For anyone who started with a lower company where the fans are at most 100k for a wrestler, how long did it take you to either build someone to 1 million fans, and also to get your first 100 segment rating? I’m about 15 in game months into the save and am close to finally getting my first 70 rating, and am closing in on my first wrestler at 200k

New player. New obsessed player. I noticed the following youtube video.
Which DS3 Boss Soul Weapon is Truly the Best?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Yl7373-eQ&t=1338s&ab_channel=Snuppet
At the beginning of the video user outlines the rules (@1.28 - 2.30 in vid). Start a new game and equipped with a boss weapon for the run.
Basically, wondering how one can use a boss weapon (or any item) on a new player out the gate (I am assuming if one plays NG+ one uses the same character from original game?)? I thought one can not share weapons, etc. between players (via Storage Box, unlike Diablo 2 for example)?
Just curious, as I am doing a strength build for my first run through, so I have sold a few items (like Astora Straight Sword as I will not build up the faith. I likely would not have if I could hand it off to a new user build.).
I am playing on PS5. Not sure if there may be some mods for a PC based install to allow this?
That will be my noob question of the day. Stay tune for other basic questions re Dark Souls 3

This is by no means a complain post about loot rolls or the lack of, or the capabilities of certain metas, but more so that there’s a pride of tackling all the content at least once that irks me. The dungeons and grandmasters I have done without mics and have been satisfied knowing that I tackled it to add to the guardian’s story, but the Raids are a different story. They’re the pinnacle endgame, but definitely not something I want to sink my time into. All I want is just to defeat that boss at the end to add to my guardian and really feel like I left no stone unturned. But by doing so, I have to use a mic AND learn the mechanics AND learn builds and roles and how to be a vital asset to those I raid with. I’ll play tether, well, tractor, all the roles that many get annoyed with being asked cause the accomplishment and satisfaction outweighs the change of play. It doesn’t matter if I get Mythoclast or Conditional Finality, I’d just be happy seeing that boss dead.
What confuses me is the people who are like me, definitely not a pro, but then they are hopping into the raids with no mic, no understanding of the mechanic that leads to a wipe, and no good stats. If you’re attempting this gauntlet of a game mode, wouldn’t you want to succeed in the best way possible? Being a vital teammate knowing that you pushed through with adamant will and making teammates on the spot? I’m curious, does anyone have any friends or raiders that are like this? Where it isn’t they fail to understand, or they simply don’t have a good build, more like “I don’t care I’m doing what I want to and my build is great” and doesn’t help with learning or cooperating with the raid mechanics? This kind of energy is beginning to make me loathe finding a fireteam for a raid. After 2 days of trying to find people competent enough to run VoG, it took an hour to clear start to finish. As a solo player with only online matchmaking to rely on, it cannot be that difficult to give some leeway, do some research, and run what is needed not what is wanted, as I have done it.

Welcome (Back?) to Fallout 76

I have seen tons of new players coming in to the game lately, and even more returning to the game much like myself. I won't say I'm the smartest and best informed Fallout 76 player, but I have had tons of help from some people I can say probably are some of the smartest and best informed in the game. So I've decided to compile this handy yet vauge-ish leveling guide to some things you might be curious about, or might find helpful, or whatever! First off, however, let's go over some things the new players might not know: Etiquette in Fallout 76!

Etiquette of Appalachia

While this is a game about lawless chaos in a hell-like wasteland, there are some rules you really should follow!

1. If you don't want to engage in PVP, turn on pacifist mode in the settings and read the popups on your screen about contesting workshops!
   
2. Don't start events until the very last ~30 seconds! Give other players a chance to make it to the event so it's easier to complete and everyone gets loot/xp from enemies!
   
3. Don't go overkill and destroy everything in public events! Killing everything before anyone gets a chance to do any damage to the enemies makes it so nobody else gets any XP or loot.
   

AFAIK those are the big three rules of this game, some people have their preferences and morals and such but IMO, to each their own beyond these big three.

Leveling Up

This is probably your main way of getting poweutility; through leveling up and collecting those sweet, sweet perk cards. I'm just gonna tell you how it is and say hey, don't shoot the messenger. Unless I told ya wrong, then shoot me a message so I can correct it.

How to Increase Your XP Gain

First off, lets go over how XP Bonuses are calculated. First, there is the base XP of an enemy. Then your INT stat will add to that base at 2.072% per point of INT you have. Then the resulting number is multiplied by the percentage base XP buffs you might have active such as the Leadership Bobblehead, Lunchboxes, or Well Rested. Here's the formula:
(Base XP + (Base XP * (INT * 2.072))) + ((Base XP + (Base XP * (INT * 2.072))) * %Buffs)
CALM DOWN!!! To make it easier on you folk out there who aren't running Egghead IRL, your INT stat essentially makes your base XP reward higher so your lunchboxes can give you way more XP.
So how does a fella max their INT? Well I'll tell ya! Other than the obvious idea of maxing it out by respeccing your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stat allocation, you have armor slots that can all roll legendary star stats such as boosting your INT by +1 per piece, and if you don't mind running a low health build while power leveling, the Unyielding affix that can roll on any non-power armor can give players a whopping +15 INT at +3 INT per piece equipped (body, arms, legs.) Also, you can wear the Casual Shielded Underarmor OR the Flannel Shirt for another +3 INT. Also, there's chems and foods that can temporarily boost your INT, though you can have only one of each type active at the same time. Some of the best ones to run for boosting INT are Brain Bombs for food and Berry Mentats for chems. All of these things can be purchased from other players too! Also, if you run mutations like Egghead and Herd Mentality, the Charisma Perk Card Strange In Numbers can boost your INT by another +4 so long as you're in a party. Which you should be, because forming a bond with 3 players in a Casual team will net +4 INT as well! And last but not least is the Mechanical Derby Game some players have in their C.A.M.P. which boosts your INT by +2 for 30 minutes!
Now how about boosting XP via percentages to multiply that huge INT boosted base XP you worked so hard for? I've got you covered! Same as before, some things stack but some don't. In this usage case, the Live & Love 8 (+5% XP) magazine doesn't stack with Live & Love 3 (Boost Effects of Food), for example. Same with the Intelligence Bobblehead (+2 INT) and the Leadership Bobblehead (+5% XP). Lunchboxes can stack only up to 4 times and if you pop a lunchbox around other players, the other players all get a boost too! Same if someone pops one near you, free XP boost! Lunchboxes grant +25% XP per box popped, so with four popped, that's double XP! You can also get a whopping +15% XP boost from the Charisma Perk Card Inspirational, and the event going on now, the Mothman Equinox, gives you another +15% XP for an hour if you interact with the purple eyed moth at the end. Also, the easiest bonus to get is your Well Rested/Kindred Spirit/Lover's Embrace buff that gives you +5% XP and is obtained by simply resting in a bed for a bit.
In conclusion and to wrap up this part I want to clarify that you will typically get MUCH more XP in a Casual Team over an Events Team because for a majority of the events, you will be killing tons of enemies and missing out on a +8% boost to the BASE XP of all enemies, ya know, before the multiplier boosts which adds up to be much more XP than you get from the completion reward, even when its doubled. Daily Ops is a different case because you are typically trying to run it fast and skip over fights if possible, but otherwise don't sleep on Casual Teams.

How to Farm XP

So now that we've written a small book on how to boost our XP, how are we going to actually GET the XP? Well the best ways is to kill enemies with a high base XP reward, and lots of them. For example, the super mutants at the famous WesTek Research Center provide a high base xp reward and so do glowing enemies, like ghouls, which can be more or less "made" by dropping a nuke on Whitesprings. Events are great for this as well, especially Radiation Rumble and Eviction Notice, but typically all of the events have a good amount of enemies to kill and reward you with exclusive rewards, so its typically savvy to hit the events as they come up unless you know what it has to offer and just don't need it.
Now hold on there, pardner! You don't actually have to do all the work when it comes to killing the enemies to get their XP. And to squash any rumors going around, doing more damage does not, in any way, net you a higher amount of XP!!! You simply have to do 1% of the damage to an enemy to get its FULL XP reward, and yes this applies to every single enemy, even bosses. Really all you have to do is shoot each enemy maybe once or twice and you'll be drowning in XP during those big events. A great weapon for this is the Tesla Rifle because it chains to nearby enemies when you hit something, allowing you to tag multiple enemies while only having to aim at one! Also, Nuka-grenades have a massive AOE, just make sure you aren't boosting explosive damage or anything so you aren't one shotting everything (and yourself.) And try to make sure your party is there doing the event with you because if they happen to get a kill you missed, you still get a little bit of XP which is better than nothing.
That's all for now though, and do let me know if I missed anything or messed up any info!

Hey all, looking for some feedback on our writing & newsletter in general. Here is a recent basis for an article that we published in shorter format:
Have you ever wondered why the rich get richer?
It's a common sentiment that the wealthy have an easier time getting richer. 'The rich get richer' is not just a saying, but a fundamental truth in finance. Today, we’ll take you behind the scenes to explain why the rich get richer, and specifically why your net worth takes off dramatically at the $100,000 mark.

The journey to $100,000: more than just numbers

Embarking on the path to amassing $100,000 might feel more like hiking up a financial Mount Everest. It's tough, sweat-inducing, and you might ask yourself why you didn't just just go on that 6 month backpacking trip around Europe with your friend Chaz and spring for that $27 salad at lunch instead of the bagged lunch you made with left-overs. But once you make that goal and reach that summit, the view (and the rewards) are spectacular. This initial stage requires an extreme amount of discipline, patience, and sacrifice. But once you achieve this milestone, two major financial principles kick into high gear: the scale of capital and the magic of compound interest.

The scale of capital: where your money starts working for you

Consider this: if you invest $1,000 and get a 10% return, congratulations, you've made enough for a fancy dinner ($100). But when you play the game with $100,000, that same 10% return suddenly buys a used car—or a very fancy dinner party. That's the scale of capital in action, where your money starts to do some serious heavy lifting.

The Eighth Wonder of the World: Compound Interest

Often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world, compound interest is the phenomenon where you earn interest not only on your initial investment but also on the accrued interest from previous periods. This principle causes your wealth to grow exponentially rather than linearly. For instance, once you hit that first $100,000, getting to the next $100,000 doesn't just get easier—it practically feels like your money is on a treadmill, gaining speed while you sleep. This is when you start making money in your pajamas, and honestly, who doesn’t love making money in their sleep?

The Power of Margin: Security and Opportunities

Reaching $100,000 provides what's known as 'financial margin.' This margin acts as a buffer against life’s uncertainties, giving you the freedom to choose opportunities that match your career ambitions without the immediate pressure of financial survival. This buffer is your financial fairy godmother, providing you the freedom to chase better job opportunities without the panic of imminent doom hanging over your head (it’s okay, we’ve all been there).

Tips on Accelerating Your Journey to $100,000

1. Start Early: They say the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. Even if you can't start with a large amount, the key is to start as early as possible and take a structured approach to make your decisions stress free and automatic. Trust in the process, and you’ll be rewarded.
2. Increase Your Investment Amount: Focus on increasing how much you can invest regularly. Small increments in your investment contributions can significantly reduce the time it takes to reach your next financial milestone.
3. Set Clear Financial Goals & Celebrate Milestones: Establish specific, measurable financial goals and track your progress. When you hit a milestone, even a small one, celebrate it! This could mean a modest splurge or a simple pause to acknowledge your progress. Rewarding yourself not only makes the journey enjoyable but also keeps you motivated to chase the next goal.

Conclusion: The Path to Financial Freedom Starts Here

Getting to $100,000 is like building the first lego block of your financial empire. It’s tough, but every subsequent block snaps into place more easily than the last. This is the point in your life where you begin to be able to sit back, admire what you’ve accomplished and utilize the discipline & poise you just put on display into living your own fulfilled life.
More of our content can be found here: https://compoundinterests.beehiiv.com/
Thanks all!

We often feel grateful for the progress of our world, but is what we see today truly advanced after all?

