as finding too much treasure?
The Jonsie Burrows: Help Wanted 2: Tables of contents
Previous part: 8.9.
​
The new room could only be described as unfinished, you thought to yourself. You were passing under an arch of a building on your way through here and saw that hanging from it were supposed to be two drooping ropes with flags(or whatever this is supposed to be), but instead, you saw a purple digital polygonal imitation of it.
Other purple digital polygonal objects took the appearance of other real things in the area, but they lacked the what?-factor of the digital floating purple particles or what was going on with the ceiling of the room as it was a just purple grid. (Welcome to the AR world Jeremy. Glitchtrap's twisted wonderland.)
But this was all a distraction from the newly introduced threat in the form of Moon, as now you sought targets that prevent his deadly approach to your ride, all while you heard his chuckles.
In the next room, the situation was the same, except you saw different varieties of purple digital things pouring into the area. (Nice! it's the Princess Quest 3 purple pattern from Vanny's room and the purple arching energy from the wrecking ball in Roxy Raceway! I didn't notice them on the first watchthrough of the game, so it's nice to see and know what that connection is. Though now that I'm thinking about it, it's so weird that Princess Quest 4 shows no connection to anything, unlike its prequel.
Is it because the FNAF6's Pizzeria is so digitally distorted by Glitchtrap in the network that it doesn't show the tell-tale signs of the AR world or is it because the Pizzeria's sub-network isn't as connected to the greater network. Hmm... Something to look into later.)
As you continued to move through the area you saw more and more purple things just crawling throughout as you kept alert for specific targets to stall Moon. (Where in the world is this place? There's no such location we visit in Ruin that has this much wrecking ball energy flowing through it.)
But as you gazed about, you immediately spotted a blue blast-shaped button ahead and above on an arch. It's just like what the "message" depicted! Quickly you pointed your hand cannon at it and shot a couple times until you hit it. You were definitely on the right track now.
Passing under it, you were getting close to the double doors that lead to the next area, though curiously you saw purple digital particles that unlike before, were dripping from the ceiling like the floor above you was flooded.
(Okay, the only place that had to drip purple particles like this was the Upper East Server. That in addition to the purple grid on the ceiling above us, tells me we're directly under it, or really near to it. That sorta makes sense, because Foxy Log Ride is in/next to Glamrock Salon which is right next to the Upper East Server. It's so cool to be able to piece that together!)
But surprisingly, after going through those double doors, you were right back on the track heading towards a familiar area you had been to the first time you did this. Did the alternate paths weave in and out of the standard path? That must be it, you thought as you got all of the targets and headed to the next area where the train robbery scene takes place.
Immediately, after the lights flickered back on from the transitional darkness but before you enter the train robbery. You spotted another Helpy cutout and quickly shot it before you passed it.
Passed the train robbery scene is where you expected the path to diverge to the glitched route as you had taken to calling them, and lo and behold, as soon as you had gone through the train and through the double door at the end of it, you found yourself in a new area.
You heard Captain Foxy's voice once again as you entered the new route. "We be not responsible for any maimings that might happen on this here path." If you haven't already had a trip through an alternate path before, you're sure you'll be questioning how you would be maimed during the ride.
Your ride strolled ahead and entered chambers where you now had to shoot the targets to closed doors and block the Moon, rather than to earn points. However, as you did this, you heard people's laughter replacing the general ambiance of the ride. (I wonder if there's something with this.)
In these chambers, you shot another blue blast-shape button that you saw above near the ceiling, while you defended yourself from Moon's relentless drive to get to you on the ride.
But you eventually persevered through it all and made it back to the normal track again where you collected yourself by shooting at targets without worrying about the threat of Moon. But too soon to you, you found another Helpy cutout, which you shot of course, and was once again heading towards the dangerous alternate path. (Oh, I forgot to mention that these specific Helpy cutouts can be found in the original Pirate Ride in Help Wanted. And in Monty Golf and Superstar Daycare in Ruin. I wonder if Vanny had moved them there after the Help Wanted 2?)
This time noted by Captain Foxt with a simple "Overboard!"
The alternate path this time had no laughing ambiance and had you getting up close and personal with a dancing Moon unless you shot all the targets to make him go away from the platforms near where your ride gets the closest to them by turning on the lights. (Hmm... could this be a point against 1983 Moon? Why would 83 Moon be affected by light still? Also, is the laughing important? A hint to something?)
Another blue blast-shaped button was found and shot while on this path of constant danger, but with skill, awareness, and luck, you managed to get through it all. (Yeah I know there are gravestones in this specific area, but I'm not sure if it's referencing the missing 5 plus Charlie gravestone or if it's just props.)
Now you were back on the normal track, and as went through the next two areas you knew that the ride was coming to an end as you came upon the familiar comforting scene of Foxy and Chica along with other animals surrounding a cake and celebrating as you heard Captain Foxy say, "And the real treasure was friendship along."
(Both the scene and Captain Foxy's exact words are a call back to the original Pirate Ride in the first Help Wanted)
But as you stared at the scene, you finally realized that the cake itself had a blue blast-shaped button on it and proceeded to shoot it. To think that you were looking at it and didn't even realize it the first time you came through here. But now it's all over and you can finally see your improved score and get back to the restaurant.
Yet, as the lights flickered off and you moved forward in the darkness, you noticed something was wrong. The western-theme ambiance that was always there on the normal path came to an abrupt halt and left only silence and the everpresent noise of shifting water in its departure.
Suddenly the three spotlights lit up the path ahead of you, revealing to you a treasure chest on a miniscule island under the third one. As your ride got close to it, you noticed a couple of broken wooden boards on the side of the island, next to a crumple Pirate Foxy Flag.
As your ride came to a stop right next to the wooden box, it unexpectedly opened. (waaaaaaaait a minute! ITS THE CORN MAZE BOX!!! It's redesigned, but it's definitely it! Coincidently or is it Intentional? It has to be, they could have used an actual treasure chest for this, so it has to be intentional. Why? Memory Dolls... memories... William's Mask! It's the key to Glitchtrap!)
Gently, softly, the box's lid came open and a green costumed hand came out from the darkness within. The hand smoothly snaked out of the box until it was outstretched to you, revealing to you the treasure that it held in its palm. It was a doll, an unusual one at that, as it looked to be made by crocheting some wool into a human figure plushie. But stranger than that was the fact that it was wearing a Foxy mask.
You didn't know why, but you reached out to the hand, and hesitantly, grabbed the doll and watched as it poofed into purple smoke. The hand, with no doll in its grasp, sleeked backed into the box as the lid closed itself and your surroundings plunged into darkness.
Next thing you knew, the sound of celebrating cries filled your ears as you were back into the GAME WON! void. Stunned by the sudden change in your surroundings, you automatically hit the button for the crane machine to receive your prize with no thought. Your prize this time was a poster for Ballora titled DANCE!
Yet even though it was something new and interesting, your mind refused to be distracted from the bizarre event that just happened seconds ago. But no matter how much you tried to wrap your head around it, no matter how many times you tried to make sense of it, all you could blankly think is, what?
You felt strange, but you knew you had to keep moving forward. So you pressed the RETURN TO HUB button and returned to darkness to go back to the restaurant. Still, the sight of the Foxy doll never once left your mind.
Remember Jeremy? (the achievement for collecting the memory doll)
​
The achievement has twisted this Help Wanted phrase into a question. And finally, an answer was given to another. Everything is starting to make sense, but joy am I finding too much stuff! I reached my limit a couple Parts ago and now I'm beyond that!
But thankfully. Thankfully! we reached the end of Foxy Log Ride and now I can talk about Vanny, Vanessa, Jeremy, the Memory dolls, and even Glitchtrap now, because why not. What other discoveries while mentally exhausted from this stuff!
Don't worry, I know not to burn myself and take breaks. But still, I eventually have to come back to finish this, and that in itself creates mental fatigue. So let's finish this by starting with the long overdue conclusion of Double-V!