I bring this topic up because we must consider all the worst-case scenarios that may unfold. What would happen if the power goes out? What would occur if there were major blocks in our food supply chain? Can we survive without modern technology and the grocery stores? Unfortunately, I don't think most of us could at the moment. These scenarios are not meant to evoke fear, but rather to inspire a deeper and more comprehensive examination of our current circumstances. Danger is an undeniable reality that we must face and, as men, take measures to mitigate them. While public institutions may offer assistance during challenging times, we must be aware that this help often comes at a significant cost to our autonomy and happiness (study history and watch what occurs to personal freedom in exchange for help, i.e. increased taxes, restricting policies, and inflation). My hope is that these worst-case scenarios will encourage us to implement holistic solutions and become true kings. In order to begin taking corrective measures, we must objectively look at where we are at and question the metrics we use to gauge progress. How can we accurately and objectively measure advancement?
I suggest that we look at the resiliency of a society through a multi-layered perspective in order to get that information. This prompts the question, what exactly is resiliency and why is it important to consider? To define resiliency, we must look at the quality of skills, internal resourcefulness, and tools that support a society’s ability to survive and thrive from a holistic standpoint. By gauging resiliency, we can identify the strengths and weaknesses of a society and gain insight into its ability to handle current and future challenges. In today’s world, we often see innovation in ways that have nothing to do with building true resiliency and progress, but to solely benefit a consumptive paradigm that revolves around entertainment, fast food, and false comfort. We even “innovate” to the detriment of nature and ourselves. How is this an advanced society and how did we get fooled into accepting the dire reality we’re experiencing today? It’s because the way we measure our standing or “success” in our daily lives has nothing to do with cultivating resiliency, but with superficial status games and how much access we have to means of instant gratification.
Furthermore, it's clear that many of our societal advances have been driven by the pursuit of increasing profit, power plays, and keeping people distracted from what truly matters. This is why we are primarily concerned with all things money. When academics make status reports, they often focus on GDP growth as the primary metric of success. Similarly, when people assess their personal lives, they tend to look at their bank account balances and the number of new gadgets they possess. Consequently, when we see increases in economic growth and personal wealth, we may fall further into the illusion of advancement. Technological innovation also contributes to this illusion of progress. While digital technology has undoubtedly advanced our society in many ways, it has also create a false sense of security and comfort because we think we have all the answers at our fingertips, instant access to entertainment, naked women, and food. In reality, our growing dependence and addiction to technology has disconnected us from essential survival skills and self-regulating practices that are crucial for our physical and mental well-being. The convenience and instant gratification provided by technology have resulted in an unhealthy imbalance in our relationship with nature, our community, and our own bodies. We have lost touch with the importance of self-care, self-awareness, and leading a balanced life. As a society, we must be conscious of this imbalance and make a concerted effort to regain the knowledge and skills necessary for a healthy and fulfilling existence. If we don't, then we will be caught off guard and be forced to accept help from sources that do not care about our best interest and our self actualization as men.
This raises the question: Are money and technology the best metrics for gauging our advancement as a society and as individuals? I think a lot of us are starting to realize that money isn't the end-all, be-all. People are starting to focus more on personal well-being and happiness. We're seeing people talking about how we need to stop looking at GDP and start looking at how happy people are. Instead of just checking our bank accounts, we should be asking ourselves, "Am I happy at the end of the day?, how healthy am I?, am I living in my true purpose?"So, how can we build towards becoming a truly resilient society? A society where people can have fulfilling lives, even if the electricity goes out. The answer lies in cooperation and self-empowerment. Coming together as a collective and sharing information, supporting each other in various areas of resiliency, such as food, water, housing, and happiness. People should feel fulfilled and satisfied with their lives, not just financially, but emotionally and mentally as well. We need to reconsider what it means to be an advanced society and create environments where people can live their best lives, pursue their passions, and find meaning in their daily lives.

As men, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to lead the way in building a resilient society. By exploring and actualizing our ultimate masculine potential, we can become true kings - leaders who inspire, guide, and empower ourselves and others.

This involves cultivating essential skills, such as self-reliance, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and the ability to foster strong, supportive communities. By embodying these qualities and leading by example, we can create a ripple effect that encourages others to embrace resilience and work towards a more sustainable, fulfilling future. As we navigate the challenges and uncertainties of our ever-changing reality, it is crucial that we, as men, step up and become true kings who take action in shaping a society that prioritizes the well-being and growth of all its members. By understanding and improving resilience, both within ourselves and our communities, we can better prepare for and respond to the obstacles that inevitably arise.

Just a theory, possibly totally unrelated. But there are some new confirmable pieces and connections that I haven’t seen mentioned at all yet. So if I’m wrong at least there is a partially correct timeline here that can be edited to correctness. My last attempt to connect any dots I think. Please feel free to find holes and debunk it and suggest edits.
A 74 year old woman was murdered 1/18/23 and found on 1/21/23 bound, gaged, and SA’d in her ransacked apartment days later. This is on 83rd and The Mark Hotel is on 77th. Half a mile walk through the park away. EP mentioned a big bag that hotel staff was told to dispose of for Drake.
Here is what appears to be a bag in the video EP posted. There was a girl in the frame too.
A NY post article about this murder mentions:
“A young woman — who was entering the building carrying a large bag that appeared to contain clothing - choked back tears when asked if she was related to the victim. ‘It's very, very hard for me and my family. We've already talked to the police and the district attorney. I don't want to talk anymore,’ the woman said, without identifying herself.”
This woman was brutally SA’d. House was ransacked.
“The two suspects loaded up Hernandez’s belongings into a blue rolling Jansport backpack and a green rolling bag and were on CCTV divvying up cash, prosecutors said.”. The day this article is released, Drake is seen leaving The Mark hotel.. He is seen the next day at Lil Yatchy’s listening party in New Jersey.
These were posted August 2023 by EP on his Facebook page. They look like old lady clothes. I found other photos of the victim in this case and they look like what she would wear. They could just be things left behind at the hotel by others ofc.
The murder and robbery on 83rd street was almost certainly a boosting attempt, and by the sounds of the perpetrators counting cash on CCTV as reported by police, it sounds like it was a successful boost. This happens where I live but they typically steal from big chain stores. Ironically it keeps residential crime lower, it’s non-violent, and people would prefer new things anyway, or at least nice things. It’s a pretty common black market thing in cities to the point where I live, even regularly law abiding people will purchase things from boosters with the understanding it was stolen from a store. Iykyk. The victim being an upper east side woman she probably had some nice things, clothing and jewelry in particular as ladies do especially at her age. That’s what this looks like to me. And the jewelry EP posted didn’t look new or like it would have been for a younger girl.
This woman was brutally SA’d.Her home was ransacked. These were posted August 2023 by EP on his Facebook page.. They look like older lady clothes. I found other photos of the victim and they look like what she would wear. But ofc, this could just be things left behind at the hotel by others. Strange though, because these are the only clothes EP ever posted on his Facebook.
It is strange Drake only wanted one thing from a big bag and there was loads of jewelry left behind by him. They said the rest of the stuff in the big bag was trash but because the items were expensive and it’s Drake’s stuff, it was instead put into lost and found.
In my mind I would see it play out like this: a booster brings a bag of goods. Wealthy purchaser pays enough for one item he wants where the booster is like here, take this whole thing (get it off their own hands). And the purchaser only wanted one thing for so the rest, jewelry, clothing, etc. is disposed of.
OR
There was a specific item and something specific about this lady having it. The rest of what was in the bag was just to hide the one item. But I couldn’t find a single piece of info on her outside of crime articles and an obituary with family photos but no text to really know anything more about her. This theory would suit the little bag mentioned that was suppose to have been shipped somewhere.
Either way, Drake & crew take the one thing they need and the rest ends up with hotel staff for disposal, but it was a large bag full of expensive things. It appears EP was instructed to put it in lost and found.
There’s an incident report from Mark security on July 20th. Probably when EP had to protect Drake from protests that Theodore organized.. Or EP had to report an underage. Perhaps Drake was what led to the crackdown or a mandated report, and EP sees it as Drake’s fault he now had to deal with Theo and protect him from protestors, for which he nearly got arrested for doing his job. This was probably the next time he saw Drake since January. EP keeps mentioning 7/27/23. This is the day Theodore the underage drinking protest organizer filed a lawsuit naming EP as part of it.
Officer Viola had a CCRB citation for trying to contain the protest. Officer Viola and EP both got in trouble for protecting Drake that night. EP mentioned that this relationship probably saved him from getting arrested. The two probably had probably had to help corroborate eachother’s stories from the protest incident.
EP is so fed up with Drake at this point. [EP cites many examples of why he takes offense to Drake and crew for their treatment of staff. Their hubris.
The man he almost got arrested for protecting and his team are treating EP and his coworkers like shit. He cites cultural reasons as well, echoing Kenny’s “not like us” sentiments.
At some point EP’s is instructed by his director to clean out the lost and found. By August he’s so fed up that he’s going to sell these things and not protect Drake by what might come out if anyone recognizes these items as belonging to that lady from 83rd street. He posts them on Facebook.
Fast forward to now, and Kendrick drops a diss track. At some point, either Akademiks snitched on EP for having the items. or him and Drake both did.
EP has been pushed and pushed. He has to take this treatment and give the friendly enjoy your evening.
“Meet the Grahams” comes out and EP said I understood the assignment. Kenny at some point gets the album art from EP with item’s that appear to have belonged to Drake.
Drake releases “The Heart Part 6” said that he fed the cover art content to Kenny. Why would he lie about that? Why not say wow Kenny you got people going through my trash? Because buying stolen goods is illegal, and if they’re connected to, or even worse you ordered or someone you know is involved in, a murder and horrific SA of an elderly woman… yikes bad optics any which way. But EP, on the other hand, obtained the items after they were disposed of, which is legal even if they were stolen and especially if they were unclaimed after x many days, from my understanding.
EP’s manager finds out about the album cover and questions him about how the items were obtained. But she knew that EP had these items already, as he was instructed by to not throw them in the trash originally and then months later instructed to throw them out. EP implies that policy/practice allows him to claim the items at this point. From what I’ve heard from people who worked at hotels throughout my life is that this is generally true for other hotels as well.
He explains to his boss how the items were obtained. She advises him to get a lawyer which is strange because staff knew these items were in the lost and found and that by law, if they aren’t claimed within a certain amount of time they’re fair game. But if they’re stolen from a murdered woman, yeah you might want to speak to a lawyer because possession of stolen property is illegal even if you didn’t know it was stolen and it also may implicate you in a murder that took place nearby. It doesn’t make sense to me that EP’s boss would advise a lawyer when she knew all of this, unless she knew ALL of that.
CA knew about this, perhaps due to proximity? He sees the bag or hears the conversation about it. He thinks he has to do the right thing and tell the police, or somehow gets assaulted so that he keeps quiet. EP alleges that police were called because someone got assaulted that night.
I’m not sure who this is but It appears to be the same man pictured about a minute later.

Cassio's passive was already not good before ; in theory it's good cause u dont have to build boots, u gain gold and can get a 6th item wow broken scaling !! So ur scaling comes after having ur 6th item... so yeah it's dogshit lol, now even outside of this matter recently half of the champs can sell their boots and get a 6th item cause ms with summoner spells plus a lot on items which means cassio's passive which was pretty much her getting 6 item instead of 5 is dead and useless, in fact if you could buy just boots it would be better cause 300 gold and you could kite way more easily and effectively as her own ms plus her q spell ms is not enough in early mid game. And now with the new patch if I understood well you can upgrade boots to a whole item late game... so u dont even have to sell them anymore thus I ask the question : wtf is the point of cassio's passive anymore ? For the love of god just give us a dmg or sustain late game passive and let us buy boots this passive is outdated and bad, cassio has already been ruined and lost her identity since season 11 (will never forget how they ruined her) so at least have the decency to do that riot for the 12 cassio players in the world !!

I've been catching up on the IDW series out of a desire to see what they do with issue 150 (please no spoilers or opinions on what happens post-Armageddon Game). I'll share my overall thoughts on 101-150 after I've finished, but for now I wanted to take a minute to talk about The Armageddon Game.
On the whole, it was a miss for me. There are some decent elements and ideas to it, but it doesn't come together as a satisfying story.
The Lead-up
For me, the build-up felt too brief. Particularly, the element of Shredder training the turtles and teaching them kuji-kiri. There had been elements of mysticism leading up to this (reincarnation, astral projection), but the turtles being able to wield abilities like this feels like a major shift that deserved more time to carry a fitting sense of weight. I grew up watching Dragon Ball Z. Often, there would be some sort of warning of when the next major threat would hit, so there'd be a full string of episodes depicting the characters in training. It made increases in their power feel earned and effectively set the stage so that when the conflict arrived, viewers had the sense that the last however many episodes had built to this moment. It was finally time to test whether the training had been enough. The training here just feels so quick and easy. I would've liked to see a full arc or two rooted in them having to unlock this potential within themselves. Make the breakthrough moments feel earned and satisfying so that the new status quo of their increased formidability feels like the culmination of a real journey.
The Scope
On paper, it sounds epic. A TMNT event spanning about 25 issues. A conflict with an ancient, immortal being, spanning dimensions and pulling in the turtles greatest foes and allies. But in execution, it's just unwieldy, lacking effective structure and momentum. Too much feels unrelated. The recruitment mission in Dimension Z (or was it X) feels entirely disconnected from the stake of the upheaval in Mutant Town. The Triceraton/Utrom conflict feels like an unrelated complication that just happens to coincide with and spill over into the problems in Mutant Town. Rather than one, multifaceted story, it feels like multiple truncated arcs thrown in a blender together to all of their detriment.
The "Game"...
didn't really feel like a game. Reading the title "The Armageddon Game", I was so intrigued about what the actual game would be. It's not like I expected them to play monopoly, but when I think about a contest or game, there's an objective, parameters, rules, strategy, etc. Done right, that's a pretty cool story! Stories with game-based struggles and conflicts that come to mind Die Hard with a Vengeange, Marvel's Secret Wars (original version), Jumanji, Ready Player One, and Knives Out
https://baduk.news/article/how-%E2%80%9Cknives-out%E2%80%9D-uses-go-as-a-pivotal-narrative-device
The story fails to deliver on the game element structurally or thematically. In effect, Rat King gets a few villains together and says "Do some bad stuff." And they do. But it doesn't really feel like he's manipulating the pieces on the board. In spite of referring to his allies in chess terms (his knight, his queen) Rat King never feels like the sort of crafty mastermind you'd want to be the antagonist of a deadly game.
I wanted to see a back and forth, move/countermove cerebral interplay. Give me a classic "We played right into his hand! Rat King has been two steps ahead of us this whole time!" moment.
I can imagine a version of this in which Rat King lays out the parameters, describing it as a game of both wits and brawn. Naturally everyone is like "Donnie, take the lead." Mikey tries to advise him at certain points citing his knowledge of games, but Donnie dismisses his "DnD experience." Yet Donnie's more conventional, intellectual approach is easy for Rat King to anticipate and outmaneuver. Ultimately, Donnie has to learn some humility and respect for Mikey's way of thinking, combining their strengths for a final play that outwits Rat King. It sounds a bit like someone that could happen in a 20-minute episode, but I think there's a way to do that that suits the complexity you'd want from a story like this.
The Ending
The conclusion of the story just felt awkward to me. There's so much going on that they end up having elements of climax and resolution at the same time. While the Turtles have their final showdown with Rat King, other stories are already wrapping up. April and Sally dictate the terms of how Stockman will help Mutant Town and then someone is like "Where did Shredder take the turtles?" It's just weird to have things so disjointed in terms of the level of tension.
After this whole "game" Rat King is basically like "I'm going to kill you all and destroy everything!" So what was the point of all that led up to this? Did any of what his alliance did or failed to do matter? And then it all comes down to Cherubae, who we barely know, and the turnstone, a MacGuffin that the story barely focused on. A fairly unsatisfying conclusion to a fairly unsatisfying story.
Closing Thoughts
I didn't hate this story, but it's frustrating because it felt like a major missed opportunity. I truly believe everyone involved did their best, but I don't think they had a grasp on how to handle this type of event and capitalize on the potential of this premise. It would be less irksome if it was just a regular arc, but they stretch the story out over so many issues told through multiple series to do so little narratively.

I keep running the numbers and the points cost of these guys and they just seem insanely good right now. However, despite multiple local DA players, I've never seen anyone else run them and haven't seen any top tournament lists with them.
They're priced just above SM battleline/basic infantry units but can deal out way more damage and are tougher. They're also incredibly flexible with how to build them. Single 3-man squads are excellent at taking objectives/secondaries and can still cut down enemy infantry. 6-man squads threaten elites and 6-man + command squad can threaten anything smaller than a land raider.
If we look at 3 knights vs 5 jump pack assault intercessors (would fill a similar role): BKs have up to 9 ranged attacks and 9 melee attacks for up to 18 or 27 damage if supercharged while JP ints have 5 ranged and 19 melee attacks (if using powerfist) for 27 damage, however, all BK weapons have more STR and AP. BK technically have 1 less wound than JP Ints but have more toughness and a 5++.
If we compare a mega-block (6-man + command squad) to something comparable like The Lion (similar points), we get a massive 27 ranged attacks and 30 melee attacks for up to 90 wounds if supercharged. The lion will cap out at 4 ranged attacks and 16 melee attacks (8 strike would maximize damage) with a cap of 40 damage. Obviously The Lion is hitting more attacks and likely wounding easier, but the bikes do get dev wounds on 4's against vehicles/monsters on charge. We also have to consider that The Lion is harder to wound and has a better save, but he has significantly less wounds at 10 vs 30 and the command squad can bring back dead bikes, restoring 3 to 4 wounds per round.
There are some other benefits the the BKs that they have over other similar units such as a massive amount of OC. 2 per model standard or 3 with the command squad brings it to a max of 27, more than any other single unit in the game. Adding 1 to all charges and advances + free HI isn't nothing either. I've been playing DA in Firestorm Assault and a minimum 14" (up to 19") advance + shoot is typically getting you anywhere you want to go.
I know they're not optimal in every situation, but compared to most other light infantry or even elites (specifically terminators) these guys just feel like way more value than you would otherwise get for your points.

1. What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games (ex: resolution, FPS, settings) or programs you will be using.**

Not very intensive games, usually things like Minecraft, Phasmophobia, lethal company, and the odd game like Sons of the forest.

1. What is your maximum PRE-TAX budget before rebates and shipping?

~$1000 tops, will be price checking different options on parts to hopefully find places to just pick up the items

1. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.

Throughout this summer where the money allows it, just startes full time out of school so hopefully get a part or 2 a paycheck

1. What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ex: toweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)

Tower, OS, monitor (Will look into and edit if my school has a window program)

1. If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? How old are they? Brands and models are appreciated.

I have an old (8? Years) gtx 1050 or 1040, and a single DDR4 8gb i dont remember the brand, came in a prebuild from cyberpower

1. Will you be overclocking (ex: CPU/GPU/RAM)? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line

Will not be overclocking

1. Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSDs, mass HDDs, Wi-Fi / Bluetooth, VR, VirtualLink, tensor cores, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc.)

Nothing too fancy, enough storage for a nursing student + a few games. Needs wifi

1. Do you have any specific case preferences (ex: mITX/mATX/mid-towefull-tower sizes, styles, colours, window or not, LED lighting, etc.), or a particular color theme preference for the components?

White, window (tinted or clear doesnt matter), LED lighting

1. Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? Note: some post-secondary students can get Windows 10 for free at OnTheHub or through their school's IT software distribution department.**

Ill have to check if the link above works with school, will edit this in a little bit with info

1. Will you be upgrading this PC in the future (ie: will you swap out better parts later on or will you build an entirely new tower later)? If so, when?

Maybe upgrade way down the line

1. Do you have a brand preference? (ex: AMD/Intel for CPUs, AMD/NVIDIA for video cards, etc.)**

No brand preference, just whatever will work in the budget lmao

1. Extra info or particulars:

Any help is appreciated i built my own PC awhile back and spent way too much on things that i shouldnt got something else lmao trying to build something that'll work good for my gf who games semi often but mostly for light gaming and school.

Hi Folks,
I hope this is the right forum for this, but if not, please let me know!
My spouse and I are looking to buy a gaming PC for our home theatre. We have a 4K projector that is capable of 120 HZ that we will be using for the video. We like games like Horizon Forbidden West, Cyberpunk, Red Dead II, Elden Ring and Alan Wake 2.
In looking at the options for GPU's, the RTX4070 TI Super looks to be very solid with decent power, good ray tracing, some future-proofing with 16 GB of VRAM and less expensive than the 4080, with only about 15% less performance. The question is, what CPU do we need to power it and that will not need upgrading in the next few years and will give great performance? Some good options appear to be the Ryzen 7700x, the i7-14700F and the Ryzen 7800x3d. I'd personally love the 7800 x3d, but not sure if the increased price would actually lead to noticeable gaming improvements or not. The 7700x may not be as good, but much better price and possibly we would not notice the performance difference?
Here are three options that look good, and yes, I know we can build for less, but we like the idea of warranty service and not having to figure out how it all goes together! Thoughts?
https://www.lenovo.com/ca/en/p/desktops/legion-desktops/legion-t-series-towers/legion-tower-5-gen-8-(26l,-amd)/90ux0013us/90ux0013us)
https://www.lenovo.com/ca/en/p/desktops/legion-desktops/legion-t-series-towers/-legion-tower-5i-gen-8-(26l,-intel)/90ut001nus/90ut001nus)
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0CSMKTXDQ/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&psc=1