The last time we talked about this, I ended it by saying we'll go through the contradictions of Vanny's and Vanessa's character hinted in Ruin and Help Wanted 2. However, I want to go back a bit to when we were first introduced to Vanny as a character in Help Wanted the Curse of Dreabear.
It's only a few lines of dialogue, so it won't be long. Besides, Vanny apparently being a different person than Vanessa, means we can't exactly apply one's characteristics to the other. With Vanny only having so few lines and cameos in Security Breach, she is basically, completely unknown to us.
So what dialogue we know comes from her, needs to be under even heavy scrutiny for any hints of the personality and characteristics of our new villain.
Before we even start with her dialogue, something interesting has already happened in the preceding events. By finding and resembling the secret tapes and doing exactly what Tape Girl says in the final tape we attain the glitchy Glitchtrap plushie
"There is a way to kill it. It wants to escape. To escape through someone. Someone plugged into this game. That's you now. You have to let it begin the process of leaving through you, then use the disconnect switch that I've embedded by the main stage. Let it approach you. Let it begin to merge with you. Play the music and flip the switch*.* That will cause a hard restart of the game and flush the memory, effectively killing it, I hope. I don't know when it will come for you." -Tape 16
Now, we already know that this does not work at all in the slightest, as this method instead has Glitchtrap trapping and locking you up as he is let out of the game through the player's body that he now has control of. Digital Consciousness Transfer.
Next with the installment of the DLC, we acquire William Afton's old mask from the Corn Maze minigame after finding all four keys and the secret glitchy fifth key and head to the cellar where we discover the mask on a table on a candle.
With both of the items together worn and held respectively, we can hear the secret dialogue and the voice of Vanny for the very first time.
“Yes, I hear you. I know... No. There's no miscommunication... I understand... Yes, I have it. I made it myself. I think you would like it... No, no one suspects anything... Don't worry, I'll be ready, and I won't let you down. It will be fun.”
This means that the event that Vanny met Glitchtrap was, in fact, the ending of Help Wanted where you follow through on Tape Girl's deceptive instructions on digital transferring with Glitchtrap!
But right here, is where a slight problem occurs in the narrative of Vanny's story in the games. Vanny still has control of her body, she's still capable of defying Glitchtrap. Something that's been made clear to me through both Ruin and Help Wanted 2, is that Glitchtrap doesn't control Vanny at all.
Does he influence her? Yes. We see that in the way her costume is directly referencing him and the way she moves and dances.
Does he control her, however, that is where things get shaky. Because at this point in time, there hasn't been a single instance where Vanny is seen as someone being controlled.
Remember, we can't use anything that has to do with Vanessa to show that Vanny is being manipulated or controlled. So where in the new era games can you find Glitchtrap controlling Vanny?
You can't.
Does this mean she's doing this out of her own will? That is something that might've been more nuanced than what we all had perceived. Because I did it again, I've found more stuff! This time it's something important that everyone has missed in Help Wanted and it might well be the true origins of Vanny.
You see the base game of Help Wanted actually has a third ending to it. Or at least something that should be an ending. Besides, just completing all the minigames to get stuffed inside Freddy and following Tape Girl's 16th tape instruction, there's something else you can do that involves Glitchtrap.
That is let Glitchtrap complete the process of leaving through you.
I'm sure some of you are confused by what I'm talking about, but it's the sequence where you press the button and flip the switch, leading to the ending where Glitchtrap locks you up. I'm saying instead of doing that, do nothing and watch what happens next.
A blaring noise could be heard asGlitchtrap stretched his hand out to you. He spoke distortedly and unintelligible, while green cones of energy flowed out from him and toward you. In seconds, Glitchtrap's eyes turned red, the blaring noise increased its volume, and the energy cones became purple while your view became clouded in a purple haze. Soon purple spots began to appear on Glitchtrap's body, as the noise became too loud to your ears, and the energy cones became red as your vision was almost nothing but purple. Soon even Glitchtrap started to disappear into the purple as his body became pixelated by the purple, leaving only his general outline until even that became purple.
Finally, after your purple vision grew flickering bright and the blaring noise ceased, your vision slowly returned to you, accompanied by music and the sound of static from a monitor. (That's the same music that plays if you press the button on the side of the monitor and the static sound you're hearing is specifically from FNAF's 2 game over static.)
At first, your purple view distorted itself with pixels before the purple started to fade slightly as you could see the hub world. But your perspective was wrong, you were staring from the opposite side of where you were sitting, while the place you once stood at was empty.
Your vision, still overlayed with purple while distorted and pixelated, looked down as you brought your hands up. Your hands which were always outlined and seethrough, now looked solid and were covered by gloves of a familiar costume that you were just staring at a couple seconds ago.
As the purple started to overwhelm your distorted and pixelated vision again as you stared at your— Glitchtrap's hands, your mind was finally able to recognize the words that were being spoken to you by him.
"Can you hear me?"
If you want to see this for yourself, then I have two Youtubers that I managed to find, that did this. 99TH VR and 8-bitRyan.
After this, you're taken to the GAME OVER void. But what's unique about this void is that the monitor here never displays any quotes, no matter how many times you do this.
This ending that should've been, along with what "Tape Girl" said before finally reveal what exactly Vanny is.
"—Let it approach you. Let it begin to merge with you. —." -Tape 16
A merger, a fusion of two different beings, that's what Vanny is! This is why I was having so much trouble trying to figure out how Vanny came to be from the two "endings" we get from Help Wanted. The answer is neither of the two. She mostly came from the failed Tape Girl instructions scenario where Glitchtrap completes his merger with someone to get out of the game.
It also explains why we see gigantic Vanny in Help Wanted 2's consequences ending and adds even more reason why an altered EnemyBasic appears on her wall in the AR world! Vanny herself is not infected as we first believed, but rather a fused entity between Glitchtrap and someone else.
With this origin, she would still be able to traverse and interact with things connected to the network if she's plunged into it.
And considering what she's wearing in Security Breach and that the Security Mask and the occipital transponder are a technology that exists now in the current FNAF lore. She has every way she needs to stay connected to the Pizzaplex's network. But let's get back to her dialogue and dissect it.
"Yes, I hear you. I know... No. There's no miscommunication... I understand... Yes, I have it. I made it myself. I think you would like it... No, no one suspects anything... Don't worry, I'll be ready, and I won't let you down. It will be fun.”
We can immediately pinpoint a characteristic of Vanny with the entirety of this dialogue, willing and eager to please. I would also put young in that description, but I don't if it's because she's actually young here or that the voice actress has a bit of a youth tone to their voice.
Anyway, the "Yes, I have it. I made it myself. I think you would like it" part of her dialogue was already analyzed by me before, but let me elaborate on something I've been thinking about.
William's Mask has to be in the current Fazbear Entertainment's possession because the pizzaplex hasn't been built yet or is in the middle of being constructed by the time of Help Wanted's development or release since Cassie herself refers to it as an "old headset game", so the Security Mask isn't around just yet.
What I'm thinking here is that Vanny had come across it sometime to use as a reference for her costume. And make no mistake, Vanny's mask is making a callback to it as it's only a slight redesign and recolor to make it her own. Even Cassie makes notes of Vanny's mask being similar to the Security Mask by how she mistakes them for being the same.
But that doesn't sound right. Vanny wasn't working with Fazbear Entertainment when she met Glitchtrap, just under them through the second development team. Plus, most of the game was developed under a different team until it was in its beta version while Vanny's team had just come in to finish it to release it.
We have already seen what an object created solely by Glitchtrap looks like in Help Wanted in the form of his plushies, so we already know that he didn't recreate the mask in the game.
So maybe I'm thinking about this the wrong way. Both the mask and Grimm Foxy show up in Princess Quest, and we have already established how both important relate to William and Glitchtrap. And both are what are needed to destroy Glitchtrap.
Where did we first see that Mask? Not in the Help Wanted base game but in the Halloween DLC. That means the game was still being worked on even after its release, so Vanny would've had time to model this mask into the game. But why? I think these game-over quotes that show up only in Dreadbear are a clue.