Credit to u/SpacePaladin15 for the Nature of Predators universe. Rain World is a video game developed by and property of Videocult. I claim no ownership over either.
Sorry for the wait. Life happened but I just finished my semester, so I’m hoping the next chapter will be finished sooner rather than later. Please let me know if I missed any typos or made any editing mistakes. It’s greatly appreciated.
–
Memory Transcript: Sefril, Farsul First Contact Officer
Date [Standardized Human Time]: July 15, 2136
When I came to, I just laid still. I wasn’t sure what had happened though what was certain was that I was both still alive and still in this dingy box of a room. The predators were you of sight in one of my few blindspots. Jinsul and Dornucl were still alive, with Dornucl understandably agitated and Jinsul seemingly lost in thought.
Stranger yet, no one seemed to be hurt. Maybe Jinsul had gotten them?
Careful, I sat up, only to be greeted by the predators grooming each other. They stared back at me as I froze once again.
“Finally,” Jinsul said, causing me to jump, “I need to ask you something.”
“Oh not this again,” Dornucl said, annoyed. “Ignore him, he’s gone mad.”
“What?” was my only response. The predators seemed to perk up, shifting their reclining posture slightly, ears standing on end.
“You’re supposed to be a scientist, and as such you understand the meaning of overwhelming evidence, yes?” Jinsul said.
“What you’re suggesting is not only the most unscientific conclusion I’ve heard but is also something I’d expect to come out of someone with terminal predator disease,” Dornucl interjected.
I glanced back terrified at the predators, who had not yet chosen to strike and instead decided to lay there. Menacingly.
I pressed myself against the back wall, hoping to fall straight through and away from them.
“Why haven’t you done anything about…them?” I said waving my tail toward the predators. “You’re an exterminator, so…exterminate.”
“With what?” Jinsul shot back and began waving his pistol with one paw while shaking the flamer laying beside with the other, “The handgun that won’t fire with damp ammunition or the flamer that will kill us all in this tight space? Besides, they won’t attack us.”
Dornucl groaned and rubbed his tentacles into his face, while my mouth was agape in shock.
“What do you mean ‘they won’t attack’?! Their bleating predators!”
“Gods, that’s what I’m trying to tell you!” Jinsul practically screamed in frustration. He took a breath, “OK, sorry, just listen alright? Have you been having weird dreams?”
I stiffened, “I had a dream last night where I almost drowned, but I don’t see what that has to–”
“So, you're telling me you didn’t almost drown?” he said with a knowing look.
I considered it with dawning horror, “But that’s–”
“Impossible,” Dornucl spat out, “And ludicrous.” He turned to me, “As I said, he’s snapped.”
“Then how else do you explain it? My brothers and sisters in arms have confided in me the same: dreams, visions, and inescapable feelings of familiarity in the unfamiliar. Those who heed them escape danger, while those who don’t, don’t.”
As Jinsul spoke, a true zealotry was imbued in his voice.
“I’ll give you this, by all means, these visions should be impossible and unexplainable by science.” Fervor glinted in his eyes. “But when science fails, we must turn to faith to guide us.”
A knot formed in my stomach as I got a sneaking suspicion of where he was going.
“It is my belief and that of my lieutenants and clergy that the gods have sent us these visions.” He announced this without a shadow of a doubt in his voice. “They’ve been guiding us from the moment we’ve entered the orbit. The delusions the crew had in orbit? Also the visions.”
It doesn’t make any sense, but he’s right on one thing. These premonitions are impossible, yet they happen and help us avoid danger. However, there has to be a more rational explanation. There just has to be.
“But why?” I ask. “To what end? If your gods are doing this, to what end? If they are behind everything, the visions and maybe the crash, then why what would justify so much suffering? It just doesn't make any sense.”
“That’s the nature of the divine,” he said somberly, “We can speculate why they would send the visions and make us…feel them and their pain all we want, but we are imperfect creatures, and they are things of perfection. We simply need to trust they are leading us to where we need to go.”
As I considered his words, Dornucl once again spoke up condescendingly.
“I can’t believe you even have to CONTEMPLATE what he’s saying!” He slumped down and motioned towards the predators. “Fine then, what do they have to do with your ‘gods’ plan’? Your duty as an exterminator is baked into your religion? What do you have to say to that?”
Jinsul involuntarily flicked his ears, betraying a rising irritation. “I don’t know, I don’t like it, and I don’t have to. They haven’t given us visions of them attacking us and they’ve decided to disable our best weapons. I don’t need to understand why, all I need to know is that there is a reason they would do so. Besides, they haven’t even tried to attack us. You're a biologist, do you consider that normal?”
“Do you even hear yourself? You sound like a lunatic! I could have you put away for this!”
Unlike his normally cool, level-headed, and almost jolly demeanor, Dornucl’s features were twisted in barely veiled rage. It was terrifying to see him on the verge of doing something awful. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the predators.
The one with the grey fur was still lying down, but the other with the dark green fur had stood up and began stomping around in exaggerated and dramatic steps. All while growling and barking.
It was terrifying. However, it was dulled by the sheer surrealness of the situation. Its entire demeanor was less intentionally threatening and more childish mocking, right down to flailing its limbs in much the same way Dornucl did unconsciously to emphasize his point. It may even be funny if we could understand what they were saying.
Wait a minute…
I paused to think about that absent-minded thought, the gears and pistons finally shaking off the shock and beginning to fire and spin. I listened closely to its vocalizations and began to pick out a form of structure in how they were articulated and gestated. I recalled the predators' behavior and came to a grim conclusion.
“We have a problem,” I said so quietly it could barely be considered a whisper.
“Oh, what tipped you off genius?” Dornucl responded sarcastically.
I stumbled a little at the insult but continued.
“No, I mean a bigger problem,” I took a deep breath, “I think they’re sapient.”
The silence was deafening. Even the predator had stopped its mockery and began exchanging words with the other grey-furred one.
Dornucl glanced at the and sighed. “In hindsight, that does explain their behavior.”
Somehow, despite this revelation, Dornucl regained his composure and his cool demeanor.
“Well, in a certain sense, this simplifies things somewhat. We just have to wait for the translators to complete processing their language, then we can hopefully negotiate with them.”
I gawked at what he just said, while Jinsul broke down into laughter.
“And I’m the crazy one!” Jinsul managed to get out between the cackles, “Do you even hear yourself? Mindless animals are one thing, but this? We have the next the Arxur right before us!”
It was at this point that Plako decided to wake up. One can only imagine what was going through his head when he was greeted by 2 predators, a hysterical exterminator, a biologist trying not to show his frustration, and an anthropologist doing her best to fall through the wall.
He began to stammer. “Wh-what h-happened? Why haven’t they eaten us?”
Dornucl leaned over to him and deadpanned. “The predators are sapient.”
Plako froze after he processed this information.
Jinsul calmed down enough to speak more coherently, “Gods, it all makes sense. They must’ve bombed themselves back in the stone age, and have only recently been reclaiming their former technology.”
I spoke up. “I don’t think that’s the case. Remember, the worm showed us an image of that other creature. These predators likely evolved sometime after the civilization's collapse.”
“Well,” Jinsul said while deep in thought, “Now I can say for certain the gods must be involved.”
“Wh-what?” Plako asked trambling.
“Think about it. This whole situation is so astronomically unlikely, from being in an uncharted system in the middle of nowhere at the same time as a single Arxur ship to surviving the crash, and then meeting these predators, and them not attacking us. The gods’ intend for us to purge these creatures before they can spread and save the remnants of this civilization from–”
“No, I’m pretty sure it was laughing at you, not with you.” A masculine said from the back of the chamber.
“Fine, but I think I’m finally getting somewhere.” A feminine voice responded.
Jinsul went quiet as our gazes fell upon the predators. The translators finished translating. No one knew what to do, so we ended up just staring.
They both stared back with their unnerving abyssal eyes.
“I do wish they’d stop staring though. It’s starting to get weird.” The female said with a tone of unease.
“Let’s bring them to the village and have Oracle translate. It’s probably just a misunderstanding,” the male responded.
“Right, there's nothing we can do about it now.” She plopped beside the male and both began to get ready to sleep the best one could on the hard floor.
I felt something poke into my side, causing me to jump. Dornucl had crawled over to me and began to speak in a whisper. “What do you want me to do?” I asked.
His frustrated look returned. “You're the first contact specialist, go first contact.”
“And their predators!” I said, raising my voice a little louder, “They’ll eat me!”
He groaned and put on a forced calm. “While I disagree with Jinsul’s reasoning, they haven’t eaten us yet and we all want it to stay that way. Now if they decide they do want to eat us, we don’t have any weapons that wouldn’t be suicidal to use. If we want to get out of this alive and well, we’ll have to at least communicate with them.”
Jinsul, who had been effortlessly eavesdropping on us, muttered something under his breath. Dornucl ignored him as he continued, “So please at least try. Even if you fail, we’re likely doomed anyway.”
As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I just wish it wasn’t me who had to do it or that I was the only one remotely qualified to do so. Haf was still unconscious, Plako looked on the brink of tears, Dornucl was just a scientist, and Jinsul wasn’t in the mood.
I gathered my strength and began running through what I could say. After a minute of idle thought, I came up with the only thing I could say. I stood up on quivering legs, took a brave step forward, and called upon the translator’s imparted knowledge.
“J-just so yo-you know, we’re not very tasty…and we’ll give you in-indigestion, so you shouldn’t eat us.” I felt like I was about to throw up.
The predators just stared at me, jaws agape and revealing menacing fangs. Jinsul nearly collapsed in renewed laughter. Dornucl buried his eyes into his tentacles and muttered something to himself.
“What was I supposed to say?” I said to Dornucl.
“ANYTHING BUT THAT!” he shot back.
Before I could snap back in frustration, the grey predator spoke.
“You speak our tongue the entire time? Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”
We paused, and even Jinsul stopped laughing like a madman. Wordlessly, Dornucl shoved me forward.
“N-no…” I stammered, “We have an implant in our heads that translates languages in real-time while allowing us to speak stored languages. It only just figured out your language just now.”
“So it’s a Mark of Communication?” It asked.
“I don’t–”
“No no,” the green one interrupted, “If they had one, then we wouldn’t be able to understand them.”
The grey one nodded sagely.
I had been expecting an equally long-winded and terrifying conversation about the plausibility of a universal translator and whether or not it was magic, not such a matter-of-fact statement. Before I could shake off the confusion, Dornucl suddenly spoke up, “What’s a mark of communication?"
“Definitely from beyond the wall,” the green one said to the grey.
The grey one nodded and turned back to us.
“A mark is a special gift, given only to one who reaches the top of Pebbles and meets with him, wherein he provides the mark and the knowledge necessary to complete the Pilgrimage. Did you receive your ‘translator’ from another like him?” They both seemed oddly interested in the answer.
“We made them,” I said, then quickly added, “The Federation did. We didn’t build them personally. Just to reiterate, you're not going to eat us, right?”
“Of course not.” The green one said, its voice rife with disgust. “Why do you–”
Jinsul swiftly cut it off.
“Do you think you win us over with such obvious deceptions?” Jinsul stood and sized up the predators, “I know this game. You’re just keeping us around till you get hungry. When I get off this rock, I’ll ensure the god’s wishes are seen through and this entire planet is burned from orbit!”
The predators seemed confused about what was said. The green one stepped too close to me, with nowhere to go, I froze and closed my eyes.
This is it Sefril. You knew this was coming. Don’t resist and maybe it will be–
“Is he okay?” it asked, feigning concern and pointing to a still-ranting Jinsul, “In, y’know…” it said as it tapped its claw against its head.
Jinsul paused momentarily as he took in what was just said, then began fuming again. “I DON’T HAVE BRAIN DAMAGE!” he shrieked.
It took a step back at the outburst. It put its arms out, but instead of lunging toward him, it seemed as though it was trying to shield itself from him, or at the very least keep him at a comfortable distance.
“I didn’t mean to offend,” It said, the translator framing it apologetically to my confusion, “I have a cousin who fell off a pole as a pup and landed on his head. You sorta act like him.”
Jinsul reached a new, as of yet unknown level of hate. He stood there for a second, simmering not unlike a faulty water boiler. Dornucl stepped behind him, raised some robust science thingy above his head, and brought it down on Jinsul’s.
Jinsul flopped to bring like a rag doll beside Haf. Everyone, including the predators, was speechless. Everyone except Dornucl.
“Everyone shut up!”, he said in a practical growl, “This is confusing for all of us, and antagonizing each other isn’t going to make this situation any better. Here’s how this will go: We’ll have a polite conversation, get to know each other, and then figure out what to do.”
He turns to the predators. “My name is Dornucl, and this is Sefril, Plako, Jinsul, and Haf. What’s your’s?”
“My name is Stone,” The grey-furred one responded, “And this is Light.” He said pointing to the green one.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Light said, not skipping a beat, “Where are you from?”
Oh boy, getting right into it.
“So…” I began, but Plako jabbed me.
“You can’t,” he whispered in a panic, “There are predators, if they find out about the federation it’ll be the Arxur all over again.”
I look nervously at Dornucl, who nods reassuringly. I take a deep breath. “I know, but they’ll find out sooner or later. Besides, they may be predators, but they are also primitives. We have a natural advantage, if not physically than technologically and intellectually.”
I returned my attention to ‘Light’ and ‘Stone’, who did their best not to look like they were eavesdropping. “As I was saying…this is a little complicated. You know the stars, right?”
They nodd.
“We are from the stars.”
They blinked at us. They glanced around at us, trying to read our expressions.
“What do you mean?” Stone asked hesitantly.
I took a deep breath and launched into an explanation. “You know how we are currently in this world? There are others like, very, very far away. So far away that if you spent your entire life running as fast as you could you’d never even glimpse it.”
“Then how did you come here?” Light asked, “Did you use magic like the Ancients did?”
I took a mental note to inquire more about these Ancients, then resumed. “No, we, and the Federation as a whole, use large machines called ‘spaceships’. Each is equipped with a device called a subspace drive, which allows for faster-than-light travel. With this, we can travel between stars in days, weeks, or months depending on the distance between the stars.”
“Hey, I’m pretty fast, but I don’t think that going faster than me would make much of a difference if it’s that far away.”
Stone let out a good-natured snicker. “I think she meant light from a lantern or the sun.”
“Ah,” she remarked, ears pressed back in mild embarrassment. She tilted her head in confusion, “But that sounds like magic to me.”
“It’s not, ok? It’s just science.” I say with a sigh. Surprisingly, the word science seemed to translate without much of a fuss and they even nodded along. Something else to look into.
Stone asked the dreaded question: “Then how does it work?”
“I don’t know but I’m sure Plako could give you a basic…” I began to say when Plako started to make wild motions, trying to communicate he had no idea how it worked without drawing attention. He succeeded in trying to tell me that while failing to stay incognito. The predators turn their piercing eyes on him.
“Don’t worry about him,” I say hastily before they can speak, “It’s not his specialty.”
“What’s his specialty?” Stone asked. Plako visibly cringed, but this time Dornucl saved him.
“Let’s save the more technical discussions for tomorrow. It’s late, and we’re all tired.”
Light gave Stone a look before turning back to us. “Agreed. We both had a rough cycle. We even died a few times.”
They settled down while we were left to ponder the absolute bombshell they had dropped on us. Plako seemed checked, while Dornucl and I just shared a look. I recalled what Jinsul had come up with and felt a pit form in my stomach.
“I’m sorry, what?” I asked dumbfounded.
Stone looked up from where she was cuddling up next to Light. “What do you mean? Was it something I said?”
“Yes, it was something you said,” I said while trying not to hyperventilate, “You said you died. What do you mean by that?”
Both predators looked confused. “You know, the Cycle. Wake up, Die, wake up. Don’t you have the Cycle where you’re from?”
“...no…” I say in an empty voice. “By any chance, you wouldn’t happen to remember these deaths as dreams?”
The predators gave me a look of confusion, before Light nodded. I stared for an eternity, and this time the predators were the ones to give us uncomfortable looks. They whispered between themselves, occasionally shooting glances back towards us though taking no other action.
Unfortunately, our solace from their gazes didn’t last, as Stone turned back to us. “I can see that there are certainly…things that need to be sorted out between us, but I think Door-Knuckle had the right idea.”
I nodded, barely registering what he was saying. The others muttered in half-hearted agreement. Satisfied, the predators continued to snuggle up beside each other. Within moments, they were fast asleep.
We stayed quiet for a long while. Plako crawled closer to Dornucl and me. “They’re lying, right? I mean, they have to be. It’s what predators do.”
I couldn’t muster myself to answer him. Dornucl seemed flustered.
“Say something…please…” Plako pleaded, raising his voice above the whisper he had it at before. Thankfully the predators didn’t wake. We just sat there, letting it all sink in.
“It’s…let’s…” Dornucl started to say, before settling on “Damn it.”
[First] [Previous] [Next]

Source: https://www.bungie.net/7/en/News/Article/twid-05-16-2024
This week in Destiny, we are a little over two weeks away from the launch of The Final Shape. From The Witness to the Dread to Prismatic to Exotic class items, and more, there are so many things to be excited about. And today, we have even more to share with you, including some system updates and reworks that will also happen at launch. So, without further ado, let’s get into it!
Topics for this week:

• Weapons tuning recap.
  
• Build your arsenal shorts.
  
• Enhanced perk updates.
  
• Memento changes.
  
• Reduced Fragment costs at Ikora in The Final Shape
  
• New boss profile for The Pantheon.
  
• Zero Hour Exotic mission is live.
  
• METORO webcomic feature.
  
• Destiny 2 Content Vault updates.
  

Weapons Tuning Recap

Image Link^imgur
Yesterday, we shared details about our plans for weapons tuning in The Final Shape. This includes a change to some weapon mod specs, weapon balancing, and perk updates. For more details, check out our Dev Insight: Weapons Tuning Preview blog.

Build Your Arsenal

As the excitement for The Final Shape is ramping up, we’re sharing a first look at some of the Exotic weapons and armor you can expect to see. Check them out and start cooking up those builds!

Microcosm Heavy Ammo Trace Rifle
Video Link
Khostov Auto Rifle
Video Link
Mataidoxia Warlock Exotic Chest Armor
Video Link
Gifted Conviction Hunter Exotic Chest Armor
Video Link
Hazardous Propulsion Titan Exotic Chest Armor
Video Link

Enhancement in The Final Shape

During the Lightfall year, players have gotten a taste of weapon enhancement with the raid Adept weapons from Root of Nightmares and Crota's End. In The Final Shape, you'll see that this system has undergone some upgrades, making enhancing your weapons easier and allowing us to comfortably expand this system to include more weapons. Here’s a quick recap on how weapon enhancement will work alongside some of the changes:

• Weapon enhancement allows the weapon to be upgraded to receive enhanced traits, a weapon level, and a memento socket. To upgrade your weapon, players can navigate to the inspection screen and insert the enhancement tier mod for standard currencies (raid Adept weapons will continue to use Spoils of Conquest).

Image Link^imgur

• Enhancement Tier 1:
  
  • Replaces your Masterwork and provides the weapon with an enhanced intrinsic that matches the stat of your old Masterwork.
  • Provides a weapon level, a date when you first enhanced the weapon, and a memento socket.
  • Raid Adepts only: Since these weapons have a base-crafted version, we want the Adept versions to feel like a meaningful upgrade. Therefore, these weapons can visit the Relic on Mars to adjust their first two columns (typically barrels/magazines) in a similar fashion to how crafted weapons can augment these perk columns.
• Enhancement Tier 2 (weapon level 11 requirement):
  
  • Once the player inserts this mod, the left column trait(s) will automatically be upgraded to their enhanced perks. If you have multiple perks, this will update all traits in the column. Players will not need to visit the Relic on Mars to update these traits anymore.
• Enhancement Tier 3 (weapon level 17 requirement):
  
  • Once the player applies this mod, the right column weapon trait perks will automatically be updated to be enhanced. Like the left column, this will upgrade all of the traits present and does not require visiting the Relic.

Image Link^imgur
We've heard the feedback that weapons should have more avenues to acquire enhanced traits. In The Final Shape, all new weapons will either be craftable or have access to weapon enhancement. In addition, weapons that remain active drops in the following activities will be eligible for enhancement:

• Vow of the Disciple raid Adepts
  
• Guardian Games
  
• King's Fall raid Adepts
  
• Gambit
  
• Competitive Crucible (all of them)
  
• Trials of Osiris
  
• Crucible
  
• Iron Banner
  
• Vanguard Ops
  
• Nightfalls
  
• Prophecy Dungeon
  

This will include older instances of these weapons, as long as they have an origin trait. Unfortunately, due to some technical constraints, there are a handful of weapons instances from before Season 17 that have origin traits and are active drops, but they will not be eligible for weapon enhancement. If a weapon is not actively dropping in these activities and playlists or it’s under the legacy focusing options, it will not be enhance-able when The Final Shape releases. If weapons are reissued and become a part of a playlist's active drops once again, we'll update older versions that have origin traits to enter weapon enhancement.

Mementos in The Final Shape

We've received a lot of feedback on weapon mementos, especially as new mementos have released in our seasonal events. In The Final Shape, we have a few changes coming that impact how you store mementos and apply them to your weapons.

• Crafted and enhanced weapons will no longer need to visit the Relic on Mars to apply mementos. Players can apply the memento of their choosing directly in the weapon inspection screen.
  
• Memento stack cap limits will be raised from 1 to 3.
  
• Mementos will no longer be stored alongside the player's consumables. When The Final Shape launches, your mementos under consumables will show as faded. Then, once the faded memento is dismantled, you'll see +1 memento added in the weapon inspection screen as a virtual currency. For players who figured out how to get around the original memento stack size limits, this will allow you to dismantle all those mementos safely, even if you temporarily go over the intended stack limit of three. If you are holding three (or more) of a particular memento, it will not drop again until you spend your mementos to be under the stack size limit of three.
  

Reduced Fragment Costs at Ikora In The Final Shape

Subclass Fragments purchasable from Ikora are expensive, particularly considering how many there are, especially for New Lights. In The Final Shape, we have reduced the cost of Fragments from 25000 Glimmer to 10000 Glimmer. Our goal here is to make these vital build-crafting elements more accessible for new and returning players.

The Pantheon Grows Stronger

Another week, and your task has become more difficult, Guardians. Rhulk, Disciple of the Witness, has joined The Pantheon, and we’ve gathered intel for your mission.
VANGUARD – GUARDIAN DISPATCH – ALL POINTS BULLETIN
DEFENDERS OF THE CITY,
You are tasked with the elimination of the following target:

-RHULK, DISCIPLE OF THE WITNESS-
Image Link^imgur
CLASSIFICATION

• The last-known Lubraean
  
• First Disciple of the Witness
  
• Other names: The Upender, Worm Father
  
• Dread
  
• Resonant
  

HAZARDS

• Darkness mastery
  
• Immeasurable strength and durability
  
• Powerful Lubrae’s Ruin Glaive
  
• Suns of Lubrae attack and debuff
  
• Savage Strike kick
  
• Umbral Suffocation attack
  
• Teleportation
  
• Resonant Spikes area effect
  
• Guardians rated Sigma-3 or lower are advised not to engage
  

INTEL

• Rhulk was born on the planet Lubrae, a world originally blessed by the Traveler that spiraled into an authoritarian regime when the Traveler left. Fueled by rage, Rhulk sought to destroy the regime, but his bloodlust led to being ostracized from his clan. Eventually, afraid of what he’d become, his clan attempted to kill him.
  
• Decrypted records from the Pyramid indicate that the Witness made contact with Rhulk during this time, restored him, and empowered him as the first Disciple. Rhulk took his vengeance on Lubrae, annihilating its parent star and destroying the planet.
  
• Vanguard power assessments place Rhulk far above any previous enemy faced by any Guardian. Battle scholars theorize the bold fireteam that stormed the sunken Pyramid only prevailed due to Rhulk’s humoring a fight to begin with. But prevail they did.
  

OF NOTE

• Hidden cipher-sequences buried in the symbols throughout have been decrypted by a pioneering Cryptarch, thanks to countless fireteams keeping the way clear. The solved sequence is believed to be astronomical coordinates to Lubrae. (Probe dispatched… awaiting arrival.)
  
• The creation of the Hive was majorly influenced by Rhulk. The first Disciple of the Witness subjugated the Worm mother, Xita, and forced her spawn into union with the Krill, which led to the Hive species and the Hive Gods themselves.
  
• Cryptarchs have uncovered communications between Rhulk and Savathûn in which Savathûn derides Rhulk’s simplicity as a tactician. According to the Witch Queen, the first Disciple only values strength, and his downfall will be his brute force approach to every situation.
  

Zero Hour Exotic Mission Is Live

Image Link^imgur
The Zero Hour Exotic mission is now live. If you haven’t jumped in yet, you can find it in the Into the Light node in the Director. Completing the mission in the required timeframe will earn you the Outbreak Perfected Exotic Pulse Rifle.
As we mentioned last week, we’re celebrating the release by asking you to share your favorite moments with TR3-VR. Post your favorite art, screenshots, videos, or memes — anything that shows your love for our favorite overly attached robot. Just use the hashtag #MyFriendTR3VR. We’ll be giving our favorites an Art or Movie of the Week emblem and sharing your creations in a future TWID.

METORO Webcomic Feature

Do you like cute webcomics? Of course you do! Check out these weekly panels from Japanese webcomic artist METORO that detail her first journey into Destiny 2! Remember what it was like the first time you got your hands on the Gjallarhorn? How about your first raid? Piecing together the story behind the Light and Darkness saga? Well, METORO has put her Destiny 2 adventures into art form. You can catch her original work over on TwitteX in Japanese or read it translated into English below:

METORO Discovers Destiny 2

Image Link^imgur
Image Link^imgur

METORO Challenges Onslaught

Image Link^imgur
Image Link^imgur

METORO Teaches a History Lesson

Image Link^imgur
Image Link^imgur

METORO Runs Vault of Glass

Image Link^imgur
Image Link^imgur

METORO Takes on The Pantheon

Image Link^imgur
Image Link^imgur

Player Support Report

"I would die for Archie” did not mean I wanted him to actively be the death of me.
Image Link^imgur
Known Issues List Help Forums Bungie Help Twitter

DESTINY CONTENT VAULT UPDATES

With the start of Year 7 of Destiny 2, on June 4 certain items will be deprecated from player inventories that correspond with vaulted activities and seasonal campaigns. They will then be moved into the Destiny Content Vault.
We have updated the Destiny Content Vault article to reflect these changes and created a new article fully outlining Items Being Deprecated at the Start of Year 7 for players to reference.

PARENTAL CONTROLS

Parents, guardians, and other responsible adults are now able to adjust their child’s Destiny 2 settings.
To set up parental controls, both the child and their adult need a Bungie.net account, and we will need to verify that the person providing consent and setting controls is an adult. We have created a Parental Controls Help article with details explaining how to create an account and instructions on linking it to your child's.
We have also updated our privacy policy. Please visit Bungie.net to create or manage your account and set your preferences today.

KNOWN ISSUES

While we continue investigating various known issues, here is a list of the latest issues that were reported to us in our #Help Forum:

• Capturing a zone in the Collision PvP game mode while having full super energy will slightly reduce Super energy.
  
• Tormentors can push turrets away in Onslaught with their slam or grab attacks.
  
• The Zero Deaths Triumph only unlocks when completing Zero Hour on the Legend difficulty, which should unlock on both Normal and Legend difficulties.
  

For a full list of emergent issues in Destiny 2, players can review our Known Issues article.
If you observe other issues, please report them to our #Help forum.

Who’s The Fairest Of Them All?

Image Link^imgur
This is what happens when someone asks you to draw your favorite Ghost Shell. The classic 77-way first-place tie.
Cheeese Lord on TwitteX
Image Link^imgur

A Titan’s Sacrifice

Image Link^imgur
Why does it always seem to be Titans dying in spectacular fashion? Is it because they are the bravest class, charging into battle to protect others without worrying about their own well-being? Uh... yeah, we can just go with that.
Movie of the Week:
[
Image Link^{imgur](https://twitter.com/famtom98/status/1788074319693992317)}
That’s everything we have for this week. Hopefully you’ve been having fun on the new PvP maps. We know there is a lot to do in these final weeks before The Final Shape, but if you haven’t checked the PvP maps out yet, jump into the New Territory playlist to give them a try. Not only are they beautiful and fun, you can also earn the Slaycation emblem by checking them out.
We’ll be back next week with another TWID and more details to share on The Final Shape. In the meantime, be good to each other, and thanks for hanging out with us.
Destiny 2 Community Team

Source: https://www.bungie.net/7/en/News/Article/twid-05-16-2024
This week in Destiny, we are a little over two weeks away from the launch of The Final Shape. From The Witness to the Dread to Prismatic to Exotic class items, and more, there are so many things to be excited about. And today, we have even more to share with you, including some system updates and reworks that will also happen at launch. So, without further ado, let’s get into it!
Topics for this week:

• Weapons tuning recap.
  
• Build your arsenal shorts.
  
• Enhanced perk updates.
  
• Memento changes.
  
• Reduced Fragment costs at Ikora in The Final Shape
  
• New boss profile for The Pantheon.
  
• Zero Hour Exotic mission is live.
  
• METORO webcomic feature.
  
• Destiny 2 Content Vault updates.
  

Weapons Tuning Recap

Image Link^imgur
Yesterday, we shared details about our plans for weapons tuning in The Final Shape. This includes a change to some weapon mod specs, weapon balancing, and perk updates. For more details, check out our Dev Insight: Weapons Tuning Preview blog.

Build Your Arsenal

As the excitement for The Final Shape is ramping up, we’re sharing a first look at some of the Exotic weapons and armor you can expect to see. Check them out and start cooking up those builds!