• Report glitches before they spread.
• Don't look behind you.
• It's only a dream.
• Where am I?
• Purging system...

The report glitches quote, easily fits with what Vanny is talking about in with the "No, no one suspects anything." The "Where am I" part is intriguing, but I don't think I can pin that to Vanny. Hmm... I wonder if this is where our Golden Princess comes to be. It's something to look into later.
It's the "Purging system" part that is what I want to focus on here. This provides the needed explanation for things being the way they are now. Glitchtrap, the one that's not merged into Vanny, might've started running rampant during the DLC development, causing either Fazbear Entertainment or Vanny's development team to focus entirely on shutting him down.
The purging of the system might've been their solution for him. This might've worked too if Vanny wasn't already created by the time of the purging. And since Vanny is working under Glitchtrap here, she would've been in the perfect position to take Glitchtrap and everything he contains out of Help Wanted and into a developing game called Princess Quest(Working Title). Though, Vanny might've rushed the job under such circumstances, taking part of The Curse of Dreadbear's code along with Glitchtraps into the new game.
But that's all for now, I'll talk about that more when we get Princess Quest 4.
"I'll be ready, and I won't let you down. It will be fun.” This right here, more than anything, tells us that Vanny is not so much reluctant but more following in the Glitchtrap's order than we all first believed. But we shouldn't be so surprised about it.
Vanny's previous alias, "Reluctant Follwer", didn't come from any of the games, books, or even Scott's website but instead came from voices.com, a website Scott uses to find voice actors. The name is used as a guide for the actor and a descriptor for how the voice should be toned and acted.
The name is an oversimplification of a character for how they're going to sound in the one game they appear in, not all. So the name "Reluctant Follwer" would've only applied to Vanny in this game.
And as we see from Security Breach, Vanny is anything but reluctant to follow Glitchtrap's order. Yet after that game and as of Ruin and HW2, that name might been more appropriate now than it was back then as there appears to be a rift now between the two. But more on that at a later.
One last thing. With this origin in place, we now have another explanation for why we only hear Vanny's side of the conversation and not Glitchtrap's. We are hearing Glitchtrap's side of that conversation, he is her. It's the reason why her voice becomes echoey in her final word, fun.
Now let's finally get into the ties between Vanessa and the villains. Though...
​
Shoot! I made it too big again! Continue on here Part 8.999

https://imgur.com/venS29C
And by "will die" I mean everything that is behind the readers who hate that part of the series the most.
Until the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, unwanted pregnancies were still quite common, and in the case of those who grew up as a result of these pregnancies, many of them are people with few opportunities and scarce economies, things that everyone knows, but the reality of these people creates these dualities in society in which they want to empathize a lot with them and romanticize poverty and in countries that are not first class, you still see these nonsense like https://www.tiktok.com/@incogniann/video/7354067228028964102?q=la%20plata%20solo%20es%20plata&t=1717960107943 that someone on social networks comes out and says "la plata solo es plata" (it's just money) and is massacred by the different opinions when in any case it is true its just money, then this part of unwanted pregnancies obviously I locate it geographically as part of the countries that still have access to the media and consume things like naruto in their time, it is necessary to clarify it.
That's why it's clear that many sympathize with Rock Lee and with what they believed was Naruto in their little bubble, unreal and impossible to sustain with the same series, because Kishimoto always made it clear that the legacy of his parents, that is, Kurama, was going to take him as far as Naruto himself proposed (Kakashi about Naruto in the training of the trees) and it's these pseudo-readers who believed and end up saying Neji was right, blah blah, Naruto is poorly written, the themes are damaged, etc.
so those things that arise by themselves created in society is why they end up massacring people like the one on tiktok and resort to belittling it as "you are only what you are because of your parents" speaking only of opportunities due to the economic and social position of people, demonizing in an unusual way people who had their children responsibly as if that were the greatest sin, it is not about despising the parents of the unfortunate but about creating awareness that to improve it is better to procreate if you already have something with which to give opportunities to your offspring and finally that is where the title of the post goes since future readers will receive Naruto themes better because its detractors defend such stupid ideas that future generations of readers, being the fruits of a more conscious society, will no longer have a problem seeing Naruto.
Someone will talk about Boruto as someone cool or interesting for searching for his own identity despite being Naruto's son, but that is Boruto's conflict, besides the fact that characters like him are destined to be recognized as children anyway and take the best from their parents, like the end of the first part of Boruto leaving with Sasuke proud of being Naruto's son.
To finish, returning to the point of not demonizing parents who have children with fewer opportunities, surely the majority of those cases, those prejudices also come from their parents who say "I raised him with a lot of hard work" because they are poor but they finished raising them, it is their responsibility to improve their offspring by working hard so that when they finally have a child, that child will already have more opportunities, which is what all these series really want to convey.

Steam Next Fest starts tomorrow June 10th! It's a huge showcase with a TON of demos and it can be hard to find time to try them all.
Here's some cozy games that dropped their demos a little early for either Wholesome Direct, Women-Led Games Fest, or Steam Next Fest~

Farming Sims

• SunnySide - June 14, 2024 - Build a thriving homestead, cultivate new relationships, and chase your own happiness in SunnySide.
• Everafter Falls - June 20, 2024 - Rediscover the simple life. Farm, fish, forge and fight to restore the peace in an all-new farming adventure.
• Ova Magica - July 23, 2024 - Stardew Valley meets Pokémon! Experience a wholesome JRPG-farm game inspired by the classics!
• Farlands - July 24, 2024 - Congratulations, you’ve bought your own planet!
• Fields of Mistria - Aug 5, 2024 - Magic, romance, and adventure all await you in this nostalgic farming / life sim RPG!
• Dreaming Isles - Oct 1, 2024 - A farming life sim with high seas adventure.
• Everholm - 2024 - It’s time to establish a homestead, meet your friendly Everfolks, then learn their secrets and solve the mystery of Everholm, in this open-ended minimalist RPG!
• Farmer's Dynasty 2 - 2024 - Inherit the family farm as the next generation to prosper and create a farming legacy.
• Daomei Village - 2024 - In order to return to the Emperor's favor, you must make an effort. Repair, build, cultivate fields and fight various adversities.
• Sally - 2025 - Craft, cook, farm, build and explore the skies as you become who you want to be amongst your found family.
• Magical Harvest - TBA - Crossbreed magical animals, evolve crops, build relationships based on choices and find love without limitations.
• Pine Lily Village - TBA - a cozy, magic themed farming sim inspired by the classics.
• Little-Known Galaxy - a cozy single-player RPG space adventure full of friendly characters, exploration, crafting, and farming.
• Snacko - Decorate, collect, produce, and befriend in this cat-ivating life sim!
• Immortal Life - Escape to a welcoming valley, farm with spells, and master skills like fishing, crafting, and cooking.

Life Sims

• Little Sim World - 2024 - Set in the heart of London, a cozy 2D Life Simulator that reshapes how players engage with their surroundings.
• Campus Life - 2024 - Experience the hardships of college in this amusing and engaging life sim game.

Cooking/Cleaning/Management

• Magical Delicacy - July 16, 2024 - Cook magical delicacies from a vast collection of ingredients in your own shop.
• Trash Goblin - 2024 - A wholesome & cosy shopkeeping game where you uncover & clean trinkets, then upcycle them to sell to endless colourful & quirky customers.
• Checkout: Cashier Simulator - 2024 - a cute point-and-click pixel art cashier simulation game.
• BabushCats - 2024 - a top-down pixel-art sim game that puts You in the shoes of a grandma managing a shelter for stray cats!
• Go-Go Town! - 2024 - Plan, Build...Prosper? As mayor, it’s up to you to breathe life back into this rundown town.
• Fantastic Haven - 2024 - Save fantasy creatures and protect them until releasing them into their natural habitat.
• Kitchen Sync: Aloha! - TBA - Become head chef of your family's pop-up restaurant in this cozy cooking RPG.
• Undusted: Letters from the Past - TBA - a casual game in which you clean and restore dirty items.
• Tiny Bookshop - TBA - Leave everything behind and open a tiny bookshop by the sea in this cozy narrative management game.
• Wax Heads - TBA - A cosy-punk slice-of-life narrative sim about managing a struggling record store.
• Catffee Time! - TBA - By night, you're a stealthy rescuer saving stray cats in the suburbs; by day, a cat café owner, decorating, stocking up, and serving food.
• Wholesome - Out and About - TBA - Learn real-world techniques to identify wild flora and fungi, cure plant blindness, cook tasty recipes and master herbal remedies in this cozy, sustainable life sim.
• Amber Isle - TBA - a quaint, friendly village of prehistoric residents who are in need of a new shopkeep... That’s you!
• Aeruta - a side-scrolling action game with a shop management twist, fight monsters for materials and use them to make breads, then finally make the deserted town popular again!

Visual Novel/Dating Sim

• Tavern Talk - June 20, 2024 - A cozy visual novel about running a tavern in a D&D-inspired fantasy!
• The Crush House - Aug 9, 2024 - Film and produce 1999's hottest reality TV show: The Crush House!
• Spiral - September 2024 - a third-person narrative driven exploration game sharing a poetic vision of cognitive degeneration seen from the inside.
• Grifford Academy - 2024 - a story-rich, coming-of-age RPG set in a mystical book realm where your decisions shape the personalities of the characters.
• Cabernet - 2024 - Change is brewing, threatening the established ways of alluring supernatural aristocrats.
• Imperial Grace - 2024 - a visual novel about romance, medieval intrigue, and political strategy.
• Love, Ghostie - 2024 - Become a wholesome ghost matchmaker and grow relationships between the manor’s residents!
• FREERIDE - 2025 - Board a train to the Spirit World in our oddball RPG where you make friends, use telekinesis, find secrets, consume ice cream and chart your own path.
• Soulitaire - TBA - Open your own cozy fortune-telling cafe: the Soulitaire!
• Flavor Favor - TBA - a soft sci-fi visual novel where you take on the role of a captive fumer, a form of advanced AI humanoid, on the remote island of Tuinu.
• The Inn Between - TBA - A modern fantasy BL Visual Novel following a young mans journey into a parallel world to recover the past he's lost, and find his missing family.
• Please Be Happy - A yuri visual novel that will make you both laugh and cry.
• Death and Taxes - In this 2D, short narrative-based game, you assume the role of the Grim Reaper... on an office job.