Microcosm Heavy Ammo Trace Rifle
Video Link
Khostov Auto Rifle
Video Link
Mataidoxia Warlock Exotic Chest Armor
Video Link
Gifted Conviction Hunter Exotic Chest Armor
Video Link
Hazardous Propulsion Titan Exotic Chest Armor
Video Link

Enhancement in The Final Shape

During the Lightfall year, players have gotten a taste of weapon enhancement with the raid Adept weapons from Root of Nightmares and Crota's End. In The Final Shape, you'll see that this system has undergone some upgrades, making enhancing your weapons easier and allowing us to comfortably expand this system to include more weapons. Here’s a quick recap on how weapon enhancement will work alongside some of the changes:

• Weapon enhancement allows the weapon to be upgraded to receive enhanced traits, a weapon level, and a memento socket. To upgrade your weapon, players can navigate to the inspection screen and insert the enhancement tier mod for standard currencies (raid Adept weapons will continue to use Spoils of Conquest).

Image Link^imgur

• Enhancement Tier 1:
  
  • Replaces your Masterwork and provides the weapon with an enhanced intrinsic that matches the stat of your old Masterwork.
  • Provides a weapon level, a date when you first enhanced the weapon, and a memento socket.
  • Raid Adepts only: Since these weapons have a base-crafted version, we want the Adept versions to feel like a meaningful upgrade. Therefore, these weapons can visit the Relic on Mars to adjust their first two columns (typically barrels/magazines) in a similar fashion to how crafted weapons can augment these perk columns.
• Enhancement Tier 2 (weapon level 11 requirement):
  
  • Once the player inserts this mod, the left column trait(s) will automatically be upgraded to their enhanced perks. If you have multiple perks, this will update all traits in the column. Players will not need to visit the Relic on Mars to update these traits anymore.
• Enhancement Tier 3 (weapon level 17 requirement):
  
  • Once the player applies this mod, the right column weapon trait perks will automatically be updated to be enhanced. Like the left column, this will upgrade all of the traits present and does not require visiting the Relic.

Image Link^imgur
We've heard the feedback that weapons should have more avenues to acquire enhanced traits. In The Final Shape, all new weapons will either be craftable or have access to weapon enhancement. In addition, weapons that remain active drops in the following activities will be eligible for enhancement:

• Vow of the Disciple raid Adepts
  
• Guardian Games
  
• King's Fall raid Adepts
  
• Gambit
  
• Competitive Crucible (all of them)
  
• Trials of Osiris
  
• Crucible
  
• Iron Banner
  
• Vanguard Ops
  
• Nightfalls
  
• Prophecy Dungeon
  

This will include older instances of these weapons, as long as they have an origin trait. Unfortunately, due to some technical constraints, there are a handful of weapons instances from before Season 17 that have origin traits and are active drops, but they will not be eligible for weapon enhancement. If a weapon is not actively dropping in these activities and playlists or it’s under the legacy focusing options, it will not be enhance-able when The Final Shape releases. If weapons are reissued and become a part of a playlist's active drops once again, we'll update older versions that have origin traits to enter weapon enhancement.

Mementos in The Final Shape

We've received a lot of feedback on weapon mementos, especially as new mementos have released in our seasonal events. In The Final Shape, we have a few changes coming that impact how you store mementos and apply them to your weapons.

• Crafted and enhanced weapons will no longer need to visit the Relic on Mars to apply mementos. Players can apply the memento of their choosing directly in the weapon inspection screen.
  
• Memento stack cap limits will be raised from 1 to 3.
  
• Mementos will no longer be stored alongside the player's consumables. When The Final Shape launches, your mementos under consumables will show as faded. Then, once the faded memento is dismantled, you'll see +1 memento added in the weapon inspection screen as a virtual currency. For players who figured out how to get around the original memento stack size limits, this will allow you to dismantle all those mementos safely, even if you temporarily go over the intended stack limit of three. If you are holding three (or more) of a particular memento, it will not drop again until you spend your mementos to be under the stack size limit of three.
  

Reduced Fragment Costs at Ikora In The Final Shape

Subclass Fragments purchasable from Ikora are expensive, particularly considering how many there are, especially for New Lights. In The Final Shape, we have reduced the cost of Fragments from 25000 Glimmer to 10000 Glimmer. Our goal here is to make these vital build-crafting elements more accessible for new and returning players.

The Pantheon Grows Stronger

Another week, and your task has become more difficult, Guardians. Rhulk, Disciple of the Witness, has joined The Pantheon, and we’ve gathered intel for your mission.
VANGUARD – GUARDIAN DISPATCH – ALL POINTS BULLETIN
DEFENDERS OF THE CITY,
You are tasked with the elimination of the following target:

-RHULK, DISCIPLE OF THE WITNESS-
Image Link^imgur
CLASSIFICATION

• The last-known Lubraean
  
• First Disciple of the Witness
  
• Other names: The Upender, Worm Father
  
• Dread
  
• Resonant
  

HAZARDS

• Darkness mastery
  
• Immeasurable strength and durability
  
• Powerful Lubrae’s Ruin Glaive
  
• Suns of Lubrae attack and debuff
  
• Savage Strike kick
  
• Umbral Suffocation attack
  
• Teleportation
  
• Resonant Spikes area effect
  
• Guardians rated Sigma-3 or lower are advised not to engage
  

INTEL

• Rhulk was born on the planet Lubrae, a world originally blessed by the Traveler that spiraled into an authoritarian regime when the Traveler left. Fueled by rage, Rhulk sought to destroy the regime, but his bloodlust led to being ostracized from his clan. Eventually, afraid of what he’d become, his clan attempted to kill him.
  
• Decrypted records from the Pyramid indicate that the Witness made contact with Rhulk during this time, restored him, and empowered him as the first Disciple. Rhulk took his vengeance on Lubrae, annihilating its parent star and destroying the planet.
  
• Vanguard power assessments place Rhulk far above any previous enemy faced by any Guardian. Battle scholars theorize the bold fireteam that stormed the sunken Pyramid only prevailed due to Rhulk’s humoring a fight to begin with. But prevail they did.
  

OF NOTE

• Hidden cipher-sequences buried in the symbols throughout have been decrypted by a pioneering Cryptarch, thanks to countless fireteams keeping the way clear. The solved sequence is believed to be astronomical coordinates to Lubrae. (Probe dispatched… awaiting arrival.)
  
• The creation of the Hive was majorly influenced by Rhulk. The first Disciple of the Witness subjugated the Worm mother, Xita, and forced her spawn into union with the Krill, which led to the Hive species and the Hive Gods themselves.
  
• Cryptarchs have uncovered communications between Rhulk and Savathûn in which Savathûn derides Rhulk’s simplicity as a tactician. According to the Witch Queen, the first Disciple only values strength, and his downfall will be his brute force approach to every situation.
  

Zero Hour Exotic Mission Is Live

Image Link^imgur
The Zero Hour Exotic mission is now live. If you haven’t jumped in yet, you can find it in the Into the Light node in the Director. Completing the mission in the required timeframe will earn you the Outbreak Perfected Exotic Pulse Rifle.
As we mentioned last week, we’re celebrating the release by asking you to share your favorite moments with TR3-VR. Post your favorite art, screenshots, videos, or memes — anything that shows your love for our favorite overly attached robot. Just use the hashtag #MyFriendTR3VR. We’ll be giving our favorites an Art or Movie of the Week emblem and sharing your creations in a future TWID.

METORO Webcomic Feature

Do you like cute webcomics? Of course you do! Check out these weekly panels from Japanese webcomic artist METORO that detail her first journey into Destiny 2! Remember what it was like the first time you got your hands on the Gjallarhorn? How about your first raid? Piecing together the story behind the Light and Darkness saga? Well, METORO has put her Destiny 2 adventures into art form. You can catch her original work over on TwitteX in Japanese or read it translated into English below:

METORO Discovers Destiny 2

Image Link^imgur
Image Link^imgur

METORO Challenges Onslaught

Image Link^imgur
Image Link^imgur

METORO Teaches a History Lesson

Image Link^imgur
Image Link^imgur

METORO Runs Vault of Glass

Image Link^imgur
Image Link^imgur

METORO Takes on The Pantheon

Image Link^imgur
Image Link^imgur

Player Support Report

"I would die for Archie” did not mean I wanted him to actively be the death of me.
Image Link^imgur
Known Issues List Help Forums Bungie Help Twitter

DESTINY CONTENT VAULT UPDATES

With the start of Year 7 of Destiny 2, on June 4 certain items will be deprecated from player inventories that correspond with vaulted activities and seasonal campaigns. They will then be moved into the Destiny Content Vault.
We have updated the Destiny Content Vault article to reflect these changes and created a new article fully outlining Items Being Deprecated at the Start of Year 7 for players to reference.

PARENTAL CONTROLS

Parents, guardians, and other responsible adults are now able to adjust their child’s Destiny 2 settings.
To set up parental controls, both the child and their adult need a Bungie.net account, and we will need to verify that the person providing consent and setting controls is an adult. We have created a Parental Controls Help article with details explaining how to create an account and instructions on linking it to your child's.
We have also updated our privacy policy. Please visit Bungie.net to create or manage your account and set your preferences today.

KNOWN ISSUES

While we continue investigating various known issues, here is a list of the latest issues that were reported to us in our #Help Forum:

• Capturing a zone in the Collision PvP game mode while having full super energy will slightly reduce Super energy.
  
• Tormentors can push turrets away in Onslaught with their slam or grab attacks.
  
• The Zero Deaths Triumph only unlocks when completing Zero Hour on the Legend difficulty, which should unlock on both Normal and Legend difficulties.
  

For a full list of emergent issues in Destiny 2, players can review our Known Issues article.
If you observe other issues, please report them to our #Help forum.

Who’s The Fairest Of Them All?

Image Link^imgur
This is what happens when someone asks you to draw your favorite Ghost Shell. The classic 77-way first-place tie.
Cheeese Lord on TwitteX
Image Link^imgur

A Titan’s Sacrifice

Image Link^imgur
Why does it always seem to be Titans dying in spectacular fashion? Is it because they are the bravest class, charging into battle to protect others without worrying about their own well-being? Uh... yeah, we can just go with that.
Movie of the Week:
[
Image Link^{imgur](https://twitter.com/famtom98/status/1788074319693992317)}
That’s everything we have for this week. Hopefully you’ve been having fun on the new PvP maps. We know there is a lot to do in these final weeks before The Final Shape, but if you haven’t checked the PvP maps out yet, jump into the New Territory playlist to give them a try. Not only are they beautiful and fun, you can also earn the Slaycation emblem by checking them out.
We’ll be back next week with another TWID and more details to share on The Final Shape. In the meantime, be good to each other, and thanks for hanging out with us.
Destiny 2 Community Team