Adventure/RPG/Sandbox

• Dungeons of Hinterberg - July 18th, 2024 - Master magic, solve puzzles, slay monsters; all this and more await you in Hinterberg!
• Critter Cove - 2024 - A deep, open world life sim and town building game set in a cozy post-apocalyptic paradise.
• Mirthwood - 2024 - Embark on an enchanting journey and brave ferocious creatures in an immersive medieval fantasy world.
• Night Stones - 2024 - a cozy open world game on a magical island you’ve seen in your dreams.
• Aloft - 2024 - a co-op sandbox survival game set in a world filled with floating islands.
• Honeycomb: The World Beyond - 2024 - a survival-sandbox game set on an exuberant planet – Sota7.
• Farmwand - TBA - an open-world fantasy adventure with lots of farming, potions and spells, where you will immerse yourself in an enchanted land full of monsters, magical creatures and tons of interesting characters.
• Caravan SandWitch - TBA - a captivating narrative-driven exploration adventure.
• ILA: A Frosty Glide - TBA - Explore, find secret places, collectables, and improve your magic and flying abilities as you make your way to the summit.
• Potions: A Curious Tale - an adventure & crafting game where wit is your greatest weapon and combat is not always the answer.
• Aground Zero - The world has ended. You are deep underground, and all alone with a cheery AI companion. You will have to mine and build to survive, and search for other survivors to help you.
• Secrets of Grindea - an old-school Action RPG with co-op support for up to 4 players.

Deckbuilding/Cardbattlers

• Mushroom Musume - 2024 - Raise a mushroom from a spore into a fine young woman.
• Dungeon Clawler - 2024 - a Roguelike Claw Machine Deckbuilder.
• KreatureKind - 2025 - Debate monsters, recruit friends, and start a movement!
• Once Upon a Rogue's Tale - TBA - Embark on a journey through your favorite fairytales in this charming roguelike deckbuilder.
• Night of Full Moon - a stand-alone roguelike card game. Take adventure into Black Forest.

Cozy Design

• Cozy Designer - Aug 2024 - Position furniture and objects however you prefer and decorate 60 incredibly cozy environments.
• Tiny Glade - 2024 - Tiny Glade is a small relaxing game about doodling castles.
• Urban Jungle - 2024 - Turn your home into a green haven in Urban Jungle.
• ODDADA - TBA - A tactile music maker with endless freedom to play!
• MakeRoom - TBA - Make miniature dioramas using hundreds of objects!
• Pocket Oasis - A beautiful hand-painted cozy gardening simulator.

Puzzle

• Broken Lens - July 22, 2024 - a cozy game where you will discover the story of a little robot with a sight problem.
• Lost and Found Co. - 2024 - a hidden object adventure in a cozy and immersive world.
• Hidden in my Paradise - TBA - Hide objects, decorate, and complete missions in this cozy hidden-object game where you can create little paradises!
• Poems & Codes - Explore the wonderful world of poetry through deceptively simple cryptograms.

Puzzle Builders

• Nekokami - The Human Restoration Project - June 25, 2024 - Architect beautiful, peaceful worlds in a far-future universe ruled by Cats.
• Townframe - 2024 - A relaxing puzzle game where you recreate towns from people's memories.
• Spilled! - 2024 - Clean up ocean waste in this relaxing & satisfying cozy game!
• Monteroma - TBA - Build and decorate cute little streets from your Italian grandma's stories.
• Dawnfolk - TBA - a charmingly dark minimalist survival city-builder.

Puzzle Adventure

• World's Worst Handyman - September 2024 - Suit up as the "World's Worst Handyman" in this comedy stealth game where every job is a chaotic adventure!
• I NEED SPACE - 2024 - Travel across the universe with your nebulous companion the Cosmicat, together rewriting stars, revitalizing planets, and discovering the cosmic truth behind the apocalypse.
• Leila - 2024 - Hand-drawn animations bring her memories to life, and thought-provoking puzzles lay bare the reasons behind her choices.
• Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island - 2024 - You’re shipwrecked on a lost mythical island. As backpacker Alex, you must befriend the forgotten gods of Greek mythology and restore their memories.
• A Corgi's Cozy Hike - 2024 - Em-bark on a therapeutic adventure around a peaceful island paradise.
• Mika and The Witch's Mountain - 2024 - a fantasy adventure about an aspiring witch who delivers packages to the townspeople of a small island.
• Into the Emberlands - 2024 - Venture out into the Emberlands and uncover an ever-changing world filled with surprising encounters and mystical creatures!
• Europa - TBA - Run, glide and fly across the landscape, solve mysteries in the ruins of a fallen utopia, and discover the story of the last human alive.
• While Waiting - TBA - Presented by the team behind critically acclaimed "Moncage", this is a transformative adventure exploring the art of waiting.
• Just Crow Things - TBA - You're a little crow trying to prove herself to the world.
• Building Relationships - TBA - Roll, jump, and wave-dash as a house on a date in this silly adventure game.
• Projected Dreams - TBA - Drag toys from the shelves and drop them on the table to create a shadow play in this cozy puzzle game.
• Tell Me Your Story - Uncover Grandma Rose’s extraordinary stories along with Amelia, all hidden in multiple cozy puzzles spread around the world.
• Button City - a cozy narrative adventure game about a fox and his friends banding together to save their local arcade!
• Paper Trail - a top-down puzzle adventure about leaving home, set in a foldable, paper world.

Detective/Mystery

• Times and Galaxy - June 21, 2024 - Embark on an interplanetary adventure as the first robo reporter for the Times & Galaxy, the solar system’s most trusted holopaper.
• The Star Named EOS - July 23, 2024 - Recreate compositions of past photos to uncover the truth of a family mystery.
• On Your Tail™ - 2024 - a sleuthy story-driven 3D life sim of relaxation, investigation, and knowing how to play your cards right.
• Surradia: An Art Retrospective - TBA - Unravel the mystery of three magical artists who went missing during World War II in this challenging, story-rich deduction game.
• The Mermaid Mask - TBA - Magnus Mortuga has been killed. The captain of the world's strangest submarine, he was found in a locked room with an ancient stone cauldron - unsealed and opened for the first time.
• Space Boat - TBA - a humorous investigative narrative game set on an intergalactic cruise-ship inhabited by various carpet based lifeforms.
• Strange Horticulture - An occult puzzle game in which you play as the proprietor of a local plant store.
• Night Reverie - Puzzle/Adventure game in which a child must solve the mystery behind the distortion of his house.
• Whispers in the West - a point-and-click murder mystery game that supports online co-op for 1-4 players. Each story is an hour-long intriguing mystery waiting to be solved.

So I'm not a professional game critic, but I am a person with thoughts after spending the weekend taking advantage of the opportunity to play TopSpin for free on the XBOX Series S, and Reddit seems like a pretty appropriate place to verbalise them.
Note: I haven't interacted with the online game modes, so all of my thoughts and opinions are based around my experience with the offline career mode. Full 3-set matches.
Gameplay
Truthfully, I'm hooked. The controls were never going to be too complex given the nature of the game, but the pick-up-and-play factor is off the charts for me right now. As I stated before, I'm currently playing through a career mode based around full-length matches and I've found myself enjoyably playing through matches that are at least 30-40 minutes long. The timing system is one that's easily learnt and mastered, but equally as easy to get wrong should you lose focus. Truthfully, that feels like the core mechanics of actual tennis to me. It's made for equally enjoyable and frustrating rallies and experiences, and they generally fall on the favourable side.
The serving mechanic is a little more complex, it's hard for my tiny little brain to negotiate using both thumbsticks simultaneously in an effective way, but serving at full power into my opponents forehand seems to work pretty effectively without ever really having a chance of an ace, which I'm fine with at this early stage.
I have occasionally noticed a few things that seem to be more glitches within the gameplay as opposed to user error such as second serves being much more effective against me than I'd like, and my player occasionally leaving a ball that I definitely deem to be reachable, but those moments happen so few and far between that they're more something that I would hope to be cleaned up in future patches than I would think of as gamebreaking glitches.
Overall, I'm a big fan of the gameplay TopSpin has to offer, and I do think it's far better than anything we've gotten in a tennis game for a long, long time.
Graphics
This is a bit of a weird one. Some of the players in the game are perfect lifelike representations of themselves, and then you have Alcaraz who looks like he had his character model designed by the latest intern 2K decided to take on. It really makes no sense to me that there's such a disparity.
Also, some of the characters (both licenced and unlicenced) look a little too cartoony for my liking. Some of them have really exaggerated features, and some others look like they belong in the best-looking video game you've ever seen.
Outside of the players, everything else looks gorgeous. The courts, the tournament-specific graphics - all of it. Overall it makes for a mixed bag, but if I told you TopSpin looked like a bad game, I'd probably be lying.
Career Mode
So this is my space to talk about the content within Career Mode itself, because coming from a guy who's been playing sports games since before online competitive gaming was really a common thing, single player modes are my favourite way to spend most of my time.
Truthfully, I've again been impressed with the content in TopSpin's CM. The schedule feels fleshed out with a mix of licenced and unlicenced tournaments every month, there's seasonal rankings that show the best players on each individual surface throughout a season, and the minigames/challenges method of gaining XP & VC is a nice touch that just has you spending even more time playing the game.
Speaking of XP, player progression is something that I've found to be extremely positive. Having started on Hard difficulty, I'm already almost a LVL 6 player having just completed my fourth tournament, which was also my first tournament won. There's a boost available for purchase if you want to get to LVL 10 instantly, but I thought I'd see how the grind was and I've been pleasantly surprised. You can earn points to purchase XP boosts without spending real money, and even on Hard difficulty I've found that I can at least be competitive if not always 100% successful against the AI at the lower end of the rankings. I know my opinion might change once I find out how difficult it is against the very top players or how much is required to gain levels the more I progress, but as for right now I'm happy with the speed of the grind.
I like that they included Coaches to the mode as a nice little realism touch, and they do give some nice boosts - but I do wish the experience was a little more fleshed out. I wish there was a cutscene or two of my player with their coach during training, and even during matches, maybe some sort of communication between us that felt semi-realistic. It all just feels very meh, and that's a bit of a shame. Still though, it's not entirely awful either.
From a purely aesthetic POV, it's nice that you can customise almost everything about the way your players look is put together, from racquet to kitbag, and there's a plethora of options available in every area. That was always going to be the case, but with 2K being such a global brand that have the finances to secure the necessary major licences, the options are there and they're appreciated.
Overall, if you like tennis then I think you'll enjoy TopSpin's Career Mode offering. I can eventually see the limited selection of real-world players and cycle of tournaments becoming repetitive once you become an established player at the top for a number of seasons, but that seems so far away at the moment that I only really have minor negative comments to make about my experience to date.
Microtransactions
It's a 2K game, of course there's a section about mictrotransactions. But the truth is, I don't think they're too bad in this particular game. Of course the option is there to spend money on XP boosts if you're not willing to level up with hard work, and you can have every cosmetic item in the game if your heart really desired it - but they all feel like nice optional extras.
I did pay the £8.99 for this Premium version of the Pro Pass, but beyond that I haven't felt compelled to spend anything else. There's a plethora of items available in the pass, you get in-game currency to spend on cosmetics just by playing the game and there's even a few unlockables within career mode itself completely for free.
Now, whether or not a fair and balanced system between money spent and being free-to-play means that 2K continue to invest time and effort into something that doesn't make them as much money as something else remains to be seen, but as the player base I feel like we don't really have much to complain about.
Roster
This was probably my biggest concern going into the game, and honestly it is disappointing. I completely understand the cost of licencing and image rights is a huge factor in why there isn't a roster of hundreds, but it's still underwhelming to enter the player selection screen and see so few options. I feel like even if they'd licenced ten or so lower-ranked players from each of the tours, it would have made such a huge difference in both single-player and career mode.
I believe I have seen rumours of players being added into the future and it is exciting to think that could be the case, but as it stands right now I wish they'd done slightly better off the jump. Moreso, I don't think I've seen any of the legends in the game included in the career mode a bit like Fight Night used to do with their game way back when, and even that would've been a nice touch to keep things feeling fresher than I fear they're going to.
Game Modes
Another slight negative in my opinion. Discounting the training centre, you pretty much have 3 options: Career Mode, Online & Single Player. I personally can't see me playing single player outside of career mode unless it's with a friend, and even then it's a bit of a long game to jump in and play for a bit of fun.
My biggest wish for a game like this would be some kind of Ultimate Team mode, which I think could easily be implemented given the amount of team-based tournaments that exist within the world of tennis. I think that would be the absolute best way of making the game enjoyable long-term, and also probably the best way for 2K to make money from their product. Imagine adding a card with Swiatek's signature or a dynamic of McEnroe's famous outburst to your collection, the possibilities are plentiful. Seems like a missed opportunity.
Failing that, I would enjoy some kind of offline minigames that you could play instead of full-length matches against a friend. Just a quick, fun, pick-up-and-play option.
The options are there for those who enjoy online play or trying to become the best in the world in a single-player career, but they can and probably should have gone much harder with the variety of options they made available.
UI
A mix of aesthetics and importance in terms of being easy to navigate, I had to give a mention to 2K for how the in-game menu is designed. There are a lot of different game areas, and the tiles are all laid out in a way that looks fantastic while also making the menus very easy to move around.
Also, the soundtrack is great. It's made up entirely of up-tempo, high energy music that fits the tennis theme incredibly well. Whoever was in charge of this stuff did an absolutely incredible job.
Summary
Overall, I've been pleasantly surprised by my TopSpin experience this weekend. I know you shouldn't ever take anything you read on here as Gospel, but having seen such negativity surrounding the game I really didn't go into the game with any expectations.
Having played for a few days, I highly recommend it to anybody who likes tennis and wants a video game to pick up and play for a little bit whenever they feel the urge. I'm looking forward to playing online a little at some point, and I'll probably be on the virtual tennis courts for at least the next couple of weeks having purchased the full copy.
Now after spending the last hour of my life writing up this review, I have an itch that only dominating the Occitania Open can scratch.
Yours, the 2024 Turtle City Cup champion.

I’m not even sure where to begin with this. I’ve been working at KinderCare (I know… the chain’s reputation preceeds it for a reason…) for 2 months now and I’m at a loss, struggling with a combination of poor management, nonexistent training, my own lack of experience and skills, unhelpful and critical coworkers, and behaviorally challenging students who I love, but don’t feel properly equipped to help.
I was initially hired on as an Assistant Teacher for a toddler room. This felt appropriate to me since I have zero experience in childcare coming in to this role. However, about a week in to working here, I was told I will be taking over as Lead Teacher for a notoriously difficult Preschool room (ages 3-4).
I was very hesistant and reluctant about this change, but I felt pressured by management since the previous lead was leaving and they sort of flattered me into taking it. I have a lot of difficulty standing up for myself which is on me, I realize that, but being new here and really needing to hold a job after being unemployed for almost 6 months has made me into a pushover.
So now I’ve been in this Preschool room for about 2 months, and while I do my best, I feel completely unqualified to be a lead and overwhelmed constantly. For most of this time I had a co-teacher who was taking the lead responsibility for the most part, and this was working out pretty well. Although I was the lead on paper, she had 2 years experience and seemed more capable than I currently am. However, she is moving out of state in a week and is using her vacation up right now so I’m on my own as a lead very soon.
I honestly have no idea what I’m doing. My only training was to shadow and observe a Pre-K (4-5 year old) class for a week and do some very brief computer training. I don’t know what is developmentally appropriate for the children’s age, I don’t know what milestones to work towards, I don’t know how to redirect the challenging behaviors in the room, or how to lead a parent teacher conference (especially for children I barely just got acquainted with and have no background knowledge on).
I feel like an idiot and I’m drowning. I know deep down I shouldn’t even have this position. I try to educate myself in my spare time but it just isn’t enough. Being underqualified and overworked is driving me up the wall.
I have students who blatantly ignore me, mock me/mimic me while disregarding my redirection, and one who hits, kicks, bites, pinches, spits on, and headbutts me on a daily basis. I feel like a failure for not being able to keep these behaviors under control, but I also feel I was set up for failure from the beginning.
I am looking into getting my CDA to help me get an understanding of child development and best practices in the field. I’m so torn though, because getting it through KinderCare, they will pay for it but only if you commit to work for them for a year AFTER it is completed. I don’t think I can stay here for that long, but the other jobs I’m looking at would be easier to get if I did have a CDA.
There is so much more I could say about my experience at this center but I’ve already written a novel here.
TLDR: I’ve been put into a lead role with no experience or education in the field at a notoriously awful chain. I accepted as I was desperate for work and love children, but I am clearly out of my depth and at a loss. Trying to decide whether to stick it out or leave ASAP.
Any support, advice, constructive criticism and encouragement would be appreciated.