First/Previous
"Watch out!" Jack yelled out to the crowd as the now-glowing overhead turrets, long dormant and forgotten, suddenly whirred to life with a mechanical hum, tracking his movements as he ran, shoving past a group of unsuspecting Xarak to the side as he moved to dodge the torrent of rapid fire aimed right at him, kicking up smoke as the superheated plasma churned the ground underneath him, before the sound of gunfire abruptly stopped.
"Fucking overheating shittubes!" the voice on the speakers cursed. "The Outsider is by the two broken pillars!"
"I see him!" a voice replied from out of the crowd as Jack got his bearings, spotting a group of three uniformed soldiers rushing towards him. As the leader moved to stab him with a nasty-looking barbed shortspear, Jack quickly juked the direction he intended to dodge, dipping to the right as he smashed the avian in the stomach with a vicious kick, shuffling back as he caught the blade of the second soldier with his bracer before throwing them off balance, lashing back at the first with his elbow as he did.
He moved to check the third that was moving to take a swing at him with a bat, but before Jack could do so the soldier was suddenly yanked back as a long, coiled leather whip snapped around them. Following along, Jack spotted an older grey-skinned ganger in black leathers with a coarse, black beard to match his scraggly hair sat down with his back to a wall, casually drinking a beer as he observed the chaos with a mischievous smirk.
As the soldier pulled back his bat to strike the interloper, the ganger grinned and looked down where his legs were already spread wide, revealing a strange metal crotch plate. Suddenly making a jerking motion with one of his legs, the plate flipped up to reveal the barrel of a huge codpiece gun that flipped up to point directly at the soldier, before it fired once, catching the solder completely by surprise as the top of their body was utterly obliterated by a bolt of powerful plasma energy. Smirking, the ganger gave Jack a wink, chugging down the rest of his drink, before charging into the brawl.
Hearing an almighty roar, Jack turned around only to be knocked back yet again as a broken, avian body was roughly lobbed at him, staggering him backwards as the Redeemer turned to the last of the bird-like gangsters, picking him up with immense strength and smashing them to the ground before advancing towards the human more cautiously this time, shoving drunken brawlers out of the way.
“I have long waited for this moment, Outsider. With your death, my King shall grant you redemption!” The Redeemer snarled. Now having a good look at him, Jack couldn’t see any visible weapons on him, which was strange. Last time, he’d brought a gunship and was taking potshots at him with some kind of high-powered rifle. Then again, considering what happened last time, maybe The Redeemer wanted the satisfaction of using his bare hands to beat him to death.
It wouldn’t be a terrible plan considering everything the Ogar had pulled off so far…
While sports on Earth were often separated by gender, despite some resistance from the more liberal-minded, due to biological differences between men and women, combat sports were a whole different game, with mixed martial arts organisations having very specific weight classes for fair competition between athletes, with two fighters of similar size and weight less likely to cause serious injury to each other.
But if you placed an experienced lightweight against even a novice heavyweight? That would introduce major problems for the smaller fighter, who would need to contend with the extra size, reach and power of their larger opponent. Not an impossible fight, but a tough one.
And Jack very much felt like a lightweight here.
Though of course, he had faced larger opponents before. Even an Ogar, though they had defeated the Laird with a cunning trap. However, he didn’t know how well matched he and The Redeemer were in a fair close-range fight outside of the opening moments of the ambush.
Still, he had little choice but to find out. He didn’t have an easy way to escape, and he didn’t know what the status of the others was. If he ran while they were still here then The Redeemer and the Regulators would simply go after them instead to get to him…
No. He couldn’t allow those thoughts to shake him. His friends knew what the hell they were doing, and they could handle themselves just fine. He had to worry about himself right now.
He couldn’t run, so he had to fight.
With a speed he didn’t expect from The Redeemer, they grabbed a nearby chair and lobbed it right at Jack in one smooth motion before following through with another charge.
‘Aegis!’ Jack yelled as he brought his forearm up, as his new and improved shield eagerly sprung up to take the hit from the chair, before a fist smacked into the side of his head as The Redeemer used the chair as a distraction to change his angle of attack.
Spinning with the blow, Jack fought in his mind to stay in the fight as his vision blurred, with the powerful strike threatening to knock him out then and there, before another fist caught him in the stomach, with his battleskin dispersing a hit that would have otherwise easily taken the air out of his lungs.
Retracting his shield, Jack ducked another punch that threatened to decapitate him as he skidded under the blow, parrying a backfist with his forearm that tingled painfully as he ate the blow, before clocking the Redeemer with a punch to the jaw, his gauntlet extending to cover his knuckles with a well-forged plate of metal to add their power to the strike, before the Redeemer threw out a punch that caught him on the shoulder, sending the deathworlder reeling back.
Jack grit his teeth as he fought through the pain, adrenaline rushing through him. He wasn’t out of the fight yet, but he knew he’d gotten the worst of that engagement.
The Redeemer clearly understood this as well, as the zealot strode towards the human with a confident, wicked grin.
But this time, Jack was ready.
‘Caltrops’ Jack whispered the command word, as his gauntlets gave him a good handful of them, subtly tossing them in front of him with an underhand throw, which had gone unnoticed by the Redeemer as they stared at the human with hatred.
Suddenly dashing forward to quickly close the remaining distance between them, the Redeemer roared as he charged Jack again, suddenly grunting in pain and stumbling as his full, heavy mass sent a sharp, painful spike straight through his armoured boot, causing him to lose focus as he looked down at his foot for just a moment to see what had happened.
A moment of distraction that Jack used to its fullest, as he quickly swung his axe down right at The Redeemer’s head.
However, the Ogar reacted with surprising dexterity as he used his forward momentum to avoid the full force of the axeblade, his metal helmet taking a glancing blow as he shoved Jack off balance, causing him to stumble. Quickly predicting what would come next, Jack dropped his axe on purpose as he prepared for a takedown attempt, dropping low and widening his stance as the Redeemer tackled him around the waist to try and bring him to the ground for a quick finish.
“There will be no salvation for you, human!” The Ogar growled through his pain as Jack was forced back by the Redeemer’s superior strength.
“Aww, did you miss me?” Jack taunted, holding on and walking back with the ever increasing momentum The Redeemer was building as he was pushed back along the dancefloor. “I saw your tantrum on the TV afterwards, didn’t know you were a bitch too!”
‘That’s it, asshole.’ Jack thought to himself as he felt his axe clip back onto his back. ‘Get mad. You showed me last time that you like to talk too much. I need to time this right…'
“Your blasphemy ends here Outsider! I shall smite you in the name of my King!” The insane zealot roared out in an enraged challenge.
With a roar the Redeemer pushed with much greater strength, forcing Jack to change his slow backpedalling into a full on sprint as he scrambled to stay on his feet, fighting to keep his grip above that of the Redeemer’s to maintain his control of the grapple for as long as he could as he was gradually being put off-balance, almost being lifted upwards.
‘I’ve got to hold on until the last possible moment…’ Jack thought to himself, as tables, chairs and people alike were battered to the side.
‘Now!’
As the wooden pillar supporting the balcony passed them in a blur, Jack shifted his weight to the left and relinquished the grapple, using the Redeemer’s momentum against him as he shoved the Redeemer off balance, as they smashed into the crumbling brick wall head first with an almighty crash.
As they stumbled back, yanking their head back out through the newly formed hole, Jack growled as grabbed the Redeemer around the top of one of his legs, yelling with effort as he was only just able to lift the Redeemer up and over him, slamming the Ogar down on the top of his head as hard as he could in a vicious suplex that gave a satisfying crack.
Growling with effort, the Redeemer pushed himself back into a crouch and looked up just in time as Jack’s foot smacked into the side of his head in a savage kick that cracked his metal helmet and dislodged one of his fangs. Roaring in rage and pain, the Redeemer got to his feet only to meet a flying knee that shattered his nose as his helmet cracked and dented with the heavy impacts.
“Redeem that you ugly cunt!” Jack growled, moving in for another strike as the Redeemer shoved him away, showing no signs of faltering as he slowly got to his feet, even after the devastating blows he just took. The Redeemer simply gave Jack a wicked grin of satisfaction, before it fell slightly upon seeing something to Jack’s side.
As Jack’s Ring of the Berserker vibrated again, he spun around to spot a large, lanky Vivren with several piercings in overt heavy armour grinning at him with malicious intent as she pointed a wand at him and cast a word of power.
Before he had any time to react, Jack’s entire body erupted in a wave of agony unlike anything he had ever felt before…
*****
“Fuck! Alora! Sephy? Chiyo? Dante?” Nika coughed as she got up from where the balcony had collapsed from under them.
Looking around, she could see even more patrons fighting around them, revelling in the chaos of the brawl, but she couldn’t spot any of her friends in the immediate aftermath, as thick dust plumed out from the wreckage below her.
‘At least the crew of the ship we’re meant to be travelling on are probably out by now.’ The Kizun thought to herself. ‘Can’t go back, the CorvMart crew will have moved on by now, so sticking to the original plan is probably the best move, unless we can steal a vehicle one of us knows how to pilot.’
Assessing the situation before her, Nika went for her bo staff, though made sure that her shotgun was well within easy reach. Though many of the people fighting around her looked rough, they weren’t attacking her or her friends, and until that changed they could make good allies of convenience, or for a smokescreen to give their enemies the slip if they had to run.
Though slaying as many of their attackers as they could would be preferable.
‘Best way to do that is link up with the others, we’re better as a unit.’ She reasoned, hearing an almighty crash. ‘Well, that’s probably Jack.’
Dodging a thrown bottle as a Squarri ganger missed their intended target - a pissed-off looking quadrupedal furry species that Nika didn’t recognise - before dodging a swing of a bat from a Xarak that saw her as an easy target. Quickly raising her staff she parried the backswing before cracking the other end of the staff across the reptilian’s face, knocking the rough-looking thug out as he collapsed to the ground.
Yet before Nika could think to move on from the conflict, she had to dodge out of the way using her tail as a large Balnath with some kind of cleaver-like sword took a swing at her. Recognising the sigil of the Regulator group Chiyo had told them to watch out for - a stern-looking demonic rune surrounded by a neon-red triangle - Nika parried the next sword swipe from the figure.
“Let me guesth, you want to get to the Outthider?” The Balnath sneered at the Kizun with a lisp so thick that in any other situation she’d have to stop herself from laughing. “I’m stho thorry, but we can’t let you have sthilly ideas like that!”
“Are you for fucking real?” Nika asked as she dodged to the side and put some space between them before quickly switching to her shotgun, letting loose a powerful blast that the Balnath was able to raise his shield up to block.
‘Skill like that? Probably the leader or an officer of some kind.’ The Kizun noted to herself. ‘No choice. I’ve got to kill him.’
“Yeah, I know that you’re finking! You fink my teef make me sound sthupid?” The Balnath growled, with a few experimental chomps. “Well these teef like to gnaw and gnasth on Kizun flesth!”
“Come and try it!” Nika snarled as she twirled her staff around her in a well-practised flourish, eagerly accepting the challenge.
The Balnath charged forward with lightning speed as it came at Nika with a series of feints, before swiping at her with a brutal overhand chop, using both hands. The Kizun was able to deftly parry with her staff, the kinetic modules battering her opponent’s grip to the side, though she felt the strength behind the blow and knew that the Balnath was stronger.
Still, she knew she could take him.
Ever since she was little she had roughhoused with her brothers and the local boys in fights around their ranch, and had learned the hard way from an early age that her gender and short build worked against her when facing her peers, so she had trained to be the strongest she could be, and learned to be quick and tactical to make the best use of that.
She had eventually kept up with the neighbourhood boys, using holds and precise strikes until her elders found out what she was doing when she was meant to be working on the ranch to help the family scrape by, and quickly put a stop to the shenanigans.
When she moved to the city, she only got better from there.
The tip of her staff thundered against the Balnath’s shield like the striking of a gong, forcing the larger being back as Nika could tell he was already tiring. Though she wanted to finish this fight quickly and get to her friends, she knew she couldn’t allow herself to give her opponent an opening, even as she sought to exploit an opening of her own. She had to be patient.
Her staff rattled against the shield again and again, as she felt her opponent’s defence get weaker and weaker, with the powerful force of her kinetic module focusing the strength of her strikes into a single point. Eventually something would break, his shield of his arm. Once his defences were finally down, she would go in swiftly for the kill.
Her opponent’s frustration won out as his shield shattered and fell to the floor, forcing him to attack Nika with a vicious two handed swipe. She blocked the strike handily, before the Balnath grabbed her staff, locking them in a clinch.
“Giff me sthome help over ‘ere!” The Balnath called out, as Nika reached for a knife, forcing the Balnath to adjust his stance as she stabbed blindly, glancing off armoured plates before finding purchase somewhere, causing her attacker to grunt with pain as he shoved her back, holding her up against a wall.
‘Shit.’ She cursed in her mind. ‘He’s stronger than me, but all I need is a moment to take him by surprise and I can break away and kill him!’
She held strong with her arms, holding the Balnath back as his jaws snapped shut barely an inch away from her neck. He tried again, and she pushed back harder, the jaws snapping shut around nothing, but much closer this time.
He tried again, bringing his vicious maw even closer still…
‘Gotcha!’ Nika thought to herself, as she jerked her head forward in a headbutt, catching the Balnath by surprise and giving the Kizun the space she needed to bring her knees up to her chin, before kicking out as hard as she could into the face of the Balnath, knocking him back with a roar of pain, before he leapt forward with a side swipe that Nika used her tail to quickly dodge, before in the same motion she brought the tip of her staff round and smacked the Balnath as hard as she could, right in the face, the powerful strike shattering its lower jaw completely.
“My fathce!” the attacker got out, clutching what little remained of his lower jaw, before looking up in the next moment as they stared down the barrel of Nika’s shotgun.
“Plea-” They got out, before their head was obliterated in an explosion of dark, blackish blood as their body clattered uselessly to the ground.
“Fuck you.” The Kizun retorted. Using her tail to quickly clip the sword to the magnets of her armour, Nika could see more Regulators in the crowd heading towards the DJ booth. Quickly checking her weapons, she headed right into the brawl!
*****
“You don’t belong here, girlie!” the thug cackled as their cybernetic arm crackled with electric discharge.
“Replacto!” Alora snarled as she swiped her wand out, blasting her attacker with a sudden flash of light that sent him stumbling back, clutching at his eyes.
“Anyone else?” Alora asked, trying her best to channel Nika’s cool, calm demeanour, crossed with Jack’s intimidating presence as the cluster of gangers and mercenaries all looked around at each other for just a moment, before deciding that the Eladrie wasn’t actually that intimidating, as one tried to rush her with a broken chair.
‘Oh by the Mother Tree! How do those two do it?’ Alora cursed in her mind as she summoned her spiritual weapon - a spear of light - that she quickly stabbed at the fish-like Osi, gutting them in the stomach which quickly made them drop the chair, while Alora wisely moved to the side to get out of the vicious melee happening all around her. Where were the others?
‘I have to make sure they’re all right.’ the Eladrie determinedly told herself as she began casting another, more complicated spell…
“Attention all idiots!” The voice over the speakers sneered out over the ever-changing music that the DJ didn’t seem to have any control over. “We discussed this. Though the Outsider is a priority, you target the spellcasters first if you can! Must I do everything myself?”
Thrumming with sudden power, the turrets above them finally opened fire, shooting almost indiscriminately at the crowd below, cutting several of the brawling patrons down before they even knew what hit them.
Chanting and waving her hands around as quickly as she dared, Alora maintained her concentration of her spell, completing it just in time as the turrets finally tracked her as she summoned a great holy aura of light to cover herself that would give her the protection she needed, the Armour of Faith deflecting the lights of the laser turrets harmlessly aside.
A loud bark sounded out, and knowing Dante’s warning for what it was, Alora spun around to see two Regulators, who were both Vulstas fighting through the brawl to get to her. Unlike Rena, these two were males, both carrying plasma shotguns but unable to get effective shots off through the crowd. Not that something like that stopped them from trying…
“Stevarin!” she yelled out, pointing her wand at one of the two who was about to open fire on a downed ganger, as with a flash of yellow light their movements slowed, quickly freezing stiff as a board as they failed to resist the Holding spell, their eyes widening in sheer terror as the gang-mates of their would-be-victim set upon them in a fury with fists and clubs, before a spell cast from the rafters sent all of them clattering to the ground clutching at their minds.
‘One of the enemy mages providing overwatch.’ Alora noted as she quickly looked up for any sign of them, but not seeing them. ‘Under a veil of invisibility no doubt.’
Feeling the dull impact of a shotgun blast dissipate harmlessly against her magical armour, Alora spun round to the other Regulator, cursing her moment of hesitation as the Vulsta drew a long knife with which to get in close with.
Remembering her fight with Izadora all those weeks ago, Alora waved her arms around quickly to summon a bubble of light to engulf her, before quickly following it up with an explosive flash that thundered all around her like a flashbang grenade, while leaving her unharmed.
As the light dissipated, she deftly avoided the blind lunge from the temporarily blinded Regulator, before jamming her spear into his stomach, using her reach advantage to dodge the desperate swipes he sent her way.
“Garrash!” Alora spoke a quick cantrip, using her affinity with life magic to channel poison through the top of her spear. Her already-weakened attacker quickly slumped to the ground as the debilitating effects took hold, but before Alora could pull her spear back, she was hit by a spell that came from above, disrupting her magic and causing her magical spear and armour to disappear.
‘Damn! It’s that mage above me!’ Alora cursed to herself as she quickly ran underneath one of the balconies, as the turrets chased after her with gunfire. ‘You want to hide in the shadows like a coward? I’ve got something to fix that!’
Quickly making sure there weren’t any immediate threats around, Alora quickly rummaged through her pockets for a wand of white crystal she had prepared about a year ago that still had a few charges. Casting quickly, she levelled it towards the ceiling and prayed to all the gods that she was aiming it at where the enemy mage was hiding,
“Glitasha!”
A spray of shining, sparkling particles of light shot out of her wand, puffing out to cover a good half of the ceiling, and as they began to fall to the floor and latch on to the people below, Alora spotted a huddled form by one of the rafters.
‘Got you!’ She thought with satisfaction.
“Ilthax! Get out of there!” The voice over the speakers warned, presumably the name of her target, but it was too late…
“Solaris!” Alora yelled, throwing her palms out in a thrust as a great javelin of light shot out of her palms. The enemy mage had barely moved before it impaled their centre of mass, sending what must have been a fireball spell way off target which blasted apart a huge, gaping hole in the back wall.
The invisible form of the glitterdust-covered mage slowly began to materialise as the blue-furred, ape-like Regulator clutched at their chest in pain, with wide eyes of disbelief at the spear of hard light that had gone right through their torso. As their flight spell dissipated, their lifeless body fell three stories from the rafters to slam down on the ground floor below.
“Nice one Alora!” the Eladrie heard the voice call from behind her as Nika came up next to her, the Kizun bleeding from a cut on her face. “Where are the others?”
“I don’t know. But we need to find them now!” Alora frantically told them as she took in the sheer state of chaos around them. Many broken bodies lay amongst the carnage, and though the Eladrie knew some would likely be still alive at the end of the night, she knew that many would not.
“You don’t need to tell me twice!” Nika agreed with a grim expression.
*****
First/Previous
Looks like Jack, Nika and Alora are holding on for now! But how long can they keep it up?
Don't forget to check out The Galactic High Info Sheet! If you want to remind yourself of certain characters and factions. One new chapter a week can seem like a while! Don't forget! You all have the ability to leave comments and notes to the entries, which I encourage you to do!
I am now on Royal Road! I would appreciate your support in getting myself off the ground there with your lovely comments, reviews and likes!
If you're impatient for the next chapter, why not check out my previous series?
As always I love to see the comments on what you guys think!
Don't forget to join the discussion with us on Discord, and consider checking me out on Youtube if you haven't already! Until next week, it's goodbye for now!

Campus: The University straddles the old and the new. It turns 150 next year and it has a traditional, collegiate, brick and ivy campus. Classical architecture, a sprawling Jeffersonian quad, and designated a state arboretum. Pair that with almost $1 billion in construction in the last 15 years. New library, residence halls, math and science building, engineering building, business building under construction. Also recently acquired Sierra Nevada University which is now a satellite campus called the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe.
Why underrated? 1. National brand hasn’t caught up with the enormous growth in recent years and 2. Perceptions of campus are tied to perceptions of the city of Reno.
Location: Reno, Nevada is probably most known for casinos, desert, and Reno 911. Less known is that Reno is situated in a beautiful valley on the eastern front of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 4 seasons, 300+ days of sunshine and unparalleled access to the outdoors. 35 minutes from campus to the chairlift at Mt. Rose ski resort and less than an hour to 10 different ski and snowboard resorts including Palisades, home of the 1960 winter Olympics. 45 minutes from campus to the beaches of Lake Tahoe and everything the Tahoe basin has to offer. Hiking, mountain biking, snow shoeing, you name it. The city itself is transforming its local economy to include a huge range of engineering firms, tech startups, government contractors, advanced manufacturing, and logistics. It’s also driving distance to major NorCal population centers. 2 hours to Sac, 4 hours to SF and Silicon Valley.
Why underrated? Reno NV is known more for being the butt of jokes and less known for its incredible access to the outdoors and growing tech-focused economy.
Academics: 145 undergraduate programs, each with their own unique bright spots. The most prominent programs right now are probably within the College of Engineering because of the huge investment in facilities and faculty. There are the big, popular standbys like CS with great connections to Silicon Valley that send a lot of students to the bay area for summer internships. But there’s also great niche programs like batteries and energy storage systems. Nursing attracts a lot of students because of our partnership with local hospitals and recent ranking as the top nursing program in the country. Pre-med programs are always popular with well-established pathway programs like Biochem and Molecular Bio, Biomed engineering, Public Health, etc. These are also strengthened by close ties to the University of Nevada Medical School on the north end of campus with many faculty teaching at both the undergrad and MD level. And for those that just want to make lots of money right out of college we’ve got some incredibly in-demand earth science programs (Geophysics, Mining Engineering, Hydrogeology, etc.) that supply Nevada’s hugely important mining industry.
Why underrated? Universities that admit elite high school students should be expected to produce elite college graduates. But that’s not necessarily indicative of institutional quality, it’s just indicative of how well the admissions office curated a class of high achievers. What’s impressive is admitting a wide swath of the population and then transforming that diverse group of students in to capable graduates who are ready to go off and live happy, healthy, productive lives.
Student Life: NCAA Division 1 sports, Greek Life, 200+ clubs and orgs, award winning student newspaper, and incredible study abroad program. No matter how you want to spend your time outside of the classroom you’ll find your people. There’s always something happening on or around campus and one thing you’ll notice when you visit is how much school pride everyone has.
Why underrated? Maybe if our athletics office had more success it would be better known but I think our students can take pride in the fact that their tuition doesn’t supplement a huge bloated athletics office. But you’ll still regularly catch Nevada on the national stage in NCAA tournaments or bowl games.
Cost/Financial aid: This is a big one for me. Full cost of attendance (tuition, fees, room, board, and books) for an out of state student is about $40,000. Most of our out of state students come from western states and qualify for WUE which drops it to $27,000. In state students pay $23,000. Most R1 schools in the west aren’t as generous with WUE and so for many students looking at our peers they can expect to pay closer to UC Davis’ (next geographically closest R1) whopping $72,000.
Why underrated? The way I like to frame it to prospective students is this: Let’s say you’d pay $45k more per year (Davis 72k minus our WUE 27k) to go to a different R1 research university. That’s $180k more for a bachelor’s degree. The list of schools and programs where it makes sense to spend that extra $180k is very, very short.

Any thoughts on how to build this ship? I know it’s not really strong right now but I got one really cheap and want to fly it about a bit in some casual games.

My first soulslike was Bloodbourne. It was the second game I ever purchased on my PS4. I remember making it out of the first room and into the courtyard and instinctually looking around for secrets/drops/items, etc. I had no idea what a “soulslike” was. I remember an enemy that walked back and forth down an alleyway between two building. Decided to fight him so I could nab the “sweet loot” that was surely hidden here. He beat my ass non-stop. I progressively got slightly better, and maybe after an hour or so, I finally beat him. He dropped NOTHING. There was NOTHING in the alley and it lead nowhere! This game felt like a total waste of time with absolutely no reward. Turned off the game and never turned it back on again.
Fast forward to 2022. Elden Ring releases and everyone is singing its praises. I hear it’s a “soulslike”, so I choose not to buy it, but I watched a ton of gameplay and the game looked intriguing as hell.
A few weeks ago, I watched a video by moistcritikal about Another Crab’s Treasure. I was playing Stellar Blade at the time (phenomenal game, btw) and decided to download ACT after a platinumed Stellar.
I LOVED ACT. Like a ton. It was fantastic. And it left me with both a whole to fill and an itch to scratch. Didn’t know if I could do a Dark Souls game after hearing how difficult they were, and I was intimidated by the bosses of Elden Ring. Before knowing ANYTHING about the game, I decided to pick up a copy of “Lies of P”.
Hardest. Game. I’ve. Ever. Played. But I love it. And I’m enjoying it. I’m about 10 hours in on Isabelle Rose street. I hear the game only gets harder, and I’m honestly intimidated.
As someone who has never played a soulslike (besides ACT), how scared should I be? Do y’all have any hope in me beating the game?
Thank you!

i wonder why people compare pc to console when a pc is something for working ,software , building/creating, gaming a bunch of things but a console is just well a console i own a console and use mt girls pc i also have a laptop and currently saving for a switch and a new pc.
as a gamer i like gaming on pc and console, lately i find myself coming home turning my console on and game then i do my night routine and sleep. the more and more i play less i do on a pc just cause I'm tired and its easier to turn on my console and press a bottom and continue where i left off, i love gaming on a pc and seeing crazy fps and 1440p.
all the good stuff its nice, but i just realize that when i play on a console i don't even mind gaming on 60fps, the pc community is a bit like what's next what's new and i want a million fps mentality and i notice i don't care about the looks i never did i care about the game, the story how fun. i started reminiscing me playing fable morrowind, halo 2, midnight club, black ops and nothing has top off the amount of fun i had then. so why should i care about getting an expensive gpu so i can play on a high resolution at a hgh fps, simply i dont care and i wont let my self make a dumb choice cause its not worth it and not what gaming is for me.
a lot of the gaming community has change back then it was smaller groups of friends or lone wolfs but now that its popular and streaming is popular has change a lot, good but for the bad too cause company's are realizing how much money the industry can make and i feel that a major part that's ruining everything and its happening with everything the pc parts which its getting over the top on the prices and it makes me sad cause alot of passionate devs and people and streaming and hardware developers get lost by the money hungry people and if good to make money but where do we draw the line?

Platform: Pc
Genre: simulation type game
time of release: Unknown
art style: top down view pixilated world with color if you zoom in on a pixilated river it will show different numbers or symbols these symbols will mean different things when zooming in you change your y axes so if you have a multi layered building you will go between flaws, or if you on a mountain you will go down with the layers
for example ( not accurate to game) 4 will be blades of grass and 5 will be a tree etc.
other details: i saw a guy on tik tok a while ago explaining how to play the game and it seemed quite cool and complex.
the guy showed how he could command his community to go do different tasks and so on all you could see where pixels but stuff was happening. he said as the game goes on you create your own lore for your people if you dont know what you doing you wont get far at all but as you get to know the game your community can become massive.
my information could not be 100% accurate, this is all based off a video that i wasnt focused on