We enrolled our almost 3 y didi boys in preschool and it starts at the end of August. Per the school they have to be potty trained but they’ll work with “accidents”. One twin is more on board with it all. He’s begun telling us when his diaper is wet some times or when he’s going poop. His brother could care less. He doesn’t show signs of needing to pee (grabbing, wiggling etc), doesn’t tell us when he’s peed in his diaper or if he’s wearing underwear, and doesn’t care if he’s sitting in it or peeing on himself.
I’m not sure where to go to even get him more on board . If we didn’t have a date that we have to be mostly potty trained by I wouldn’t care but I’m starting to feel the pressure especially since he doesn’t have any interest. Right now we’ll use real underwear and put on floor potties every 15 months with a candy for sitting, and 3 for peeing or popping along with a magnet on a potty chart .
Thoughts? Suggestions?

Here are some answers from Chatgpt I found interesting as they pertain to a modern day cult of Ishtar... If the trans priestesses of Ishtar, such as the Gala priests, were still active today, their roles and activities would likely have evolved to fit contemporary contexts while retaining elements of their ancient traditions. Here’s how they might adapt:

1. Modern Rituals and Ceremonies:
   
   • Ritual Music and Dance: They might continue their traditions of ritual music, singing, and dance, possibly incorporating modern instruments and styles while preserving the sacred nature of their performances.
   • Public Festivals: They could organize public festivals celebrating Ishtar, integrating ancient rites with modern-day events to engage broader communities.
2. Gender and Sexuality Advocacy:
   
   • LGBTQ+ Advocacy: Given their historical association with gender fluidity and non-binary identities, they would likely be prominent advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, promoting inclusivity and acceptance in society.
   • Educational Outreach: They might conduct workshops and lectures on gender diversity, sexual health, and the historical significance of non-binary identities in ancient cultures.
3. Spiritual Services:
   
   • Counseling and Support: Offering spiritual counseling and support for individuals exploring their gender identity or facing related challenges, blending ancient wisdom with contemporary therapeutic practices.
   • Ritual Healing: Providing ritual healing services that combine traditional practices with modern holistic approaches to promote physical and mental well-being.
4. Cultural Preservation:
   
   • Reviving Ancient Texts: Translating and interpreting ancient hymns, myths, and rituals related to Ishtar, making them accessible to modern audiences through books, online platforms, and interactive media.
   • Cultural Performances: Staging theatrical performances that reenact ancient myths and stories, using these as tools to educate and inspire modern audiences.
5. Interfaith Dialogues:
   
   • Building Bridges: Engaging in interfaith dialogues to share their unique perspectives on spirituality, gender, and sexuality, fostering mutual understanding and respect among diverse religious communities.
6. Art and Creativity:
   
   • Art Installations: Creating art installations and exhibitions that explore themes of gender, identity, and spirituality, drawing on their rich cultural heritage.
   • Collaborations with Artists: Collaborating with contemporary artists to produce works that celebrate and reinterpret the legacy of Ishtar and her priestesses.

By integrating ancient traditions with modern values and practices, the trans priestesses of Ishtar would likely play a vital role in promoting spiritual, cultural, and social growth in today’s world.
If the priesthood of Ishtar, including its trans and gender-fluid traditions, existed today, the initiation process for a trans-curious individual might involve several steps blending ancient rituals with modern understandings of gender and spirituality. Here’s a possible outline of such an initiation process:

1. Exploration and Education

Personal Reflection: - Self-Discovery: Encourage the individual to engage in deep self-reflection and exploration of their gender identity and spirituality. This might involve journaling, meditation, and seeking guidance from existing members of the priesthood.
Educational Workshops: - Historical Context: Provide workshops on the history and significance of Ishtar, her myths, and the roles of her priests, including the Gala priests. - Modern Practices: Teach about the contemporary adaptations of these ancient practices and how they apply to today's spiritual and gender-diverse contexts.

2. Mentorship and Community Engagement

Mentorship: - Guidance: Pair the individual with a mentor from the priesthood who can offer guidance, support, and wisdom throughout their initiation journey. - Learning the Rites: The mentor would teach the initiate specific rituals, songs, dances, and other ceremonial practices integral to the priesthood.
Community Participation: - Ritual Involvement: Involve the individual in community rituals and ceremonies to immerse them in the practice and connect with other members. - Service Projects: Engage in community service and advocacy projects that reflect the values and mission of the priesthood, such as LGBTQ+ advocacy or spiritual counseling.

3. Ritual Preparation

Personal Preparation: - Physical and Spiritual Cleansing: Engage in rituals of purification, such as fasting, bathing, or meditative retreats, to prepare the body and spirit for initiation. - Crafting Sacred Objects: Create or obtain sacred objects (e.g., ritual garments, symbols, or tools) that will be used in the initiation ceremony.
Ritual Training: - Learning Chants and Prayers: Memorize and practice specific chants, prayers, and hymns associated with Ishtar and the priesthood. - Ritual Movements: Learn and perfect the dance and movement rituals that are part of the initiation ceremony.

4. Initiation Ceremony

Sacred Space: - Ceremony Setting: The initiation would take place in a sacred space, such as a temple or a natural setting deemed sacred by the community. - Altar Preparation: Prepare an altar with offerings to Ishtar, including flowers, incense, and other sacred items.
Initiation Rites: - Invocation of Ishtar: Begin with invocations and prayers to Ishtar, calling upon her presence and blessings. - Ritual Acts: Perform a series of ritual acts, such as singing, dancing, and reciting hymns, that symbolize the initiate’s dedication and transformation. - Blessing and Anointing: The initiate might be blessed and anointed with sacred oils or waters, symbolizing their acceptance into the priesthood.

5. Post-Initiation Integration

Continued Mentorship: - Ongoing Guidance: Continue to receive mentorship and support from senior members of the priesthood to help integrate the initiation experience into daily life. - Advanced Training: Engage in further training and education to deepen understanding and proficiency in priestly duties and rituals.
Active Participation: - Community Role: Take on active roles within the community, such as leading rituals, providing spiritual counseling, and participating in advocacy efforts. - Personal Practice: Develop and maintain a personal spiritual practice that aligns with the teachings and values of the priesthood.
This initiation process would be designed to honor the rich traditions of the ancient priesthood of Ishtar while providing a meaningful and supportive pathway for individuals exploring their gender identity and spiritual calling in a contemporary context.
If an initiate sought to symbolically sacrifice their male body to Ishtar in a contemporary context, the ritual would likely focus on transformation and devotion rather than literal physical sacrifice. The process would be deeply spiritual and symbolic, honoring the ancient traditions while respecting modern ethical and legal standards. Here’s how such a ritual might be structured:

1. Preparation

Personal Reflection and Intention Setting: - Meditation and Journaling: Spend time in deep reflection, meditating on the reasons for the sacrifice and journaling intentions. - Consultation: Seek guidance from a mentor or senior priest/priestess to ensure clarity of purpose and readiness for the ritual.
Physical and Spiritual Cleansing: - Fasting or Purification Baths: Engage in a period of fasting or take purification baths to cleanse the body and mind. - Creating Sacred Space: Prepare a sacred space for the ritual, such as a temple or an altar at home, with offerings to Ishtar (e.g., flowers, incense, symbols of the goddess).

2. Ritual Ceremony

Opening the Ceremony: - Invocation of Ishtar: Begin with prayers and invocations to call upon Ishtar’s presence and blessings. Light candles and incense to create a sacred atmosphere. - Chanting and Music: Use sacred chants and music to enter a meditative and connected state.
Symbolic Acts of Sacrifice: - Ritual Garments: Wear special garments or robes that signify the ritual’s sacred nature. These garments could blend elements of both masculine and feminine attire. - Cutting of Hair: If culturally or personally significant, cutting one’s hair can symbolize the shedding of the old self and a commitment to transformation. - Ritual Anointing: Anoint the body with sacred oils or water, symbolizing purification and dedication to Ishtar.
Offering of Personal Symbols: - Personal Tokens: Offer personal items that represent the initiate’s past identity or attachments, placing them on the altar as a sign of letting go. - Written Vows: Write vows or prayers on parchment and burn them in a sacred fire, symbolizing the release of the old self and the embrace of a new identity devoted to Ishtar.

3. Transformation and Dedication

Ritual Dance and Movement: - Sacred Dance: Perform a dance or series of movements that embody the initiate’s transition from their old identity to their new, dedicated self. This could include traditional movements from Ishtar’s rites or personally significant gestures.
Symbolic Rebirth: - Emergence Ceremony: The initiate could symbolically “emerge” from a darkened space or be covered and then unveiled, representing rebirth and transformation. - Adorning with New Symbols: After the symbolic rebirth, adorn the initiate with new garments, jewelry, or symbols that represent their new identity and devotion to Ishtar.

4. Closing the Ceremony

Blessing and Affirmation: - Blessing by Mentors: Receive blessings and affirmations from mentors or senior members of the priesthood, acknowledging the initiate’s transformation and new role. - Shared Feast: Conclude with a shared feast or meal, celebrating the initiate’s dedication and the community’s support.

5. Integration into Daily Life

Continued Spiritual Practice: - Daily Devotions: Establish a daily practice of prayer, meditation, or rituals to maintain the connection with Ishtar and the new identity. - Community Involvement: Actively participate in the priesthood’s activities, offering service and support to others on their spiritual journeys.
Personal Development: - Ongoing Mentorship: Continue receiving guidance and mentorship to support the ongoing process of transformation and growth. - Holistic Care: Focus on holistic self-care, including physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, to support the new identity and role.
This ritual framework emphasizes symbolic acts of sacrifice, transformation, and dedication, aligning with the ancient traditions of Ishtar while respecting modern ethical standards and individual autonomy.
Yes, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could indeed be incorporated as a modern-day rite within the context of a contemporary priesthood dedicated to Ishtar, symbolizing a profound commitment to transformation and the embodiment of a new identity. Here’s how HRT might be integrated into such a spiritual and ritualistic framework:

1. Preparation

Personal Reflection and Intention Setting: - Deep Reflection: Spend time contemplating the decision to begin HRT, considering its physical, emotional, and spiritual implications. - Intention Ceremony: Hold a small, private ceremony to set intentions, perhaps involving meditation, journaling, and speaking affirmations related to the desired transformation.
Educational and Medical Consultation: - Medical Guidance: Seek consultation from healthcare professionals to understand the medical aspects of HRT and ensure it is approached safely. - Community Support: Engage with mentors or members of the priesthood who have undergone HRT to gain insights and support.

2. Initiation into HRT

Ritual Ceremony for Beginning HRT: - Sacred Space Creation: Prepare a sacred space with an altar dedicated to Ishtar, adorned with symbols of transformation and rebirth (e.g., butterflies, flowers, images of Ishtar). - Invocation and Prayers: Begin with prayers and invocations to Ishtar, asking for her blessings and guidance through the journey of transformation.
Symbolic Acts and Offerings: - Anointing with Oils: Anoint the body with sacred oils, symbolizing purification and readiness for change. - Offering Personal Tokens: Place personal items on the altar that represent the old self, symbolizing the willingness to let go and embrace a new identity.
First Dose Ritual: - Taking the First Dose: The act of taking the first dose of HRT can be framed as a sacred moment. It might be accompanied by chanting, prayer, or the lighting of candles to mark the beginning of the physical transformation. - Blessing and Support: Receive blessings from mentors and community members, affirming support and commitment to the initiate’s journey.

3. Ongoing Rituals and Integration

Regular Devotions and Check-ins: - Daily or Weekly Rituals: Establish regular rituals, such as lighting candles, offering prayers, or meditating, to maintain a spiritual connection with Ishtar throughout the HRT process. - Community Gatherings: Participate in community rituals and gatherings where progress can be shared, and mutual support can be provided.
Tracking Transformation: - Physical and Emotional Reflection: Keep a journal to document physical changes, emotional experiences, and spiritual reflections during the HRT process. - Periodic Ceremonies: Hold periodic ceremonies to acknowledge and celebrate milestones in the transformation journey, such as changes in physical appearance or significant emotional breakthroughs.

4. Full Integration and Celebration

Ritual Acknowledgment of Transformation: - Rebirth Ceremony: Once significant transformation has been achieved, a formal ceremony can be held to acknowledge and celebrate the new identity. This might involve a symbolic “rebirth” ritual, where the initiate emerges in new garments and is adorned with symbols of their new self. - Community Celebration: Host a community feast or celebration to honor the initiate’s journey and transformation, reaffirming their role and identity within the priesthood.
Continued Spiritual Practice: - Ongoing Devotion: Maintain a consistent spiritual practice that honors Ishtar and supports the initiate’s continued growth and transformation. - Service and Leadership: Encourage the initiate to take on roles of service and leadership within the community, guiding and supporting others on similar journeys.
Incorporating HRT into the spiritual framework of the priesthood of Ishtar honors both the ancient traditions of transformation and the modern realities of gender transition. It provides a deeply meaningful and supportive structure for individuals undergoing this significant change.Sure, here are 20 possible names for a renewed religion inspired by the worship of Ishtar and the inclusive, transformative practices of her modern-day priesthood:

1. Temple of Ishtar Reborn
2. The Sacred Path of Ishtar
3. Order of the Celestial Star
4. The Ishtarian Fellowship
5. The Circle of Ishtar’s Light
6. The Divine Way of Inanna
7. The Gala Priesthood of Ishtar
8. House of the Morning Star
9. The Ishtarian Sanctuary
10. Path of the Sacred Lover
11. The Order of Divine Transformation
12. The Eternal Flame of Ishtar
13. The Ishtarian Mysteries
14. The Transcendent Temple of Ishtar
15. The Garden of Sacred Unity
16. The Order of the Star and Moon
17. The Sacred Heart of Ishtar
18. The Ishtarian Circle of Wisdom
19. The House of Love and War
20. The Path of Divine Androgyny

Each name reflects different aspects of the renewed religion, from its devotion to IshtaInanna to its focus on transformation, inclusivity, and sacred unity.

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Previously, in The Various 2 Crew PCs As PF2e Characters:

• C3 Hardwon (pre-remaster)
• Solum Bufo (pre-remaster)
• Calliope Petrichor (due to be rebuilt)

Heya! Welcome back to me only partially succeeding in translating the character concepts of the 2 Crew PCs into PF2e characters. Today, we'll take a look at Calder, a significantly easier build than Calli's the translate.
The usual disclaimer:
If you're coming from D&D 5e and are not familiar with Pathfinder 2e: While many character concepts can be easily transferred from one system to another, many of their mechanics cannot. Some items or spells don't exist, some rules are different. This is NOT an attempt at a 1 to 1 conversion, though I tried to stick as close as possible. If any of the mechanics in this sheet need any clarification, feel free to ask in the comments.
As usual, Calder's been built up to level 10! Since someone asked last thread: No, I'm not using any optional rules like Free Archetype. I do in the games I run, but in these builds I like to challenge myself and stick close to universally accepted rules. Aside from rarity, I'm building these pretty much PFS legal.
Now then, let us begin.
Pathbuilder link to character planner!
Level 0:
Ancestry: As of right now, there is no half-giant or giantkin Ancestry or even Versatile Heritage, which means we're going to have to hack our ancestry. We can't replace it with another, since his being a small giant is an integral part of his character, so we need to find a combination of mechanics that we can reflavor as small giant.
In the Calli thread, someone made the excellent suggestion of going for Minotaur, as they are a Large ancestry...
Heritage: ... and Littlehorn Minotaurs are the runts of the litter. Minotaurs get an unarmed horn attack, but being littlehorn makes it 1d6. However, we're reflavoring this as small giant, so that's just a matter of promising not to use that feature. Minotaurs also begin with Jotun, aka Giant, as a starting language. Littlehorn also gives us Terrain Expertise, which we can choose Arctic for.
Class: Magus. Eldritch Knight could also be done with Fighter and Wizard (and I believe that's how you got access to the Prestige Class for it in 3.5e/Pathfinder 1e), but Magus is conceptually just perfect for Calder. The only problem is we don't have Heavy Armor yet, which is a pretty big part of his whole shtick, but we'll get to that. We're taking the Inexorable Iron hybrid study. It's the big two-handed weapon blasting subclass.
Background: Guard, as all three of them were employed as a sort of guards by Mothership. I considered the Magical Experiment, but it only gives one Attribute Boost and it's to CON. It's good and very flavorful, but I gotta have my +4 Key Stat
Attribute Modifiers at first level: STR +4, DEX +0, CON +2, INT +3, WIS +1, CHA -1
I stuck to standard ability selection instead of going with the alternative two free boosts with no flaws. This means we start with a -1 in CHA, but we don't really need CHA anyway. We have a Calli in the party for that!
Along the way, STR, CON, INT and WIS are going to be the stats we invest in with the Boosts we get along the way.
Level 1:
Ancestry feat: Pantheon Magic. The downside of Minotaur is that it doesn't have many feats that we can reflavor as Giant stuff, so we're just grabbing the one free cantrip and take Shield, which is going to be very useful to us as we'll be using a greatsword and therefore no shield. It also saves us a Cantrip slot, and Magus gets very few spells.
Level 2:
Class Feat: Sentinel Dedication. Heavy armor proficiency that grows just as fast as our other armor proficiencies. Its Archetype feats are shit, so we won't be taking any of them, we just need the dedication.
Skill Feat: Recognize Spell
Level 3:
General Feat: Fleet. Now that we have Heavy Armor, we'll be slower. Our CON is good, so we don't need Toughness just yet. With how fast Sol would be in this party, it's important to keep up to properly set up flanking.
Level 4:
Class feat: Devastating Spellstrike. Spellstrikes now do splash damage.
Skill Feat: Arcane Sense. More free cantrips!
Level 5:
Ancestry Feat: Puzzle Solver. He smort
We're boosting INT, so we get another skill. I haven't really discussed skill proficiencies so far but I just wanted to mention that canonically this PF2e version of Calder became a theater kid at level 5. He is now trained in performance.
Level 6:
Class Feat: Reactive Strike. It's just really good, and you won't be using your reaction for anything anyways.
Level 7:
General Feat: Toughness. You're a frontliner. You want more HP.
Level 8:
Class Feat: Fused Staff. Grab a staff loaded with Cold-themed spells and Spellstrike your heart out.
Level 9:
Ancestry Feat: Friendly Nudge. It can in a pinch push an ally out of being Flanked.
Level 10:
Class Feat: Sustaining Steel. We don't get Second Wind, but this is just as good.
Equipment:

• +2 Striking Bastard Sword. Could also go for Greatsword, but this is a bulk lighter and can also be used in one hand. It's just objectively better.
• Wand of Fleet Step. It's a Rank 1 spell, so we lose those slots, going to need a wand.
• Boreal Staff. Honestly I'd have the player craft a Personal Staff for this character with a bunch of Attack Roll spells, to go with Fused Staff.
• Frostwalker Pattern tattoo. Ignore cold weather, once per day, ignore Difficult Terrain that is frozen.
• Greater Demon Mask. Look, there are literally 4709 items in PF2e. I'm sure there's a closer mechanical match to the Helm of Ultris, but the Demon Mask exhibits the flavor pretty well, I think, with a a free cast of a 3rd rank Fear.

Build notes:

• Man, I love Magus. When I first started playing 5e, I actually made a character pretty close to Calder: an Eldritch Knight with an Ice theme. I eventually rebuilt him as a bladesinger to be a bit more mechanically satisfying to play. When I saw Magus existed in PF2e, I knew I'd found the spellsword class I always dreamed of. I didn't use any options from it here, but I own Magus+, which expands the Magus class feat options with some really cool stuff including a way to RAW change the damage type of spells to the same time of the last spell you cast, making Freezing Ray possible.
• Spell selection is hard. We don't have Expansive Spellstrike, so we don't get to Spellstrike with Save spells. There aren't very many cold-themed spells that have attack rolls, so we have to be a bit creative in reflavoring some things. Of course, if anyone would play this character concept t my table, I'd happily change energy damage type to Cold for most spells, within reason.
• I want Jake to try playing Magus now.

Look, I've put in my time with RPGs, from the hardcore sandbox survival of Kenshi and Outward to the classics like Baldur's Gate and Elder Scrolls. I'm no stranger to grinding for loot or min-maxing my character builds. Believe it or not, I had never heard of this series and am a complete stranger to Japanese games (western themed or otherwise), so I dove into Dragon's Dogma 2 blind, figuring it'd be another cool game to add to my list. And don't get me wrong, there's a lot to like here – the combat is like nothing I’ve ever seen in another medieval-fantasy RPG, the monsters are straight out of a fever dream, and the whole "gotta pack your lunch for the journey" mechanics are kinda neat.
But then... the world started to feel small. Like, really small. You've got this massive map, but half of it's just water you can't cross, (don’t even get me started on the brine mechanic) and the rest is basically a series of winding paths. You try to wander off the beaten path, BAM, cliff face or unscalable mountain. It's like the whole world is just a theme park with invisible walls. And the landmarks? Tiny. Forests you could clear with a weed whacker, canyons that barely qualify as ditches. It makes the whole place feel claustrophobic, like a diorama instead of a living, breathing world. It's like exploring a model train set, except the only thing to do is walk along the tracks.
And the monsters? They're everywhere, all the time, no matter what you do. You clear out a den of goblins, head back to town for a quick task, and on the way back it's like they've instantly respawned, ready for round two. Seriously, do these things reproduce asexually or something? It makes zero sense, and it breaks any kind of immersion. You're telling me nobody in the capital notices the cyclops doing jumping jacks outside the city gates?
Then there's the camping thing. Look, I get it, resources are scarce, we need to be prepared. But why do I need both a campfire and a camping kit to get make a camp? Just let me pitch my tent wherever I want with a camping kit, or force me to seek out a preexisting campsite, not both.
And the gear restrictions? Come on. I'm a warrior, not a fashion model. Why can't I wear a pair of leather pants if I want to? And why can't my archer pawn carry a dagger for close encounters? It's like the game devs are playing dress-up doll with my characters. Let me customize my playstyle, within reason.
Don't even get me started on the lack of multiplayer. This game is begging for co-op, and it's just... not there.
So yeah, I'm frustrated. I want to love this game, I really do. But these design choices are making it hard. Maybe I'm just not seeing the bigger picture, maybe there's some hidden genius I haven't uncovered yet. But right now, it feels like a missed opportunity.

I was thinking about getting the Silver implant. First of all, it's worth it? or not? I ask since there is traditional training and its various perks and I don't know which is more beneficial. And the other question related to the theme, the passive training that you do while you work, is affected for bad by this implant or not? In advance, thank you for taking your time. Greetings.

Rewards to winner
V2525 Fixer, Demon mask, brahmin mask, forest asylum, raven mask, 200k junk, and 500 flux.This is around a 750k+ prize pool so give it your best 💀
Build a unique base that is themed. Doesn't matter what theme, but it all has to match
Some examples could be a train themed base built on or near tracks. Or a bloody raider base, a peaceful oasis, a ufo, military outpost, lake house, etc
After you build your base, make a post showcasing it and post a link in the comments
Winner decided in exactly 24 hours

I feel like the fandom crossover is going to be so small that few people will even know what Doctor Who is but I gotta write this somewhere.
I was sitting at my desk listening to the Doctor Who OST, as one does. And for some reason my head just suddenly became completely fixated on the notion of the Doctor and the Tardis running into the Astral Express on a misadventure somewhere somehow. Hell it wouldn't even be the first train in space the Doctor has ended up on.
And given his propensity to completely shattering time despite his efforts to the contrary, you could concoct just about any justification for his brief appearance there and frankly it'd make more than enough sense to be as 'Canon' as a crossover could be.
I didn't really lock in a specific doctor per se, maybe it could even be a unique one to HSR idk. My favourites are 10, 11 and 12 so one of them definitely was at the top of my list.
I was even brooding on the abilities the Doctor would have, and while I'm not about to come up with a whole ass build, this is what I was picturing in my head :
Imaginary or Quantum damage maybe? Definitely one of those two in my head.
Skill - Something very similar to Silver Wolf I imagine? A little magic with the sonic screwdriver to implant a weakness on an enemy?
Ultimate - Perhaps something employing the Tardis? In my head it's something like 'Foresight' which will give the entire team 1 or 2 guaranteed 'dodges' of enemy attacks? Essentially a tank focused skill that with careful timing could negate big enemy attacks? Probably way too OP though, I'm no balancing expert.
Attack - Kinda hard to say, the Doctor isn't the most violent guy, so I will admit, not much idea what his attack animation or theme would be.
But I mean c'mon, imagine Welt and the Doctor interacting, or just how much the Doctor's constant travelling and the like could practically fit him in perfectly as a temporary guest of the Express, passing through, helping out. Just as he always does.
I admit, I don't have much of a plot in mind for this, and I feel like I've caused two entire fandoms to cringe a little on the inside, but someone out there might just see the potential of what I'm putting on the table here!